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State of the Union gets warm reception from Alaska delegation
Liz Ruskin, Alaska Public Media – Washington D.C.
Alaska’s all-Republican delegation to Congress praised President Trump for delivering a positive message in his State of the Union address Tuesday night.
Interior: No 3-D Seismic exploration in Arctic National Wildlife Refuge this winter
Elizabeth Harball, Alaska’s Energy Desk – Anchorage
An Interior official confirmed today that there will be no 3-D seismic exploration in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge this winter.
As the Bering Sea warms, this skipper is chasing pollock to new places
Nathaniel Herz, Alaska’s Energy Desk – Anchorage
“Across the board, everybody has a story about something that they haven’t seen before,” said Dan Martin, a 53-year-old captain of a Bering Sea pollock trawler. We took a fishing trip with Martin to find out what he’s experiencing as the Bering Sea heats up.
State House sets record for longest period without a Speaker
Andrew Kitchenman, KTOO – Juneau
The Alaska House has broken a record for how many days it has gone into a session without choosing a speaker. Today is the 23rd day of the session. That’s more than the number of days it took for the House to choose a speaker in 1981, the previous record.
US House dems push climate change into spotlight
Liz Ruskin, Alaska Public Media – Washington D.C.
The House hasn’t paid much attention to climate change in nearly a decade. That streak came to an end Wednesday with two simultaneous hearings. Democrats are showing that things are different now that they hold the gavels.
Education commissioner says it’s time to review school funding formula
Andrew Kitchenman, KTOO – Juneau
State Education Commissioner Michael Johnson also told lawmakers Wednesday that he didn’t consult with school districts before the Dunleavy administration proposed a $20 million cut to education funding.
House holds meeting on Alaska’s struggling ferry system
Jacob Resneck, CoastAlaska – Juneau
Lawmakers in the Alaska House of Representatives called an informal hearing on the state of the state’s ferry system.
Popular Anchorage restaurant in legal trouble over alleged wage theft
Kirsten Swann, Alaska Public Media – Anchorage
Two Anchorage women have filed suit against the owners of two popular restaurants in the city, seeking damages and other relief for alleged minimum wage and child labor law violations. These cases are common.
Microplastics found in Sitka mollusks
Katherine Rose, KCAW – Sitka
Researchers in Sitka have been looking at the impact of microplastics on local shellfish. Their findings illustrate a possible connection between microplastics in butter clams and household laundry.
Yukon Quest leaders prepare to depart from Dawson
Lex Treinen, KUAC – Fairbanks
Yukon Quest mushers continued to arrive in Dawson City today. Dawson is the race’s roughly halfway point, where a mandatory 36 hour layover gives mushers a chance to catch up on sleep, while handlers help care for their teams.
