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Alaska Dispatch To Buy Anchorage Daily News
Josh Edge, APRN – Anchorage
Alaska Dispatch is making an aggressive move to position itself at the forefront of the state’s media landscape. It announced Tuesday that it’s buying the Anchorage Daily News – Alaska’s largest newspaper.
Can an Aggressive Russia Remain Our Nice Arctic Neighbor?
Liz Ruskin, APRN – Washington DC
Pro-Russian activists seized public buildings in eastern Ukraine this week, and U.S. officials say they suspect the actions were not spontaneous but engineered by Russia. That, combined with Prime Minister Vladimir Putin’s recent annexation of Crimea has Arctic experts wondering what this means for international relations in the Arctic and if the era of cooperation with Russia is over.
Executive Orders Aim To Tighten Pay Gap
Lisa Phu, KTOO – Juneau
President Obama signed executive orders on Tuesday that aim to tighten the pay gap between men and women.
The President’s actions take place on national Equal Pay Day, a day symbolizing how long women have to work into 2014 to catch up with what men earned in 2013. Equal Pay Day originated in 1996 to raise public awareness of the wage gap.
While discrimination may contribute to Alaska’s pay gap, a state economist says other factors are just as important.
Amendment To Restructure Judicial Council Stalls Before Vote
Alexandra Gutierrez, APRN – Juneau
A constitutional amendment that would reconfigure a commission tasked with vetting judges was pulled from a vote in the Alaska Senate on Monday and then again on Tuesday after struggling to pick up the necessary support. Under Senate Joint Resolution 21 the governor’s public appointees on the Judicial Council would outnumber the attorney members two to one.
House Strikes Retirement Plan, Funding Formula Change From Education Bill
Alexandra Gutierrez, APRN – Juneau
The Alaska House of Representative passed a sweeping education bill Monday night, but only after removing some of its more contentious elements and adding another pot of education funding.
State Reviewing Sulfolane Cleanup Standards
Dan Bross, KUAC – Fairbanks
The state will take another look at its cleanup standard for sulfolane contaminated water in North Pole. Last November, the Department of Environmental Conservation set a 14 parts per billion clean up threshold for groundwater tainted by historic spills at the Flint Hills North Pole Refinery.
Students Compete For Spot In National Geography Bee
Jolene Almendarez, APRN – Anchorage
Students from across the state competed in the 26th annual Alaska State Geographic Bee last week in hopes of winning a spot in this year’s national competition in Washington D.C. 101 students vied for the spot.
