The Senate side of the Capitol is seen in Washington, early Thursday, Dec. 22, 2022, as lawmakers rush to complete passage of a bill to fund the government before a midnight Friday deadline, at the Capitol in Washington, Thursday, Dec. 22, 2022. (AP Photo / J. Scott Applewhite)

Senate reaches deal on $1.7T package, pushing toward passage

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer announced that the Senate had an agreement…

The Senate side of the Capitol is seen in Washington, early Thursday, Dec. 22, 2022, as lawmakers rush to complete passage of a bill to fund the government before a midnight Friday deadline, at the Capitol in Washington, Thursday, Dec. 22, 2022. (AP Photo / J. Scott Applewhite)
An architect’s depiction shows the first crisis stabilization center for youth and adults in Southeast Alaska, now under construction at Bartlett Region Hospital and scheduled for completion in March of 2023. Among the goals for the center is reducing the number of youths experiencing a behavioral health crisis who must leave the community and receive treatment away from their families. (City and Borough of Juneau)

DOJ: Alaska illegally institutionalizing troubled kids

State locks up youths far from home instead of offering adequate treatment, investigation finds.

An architect’s depiction shows the first crisis stabilization center for youth and adults in Southeast Alaska, now under construction at Bartlett Region Hospital and scheduled for completion in March of 2023. Among the goals for the center is reducing the number of youths experiencing a behavioral health crisis who must leave the community and receive treatment away from their families. (City and Borough of Juneau)
A video of former President Donald Trump is shown on a screen, as the House select committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol holds its final meeting on Capitol Hill in Washington, Monday, Dec. 19, 2022. (AP Photo / J. Scott Applewhite)

Jan. 6 panel urges Trump prosecution with criminal referral

WASHINGTON — The House Jan. 6 committee urged the Justice Department on Monday to bring criminal charges against former President Donald Trump, delivering what it… Continue reading

  • Dec 19, 2022
  • By Mary Clare Jalonick, Eric Tucker and Farnoush Amiri Associated Press
  • NewsNation-World
A video of former President Donald Trump is shown on a screen, as the House select committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol holds its final meeting on Capitol Hill in Washington, Monday, Dec. 19, 2022. (AP Photo / J. Scott Applewhite)
FILE - House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, of Calif., speaks at an annual leadership meeting of the Republican Jewish Coalition, Nov. 19, 2022, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo / John Locher)

McCarthy’s race for speaker risks upending House on Day One

It’s all in jeopardy,” McCarthy said Friday…

FILE - House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, of Calif., speaks at an annual leadership meeting of the Republican Jewish Coalition, Nov. 19, 2022, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo / John Locher)
Steve Waddle places golden king crab into a tote in the hold of the F/V Angjenl while unloading at Petersburg, Alaska on March 1, 2007. The U.S. Department of Commerce’s disaster declaration for salmon and crab fisheries in Washington and Alaska opens the door for financial relief as part of an omnibus spending bill being negotiated by U.S. lawmakers. The declaration Friday, Dec. 16, 2022, covers Bristol Bay king crab harvests suspended for two years, and the snow crab harvest that will be canceled for the first time in 2023. (AP Photo / Klas Stolpe)

Crabbers, fishermen seek US aid after disaster declaration

It opens the door for financial relief as part of a spending bill being negotiated by lawmakers.

Steve Waddle places golden king crab into a tote in the hold of the F/V Angjenl while unloading at Petersburg, Alaska on March 1, 2007. The U.S. Department of Commerce’s disaster declaration for salmon and crab fisheries in Washington and Alaska opens the door for financial relief as part of an omnibus spending bill being negotiated by U.S. lawmakers. The declaration Friday, Dec. 16, 2022, covers Bristol Bay king crab harvests suspended for two years, and the snow crab harvest that will be canceled for the first time in 2023. (AP Photo / Klas Stolpe)
The Aiviq icebreaker, seen here towing a mobile drilling rig about 100 miles southwest of Kodiak, is the privately owned vessel likely to be purchased with a $150 million allocation in the 2023 National Defense Authorization Act. Juneau is the preferred home port for the icebreaker, which would be the only such ship stationed in Alaska and would result in about an additional 190 personnel in the city. (U.S. Coast Guard)

Juneau-based icebreaker in final NDAA bill, Sullivan says

Purchase of private ship, which may bring 600 people to Juneau, gets warm support from local leaders

The Aiviq icebreaker, seen here towing a mobile drilling rig about 100 miles southwest of Kodiak, is the privately owned vessel likely to be purchased with a $150 million allocation in the 2023 National Defense Authorization Act. Juneau is the preferred home port for the icebreaker, which would be the only such ship stationed in Alaska and would result in about an additional 190 personnel in the city. (U.S. Coast Guard)
President Joe Biden signs the Respect for Marriage Act, Tuesday, Dec. 13, 2022, on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington. (AP Photo / Andrew Harnik)

Gay marriage bill signed at White House ceremony

“This law and the love it defends strike a blow against hate in all its forms,” president says.

President Joe Biden signs the Respect for Marriage Act, Tuesday, Dec. 13, 2022, on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington. (AP Photo / Andrew Harnik)
Children traumatized by the war play with an American Pit Bull Terrier "Bice" in the Center for Social and Psychological Rehabilitation in Boyarka close Kyiv, Ukraine, Wednesday, Dec. 7, 2022. Bice is an American pit bull terrier with an important and sensitive job in Ukraine — comforting children traumatized by the war. The Center for Social and Psychological Rehabilitation is a state-operated community center where a group of people are trying to help those who have experienced a trauma after the Feb. 24 Russian invasion, and now they are using dogs like Bice to give comfort. (AP Photo / Vasilisa Stepanenko)

Dog therapy for kids facing the trauma of the war in Ukraine

In came Bice, the tail-wagging therapist.

Children traumatized by the war play with an American Pit Bull Terrier "Bice" in the Center for Social and Psychological Rehabilitation in Boyarka close Kyiv, Ukraine, Wednesday, Dec. 7, 2022. Bice is an American pit bull terrier with an important and sensitive job in Ukraine — comforting children traumatized by the war. The Center for Social and Psychological Rehabilitation is a state-operated community center where a group of people are trying to help those who have experienced a trauma after the Feb. 24 Russian invasion, and now they are using dogs like Bice to give comfort. (AP Photo / Vasilisa Stepanenko)
People gather in Washington’s Lafayette Park to see the White House illuminated with rainbow colors to mark the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling to legalize same-sex marriage, June 26, 2015. President Joe Biden plans to sign legislation this coming week that will protect gay unions even if the Supreme Court revisits its ruling supporting a nationwide right of same-sex couples to marry. It’s the latest part of Biden’s legacy on gay rights, which includes his unexpected endorsement of marriage equality on national television a decade ago when he was vice president. (AP Photo / Pablo Martinez Monsivais)

Biden called gay marriage ‘inevitable’ and soon it’ll be law

He plans to sign legislation, passed by bipartisan majorities in Congress, to protect gay unions.

People gather in Washington’s Lafayette Park to see the White House illuminated with rainbow colors to mark the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling to legalize same-sex marriage, June 26, 2015. President Joe Biden plans to sign legislation this coming week that will protect gay unions even if the Supreme Court revisits its ruling supporting a nationwide right of same-sex couples to marry. It’s the latest part of Biden’s legacy on gay rights, which includes his unexpected endorsement of marriage equality on national television a decade ago when he was vice president. (AP Photo / Pablo Martinez Monsivais)
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of Calif., accompanied by Senate Majority Leader Sen. Chuck Schumer of N.Y., center left, and other members of congress, signs the H.R. 8404, the Respect For Marriage Act, on Capitol Hill in Washington, Thursday, Dec. 8, 2022. (AP Photo / Andrew Harnik)

Bill protecting same-sex, interracial unions clears Congress

Peltola calls it “a major victory for freedom, privacy, dignity, and equality”

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of Calif., accompanied by Senate Majority Leader Sen. Chuck Schumer of N.Y., center left, and other members of congress, signs the H.R. 8404, the Respect For Marriage Act, on Capitol Hill in Washington, Thursday, Dec. 8, 2022. (AP Photo / Andrew Harnik)
Mark Hager, left, positions a camera with the help of Anthony Lucia, right, as captain Al Cottone watches the feed on a monitor from his boat, the Sabrina Maria, in Gloucester, Mass., May 11, 2022. Hager’s Maine-based startup, New England Maritime Monitoring, is one of a bevy of companies seeking to help commercial vessels comply with new federal mandates aimed at protecting dwindling fish stocks. But taking the technology overseas, where the vast majority of seafood consumed in the U.S. is caught, is a steep challenge. (AP Photo / David Goldman)

Could trawler cams help save world’s dwindling fish stocks?

Deman has exploded from the Gulf of Alaska to the Straits of Florida.

Mark Hager, left, positions a camera with the help of Anthony Lucia, right, as captain Al Cottone watches the feed on a monitor from his boat, the Sabrina Maria, in Gloucester, Mass., May 11, 2022. Hager’s Maine-based startup, New England Maritime Monitoring, is one of a bevy of companies seeking to help commercial vessels comply with new federal mandates aimed at protecting dwindling fish stocks. But taking the technology overseas, where the vast majority of seafood consumed in the U.S. is caught, is a steep challenge. (AP Photo / David Goldman)
In this screenshot from official Senate video, U.S. Sen. Dan Sullivan, an Alaska Republican, discusses oil and gas policy during an Armed Services Committee meeting at the U.S. Capitol in May. (Screenshot)

Georgia’s Senate loss unlikely to be Alaska’s

Despite, 51-49 Dem majority, Murkowski and Sullivan likely to keep seats.

In this screenshot from official Senate video, U.S. Sen. Dan Sullivan, an Alaska Republican, discusses oil and gas policy during an Armed Services Committee meeting at the U.S. Capitol in May. (Screenshot)
FILE - A student visits a sensory room at Williams Elementary School, on Nov. 3, 2021, in Topeka, Kan. Schools contending with soaring student mental health needs and other challenges have been struggling to determine just how much the pandemic is to blame.   (AP Photo / Charlie Riedel)

Many kids are struggling. Is special education the answer?

Are the challenges the sign of a disability, or something more temporary?

FILE - A student visits a sensory room at Williams Elementary School, on Nov. 3, 2021, in Topeka, Kan. Schools contending with soaring student mental health needs and other challenges have been struggling to determine just how much the pandemic is to blame.   (AP Photo / Charlie Riedel)
FILE - Freight train cars sit in a Norfolk Southern rail yard on Sept. 14, 2022, in Atlanta. The Biden administration is saying the U.S. economy would face a severe economic shock if senators don't pass legislation this week to avert a rail worker strike. The administration is delivering that message personally to Democratic senators in a closed-door session Thursday, Dec. 1.  (AP Photo / Danny Karnik)

Congress votes to avert rail strike amid dire warnings

President vows to quickly sign the bill.

FILE - Freight train cars sit in a Norfolk Southern rail yard on Sept. 14, 2022, in Atlanta. The Biden administration is saying the U.S. economy would face a severe economic shock if senators don't pass legislation this week to avert a rail worker strike. The administration is delivering that message personally to Democratic senators in a closed-door session Thursday, Dec. 1.  (AP Photo / Danny Karnik)
Clarise Larson / Juneau Empire 
The U.S. Coast Guard Sector Juneau in Auke Bay is the preferred home port for a private icebreaker that may be purchased by the federal government to help patrol Alaska’s Arctic waters, according to U.S. Sen. Dan Sullivan. Among the reasons Juneau is preferred over other state ports is the harbor is currently capable of accommodating the vessel and is adjacent to land where necessary supporting infrastructure could be built.

Juneau may be home to only Coast Guard icebreaker stationed in Alaska

Effort to buy private ship for Arctic use may bring 190 enlistees, Sen. Sullivan says.

Clarise Larson / Juneau Empire 
The U.S. Coast Guard Sector Juneau in Auke Bay is the preferred home port for a private icebreaker that may be purchased by the federal government to help patrol Alaska’s Arctic waters, according to U.S. Sen. Dan Sullivan. Among the reasons Juneau is preferred over other state ports is the harbor is currently capable of accommodating the vessel and is adjacent to land where necessary supporting infrastructure could be built.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., briefs reporters as he returns from a White House meeting with President Joe Biden and other congressional leaders, at the Capitol in Washington, Tuesday, Nov. 29, 2022. Biden is looking to ensure government funding and lock in more legislative wins before Democrats lose control of the House in January. (AP Photo / J. Scott Applewhite)

Landmark same-sex marriage bill wins Senate passage

Alaska senators among 12 Republicans to support bill.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., briefs reporters as he returns from a White House meeting with President Joe Biden and other congressional leaders, at the Capitol in Washington, Tuesday, Nov. 29, 2022. Biden is looking to ensure government funding and lock in more legislative wins before Democrats lose control of the House in January. (AP Photo / J. Scott Applewhite)
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis speaks during a news conference at the Broward County Courthouse in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., Aug. 18, 2022. Florida, Georgia, Texas and Virginia all started new law enforcement units to investigate voter fraud in this year’s elections based on former President Donald Trump’s lies about the 2020 presidential contest. So far, those units seem to have produced more headlines than actual cases. (Amy Beth Bennett / South Florida Sun-Sentinel)

New state voter fraud units finding few cases from midterms

That’s what election experts expected. Critics suggest units more about politics than finding fraud.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis speaks during a news conference at the Broward County Courthouse in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., Aug. 18, 2022. Florida, Georgia, Texas and Virginia all started new law enforcement units to investigate voter fraud in this year’s elections based on former President Donald Trump’s lies about the 2020 presidential contest. So far, those units seem to have produced more headlines than actual cases. (Amy Beth Bennett / South Florida Sun-Sentinel)
A parking lot (shaded in yellow) in the historical and cultural area long known as the “Juneau Indian Village” is the first property owned by Central Council of the Tlingit Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska to be placed into federal trust status. The designation, which Tlingit and Haida is seeking for other properties it owns, will make the tribe eligible for assistance from more federal programs and services. (City and Borough of Juneau)

Tlingit and Haida gets landmark property win from feds

Transfer of small lot into federal trust has big implication’s for tribe’s economic authority.

A parking lot (shaded in yellow) in the historical and cultural area long known as the “Juneau Indian Village” is the first property owned by Central Council of the Tlingit Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska to be placed into federal trust status. The designation, which Tlingit and Haida is seeking for other properties it owns, will make the tribe eligible for assistance from more federal programs and services. (City and Borough of Juneau)
Light illuminates part of the Supreme Court building on Capitol Hill in Washington, Wednesday, Nov. 16, 2022. The Biden administration plans to ask the Supreme Court to reinstate the president's student debt cancellation plan, according to a Thursday legal filing warning that Americans will face financial strain if the plan remains stalled in court when loan payments are scheduled to restart in January. (AP Photo / Patrick Semansky)

Biden admin to ask high court to take up student debt plan

Biden administration plans to ask the Supreme Court to reinstate student debt cancellation plan.

Light illuminates part of the Supreme Court building on Capitol Hill in Washington, Wednesday, Nov. 16, 2022. The Biden administration plans to ask the Supreme Court to reinstate the president's student debt cancellation plan, according to a Thursday legal filing warning that Americans will face financial strain if the plan remains stalled in court when loan payments are scheduled to restart in January. (AP Photo / Patrick Semansky)
People enjoy the Ipanema beach, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Sunday, Nov.13, 2022. The world's population is projected to hit an estimated 8 billion people on Tuesday, Nov. 15, according to a United Nations projection. (AP Photo / Bruna Prado)

World Population hits 8 billion, creating many challenges

The U.N.’s Day of 8 Billion milestone Tuesday is more symbolic than precise.

People enjoy the Ipanema beach, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Sunday, Nov.13, 2022. The world's population is projected to hit an estimated 8 billion people on Tuesday, Nov. 15, according to a United Nations projection. (AP Photo / Bruna Prado)