Alaska Permanent Fund dividend unsettled as special session nears Tuesday deadline
September 14 By Becky Bohrer A bill that would set a dividend for Alaska residents this year sat another day in a Senate committee on Monday as lawmakers neared the end of their third special session. The Senate Finance Committee has yet to advance a…
General Promises US ‘Surge’ Against Foreign Cyberattacks
September 14 By Nomaan Merchant The general who leads U.S. efforts to thwart foreign-based cyberattacks, and punish those responsible, says he’s mounting a “surge” to fight incursions that have debilitated government agencies and companies responsible for critical infrastructure. In an interview Tuesday with The Associated…
Former US Sen. Al Franken talks political downfall, return to comedy before Northampton show
September 13 By George Lenker The past few years have been unsettling for many — and Al Franken is no exception. After a successful career in comedy, including a lengthy stint on NBC’s “Saturday Night Live,” Franken was twice elected to the U.S. Senate, only…
Anchorage Mayor Bronson criticizes Biden vaccine mandate
September 12 By Emily Goodykoontz Anchorage Mayor Dave Bronson on Thursday criticized President Joe Biden’s newly announced vaccine mandate, calling it “wrong and immoral.” Biden’s new order requires all employers with 100 or more employees to have a fully vaccinated workforce or test unvaccinated workers…
Fear of ‘terrorism’ shaped U.S. foreign policy after 9/11. Will the U.S. make China the next big obsession?
September 11 By Ronald R. Krebs Five years after the twin towers came crashing down, Jennifer Lobasz and I wrote an article explaining how a particular national security narrative had become dominant in the United States. By situating the 9/11 attacks within a compelling story…
New Capsule Installed Within Pedestal Where Lee Statue Stood
September 11 By Lora Crew Workers at the site in Virginia’s capital where a statue of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee was taken down this week installed a new time capsule Saturday within the statue’s massive pedestal, after efforts to locate an 1887 capsule were…
Banned from Alaska Airlines, state Sen. Lora Reinbold asks to be excused from votes at Capitol
September 10 By James Brooks Eagle River Republican Sen. Lora Reinbold has asked to be excused from legislative business in the state Capitol, telling fellow lawmakers that her ban from Alaska Airlines makes it impossible to fly into Juneau. In a procedural request Thursday morning,…
Senate Opposition Leads White House to Withdraw ATF Nominee
September 10 By Mike Balsmo The White House said Thursday it would withdraw the nomination of a gun-control advocate to lead the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives after nominee David Chipman ran into bipartisan opposition in the Senate. Chipman’s nomination had stalled for…
Anchorage mayor announces new committee to foster economic recovery
September 9 By Wesley Early Anchorage Mayor Dave Bronson announced a new committee Wednesday to help guide economic recovery in the city. Anchorage’s economy has been in recession since around 2016, coinciding with the drop in the price of oil. The city was just starting…
Biden Ousts 18 Trump Military Academy Board Appointees
September 8 By Aamer Madhani The Biden administration on Wednesday removed 18 appointees named to U.S. military academy boards by Donald Trump in the final months of the Republican president’s term in office, according to the White House. Cathy Russell, director of the White House…