Politics

All news stories about local, statewide and Washington, D.C., politics.

Alaska House Republicans form 19-member minority caucus led by Mia Costello

That means the Democrat-heavy bipartisan majority caucus will have no wiggle room on contentious votes.
people in a room

Can you guess how these 10 ambiguous Ballot Measure 2 votes were counted?

We picked 10 ambiguous ballots to illustrate how the recount process works. See if you can correctly identify all 10.
the Supreme Court

Supreme Court rejects challenge to Hawaii gun licensing rules — for now

At issue was a Hawaii Supreme Court decision that allowed the state to prosecute a man carrying a loaded pistol without a license.
Syrians

Rebels seize control of Syria’s capital as Assad flees to Russia

The Syrian government collapsed early Sunday, as deposed President Bashar al-Assad was granted asylum by Russia.

Division of Election plans to recount Wasilla state House race decided by just 12 votes

Second-place candidate Steve Menard requested the recount and says he’s “just doing [his] due diligence” in the closely contested race.
Juneau

Southeast Alaska set to lose nearly a fifth of its population by 2050, report says

The state document bases the projection on a mixture of increased outmigration and deaths outnumbering births in the region.
drill rigs

China bans export of critical minerals to U.S. as graphite mine near Nome pushes forward

The massive Graphite One project could become the largest U.S. source of the mineral as China reviews graphite exports.
a smartphone

Court upholds a U.S. ban on TikTok

An appeals court agreed that the viral video app must be sold off by its China-based parent company.
a map

A new study touts the economics of building the Alaska LNG Project, but some lawmakers have doubts

If it’s built, the full pipeline project would move natural gas from the North Slope to Nikiski, where it'd be prepared for shipment overseas.
A crane lifts a conex

Increase in Port of Alaska surcharge could raise price on goods 

But Anchorage officials said it probably won’t be very noticeable to the average Alaskan.

Recount of ranked choice repeal ballot measure gets underway in Juneau

The Alaska Republican Party requested the recount, which is being performed at the state’s expense because of the close final margin.
Man speaking in legislative chamber

Alaska Senate’s minority caucus will include 6 Republicans led by Wasilla Sen. Mike Shower

With six members, the conservative minority would be guaranteed seats on legislative committees and be able to hire additional staff.
a building

Trump transition team signs an agreement for security clearances

The new agreement will help Trump officials access classified information needed to prepare to take over on Jan. 20.
crowd of people in a grandiose building, surrounding a small figure

Murkowski could be an obstacle to Trump’s ambition, but only with help from GOP colleagues

Senate dynamics in the next Trump administration will spotlight Murkowski’s willingness to go against the party.

A 9-year-old Kenai girl is the star at the U.S. Capitol Christmas tree ceremony

Rose Burke won an essay contest, so she got to throw the switch to light an 80-foot spruce from Southeast Alaska.
People walk on a construction area in fornt of some suburban houses and a snow covered mountain.

Alaska’s state-backed housing lender relaunches $10K rebate for new energy-efficient homes

The Alaska Housing Finance Corp. will offer a $10,000 credit for roughly 650 new homes that receive a five-plus or six-star energy efficiency rating.
a man

Recall petition for Palmer mayor set to open for signatures

The application for a petition to recall Mayor Steve Carrington was approved by city officials last week.
a rendering

Kodiak and Nome property tax cases could have ripple effects statewide

The Kodiak Area Native Association and Norton Sound Health Corp. cases both concern nonprofits' property tax exemptions.
a briefing

South Korea’s lawmakers vote to lift president’s martial law declaration

Yoon Suk Yeol declared an "emergency martial law" on Tuesday, accusing the opposition of paralyzing the government.
a trial

Judge declares mistrial in election-interference trial of former Alaska legislator

Anchorage Superior Court Judge Kevin Saxby found that there was a hung jury in the trial of former Rep. Gabrielle LeDoux.