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.
Pebble finds friends on US House panel
Proponents of the Pebble mine in southwestern Alaska brought their case to the U.S. House today. Pebble says the EPA collaborated with mine opponents to restrict the project, in what the company calls a pre-emptive veto. Pebble got a sympathetic ear from Republicans on the Science, Space and Technology Committee.
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White House Tribal Nations Conference kicks off in Washington DC
The seventh White House Tribal Nations Conference begins in Washington, DC today, and each of Alaska’s 229 tribes was invited to send a representative.
Senate witnesses describe dark side of Russian bear
Russia is still on good terms with the U.S. in the Arctic, where their coast guards cooperate. But Americans have been warily eyeing President Vladimir Putin’s military buildup in the far north. At a U.S. Senate hearing today, witnesses described Putin more as a cunning bully than a good neighbor.
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Arctic coast guards team up, Russia included
The head of the U.S. Coast Guard met with counterparts from seven northern nations to create the Arctic Coast Guard Forum. The forum is intended to help pool resources when life, limb or the environment are in danger. But perhaps the most significant feature of today’s event was Russia’s presence.
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Senators grounded while Sec. Carter visits state without them
Alaska’s two U.S. senators were supposed to be at Fort Wainwright today. Instead, due to mechanical troubles, they were reduced to making videos describing what they would have said to Defense Secretary Ash Carter, if they'd had the opportunity to talk to him about keeping troops at JBER.
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US Senate passes budget deal; Alaska senators split on vote
The U.S. Senate passed a two-year budget bill early Friday morning, in a vote that split Alaska’s two senators.
Shell’s Q3 results reflect Arctic hit
Royal Dutch Shell has announced its quarterly financial results. They're not good, and Shell’s dry hole in the Chukchi Sea is just one factor.
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Shell reports $6B in Q3 losses
Royal Dutch Shell has announced its quarterly financial results and they're not good. Adjusted for changes and one-time tems, earnings fell 70 percent.
Point Hope gets $3M in transportation grants
The U.S. Transportation Department on Thursday announced half a billion dollars in grants. Among the recipients: Point Hope.
U.S. House passes budget deal; Young votes no
The U.S. House today approved a two-year budget deal. Alaska Congressman Don Young, like a majority of House Republicans, voted no. His primary objection is that it cashes out part of the Strategic Petroleum Reserve.
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Defense Secretary says he’ll visit Alaska this week, little else
Defense Sec. Ashton Carter revealed that he’ll visit the 49th state this week. Details are scarce, but he let slip his travel plans at a Senate hearing, after agreeing with Sen. Dan Sullivan that the military should have a serious operation plan for the Arctic.
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Park Service bans controversial methods to hunt wolf, bear
The National Park Service has published its final rule on hunting in Alaska’s national preserves, turning a corner in a long-running tussle with the state. Park Service is now enacting a permanent ban on several controversial hunting practices allowed under state law, like using artificial lights to shoot black bears in the den, and using bait to hunt bears.
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Bill combating illegal fishing awaits president’s signature
Congress has passed a bill to combat pirate fishing. The bill, called the “Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated Fishing Enforcement Act” now goes to the president of his signature. It puts in law the provisions of an international treaty aimed at denying illegal fishing vessels access to a country’s ports.
Drones vie for role in wildfire fight
They’re a danger when they intrude on the airspace, but unmanned aircraft can also be an asset in firefighting and efforts are underway to bring more pilotless aircraft to the fight.
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Bill to crack down on IUU fishing goes to White House
Congress has passed a bill to combat pirate fishing. It puts in law the provisions of an international treaty aimed at denying illegal fishing vessels access to a country’s ports.
Lockheed wins $800M contract for radar at Clear
The Missile Defense Agency has awarded a contract of nearly $800 million to Lockheed Martin to install a sophisticated radar system at Clear Air Station, in the Interior.
Latest trouble with F-35 bars light pilots from cockpit
While an environmental review is underway to determine whether Eielson Air Force Base will get two F-35 squadrons, the Air Force is already flying the fighters in the Lower 48. But the aircraft remains controversial in Congress. The latest problems are with the ejection seat.
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Murkowski’s irate; Interior nominee heard all about it
U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski used a confirmation hearing as an opportunity to voice her frustration over a string of decisions by Sec. Sally Jewell limiting development in Alaska, including last week's cancellation of Arctic offshore lease sales. An Interior Department nominee felt the burn today.
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Obama Administration cancels offshore lease sales, citing lack of interest
The Interior Department won't auction off drilling rights in the Chukchi and Beaufort Seas in the next two years. The auctions would have been the first in the Arctic Ocean since 2008, and the first under President Obama.
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Murkowski spotlights civic heroes at AFN
Every year, Alaska’s congressional delegation is invited to address the AFN convention, and today was U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski’s turn. She stuck close to the theme of the convention, "Heroes in our Homeland," but did mention a few of her own accomplishments.
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