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.
Gasline signs a DC insider
Former White House communications director Mike Dubke is now helping promote the Alaska gasline project. Listen now
Walker admin says Corps moving too fast on Pebble
The proposed gold and copper mine would sit upstream from Bristol Bay. Gov. Bill Walker has said he doesn’t support the mine and believes the priority should be on the region’s salmon.
BOEM seeks input on Beaufort leasing; plan still pending
The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management is beginning work on a lease sale next year in Arctic waters, even though the larger plan for offshore leasing is still a draft proposal. Listen now
Hill visits: It’s all about access in DC
Conventional wisdom has it that politicians only grant access to donors or lobbyists. Does the phenomenon of the "Hill visit" prove the cynics wrong? Listen now
Why Sullivan voted ‘no’ on $1.3T bill
U.S. Sen. Dan Sullivan typically votes with the Republican leadership in the Senate. But in the wee hours of Friday morning, Congress passed a $1.3 trillion spending bill and Sullivan voted "no." Listen now
What’s in it for Alaska? Here are 6 things in the federal spending bill
The $1.3 trillion bill has many items of Alaska interest. But two things not in this bill are also of note. Listen now
Boom: Gun tax sends $33M to Alaska
Americans have spent a lot of money on guns and ammunition in recent years, and that has sent revenues pouring into Alaska's budget for wildlife conservation. This year's allocation is more than double what it was in 2012. Listen now
Feds to drop new habitat rules, ending state’s legal challenge
The Trump administration has agreed to rewrite rules that would have made it easier for the government to designate areas as "critical habitat" for endangered species. Listen now
Riled: Young keeps true to form
At the U.S. Capitol, Rep. Don Young has a reputation for having a short fuse. He did nothing to dispel that notoriety at a hearing Thursday, where he seemed to let Democrats get under his skin. Listen now
Even in corridors of power, the Iditarod intrigues
As the mushers race to Nome, their progress is tracked in the halls of the U.S. Senate. One hallway, to be specific. Here's the scene from just outside Sen. Lisa Murkowski's door in the Hart Office Building. Listen now
Sweeney Interior nomination in limbo
President Trump nominated Tara Sweeney for high office at the Interior Department. But Alaska's U.S. senators say the nomination seems to be held up over her ownership of stock in an Alaska Native corporation. Listen now
Sullivan knocks Trump tariff as bad for Alaska
Sen. Dan Sullivan says a steel import tax and a trade war could hurt Alaska's fish exports and energy projects. Listen now
USGS nominee inclined to show data to Interior bosses
If confirmed as USGS director, James Reilly says he'd likely share sensitive data with his higher-ups at the Interior Department if they ask to see it. A demand to release data about the NPR-A led two USGS staffers to quit this winter. Listen now
Murkowski backs bill to ID school threats
Sen. Lisa Murkowski is co-sponsoring a school safety bill, one of the first to emerge in the Senate after the Valentine's Day shooting at a Florida high school. It does not impose gun control. Listen now
Rep. Young suggests guns could’ve saved Jews during Holocaust
Alaska Congressman Don Young uses the Holocaust to help make the case against gun control: "How many Jews were put in the ovens because they were unarmed?” Listen now
Tweets aside, Sullivan says Trump good for Alaska
Sen. Dan Sullivan said he doesn't like all of President Trump's tweets, but he does like what the Trump administration is doing for Alaska. There's not a lot of daylight between them when you look at the senator's voting record. Listen now
Walker among governors prodding Congress on health care
Alaska Gov. Bill Walker stood with his Colorado and Ohio counterparts to announce a new "blueprint" for health care, and they want Congress to get a move on. Listen now
On mass shootings, Murkowski leaves a word unspoken
Sen. Lisa Murkowski spoke passionately about the Florida school shooting. Congress must take action, she said, and no issue should be off-limits in the discussion. But she left an obvious word unsaid: "gun." Listen now
USGS scientist resigns in tussle over release of NPR-A data
A top scientist resigned late last year to protest what he saw as a threat to the agency’s scientific integrity. The deputy secretary of Interior was pressing the USGS to allow a preview of its findings on the oil potential in the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska. Listen now
Young, Murkowski hold fast on gun rights
Alaska's members of Congress remain unapologetic supporters of gun rights. They have top ratings from the National Rifle Association. But Sen. Murkowski and Rep. Don Young say the mass shootings reveal something is wrong in America. Listen now