National News

Juneau residents gathered around the statue of William H. Seward in downtown Juneau on Monday, Oct. 4, 2021, for the local version of a national rally for abortion rights. (Peter Segall / Juneau Empire)

Juneau rallies for abortion rights

Tension over Texas.

Juneau residents gathered around the statue of William H. Seward in downtown Juneau on Monday, Oct. 4, 2021, for the local version of a national rally for abortion rights. (Peter Segall / Juneau Empire)
Courtesy photo / Kate Troll Kate Troll, right, and Yalda Battori, stand in front of pictures colored by refugee children from Afghanistan at Fort McCoy in Wisconsin. Troll recently returned from a two week deployment with the American Red Cross at McCoy, where nearly 13,000 Afghans are awaiting resettlement in the U.S.

‘This is something that unites us all’: Alaskans help refugees resettle

100 over six months.

Courtesy photo / Kate Troll Kate Troll, right, and Yalda Battori, stand in front of pictures colored by refugee children from Afghanistan at Fort McCoy in Wisconsin. Troll recently returned from a two week deployment with the American Red Cross at McCoy, where nearly 13,000 Afghans are awaiting resettlement in the U.S.
Courtesy photo / Paxson Woelber, The Alaska Landmine Christine Hill sits in the Municipality of Anchorage Assembly’s chambers on Wednesday, Sept. 29, 2021, wearing a yellow Star of David reading “do not consent” to protest the implementation of masking requirements in public places meant to curb the spread of COVID-19.

Jewish groups say Holocaust comparisons a worrisome trend

Anchorage protest most recent, high-profile example.

Courtesy photo / Paxson Woelber, The Alaska Landmine Christine Hill sits in the Municipality of Anchorage Assembly’s chambers on Wednesday, Sept. 29, 2021, wearing a yellow Star of David reading “do not consent” to protest the implementation of masking requirements in public places meant to curb the spread of COVID-19.
In this July 2017 photo, the midnight sun shines across sea ice along the Northwest Passage in the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. The Biden administration is stepping up its work to figure about what to do about the thawing Arctic, which is warming three times faster than the rest of the world. The White House said Friday, Sept. 24, 2021, that it is reactivating the Arctic Executive Steering Committee, which coordinates domestic regulations and works with other Arctic nations. It also is adding six new members to the U.S. Arctic Research Commission, including two indigenous Alaskans. (AP Photo / David Goldman)

White House steps up work on what to do about thawing Arctic

The White House said Friday it is reactivating the Arctic Executive Steering Committee.

In this July 2017 photo, the midnight sun shines across sea ice along the Northwest Passage in the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. The Biden administration is stepping up its work to figure about what to do about the thawing Arctic, which is warming three times faster than the rest of the world. The White House said Friday, Sept. 24, 2021, that it is reactivating the Arctic Executive Steering Committee, which coordinates domestic regulations and works with other Arctic nations. It also is adding six new members to the U.S. Arctic Research Commission, including two indigenous Alaskans. (AP Photo / David Goldman)
Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, introduced legislation to permanently exempt large ships from the Passenger Vessel Services Act, which threatened Alaska's cruise ship season this year. The PVSA puts regulations on large cruise ship vessels, like this one entering the Gastineau Channel on Aug. 22, which are critical to the local tourism industry. (Peter Segall / Juneau Empire)

Murkowski enters bill to exempt Alaska from Passenger Vessel Services Act

Legislation would let ships travel to Alaska without stopping in Canada.

Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, introduced legislation to permanently exempt large ships from the Passenger Vessel Services Act, which threatened Alaska's cruise ship season this year. The PVSA puts regulations on large cruise ship vessels, like this one entering the Gastineau Channel on Aug. 22, which are critical to the local tourism industry. (Peter Segall / Juneau Empire)
Sgt. Joemicheal Cristobal, Spc. Osias Passi, and Spc. Brennon Westfall, members of the Alaska Army National Guard and Task Force-Alaska, log trailer and driver information on a yard dog sheet, at a transportation yard in Roseland, Louisiana, Sept. 7, 2021. (U.S. Army National Guard / Staff Sgt. Jacob Tyrrell)

Alaska National Guard lends a hand in Louisiana

A small detachment deployed down south to assist recovery from Hurricane Ida.

Sgt. Joemicheal Cristobal, Spc. Osias Passi, and Spc. Brennon Westfall, members of the Alaska Army National Guard and Task Force-Alaska, log trailer and driver information on a yard dog sheet, at a transportation yard in Roseland, Louisiana, Sept. 7, 2021. (U.S. Army National Guard / Staff Sgt. Jacob Tyrrell)
A health care worker prepares a dose of COVID-19 vaccine. There’s concern that COVID-19 vaccination could be made mandatory by businesses for activities such as travel— or employment. President Joe Biden is announcing sweeping new federal vaccine requirements affecting as many as 100 million Americans in an all-out effort to increase COVID-19 vaccinations and curb the surging delta variant. (Ben Hohenstatt / Juneau Empire File)

Sweeping new vaccine mandates for 100 million Americans

The order includes exceptions for workers seeking religious or medical exemptions from vaccination.

A health care worker prepares a dose of COVID-19 vaccine. There’s concern that COVID-19 vaccination could be made mandatory by businesses for activities such as travel— or employment. President Joe Biden is announcing sweeping new federal vaccine requirements affecting as many as 100 million Americans in an all-out effort to increase COVID-19 vaccinations and curb the surging delta variant. (Ben Hohenstatt / Juneau Empire File)
A worker with the Pebble Mine project digs in the Bristol Bay region of Alaska near the village of Iliamma, Alaska. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced Thursday, Sept. 9, 2021, it would seek to restart a process that could restrict mining in Alaska’s Bristol Bay region, which is renowned for its salmon runs. The announcement is the latest in a long-running dispute over a proposed copper-and-gold mine in the southwest Alaska region. (AP Photo / Al Grillo)

EPA seeks to restart process that could restrict proposed Pebble Mine

The announcement is the latest in a long-running dispute.

A worker with the Pebble Mine project digs in the Bristol Bay region of Alaska near the village of Iliamma, Alaska. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced Thursday, Sept. 9, 2021, it would seek to restart a process that could restrict mining in Alaska’s Bristol Bay region, which is renowned for its salmon runs. The announcement is the latest in a long-running dispute over a proposed copper-and-gold mine in the southwest Alaska region. (AP Photo / Al Grillo)
This Feb. 9, 2016, photo shows ice forming on pipelines built near the Colville-Delta 5 field, or as it's more commonly known, CD5, drilling site on Alaska's North Slope. The Trump administration will consider a new management plan and expanded oil drilling for the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska, an Indiana-size area that former Interior Secretary Ken Salazar characterized as an "iconic place on our Earth." The Bureau of Land Management announced Thursday, Nov. 21, 2019, it will take public comment through Jan. 21 on four alternatives for the reserve in northern Alaska. (AP Photo / Mark Thiessen)

Feds to reevaluate review of Alaska petroleum reserve

Review was basis for plans to open an additional roughly 6.8 million acres to oil and gas leasing.

This Feb. 9, 2016, photo shows ice forming on pipelines built near the Colville-Delta 5 field, or as it's more commonly known, CD5, drilling site on Alaska's North Slope. The Trump administration will consider a new management plan and expanded oil drilling for the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska, an Indiana-size area that former Interior Secretary Ken Salazar characterized as an "iconic place on our Earth." The Bureau of Land Management announced Thursday, Nov. 21, 2019, it will take public comment through Jan. 21 on four alternatives for the reserve in northern Alaska. (AP Photo / Mark Thiessen)
This photo shows the U.S. Supreme Court on Capitol Hill in Washington. Traditionally, the process of getting an opinion from the U.S. Supreme Court takes months and those rulings are often narrowly tailored. Emergency orders, especially during the court’s summer break, revolve around specific issues, like individual death penalty cases. But that pattern has changed in recent years with decisions coming outside the court’s normal procedures. (AP Photo / J. Scott Applewhite)

Shadow docket Supreme Court decisions could affect millions

Since Aug. 24, that truncated process known as the shadow docket has moved at astronomical speed.

This photo shows the U.S. Supreme Court on Capitol Hill in Washington. Traditionally, the process of getting an opinion from the U.S. Supreme Court takes months and those rulings are often narrowly tailored. Emergency orders, especially during the court’s summer break, revolve around specific issues, like individual death penalty cases. But that pattern has changed in recent years with decisions coming outside the court’s normal procedures. (AP Photo / J. Scott Applewhite)
FILE - In this March 2, 2021, file photo, pharmacy technician Hollie Maloney loads a syringe with Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine at the Portland Expo in Portland, Maine. The U.S. gave full approval to Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine on Monday, Aug. 23, 2021. (AP Photo / Robert F. Bukaty)

US regulators give full approval to Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine

By Lauran Neergaard and Matthew Perrone Associated Press WASHINGTON — The U.S. gave full approval to Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine Monday, a milestone that could boost… Continue reading

FILE - In this March 2, 2021, file photo, pharmacy technician Hollie Maloney loads a syringe with Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine at the Portland Expo in Portland, Maine. The U.S. gave full approval to Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine on Monday, Aug. 23, 2021. (AP Photo / Robert F. Bukaty)
A health care worker fills a syringe with the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine at the American Museum of Natural History in New York. U.S. health officials Wednesday, Aug. 18, recommended all Americans get COVID-19 booster shots to shore up their protection amid the surging delta variant and evidence that the vaccines’ effectiveness is falling. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer, File)

Health officials call for booster shots against COVID-19

Plan calls for dose 8 months after people get their 2nd shot of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine

A health care worker fills a syringe with the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine at the American Museum of Natural History in New York. U.S. health officials Wednesday, Aug. 18, recommended all Americans get COVID-19 booster shots to shore up their protection amid the surging delta variant and evidence that the vaccines’ effectiveness is falling. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer, File)
This May 30 photo shows a view aboard the MV LeConte. The Alaska Marine Highway System is poised to benefit from a massive spending plan with bipartisan backing. The $1 trillion infrastructure bill passed the Senate on Tuesday. The bill, a cornerstone of President Joe Biden’s agenda, now heads to the House. (Peter Segall / Juneau Empire File)

Alaska’s senators part of bipartisan push for big bill

Both voted for the ‘historic’ $1T infrastructure plan.

This May 30 photo shows a view aboard the MV LeConte. The Alaska Marine Highway System is poised to benefit from a massive spending plan with bipartisan backing. The $1 trillion infrastructure bill passed the Senate on Tuesday. The bill, a cornerstone of President Joe Biden’s agenda, now heads to the House. (Peter Segall / Juneau Empire File)
Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, one of the key Senate Republicans who negotiated the $1 trillion bipartisan infrastructure bill with Democrats, departs after a procedural vote on the measure, at the Capitol in Washington, Saturday, Aug. 7, 2021. More votes will be needed before final Senate passage. (AP Photo / J. Scott Applewhite)

Senate votes to advance Biden’s $1T infrastructure bill

“The Senate needs some demonstrated acts of bipartisanship.”

Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, one of the key Senate Republicans who negotiated the $1 trillion bipartisan infrastructure bill with Democrats, departs after a procedural vote on the measure, at the Capitol in Washington, Saturday, Aug. 7, 2021. More votes will be needed before final Senate passage. (AP Photo / J. Scott Applewhite)
Environmentalists in Southeast Alaska are hoping to renew a push for action on pollution of transboundary waters flowing from Canada into the U.S. South of the Juneau, heavy metals run out of the Tulsequah Chief mine opening and down to holding ponds next to the Tulsequah River Wednesday, Oct. 8, 2008. Leakage from those ponds can be seen entering the river that flows into the Taku River down stream. (Michael Penn | Juneau Empire file)

Resolution urges action on transboundary pollution

‘Coming at us quickly.’

Environmentalists in Southeast Alaska are hoping to renew a push for action on pollution of transboundary waters flowing from Canada into the U.S. South of the Juneau, heavy metals run out of the Tulsequah Chief mine opening and down to holding ponds next to the Tulsequah River Wednesday, Oct. 8, 2008. Leakage from those ponds can be seen entering the river that flows into the Taku River down stream. (Michael Penn | Juneau Empire file)
This April 2017 photo shows a view of the Fort Lewis College campus backdropped by the La Plata Mountains. The college originated more than a century ago as one of the country's Native American boarding schools(. Courtesy Photo / Fort Lewis College, Wikimedia)

New calls to search for remains at Native boarding schools

“We just want to make sure families today get the information they’ve been wanting for decades”

This April 2017 photo shows a view of the Fort Lewis College campus backdropped by the La Plata Mountains. The college originated more than a century ago as one of the country's Native American boarding schools(. Courtesy Photo / Fort Lewis College, Wikimedia)
In this April 6 photo, bartender Denis Angelov pours drinks at Tin Pan Alley restaurant in Provincetown, Mass. A study of a large coronavirus outbreak in Provincetown suggests the amount of virus in fully vaccinated people was as great as the viral load in unvaccinated people. Health officials released the study Friday, July 30, 2021, saying it explains their call this week for vaccinated people return to wearing masks indoors in parts of the U.S. where the delta variant of the coronavirus is fueling infection surges. The study focused on an outbreak this month in Provincetown, a seaside tourist spot located in the Massachusetts county with the state's highest vaccination rate. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)

Study: Vaccinated people can carry as much virus as others

Health officials on Friday released details of that research.

In this April 6 photo, bartender Denis Angelov pours drinks at Tin Pan Alley restaurant in Provincetown, Mass. A study of a large coronavirus outbreak in Provincetown suggests the amount of virus in fully vaccinated people was as great as the viral load in unvaccinated people. Health officials released the study Friday, July 30, 2021, saying it explains their call this week for vaccinated people return to wearing masks indoors in parts of the U.S. where the delta variant of the coronavirus is fueling infection surges. The study focused on an outbreak this month in Provincetown, a seaside tourist spot located in the Massachusetts county with the state's highest vaccination rate. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)
Sen. Rob Portman, R-Ohio, center, joined by, from left, Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, and Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah, announces to reporters that he and the other GOP negotiators have reached agreement on a $1 trillion infrastructure bill with Democrats and are ready to vote to take up the bill, at the Capitol in Washington, Wednesday, July 28, 2021. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

Murkowski: Alaska’s needs addressed in infrastructure bill

‘Pretty historic.’

Sen. Rob Portman, R-Ohio, center, joined by, from left, Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, and Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah, announces to reporters that he and the other GOP negotiators have reached agreement on a $1 trillion infrastructure bill with Democrats and are ready to vote to take up the bill, at the Capitol in Washington, Wednesday, July 28, 2021. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
Gold medalist Lydia Jacoby of the United States celebrates on the podium after the final of the women’s 100-meter breaststroke at the 2020 Summer Olympics, Tuesday, July 27, 2021, in Tokyo, Japan.(AP Photo / Matthias Schrader)

Seward embraces state’s 1st swimmer to win gold

“What happened last night couldn’t happen to a nicer kid,” he said.

Gold medalist Lydia Jacoby of the United States celebrates on the podium after the final of the women’s 100-meter breaststroke at the 2020 Summer Olympics, Tuesday, July 27, 2021, in Tokyo, Japan.(AP Photo / Matthias Schrader)
Lydia Jacoby of the United States, sees the results after winning the final of the women’s 100-meter breaststroke at the 2020 Summer Olympics, Tuesday, July 27, 2021, in Tokyo, Japan. (AP Photo / Martin Meissner)

Seward teen shocks with Olympic swim gold

A ‘stunning victory.’

Lydia Jacoby of the United States, sees the results after winning the final of the women’s 100-meter breaststroke at the 2020 Summer Olympics, Tuesday, July 27, 2021, in Tokyo, Japan. (AP Photo / Martin Meissner)