The Weekend Off – News You Missed
Alaska
Juneau Empire – Senator plans to investigate Guard situation
State Sen. Lesil McGuire says the Legislature will hold hearings into sexual assault and other allegations involving members of the Alaska National Guard, but she’s getting push back from the Senate president.
ADN.com – Alaska land access fights hinge on one word in 34-year-old law
The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has rejected two high-profile Alaska cases dealing with federal authority in Alaska, largely because of a six-letter word Congress inserted into a sentence in the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act 34 years ago.
In both cases, the court has concluded that the state and private parties challenging the National Park Service have misinterpreted the law because they are not giving the word its due.
KTVA – Fraternal organization covers the doctor’s bill for children in Alaska
Free, state-of-the-art healthcare can be hard to come by for any family.
But a local fraternal organization has made it a mission that Alaskan children get the treatment they need, no matter the cost.
National
Mother Jones – Pentagon: We Could Soon Be Fighting Climate Wars
In one of its strongest statements yet on the need to prepare for climate change, the Defense Department today released a report that says global warming “poses immediate risks to US national security” and will exacerbate national security-related threats ranging “from infectious disease to terrorism.”
NY Times – Power Plants Seek to Extend Life of Nuclear Reactors
The prospects for building new nuclear reactors may be sharply limited, but the owners of seven old ones, in Pennsylvania, Virginia and South Carolina, are preparing to ask for permission to run them until they are 80 years old.
Washington Post – Supreme Court allows Texas to use controversial voter-ID law
The Supreme Court’s order that Texas can proceed with its strict voter-ID law in next month’s election ended what is likely to be just the first round in a legal battle over election-law changes made by Republican-led legislatures around the country.
International
BBC – Hong Kong protests: Leader says ‘external forces’ involved
Hong Kong leader CY Leung has accused “external forces” of involvement in the territory’s pro-democracy protests – claims strongly denied by protesters.
Vice – FBI Director: If Apple and Google Won’t Decrypt Phones, We’ll Force Them To
Everyone is stoked that the latest versions of iOS and Android will (finally) encrypt all the information on your smartphone by default. Except, of course, the FBI: Today, its director spent an hour attacking the companies and the very idea of encryption, even suggesting that Congress should pass a law banning the practice of default encryption.
The Guardian – Victims of Isis: non-western journalists who don’t make the headlines
In the past 10 months, at least 17 Iraqi journalists have been executed by Isis. Many others have been kidnapped, their fate unknown
Huggins wants civilian law enforcement to lay siege to federal military installations,,,,,,,because……? And why investigate now since it has been common knowledge for about 5 years that these crimes had been committed? If the Sinator has to request funding from whitey wingnut controlled congress to investigate whitey wingnuts,I’m sure they will be more than satisfied fulfilling her request,not. Whitewash would be much cheaper and less transparent.Consider me hornswoggled by god as ever was.