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Good afternoon. It’s Wednesday, April 22.

In today's newsletter:

GCI will acquire fiber owner Quintillion for more than $300 million, the companies said, in a deal will allow Alaska's largest telecommunications company to add 1,800 miles of fiber to its statewide network.
The Alaska Senate Resources Committee significantly revised Gov. Mike Dunleavy’s proposed property tax cut for the Alaska LNG megaproject with a new bill designed to raise much more revenue for the state and local communities.
Two brothers from Anchorage who both play the violin have been named to the National Youth Orchestras, reflecting a musical journey shaped by artistry, community and connection through performance.

If you follow the work of Alaska authors, you may know the writing of Naomi Klouda, who recently published "The Alaska Glacier Dictionary" and the young adult novel "Anna's Whale." Now, she's released "The Octopus Murders," which ADN book reviewer David James describes as her best work yet, bringing to life a fictional coastal village featuring an array of flawed but sympathetic characters whose quiet lives are upended by the discovery of a dead body.

Anchorage weather
It's cloudy today with a chance of rain and a high around 45 degrees. Looking ahead, we can expect rain and mostly cloudy conditions Thursday followed by mostly cloudy skies Friday as daytime highs remain around 46 degrees.

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

— Vicky Ho, vho@adn.com

GCI to acquire Alaska fiber developer Quintillion for more than $300 million →

The proposal comes at an important moment for Alaska, with the $1.2 trillion infrastructure bill that Congress passed in 2022 pumping vast sums of money into the state to improve broadband capacity, especially in rural communities.

Senate committee revises governor’s property tax bill for Alaska LNG project, proposing significantly more state revenue →

The governor’s office said the new proposal “puts the entire project at risk.”

Alaska Senate adopts ‘skinny’ capital budget with focus on school maintenance →

The capital budget, which covers maintenance and construction projects across the state, includes $247 million in state general funds, up $88 million from Gov. Dunleavy’s initial proposal of $159 million in state funds.

Anchorage violinist brothers named to National Youth Orchestras →

Dimond High School senior Andy Zhang and West Anchorage High School junior Kevin Zhang will perform at Carnegie Hall in July before touring internationally. Both brothers started learning to play violin by ear at about 3 years old and have also ventured into the world of fiddling, which gave them an affinity for public performance that would shape their relationship with music.

Alaska’s embattled economic development agency approves $700,000 PR budget →

The Alaska Industrial Development and Export Authority, which leads some of the state's most polarizing development projects, says it needs to do a better job telling its own story amid attacks from critics. (via Northern Journal)

Anchorage city attorney seeks to end public reports on city’s legal settlements →

While she said she appreciates the transparency of the reports, Anchorage Assembly member Anna Brawley said city attorneys have expressed concerns that disclosing financial settlements could harm the city’s ability to negotiate. (via Alaska Public Media)