Al Gross withdraws, shaking up Alaska's U.S. House race

Alaska oil and gas commission cancels monthly public meetings 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, June 21. In today's newsletter: - Independent candidate Al Gross, one of the top vote-getters in June's special U.S. House primary, announced his withdrawal from the special and general elections for Alaska's congressional seat. - The state commission that oversees oil field activities in Alaska is ending its long-running practice of holding monthly public meetings, drawing concerns about transparency. - Some parts of East Anchorage may hit 80 degrees toward the end of the week as unseasonably warm temperatures arrive in Southcentral Alaska. A new music event that was years in the making filled the streets of downtown Anchorage with hip-hop and electronic dance music for three days this past weekend. Photojournalist Marc Lester captured scenes from the energetic Sundown Solstice Festival [here](. 🌤️ Anchorage weather Today is mostly sunny with a high of 75 degrees, though we could see scattered showers later this afternoon. Sunny skies remain in the forecast for the rest of the week, with temperatures in the high 70s and even low 80s. Here’s what else is making headlines in Alaska today. — Megan Pacer, mpacer@adn.com [Al Gross withdraws from Alaska’s U.S. House campaign]( [Al Gross withdraws from Alaska’s U.S. House campaign]( Independent candidate Al Gross was in third place after June's special primary and was set to advance to August's special general election before he announced he is withdrawing from the race for U.S. House in Alaska. Gross urged supporters to consider voting instead for Democrat Mary Peltola or Republican Tara Sweeney. [Read More]( [Alaska oil and gas commission cancels monthly public meetings]( [Alaska oil and gas commission cancels monthly public meetings]( The Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission's vote to end monthly public meetings has drawn concerns about transparency. Commissioners argued the meetings had little-to-no attendance and were often canceled. [Read More]( [Warmer-than-usual temperatures headed for Southcentral Alaska ]( [Warmer-than-usual temperatures headed for Southcentral Alaska]( Southcentral Alaska is expected to see warmer-than-usual temperatures starting today, and parts of East Anchorage might even hit 80 degrees toward the end of the week. [Read More]( [Volunteers confront an invasion of black slugs near Whittier]( [Volunteers confront an invasion of black slugs near Whittier]( Volunteers at the Whittier Slug-Out learned about Alaska’s invasive species and helped mitigate European black slugs near a popular cove on Prince William Sound. [Read More]( [Caring for Alaska’s kids: Meet the team at ANMC]( [SPONSORED: Caring for Alaska’s kids - Meet the team at ANMC]( Presented by Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium: Celebrating the nurses who help support Alaska kids and families when a health crisis hits. [Read More]( More from the ADN [Republican state officials tell Jan. 6 committee of resisting extreme pressure from Trump and allies over election results]( [Republican state officials tell Jan. 6 committee of resisting extreme pressure from Trump and allies over election results]( [Read More]( [Officers kill driver in Fairbanks after he pointed gun at passenger, troopers say ]( [Officers kill driver in Fairbanks after he pointed gun at passenger, troopers say]( [Read More]( [Oil refineries are making a windfall. Why do they keep closing?]( [Oil refineries are making a windfall. Why do they keep closing?]( [Read More]( [Foul play not suspected in deaths of two defendants in Alaska correctional facilities]( [Foul play not suspected in deaths of two defendants in Alaska correctional facilities]( [Read More]( [Fire near Arctic Circle sign prompts evacuations at nearby campground]( [Fire near Arctic Circle sign prompts evacuations at nearby campground]( [Read More]( [Get digital access to the ADN for as low as $1.99 for the first month]( 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 300 W 31st Avenue, Anchorage, AK 99503