Alaska News Nightly: December 12, 2013

Individual news stories are posted on the APRN news page. You can subscribe to APRN’s newsfeeds via emailpodcast and RSS. Follow us on Facebook at alaskapublic.org and on Twitter @aprn.

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Gov. Parnell Proposes $1 Billion In Budget Cuts

Alexandra Gutierrez, APRN – Juneau

With oil revenues expected to decline, Gov. Sean Parnell wants to cut the state’s budget by $1 billion next year and then use another billion in savings to balance the rest.

Presidential Adviser Pete Rouse Touts Alaska Roots

Liz Ruskin, APRN – Washington DC

One of President Obama’s closest advisers is leaving. Pete Rouse has been at Obama’s side since his first days in the Senate and at the White House, serving at times as chief of staff. But Rouse shuns the spotlight, so few people know of his Alaska roots, or the pull he’s had on the 49th state.

Savoonga Whales Fulfill Musical Needs

Anna Rose MacArthur, KNOM – Nome

Savoonga, a community on St. Lawrence Island, harvested two bowhead whales last week, both of them female. While the island is praising the immense intake of muktuk and meat amid an economic disaster, Theodore Kingeekuk, a drummer on the island, is celebrating another part of the anatomy—the uterus.

Warming Arctic Likely Contributing To Erratic Worldwide Weather Patterns

Steve Heimel, APRN – Anchorage & Liz Ruskin, APRN – Washington DC

A federal agency says the arctic continued to warm in 2013 and may have entered a “new normal” of diminished sea ice and wilder swings in weather that affect lower latitudes.

Revisions Required For Shell’s 2014 Chukchi Exploration Plan

Anne Hillman, APRN – Anchorage

The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management is seeking more information from Shell about their 2014 Chukchi Exploration Plan. Until Shell provides the agency with the answers for dozens of requested revisions, BOEM will not consider their application complete.

Bethel Homeless Shelter To Open By Christmas

Ben Matheson, KYUK – Bethel

As temperatures drop in Bethel, a grassroots organization is opening a shelter to provide a safe and warm place for the city’s homeless.

Eaglecrest In Finals Of Ski Town Throwdown

Rosemarie Alexander, KTOO – Juneau

Eaglecrest Ski Area in Juneau is in the finals of a Powder Magazine poll of favorite North American ski areas.

Called the Ski Town Throwdown, Powder Magazine runs the contest and people from all over Canada and the U.S. have been casting votes.

The contest ends Friday at 4 p.m.

US Women’s Nordic Team Entering Third World Cup Week

Emily Schwing, KUAC – Fairbanks

The U.S. Women’s cross country ski team will take part in their third weekend of World Cup racing Saturday.

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