Anchorage's mayoral race off to an expensive, competitive start

And: The top Alaska statewide political stories to watch in 2024 ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ Email not displaying correctly? [View the web version]( Today's sponsor: [Today's sponsor: Northrim Bank]( Support independent reporting on what Alaskans care about most. [Subscribe today.]( Good afternoon. It’s Tuesday, January 2. In today's newsletter: - The campaign for Anchorage’s next mayor is [off to an exceptionally aggressive and expensive start]( with candidates jockeying for endorsements and political donations. - There’s no shortage of challenging questions facing the state this year, and election years mean tough decisions can be even harder to make for lawmakers. Here are a few of the [top Alaska political stories]( to follow in the months to come. - Students at Wasilla High School know there’s no time for daydreaming over math equations when they're [running a hot apparel business]( out of their algebra class. Anchorage welcomed 2024 with a bang, with crowds gathering downtown for live music, dance performances and a sparkling fireworks display to usher in the new year. You can see photos of the festivities [here](. And now that it's officially 2024, some of you may be ready to relinquish the holiday decorations — including the Christmas tree. [Here's a quick guide]( for recycling your tree or holiday lights in Anchorage and the Mat-Su. Anchorage weather It's partly sunny today with a high near 23 degrees. A slight chance of snow will develop overnight and continue into Wednesday. Cloudy conditions and chances for snow will persist through the rest of this week, with daytime temperatures hovering in the mid- to high 20s. Here’s what else is making headlines in Alaska today. — Megan Pacer, mpacer@adn.com [Anchorage mayor’s race off to an early, expensive, competitive start →]( Heading into the new year, Anchorage's major mayoral candidates are building their campaign strategies around the intense window when ballots will be in the hands of voters in March. But everyone anticipates the race will head to a runoff, and they’re planning accordingly. ADVERTISEMENT [School funding, energy and ranked choice voting: Alaska statewide political stories to watch in 2024 →]( Alaska’s lawmakers — 50 of whom will be up for reelection in 2024 — are faced with difficult questions, like how to keep critical offices fully staffed, how to fill a looming shortfall in natural gas supply to large parts of the state, and how to pay for critical services while contending with dwindling oil revenue. [At Wasilla High School, a student-run apparel shop shows why algebra matters →]( The students in the school's AMPED on Algebra curriculum have sold about $13,000 worth of products to school groups and community members — all while learning business and math skills. [Avian influenza death of Alaska polar bear is a global first and a sign of the virus’s persistence →]( A polar bear found dead on Alaska’s North Slope is the first of the species known to have been killed by the highly pathogenic avian influenza that is circulating among animal populations around the world. (via Alaska Beacon) [Alaska State Parks rescinds 2024 fee increase for further review →]( Alaska State Parks has rescinded planned fee increases for 2024, with a spokesperson saying the new fee schedule was published online before a “proper review and approval process” could be completed. ADVERTISEMENT More from the ADN [How to make ‘see more of Alaska’ one of your New Year’s resolutions →]( [Millennials have found a way to buy houses: Living with mom and dad →]( [Harvard president resigns amid plagiarism claims, backlash from antisemitism testimony →]( [South Africa’s genocide case against Israel sets up high-stakes legal battle at the UN’s top court →]( [Book review: Photo collection reveals the majesty and peril of sea ice →]( 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