Liz Ruskin, Alaska Public Media
Liz Ruskin is the Washington, D.C., correspondent at Alaska Public Media. Reach her at lruskin@alaskapublic.org. Read more about Liz here.
Murkowski, Sullivan back Senate bill to help Postal Service
Alaska’s U.S. senators have signed on to the Postal Service Emergency Assistance Act. It has aid for USPS that Senate leaders left out of their latest coronavirus relief bill.
Donald Trump Jr. tweets his opposition to Pebble Mine
Opponents of the Pebble Mine found a gift on Twitter Tuesday: Donald Trump Jr. declared he’s against the mine.
Katherine Gottlieb to resign from Southcentral Foundation
Katherine Gottlieb is resigning as president and chief executive of Southcentral Foundation. The news comes two weeks after Southcentral fired her husband.
Murkowski condemns Trump tweet predicting election fraud: ‘This is not leadership from the White House’
Sen. Murkowski says President Trump undermines faith in the legitimacy of American democracy by suggesting the 2020 election will be fraudulent.
With Alaska at ‘income cliff,’ labor calls on US senators to fight for unemployment benefits
The $600 weekly unemployment checks end this week. Alaska's senators are saying whether they'll join the fight to extend them.
With permit for controversial mine nearly in hand, Pebble CEO says he’s sure opposition will soften
Pebble Chief Executive Tom Collier said it’s the most significant day for the proposed mine n 15 years.
Pebble Mine to clear environmental review this week, but is it ‘practicable’?
The Pebble Mine becomes a step closer to reality this week but legal questions remain.
State reports 49 new cases in daily COVID-19 count
After days of relatively high case counts, a slight reprieve: State health officials on Friday reported that they've identified just 49 new cases of COVID-19.
Caribou heart was ‘a gift,’ says activist after disruption at Sullivan event
An activist brought a caribou heart to protest Sen. Sullivan's support of drilling in the Arctic Refuge.
Seward’s SeaLife Center warns it may have to close and send its animals away
The survival of the SeaLife Center is in jeopardy. It has a $2 million hole in its budget.
Bill to hobble development of ANWR and Tongass advances in US House
A House committee approved a bill that would erect barriers to oil development in the Arctic Refuge and logging in the Tongass National Forest.
Wealthy and well-connected Alaska firms among those gaining most from PPP
The SBA has released the names of Alaska companies that scored the largest share of Alaska's $1.2 billion in PPP funds.
BP and Hilcorp can keep business info private, state regulator says
Hilcorp and BP don’t have to publicly disclose details surrounding the sale of BP’s assets.
Sullivan disparages NYT report that Russia paid Taliban bounties to kill Americans
Sen. Sullivan casts doubt on a New York Times report that Russia paid the Taliban to kill American troops.
Defund the police? Murkowski says no. But she says they don’t need bayonets.
Sen. Murkowski is against defunding police, but she wouldn’t mind disarming them of weapons of war.
Alaska’s economy is headed for an ‘income cliff’ at end of July
Economists say $600 weekly payments to the unemployed are greasing the gears of the local economy. Those payments are set to end in less than a month.
Court rules Native corporations can receive CARES Act money intended for tribes
A U.S. District Court judge has ruled that Alaska Native corporations are eligible for part of the $8 billion intended to help tribes respond to the coronavirus pandemic.
Alaska Native vets from the Vietnam War era may lay claim to 160 acres
The Bureau of Land Management is trying to reach some 2,200 Alaska Native veterans to let them know they can lay claim to 160 acres apiece.
Got symptoms? In Anchorage, you can now get a COVID drive-thru test without a note from your doctor.
“At this time, we don't have any concern" about demand outstripping supplies, says city Health Department Director Natasha Pineda.
State employees urge passage of another big coronavirus relief bill
The federal bill ASEA wants includes hazard pay for essential workers, and money for state and local governments