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The amendment, which failed on caucus lines, would have allowed the state to accept $145 million in federal funds so that Alaskans near the poverty line can get health care through Medicaid.

Robert Papp, the U.S. special representative for the Arctic, says he questions reports that Russia has launched a major military buildup in the Arctic. Papp says he’s asking U.S. intelligence agencies to look beyond Russia's military swagger for a realistic view of its Arctic activity. Papp says Moscow could be adding infrastructure for general use in the north.

The Alaska Department of Revenue expects a proposed tax credit for the Agrium fertilizer plant in Nikiski to cost the state between $3 million and $4 million in foregone revenue annually.

A skier who was testing slopes near Haines for an international ski competition this weekend was injured in an avalanche Wednesday morning, according to state troopers. The person is alive but did not have any information about their identity or condition, according to Trooper spokesperson Megan Peters. The victim was partially buried by the avalanche and was able to be found quickly, she said. The skier was being treated at the Haines clinic.

Dozens of Alaskans criticize overhaul of Senate Bill 30 that leaves marijuana on the list of controlled substances, bringing felony offenses and severe restrictions on transport.

The Alaska Supreme Court has granted the state’s motion for a stay pending appeal in the Ketchikan Gateway Borough’s lawsuit regarding education funding. In a brief one-page ruling, the order simply stated: “The motion is granted. The superior court’s judgment is stayed pending appeal.”

A group of teenagers are calling on Gov. Bill Walker to create a climate change task force.

At a pair of confirmation hearings on Tuesday, Adjutant General Designee Laurie Hummel was asked about her plans for reforming the Guard, and went through a personal line of questioning along the way.

The Alaska Federation of Natives, the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium, and a dozen regional Native non-profits are asking Governor Bill Walker to change his position in a case involving the adoption of Alaska Native children. They say the state’s position in the case Tununuk v. the state of Alaska erects barriers between tribal children and tribal homes.

U.S. Sen. Dan Sullivan's ongoing military service as a lieutenant colonel in the Marine Reserves was one of his strongest selling points as a Senate candidate. But now that he’s a senator, the Marines have removed him from his assignment as a commander, saying it’s incompatible with congressional office.

Senator Pete Kelly, a Fairbanks Republican, previewed a bill he's planning to introduce this week to reform the current Medicaid system. At a press conference this morning, he said the bill won't include a provision to expand Medicaid. A group of Anchorage religious leaders and lay people are in Juneau to try to convince him and other skeptical lawmakers to change their minds on the issue.