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Report Says U.S. Participation In Arctic Council Lacks Coordination, Follow-Through
Liz Ruskin, APRN – Washington DC
A report released Monday from the Government Accountability Office suggests U.S. participation in the Arctic Council lacks coordination and follow-through.
The U.S. and other member nations in the Council have agreed to dozens of recommendations over the years. They address, among other things, opportunities and challenges that arise as ice retreats from the region.
The GAO found the State Department, which leads the U.S. team, lacks a joint strategy for acting on these recommendations, leaving federal partner agencies unsure how to prioritize the work.
The GAO says there’s also no system for measuring outcomes.
The State Department notes the GAO report only addresses the many recommendations of the Council.
The report does not cover the more formal commitments the U.S. makes in international agreements. The State Department announced in February it will boost its Arctic representation with a special representative for the region.
Former Executive Editor Pat Dougherty Speaks On ADN Sale
Lori Townsend, APRN – Anchorage
It’s been a little more than two weeks since the Alaska Dispatch took ownership of the Anchorage Daily News. Pat Dougherty was the Executive Editor of the Daily News and had been with the paper for 34 years. He’s speaking publicly about the sale for the first time. He says he retired from that position when the sale became final because he and Dispatch founder Tony Hopfinger wouldn’t have been able to work together.
Dougherty says he was surprised when he first heard that Alaska Dispatch publisher Alice Rogoff was buying the paper. And he says there’s one thing about the sale he wants the community to understand.
Crews Work To Contain Wildfire Near Tyonek
Ellen Lockyer, KSKA – Anchorage
State fire crews are scrambling to contain a wildfire near Tyonek on the west side of Cook Inlet.
Assemblywoman Proposes Anchorage Labor Law Changes
The Associated Press
An Anchorage assemblywoman is rolling out a proposal to repeal Mayor Dan Sullivan’s labor law changes.
Democrats Leave Nome With Updated Platform, Candidate Endorsements
Matthew Smith, KNOM – Nome
The Alaska Democratic Party ended its weekend convention in Nome Sunday with resolutions on issues ranging from Alaska Native rights to same-sex marriage and came away with a full lineup of candidates for key November races.
State Finds No Health Impacts From Aurora Energy Plant
Dan Bross, KUAC – Fairbanks
An analysis by the state finds no health impacts from coal ash and dust from the downtown Fairbanks Aurora Energy Plant. Particulates from the facility drift onto properties in the surrounding neighborhood, but the state report dispels health concerns.
Bethel Novelist Wins Rasmuson Grant
Daysha Eaton, KYUK – Bethel
Don Rearden has won a Rasmuson Project Award grant of $7,500 to turn his novel, The Raven’s Gift, into a screenplay.
Remembering Harvey B. Marvin
Rosemarie Alexander, KTOO – Juneau
Tlingit elder Harvey B. Marvin has died at the age of 81. Marvin grew up in Hoonah, worked for the public health service in Sitka and was the state of Alaska’s first Native auditor.
