Liz Ruskin, Alaska Public Media

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.

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.
Capitol Steps

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.

Sullivan: Trump’s emergency wall money ‘probably legal’

Sen. Dan Sullivan says President Trump probably can rely on his emergency declaration to divert military construction money to the southern border. "I've been supportive of the president's request for robust funding for barriers, fences, the wall ... however you want to describe it." Sullivan said, though he is concerned that money for Alaska projects could be diverted.

Old DC jobs are new again for two Alaskans

Two Alaskans are back at their old jobs in Washington, D.C., both because of the election of Gov. Mike Dunleavy.

Murkowski cool to Dunleavy cuts

Sen. Lisa Murkowski said the state has big budget decisions to make, decisions she made clear are not up to her. But she expressed reservations about several cuts Gov. Mike Dunleavy has proposed.

Industry launches campaign to rid ocean of plastic. Is it for real?

The plastics industry has a new billion-dollar campaign to get plastic trash out of the ocean. Sen. Dan Sullivan and a close ally are working on a bill to enhance that campaign. But is industry really suited to clean up the mess its products create?

Trump’s wall could drain money from Alaska military projects

President Trump's plan to divert $3.6 billion from military construction accounts could drain money from Alaska projects.

Rep. Young sponsors bill to bring back deported vets

The "Repatriate Our Patriots" bill would allow honorably discharged veterans to return to the U.S. as permanent residents and apply for citizenship.

Big win for Murkowski: Public lands bill passes Senate

The U.S. Senate today passed a massive public lands bill, and to the delight of its sponsor, Sen. Lisa Murkowski, the vote was overwhelming.

Drilling foes in House launch bill to close ANWR

Opponents of development in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge filed a U.S. House bill Monday that would end the possibility of drilling in the refuge. The bill's prospects are dim in the Senate, but sponsors say they will press on.