What was once a joyous fall rite in Alaska has become another thing for people to bicker about — the amount of money residents receive from the state’s oil wealth. Checks of $1,114 are expected to be paid to about 643,000 Alaskans, beginning this week. Some will say politicians short-changed them; estimates indicated checks would have been in the $3,800-range if a calculation still on the books but last followed in 2015 had been used. But not everyone shares that view. Some see the check as a nice extra boost regardless. People use the money in different ways, including for vacations, electronics, savings or college ... (full story)