It’s closer to Beijing than Washington – and residents of this Alaskan outpost are reeling from Trump’s policies

Unalaska, a remote Aleutian city that has led the country in seafood landings by volume for over 25 years, is struggling under the weight of federal funding disruptions and a spike in diesel prices tied to the war with Iran. With midterm elections set for Tuesday, the frustration could matter well beyond the Bering Sea, according to The Guardian.

Crab captain Oystein Lone, fishing since 1989, called this the hardest period he has known. He had paid $86,000 for 12,000 gallons of diesel, and expected a refill to run $100,000. Since Donald Trump returned to the presidency, the town's library, museum, public radio station and municipal government have seen money they depended on delayed or eliminated, and longshoremen have been loading empty containers onto ships to sidestep tariffs. Because the roughly 4,300 residents generate electricity with diesel, higher prices reach everyone. City council member and saloon owner Daneen Looby said she may have to raise menu prices, and she faulted Republicans in Congress for failing to act.

Alaska voted heavily for Trump in 2024, yet Democrats think sinking approval numbers and fuel costs give their nominee, Mary Peltola, a chance to unseat Republican Senator Dan Sullivan.

Summarized by PolitiKool from The Guardian’s reporting. Read the full story at The Guardian →