Liz Ruskin, Alaska Public Media

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Liz Ruskin is the Washington, D.C., correspondent at Alaska Public Media. Reach her at lruskin@alaskapublic.org. Read more about Liz here.
a woman looks at treasures

In this Anchorage Facebook group, they find ‘Olive the Things,’ plus a nicer view of humanity

At 19,000-people strong, the group can help you find everything from a hedgehog to a plumber. Sometimes “Olives” go above and beyond.
A blonde woman in a blazer smiles at the camera.

Dahlstrom’s campaign account gets a boost from allies of U.S. House speaker

Dahlstrom raised $200,000 in a little more than six weeks. She announced in November that she’s challenging Democratic Congresswoman Mary Peltola.
a person speaks into a microphone

Alaska is back on the Pentagon’s radar, Sullivan says

"We have a very significant military buildup going on in our state," Sen. Dan Sullivan said on Alaska Public Media's "Talk of Alaska."
pillars and dome of u.s. capitol

Congress averts a shutdown until at least March, and Alaska’s delegation votes for the bipartisan stop-gap

Rep. Mary Peltola says a handful of "wrecking balls" can derail the House, but she hopes Speaker Johnson keeps his job.
Supreme Court photo

How a Supreme Court case about herring fishermen could upend federal regulation, on land and sea

An Alaska sustainable fisheries advocate calls it an "attempt to dismantle federal agencies and their authority to manage resources."

Supreme Court puts an end to Alaska governor’s lawsuit over union dues. The fight over how he paid for it lives on.

Gov. Dunleavy wanted to make it harder to deduct dues from union members' paychecks. The U.S. justices decline to hear the case.

Alaska Airlines jet that had a cabin wall blowout made 3 recent Alaska-Hawaii flights

The blowout resonates among Alaskans, who fly more than average Americans and rely heavily on Alaska Airlines.
glass building with letters

Anchorage Museum makes admission free for Indigenous Alaskans

“I think it's really a celebration of our place, of who we are," says director Julie Decker. No proof of identity is required.
A man with glasses speaks behind a podium while standing in front of an American flag.

Alaska campaign finance watchdog hits ranked choice voting foes with nearly $95K in fines

Art Mathias and affiliated groups violated campaign laws, regulators say. But they dismissed similar complaints in a separate case.

Tribes organize ‘First Indigenous Sovereign Habitat Tribal Conservation District’ from Bering Sea to Interior Alaska

38 tribes would like to co-manage land near their villages, to have their say over federal acreage that's been in land-use limbo since 1971.
Former President Donald Trump speaks into a microphone at a pdoium

A lawsuit challenging Trump’s eligibility for the Alaska ballot hasn’t advanced

A second state has disqualified Trump from the ballot. A lawsuit challenging Trump's eligibility in Alaska is stuck at step 1.
soldier boots

Cold-weather pay exists for some Alaska-based military members, but most Air Force personnel aren’t eligible

The Army pays soldiers extra for Alaska duty. Only a few far-flung airmen get hardship pay for their service in the 49th state.
soldiers in white uniforms hold a tow rope. They are in bunny boots strapped to skis

Whatever happened to ‘Arctic pay’ for the military?

In 2022, Congress authorized cold weather incentive pay for the military. A year later, no one has received the Arctic pay bonus.

Eagle River member resigns from Anchorage Assembly

Kevin Cross will leave by April 1. He calls Assembly work important but not what God intends for him. He prefers hands-on volunteer projects.

America is larger now, by declaration of State Department

U.S. territory off Alaska grew by nearly a Texas Tuesday, when the feds defined the outer limit of its continental shelf.
A blonde woman in a blazer smiles at the camera.

Speaker Johnson picks Dahlstrom to beat Peltola and flip Alaska’s House seat

The speaker's political operation chose Alaska's lieutenant governor over the other Republican in the race, Nick Begich.

Murkowski straddles divide on climate at COP28

The only Republican senator at the climate conference favors more Alaska oil production and also measures to reduce emissions.

EPA wants to get the lead out of aviation gas. Alaska’s U.S. senators say it’s a bad move for the state.

Sens. Murkowski and Sullivan are trying to reverse an EPA finding that the lead in fuel for small aircraft poses a danger to public health.

Biden to sign order promoting tribal self-determination

The White House is hosting the 11th tribal summit this week. Interior Secretary Haaland says the administration has focused on co-management.
a person speaks into a microphone

400 military officers were just promoted. Sen. Sullivan says the confirmation blockade shouldn’t have lasted so long.

Sen. Tuberville has blocked every military confirmation vote since February to protest an abortion policy. He finally relented.