By Gina Hill | Alaska Headline Living | November 2025
Dick Cheney Remembered in Washington … Alaska Watches From Afar
The memorial service for former Vice President Dick Cheney unfolded this morning at the Washington National Cathedral — an invitation-only gathering that set flags flying at half-mast across Alaska and stirred reflection on federal power, defense and the state’s role on the national stage.
Among the more than 1,000 dignitaries present were former Presidents George W. Bush and Joe Biden, along with all four living former vice-presidents—while notably absent were President Donald Trump and Vice President J.D. Vance, who were not invited. AP News+2The Washington Post+2
Of special note for Alaska watchers: Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) and her husband Verne Martell attended the service, representing Alaska’s presence in the gathering of national leadership. WLT Report+1
Why it matters in Alaska
- Cheney’s legacy as a staunch supporter of expansive executive power, national defense, and resource-security ties resonates in Alaska, where federal decisions shape infrastructure, military / Arctic policy and public-lands outcomes.
- The exclusion of the sitting president and vice-president underscores the continuing rift between the traditional GOP establishment and the MAGA-aligned wing — a dynamic with policy implications for Alaska’s Republicans.
- Senator Murkowski’s attendance signals Alaska’s linkage to Washington’s corridors of power even as local debates (fisheries, resource development, climate-resilience) intensify.
The service in brief
- In her eulogy, Cheney’s daughter Liz Cheney said her father believed “the bonds of party must always yield to the single bond we share as Americans.” Newsweek
- Former President Bush paid tribute to Cheney as “everything a president should expect as a second-in-command … so focused and so capable.” CBS News+1
- The casket was carried into the Cathedral by military bearers; Supreme Court justices and senior lawmakers from both parties attended. KATV+1
$12.5 Million Fraud Case Rocks Anchorage
In Anchorage, the federal courthouse was the focal point of a major fraud development this week: Dr. Claribel Kohchet Chua Tan and her husband Daniel Tan pleaded guilty to a sprawling scheme involving health-care fraud and tax evasion, with losses to federal programs topping $12.5 million.
Their admissions detailed systematic over-billing of Medicare and Medicaid alongside concealed income — a case prosecutors say sets a blueprint for future investigations in Alaska’s medical sector.
Fishery Alerts: Late-Season Rules & Emergency Orders
The Alaska Department of Fish & Game (ADF&G) has posted region-specific emergency orders covering late-season sport-fish closures, harvest summaries and subsistence regulations — key documents for commercial, subsistence and recreational users alike.
Highlights:
- Late-run king salmon sport-fishing closures on the Kenai River.
- Full closures or sharply reduced quotas in portions of Cook Inlet saltwater zones after historic low returns.
- Federal public-water closures in parts of the Chignik River drainage to Chinook salmon.
Anchorage Streets Under Scrutiny After Traffic Violence
Pedestrian fatalities and serious collisions are climbing in Anchorage. According to the Anchorage Police Department, one-third of fatal crashes involve speeding and nearly 85 % of pedestrian deaths in recent years involved impairment.
Danger zones include Tudor Road, Northern Lights Boulevard, Benson Boulevard/C Street, Ingra Street, Gambell Street and Muldoon Road.
The city has increased enforcement in these “hotspots,” but structural improvements lag — especially because some of the roads are state-managed and budgeting for lighting or traffic-calming remains a complex challenge.
Arts & Entertainment: Winter Repertoire Rolls Out
As Alaska settles into longer nights, indoor culture and winter sports are taking center stage:
- In Anchorage: Alaska Center for the Performing Arts, Cyrano’s Theatre Company and the official box office CenterTix have launched their winter/holiday programming.
- In Fairbanks: The Fairbanks Drama Association and UAF Theatre & Film Productions are scheduling family-friendly workshops, gallery shows and performance runs.
- On the sports side: The UAF Nanooks women’s volleyball team plays tonight at 7 p.m. in Fairbanks for a Military Appreciation Night — active-duty, veterans and military families get free admission.
Bottom Line:
From Washington’s cathedral to Alaska’s trails and tides, today’s headlines reflect both national memory and local momentum. As the state marks the passing of a figure whose legacy spans defense, executive power and the modern Republican era, it’s also navigating tangible challenges: fraud in the medical sector, salmon conservation pressure, pedestrian safety, and the winter shift into indoor life.
