Hot mic at Zoom meeting broadcasts Bronson official saying someone ‘needed a little slapping arou nd’

Also: Omicron is here, and it's shattering Alaska's COVID-19 case records. Email not displaying correctly? [View the web version]( [Anchorage Daily News]( Today's sponsor: [Today's sponsor: Pipers Restaurant and Sports Lounge]( Support independent reporting on what Alaskans care about most. [Subscribe today.]( Good afternoon. It’s Thursday, January 13. In today's newsletter: - A hot mic at an Anchorage community council Zoom meeting broadcast a Bronson official saying someone "needed a little slapping around." - Alaska shattered its COVID-19 case record as omicron adds to a growing strain on hospitals. - A tribal sovereignty ballot initiative far exceeded the signature-gathering threshold required to put it before voters, weeks ahead of schedule. For those of us who have gotten into [gardening during the pandemic](, there is a glut of advice on the internet —problem is, it's sometimes hard for newbies to tell what's useful and what's not. Jeff Lowenfels has helpfully curated a list of reliable websites in this week's [gardening column](, from the comprehensive to the "clearly commercial, but nonetheless useful." 🌨️ Anchorage weather Cloudy and snowing today, with a high near 34 degrees and a chance of rain later on. There's also a chance of rain and snow tomorrow, with a high near 39 degrees. Here’s what else is making headlines in Alaska today. — Elizabeth Harball, eharball@adn.com [Hot mic at Anchorage community council Zoom meeting broadcasts Bronson official saying someone ‘needed a little slapping around’]( [Hot mic at Anchorage community council Zoom meeting broadcasts Bronson official saying someone ‘needed a little slapping around’]( Two members of Anchorage Mayor Dave Bronson’s administration attended a community council meeting this week over Zoom to talk about COVID-19 testing and other issues — and ended up sharing more than they intended. Members of the Rogers Park Community Council characterized the comments as “unsavory,” while spokesman for the mayor said he “does not condone the statement.” [Read More]( [Alaska shatters COVID-19 case record as omicron adds to growing strain on hospitals]( [Alaska shatters COVID-19 case record as omicron adds to growing strain on hospitals]( As pandemic-weary hospitals in Alaska face mounting pressures on staffing and non-COVID-19 patient volume, the state’s virus case counts shattered records Wednesday with no sign yet of a slowdown in the surge driven by the ultra-contagious but often less-severe omicron variant. [Read More]( [Tribal sovereignty ballot initiative smashes signature-gathering threshold weeks ahead of schedule]( [Tribal sovereignty ballot initiative smashes signature-gathering threshold weeks ahead of schedule]( A campaign to formalize the government-to-government relationship between federally recognized tribes in Alaska and the state is moving forward as organizers submitted 56,200 signatures in support of the measure to the Division of Elections, far more than the 36,140 required to put it before voters. [Read More]( [Supreme Court halts COVID-19 vaccine rule for businesses, allows health worker mandate to proceed]( [Supreme Court halts COVID-19 vaccine rule for businesses, allows health worker mandate to proceed]( The court’s conservative majority concluded the administration overstepped its authority by seeking to impose a vaccine-or-test rule on U.S. businesses with at least 100 employees. More than 80 million people would have been affected and OSHA had estimated that the rule would save 6,500 lives and prevent 250,000 hospitalizations over six months. [Read More]( [Anchorage police chief to take position at Providence Alaska ]( [Anchorage police chief to take position at Providence Alaska]( Anchorage Police Chief Kenneth McCoy, who is set to retire Feb. 1 after less than a year on the job, will become Providence Alaska’s first chief diversity, equity and inclusion officer. [Read More]( More from the ADN [Heavy snow, high winds and rain expected along the Seward Highway]( [Heavy snow, high winds and rain expected along the Seward Highway]( [Read More]( [Alaska ferry system sees $1B worth of opportunity in infrastructure bill]( [Alaska ferry system sees $1B worth of opportunity in infrastructure bill]( [Read More]( [Murder trial of Maine man begins in Fairbanks with testimony from victim’s friend]( [Murder trial of Maine man begins in Fairbanks with testimony from victim’s friend]( [Read More]( [Seditious conspiracy: 11 Oath Keepers charged in Jan. 6 riot]( [Seditious conspiracy: 11 Oath Keepers charged in Jan. 6 riot]( [Read More]( [January brings busy start to the year for Alaska’s commercial fishermen]( [January brings busy start to the year for Alaska’s commercial fishermen]( [Read More]( [The heat stays on: Earth hits 6th warmest year on record]( [The heat stays on: Earth hits 6th warmest year on record]( [Read More]( The ADN relies on readers like you. 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