Alaska Energy & Regulation: The Regulatory Commission of Alaska hit Mustang Holding LLC. with a $741,520 civil penalty for five months of unauthorized North Slope gas flaring, saying the operator kept burning gas after permission expired. Winter Gas Watch: Enstar warned Southcentral customers that natural gas supplies “not looking good” for this winter after regulators denied an expansion request for Kenai storage, leaving the utility scrambling for more production. Arctic Metals Pipeline: Alaska Energy Metals reported positive locked-cycle testing on drill core from the Core Eureka Zone, saying recoverable metals at robust rates clear a key step toward a Preliminary Economic Assessment for its Nikolai deposit. Aviation & Costs: AAA said the national gas average rose 10 cents to $3.94, with Strait of Hormuz instability pushing crude toward $80—an input that can quickly ripple into Alaska travel and logistics costs. Housing & Consumer Pressure: A new study highlights how insurance premiums are squeezing homeowners in disaster-prone states, adding to the broader affordability crunch that Alaska households feel through higher operating costs. Wildlife & Human Activity: Research near Juneau found that playing recorded human voices near salmon streams can drive bears and eagles away, potentially disrupting predator-driven nutrient flow in forest ecosystems. Permitting Timeline: Trilogy Metals says a coordinated federal and Alaska permitting schedule for its Ambler Arctic project is now published under FAST-41, targeting a record of decision in September 2028.