Murkowski’s healthcare vote causes a stir in Washington and Alaska
The Alaska Dispatch News is reporting that the Trump Administration threatened to target Alaska as retribution for Senator Lisa Murkowski’s stand against Republican efforts to repeal the Affordable Care Act this week. Listen now
Can the youth climate lawsuit go to trial? A federal appeals court will rule.
“The courts’ view of it is that the case is unusual enough and novel enough that it would be wise to resolve some of the legal uncertainty before trial rather than after,” said environmental law professor Sean Hecht.
At a safe distance: Monitoring remote volcanoes from remote locations
Across Alaska there are monitoring instruments on 31 of the most active volcanoes, but there’s nothing on the one that’s erupting now. Listen now
Dunleavy fires head of state oil and gas watchdog agency
In a letter sent Tuesday, the governor informed Hollis French he is "immediately" being removed from his position as chair of the Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission.
Walker’s trade mission highlights links to China, opportunities for Alaskans
Representatives from more than 20 business, along with state officials and politicians will leave for China this weekend. There, they’ll peddle everything from baby food to seafood to tourism to Chinese consumers. Listen now
A SE Alaska village thinks reneweable hydropower should be implemented
A multimillion dollar dam in Kake would make it easier to bring renewable energy to the village, which currently runs off diesel. But the definition of “renewable” isn’t the same in everyone’s book. Federal grants for hydro projects can be limited — compared to what’s available for wind and solar. Listen now
For decades, the government stood between the Unangan people and the seals they subsist on. Now, that’s changing.
The tribal government of St. Paul island, in the Bering Sea, has pushed the federal government for years to relax strict subsistence rules that have blocked access to seals and forced residents to buy expensive groceries. New rules could take effect soon, but they face opposition amid a decline in the seal population.
Sea-to-table movement takes root with Alaska’s growing kelp industry
In February of last year, Governor Walker signed an administrative order to help jumpstart mariculture, or sea farming, in the state. One Juneau couple is whipping up a recipe to make local kelp an enticing business and snack. They’re part of a growing number of startups that see Alaska seaweed as a marketable food. Listen now
Finding local seafood is getting easier at America’s top fishing port
Unalaska may be the top fishing port in the country, but finding fresh, local fish is a challenge. Fishermen occasionally sell their catch from the docks and now some restaurants are making a point to serve fresh seafood whenever it’s available. Listen now
Exxon’s Tillerson, Trump’s choice for State Dept., has history in Alaska
President-elect Donald Trump has chosen ExxonMobil CEO Rex Tillerson as his nominee for secretary of state. National attention has focused on Tillerson’s close ties to Russia, but he – and his company – also has a long history in Alaska. Listen Now
Clock approaches midnight for Congress to renew this oil industry tax
As the New Year approaches, time is ticking down for Congress to renew an excise tax collected on domestic barrels of oil. The money goes into a government trust used for oil spill cleanup and prevention. Listen now
Fracking in Alaska: Who should weigh in?
The state agency that oversees oil and gas drilling held a hearing Thursday, Dec. 15 on whether more public input is needed when a company wants to start hydraulic fracturing in Alaska. Environmental groups say this would allow more transparency, while the industry argues there are already enough rules to make sure hydraulic fracturing is safe. It’s up to the Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission (AOGCC) to decide who is right.
Savings on tax credits for oil and gas not as high as proposed
A bill to revise oil and gas tax credits from the House Resources Committee includes only a fraction of the savings Governor Bill Walker proposed. Download Audio
Alaskan appointed to help manage national fisheries
An Alaskan has been appointed to help manage fisheries nationwide. Listen now
Alaska’s infrastructure report card probably not going on the fridge
Is Alaska on the honor roll for its energy grid and water systems? According to the American Society of Civil Engineers the answer is “no.” The professional organization graded Alaska’s infrastructure for the first time, releasing the report card on Tuesday. And while the state didn’t ace anything, it could always be worse. Listen now
ConocoPhillips’ big new find on the North Slope could help replenish pipeline
On Jan. 13, ConocoPhillips announced a major oil find in the National Petroleum-Reserve Alaska (NPR-A). The company is calling it the Willow Discovery. Experts say coupled with several other recent big discoveries in the region, it could portend a new wave of oil development on the North Slope. If developed, it could go a long ways toward replenishing the Trans-Alaska Pipeline. Listen now
Lawyers spar over whether young Alaskans’ climate lawsuit can move forward
The case, Sinnok v. State of Alaska, is being brought by 16 young Alaskans arguing that current policy violates their right to "a stable climate system" under the state constitution.
Alongside Trump in China, Alaska gets a new deal on its LNG
State will explore marketing, financing and investment with China for the $45 billion mega-project.
Feds request public input on National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska oil leasing
The federal government is asking the public for input on this year's oil and gas lease sale in the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska (NPR-A), an Indiana-sized area of land on the North Slope. Listen now
Permanent Fund managers to look for in-state investment opportunities
It sets a goal of increasing the amount of the Permanent Fund assets invested in-state to at least 5 percent in five years. Listen now