Chinese and Russian vessels spotted patrolling off Alaska coast

Plus: Juneau residents return lost treasures to families who lost homes in glacial outburst flood ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ Email not displaying correctly? [View the web version]( Today's sponsor: Support independent reporting on what Alaskans care about most. [Subscribe today.]( Good afternoon. It’s Tuesday, August 8. In today's newsletter: - Eleven [foreign military vessels from China and Russia patrolled]( off the Alaska coast last week, prompting a response from U.S. Navy vessels, according to military officials. - After a massive glacial outburst flood destroyed homes and displaced families along Juneau's Mendenhall River, [local residents are cleaning up]( and reuniting lost treasures with their owners. - More than 50 years after the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act passed Congress, a [federal proposal seeks to resolve claims]( with five so-called “landless” Southeast communities that were left out of the law. Drawn to Alaska along with many others by the allure of the gold rush, author Jack London continued to be inspired by the Last Frontier in his writing for years to come. In his most recent column, historian David Reamer details [the shocking murder and hanging]( during the cold 1899 winter at Lituya Bay that inspired London's short story, “The Unexpected.” Anchorage weather It's mostly cloudy today with isolated rain showers and a high near 71 degrees. There's a slight chance of rain showers overnight, and rain will remain in the forecast for most of this week. Daytime temperatures will hover in the high 60s for the next few days. Here’s what else is making headlines in Alaska today. — Megan Pacer, mpacer@adn.com [Chinese and Russian vessels conduct operations off Alaska coast →]( Alaska’s two U.S. senators issued a joint statement Saturday saying the incident is a reminder of Alaska’s role in national defense and called for expanding the military’s presence in the state. ADVERTISEMENT [Juneau residents return lost treasures to families who lost homes in glacial outburst flood →]( Furniture, building material and precious belongings are being retrieved from waters surrounding Juneau following a glacial outburst flood that destroyed and damaged homes along the Mendenhall River. (via KTOO Public Media) • Related: [Bursting ice dam in Juneau highlights risks of destructive glacial flooding around the globe]( [Federal plan would grant Southeast Alaska Native communities land settlements in Tongass National Forest →]( The bill would change the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act to allow the so-called “landless” communities in Haines, Ketchikan, Petersburg, Tenakee Springs and Wrangell to form urban corporations. [Alaska Rep. Mary Peltola among moderate new leaders of dwindling Blue Dog Democrats in U.S. House →]( The new, more socially liberal leaders of the once-powerful group are working to change its perception and stage a comeback. [Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg to visit Alaska →]( On the three-day trip with stops in Kotzebue, Anchorage and Southeast, Buttigieg will promote the Biden administration’s infrastructure investments and learn about rural and tribal transportation needs, according to his office. [Indigenous knowledge holders share thousands of observations on the changing Arctic in a new study →]( Inupiaq experts contributed to almost 10,000 observations about the changing environment in a research paper published in May. The project aimed to continue tracking Arctic change, support documenting Indigenous knowledge and nurture the next generation of Indigenous scholars. ADVERTISEMENT More from the ADN [‘12 years of hell’: Indian boarding school survivors share their stories →]( [Anchorage man walking on Sterling Highway fatally struck by car →]( [Alaska state agency with oil leases in Arctic refuge loses legal bid to halt Biden moratorium →]( [Southwest Alaska teacher convicted of child sex abuse charges →]( [Employee fatally stabbed by coworker in restaurant of Trapper Creek lodge →]( [COVID or a summer cold? Without free tests, many won’t know. →]( [The Rewind: Glacier Pilots claim 3rd straight ABL championship; Service thrives in Legion baseball →]( 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