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.
Even with repeal bill dead, Murkowski still not a firm ‘yes’ or ‘no’
The latest Senate effort to repeal the Affordable Care Act is dead after too many Republicans declared they would not support the Graham-Cassidy bill. But, as of Tuesday evening, Sen. Lisa Murkowski still was not clearly saying how she would have voted on Graham-Cassidy. Listen now
ACA repeal bill now peppered with Alaska money to draw Murkowski
"There is a lot of special treatment for Alaska," says one professor who has studied the bill. Murkowski says she can't be "bought off." Listen now
The Alaska impact of ACA repeal bill? Depends where you look
Sen. Murkowski says her position on Graham-Cassidy will hinge on data showing how Alaska would fare. Consultants' reports vary wildly, but they all show a loss. And now it's not clear senators will vote on. Listen now
VP Pence calls in to Anchorage talk radio
The future of the Affordable Care Act appears to rest on how Sen. Lisa Murkowski will vote next week. Alaska is getting some extra attention for it, including a special caller to a local conservative talk show Thursday. Listen now
‘Vote no’: Left takes to TV and sky to reach Murkowski
Advocates are cranking up the pressure on Sen. Murkowski to vote against the latest health care repeal. A Palmer conservative urging a "yes" vote calls Murkowski "untouchable." Listen now
Murkowski could swing Senate for latest ACA repeal
Defenders of the Obama health care law are applying as much pressure as they can to get Sen. Murkowski to vote no on the latest attempt to repeal the Affordable Care Act. All eyes were on her at the Capitol Tuesday. Listen now
Transgender troops: Sullivan says let them serve
The U.S. Senate passed an annual Defense bill Monday night that includes icebreakers and more missile interceptors, which Sen. Dan Sullivan championed. The bill does nothing to block President Trump’s effort to ban transgender people from the military, a ban Sullivan opposes. Listen now
Seismic work in ANWR: Can they do that?
The Interior Department is trying to let industry into the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, to conduct seismic exploration on the coastal plain. Is that legal? Listen now
HUD sends money to Alaska communities, including ‘Middle Spenard’
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development has announced $7 million in grants to 14 Alaska tribal organizations, much of it for housing. One grantee aims to redevelop a commercial building on Spenard Road. Listen now
New EPA vetting adds uncertainty for Alaska grants worth millions
The EPA is reportedly funneling all grant money through a single political appointee in the nation's capital. Grants to Alaska were allegedly blocked for two weeks, starting the day Sen. Murkowski voted against a health care bill. Listen now
Rep. Young apologizes for his ‘offending words’ on House floor
Judged against his past statements, what Young said about a freshman Democrat was nothing spectacular. But then Young did something unusual: He made nice. Listen now
Alaskan says he’ll build consensus in Interior post
Former DNR commissioner Joe Balash has been nominated for assistant Interior secretary, overseeing the BLM and other offices. Balash says his perspective on resource extraction formed early, and was shaped by his love of salmon. Listen now
Senators aim for ACA fixes, Murkowski-style
This was the kind of health care hearing Sen. Murkowski has been calling for: Public and bipartisan. But time is short, even to fix flaws in the Affordable Care Act, let alone replace it. Listen now
Investigators drop query into Zinke calls to Alaska senators
The IG's office issued a letter saying Alaska's U.S. senators declined to discuss the matter with investigators and further investigation would be pointless.
Appeals Court: FCC right in denying Dish-Doyon bidding discounts
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit ruled Tuesday the Federal Communications Commission was right to deny bidding discounts worth billions of dollars to a subsidiary of Doyon Limited, the Alaska Native Regional Corporation for Interior Alaska. Listen now
Trump’s streamlining order: You’ve seen its kind before
President Trump signed an order to speed up environmental reviews of infrastructure projects. His announcement of it, in the lobby of Trump Tower, was eclipsed by what he said next, about Charlottesville. But, back to that order: Can it really change things? Listen now
Alaska senators fault Trump’s tack on racist rally
Alaska's U.S. senators have issued a second round of statements following the rally of White nationalists in Charlottesville, Virginia. This time their criticisms are aimed at President Trump. Listen now
Sen. Sullivan calls out neo-Nazis; Critics abound
Sen. Dan Sullivan issued a strongly worded statement that singled out the alt-right and their allies. On Facebook, some thanked Sullivan. But quite a few defended the White supremacists, or complained he should have allotted equal blame to the left. Listen now
Sullivan wants 28 more interceptors at Ft. Greely
The missile defense system based at Fort Greely has a spotty test record, but Sen. Dan Sullivan says he has confidence it can shield the nation. He is one of the Senate's biggest boosters of missile defense and says Congress should add more interceptors to the Alaska site. Listen now
US Senate passes marine debris bill
A bill targeting plastic waste in the ocean and other marine debris cleared the U.S. Senate last week. Sen. Dan Sullivan sponsored it, with support from right and left. Listen now