Izembek Road Fight: A federal appeals court denied a bid to stop Alaska’s nearly 3-mile road segment inside Izembek National Wildlife Refuge, clearing the way for the state and King Cove village corporation to move ahead while a longer 19-mile plan remains tied up in court. Bycatch Pressure in the Bering Sea: Sen. Dan Sullivan’s Bycatch Reduction Act advanced in a U.S. Senate committee, aiming to push federal fisheries managers to set timelines and standards to cut trawl bycatch affecting salmon, halibut and other species. AI and Alaska Land Use: Alaska senators signaled openness to AI guardrails, but warned regulation likely won’t land before the midterms; separately, lawmakers raised legal questions about a proposed state land transfer for potential AI data centers in the Mat-Su area. Kenai Cloud-Seeding Backlash: The Kenai Peninsula Borough is moving to regulate after a private cloud-seeding test near Homer used silver iodide and sparked demands for more transparency. Whittier Cruise Dock Fire: The Coast Guard is investigating a dock fire at Whittier that burned about 70% of a new cruise ship terminal and may have released pollution during the response. Arctic Ocean Snapshot: A new climate update tracks sea surface temperatures offshore of Nome, noting summer conditions near normal with shifts tied to weather and river-driven warm pulses. Indigenous Education: Alaska Pacific University launched a new bachelor’s degree in Indigenous Studies, positioning Indigenous knowledge and land stewardship as central to the curriculum. Wildlife & Climate Signals: Reports from outside Alaska highlight warming-linked wildlife stress—dead seabirds in California and unusual marmot sightings—underscoring how heat and habitat shifts can ripple through ecosystems.