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.
Which Native voices? On Arctic Refuge, lawmakers practice selective listening
It's all about who you ignore. Rep. Don Young told his colleagues to disregard the anti-drilling Gwich'in witnesses while pro-development Inupiat witnesses accuse Democrats of erasing them from the land that's been their home for thousands of years.
Sullivan on Mueller report: ‘There’s no evidence of collusion. It’s over.’
U.S. Sen. Dan Sullivan says Attorney General William Barr's summation of the Mueller report clears President Trump and closes a chapter.
Chief justice: Dunleavy has to choose a judge from the list
"The governor must appoint one of the candidates nominated by the council," the chief justice wrote, referring to the Alaska Judicial Council. The council screens applicants for judicial vacancies and sends a list to the governor. Gov. Dunleavy's decision not to select anyone for one judicial vacancy puts the state in uncharted waters.
China, Russia find common cause in Arctic
China and Russia are teaming up to pursue their interests in the Arctic, and regional security expert Rebecca Pincus says the United States needs to pay more attention.
“We need to play a shaping role in this region. It’s our backyard," she said.
Judge says BLM must reassess climate impacts of oil leases
The ruling stems from a challenge to lease sales in Wyoming, but if it stands, it could complicate the Trump administration’s effort to produce more petroleum from public lands. Opponents of ANWR drilling say the BLM's analysis of the climate impact of leasing there is inadequate, too.
Green New Deal? Murkowski says no, opts for middle way on climate
Sen. Lisa Murkowski is talking about global warming more than ever. While the Green New Deal is a lightning rod in Congress, Murkowski says she's reaching for what's politically possible. In a word: "Innovation."
Murkowski votes to block Trump’s emergency; Sullivan votes opposite
Alaska's U.S. senators split on the vote Thursday to block President Trump's declaration of an emergency. If Trump prevails with a veto, Alaska could lose military construction projects as money is diverted to build a wall on the southern border.
Enviro group says Interior hid gaps in ANWR science
An environmental group has published 18 leaked memos by government scientists that outline gaps in knowledge about the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. The public comment period for oil and gas lease sales in the refuge ends Thursday.
Murkowski’s public lands bill becomes law
President Trump has signed into law a massive public lands bill that Sen. Lisa Murkowski has spent years compiling and negotiating.
CEO says genetically engineered salmon is no threat
AquaBounty's CEO says Alaska's wild salmon industry has nothing to fear from the genetically engineered salmon her company plans to raise and sell.
FDA clears path for genetically engineered salmon
Genetically engineered salmon is on its way to the United States. The FDA announced Friday it is canceling an import alert, the last barrier keeping the AquAdvantage Salmon out of the country.
These DC residents want to channel your voice
Washington, D.C. residents have no vote in Congress. Herd on the Hill sidles up to power by amplifying the voices of others, and on one recent day, they used a letter from Juneau as a ticket in.
Don Young: 46 years in an office he never expected to win
Rep. Don Young is now the longest-serving Republican in the history Congress. He reflects on his legacy, and on the goofs and gaffes that punctuate his career.
Murkowski explains why she’ll vote to cancel Trump’s emergency
"One can be for border security ... and at the same time question whether the administration has overreached in using the National Emergencies Act in the way that it has,” Sen. Lisa Murkowski said on the Senate floor.
Senate bill prods EPA on PFAS contamination
PFAS have been discovered in more than a dozen Alaska communities, particularly in water wells. A U.S. Senate bill aims to make PFAS-contaminated sites eligible for Superfund cleanup.
Senior aide to Rep. Young lands BLM job
A long-time aide of Congressman Don Young has been selected to head the Bureau of Land Management in Alaska.
Trump’s emergency declaration splits Alaska delegation
A close vote is expected when the Senate decides whether to reverse President Trump’s declaration of an emergency to build a wall on the southern border. The Alaska delegation is split on the question.
Native Vietnam vets get another chance to claim 160 acres
Congress passed a sweeping public lands bill that includes a provision allowing Alaska Native veterans of the Vietnam War era apply for land allotments. Critics worry about a land grab.
US Senate sidelines “Born-Alive” bill
The stage was set for a divisive vote related to late-term abortion, and one open question was how Sen. Lisa Murkowski would vote.
Rep. Young seeks legal path for CBD
Congressman Don Young is the only Republican to join a group of House Democrats on a letter seeking legal status for cannabidiol, a popular and non-intoxicating additive known as CBD.