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Colleen Mondor

@chasingray.bsky.social

3.6K followers 400 following 3.5K posts

Aviation journalist, especially on Alaska. Never met a federal database I didn't love. "Probable Cause" newsletter is here: https://colleenmondor.substack.com/

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Colleen Mondor @chasingray.bsky.social · 8d

Shutdown impacts
Accelerating procurement for the ATC contract
Why aren't we talking about Alvin Brown being fired from the NTSB?

AND MORE

I'm back on track, y'all. Here's the newsletter......
colleenmondor.substack.com/p/33-talking...

#33: Talking about aviation as shutdown looms

NTSB photo of Alaska Airlines flight 1282

colleenmondor.substack.com

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Reposted by Colleen Mondor

KTOO Public Media @ktoopublicmedia.bsky.social · 13h

The campus is getting rid of out-of-state tuition for all undergraduate students as part of the Alaska Unlocked program. Out-of-state students made up 12% of the entire student population last fall.

University of Alaska Southeast offers in-state tuition for all undergraduate students next fall

The move is part of efforts to improve student enrollment at the university system’s smallest campus.

www.ktoo.org

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Colleen Mondor @chasingray.bsky.social · 14h

A kid whose father died of an overdose, his mother is in & out of jail on drug charges, he's trans and trying to get a welding certificate in community college so he can get his siblings out of foster care, all while working fulltime at MacDonald's. Here's why he didn't vote.

Among the 30 million poor and low-wage Americans who didn’t vote in the 2024 election was Silas. He was about to be directly affected by President Trump’s executive orders, which included multiple attacks on transgender people. But Silas didn’t believe what the candidates said on the campaign trail. Besides, he had plenty of other things to worry about: “Between work and his teenage charges, Silas said, he hadn’t had time to devote to politics.”

Colleen Mondor @chasingray.bsky.social · 14h

Another NF book I plan to read - the final paragraph in this review is a gut punch. (See replies for a clip of it.)

The book is PAPER GIRL by Beth Macy. www.nytimes.com/2025/10/08/b...

Revisiting Her Hometown, a Journalist Finds Anger, Addiction and Despair

www.nytimes.com

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Colleen Mondor @chasingray.bsky.social · 15h

I've always considered Joan Kennedy to one of the more interesting and underrated members of that sprawling family. This obit does a good job of writing about her life. www.nytimes.com/2025/10/08/u...

Joan Kennedy, Who Married Into a Dynasty, Dies at 89

www.nytimes.com

Colleen Mondor @chasingray.bsky.social · 15h

For sure.

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Colleen Mondor @chasingray.bsky.social · 15h

Meanwhile Powells Books has author events scheduled almost every night for the rest of the month at their massive downtown Portland store. (Pretty much every kind of book you can imagine, including Kids' Storytime.)

Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 17h

Trump: "I don't know what could be worse than Portland. You don't even have stores anymore. They don't even put glass up. They put plywood on their windows."

Colleen Mondor @chasingray.bsky.social · 15h

Yeah - it's ridiculous. (And more evidence of how the FAA and DOT get way too political.)

Colleen Mondor @chasingray.bsky.social · 16h

Attention, Alaska.....

Will Guisbond @willguisbond.com · 16h

Inbox: DOT secures $41 million to fund the Essential Air Service through early November, a program that was expected to lapse during the shutdown as soon as Oct. 12.

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Colleen Mondor @chasingray.bsky.social · 16h

Do we have any idea where this money is "secured" from?

Reposted by Colleen Mondor

Tom Hewitt @tomhewittnews.bsky.social · 16h

Damn. Stay safe, northwest Alaska. Yet another reason why Congress rescinding public radio funds was a terrible, short-sighted action that will endanger Alaskans’ lives. These stations and the disaster updates they broadcast are an essential lifeline.

CeeJay Johnson-Yellow Hawk @adriftalchemist.bsky.social · 17h

kotzebue, alaska declared a mandatory evacuation order

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Colleen Mondor @chasingray.bsky.social · 16h

BIG storm coming.

CeeJay Johnson-Yellow Hawk @adriftalchemist.bsky.social · 17h

kotzebue, alaska declared a mandatory evacuation order

Colleen Mondor @chasingray.bsky.social · 17h

I grew up in FL and went to school there from kindergarten - hs graduation. We learned very little about the Seminole Wars other than some stories about Osceola who was considered a great heroic figure. This book looks fascinating - due out in February. www.simonandschuster.com/books/The-Fr...

The Free and the Dead

The page-turning and revelatory true story of America’s disastrous 1835 attack on the Seminoles in pre-statehood Florida, and the two men—a Black A...

www.simonandschuster.com

Reposted by Colleen Mondor

The Alaska Current @thealaskacurrent.com · 18h

Lisa Murkowski says she’s concerned — about Trump using the military on U.S. cities, jailing opponents and gutting vaccine science — but offered no plan to stop him.

Murkowski has a lot of concerns, few solutions for Trump - The Alaska Current

Alaska’s U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski said she had plenty of concerns about Trump using the military against American cities.

buff.ly

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Reposted by Colleen Mondor

David Shiffman, Ph.D. 🦈 @whysharksmatter.bsky.social · 18h

Eastern Australian humpback whale population now well above pre-whaling levels, report finds - ABC News 🦑🧪🌎

These whales were hunted to 150 individuals. Now there's 50,000 of them

Once hunted almost to extinction, the population of humpback whales currently migrating down Australia's east coast has bounced back and is now greater than before whaling.

www.abc.net.au

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Colleen Mondor @chasingray.bsky.social · 20h

Thank you for reading!!!!

Reposted by Colleen Mondor

Hush-Kit aviation news, history & satire @hushkit.bsky.social · 1d

I want to grow on here. If you enjoy what I (and we) do, please do recommend us. Much appreciated

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Colleen Mondor @chasingray.bsky.social · 1d

US mail delivery in general could be collateral damage if EAS operators in AK stop flying (again, like Ravn), but they would have to be the only operator to a village, otherwise USPS would transfer the mail to whoever was else was flying.

In some places tho, EAS is the only operator.

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Colleen Mondor @chasingray.bsky.social · 1d

Agreed.

Colleen Mondor @chasingray.bsky.social · 1d

No - in terms of being paid they have no overlap. You can have a situation where the EAS operator also files for the mail on a route (I think Ravn did this in St Paul), but those are completely separate activities & agencies involved.

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Reposted by Colleen Mondor

Patrick Radden Keefe @praddenkeefe.bsky.social · 1d

southsideweekly.com/federal-agen...

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Reposted by Colleen Mondor

Colleen Mondor @chasingray.bsky.social · 2d

Lots of folks posting this. Look, you all knew ATC was understaffed. In multiple areas, the FAA is dealing with staffing issues. This is not new.

So, 6-day work weeks & now no paycheck. This should not be a surprise.

People are tired. If air travel slows down, we will survive the inconvenience.

Phil Lewis @phillewis.bsky.social · 2d

Burbank Airport air traffic control tower unmanned on Monday evening amid government shutdown

The air traffic tower at Burbank Airport is unmanned on Monday evening as air traffic controllers begin to call out in greater numbers due to the government shutdown.

abc7.com

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Reposted by Colleen Mondor

David Reamer @anchistorian.bsky.social · 1d

On Jan 2, 1898 prospector Doc Tanner killed 2 men. The next day, he was hung from this tree near Valdez. This is part of an album assembled by a member of the California Bears, a prospecting group out of LA. Seller wants $600 for this section. Does anybody love me that much?

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Reposted by Colleen Mondor

Julia Ioffe @juliaioffe.bsky.social · 1d

MOTHERLAND is a National Book Award finalist! She made the shortlist! I can hardly believe it—and I am humbled to be in such illustrious company.

www.nationalbook.org/2025-nationa...

2025 National Book Awards Finalists Announced

Twenty-five Finalists to contend for National Book Awards in the categories of Fiction, Nonfiction, Poetry, Translated Literature, and Young People’s Literature

www.nationalbook.org

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Reposted by Colleen Mondor

Ocean Acidification Research Center @uaf-oarc-alaska.bsky.social · 1d

#AlaskaSky

Alaska Public Media @alaskapublic.org · 1d

The National Weather Service expects a storm this week to cause flooding along more than 400 miles of Northwest Alaska's coastline.

Water is expected to start rising tonight.

Northwest Alaska braces for coastal flooding

The National Weather Service expects peak water levels of up to 9 feet above the normal high tide line on Wednesday afternoon.

akpub.io

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Reposted by Colleen Mondor

Matt Buxton @matt.akmemo.com · 1d

Murkowski says Essential Air Service will stop as early as October 12 due to the federal government running out of funding because of the shutdown.

cc @chasingray.bsky.social

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