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Today's sponsor:

Good afternoon. It’s Thursday, March 5.

In today's newsletter:

Alaska's Office of Children’s Services is struggling to hire and retain qualified workers, its director told lawmakers this week in response to an audit that found the agency failed to fully implement foster care reforms.
Despite President Donald Trump’s promise to “drill, baby, drill,” a federal oil and gas auction in Cook Inlet generated zero offers from bidders on Wednesday.
Trail groomers maintain around 100 miles of trail throughout Anchorage. The trails are important for a ski-crazy town — providing a playground to enjoy winter for some and a training ground for others.

It's no secret that air travel can come with a host of inconveniences and annoyances, including loud seat partners. United Airlines has a new rule on the books that has some travelers cheering: Listening to audio without headphones can now get passengers booted from a plane.

Anchorage weather

It's mostly cloudy today with a high around 18 degrees and a slight chance of snow. The forecast calls for snow on Friday, and a chance of precipitation will last through the weekend. Daytime highs will rise to the high 20s and low 30s briefly before settling back into the mid teems.

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

— Megan Pacer, mpacer@adn.com

OCS responds to audit that found Alaska failed to fully implement foster care reforms →

Over the past year, lawmakers have been sounding alarms about the results of a major suite of foster care reforms. OCS continues to struggle to hire and retain qualified workers, the agency’s head told legislators.

Working while Anchorage sleeps, trail groomers are vital to keeping a ski-crazy town active →

The groomed trails that appear to the skiing public each day don’t happen by a magic wave of the hand. Crews get started around midnight and work through the night, often wrapping up just as the earliest risers are slipping on their boots.

Lease sales in Cook Inlet draw nearly zero interest from oil and gas companies →

A separate Alaska oil and gas lease sale in the near-shore state waters of the Inlet generated just one small bid for a single tract.

Here’s what to know ahead of the Iditarod start this weekend →

The 54th Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race, which kicks off on Saturday with the ceremonial start, has a small field and excellent trail conditions.

Alaska population loss looms, with fewer births, more deaths and continuing outmigration →

If the birth-death gap and net outmigration trends persist, Alaska can expect long-term declines. (via Alaska Beacon)

Bill allowing physician assistants to practice independently passes Alaska Senate →

If adopted, the bill would allow physician assistants with sufficient training to practice under an independent license, removing the current requirement that they work under a formal collaborative agreement with physicians.