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.
In bid to restore Voting Rights Act, Murkowski strays from party lines
The settlement of the Native vote lawsuit comes on the same day as news that Sen. Lisa Murkowski has co-sponsored a bill to revive the Voting Rights Act. Sen. Murkowski is the first Republican to join more than 30 Democratic co-sponsors on an issue that has divided the two parties.
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Judge rules against road between King Cove, Cold Bay
A U.S. District Court judge in Anchorage has ruled against a group from King Cove seeking an emergency road to Cold Bay.
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Walker may call gas line special session in October
Gov. Bill Walker may call a special session of the Legislature next month to consider the Alaska LNG Project, and a possible state purchase of TransCanada's share in the gas pipeline.
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Rep. Young Ducks POTUS Hoopla
Alaskans of all stripes came out this week for a chance to shake hands with President Obama, or glimpse his motorcade, but one person not on hand was Don Young, Alaska’s only member of the U.S. House of representatives.
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Obama Does Seward
President Obama is flying to Dillingham and Kotzebue today. The White House says he’ll announce a new role for the Denali Commission in helping Alaska communities respond to climate-change impacts. Yesterday, Mother Nature indulged him with stunning fall weather in Seward.
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Obama Lands in Alaska; Says Time is Now to Act on Climate
Air Force 1 landed in Anchorage yesterday, with President Obama and Gov. Walker on board. Obama's motorcade sped downtown, where the president struck a somber note in a speech about climate change.
‘Denali’ restored as official name for North America’s tallest peak
President Obama is due to arrive in Alaska on Monday, and the White House says he will announce a new official name for North America’s tallest mountain.
Obama to Talk Climate, Reveal New Alaska Policies
To a president calling for global action on climate change, Alaska is one big show-and-tell exhibit. Exit Glacier is on the presidential itinerary next week, and Obama is expected to announce new Alaska initiatives related to climate.
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Anchorage Mayor: Obama Visit to Cause ‘Minimal Disruption’ Downtown
Mayor Berkowitz today announced which street will close for security. He said residents should be flexible when visiting downtown for the first half of the week, but he says the event won't shut down commerce.
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Walker Hopes to Reframe POTUS Perspective
President Obama’s visit to Alaska is now less than a week away, and he's not the only one with an agenda for his trip.
“It’s an exciting time for Alaska. We don’t have a lot of presidents who stop here unless they’re low of fuel," Gov. Walker says.
Coast Guard Boss: Ahoy! Icebreakers on Budget Horizon
The head of the U.S. Coast Guard says lawmakers and the national security staff are waking up to the need for more icebreakers as the Arctic opens to increased ship traffic.
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Murkowski’s Planned Parenthood Vote Has Left Seething, Right Unmoved
Reaction to Sen. Lisa Murkowski’s 'yes' vote, in favor of moving a bill to defund Planned Parenthood, is ricocheting around Alaska and social media. Alaskans who support abortion rights feel burned while conservatives aren’t giving Murkowski much credit for it.
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Alaska Exempt From New Federal Clean Power Rules, For Now
The White House and the EPA today released the final version of its rule to cut carbon emissions from power plants. The administration's Clean Power Plan sets targets that states have to meet and requires them to submit plans detailing how they will acheive them. But Alaska will not have to comply with new mandates, at least not yet.
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Murkowski Votes to Move Planned Parenthood Defunding Bill
A bill to defund Planned Parenthood failed a procedural vote in the U.S. Senate today. Sen. Dan Sullivan is a co-sponsor. Sen. Lisa Murkowski voted to advance the defunding measure also, but she says she doesn’t want to see Planned Parenthood’s funding removed without an investigation.
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Alaska power plants exempt from new greenhouse gas emission rules
Alaska will be exempt from new federal rules aimed at cutting greenhouse-gas emissions from power plants. Sen. Lisa Murkowski says she got word Monday in a phone call from EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy.
Alaska senators vote in favor of highway bill
Congress has averted a crisis in U.S. Highway funding. The Senate passed a House bill on Thursday to keep the highway program afloat until at least Halloween.
Tale of 2 Murkowski Bills: Bipartisan and Not
Sen. Lisa Murkowski passed two major bills out of the Senate Energy Committee today, each containing priorities she’s been working on since she became the panel's chairman. One passed on a strict party-line vote while the other passed overwhelmingly, but each bill reflects elements of the senator’s legislative style.
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Alaska Senators No Fans of Iran Deal
The Obama administration faced a tough crowd this morning as it defended its nuclear agreement with Iran in Congress. Both of Alaska’s senators are among the chorus of lawmakers who say the deal is bad for the U.S.
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Murkowski Fends Off Thorny Add-Ons to Energy Bill
U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski’s big energy policy bill, if it passes, would be the first since 2007. Several national energy bills have washed up on the rocks since then. Murkowski’s strategy is to keep controversies out of the package, and it was tested at a Senate Energy Committee meeting this morning.
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VA Secretary to Visit 49th State
Alaska can expect another high-level Washington visitor next month. The Secretary of Veterans Affairs, Robert McDonald, plans to come to the state for several days starting Aug. 11.