Libby Casey

Alaska will soon get its first female judge appointed to the federal bench in state history. Judge Sharon Gleason was confirmed by the U.S. Senate on Tuesday on a vote of 87 to 8.

As police in New York routed the Occupy Wall Street encampment this morning, there are indications that some in Congress have taken notice of the movement. And that includes Alaska Senator Mark Senator Mark Begich is trying to block million-dollar bonuses to the executives at mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.

The U.S. House returned to work Monday after a week-long recess and took up a series of non-controversial votes to name post offices after members of the military, some of whom died in battle. Alaska’s Congressman Don Young was there along with his colleagues, but he’s faced criticism recently for the number of votes he’s missed this year.

Alaska’s senators honored veterans in Washington on Friday and were part of a successful effort to pass legislation aimed at getting more veterans jobs on Thursday. There are an estimated 240,000 unemployed vets from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Alaska’s senators are honoring veterans in Washington on Friday. The Senate’s votes this week prevented them from coming home, but they’re attending events recognizing veterans, and both are launching projects to reach out to Alaska’s men and women who have served.

On the eve of Veterans Day, the U.S. Senate passed legislation to get veterans more job training, and encourage businesses to hire them. Thursday’s unanimous vote was a rare display of bipartisanship in Congress – and the first piece of President Obama’s jobs package to get approval.

With just two weeks left until the Deficit Reduction Committee must come up with a plan to save over $1 trillion, Alaska’s Representative Don Young is urging it to go big. Young signed on to a bipartisan letter last week calling for the so-called Super Committee to come up with a sellable plan.

The Obama Administration is giving a tentative green-light to oil and gas lease sales in the Arctic as part of its new five year plan. The Interior Department unveiled on Tuesday its leasing proposal that stretches to 2017.

Senator Mark Begich cited his frustration at the lack of progress on getting an Alaska Natural Gas Pipeline built as he introduced legislation on Monday in Washington.

Alaska’s Senators say the bi-partisan passage on Tuesday of a slimmed-down bundle of spending bills is a good step for a Congress best known for gridlock.