Lisa Murkowski

Ultimately, the alphabet soup of organizations and high-level officials that did participate had positive things to say about HUD Secretary Scott Turner's Aug. 13 visit. But with the media barred, few details have been made public.

The funds will go to cleaning up asbestos, contaminated sludge and soil and tar. Three sites will receive grants and the state knows of many more in need.

Sens. Lisa Murkowski and Susan Collins were the only GOP senators to vote against the bill to claw back funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and foreign aid. It goes next to the House.

The Alaska senator was among a few Republicans on the Appropriations Committee who objected to clawing back money for foreign aid and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.

Republicans can only afford to lose the votes of three GOP senators. Murkowski doesn’t like major elements of it. But how she’ll ultimately vote is unknown, even to the senator herself.

U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski called the program a “lifesaver” for residents in Alaska when questioning Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. about its future.

The Trump administration has directed the U.S. Department of the Interior to remove protections for millions of acres as part of an effort to maximize resource development in Alaska.

It’s a repeat of her endorsement two years ago, but nationally it’s unusual for a Republican senator to endorse a Democrat for office. Murkowski’s colleague, Republican U.S. Sen. Dan Sullivan, endorsed Republican candidate Nick Begich III instead of Peltola.

Four decades ago, in the days before the internet and automatic voter registration, Alaska Natives turned out to vote at high levels. That participation has eroded badly, a situation that should be reversed, said Michelle Sparck, director of an Alaska nonpartisan organization called Get Out The Native Vote.

It's the joint nature of the exercises off Alaska that are unusual, the U.S. senator said. In response, the U.S. Army sent soldiers to Shemya.