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Senate defies Walker’s call to weigh nominees
Andrew Kitchenman, KTOO – Juneau
Governor Bill Walker tried and failed to get lawmakers to vote on his nominees Thursday.
Trump to rescind Obama’s ‘permanent’ Arctic leasing ban
Liz Ruskin, Alaska Public Media – Washington D.C.
President Trump is expected to sign an order Friday aimed at lifting his predecessor’s ban on new oil leasing in waters off Alaska’s Arctic coast.
Trump may have plans for Alaska, but not for its national monuments
Elizabeth Jenkins, Alaska’s Energy Desk – Juneau
On Wednesday, President Donald Trump signed an executive order to consider scaling back some national monuments. The plans likely won’t affect Alaska, but the president still gave a shout out to the state in his speech.
US Postal Service blocks pot farm from shipping tax money
Associated Press
An Alaska marijuana retailer’s tax payment has been sent back to the business after the U.S. Postal Service refused to ship the money.
Labor issues loom for Alaska Airlines-Virgin America merger
Tom Banse, Northwest News Network – Oregon
Unionized pilots at Alaska Airlines and recently acquired Virgin America pulled off a virtual barrel roll Wednesday to get management’s attention.
Construction at area’s Air Force installations to inject $1.5 billion into Interior economy
Tim Ellis, KUAC – Fairbanks
Summer promises to be a busy construction season for the Interior due to a series of projects at the region’s two Air Force installations. The projects will inject more than $1.5 billion into the area’s economy.
Coast Guard cleans up graffiti on World War II bunker as tagging investigation continues
Laura Kraegel, KUCB – Unalaska
In Unalaska, the U.S. Coast Guard has cleaned up controversial graffiti that was found spray-painted on a World War II bunker last month.
Lake and Peninsula School District to have shorter calendar next year
Lawrence Hamilton, KDLG – Dillingham
Starting next year, the Lake and Peninsula School District will have a shorter calendar. Officials say the new schedule is based on subsistence activities. Students will go back to school in early September instead of August, and be finished by early May, instead of close to June. It should also help the district balance the projected a half a million dollar deficit caused by shrinking revenues from the state.
Internet improvements bode well for location-neutral workers in Haines
Emily Files, KHNS – Haines
A number of Haines residents make a living with “location-neutral” jobs. For many of those people, a reliable internet connection is essential for their work. So in January, when Alaska Power and Telephone rolled out new internet packages following its Lynn Canal fiber optic project, internet-reliant workers were paying attention.
Pollen and mold season upon Alaskans
Lori Townsend, Alaska Public Media – Anchorage
Allergy and asthma sufferers beware, the pollen and mold season is upon us. There are only two spore collection sites in the state, Fairbanks and Anchorage, and the instruments were activated this week. The University of Alaska and the Allergy, Asthma and Immunology Center run the monitoring program.
Native Youth Olympics kicks off for 47th year
Casey Grove, Alaska Public Media – Anchorage
The 47th Native Youth Olympic Games got underway in Anchorage on Thursday.
