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Good afternoon. It’s Thursday, May 28.

In today's newsletter:

Of the 685 bills introduced in the two-year legislative cycle that began last year, 114 passed. That’s about one out of every six bills. Here's what several measures that failed to pass this year would have done.
Two well-known bars closed in Anchorage this month, citing rising costs for insurance, rent and supplies as major factors, at a time when inflation is expected to remain a problem.
Anchorage officials say they have prosecuted 231 shoplifting cases since city law enforcement launched a crackdown on retail theft in September.

Summer is just around the corner or already here, depending on who you ask. Students are graduating, leaves are turning green and cruise ships are returning to Juneau. Anchorage Daily News photographers have captured those scenes, and more. Check out some of our favorite photographs by ADN staff photographers and contributors from the month of May.

Anchorage weather

It's partly sunny today with a high around 59 degrees and a slight chance of isolated showers this afternoon. The forecast calls for mostly cloudy skies on Friday and a chance of rain on Saturday.

Here’s what else is making headlines in Alaska today.

— Megan Pacer, mpacer@adn.com

More than 80% of Alaska bills failed this session. Here are some of them →

Legislation reforming marijuana taxes, allowing for a yearlong supply of birth control and funding a behavioral health system didn’t make it over the finish line.

2 prominent bars shut down in Anchorage, blaming rising costs, rent and other issues →

The closures of the Crossroads Lounge in Fairview and Williwaw Social downtown come on the heels of breweries that have closed as inflation eats at profits.

Anchorage police say public safety efforts have led to hundreds of shoplifting charges →

The figures shared by the city are a significant change from the municipality’s approach to retail theft in recent years.

Former Alaska Gov. Bill Walker weighing another run for governor →

Walker, a Republican-turned-independent, served as governor between 2014 and 2018. He ran unsuccessfully again in 2022.

SPONSORED: Alaskans 55+: Your Voice Is Needed To Guide Senior Housing →

Presented by Alaska Housing Finance Corp: As Alaska’s senior population grows, housing is top of mind for state officials. Here’s how Alaska seniors can make an impact on future decisions.

Relatives of Texas family lost in 2024 boat sinking near Homer file wrongful death lawsuit citing repairs →

The family of four was trapped in the cabin of a 28-foot aluminum boat on Kachemak Bay. The suit filed last week names a Kenai Peninsula boat dealer and a man who worked on the vessel.