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With budget at stake, Gov. Walker contemplates vetoing PFD checks
Published 8:01am Thursday, June 23, 2016Now that Alaska Gov. Bill Walker has the state budget on his desk, he has the power to veto or reduce appropriations, including the Alaska ... Read more
Empire Editorial: What if PFDs aren’t ‘permanent’?
Published 8:00am Thursday, June 23, 2016Sometime in the next 10 days, you should expect Gov. Bill Walker to veto all or part of the funding for your Alaska Permanent Fund ... Read more
What we talk about when we talk about climate change
Published 8:02am Wednesday, June 22, 2016We were at the Fish House in Ketchikan early in April, talking about climate; the room was full and the conversation was lively. Outside, the ... Read more
Putting overdose prevention in the hands of the community
Published 2:51am Wednesday, June 22, 2016For the first time in Juneau, people at risk of overdosing from heroin or other opiates can access a lifesaving medicine for free starting June ... Read more
House kills Perm Fund plan
Published 8:47pm Friday, June 17, 2016The Alaska House Finance Committee has failed to advance the heart of Gov. Bill Walker’s 13-point plan to erase the state’s deficit, leaving the state ... Read more
Living and breathing art with TJ Young
Published 8:00am Wednesday, June 15, 2016For many, art is defined as a pretty landscape painting interpreted by a single artist using store-bought materials. The final product is sold to an ... Read more
As Legislature balks, state’s credit rating continues to fall
Published 9:55pm Tuesday, June 14, 2016The last credit rating agency to give Alaska a top credit rating has changed its mind. On Tuesday, Fitch Ratings gave the state an AA+ ... Read more
My Turn: Sen. Kelly is having too much fun to consider tax proposals
Published 8:01am Sunday, June 12, 2016Sen. Pete Kelly, R-Fairbanks, is very proud of the $418 million the Legislature cut from the budget this year. He says it’s real, just like ... Read more
Empire Editorial: Are we undone?
Published 8:00am Thursday, June 2, 2016The Alaska Legislature has approved a budget compromise that avoids a shutdown of state government on July 1. Congratulations. It may be a fatal mistake. ... Read more
Man’s best friend, bedbugs’ worst enemy
Published 11:24pm Wednesday, June 1, 2016Four years ago, while staying in a hotel in Anchorage, Haines resident Carrie Kinison woke up to a nasty surprise. She was covered in painful ... Read more
Walker to lawmakers: ‘Fix the problem’
Published 9:36pm Wednesday, June 1, 2016A fiery Gov. Bill Walker on Wednesday decried the Alaska Legislature’s failure to fix a $4 billion gap in state finances and left open the ... Read more
Park Service considers visitor caps, expects record crowds
Published 8:01am Monday, May 30, 2016HELENA, Mont. — As the National Park Service kicks off a centennial summer expected to draw record crowds, the agency is seriously considering caps on ... Read more
Walker, Southeast Conference seek AMHS makeover
Published 8:00am Sunday, May 22, 2016KETCHIKAN — A plan to remake the Alaska Marine Highway System earned attention from Gov. Bill Walker on Thursday, the same day the system’s winter ... Read more
Legislature quits without finishing work
Published 9:59am Thursday, May 19, 2016Alaska’s budget talks have failed. Shortly before midnight Thursday morning, the Alaska Legislature adjourned without fixing the state’s $4 billion annual deficit and without providing ... Read more
My Turn: Raiding the Permanent Fund threatens the economy and our future
Published 12:19am Thursday, May 19, 2016Sometimes shortcuts don’t work. You run into road construction, traffic is backed up or you get lost. The leadership in the Senate Majority Caucus has ... Read more
My Turn: The importance of infrastructure
Published 8:00am Monday, May 16, 2016You can afford what you prioritize. Unfortunately for our infrastructure, it’s rarely been the priority over the past few decades. As the backbone of the ... Read more
My Turn: As governor, Palin actually believed in climate change
Published 8:03am Friday, May 13, 2016Since her meteoric rise to fame in the 2008 U.S. presidential campaign, former Alaska governor Sarah Palin has been a leading voice in the climate ... Read more
Letter: Time to respect Native sovereignty
Published 8:00am Tuesday, May 10, 2016It seems clearer than ever that the state of Alaska is structurally unsustainable and inequitable. Has the colonial venture failed? Now is past time for ... Read more
Fish Factor: Salmon season starts soon
Published 8:00am Wednesday, May 4, 2016FISH FACTOR: SALMON SEASON SOON TO START By Laine Welch In the face of Alaska’s multi-billion dollar budget shortfalls, state policy makers are putting the ... Read more
My Turn: When government is broken we all are
Published 8:01am Sunday, May 1, 2016If you believe Rep. Lora Reinbold, R-Eagle River, “little progress has been made on real cost reductions” to the state’s operating budget. She thinks there’s ... Read more