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Senator Murkowski not happy with way health care reform being handled
Liz Ruskin/APKM – Washington, D.C.
Sen. Lisa Murkowski said today [TUES] she’s not happy with the fast-track process the Senate Majority leader is using to bring a health care bill to the floor without any hearings.
ACRS signs deal with Pebble Partnership
Avery Lill/KDLG – Dillingham
The Pebble Partnership announced today [TUE] a new contract with ASRC Energy Services. It’s a subsidiary of Arctic Slope Regional Corporation. AES bills itself as a “one-stop shop” for consulting and contracting services for a number of industries, including natural resources.
Two former lawmakers vow to defend dividend checks
Andrew Kitchenman/AKPM – Juneau
While the Legislature considers making changes to how Alaska Permanent Fund earnings are spent, a pair of former lawmakers are working to block a reduction to Permanent Fund dividends.
Alaska Boating deaths increase
Tripp Crouse/KTOO – Juneau
Nineteen people died in 14 recreational boating incidences in 2016 in Alaska, according to a Coast Guard report released last month. That’s 12 more deaths than in 2015.
Senator Murkowski pushes deputy-AG on federal pot interference
Liz Ruskin/AKPM – Juneau
Whether the Trump administration will enforce the federal ban on marijuana in Alaska remains ambiguous. Sen. Lisa Murkowski asked Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein about cannabis policy at a hearing today [TUES, JUNE 13].
Alaska soon to get new federal judge
Vikram Patel/AKPM – Anchorage
Alaska may soon have a new federal judge. There are only three full-time U.S. District Court judge positions in Alaska, and one of them has been vacant for nearly a year and a half. Last month, Alaska Senators Lisa Murkowski and Dan Sullivan sent a list of recommended nominees to President Trump, who has the power to appoint federal judges, subject to confirmation by the Senate.
New Coast Guard cutter commissioned
Tripp Crouse/KTOO – Juneau
The U.S Coast Guard will honor the lasting legacy of a man they say performed heroically near the turn of the twentieth century. The Alaska-based Bailey Barco fast-response cutter will be commissioned Wednesday in Juneau.
UAA Athletic Director leaves for school in Midwest
The head of the University of Alaska Anchorage’s athletic department is resigning, and heading to the Midwest. Outgoing UAA athletic director Keith Hackett will be taking the same job at Cornell College in Mount Vernon, Iowa.
Military spending ramps up ahead of F-35 deployment to Eielson A.F.B.
Tim Ellis/KUAC – Fairbanks
The Army Corps of Engineers last week awarded two more contracts worth more than $55 million last week for construction of facilities to accommodate the two squadrons of F-35As that will coming to Eielson Air Force Base over the next three years.
Dillingham skiff builders
Caitlin Tan/KDLG – Dillingham
Bristol Bay has a big fishery but not a big marine services industry, beyond the seasonal shops that show up in the summer. This spring. a local fabricator in Naknek expanded their local business to try building a few set net skiffs from the ground up.
What is the warmest part of Alaska during Summer? Ask-a-climatologist
Annie Feidt/AK Energy Desk – Anchorage
Fairbanks hit 90 degrees last week for the first time in four years. The heat was very localized to the Tanana and Yukon river valleys.
We asked Brian Brettschneider, with our Ask a Climatologist segment, which spots in Alaska usually see the hottest temperatures in the summer.
