Rep. Young seeks legal path for CBD
Congressman Don Young is the only Republican to join a group of House Democrats on a letter seeking legal status for cannabidiol, a popular and non-intoxicating additive known as CBD.
Can Bethel afford the costs of climate change?
Alaska's temperatures are warming twice as fast as the global average, and rural Alaska is taking the brunt of the impacts. The costs from dealing with climate change are starting to become more visible in Bethel, a hub town for the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta.
Alaska ferries freeze autumn ticket sales amid uncertain future
The Alaska Marine Highway System has stopped selling tickets past September. That’s in anticipation to deep cuts that could be fatal to the state ferry network.
Sullivan: Trump’s emergency wall money ‘probably legal’
Sen. Dan Sullivan says President Trump probably can rely on his emergency declaration to divert military construction money to the southern border. "I've been supportive of the president's request for robust funding for barriers, fences, the wall ... however you want to describe it." Sullivan said, though he is concerned that money for Alaska projects could be diverted.
Why a wilderness lodge in the middle of nowhere became a magnet for mushers
Along one of the most remote stretches of the state's road system is a wilderness lodge that's become thoroughly popular with elite dog-mushers.
ASRC, after backing Dunleavy’s campaign, blasts his oil tax redistribution plan
ASRC president and CEO Rex Rock Sr. said: “Trying to balance a state budget on the backs of the Iñupiat people across the Arctic Slope is a wrongsided attack on our region.”
Alaska chief justice calls for computer security upgrade
In his State of the Judiciary address, Chief Justice Joel Bolger said an incident in Nome shows the state needs to do more to prevent privacy breaches.
U.S. Army Corps releases Pebble Mine’s draft EIS
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' release of Pebble Mine's draft environmental impact statement is a major step in the federal permitting process.
Dunleavy seeks to scuttle Ocean Rangers cruise ship monitors
Voters in Alaska approved a 2006 ballot measure that put independent environmental watchdogs on cruise ships. But Gov. Mike Dunleavy’s administration is looking to scrap the program.
Tourism, courts, pensions, oil tax credits: Where Alaska Gov. Dunleavy wants to spend more cash
Dunleavy is proposing to increase spending on a handful of projects and programs. They represent some of the governor's core priorities, like public safety and criminal justice, along with non-negotiable obligations, like the system that pays pensions to retired teachers and other public employees.
House committees organize, five weeks after session began
The powerful House Finance Committee will have eight Republicans — including four from each caucus — two Democrats and one independent.
Murkowski cool to Dunleavy cuts
Sen. Lisa Murkowski said the state has big budget decisions to make, decisions she made clear are not up to her. But she expressed reservations about several cuts Gov. Mike Dunleavy has proposed.
In Sitka, a teacher wants her classroom to know who’s responsible for climate change
Some school districts don’t elaborate on the causes of climate change, while others make it clear: Humans are largely to blame. This week, we’re going inside two Alaska classrooms to learn how teachers and students are navigating these difficult conversations.
Senators question Dunleavy’s budget proposal
Anchorage Republican Sen. Natasha von Imhof said that to maintain Dunleavy’s commitment to full permanent fund dividends — without having an income tax — would require cuts on the scale he’s proposed.
Industry launches campaign to rid ocean of plastic. Is it for real?
The plastics industry has a new billion-dollar campaign to get plastic trash out of the ocean. Sen. Dan Sullivan and a close ally are working on a bill to enhance that campaign. But is industry really suited to clean up the mess its products create?
Suspect arrested for 25-year-old murder of UAF student
There’s a break in a murder case that has haunted Fairbanks for over a quarter century.
Multi-partisan House majority takes shape
The newly-formed House majority is working out who will fill its committee seats. Meanwhile, the majority coalition is still trying to add more Republican members who are currently in the minority.
Legislative Finance gets ready to release its version of Dunleavy’s new budget
Typically, the governor is required to release a budget by mid-December, and the Legislative Finance Division has about a month to get through it before lawmakers come into session. But that didn’t happen this year.
Trump’s wall could drain money from Alaska military projects
President Trump's plan to divert $3.6 billion from military construction accounts could drain money from Alaska projects.
Alaska fishing towns would forfeit $28M in fish tax under Dunleavy budget
Governor Mike Dunleavy’s proposals for balancing the state’s budget include a plan to stop sharing of millions of dollars in taxes on commercial fishing with coastal communities.