SCHOOL CLOSINGS
The ability to cast a ballot isn’t always guaranteed in Alaska’s far-flung Native villages
Read full article: The ability to cast a ballot isn’t always guaranteed in Alaska’s far-flung Native villagesThe polling place in the tiny Arctic village of Kaktovik never opened when Alaska had its primary election this summer because there was no trained staff to run the precinct.
A landslide in Alaska has devastated one family, killing three members and leaving two kids missing
Read full article: A landslide in Alaska has devastated one family, killing three members and leaving two kids missingAuthorities have identified those missing or killed in an Alaska landslide this week as five family members and their neighbor, a commercial fisherman who made a longshot bid for the state's lone seat in the U.S. House last year.
Murkowski faces Tshibaka and Chesbro in Alaska Senate debate
Read full article: Murkowski faces Tshibaka and Chesbro in Alaska Senate debateRepublican U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski said Alaskans want results, not “partisan political rhetoric,” as she faced her Donald Trump-backed Republican rival Kelly Tshibaka in a televised debate Thursday.
Peltola faces Palin, Begich, Bye in Alaska House debate
Read full article: Peltola faces Palin, Begich, Bye in Alaska House debateDemocratic U.S. Rep. Mary Peltola of Alaska in a televised debate called partisanship a threat to the country as she sought to make the case for reelection to the seat she’s held since September against challengers including Republican Sarah Palin.
Alaska Natives fete their 1st Congress member, Mary Peltola
Read full article: Alaska Natives fete their 1st Congress member, Mary PeltolaDemocratic U.S. Rep. Mary Peltola received a hero’s welcome Thursday when the first Alaska Native to serve in Congress gave the keynote address at the Alaska Federation of Natives conference in Anchorage.
Groups get creative to help Alaska voters with ranked voting
Read full article: Groups get creative to help Alaska voters with ranked votingOrganizations in Alaska have gotten creative in trying to help voters understand how to cast their ballot in the state's first ranked voting election on Aug. 16.
Alaska Supreme Court ruling keeps Sweeney off House ballot
Read full article: Alaska Supreme Court ruling keeps Sweeney off House ballotThe Alaska Supreme Court has upheld a lower court’s ruling that will keep Republican Tara Sweeney off the ballot for the August special election in Alaska’s U.S. House race.
Ex-legislator advances to Alaska's special US House election
Read full article: Ex-legislator advances to Alaska's special US House electionDemocrat Mary Peltola has joined Republicans Sarah Palin and Nick Begich and independent Al Gross in advancing to an August special election for Alaska’s only U.S. House seat.
Alaska high court reverses ruling that roiled House election
Read full article: Alaska high court reverses ruling that roiled House electionThe Alaska Supreme Court has reversed a lower court decision that barred state elections officials from certifying the results of Saturday’s special U.S. House primary amid concerns about ballot accessibility for voters with visual impairments.
Alaska's unusual House primary draws Palin, Santa, 46 others
Read full article: Alaska's unusual House primary draws Palin, Santa, 46 othersAlaska voters are facing an election unlike any they’ve seen, with 48 candidates running to succeed the man who held the state’s only U.S. House seat for 49 years.
Palin on serving in Congress: 'It would be all about Alaska'
Read full article: Palin on serving in Congress: 'It would be all about Alaska'Sarah Palin says she’s serious about her campaign for the U.S. House, telling The Associated Press that her unique place in American politics would put her in a stronger position representing Alaska in Washington.
House approves pro-union bill despite dim Senate odds
Read full article: House approves pro-union bill despite dim Senate oddsBut it faces an all-but-certain Republican blockade in a narrowly divided Senate and is unlikely to become law. Ad“I’ve heard Democrats argue that it’s the unions that built the middle class,” said Rep. Virginia Foxx, R-N.C., the senior Republican on the House labor panel. And what this bill does is take away their freedom.”Labor unions have long been a bedrock of Democratic support. “This far-reaching legislation is nothing more than an union boss wish list,” said Foxx, who led Republican debate on the bill. Virginia Republican Rep. Bob Good excoriated the bill, saying it would effectively “funnel money to Democrats” by allowing unions to collect additional dues.
Senate energy panel backs Haaland for interior secretary
Read full article: Senate energy panel backs Haaland for interior secretaryFILE - In this Tuesday, Feb. 23, 2021, file photo, Rep. Deb Haaland, D-N.M., listens during the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources hearing on her nomination to be Interior secretary, on Capitol Hill in Washington. (Jim Watson/Pool Photo via AP, File)WASHINGTON – A key Senate committee on Thursday approved the nomination of New Mexico Rep. Deb Haaland to be interior secretary, clearing the way for a Senate vote that is likely to make her the first Native American to lead a Cabinet agency. The Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee approved Haaland's nomination, 11-9, sending it to the Senate floor. Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski was the lone Republican to support Haaland, who won unanimous backing from committee Democrats. The committee vote follows an announcement Wednesday by Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, that she will support Haaland in the full Senate.
Manchin says he'll vote for Haaland for interior secretary
Read full article: Manchin says he'll vote for Haaland for interior secretarySen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., speaks during a Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources hearing on the nomination of Rep. Debra Haaland, D-N.M., to be Secretary of the Interior on Capitol Hill in Washington, Wednesday, Feb. 24, 2021. Manchin, a moderate from West Virginia, had been publicly undecided through two days of hearings on Haaland's nomination by President Joe Biden. By contrast, Manchin said Haaland had earned his vote, despite disagreements over drilling on federal lands and the Keystone XL oil pipeline. Ad“I believe Deb Haaland will be a secretary of the Interior for every American and will vote to confirm her,'' Manchin said in a statement. Louisiana Sen. John Kennedy, a Republican who is not on the energy panel, called Haaland “a neo-socialist, left-of-Lenin whack job.''
Sen. Grassley returns to Senate after coronavirus isolation
Read full article: Sen. Grassley returns to Senate after coronavirus isolationFILE - In this Oct. 26, 2020, file photo Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa arrives for a meeting at the Capitol in Washington. Grassley, 87, isolated after finding out he had been exposed to the virus and tested positive shortly after that. As pro tempore, Grassley opens the Senate each day. Florida Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., announced that he had tested positive two days after Grassley. Republican Sen. Kelly Loeffler, who is competing in a Senate runoff in Georgia, later announced that she had tested positive and then negative.
Florida's Sen. Scott has coronavirus, 'very mild symptoms'
Read full article: Florida's Sen. Scott has coronavirus, 'very mild symptoms'Scott, 67, has been quarantining at home all week after coming into contact in Florida on Nov. 13 with someone who subsequently tested positive. Scott, a Republican, said he was “feeling good” despite the mild symptoms and would be working at his home in Naples. “I want to remind everyone to be careful and do the right things to protect yourselves and others,” Scott said in a statement. House members could be regularly tested in the Capitol starting this week, but there is still no testing protocol for senators. The absence Scott and Grassley on Tuesday helped Democrats block the nomination of Judy Shelton, Trump’s controversial pick for the Federal Reserve.
Sen. Grassley, 87, says he tested positive for coronavirus
Read full article: Sen. Grassley, 87, says he tested positive for coronavirus(Kevin Dietsch/Pool via AP)WASHINGTON – Iowa Sen. Chuck Grassley, the longest-serving Republican senator and third in the line of presidential succession, said he has tested positive for the coronavirus. Grassley, 87, had announced earlier Tuesday that he was quarantining after being exposed to the virus and was waiting for test results. At least three members of the House have tested positive in the last week, and several more are quarantining. Republican Sen. Rick Scott of Florida was also absent as he is in quarantine after an exposure. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer also took their masks off when speaking on the Senate floor Monday.
The Latest: Connecticut governor is self-quarantining
Read full article: The Latest: Connecticut governor is self-quarantiningNed Lamont is self-quarantining after his chief spokesperson tested positive for COVID-19, his administration announced late Friday, Nov. 13, 2020. Ned Lamont is self-quarantining after his chief spokesperson tested positive for COVID-19. Another governor, Democrat Steve Sisolak of Nevada, announced Friday that he had tested positive for COVID-19. DeWine tested positive using a rapid test before testing negative later that day after using a more sensitive laboratory-developed test. The latest state health department figures also show hospitalizations have edged back up statewide — hitting 684 after dipping to 676 a day earlier.
Alaska's sole member in US House tests positive for COVID-19
Read full article: Alaska's sole member in US House tests positive for COVID-19Young announced Thursday, Nov. 12, 2020, on Twitter that he has tested positive for COVID-19. (AP Photo/Mark Thiessen)ANCHORAGE, Alaska – U.S. Rep. Don Young announced Thursday that he has tested positive for COVID-19, a day after the 87-year-old won his 25th term in the U.S. House. “My friend and colleague Congressman Don Young is a fighter. Young's positive test came after he was campaigning for re-election in Alaska, which is experiencing a surge of cases. Young was first elected in 1973, and is Alaska's sole representative in the House.
The Latest: NZealand mulls masks on Auckland public transit
Read full article: The Latest: NZealand mulls masks on Auckland public transitHealth officials had asked workers in central Auckland to stay home on Friday while they investigated the case but say they can now return to work. — Surge of coronavirus cases appears to be slowing in Germany and France, but still straining hospitals. Alaska has had over 20,000 cases, including 477 new cases reported Thursday. She is scheduled Friday to address the situation and is expected to announce new public health restrictions aimed to curbing spread. That’s the impassioned message that dozens of parents and school administrators are sending to public health officials in Pennsylvania’s third-most populous county.
Republican Dan Sullivan reelected in Alaska Senate race
Read full article: Republican Dan Sullivan reelected in Alaska Senate raceRepublican U.S. Sen. Dan Sullivan on Wednesday, Nov. 11, 2020, won re-election in Alaska, defeating independent Al Gross. (Al Drago/Pool via AP, File)JUNEAU, Alaska – Republican U.S. Sen. Dan Sullivan has won reelection in Alaska, defeating independent Al Gross in a race that attracted outside attention with control of the Senate at stake. The result in Alaska means control of the Senate won’t be decided until January Senate runoffs are held in Georgia. Sullivan campaign manager Matt Shuckerow was muted in his response Wednesday, noting ballots still were being counted in Alaska. The Gross campaign did not immediately indicate plans to concede after The Associated Press called the race for Sullivan on Wednesday.
Pelosi out to block Trump if disputed election ends in House
Read full article: Pelosi out to block Trump if disputed election ends in HouseUnder election law the House would intervene if the Electoral College gave no presidential candidate the majority Jan. 6. “There ain't no light at the end of the tunnel in the House of Representatives,” Pelosi said at a recent press conference. The president can be selected by a House majority — 26 states — if the Electoral College deadlocks or is unable to agree on the winner. Another is Montana, where Democratic state Rep. Kathleen Williams and Republican state Auditor Matt Rosendale are vying for the state's lone at-large seat. Veteran GOP election lawyer Ben Ginsberg said there’s a long ways to go from election day Nov. 3 and a potential House vote on Jan. 6.
Veteran House incumbents cling to seats as districts evolve
Read full article: Veteran House incumbents cling to seats as districts evolveBut there’s a smaller category of lawmakers like Peterson and GOP Rep. Steve Chabot of Ohio who also merit attention: long-term incumbents of both parties fighting to preserve their careers. Over 90% of House incumbents are usually reelected, thanks to name recognition and campaign fundraising advantages. “There are people who traditionally voted Republican who don't identify with the current Republican Party," Schroder, 43, a businesswoman and local public health official, said in an interview. Democratic and Republican campaign committees and other organizations allied with party leadership are aiming the bulk of their spending at each others' softest seats and defending vulnerable incumbents. The Congressional Leadership Fund, aligned with House GOP leadership, planned to spend $3.3 million more, which Republicans said could grow.