Peter Granitz, NPR- Washington DC
pgranitz (at) alaskapublic (dot) org | 202.488.1961 | About Peter
Experts Think Foreclosure Crisis Bottoming Out
September saw the fewest foreclosures nationwide in five years. Alaska continued its downward trend as well. Some real-estate experts think the foreclosure crisis is bottoming out.
Begich, Senate To Push Fishery Disaster Relief Bill
U.S. Senator Mark Begich says he and other members of the Senate will try to move a fishery disaster relief bill after the election. Time and money will be hard to find.
Lawmakers Submit Quarterly Financial Statements
Federal lawmakers recently reported their quarterly financial statements to the Federal Elections Commission. Despite not being up for reelection this cycle, the political action committees aligned with Senators Mark Begich and Lisa Murkowski continue to raise and spend money.
Senator Mark Begich
Alaskans have plenty to say to their U.S. Senators, as we regularly hear on Talk of Alaska. Alaska is the nation’s only Arctic state, and it contains more federal land than any other state. A lot is riding on what our two Senators do in Washington. Senator Mark Begich will be listening to Alaskans on the next Talk of Alaska.
KSKA: Tuesday, 10/9 at 10:00am
Oil Companies Release Proposed LNG Pipeline Plan
Department of Natural Resources Commissioner Dan Sullivan is welcoming a plan last night for a gas pipeline from Trans Canada and the three would be producers. But, the pipeline could cost $65 billion, and a construction date is still unknown.
State Receives LNG Pipeline Proposal
The state of Alaska will announce soon that it has received a proposal for a would-be liquid natural gas pipeline from the North Slope. It’s likely to offer more details, but it will be far from definitive.
FCC Revisiting Airwave Laws
The Federal Communications Commission is assessing current rules over how much mobile spectrum one company can own. Some smaller mobile companies, like those in Alaska, are hoping it will give them a better chance to capture more, high-quality airwaves.
Department of the Interior Announces NPR-A Lease Sale
The U.S. Department of the Interior announced it will hold a lease sale in the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska in November. The lease sale will take place in Anchorage Wednesday Nov. 7. Companies will be able to bid for drilling access to four and a half million acres of land.
Parnell Visits Asia, Touts Alaska’s Resource Potential
Alaska Gov. Sean Parnell traveled to Japan today after leaving South Korea yesterday. He’s pitching foreign governments and companies on the state’s potential to export liquefied natural gas.
Congress To Have Full Slate After November Election
Congress has recessed until after the November election. When it returns, it will have a full slate of legislation to pass: From a defense authorization to a farm bill to cyber security measures. Most of the attention, though, will be placed on looming tax increases.
BBNC Leaders Push For Salmon Fishery Protections In DC
Leaders from the Bristol Bay Native Corporation are in Washington, D.C. pushing members of Congress to support the forthcoming EPA watershed assessment and to increase protections for the salmon fishery in Bristol Bay.
Technical Issues Plague Shell Drilling Plans
Shell will not drill for oil this summer as originally planned. The company will drill several top-hole wells this year, but technical failures are preventing them from drilling down thousands of feet to oil rich levels.
Fishing Disaster Declared In Yukon, Kuskokwim Rivers And Cook Inlet
The U.S. Department of Commerce has declared a fishing disaster for the Yukon and Kuskokwim Rivers and Cook Inlet. Whether the aid ever materializes hinges on Congressional action.
Japan Gives US, Canada $6 Million For Tsunami Cleanup
Japan is giving $6 million to the U.S. and Canadian governments to assist with the tsunami debris clean up. Some in Washington, D.C. hope it will spur action from the federal government.
Continuing Resolution Protects Eielson F-16s For Now
Congress is preparing a six-month stop gap funding bill. It should keep the government afloat until the end of March, and avoid any potential for a government shutdown before the election.
Budget Cuts Leave Oil and Gas in Dark
The Office of Management and Budget failed to issue a plan Friday guiding virtually every department of the government on how they should cut their budgets. The report won’t come until “late next week.”
The cuts, known as the sequester, will trim $1.2 trillion from the federal budget over a decade. If Congress does not, on January 2nd, the government will begin trimming more than $100 billion immediately.
With the clock ticking, the oil and gas industry does not know what to expect.
Sequester Will Likely Affect Military Spending In Alaska
Unless Congress creates and agrees to a viable plan to reduce trillions of dollars from the deficit, the federal government will face massive cuts January second. The cuts, known as the sequester, will slash $1.2 trillion from federal agencies.
Government Eyeing Down Fiscal Crisis, $1.2 Trillion in Cuts
The country is staring down a fiscal crisis come January 2nd. If Congress fails to act, a combination of more than $1.2 trillion in federal spending cuts, and the expiration of the Bush-era tax cuts will likely send the economy into recession.
That duo of tax increases and spending cuts has been dubbed the fiscal cliff; an ominous name for a serious situation.
Report Guides Potential North Slope LNG Producers Through Federal Regulations
A federal office in Washington issued a report Tuesday guiding would-be natural gas producers on the North Slope how to navigate federal regulations.
Pentagon Considering Legal Action Against Former Navy SEAL Author
Various media reports indicate the Pentagon is contemplating pursuing legal action against Matt Bsisonnette. Bissonnettee recounts the raid that killed Osama Bin Laden in a new book written under the pseudonym Mark Owen.