Morning Headlines: Nov. 21 [Video]

The Anchorage Assembly unanimously approved the 2025 municipal budget, plus in Fairbanks, the city council rejected a proposed three-year contract with the firefighters union after nearly two hours of public testimony and debate.

Amid a yearslong effort for The University of Alaska Fairbanks to become a top-tier research institution, a UAF associate professor says reaching that goal may rely on improving certain interpersonal relationships.

The Anchorage Assembly unanimously passed the 2025 city budget proposed by Mayor Suzanne LaFrance’s administration Tuesday night. The general government budget came in at just under $639 million, according to the Municipality Office of Management and Budget. That total is roughly $235,000 under the estimated tax cap, according to Mayor LaFrance’s office, the maximum amount the city can collect in property taxes.

Amid record demand, Fairbanks Community Food Bank CEO Anne Weaver says the nonprofit needs the community’s help to reach their goal of providing a …