Alaska News Nightly: Friday, Jan. 12, 2018

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Murkowski condemns Trump for ‘offensive’ remark

U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski condemned President Trump for a vulgar term he reportedly used in the White House Thursday, referring to countries in Africa and elsewhere.

Liz Ruskin/Alaska Public Media – Washington, D.C.

Alaska leaders got more than bargained for in Interior’s offshore drilling proposal

The Trump administration recently proposed a vast expansion of federal waters available for oil development. Alaska leaders got what they wanted in the plan, and then some. But will Alaska ask the Trump administration to cut back?

Elizabeth Harball/Alaska’s Energy Desk – Anchorage

Petitions submitted to bar payments to lawmakers if they miss budget deadline

Alaska voters are a step closer to deciding whether lawmakers will be paid if they fail to pass a budget on time. The group Alaskans for Integrity says it likely has more than enough signed petitions to put an initiative on the fall ballot that would accomplish that.

Andrew Kitchenman/KTOO-AKMP – Juneau

Salmon initiative supporters hit signature target

The backers of a controversial ballot salmon-protection ballot initiative say they have gathered 40,000 signatures.

Rashah McChesney/KTOO – Juneau

Wilson calls on LeDoux to resign

North Pole Representative Tammie Wilson says fellow lawmaker Gabrielle LeDoux should resign because she failed to promptly respond to a legislative staffer’s complaint that she was sexually harassed by a lawmaker who was later forced to resign over those and other allegations.

Tim Ellis/KUAC – Fairbanks

Juneau’s state legislators field questions, cynicism at town hall

Juneau’s state legislators hosted a town hall Thursday night to hear from the public and talk through concerns.

Adelyn Baxter/KTOO – Juneau

Roster set for 2018 Yukon Quest after signup deadline

Now that the final deadline has come and gone, 26 mushers are signed up to race this year’s Yukon Quest international sled dog race.

Davis Hovey/KNOM – Nome

Seventeen students leave Haines school district during winter break

Teachers at the Haines School got a surprise when taking attendance for the first time after the holidays: an unexpected number of their students were missing.

Berett Wilber/KHNS – Haines

Prince of Wales Island schools started growing food. Now 1st graders are binging on broccoli

Getting kids to eat their greens is easier, if they’ve grown them themselves. That’s one of the takeaways for a school district in Southeast Alaska where the vast majority of students are eligible for free or reduced priced lunches.

Jacob Resneck/KTOO – Juneau

Casey Grove is host of Alaska News Nightly, a general assignment reporter and an editor at Alaska Public Media. Reach him at cgrove@alaskapublic.org. Read more about Casey here

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