Two unrelated deaths of North Slope workers are under investigation

Plus: Sen. Lisa Murkowski’s statement on Trump indictment says ‘clear evidence’ shows he helped instigate Capitol riot ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ Email not displaying correctly? [View the web version]( Support independent reporting on what Alaskans care about most. [Subscribe today.]( Good afternoon. It’s Wednesday, August 2. In today's newsletter: - State and federal inspectors are investigating two unrelated workplace [deaths within Alaska’s North Slope oil industry]( in recent months. - After Donald Trump [was indicted]( on four criminal charges Tuesday, Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski said the former president [“played a key role in instigating”]( the riot at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. - An unusually wet, cool summer has made Southcentral Alaska a particularly hospitable place for [an invasive slug species]( that appears to have made a home in Anchorage’s Hillside. As climate change threatens crops and fisheries, [kelp farming and other mariculture operations]( are on the rise. Could seaweed be Alaska's newest gold rush? Some believe ocean farming could chart a different path from the sort of resource extraction that’s defined the state for more than two centuries. Anchorage weather It's mostly sunny today with a high near 76 degrees, and widespread haze in the Anchorage area. Those hazy conditions are set to last through Friday. Daytime temperatures will hover in the low to mid-70s for the rest of this week. Here’s what else is making headlines in Alaska today. — Megan Pacer, mpacer@adn.com [Unrelated deaths of 2 North Slope oil workers under investigation →]( Investigators have released limited details about the deaths. Both are labeled as accidents by workplace safety regulators, and Hilcorp Alaska is named in each investigation. ADVERTISEMENT [An invasive slug species has slimed into Anchorage →]( The European black slug is much larger and more disruptive to crops than native slugs. A cool, damp summer has helped make Anchorage a perfect home for the gastropods. [Sen. Murkowski’s statement on Trump indictment says ‘clear evidence’ shows he helped instigate Capitol riot →]( Murkowski is an outspoken Trump critic and was one of seven Republican senators who voted in 2021 to convict the impeached former president for inciting an insurrection. • Related: [Trump has been indicted before. Historians say this time is different.]( [Alaska pays $350,000 to settle last wrongful-firing lawsuit from loyalty-pledge scheme →]( The settlement ends a series of state and federal lawsuits triggered when Gov. Mike Dunleavy and his former chief of staff asked state employees to submit resignation letters during the transition from the administration of Gov. Bill Walker. (via Alaska Beacon) [Lawsuits target Alaska predator-control program that killed 99 bears in effort to boost caribou →]( Two new lawsuits are challenging a program used to kill bears and wolves in southwestern Alaska in a state-conducted campaign to control predators to increase caribou numbers in the region. (via Alaska Beacon) [He created Utqiagvik’s airport memorial sculpture. Decades later, his family finally got to see it in person. →]( Over 40 years ago, an Oklahoma artist sculpted a tribute to two cultural icons who died in a 1935 plane crash near Utqiagvik. This summer, his family came to Alaska to accomplish what he never got a chance to do: see his art in the community it was created for. ADVERTISEMENT More from the ADN [Trump has now been indicted for a 3rd time. Here’s where all the investigations stand. →]( [Sexual assault survivors in Alaska can now track their rape kits online →]( [Bruins goaltender Jeremy Swayman of Anchorage is awarded $3.475 million in contract arbitration →]( [IRS expects faster refunds in 2024 for people who stop using paper →]( [The heaviest animal that ever lived may be this ancient whale found in the Peruvian desert →]( [Workplace: Fired for ‘not smiling enough’ - Drop the attitude and move on →]( The ADN relies on readers like you. [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 Ave, Anchorage, AK 99503, United States