Alaska Republicans propose measures to limit COVID-19 response

Also: A puppy. Email not displaying correctly? [View the web version]( [Anchorage Daily News]( Support independent reporting on what Alaskans care about most. [Subscribe today.]( Good afternoon. It’s Tuesday, January 11. In today's newsletter: - Ahead of the legislative session, Alaska Republicans are proposing measures to limit the response to COVID-19. - Alaska’s hospital system remains intact during the omicron surge, but this week could change that. - A golden retriever puppy is in training to become Alyeska’s newest avalanche safety asset. There was a time when Alaska’s future seemed mixed with that of floating blimps and dirigibles. Alas, it was not to be. You can read all about it in [this week's history column](. ☁️ Anchorage weather Cloudy today, with a high near 29 degrees. There's a decent chance of snow through the rest of the day, with about 1 inch of accumulation possible. Temperatures are expected to remain in the 20s and low 30s through the week, with a chance of snow throughout. Here’s what else is making headlines in Alaska today. — Elizabeth Harball, eharball@adn.com [Ahead of session, Alaska Republicans propose measures to limit COVID-19 response]( [Ahead of session, Alaska Republicans propose measures to limit COVID-19 response]( Alaska state legislators have prefiled 58 new bills ahead of the Legislature’s Jan. 18 start, and almost a quarter of them propose to limit public and private responses to the COVID-19 pandemic. [Read More]( [Alaska’s hospital system remains intact during omicron surge, but this week could change that]( [Alaska’s hospital system remains intact during omicron surge, but this week could change that]( Case counts are as high as they've ever been, with the potential to strain hospitals as high volumes of staff are calling in sick at some of Alaska’s heath care facilities and nursing homes. So far, virus-related hospitalizations are a fraction of what they were during the delta surge in the fall, but it may not take much to stress hospital capacity if staffing grows thinner. [Read More]( [A golden retriever puppy is in training to become Alyeska’s newest avalanche safety asset]( [A golden retriever puppy is in training to become Alyeska’s newest avalanche safety asset]( One of Alyeska Resort’s newest employees doesn’t know how to ski. She naps on the job. And she’s paid in treats and toys. Stormy, a 16-week-old golden retriever, recently joined the ski resort and is in training to become an avalanche rescue dog that could save lives in an emergency. (Stormy's Instagram handle is [@stormypowdog](, by the way. You're welcome.) [Read More]( [Anchorage correctional officers pepper sprayed prisoners and then left them inside a van, investigation says]( [Anchorage correctional officers pepper sprayed prisoners and then left them inside a van, investigation says]( Anchorage-based state correctional officers pepper sprayed three incarcerated men inside a van and then closed the doors, leaving them to inhale the chemicals for between seven to 18 minutes, according to a new report from the Alaska state ombudsman. [Read More]( [Suspect in fatal East Anchorage shooting dies by suicide during encounter with police, authorities say]( [Suspect in fatal East Anchorage shooting dies by suicide during encounter with police, authorities say]( A 21-year-old man who Anchorage police say was a suspect in a fatal shooting over the weekend died by suicide Sunday during an encounter with officers, the police department said. [Read More]( More from the ADN [Alaska is changing how it tracks the pandemic. Here’s what you need to know.]( [Alaska is changing how it tracks the pandemic. Here’s what you need to know.]( [Read More]( [Biden administration plans return to Obama-era protections for National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska]( [Biden administration plans return to Obama-era protections for National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska]( [Read More]( [Alaska-based master sergeant is fifth soldier to die in the state since November]( [Alaska-based master sergeant is fifth soldier to die in the state since November]( [Read More]( [Biden supports filibuster changes to pass voting rights bill]( [Biden supports filibuster changes to pass voting rights bill]( [Read More]( [Swarm of earthquakes, one recorded at magnitude 6.8, hits off Aleutian Islands]( [Swarm of earthquakes, one recorded at magnitude 6.8, hits off Aleutian Islands]( [Read More]( [Which mask? What test? Covid’s latest surge spreads an epidemic of confusion.]( [Which mask? What test? Covid’s latest surge spreads an epidemic of confusion.]( [Read More]( The ADN relies on readers like you. [Get digital access to the ADN for about $4 per week]( and help us cover the news that matters most here in Alaska. [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [Instagram]( [Click here to unsubscribe and manage your email subscriptions.]( Anchorage Daily News Anchorage Daily News 300 W 31st Avenue, Anchorage, AK 99503