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.
Murkowski: FDA confirmation hinges on GE salmon labeling
The Food and Drug Administration has already declared genetically engineered salmon safe for human consumption, but Sen. Lisa Murkowski said Tuesday she’ll block confirmation of a new FDA commissioner until the agency agrees to require labeling for GE salmon.
White House invites Alaskan to State of Union
Lydia Doza got a text message she nearly ignored. It led to a special White House invitation to honor her efforts inspiring Native American youth to choose STEM careers.
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FWS proposes tighter rules on predator hunting in refuges
The state of Alaska has, in recent years, loosened the rules for hunting wolves and bears, but federal wildlife managers aren’t going along with it. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today proposed new rules for predator hunting on national refuges in Alaska.
Autopsy yields nil on pregnant soldier’s death
A special state investigator for the Guard scandal flagged Michelle Clark's death as warranting further review. But with a toxicology report that found nothing and a tight-lipped police department, the pregnant soldier's family feels there's been no justice for Michelle.
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Family suspects Guard scandal at play in pregnant soldier’s death
For many Alaskans, the scandal at the Alaska National Guard is long over. But nothing is resolved for the family mourning Michelle LaRose Clark, a guardsman who died in 2011, of unknown causes. Clark's family, and a retired officer, can't let go of the idea that her death is related to what she knew about crime within the Guard.
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Obama frees 2 Alaskan inmates
Two Alaskans are among dozens of federal inmates who will be freed decades early, the White House announced. President Obama has commuted the sentences of Alex Contreras of Anchorage and Raymond Allen Thomas of Fairbanks.
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Alaska delegation splits on US budget bill
Congress has finished its work for the year with a $1.8 trillion spending bill, which president Obama quickly signed. The package drew a mixed response from Alaska’s delegation.
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Spending bill includes rider on GMO salmon labeling
A bill poised to pass the U.S. Congress would require the FDA to produce labeling guidelines before it allows the sale of genetically engineered salmon.
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Young defends right to arms for people on ‘no-fly’ list
Alaska Congressman Don Young doesn’t think much of the proposal to bar people on the no-fly list from buying guns. "And I will fight until my dying breath," he pledged, "to make sure that we ... retain the Second Amendment.”
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Alaskan hiker falls to her death in New Zealand
A 24-year-old Alaskan died in a hiking accident in New Zealand on Wednesday. Nicole Leman was the youngest daughter of former Lt. Gov. Loren Leman. A police constable says the terrain was severe but Leman and her companion hadn't done anything reckless.
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Alaskan dies in New Zealand hiking accident
A 24-year-old Alaskan died in a hiking accident in New Zealand on Wednesday. Nicole Leman was the youngest daughter of former Lt. Gov. Loren Leman.
Education reform ditches only part of No Child Left Behind
The U.S. Senate today passed an education reform bill, and the president is expected to sign it tomorrow. Many lawmakers say they’re happy to dump No Child Left Behind. But, the new education bill leaves in place major elements of the law, and that may not be a terrible thing.
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EPA fines Army for toxic leaching at Ft. Wainwright
The Environmental Protection Agency has fined the Army nearly $60,000 for failing to notify the agency of a munitions dump on Fort Wainwright.
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BOEM staffers say rush for Arctic study undermined their work
When Shell announced it was giving up on its leases in the Arctic Ocean, it blamed, in part, the challenging regulatory climate. But an inspector general’s report released today says many of the government regulators who worked the Arctic lease case felt they were too rushed to provide a rigorous review.
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VA: Fix for Choice plan taking longer than expected
The Veterans Affairs Department pledged to create a pilot program to help Alaska vets get health care services outside the VA. The pilot program didn’t get underway in November, as promised, but a top VA official says they’re making progress.
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Alaskans say feds shirk ANILCA’s ‘no more’ pledge
It's the 35th anniversary of ANILCA, the federal law that reshaped Alaska, literally redrew the map. ANILCA created new preserves and refuges across the state. It nearly doubled the size of the National Park system. It’s a complicated document that took years of negotiation. But Sen. Lisa Murkowski and Gov. Bill Walker say the feds aren’t living up to their end of the bargain.
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Oh, Chugach tree! Soldotna girl flies to DC to light Alaska spruce
A 74-foot tree from the Chugach National Forest is lit up now on the lawn of the U.S. Capitol. A 10-year-old Soldotna girl helped Speaker of the House Paul Ryan flip the switch.
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Alaska ambassadors field questions from DC kids
A trio from Girdwood, in the nation's capital for the lighting of an Alaskan Christmas tree, acted as cultural ambassadors, explaining all things Alaskan to a group of Washington school children.
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Education bill aims to give power to states
Congress appears close to passing an education reform bill that would give Alaska and other states more flexibility than the current 14-year-old education law.
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Obama nudges locality pay for federal workers
Federal workers aren’t getting much of a pay increase next year, but those in Alaska will get a small extra bump.