ANCHORAGE — The attorney for a Fairbanks militia leader accused of conspiring to kill federal law enforcement officers says his client’s comments could be offensive and distasteful but are protected by the U.S. Constitution.

Nelson Traverso says that nowhere in secret government recordings was Schaeffer Cox heard giving an order to mobilize, issue weapons or attack anyone.

Traverso on Wednesday gave his final argument in the case against Cox and fellow militia members Coleman Barney and Lonnie Vernon.

ANCHORAGE — Alaskans alternately thanked the Environmental Protection Agency or told its representatives to back off Monday night at a hearing on the federal agency’s draft study of the effects of large-scale mining on the headwaters of Bristol Bay.

The study released last month was conducted at the request of a half dozen Alaska Native entities that asked the EPA to veto large-scale mining in the region because of its harmful effect on fish habitat, especially the salmon that return to freshwater rivers and streams to breed each year.

ANCHORAGE — The FBI wanted to see if three Fairbanks militia members would bite if illegal weapons were dangled in front of them, and the subsequent sting was the final bit of drama in their arrest just more than a year ago.

Fairbanks FBI Agent Richard Sutherland testified Wednesday that the ruse was set up to gauge whether Schaeffer Cox, 28, Coleman Barney, 37, and Lonnie Vernon, 56, would buy hand grenades and handguns with silencers.

ANCHORAGE — The man charged in the kidnapping and killing of an 18-year-old Anchorage barista attempted to dash out of a federal courtroom Wednesday but was tackled by U.S. marshals before he reached the door.

Israel Keyes, indicted in the death of Samantha Koenig, was grabbed by a U.S. marshal near the defense table and other officers quickly piled on.

“It was over instantly,” said Dave Long, supervisory deputy.