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.
Federal scientist says Arctic climate work cost him position
A former policy adviser at the Interior Department says the Trump Administration has retaliated against him for warning about the dangers of climate change to Alaska Native communities.
Trump picks Alaskan for Interior Department post
Alaskan Joe Balash has been selected to be the assistant secretary for lands and mineral management. Listen now
King Cove Road bill passes U.S. House
The U.S. House has passed a bill that would allow a road between King Cove and Cold Bay. If it becomes law, it could end a decades-long quest of Alaska's congressional delegation: An escape route for a town near the start of the Aleutian Chain. Listen now
Alaska’s U.S. senators diverge on repeal, replace
Murkowski wants open hearings on health care, with Democrats. Sullivan says Republicans should keep working as they have because they are nearing a solution that's "very positive for Alaska and the country." Listen now
With budget, US House inches toward ANWR
A budget blueprint in the U.S. House is reviving hopes for Alaskans who want to see the coastal plain of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge open to oil drilling. Listen now
Repeal without replace? Murkowski tweets ‘no’
GOP leaders want to repeal the Affordable Care Act now and replace it later. Sen. Murkowski says "Trust us" plan would just add to market chaos. Listen now
Health care bill has ‘caribou kickback’ for Alaska
A new health care bill in the U.S. Senate has a special Alaska carve-out, worth more than $100 million a year, to attract Alaska's senators. But one critic says it's less than it appears. Listen now
Senators seethe at IHS blunders
Sen. Murkowski says the IHS is already failing Native communities in the Lower 48, and she wasn't the only outraged senator demanding answers at from the head of the agency. Listen now
Feds agree to shore up Alaska’s insurance market
The U.S. Health & Human Services Department has agreed to send federal money to the State of Alaska for reinsurance, which lowers costs for people who buy their own health insurance. Some see it as a model to prevent market "death spirals." Listen now
EPA takes step toward ending ‘pre-emptive veto’ of Pebble Mine
The EPA has announced its intention to reverse course on an action that would have thwarted the proposed Pebble mine in the Bristol Bay watershed. Listen now
What enviros won by losing the pipeline battle
With the pipeline turning 40, a look back at how Big Green fought Big Oil, how that fight transformed the Trans-Alaska Pipeline, and why Congress ever agreed to it.
Bucking Trump, Senate FAA bill leaves controllers in place
President Trump wants to privatize air traffic control across the country. But the U.S. Senate’s Commerce Committee passed an aviation bill last week that does not include it. Listen now
Young drives King Cove road through committee
A new bill to create a road for King Cove is advancing in the U.S. House. Like many before it, this bill would authorize a land trade to acquire an 11-mile corridor through the Izembek National Wildlife Refuge, in Southwest Alaska. Listen now
Sullivan asks to nix August recess
Congress is now on recess until July 9 in honor of Independence Day but some members are looking ahead and asking to cancel their August break. Listen now
Interior starts process for new offshore leasing plan
The Trump administration announced an initial step toward a new offshore leasing plan that could mean new drilling rights in federal waters of the Arctic. Listen now
Report: Senate health reform cuts $3.1b from Alaska’s Medicaid
Alaska would lose $3.1 billion in Medicaid funds if the U.S. Senate bill became law, according to a state-funded reporter. That's an even bigger cut than in the bill the House passed. Listen now
Cancer patient to senators: Dump this bill
U.S. Senate leaders postponed a vote on their health care reform bill, but Alaskans opposed to the bill aren't letting up. One Alaskan, a three-time cancer survivor, went to Washington to make his pitch directly. Listen now
CBO sees peril in Senate bill for uncrowded regions
The Congressional Budget Office has what amounts to a warning for "sparsely populated areas" in its analysis of the Senate's draft health care reform bill: The bill could drive out insurers. Listen now
Murkowski’s take on health bill? Stay tuned
Sen. Lisa Murkowski wouldn't say how she'll vote on the health care reform bill Senate leaders released Thursday, but it does things she has said she's against, like shrinking Medicaid expansion and defunding Planned Parenthood. Listen now
As swing vote on ACA repeal, Murkowski draws attention
Sen. Lisa Murkowski is the target of a new TV ad urging her to vote against Republican efforts to repeal the Affordable Care Act. Listen now