Liz Ruskin, Alaska Public Media
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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Sullivan Allowed to Keep In-State Tax Credits in Maryland
Maryland tax collectors had good news for Republican Senate candidate Dan Sullivan today, and perhaps bad news for his campaign. Maryland authorities say he doesn’t have to repay about $5,000 in homestead tax credits he received from 2006 to 2008, for a home he owned in Bethesda. Only owners claiming a home as their principal residence are entitled to the credits.
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How Should U.S. Lead in the Arctic?
Arctic experts and policymakers gathered at a Washington, D.C. think-tank today to focus on how the U.S. might wield its leadership when it assumes the chairmanship of the Arctic Council next year. Recommendations ranged from the lofty to the concrete.
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Another Begich Ad Alleges Alaska’s U.S. Senators Co-operate
Sen. Lisa Murkowski keeps trying to shake him off, but Sen. Mark Begich continues to insist they have a good working relationship.
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Seismologist Says It’s Time to Talk About Earthquake Early Warning
Yesterday’s 6.2 earthquake in Southcentral Alaska struck without warning. Because that’s what earthquakes do here in Alaska. But state seismologist Michael West says now is the time for Alaskans to discuss the possibility of building an earthquake early warning system.
US Chamber of Commerce Pledges “Full Weight” to Sullivan
A new Dittman Research poll shows Republican Dan Sullivan is six points ahead of Democrat Mark Begich in the U.S. Senate race. The research was funded by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. It ran a pro-Sullivan ad in April and today officially announced it’s endorsement of Sullivan.
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Forrest Dunbar: The Millennial Who Aims to Unseat Don Young
The Alaska Congressman's Democratic challenger is a Yale-educated attorney, raised in Eagle and Cordova. Dunbar is a first-time candidate running a serious campaign on a relative shoestring.
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Murkowski Backs Sullivan in TV Spot
U.S. Senate candidate Dan Sullivan has a new campaign ad featuring the person he hopes to call a colleague: Sen. Lisa Murkowski.
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Murkowski Presses FDA To Clarify Spent-Grain Rule for Brewers
Sen. Lisa Murkowski, along with beer-makers around the country, is celebrating a recent clarification from the Food and Drug Administration about spent grains.
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