James Brooks Cascade

@alaska.bsky.social

6911 Followers 1173 Following

Statehouse and politics reporter for the Alaska Beacon. Juneauite. Formerly with the Anchorage Daily News, Juneau Empire, Kodiak Daily Mirror and the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner.

The XKCD "dependency" comic, but with Cheryl Frasca and Paula DeLaiarro being the critical piece of the Alaska elections system
A small explosion from Korovin Volcano was detected in seismic and infrasound data at 3:55 am AKDT (11:55 UTC) this morning, July 16, 2026. The Aviation Color Code and Alert Level are being raised to YELLOW/ADVISORY. No emissions were observed in satellite images, but regional clouds would obscure activity below 10,000 feet (3 km) asl. Possible ash clouds generated by such events are expected to be small and dissipate quickly. Fallout of ash, if any, is unlikely to extend much beyond the upper flanks of the volcano.
The Southeast Childhood Collective shared updated data showing that Juneau has nearly 2,000 children whose families need childcare, but only 619 licensed childcare spaces. Providers face an average $585 monthly funding gap for every childcare space, while childcare educators earn well below Juneau's average wage, making it difficult to recruit and retain the workforce needed to expand capacity.
A lengthy criminal indictment describing violent threats against an Anchorage hospital by a disgruntled patient who left the ER against medical advice
A facial tissue box shaped like the volcano mount Edgecumbe
MatCom reported that several pull-type explosive devices were found at a private residence in Wasilla. Airforce Explosive Ordnance Disposal specialist was contacted to assist with safe removal. EOD responded to the residence with support from the Wasilla Police Department and removed the items without further incident.
Line chart showing average summer temperatures in Juneau, Alaska from 1943 to 2026, with the 2026 number showing a dip not seen since the early 2010s.
Announcing Postponement of Consideration of the Kotzebue Superior Court Consideration for the Kotzebue Superior Court position has been postponed because two applications were not received by the deadline. The position will be readvertised, and the new application period will be released at a later date.
Stickers on the back side of a street sign in Juneau, including one saying “throw pipe bombs at cruise ships”
An airport coffee stand, surrounded by four neon yellow signs pointing in the direction of coffee
Luxury aircraft tail number PR-BCR
The tales of two white painted Boeing 737’s are seen on the ground
A highway sign points toward Juneau, Alaska beneath the blue sky, with Forested mountains in the background
A protest sign reading "Keep Petersburg Dan on the ballot"
*Note: If this is not the party affiliation currently on your voter registration record, it will be changed to reflect what you provided.
An 18th century globe in the Museum Plantin-Moretus showing the then-unexplored northwest coast of north america
A group of legislators and lobbyists gathers outside the Alaska House Finance committee room
a screenshot of an email box filled with Arctic National Wildlife Refuge lease sale press releases
Window air conditioners in Alaska
Mount McKinley spotted
Bluesky feed of posts, with one saying “Spotted at gold hill,” followed by a photo of a creepy masked person and another post of someone appearing to look up and scream
I'm going to start out a bit negative. Yesterday, May 18, was a day that defies description. Governor told the Legislature: pass the bill he wants or he will veto the bill for Alaska's workforce. pass his version of a gas pipeline bill that no one is allowed to know much about, or he will veto a bill worked through 2 Legislatures for the past 4 years. his veto of the pension bill (here) at 10:48 pm scorns and denegrates the public employees who work in local governments as well as the state. His version of a gas pipeline defies our Constitution - ignoring resource development for benefit of Alaskans (benefit for a private company), surrenders our taxing authority (removes local taxation authority, forbids financial transparency, logical financial assessment). The Governor's actions can be described by some very troubling terms that I am leaving for you to come up with. This "transactional" approach is the worst possible way to make public policy. ... I beseech Alaskans! - Please think before you vote in August Primary and November General elections. Alaska needs leadership in the Governor's seat with the humility to work with the Legislature, listen to Alaskans rather than D.C. and corporations, and is willing to focus on the job. Being Governor is a hard job. Please choose a work horse, not another show horse.
Skagway court case number ending in 1, dated Friday, May 15
AF1 was wheels up from Anchorage at 8.19am. Per WH, travelers today on AF1: THE PRESIDENT Eric Trump Lara Trump Secretary Marco Rubio Secretary Pete Hegseth Ambassador Jamieson Greer James Blair Beau Harrison Stephen Miller Steven Cheung Robert Gabriel Michael Kratsios Ross Worthington Walt Nauta Chris Ambrosini Ambassador Monica Crowley Sean Hannity
A reminder that The Washington Post doesn’t have a dedicated reporter covering the Eastern District of Virginia courts anymore. Completely unrelated, Amazon’s lawyers have been waging a multi year multi-million dollar lawsuit that they continue to lose at nearly every stage of litigation. And it resulted in at least two criminal cases being dismissed shortly after the now-laid off Washington Post reporter noted the global conglomerate's curious relationships with federal prosecutors. We’d also note that this month Amazon’s lawyers were pushing pretty hard to make life complicated for one of those individuals who was charged and then dismissed. Maybe The Star/NOTUS wants to kick the tires on this case?
A cruise ship sails through a deep mountain fjord that rises with forested slopes into gray mountain cliffs and snowy peaks beneath a cloudy gray sky.
"Disorderly conduct, exposing buttocks," violation of AS11.61.110(a)(7), a Class B misdemeanor
Emrit v. Snoop Doggy Dogg et al ORDER OF DISMISSAL: This case is DISMISSED with prejudice. All pending motions are DENIED as moot. The Court certifies that Plaintiffs interlocutory appeal at Docket 5 is frivolous and that any appeal from this disposition would not be taken in good faith. See Order for additional details. Signed by Judge Sharon L. Gleason on 4/15/2026. (JRF, COURT STAFF)
IBM Model M, manufactured 15 April 86
A totem pole smiles in front of a snow capped mountain and blue skies
Table showing Alaska North Slope crude rose in price by $5.20 per barrel yesterday, up to $120.28 per barrel
Please do not touch the Unabomber cabin
a pixelated image of Garfield the Cat with the words "you are not immune to propaganda"
table of numbers showing Juneau with 181.7 inches of snow so far this winter, enough to rank No. 4 all time in winters since 1943. The winter of 1964-65 is No. 1 with 194.3 inches.
On Monday, March 23, 2026, the Spice Bollywood Dancers will be holding a Holi Festival at 112 N. Franklin Street. The event will begin at 6:00 PM and will end at 10:00 PM. Franklin Street between Front Street and Second Street will be closed to all vehicular traffic starting at 5:00 PM and will remain closed until the event ends at 10:00 PM. Any questions regarding the event should be directed to Event Chairperson Nimmy Phillips at (907) 209-9167.
Protesters against the Iran war hold signs during a snowstorm in Juneau, Alaska
The sun hangs in a cloud-dappled sky above snow-covered mountains as dog walkers and the Treadwell pump house are silhouetted against the ocean below
An Area 49 t-shirt promoting the Gakona, Alaska research site known as HAARP
Douglas Island- Hazard has dropped to low at all elevations with a thick melt freeze crust in place effectively locking up the snowpack. With significantly less than forecasted new snow totals overnight, the main problem today is potentially difficult skiing atop the variable crust. Watch for unstable snow on isolated terrain features.
Table of snowfall records for Juneau by winter since 1943
One — no, two — more things! Alaska Beacon reporter James Brooks Cascade is out on family leave after the birth of his identical twin sons on Tuesday. Brooks Edmond Cascade and Ellis Marvel Cascade arrived two months early but are doing well, as is their mother.
list of attorneys and their hourly rates, including former Alaska Attorney General Jahna Lindemuth at $525 per hour and Scott Kendall at $495 per hour
SLG TEXT ORDER REASSIGNING CASE: By agreement of the judges, the above referenced case is hereby reassigned to the Honorable Aaron C. Peterson for all further proceedings. Please use the following case number on all future filings: 3:24-cv-00133-ACP. All pending deadlines and hearings are now reset before Judge Peterson in Anchorage Courtroom 3. (BJK, COURT STAFF)
Retractable baby safety gate
Snowcapped mountains are illuminated by the rising Sun while a man walks three dogs on the sandy Beach
And the Court will observe, without yet having read the opening merits briefs filed by PLP and the State in this case, that it is often the case that more concise briefing is more persuasive.
Marmot Day is established on February 2 of each year. The day may be observed by suitable observances and exercises by school programs, the Alaska Zoo, civic groups, and the public.
Starting on January 22, 2026, ALL requests must be submitted using the FOIA web portal (www.dhs.gov/foia)or other acceptable Federal Government portals (www.foia.gov). Requests submitted via email, mail, or fax will NOT be accepted. Requesters who are unable to submit requests electronically should reach out to the FOIA Office directly, indicating the reason they are unable to submit their request via the web portals. Please review the Notice here: 2025-23783.pdf In your request, include as much information as possible about the records you are seeking such as the document name, investigation number, date range, location of incident, names of individuals or positions involved, or the office which may have the responsive records.
This Thursday, January 29, at noon, we will gather peacefully at the corner of 4th and Main to mourn, to speak out, and to demand accountability. We are coming together in response to the executions of Renee Good and Alex Pretti during immigration enforcement actions. Their deaths demand acknowledgment, transparency, and justice. We gather not in anger toward one another, but in grief, solidarity, and a shared commitment to human dignity and the rule of law. This is a nonviolent, peaceful protest. Our goal is to keep one another safe while calling on our representatives to confront the harm being done and to act with humanity. 🧊 Please bring a small amount of ice melt — both to help with snowy conditions and as a symbol. In Alaska, we know how to deal with ice responsibly. We use salt to protect lives. Today, we use it to call for compassion and accountability — to melt ICE, not families. Note: This is a peaceful gathering. If you bring ice melt, please bring only a small amount and use it responsibly to help reduce slipping on sidewalks. Do not throw salt or ice melt at people, buildings, or into streets. Our goal is safety, symbolism, and respect for public spaces. 📍 Thursday • Noon • Corner of 4th & Main
A record entitled unmitigated gall
Music Trivia Fundraiser Extravaganza The Hangar Ballroom, 21+ Friday, Jan. 30th - doors 7pm, trivia 7:30pm $10 entry, teams of up to six Conor Lendrum and I are working together to host a swanky Friday night trivia and silent auction at the Hangar Ballroom -- all the rounds include questions relating in some way to music. Dress up if you like, we will. The prizes are exceptional, as are the silent auction items: Your outgoing voicemail greeting as recorded by the Getting Strangers An original song created for the winning team's name, live onstage, by one-man house band Jacob Pickard Gift bags for the whole team from Drip Drop Wonder Shop, Kindred Post, and other downtown vendors, worth over $50 each A free round for the table that's ahead at half time Bid in the silent auction on a private in-home meal by local gourmet local chefs, custom illustration of your favorite musician by Pat Race, prints by local artists including Rie Muñoz, earrings by Lily Hope, jewelry from Wolfsong Wellness, books and records from Hearthside and Downtown Discs, vintage Alaskan Bar merch, and much more. Folks can reserve a table for their team or just grab a single ticket and join up on arrival. Paying at the door also works, but the tickets have no fees, so it's the same. This supports the org I work for, but mostly it supports the Alaska Music Summit next Saturday, which is my entire life at the moment. Conor is working super hard on the rounds to make them as wild as possible. So I hope you'll maybe grab a ticket and come! Or tell a fellow trivia nerd if you think it sounds fun! (here's a Facebook event to share.)
At approximately 4:09 p.m. on Sunday, January 18, 2026, I received an email containing an FAA Incident Notification regarding Delta Flight 121 from Minneapolis to Tokyo, Japan. The notification indicated that the flight crew reported an unruly passenger and declared a Level 2 Disturbance, diverting the plane to land in Anchorage. 7. At approximately 5 :23 p.m., I received a second email containing another FAA Incident Notification containing additional information. This second email indicated that a disruptive passenger was walking around the aisle of the aircraft, attempted to open a cabin door, and had become verbally abusive towards the flight crew as they attempted to help him back to his seat.
Hello, An urgent update your pooler is sending on behalf of the out-of-town pool: After takeoff, the crew on AF1 identified “a minor electrical issue” and, out of an abundance of caution, we are turning around, landing at Joint Base Andrews and boarding new aircraft, per press secretary Karoline Leavitt. (Note from your pooler: the lights in the press cabin went out briefly after takeoff but no explanation was offered.) Leavitt made a joke about the Qatari jet sounding “much better” right now. This will obviously delay our arrival in Zurich. We will keep you updated as best we can. We’re expected to land at JBA at 11 PM. Thanks,