Senate Passes Anti-Discrimination Bill
Gay rights advocates are celebrating a win today in the nation’s capital. The U.S. Senate has passed a bill to ban workplace discrimination against gay and transgender people. Both Alaska senators voted for it. But, the bill is unlikely to become law.
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Shell Oil Works To Revive Arctic Drilling Program
Shell Oil is taking measures to revive its troubled Arctic drilling program. On Wednesday, the company filed an updated Arctic exploration plan with the Alaska office of the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management.
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Groups Hail Court Ruling On Lease Sale Reviews
The Alaska Supreme Court is standing behind a decision it issued last spring, affirming that the state must consider cumulative impacts of exploration and development as it reviews oil and gas leases. Opposing sides in the case have differing views on the significance of the decision.
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Rodell Named Revenue Commissioner
After serving as acting revenue commissioner for the past three months, Angela Rodell now officially has the job.
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F/V Arctic Hunter Begins To Shed Debris
Rough weather is taking a toll on the grounded fishing vessel Arctic Hunter, which has been stuck on the rocks outside Unalaska since last Friday. The 93-foot crab boat has survived a series of storms this week without breaking apart. But salvagers haven’t been able to work on the vessel since last weekend.
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Fukushima Contamination Could Reach Alaska Waters Next Year
It’s been almost three years since a tsunami hit the Fukushima nuclear plant in Japan, releasing radiation into the ocean. Computer models indicate the contamination will reach Alaskan waters this year or next. But scientists haven’t been able to regularly sample Alaskan waters to check radiation levels.
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Top 10 Things Alaskans Want To Know About Healthcare
Juneau residents took their questions to healthcare experts Monday night and got them answered by Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium navigator Monique Martin, United Way navigator Crystal Bourland, chief operating officer for Enroll Alaska Tyann Boling, and chief administrative officer for Enroll Alaska Chanel Moesh.
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Officials Say Dirt, Birds Doubled ML&P Project Cost
The cost of prep work on a new power plant that Municipal Light and Power is building is now double what it was budgeted at.Anchorage Assembly grilled the power company's manager the about increased cost at Tuesday's meeting of the Anchorage Assembly.
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UAA Engagement Week Highlights Community
The University of Alaska Anchorage is hosting community engagement events this week. The focus is on being urban in Alaska. Bree Kessler is an assistant professor for Health Sciences at the center for community engagement and learning. She says on Saturday a pop up museum will appear for a few hours in a downtown neighborhood.
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Sitka Named Alaska’s First ‘Walk-Friendly’ Community
Sitka has been named one of the most pedestrian-friendly cities in America. The city gets about 86 inches of rain each year and nearly half of the city’s incorporated area sits under water – a pair of statistics that, to an outsider, might not suggest a community built for travel by foot. But this year, Sitka became the first city in Alaska to be named a “walk friendly” community.
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Kenai Peninsula Borough Assembly Extends Emergency Declaration
The Kenai Peninsula Borough Assembly extended an emergency declaration order at its meeting Tuesday night. The move allows for continued efforts for flood relief around the Peninsula.
Legislative Ethics Committee Says Senator Hoffman Failed To Disclose Income
Senator Lyman Hoffman failed to file complete financial disclosures, according to a decision by the Senate Committee on Legislative Ethics. The committee found that Senator Hoffman “knowingly” prepared and filed incomplete disclosures, leaving out a “substantial” amount of income.
Gourds Fly In Bethel With Pumpkin Trebuchet
Less than 48 hours after trick or treating, the sugar buzz should be mostly worn off. But there’s still thrills to be had in the form of launching pumpkins through the air.
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Lawmakers Host ‘Competitive Energy Roundtable’
State lawmakers and the Alaska Independent Power Producers Association plan to host a "Competitive Energy Roundtable" in Anchorage next week. Senator Lesil McGuire will be hosting the discussion on Nov. 12.
Tallyfunder.com – Social Philanthropy in Alaska
Tallyfunder.com provides a new way to support Alaskan non-profit organizations. It is the first crowdfunding site from Alaska, and began funding October 14.
Crowdfunding is very much what it sounds like, a crowd of different people coming together to fund something they care about.
Read more. Measure To Combat Sexual Assault Would Limit Military Commanders’ Power
A group of U.S. senators, including Alaska’s Lisa Murkowski, is pressing to strip military commanders of the authority to decide how to handle accusations of rape within their units.
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Fairbanksan Carries Olympic Torch At The North Pole
A University of Alaska Fairbanks administrator has returned from a trip to the North Pole. The journey was sponsored by organizers of the Sochi Winter Olympics.
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Education Funding Lawsuit: What If Ketchikan Wins?
On Monday, the Ketchikan Gateway Borough Assembly affirmed that it is moving forward with a lawsuit against the State of Alaska. By voting to hire an Anchorage law firm and appropriate $150,000 toward the effort, the Assembly showed it’s serious about its effort to overturn what some local officials say is an unfair mandate requiring municipalities to fund a minimum level for local schools. The fairness issue aside, though, what will be the Legislature’s response if Ketchikan wins its argument?
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Tlingit Clan Conference Focuses On Language
Scholars and culture-bearers gather in Juneau this week for a clan conference focusing on Tlingit knowledge and traditions. It runs Wednesday night through Sunday morning at the capital city’s Centennial Hall.
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Shrine Celebrates 75 Years Of Retreats And Reflection
The Shrine of St. Therese kicked off a year-long 75th anniversary celebration on Saturday. The cornerstone of the chapel was laid and blessed by Alaska Bishop Joseph Crimont on October 30, 1938.
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