The Morning Edition Nov. 7, 2025

Today on the morning edition, millions of Americans are waking up across the nation to a lot of travel uncertainty with flight cancellations announced across the entire country yesterday, taking effect today, giving affected travelers very little time to adjust plans. We have the latest on how this is affecting Anchorage's Ted Stevens International Airport. Plus, a local veteran's life was changed in an incredible way this week as she was gifted a new car by a nationwide program that assists veterans. keys to progress. Take a look as she receives from the keys. And later, imagine being a police chief, even just for a day. It's a tall task, but this eight-year-old boy felt up to the challenge. We have an inside peak at the occasion as he was sworn in as the morning edition starts right now. Good Friday morning, everyone. Thanks for waking up with us today and waking up to a ton of the snow on the ground. It just seems like winter is finally here for South Central. Yeah, we are establishing our snow depth across. across the region. And we did see this system. It was overperforming across a large portion of South Central. So we have seen many areas where we're picking up anywhere from four to eight inches of snowfall accumulation. As we did see, this heavier snowfall arrived throughout the evening hours, which did dump a little bit more snowfall than expected. But it is Alaska. We can't expect to see that as we continue to head through the winter months. 27 degrees is where we're currently sitting at this morning. Of course, you want to take it easy on those. roadways, particularly right around the intersections where you're going to encounter some of those ruts in the roadways. So make sure that you drive for those wintertime conditions. If you're driving the speed limit, you will encounter those ruts. You may find your vehicle kind of swerving here and there. So drive slowly, get to your destination as we welcome in the afternoon morning and afternoon hours today where we will continue to hold on to some of that light snow. Now, most of that snow has tapered off through the night, but we have seen a band of that snowfall still holding. together that's pushing into our western parts of this is sit in the valley areas out towards the northeastern keeney could still hold on to some of that light snowfall potential throughout the morning hours and while we will favor some dry conditions today additional bands of some snow will arrive through the afternoon and evening hours very light accumulation nothing like what we did see yesterday but that light snow does remain you want to take it slow on those roads and make sure you clean your vehicles is that traffic picks up and you have any of that snow on your vehicle that's going to blow back and could lead to some blinding snowfall for some of those vehicles behind you. So just take the courteous opportunity this morning to clear that snowfall off of your vehicle. We did officially pick up 6.8 inches of snow accumulation in Anchorage. This was slightly higher than what was expected. Outside chances of seeing about four to five inches. And you can see we woke up to about seven inches. This is the most single day snow in Anchorage since Halloween of last year. So snow stays with us today. We'll see tempter's top. dropping out near freezing. I'll have more on that, that seven day forecast coming up. A chaotic week at the nation's airports is about to get a whole lot worse. Starting today, the FAA is slashing the amount of planes in the air due to staffing shortages exacerbated by the government shutdown. And it's coming with holiday crunch time right around the corner. Starting today, airports across America are bracing for a massive reduction in flights. The Trump administration is rolling out a plan to reduce traffic at 40 major airports by 10%. Some of the busiest airports in cities.

like Philadelphia, Houston, Dallas, San Francisco, Seattle, right here in Anchorage, and many more will be impacted as well. The FAA says it will begin with a gradual cut of 4% of flights for the first four days and increased to 10% by next Friday. Joe Allgood was at Ted Stevens last night and shares more. Yeah, this messes up all of our plans. It's here for business for a week. I live in North Carolina. We're all trying to meet in Texas to celebrate my daughter's 21st birthday. We're not sure what's going to happen. I'm praying I can get there in the morning. Raymond Johnson is just trying to get home. It's important. It's family time, but this has definitely put a disruption, and I'm not really sure what to think about it. But his unease grew after the announcement that 40 major airports, including the three he is flying through, would reduce air traffic by 10% on Friday. I'm flying in Dallas and taking the connector to Houston, and it's already been rebooked. Really? Already my morning flight is rebooked. But I do know that it's not that far of a drive. I'm hoping not to have to run the car. And that messes up everything. Secretary of Transportation, Sean Duffy says it's a necessary measure to ensure safety in the wake of an air traffic controller shortage amid the government shutdown. And it's not just controllers who are going without pay right now. We have over 500 TSA employees. TSA as far as baggage craters and stuff like that, all the airports in Alaska, because we've got 19 airports in Alaska. Trying to make ends meet. How long do they expect people to work without pay? Government-wide. A million employees are being told, we're not going to pay you. While others are just trying to get home. As soon as I get on the plane, I'm falling asleep. There you go. And wake up, I want to see Texas in 80 degrees. Like, look at this weather here. Yeah. And Alaska Airlines released a statement on its website about the order to cut back flights, which says in part, quote, as we assessed the FAA's directive and our schedule, we worked to ensure smaller and remote communities that are reliant upon air travel are protected. Most of our cancellations are on routes with a higher frequency of flights, allowing most guests to be reaccommodated with as little disruption as possible. They also stated that guests on affected flights will be reaccommodated on other flights as other available. flights are available or ordered a full refund. While there doesn't seem to be many cancellations or delays today, so far, experts are encouraging travelers to check their flight status and take advantage of waived fees for some airlines if you have to reschedule. Now to an update on the deadly crash along the Portage Glacier Highway that claimed three lives Saturday. Anchorage Police have identified the victims as 51-year-old Jonathan Quintanilla, 46-year-old Maria Sanpang, 23-year-old Kaisel Sekeleon. Police say it was a single vehicle crash, and the investigation remains ongoing. We want to make sure all of our veterans know as a result of the government shutdown, Jay Bear has canceled its annual Veterans Day ceremony next Tuesday. This is video from last year's event. The base says it's unable to host public events while the shutdown continues. An Anchorage Army veteran is getting a life-changing gift after years of relying on public transportation. She now has a new set of wheels. It's all thanks to a national program aspiring to honor those who served. Lauren Maxwell.

shows us the heartwarming moment she got the keys to her new car. She seeks stability. She seeks growth. Army veteran Natalie Wallace Edison has lived in Anchorage for two years. I have found a community here that I had needed all my life. And says this is her forever home. But while Anchorage has its charms, Natalie says public transportation isn't one of them, especially when you're trying to hold down a job. You can't do that here. And if you work early, if you work weekends, if you work holidays, you are walking. Natalie's walking days ended Thursday. Here's the keys to your new ride. Thank you. Thank you. She was chosen as the Alaska recipient of a new car as part of Progressive Insurance's Keys to Progress Program to honor veterans. What do you think? I think it's beautiful. Isn't it? It's fantastic. For Natalie, it's all a bit overwhelming. I need more clean eggs. I need much more Kleenex. But she's anxious to take the 2023 Ford Edge. Okay, I'm ready. For a spin. I am. Behind the wheel, there's a new sense of freedom. Y'all are killing me. She couldn't be happier or more grateful for this remarkable gift. Lauren Maxwell, Alaska's news source. Progressive Insurance has held the nationwide event for the last 13 years. During that time, they say they've given away more than 1,200 vehicles to veterans and various veterans serving organizations. People were outside the state delegations offices in downtown Anchorage serving soup as residents approach a week since SNAP benefits expired. Adelmi Ruiz joins us now from the newsroom with those details. Kristen, the 907 initiative was one of the groups downtown. They tell Alaska's new source, serving soup is a way to show solidarity towards those impacted. More chicken noodles? More chicken noodles? It's good. But they also say this is a call for action towards the state delegation, following the impact the Big Beautiful bill will have on SNAP benefits and the current government shut down. When I was younger, we weren't very privileged. We didn't have a lot of money, and we did use SNAP to get our food. We went to the food bank, ate our meals there, and I don't know. There's just, it's hard to imagine that people won't have that access. Like, food is, to me, a human right. Like, we needed to survive.

Alaska's News Source spoke to state delegation regarding the event. Senator Lisa Murkowski's press team told Alaska's news source that she is working to end the government shutdown. She said in part, food insecurity affects too many of our friends and neighbors and the shutdown has only made that worse. A federal court has ruled that the administration must distribute 100% of SNAP benefits for the month of November and the senator expects the administration to adhere to that ruling, end quote. Dan Sullivan also reacting to our team. Well, look, what I did when the paycheck stopped, I stopped getting my paycheck. All right. So I'm trying to, you know, show empathy with what's happening to our federal workers. We reached out to Representative Nick Beggage, but have not heard back from his team. Kristen. All right, thanks to tell me. There's a traditional sound filling Fairbanks today. The 43rd annual Athabascan Fiddlers Association Festival kicked off at Chief David Salmon Tribal Hall. For more than four decades, this celebration has been focusing on Alaska Native musicians in the interior. Organizers say even though they lost a lot of fiddlers over the years, they wanted to keep the festival's original name. Musicians are flown in from the villages. It was mainly the interior villages, and we've had people from Canada, from Bethel area, Anchorage, all come up, and it's mostly native, majority native musicians, because that's the focus. There's history of a long time ago how many of our musicians are self-learned, self-taught. They learn by ear. The festival runs every day through November 8th. Anyone checking in? There are no schools closed so far this morning for the snow, but Girdwood K through 8 bus service has been canceled. Meantime coming up, hemp and marijuana are the same plant, just different uses and parts of the plant for different things. But some are saying that CBD products not meant to get a person high, absolutely can. With the right application, our investigative team takes a look at how. non-regulated CBD goods are competing with the highly regulated THC cannabis stores when we return. And we're still holding on to some light snow showers across parts of South Central. I'll have more on that. That weekend forecast, the first of sunrise, 845 and 8th, which is next. Welcome back, Aaron. There's a lot of snow out there in South Central. And we wanted to let people know that the Kenai Peninsula Borough School District, there are four schools on a delayed start this morning. Those are moose paths. Seward Elementary, Seward High School, and Seward Middle School. Those are on a two-hour delayed start, Aaron. Yeah, and it's certainly going to lead to some road issues this morning across a good portion of South Central. Take a look at the Glen Highway yesterday. This was traffic creeping along as the season's first significant snowfall prompted a first alert weather day across South Central.

I'm really excited about this snowfall event happening. We've all been waiting for it, and we know it eventually it's going to happen, so here it is. Well, I'm pretty stoked about it. It's snowing pretty good out there, and I hope it keeps snowing all night. I'm loving it. I live for this. I am really excited about the first winter snowfall in Anchorage today. I've been here since the early 90s. And there have been very few Halloweens that did not have snow. And although that was really nice, I'm really looking forward to some winter sports. I'm going to devote myself to the winter, as I've always done. Well, let's just keep having more snow. Let's get back to 2012 levels. And while we didn't see snow on the ground for Halloween last year on October 31st, we saw nine inches of snow accumulation in Anchorage. And today, this is the most snowfall that we're waking up to in Anchorage since October 31st of last year. Take a look out towards Summit Lake, that time lapse. You can see just how heavy that snow has been through the pass out towards Summit Lake, as well as through Moose Pass. Take it easy on those roadways, rows that have yet to be plowed, will have some depth to it as as well as seeing some ruts in those roadways. And you really want to take it easy as you encounter those intersections across South Central. That's where you're really going to see some of those more rutted roadways. Still holding on to some of the light snow across South Central, even into the interior. We've got some ongoing light snowfall and then out towards southeast. We're holding on to some rain conditions for today. And we're also watching the return to some possible high winds for parts of the panhandle. Now, you can see most of that snow beginning to taper off across South Central. This was an overperforming storm. We saw a few locations out towards the pass and those higher elevations that saw up to a foot of snowfall, but most of South Central saw anywhere from about four to 10 inches of that snow accumulation. And we could add on an additional inch or so throughout the day. You can see we're waking up this morning to those temperatures sitting in the 20s for inland areas. Coastal region sitting in the 30s to near 40 degrees, warmer as you head out towards Valdiz. as well as Cordova, eastern parts of Prince William Sound, a bit on the warmer side as you are on the eastern side of that area of low pressure, and you have a bit more in the way of those southeasterly winds. So notice we will see additional rounds and some possible snow arriving into the evening hours. So yes, that evening commute once again could see some light snow in the forecast. Today is not going to be a significant snowfall event. We could see about one to three inches on average across parts of South Central here in Anchorage. We may see an additional inch or so. Then as we welcome in the weekend, we'll dry out for inland areas with some sunshine in the forecast, and we'll still hold on to at least some coastal areas where we'll see some rain and snow sticking around. Meanwhile, out towards the allusions, we're watching our next storm system that's going to lead to some high winds. Areas of the Western allusions could see gustavs up to 95 miles per hour. As this storm system continues to build off towards the north, we will see some increasing our elevated water levels out towards parts of the Cusquim Delta Coastline, where we do have a coastal. flood advisory. As far as on what we're going to see here across South Central for the rest of today and into early tomorrow, notice snowfall itself not going to be significant. We could still see parts of the Turnigan Pass out towards parts of a turnigan arm as well, where we could see additional several more inches of that snow accumulation. But as far as the rest of South Central, we'll just see a few inches here or there. In fact, that model comparison really keying in about an additional one to two-ish plus inches.

of that snow accumulation for Anchorage. Statewide, you can see those temperatures today warming into the 20s and the 30s. We will see some gusty winds as well as some rain out towards southeast. I'll have more on that coming up throughout the morning show. But as far as that seven-day forecast, we are going to see highs near freezing. Can't roll out some flurries tomorrow, but sunshine breaks do arrive Sunday, mostly sunny with a high of 29. Our investigative team is following up on a May court ruling banning intoxicating hemp products. Alaska's cannabis industry now says those products, which can be made out of state or country where they are not regulated, are still being sold in Alaska stores like gas stations. Rebecca Paul's show reports. And 20% of seniors are already using CBD today for pain, arthritis, cancer symptoms, sleep disorders, Alzheimer's, and many other ailments of aging. On truth social, President Donald Trump posted this video. Older adults are suffering needlessly. Endorsing Medicaid coverage of CBD, the legal cannibal substance from the cannabis plant. CBD industry took off in 2018 when Congress legalized hemp, the non-entoxicating version of the cannabis plant from which CBD is derived. Most people think of hemp. They think of rope and, you know, hemp products that are not associated with. consumable products that people ingest to, say, get intoxicated. But in fact, hemp and marijuana are the same plants. It's just an arbitrary split with how much THC is in the plant. Hemp isn't supposed to get people high, but it can't. According to cannabis industry leaders like Trevor Haynes, Alaska is dealing with a flood of intoxicating gummies, chocolates and drinks made from the plant. Marijuana is a controlled substance by the feds and can't move across state lines. In Alaska, there are licensing requirements and safety standards. By contrast, the 2018 law allowed intoxicating hemp to be manufactured in one place and sold and shipped to other parts of the country, sold in gas stations and head shops. And so they're operating in this gray market where they're producing THC. which is really the only defining characteristic of marijuana is that it has more THC than hemp does. So they're producing high levels of THC using CBD and still calling it hemp. Because they're doing this, they're operating outside of... our state's legal framework. In fact, the state has said this is illegal. Cannabis business owners claim these products violate state regulations. In the meantime, cannabis industry leaders worry hemp is competing with legal marijuana shops. And they say they're concerned about what they call an unregulated industry. At the end of the day, we have all these regulations that we have to follow. We have all these taxes that we have to pay. We can't compete.

They can also produce products that are more intoxicating than us. Rebecca Pulsha, Alaska's news source. When the Alaska Industrial Hemp Association sued, it argued the state regulations violated the U.S. Constitution, but the judge said that the state has the right to regulate what's sold for public safety reasons. Still, cannabis industry leaders say hemp products continue competing with legal marijuana shops. Thanks for listening to our podcasts. Click subscribe so you can get the latest podcast from Alaska's News Source automatically and stay up to date with breaking news and in-depth reporting available for free 24-7 with the Alaska's News Source app.