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.
Almost All Alaska Vets Seen Within 30 Days At Anchorage VA
Ninty-nine percent of veterans seeking medical appointments from the Anchorage VA are seen within 30 days. That's according to a Veterans Affairs audit released Monday.
Federal Fisheries Money Heads to Senate
The U.S. Senate is poised to pass a spending bill that includes more than $150 million for federal programs important to Alaska’s fishing industry and marine navigation, including money for electronic monitoring on fishing boats.
Download Audio
What Do The EPA’s New Carbon Rules Mean For Alaska?
Alaska utilities and policymakers are puzzling over President Obama’s proposal to cut carbon pollution from power plants and what the rules would mean for Alaska. Around the country, the proposal is viewed as a push to get states to clean up their coal plants, but that may not be the easiest way for Alaska to meet its target.
Download Audio
Bergdahl Release Ignites Political Controversy
Former Fort Richardson soldier Bowe Bergdahl was released over the weekend from nearly five years in captivity in Afghanistan. Both of Alaska’s U.S. senators issued warm statements welcoming the news, but in Washington, the price paid for Bergdahl’s release and questions about how he became separated from his unit are igniting a political firestorm.
Download Audio
Committee Moves Bill Updating Magnuson-Stevens Act
The U.S. House Natural Resources Committee today moved a bill to update the Magnuson-Stevens Act, the primary fisheries law in federal waters. Alaska Congressman Don Young amended the bill to allow subsistence fishermen a voice on the North Pacific Fisheries Management Council.
Download Audio
Senate Panel Approves Labeling for GM Salmon
Sen. Lisa Murkowski told the Senate Appropriations Committee she hopes the FDA never allows genetically modified salmon to reach supermarket shelves.
"But we haven’t been able to get the FDA able to slow down off their track of approval," she said.
So, Murkowski says, they should at least require "that they put on the package of fish: This is a genetically modified salmon."
Download Audio
Congress Passes Water Bill with Alaska Amendments
Congress has passed a $12 billion water resources bill that may help Alaska gain a deepwater Arctic port, although it doesn't actually fund one.
Download Audio
Investigators Find No Cover-up at Alaska National Guard
An Army Inspector General found no fault with how the Alaska National Guard handled reports of sexual assault and harassment. At least, that’s how the Inspector General’s office for the Defense Department explained it in a letter to Sen. Lisa Murkowski. She says she won't comment until she gets a chance to see the IG report for herself.
Download Audio
USFW Wants to Regulate Oil & Gas on Refuges; Young Objects
About 200 national wildlife refuges have oil and gas development. Among them: the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge, the only refuge in Alaska with active petroleum extraction. The agency that manages refuges, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, wants rules to regulate that activity. Alaska Congressman Don Young doesn’t like the idea, and he wasn’t quiet about it at a Congressional hearing today.
Download Audio
Report Says U.S. Participation In Arctic Council Lacks Coordination, Follow-Through
A report released Monday from the Government Accountability Office suggests U.S. participation in the Arctic Council lacks coordination and follow-through.
Download Audio
Earmarks: Congress Mulls Return of Practice that Enriched Alaska
In Sen. Ted Stevens’ day, Alaska thrived on earmarks, the congressional practice of directing federal dollars to home-state projects. Lawmakers agreed in 2011 to end the tradition, in response to public outrage over projects such as Alaska’s so-called “bridge to nowhere.” To this day, nearly every account of alleged excess features as Exhibit A the bridge that would’ve connected Ketchikan to its island airport. But now, there’s serious talk in Washington of bringing back the earmark.
Download Audio
The Billionaire Behind Alice Rogoff
If you’ve heard anything about Alice Rogoff, the woman who recently bought the Anchorage Daily News, you’ll likely know that she’s married to a billionaire who co-founded the Carlyle Group, a Washington, D.C.-based private equity firm. David Rubenstein is making headlines with big examples of what he calls "patriotic giving."
Download Audio
Arctic May Not Be That Busy, Report Says
As the ice goes out in the Arctic, many people predict more ships will be drawn through the Bering Straits to take advantage of a shortcut between Asia and Europe. But, a recent government report suggests less ice may not mean more ships.
Download Audio
Policy Change Could Could Create “Indian Country” in Alaska
The U.S. Department of Interior has proposed a rule change that would allow Alaska tribes to ask the federal government to take their lands into trust. The request isn’t always granted, but Wednesday’s announcement is a legal turn that could vastly expand the recognition and authority of tribal sovereignty in Alaska.
Download Audio
Chamber comes out anti-Begich. That’s the U.S. Chamber
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce is the latest Outside group to launch campaign ads in Alaska’s U.S. Senate race. The national business lobby has a 30-second video spot running this week that hits Begich and supports one of his Republican challengers, former Attorney General Dan Sullivan.
Report Not Anticipating Near-Term Arctic Increase In Commercial Shipping
Despite reports of a boom in Arctic ship traffic, a recent report by the Government Accountability Office concludes commercial industries aren’t planning to boost shipping through the Bering Strait or elsewhere in the U.S. Arctic over the next decade.
Download Audio
Miller Kicks Off Campaign in Wasilla
U.S. Senate candidate Joe Miller kicked off his campaign last night in Wasilla before a few hundred supporters. Miller drew cheers as he hit on popular Tea Party themes, like abolishing the IRS and ending state surveillance. And he may be the only candidate in the race with a personalized country-western anthem.
Download Audio
Miller Kicks Off Campaign in Wasilla
U.S. Senate candidate Joe Miller kicked off his campaign last night in Wasilla before a few hundred cheering supporters. Amid prayer and patriotic songs, Miller and those introducing him talked about God, guns and government mistrust. Miller drew cheers as he hit on popular Tea Party themes, such as abolishing the IRS and ending state surveillance.
Education Activists Wary of Latest School Funding Bill
In Juneau, the latest version of the education funding bill emerged today, and it isn’t what school advocates were hoping for. Senate Finance co-chairman Kevin Meyer says it’s a comprehensive bill that would add $100 million to education, and he says the Republican majority is committed to keeping that money in the budget for each of the next three years.
Download Audio
State House Approves 2016 Sunset Date For Alaska Film Tax Credit
The state House voted Thursday to sunset the Alaska Film Tax Credit in 2016. The provision was part of a bill requiring state agencies to report to the Legislature on so-called “lost revenue.” That’s the millions of dollars in revenues the state doesn’t collect each year due to various fee exemptions and tax credits. The bill adds sunset dates to some of them, meaning those programs would expire if lawmakers don’t intervene before then.