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.
Trump admin sets crosshairs on Park Service predator rule
The Trump administration is trying to erase another part of President Obama's environmental legacy in Alaska: It wants to roll back a National Park Service ban on several controversial methods of killing bears and wolves. Listen now
Young squeaks Roadless Rule exemption into agriculture bill
It took some doing, but Rep. Don Young squeezed the House for votes Thursday night and got an amendment into the Agriculture bill to exempt Alaska forests from the Roadless Rule. It was a feat that played out on the House floor like political cinema. Listen now
With Pruitt, Murkowski chides without charring
Sen. Murkowski did not ask confrontational questions of the embattled EPA administrator, but she did not leap to Pruitt's defense, either. Listen now
Senators urge Sweeney to be tough at Interior
Alaskan Tara MacLean Sweeney faced no resistance at a U.S. Senate confirmation hearing today on her nomination to be assistant Interior secretary for Indian Affairs. Listen now
Former state senator appointed interim Denali Commission head
Former state senator John Torgerson has been appointed to run the Denali Commission while a search is underway for the organization's next leader. Listen now
Offshore lease schedule for Beaufort draws flak
Democrats in Congress are sounding the alarm about the Interior Department's efforts to hold an offshore oil lease sale in the Beaufort Sea next year. Listen now
Challenger raises substantial sum in bid to unseat Don Young
Federal campaign finance reports show a well-funded challenger is trying to unseat Congressman Don Young in November. Listen now
Murkowski: Mueller investigation must continue
"I think it is so important, it is so imperative, that this investigation be allowed to go forward," Murkowski said. "And it will take the course that it will take." She didn't commit to supporting a bill to protect Mueller from dismissal. Listen now
Trump picks Anchorage attorney for District Court
President Trump has nominated Jonathan Katchen to serve as a U.S. District Court judge in Alaska. Listen now
Facebook CEO dodges Sullivan’s softball
Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg was contrite in a U.S. Senate hearing. But he wouldn't play along when Sen. Dan Sullivan wanted to make a point about regulation. Listen now
Political operative accused of battery in Vegas
Sen. Dan Sullivan’s former campaign manager Ben Sparks may be facing arrest following a bizarre report of domestic violence in Las Vegas. Listen now
Sullivan backs Trump on China import taxes
U.S. Sen. Dan Sullivan praised President Trump's trade strategy toward China as a "positive and needed course correction." Listen now
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