Liz Ruskin, Alaska Public Media

1753 POSTS 0 COMMENTS
Liz Ruskin is the Washington, D.C., correspondent at Alaska Public Media. Reach her at lruskin@alaskapublic.org. Read more about Liz here.
A beige building with long windows and three front doors

Tribes win decision to exclude Alaska Native corporations from $8B coronavirus fund

A federal appeals court says Alaska Native corporations can't receive a share of the $8 billion coronavirus fund Congress created for tribes.

LISTEN: The fallout from Pebble recordings continues

Pebble Mine opponents say CEO's resignation is just scapegoating. Gov. Dunleavy denies he served as Pebble's messenger to the White House, and Sen. Murkowski is furious.
A woman speaking at a podium

Alaska’s Sen. Murkowski says she can’t rule out voting for Trump’s Supreme Court pick

Sen. Murkowski said Tuesday she could not rule out that she would vote to confirm a Trump nominee if the Judiciary Committee approves of one before the November election.

Pebble execs tell ‘investors’ Murkowski and Sullivan are no barrier to controversial mine

In secretly recorded calls, the CEO of Pebble Partnership told men posing as investors that Alaska's senators' public doubts about the project weren't genuine.

Justices rule against Galvin, allow Alaska to proceed with redesigned ballot

The ruling Friday reverses the direction the judge took Thursday, when she temporarily stopped the state from printing more ballots that leave off a letter next to candidates’ names showing which party, if any, they affiliate with.
Donald Trump, wearing a black suit and dred tie, gestures in a rainy lot next to several black SUVs with microphones visible in the foreground

Trump tweets about the Pebble Mine in response to Fox News ad

The developers of the proposed Pebble Mine aired an ad on Fox News last night, and it seems to have hit home with one viewer in the White House.
A beige building with long windows and three front doors

Should Alaska Native Corps get COVID-19 funds intended for tribes? Answer hinges on comma, lawyers say

Hundreds of millions of dollars may be at stake, but at times the arguments turned on an age-old grammatical puzzle.
Sen. Lisa Murkowski with three recording devices in the foreground, held by people not in image.

Murkowski’s take on Woodward revelations: ‘Very concerning’

“Some of the things I find quite surprising and quite concerning," Sen. Murkowski said, of revelations from a new book about President Trump.
Caribou graze on the coastal plain of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, with snowcapped peaks of the Brooks Range as a backdrop. (USFWS)

15 states sue to stop drilling plan for Arctic Refuge

Michigan, among other states, says birds that nest in the Arctic are important to their birdwatching and hunting industries. Others on the suit are West Coast states as well as New Jersey and New York.

Alaska jobs haven’t bounced back as well as other states’

Alaska’s job losses weren’t as steep as the national average, but the state’s recovery is lagging behind nearly every other state.
A roll of "I voted" stickers with the blue alaska flag nexxt to secrecy folders

Civil rights groups have a request: drop the witness signature on ballots

Even before the pandemic, the No. 1 cause of ballot rejection is the lack of a witness signature.
Bright red salmon with green heads swim in shallow waters with small mountain in background.

State now has an opportunity to veto Pebble Mine. Pebble foes aren’t getting their hopes up.

The state of Alaska now has the power to veto Pebble's federal permit. But the opportunity won't last long, and mine opponents aren't hopeful.
A woman in a red kuspuk (jacket) is standing at a podium that is affixed with the Interior Department seal.

BIA opens Anchorage office to investigate cold cases of missing and murdered Indigenous people

Federal authorities in Anchorage Wednesday marked the start of a new effort to bring the perpetrators of those crimes to justice.

Corps says Pebble Mine would degrade aquatic environment; Pebble CEO says he can mitigate that

The Corps of Engineers hasn't killed Pebble. It's just imposed conditions that may be impossible to meet.
A man in a blue t-shirt and sunglasses. His t-shirt reads "Save America's Postal Service." Behind him are people wearing masks holding placards.

Young votes to protect Alaska’s bypass mail, but bill likely won’t go far

Alaska Congressman Don Young voted for a Democratic bill to prohibit changes to the U.S. Postal Service that would slow delivery.
A silver sign that reads "The Pebble Partnership"

No block: Pebble Mine says it’s still on track with federal permits

The Corps of Engineers has issued a letter outlining what the Pebble Mine has to do to mitigate stream damage. It does not block the mine, as mine opponents wanted.
Screenshot of Louis DeJoy with the insignia of the Postal Service behind him.

Postmaster general considers bringing budget axe down on Alaska’s Bypass Mail

Postmaster General Louis DeJoy says he’s considering cutting Alaska’s bypass mail program to save money.
ca

Trump Administration finalizes plan for oil drilling in Arctic Refuge

The decision opens up the entire coastal plain -- 8 percent of the refuge -- to drilling.
A smiling white woman with brown hair faces the camera.

Pandemic makes Alaska Bar exam too risky, new law grads say

Law school graduates are petitioning for safer alternatives to gathering indoors for a two-day test.
A man in a suit stands at a podium that says on it "alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium," as does the backdrop. To the viewers right is Sen. Lisa Murkowski and Rep. Don Young. All three are wearing masks.

Health secretary lauds Alaska Native communities for response to pandemic

“The creativity of Alaska Native communities has helped you adapt during the COVID-19 pandemic," Sec. Alex Azar said.