Alaska's largest private funder pauses grants during reset

Plus: Appeals court says work at Alaska’s Willow oil project can proceed as larger case plays out ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ Email not displaying correctly? [View the web version]( Support independent reporting on what Alaskans care about most. [Subscribe today.]( Good afternoon. It’s Tuesday, December 19. In today's newsletter: - The Rasmuson Foundation, Alaska’s largest private charitable funder and a juggernaut in the state’s philanthropic ecosystem, is [taking a break from giving out money](. - An appeals court has [ruled against opponents of the giant Willow oil project]( on Alaska’s North Slope, refusing to immediately halt ongoing work as the court takes up the broader arguments in the case. - A school nurse at Anchorage's Muldoon Elementary has helped connect more than [100 students with free exams]( and eyeglasses over the last five years. In this week's [history column]( writer David Reamer goes back to 1975, when nearly 200 people suffered from food poisoning after eating tainted omelets on a Tokyo-to-Paris flight that made a pit stop in Anchorage. Reamer dissects Alaska’s role in the most stomach-churning food poisoning incident in aviation history. Anchorage weather It's cloudy with a high near 27 degrees. Snow is likely today and will continue overnight, with 1 to 2 inches of new snow possible. A chance of precipitation will continue for most of this week, with daytime temperatures ranging from the high teens to mid-20s. Here’s what else is making headlines in Alaska today. — Megan Pacer, mpacer@adn.com [With new leaders in place, Rasmuson Foundation pauses grants during reset →]( [The move from Alaska’s largest private funder comes amid big changes in philanthropic giving patterns with major consequences for the state’s nonprofit sector.]( ADVERTISEMENT [Dozens of kids with blurry vision didn’t have eyeglasses. An Anchorage school nurse stepped in to help. →]( During Bethany Zimpelman’s first months as school nurse at Muldoon Elementary, she noticed a startling statistic: Out of a student body of more than 450, just four wore eyeglasses. Over the last few years, she helped more than 100 of her students access eyeglasses for free. [Appeals court says work at Alaska’s Willow oil project can proceed as larger case plays out →]( ConocoPhillips has said in previous court testimony that it plans $900 million in construction activity this winter as it lays the groundwork for the project, with 1,800 people expected to be employed. [Man who broke into Wasilla home is shot and killed by woman defending husband, troopers say →]( A 22-year-old man was shot and killed after he broke into a Wasilla home over the weekend, Alaska State Troopers said. [Investigators at the scene of the shooting found evidence consistent with self-defense,]( troopers said. [Royalty-free lease offerings in Alaska’s Cook Inlet basin draw tepid response →]( An unusual offering of royalty-free oil and gas leases in the Cook Inlet basin drew a few bids, with state officials describing this month’s experiment as successful. (via Alaska Beacon) ADVERTISEMENT More from the ADN [Biden administration moves to restrict logging of old-growth trees on federal land →]( [Iceland volcano erupts spectacularly near evacuated town →]( [Former employees say Smithsonian resisted action on human remains →]( [The Rewind: State wrestling features historic results, Rosie Brennan wins silver at World Cup and both UAA basketball teams have success on the road →]( [Google to pay $630M to consumers in every state as part of app store settlement →]( [Workplace: Neglect office politics at your own peril →]( 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