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.
Marijuana Entrepreneurs Face Special Business Burdens
Alaskans who hope to operate marijuana businesses will have to defy U.S. drug law, of course. But they’ll also face other federal rules they’re likely to find severely inconvenient and perhaps crippling to their enterprise.
Murkowski Questions Differing National Guard Investigation Results
Two different Pentagon agencies investigated the Alaska National Guard for allegedly mishandling sexual assault complaints. They came to opposite conclusions, and U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski wants to know why.
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Where Did That $57 Million Go?
More than $57 million was spent on Alaska’s U.S. Senate race, which comes to about $230 per vote cast, and the campaigns aren’t done reporting their spending totals. If you're looking for where it went, start with where a lot of it came from: Out of state. Then look at your TV.
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With Persistent Lead, Sullivan Heads to Washington
With more votes counted in Alaska’s U.S. Senate race, Republican Dan Sullivan still leads Democrat Mark Begich by about 8,000 votes. While Begich hasn't conceded, the former attorney general seem to be claiming his victory. A spokesman says he's flying to Washington today.
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Lawsuit Claims Chukchi Rules Fail to Protect Walrus
A coalition of environmental groups filed a lawsuit today against the Fish and Wildlife Service, saying its rule allowing the oil industry to disturb or harm Pacific walrus in the Chukchi Sea violates the Marine Mammal Protection Act.
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Sullivan Leads Begich by 8,000 votes
Alaska appears to have followed the national trend and elected a Republican to the U.S. Senate. But Democratic Sen. Mark Begich isn’t conceding just yet.
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Knowns and Unknowns Among Uncounted Ballots
With a few candidates up and down the ballot unsure whether they won or lost, a lot of Alaskans are looking to the thousands of ballots that remain uncounted. Division of Elections chief Gail Fenumiai says it's unclear exactly how many ballots are outstanding.
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Begich, Sullivan Rally Voters, Each His Own Way
In the final days before the U.S. Senate election, candidates Mark Begich and Dan Sullivan are making their final pitches, aiming to rally their supporters to the polls. Sullivan got help from two national figures representing polar opposites of the GOP: Mitt Romney, an establishment Republican, and Sen. Ted Cruz, a Tea Party hero.
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Letter Shaming Alaska Voters Cribbed From Study Proving Its Value
Letters from an unknown group calling itself the Alaska State Voter Project are appearing in Alaska mailboxes. They list the voting history of the addressee – along with that of other community members. Many recipients are outraged, saying the letters are an attempt to shame them into voting. A political scientist says the letters are nearly identical to ones he used in a 2006 experiment.
Massive Ground Game Underway in Senate Race
Between the candidate campaigns and Outside groups, nearly $52 million has been spent to try to influence your vote in the U.S. Senate race. Much of that is spent on advertising, for Sen. Mark Begich or Republican challenger Dan Sullivan. But in the end, every race is decided by who actually turns out to vote, so there's a ground game underway.
Young Apologizes for Suicide Remarks; Is Warmly Received at AFN
Alaska Congressman Don Young angered many of his constituents this week with remarks about suicide at Wasilla High that he later acknowledged were insensitive. Today, he used his annual speech at the Alaska Federation of Natives to apologize.
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U.S. Senate Candidates Spar Over Resource Development
U.S. Senate candidates Mark Begich and Dan Sullivan sparred Thursday over who can better move Washington to bring more resource development to Alaska. The Anchorage debate was sponsored by the Resource Development Council and associations representing the state’s oil and gas, mining and logging industries.
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Alaska Public Media, ADN Reach Agreement With State Over Public Records Request
Alaska Public Media and the Alaska Dispatch News have reached an agreement with the state of Alaska in their lawsuit to obtain records related to the Alaska National Guard scandal.
Congressman Young Doubles Down On Remarks About Suicide
On Monday, Congressman Don Young offended teens at Wasilla High with statements some took to be blaming family and friends for a student’s recent suicide. In a written statement, a spokesman said Young should have been more sensitive. But Tuesday, Young doubled down on his remarks about suicide.
Wasilla Principal Says Congressman Young Offended Grieving School
The principal of Wasilla High School says Congressman Don Young offended her students at a school assembly yesterday. Young, known for brash talk throughout his four decades in office, spoke to students about suicide and gay marriage in a manner Principal Amy Spargo describes as hurtful.
With Millions Pumped into U.S. Senate Race, Voters Near Their Limit
About $46 million has been spent so far to convince Alaskans to either vote for Sen. Mark Begich or challenger Dan Sullivan. One clear effect: Voter annoyance is rampant.
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State Disputes ANWR Boundaries
The state of Alaska has launched the opening salvo in a border dispute with the federal government over the western edge of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. At stake is a 20 thousand acre wedge of land that the federal government counts as part of ANWR. But in a letter to the BLM today, the state asserts the government has mapped ANWR incorrectly. The state says the wedge of land between the Canning and the Staines River is actually outside the refuge, according to a 1960 legal description of the refuge border.
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Elections Chief: Parties Say What They Want in Voter Pamphlet
The Division of Elections voter pamphlet is arriving in mailboxes across the state. Way in the back is a page that caught some voters by surprise. It’s a negative ad against Sen. Mark Begich.
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In New Ad, Begich Pledges to Work on Fixing Health Care Law
For those who want to unseat U.S. Sen. Mark Begich, one strategy has prevailed from the start: Bind him to President Obama and the Affordable Care Act. A new ad from Republican challenger Dan Sullivan is typical of that approach.
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Profile: Rep. Young, Still Punching, Seeks Another Term
Congressman Don Young doesn’t hold back. At 81, he still thunders his opposition to the federal government when he gets worked up about it.
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