As efforts to ban books ramp up, Alaskans rally against censorship

Plus: Murkowski, Sullivan float pairing Ukraine aid with funding for border security ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ 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 Thursday, October 5. In today's newsletter: - As part of national Banned Books Week, advocates in Anchorage and Mat-Su are [gathering to celebrate intellectual curiosity]( and rally against censorship. - With the Republican party divided on advancing aid to Ukraine, Alaska Sens. Lisa Murkowski and Dan Sullivan are [suggesting coupling congressional assistance to Kyiv]( with other GOP priorities like border security funding. - The Anchorage Assembly is working on [a package of projects to improve access]( to the heavily used Chugach State Park that would go before voters in the April election. Sunlight in Alaska is waning by the day, which means it's time for gardener Jeff Lowenfels' annual reminder to turn on the grow lights. When you consider that the indoor growing season is almost twice as long as the outdoor season, [he writes]( it’s an easy decision to invest in an indoor light system to keep plants happy all winter long. Anchorage weather It's overcast today with a high near 45 degrees. Rain is likely, mostly later this evening and overnight. A chance of rain will last through the weekend and into next week, with daytime temperatures ranging from the mid-40s to low 50s. Here’s what else is making headlines in Alaska today. — Megan Pacer, mpacer@adn.com [As efforts to ban books ramp up in Alaska, so do campaigns against censorship →]( [Banned Books Week]( was launched nationally in 1982 not only to thwart attempts at suppression, but also to prompt readers to dive into works that had been challenged or banned. [Photos: Best of October 2023 →]( Doug Lindstrand submitted this photo of a young bull with a net tangled in its antlers making a moose crossing in West Anchorage. Check out more photographs from October so far by Anchorage Daily News staff photographers and contributors. ADVERTISEMENT [Murkowski, Sullivan float pairing Ukraine aid with funding for border security →]( [Murkowski and Sullivan have repeatedly supported U.S. aid for Ukraine. Both suggested Wednesday that the path forward for congressional action on Ukraine could be packaging it with other policies, like border security.]( [Anchorage Assembly preparing $10M ballot question to improve access to Chugach State Park →]( In the city's last election, voters approved a way to levy new taxes on property owners to pay for improvements to the park. Now, the Assembly is working on a package of projects as well as the new property taxes and bonds to pay for them. (via Alaska Public Media) [SPONSORED - From Brownie badges to CEO: Girl Scouts of Alaska steps into the future →]( Presented by ConocoPhillips Alaska: From its iconic cookie sales to overnight summer camps, explore how Girl Scouts of Alaska supports local girls and families — and what opportunities await. ADVERTISEMENT More from the ADN [Army IDs 2 soldiers killed in military transport vehicle crash near Fairbanks →]( [Costco is seeing a gold rush. What’s behind the demand for its 1-ounce gold bars? →]( [Vote to oust McCarthy is a warning sign for democracy, scholars say →]( [UAA hockey aims to convert momentum from last season’s strong finish into a hot start this year →]( [School shooting hoaxes have terrorized kids across U.S. Who’s behind it? →]( [How red-state politics are shaving years off American lives →]( 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