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Good afternoon. It’s Thursday, Nov. 20.

In today's newsletter:

Alaska’s legislative auditor is reviewing a decision by former Revenue Commissioner Adam Crum to invest tens of millions from the state’s primary rainy day fund in a digital infrastructure firm, after the decision came under scrutiny by lawmakers.
The Anchorage Assembly this week passed a roughly $657 million city spending plan for 2026, without making significant alterations to the budget Mayor Suzanne LaFrance first proposed back in October.
The trial of an Anchorage man who prosecutors say killed a well-known advocate for the city’s homeless in an unprovoked attack concluded this week when a jury found him guilty of three counts of murder.

A plethora of new films are slated to open as we make our way through the winter holidays. The final weeks of the year bring Oscar contenders, horror flicks, animated sequels and more. Here are the 20 most anticipated movies of the holiday season and where to watch them.

Anchorage weather

It's partly sunny today with a high around 37 degrees, though the forecast calls for a chance of rain later in the day that could turn to snow overnight. We should expect snow on Friday. Daytime highs will drop from the mid-30s into the high 20s over the weekend.

Here’s what else is making headlines in Alaska today.

— Megan Pacer, mpacer@adn.com

Former revenue commissioner’s ‘non-routine’ investment decision under review by Alaska legislative auditor →

The legislative auditor is reviewing Adam Crum’s decision to invest at least $50 million from the Constitutional Budget Reserve in a digital infrastructure firm called DigitalBridge. Senate Finance Committee Co-Chair Bert Stedman accused the governor's Revenue Department of “gross incompetence.”

Anchorage Assembly approves $657 million budget for 2026 →

Assembly members did not make significant changes to the budget the mayor first proposed in October, which centers on housing, investment in Anchorage’s streets, buildings, parks and trails and improving public safety and crisis response.

Anchorage man convicted of murder in homeless advocate’s death →

Prosecutors said 34-year-old Ryan Dummler shot and killed John Martin III while he slept in a South Anchorage parking lot. The jury deliberated for less than three hours before finding Dummler guilty of all the charges.

Alaska legislative committee approves up to $200 million in federal spending on ‘rural health transformation’ →

The funding is expected to be awarded by the federal government next month as part of a $50 billion nationwide effort aimed at ameliorating cuts to Medicaid.

Anchorage School Board passes $79M bond proposal →

The plan includes nine projects that would affect 20 district schools. But the reintroduction of the state’s school bond debt reimbursement program would bring the total price for Anchorage voters down to $39 million.