|
 |
Alaska NewsBy Senator Kim Elton
Dear Santa: I hope all went well last week and hope you get that much-needed break in Hawaii. Perhaps you can recharge your batteries at the villa compound President-elect Barack Obama is renting on Oahu--there's even enough room for Santa's little helpers if you want to bring them along. Take the sleigh, though, winter weather has snarled commercial air traffic. By Ray Metcalfe
The economic collapse our nation is experiencing today was experienced before by the oil producing states when the price of oil fell below $10 per barrel in 1986. By Steve Conn
The dangers to the Alaska Permanent Fund and annual dividends to every Alaska are deeper than the ineptitude of its so-called trustees and consultants, as a billion dollars a month disappears into the ether. Both major state parties are compromised by conflicting loyalties. Neither the Democrats nor Republicans will protect the Permanent Fund or its annual distributions if demands from competing constituencies are made to meet their needs. Alaska needs a Permanent Fund Party; a third party dedicated its protection and support. By Les Gara
In response to questions from Rep. Les Gara (D-Anch.), the Legislature’s research arm has issued a report confirming Alaskans are still paying the highest gas prices in the country, at about $1 per gallon higher than the national average. Consumers in the Lower 48 are paying roughly $1.65/gallon. Three injured Indian crewmen arrived safely in Anchorage at about 7 p.m. today after Coast Guard rescue crews flew more than 1800 combined miles to conduct their medical evacuation from a chemical oil tanker 200 miles South of Adak Island, Alaska.
 Two years after the formation of the Tri-Borough Anti-Gang and Youth Violence Policy Team, Mayor Mark Begich and other members of the Policy Team today released a report highlighting some of the successes of the effort, and announced it will continue in the coming months and years.PETA received a call from governor Sarah Palin's office this week and Palin's spokeman Bill McAllister wasn't in the mood for laughs.
PRESS RELEASES
• NOAA Determines Ribbon Seals Should Not be Listed as Endangered• Governor Palin Neglects Alaska Duties for Partisan Stumping on Campaign Trail in Georgia NATION/ALASKA
• Crab Rationalization 'Damage Control' Conspiracy is a Reality• Kodiak missile test a success POLITICS
• Scandal knocks Bill Richardson out as Commerce secretary• Despite landslide defeat, Palin considers 2012 • Ted Stevens' career ends in disgrace COMMENTARY
• Oh, Governor Grifter...again• Time to Remove the Redskins’ Brand WORLD
• Israel moves into Gaza via ground to fight Hamas• Suicide bomber in Pakistan kills six SPORTS
• Charles Barkley arrested for drunk driving in Arizona |
Latest in Alaska's Media  By Steve Aufrecht What does the FBI internal complaint tell us? "The document in question here is a complaint filed by an FBI agent involved in the Alaska political corruption cases in which he alleges a number of violations of policy, rules, and procedures, and possibly a criminal violation."  By Krestia DeGeorge Shrinkage Beginning this week, you'll notice a Daily News whose weekday editions "will be smaller and drastically reorganized." Those aren't my words, but those of ADN editor Pat Dougherty, in a column in mid-December outlining those changes for readers. It's worth noting that the assessment is coming from Dougherty, who'd have as much interest in downplaying the effect of changes as anyone.  By Philip Munger My email to Rep. Mike Doogan "I would like to recommend that you consider also looking at tightening travel regulations for the members of the chief executive's family. Gov. Palin's trip to New York City in 2008 with one of her daughters, to speak very briefly on one day, then spend the work week in a pricey hotel with her child, at taxpayers' expense, shouldn't merely be unauthorized, I feel it should be criminal activity entered into the "fraud" statutes of Title 11."  By Tony Hopfinger What did I know about an alleged plot to kill Bill Allen's nephew? "In the letter, Anderson mentions yours truly, saying I was aware of a plot by Allen and his son to have Anderson murdered. Anderson writes that I, Tony Hopfinger, saw "documents under seal regarding the murder-for-hire scheme."  Sarah Palin Busted by Weather Underground? "I was so focused on the fact that apparently our Governor thought she’d be able to appoint a replacement to Ted Stevens’ senate seat, bypassing that pesky law that calls for a special election, that I missed another interesting point..." CORRUPT BASTARD CLUB  • Ongoing coverage of the "Corrupt Bastards Club" Recent CBC Activity: • Corrupt Bastard Club member Bruce Weyhrauch loses appeal, trial looms • FBI statement on conviction of William Weimar • Ted Stevens guilty of 7 felonies • More ... |
National Media  By Marsha Walton Countries in tug-of-war over Arctic resources One of the planet's most fragile and pristine ecosystems sits atop a bounty of untapped fossil fuels. The U.S. Geological Survey estimates that 90 billion barrels of oil, 44 billion barrels of natural gas liquids and 1,670 trillion cubic feet of natural gas are recoverable in the frozen region north of the Arctic Circle.  By Robert Scheer Cheney's Legacy of Deception In the end, the shame of Vice President Dick Cheney was total: unmitigated by any notion of a graceful departure, let alone the slightest obligation of honest accounting. Although firmly ensconced, even in the popular imagination, as an example of evil incarnate--nearly a quarter of those polled in this week's CNN poll rated him the worst vice president in US history...  By Paul Jenkins The GOP's White Supremacy "All of this stupidity, and hatred, is a symptom of the larger problem for the Republican Party: it is utterly unrepresentative of America in the 21st century. Its Congressional representation is nearly uniformly white, and overwhelmingly male. So much so, in fact, that there is not one single African-American GOP member of Congress (out of 219 or 220); nor, for that matter, are there any black GOP Governors (out of 22)."  Poof goes the GOP Just how stupid are Republican Party leaders? We're about to find out. Republicans have been rejected by American voters in the last two national elections. They've lost the House, the Senate and the White House. They have just about given up on the African-American vote. More Hispanics turned away from them this year.  By Jonathan Freedland Seasonal forgiveness has a limit. Bush and his cronies must face a reckoning "First, because we cannot hope to avoid repeating the errors of the last eight years unless they are subject to a full accounting. (It is for that reason Britain needs its own full, unconstrained inquiry into the Iraq war.) Second, because a crucial principle, one that goes to the very heart of the American creed, is at stake. And third, because this is not solely about the judgment of history. It may be about the judgment of the courts - specifically those charged with punishing war crimes."  By PAUL SHUKOVSKY Federal agents raid Seattle fish processor Federal agents raided a Seattle fish-processing company Tuesday morning and impounded documents, but they left without halting operations, seizing fish or ordering any product recalls.  By Alexander Bolton Gingrich says Palin will not be the future GOP leader ...But Gingrich, an architect of the Republican revolution of 1994, took Palin down a notch, asserting that she would not become the party's leader, as some have predicted. "I think that she is going to be a significant player," said Gingrich during an interview on CBS's "Face the Nation". "But she's going to be one of 20 or 30 significant players. She’s not going to be the de facto leader." CRIMEFIGHTING Whistleblower.org Report corrupt politicians to the FBI website Report tips to the FBI website NOAA Office of law enforcement 1-800-853-1964 Hotline E-mail Anti-Trust Complaints to: antitrust.complaints@usdoj.gov |