Hundreds of thousands of Alaskans could receive a $1,500 direct payment under a newly passed state budget bill after the Alaska House of Representatives voted this week to include a reduced Permanent Fund Dividend (PFD) in its spending plan for the next fiscal year. The payment is part of Alaska’s long‑running dividend program, which distributes money from the state’s oil‑wealth savings fund to residents each year. While the program itself is not new, the exact amount is the subject of intense