Senate GOP hails new Interior deputy as ‘voice of reason’
The Senate easily confirmed former Obama administration official Tommy Beaudreau as deputy secretary at the Interior Department on Thursday, a rare bipartisan moment in an increasingly bitter fight over President Joe Biden’s policies on energy production and climate change.
Senate passes budget, motion funding $1,100 PFD fails
This year's Permanent Fund dividend will be $525 if the legislature doesn't add more funding later.
Commercial aviation is essential to life in Alaska. It’s also home to a growing share of the country’s deadly crashes.
Alaska’s terrain and infrastructure pose unique challenges when flying. Some say the Federal Aviation Administration has been slow to account for these hazards, leaving pilots and customers to fend for themselves, sometimes at risk to their lives.
Anchorage government forgot to budget money for its mayoral transition. Now that’s being fixed.
Up to now, mayor-elect Dave Bronson's transition team was relying on volunteer labor and donated supplies. Members even brought in printers from home.
After bruising campaign, Bronson says he’s looking for common ground in Anchorage
After a fraught year and a contentious election, Anchorage mayor-elect Dave Bronson represents a return to conservative leadership in the city. A 30-year resident of Alaska who has never held elected office before, he’s described as sharp and principled by observers.
Voting rights bill seems doomed in Senate, without Murkowski on board
Lisa Murkowski is the most likely Senate Republican to be on board. She’s not.
Hiker missing after being charged by bears near Palmer
A search is ongoing for a hiker near Palmer who was reportedly charged by bears on a local trail.
Bronson administration details plans for large, city-funded shelter in Anchorage
"This is a sea change,” said Mayor-elect Dave Bronson about the proposal, which for the first time would have the city pay for the construction and operations of a shelter that could house up to 1000 people.
Federal judge blocks Biden’s pause on new oil, gas leases
The Biden administration’s suspension of new oil and gas leases on federal land and water was blocked Tuesday by a federal judge in Louisiana, who ordered that plans be resumed for lease sales that were delayed for the Gulf of Mexico and Alaska.
Credit rating agencies see improved outlook for Alaska, but note risks from budget uncertainty
As Alaska lawmakers decide what to do about the budget, one group that’s keeping an eye on the outcome are the agencies that rate the state’s ability to pay off its debts. And they say Alaska's rating is actually showing positive signs.
Fire crews respond in force to Loon Lake fire outside of Sterling
The Division of Forestry said it intends to fully suppress the fire and is attacking it with water drops and fire retardant. As of Monday afternoon, it had built 15 percent of a containment line around the fire’s perimeter.
‘It’s just a very life-affirming story’: Witness describes campers helping Kenai bear attack victims
A man involved in the rescue said that two kayakers paddled 6 miles across Skilak Lake after being attacked and injured by a bear. He heard them scream for help as they pulled in.
LISTEN: Alaska eating disorder experts see greater need for treatment, few options
That's according to recent reporting by Anchorage Daily News health reporter Annie Berman, who spoke to both providers and former patients who've battled with eating disorders in the past.
Pentagon ponders where to build new Ted Stevens Arctic Center. Alaska? Maybe.
The Pentagon is considering three cities for the center, named for the late Sen. Ted Stevens.
Summer camp is back in session in Alaska, and demand is high
But holding summer camp this year isn’t without challenges: Many programs spent months writing and rewriting protocols to keep up with the evolving pandemic. And some, like Camp Fire Alaska, the state’s largest child care provider, are struggling with staffing.
This year’s Alaska Permanent Fund Dividends would be $1,100 under budget compromise
This year’s permanent fund dividend would be $1,100 under a compromise budget proposal that the Legislature will vote on this week.
With a haul of 11 whales this season, Point Hope gears up for Qaġruq festival
This weekend kicked off the Qaġruq Whaling Festival in Point Hope. Every year, people come from around the region for a three-day feast to celebrate the annual subsistence haul of the whaling season.
White House moves to re-impose Roadless Rule for Tongass
The Biden administration appears poised to reinstate a rule dating back to the Clinton White House that prohibits new roads in the Tongass National Forest in Southeast Alaska.
10 senators, including Alaska’s Murkowski, say they reached 5-year, almost $1 trillion infrastructure deal
A bipartisan group of senators is eyeing an infrastructure deal with $579 billion in new spending as negotiators try to strike a nearly $1 trillion deal on President Joe Biden’s top priority, according to those briefed on the plan.
‘That’s the law’: Murkowski confronts BLM nominee about ANWR
Sen. Murkowski presses the nominee to head the BLM to agree that she must hold a second lease sale in the Arctic Refuge.