What a week for Alaska! Hundreds if not thousands of people came to Alaska for the Trump/Putin Summit that included high-level American and Russian officials, as well as national and international media. It was the first time a Russian leader visited Alaska and the first time Vladimir Putin has set foot on U.S. soil in a decade. It was an extremely busy two days covering the summit. Before the summit I spent three days in Adak exploring the island and checking out all of the infrastructure left behind when the Navy closed the base in the 90s. I will have full Landmine articles out soon on the summit and my trip to Adak. 

The special session is ongoing but nothing has happened since the Legislature voted to override two of Governor Mike Dunleavy’s (R – Alaska) vetoes on August 2. The House and Senate are both scheduled to hold floor sessions on Tuesday, August 19, but sources report that both will be quick technical floor sessions. Governor Dunleavy and all three members of Alaska’s congressional delegation had a short meeting with President Donald Trump on Air Force One. Mark Begich was spotted at his new hotel, the Wildbirch, entertaining two very interesting politicos. 

A friendly message and reminder to all our readers. The Landmine is made possible by myself and a team of awesome Alaskans. I have been covering the legislative session in Juneau for the last seven years and returned from Juneau in May. If you enjoy the content we provide, please consider making a one time or recurring monthly donation. You can click here to donate. We have a system that makes it super easy. We would really appreciate it. And thanks to everyone who has been supportive. And a well-known Eagle River representative picked up an opponent. 

Trump/Putin Summit

The world’s attention was on Alaska on Friday (8/15/2025) when President Donald Trump met Russian President Vladimir Putin on Joint Base Elmendorf Richardson. The delegations from both sides were impressive for such an abruptly called summit. The American delegation included Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, and Special Envoy Steve Witkoff. The Russian delegation included Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, Defense Minister Andrey Belousov, and Finance Minister Anton Siluanov.

All of these Russians, and many others that were part of their delegation, are personally sanctioned by the United States government. All of the sanctions were temporarily lifted to facilitate the Russian delegation’s trip to Alaska. Three Ilyushin Il-96-300 aircraft flew to Anchorage, including one that is Putin’s plane. Two landed at Ted Stevens the day before the summit. The other, along with a Tupolev Tu-214PU aircraft, landed at JBER on the day of the summit. 

There were two pro-Ukraine/anti-Trump protests and one pro-Trump rally in Anchorage. Our own Paxson Woelber was able to get photographs of all of them. This Landmine article has all of the photos. It’s wild seeing so many boomers who used to advocate for peace so against it now. 

I was denied a press credential from the White House to cover the event on JBER, but it ended up being a blessing. We were able to get live footage from a downtown rooftop of Air Force One and Putin’s plane landing, as well as the B2 flyover with four F-35s. It was quite the sight of such a powerful demonstration of power. I was also able to head over to the Lakefront hotel after the summit concluded, where I spoke with several Russian officials who were staying there. 

There was no concrete deal that came from the summit, although Putin said there was a deal. Trump responded by, “There’s no deal until there’s a deal,” and added he needs to talk to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and the Europeans. A meeting is set for tomorrow in D.C. with Zelenskyy and European leaders. I am optimistic a peace deal will be reached and think it’s incredible Alaska played such a role. 

Stay tuned for a Landmine article with more details of what happened in Anchorage during the summit. 

Adak trip

I spent three days in Adak this week. I posted some pics of the trip, including a Navy destroyer I spotted far off the coast. Senator Dan Sullivan (R – Alaska) has a trip scheduled there this week that may include Secretary Hegseth, according to sources. There may also be a carrier strike group in the area for the visit.

Sullivan has long advocated for the reopening of the naval base on Adak due to its strategic location. The Big Beautiful Bill includes $115 million to support the exploration and development of existing Arctic infrastructure, specifically including the Adak Naval Air Station. But based on my observations, it’s going to cost a lot more than that to get the base reopened. 

Adak is a fascinating place with an eerie vibe. Picture something between Chernobyl and a post-zombie apocalypse. Hundreds of abandoned homes and buildings liter the island that once was home to 6,000 people at its peak. Now the island has a permanent population of around 30. There was even a McDonald’s on Adak. Its remnants can still be seen.  

The Aleut Corporation, who now owns much of the land and infrastructure, is working to get new industry on Adak and grow tourism, but it’s not an easy task. Stay tuned for a Landmine article with more detail and photos of my visit to Adak. 

Other Happenings 

Guessing Senator Lisa Murkowski (R – Alaska) felt a little out of place at this meeting. And I’m sure Dunleavy was hoping for a one-on-one meeting with Trump.

The House and Senate are both scheduled to hold floor sessions on Tuesday (8/19/2025) morning in Juneau. Sources report they will both be short technical sessions. Nothing has happened since they gaveled in on August 2 except the veto overrides. The special session will end automatically on September 1. Dunleavy has hinted he may immediately call them back again. Legislators are barred from taking campaign contributions while they are in session.  

Former Senator Mark Begich was spotted on the deck of his new hotel, the Wildbirch, on Saturday (8/16/2025) evening entertaining some interesting guests. He was with Senator Sullivan’s Chief of Staff Larry Burton and Anton McParland, former Representative Mary Peltola’s chief of staff and now colleague at Holland & Hart. It’s a peculiar sighting as there is a lot of pressure from national Democrats on Peltola to challenge Sullivan. To be a fly on the wall of that conversation! 

Crooked Adam Crum, who is the eighth Republican to file to run for governor, keeps teasing some big announcement on Tuesday (8/19/2025) in Wasilla. According to a campaign filing this week, Crum loaned his campaign $25,000. Wonder where he got all that money… 

Ruby Jones, a registered Nonpartisan, filed a letter of intent to challenge Representative Jamie Allard (R – Eagle River). 

This Week’s Loose Unit

This week’s designee decided to go fully loose on social media. This week’s Loose Unit is Tasha Boyer Dunbar, wife of Senator Forrest Dunbar (D – Anchorage). Boyer Dunbar, who is suffering from a severe case of Trump Derangement Syndrome, thought it a good idea to post on Instagram of her wishes that both President Trump and President Putin’s planes crash. I’m not sure you can get looser than that. This Landmine article provides more detail. 

After the Landmine post, she initially doubled down with another Instagram post. But not long after she wised up and deleted everything. She probably got a call from her husband. Her bio still features me calling her disgusting. Classic Loose Unit behavior. Keep in mind her senator husband is currently deployed to Poland with the Alaska National Guard. I truly feel sorry for those suffering from TDS, especially a case this severe. 

If you have a nomination for this week’s Loose Unit, or if you have any political news, stories or gossip (or any old pics of politicians or public officials) please email me at jeff@alaskalandmine.com.