Alaska News Nightly: June 29, 2007

This is the complete story list and audio recording from today’s Alaska News Nightly, as broadcast on APRN stations statewide.Governor Palin axes $226 million from statewide capital budgetDave Donaldson, APRN - JuneauGovernor Palin put the brakes on state spending today. With vetoes of more than 40% of the state's share of the capital projects budget passed last month by the legislature, Palin made clear her standards for approval of individual projects.You can download a copy of the vetoed capital expenditures list here (PDF, 88KB).Reactions to budget vetoes immediate, statewide, strong and mixedDavid Shurtleff, APRN - AnchorageVirtually every corner of the state will be feeling the impact of Governor Palin's capitol budget vetoes. Among the hardest hit was the city of Anchorage, which lost millions of dollars for dozens of projects.Anderson corruption trial enters day two of prosecution's caseSteve Heimel and Lori Townsend, APRN - AnchorageThe prosecution is in the second day of presenting evidence in the corruption trial of former state lawmaker Tom Anderson. One of the key witnesses has spent the whole day testifying.State-funded commission takes global warming testimony in KotzebueJesse Zink, KNOM - NomeThe Alaska Climate Impact Assessment Commission (ACIAC), a legislatively-created commission, is looking into the impacts of global warming and heard from a wide range of witnesses at its meeting yesterday in Kotzebue. All speakers were united in the belief that warming temperatures are affecting all aspects of life in Alaska, especially in the norther reaches of the state.Federal permits issued for exploration of tidal energy options in AlaskaJoe Viechnicki, KFSK - PetersburgA Washington, D.C. company has received federal permits to start investigating the potential for tidal energy at five different sites in Alaska, including three in southeast. With the preliminary permits in hand, Oceana Energy will start researching whether any of the five sites might work for electrical generation using the power of Alaska tides.Anchorage Assembly approves free WiFi for downtownLen Anderson, KSKA - AnchorageMost of us know the warning, "If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is." The Anchorage Assembly has. Before unanimously approving a leasing agreement with MetroFi offering free wireless service for downtown, members spent more than a half hour questioning municipal staff and a company representative.