Ranked Choice Voting Will Untangle Alaska's Dan Sullivan Controversy. It's Also on the Ballot Itself.
As voters in Alaska decide whether to keep or abolish some electoral reforms, voters in Massachusetts will decide whether to try them.
Alaska
Federal Court Rejects Trump Lawsuit Seeking to Block Certification of Alaska Senate Election Results
The court found the administration lacked standing to bring the suit. But there are also major substantive problems with Trump's position.
Creating Voter Confusion About Candidates' Names is Bad - But Exploiting Voter Ignorance About Policy Issues is a Much Bigger Problem
Democrats' apparent effort to confuse Alaska voters about candidates' names is reprehensible. But politicians' routine lying and exploitation of ignorance about policy issues is much worse.
Antics in Alaska
Plus: Israeli election results, Warsh might favor raising borrowing costs, and more...
To Confuse Voters, Mary Peltola's Campaign Recruited a Second Dan Sullivan
The New York Times has the story.
Justice Department Targets Alaska Senate Election
The Trump administration says the state should not certify the election if the incumbent loses too narrowly.
Trump Sues to Block Alaska Senate Election Results Because of Potential Voter "Confusion"
The administration claims voters might be confused between two candidates named "Dan Sullivan."
What Happens When 2 Dan Sullivans Run for the Same Senate Seat?
Should it be illegal to run for office against someone with your same name?
A $95,000 Fine for Transporting a 6-Pack of Beer Defies the Eighth Amendment, a Supreme Court Brief Argues
The history of the Excessive Fines Clause shows why Alaska pilot Ken Jouppi should not lose his airplane simply because he helped a passenger defy a local alcohol ban.
Voter Ignorance and the Problem of Confusion Caused by Candidates With Similar Names [Updated]
Voter confusion caused by candidates with similar names - as in the current Alaska Senate race - is part of the much larger problem of political ignorance.
Supreme Court Agrees To Hear Case of Alaska Pilot Whose $95,000 Plane Was Seized Over a 6-Pack of Beer
Ken Jouppi's Eighth Amendment challenge asks the Court to decide whether a fine must be proportional to the gravity of the crime.
Would U.S. Wildlife Laws Turn Greenland's Hunters Into Criminals?
Greenlandic hunters fear a U.S. takeover because Americans "think whales and seals are cute and shouldn’t be hunted."
A Recent Book Shows Why Invading Greenland Would Be a Dumb Idea
Polar War demonstrates how difficult it is for armies to operate in the high north—and just how far America is behind Europe in Arctic warfare.
Republican Socialism: The Trump Administration Buys a Stake in Yet Another Company
The federal government can't even pass a budget. What's it doing buying a mine?
An Alaska Man's $95,000 Plane Was Seized Over a 6-Pack of Beer. Now He's Taking His Case to the Supreme Court.
Alaska has been trying to seize Ken Jouppi's Cessna for 13 years over a misdemeanor crime.
Alaska Poised To Beg for Relief From Crippling Federal Shipping Restrictions
The Jones Act keeps energy-hungry Alaskans from using their own natural gas.
The Federal Government Has a Lot of Unused Land. Can We Sell It Off To Build Houses?
One proposal would create a streamlined process for selling off federal land to state and local governments, but only if they allow housing to be built on it.
Biden Ends Presidency How He Started It: Halting Oil Production
The president’s ban on offshore oil and gas drilling perfectly encapsulates his top-down legacy on energy.
Alaska Keeps Ranked Choice Voting by Razor-Thin Margin
With 50.1 percent of the final tally, Alaskans voted to preserve a system that allows voters more choice in how they vote, and who they vote for.
Archaic Federal Law Keeps Alaskans From Using Abundant Natural Gas Reserves
The Jones Act makes the North Slope’s resources inaccessible to the state’s energy-starved residents.
What Everyone Gets Wrong About Sex Trafficking Laws
An interview with sex work researcher Tara Burns.
States Will Choose Whether To Adopt or Abandon Ranked Choice Voting
There are any number of reasons to support or oppose a switch to ranked choice voting, but most of the opposition comes from the majority parties.
The Budget Deal Is Overflowing With $12 Billion of Earmarks
Why are federal taxpayers paying for upgrades at tiny rural airports, Thanksgiving Day parades, and enhancements for Alaskan king crabs?
The Government Has Made College an Overpriced Scam
Thankfully, you don't need fancy dining halls or a college degree to have a good life or get a good job.
Ranked Choice Voting Worked in Alaska. Sarah Palin Came to CPAC To Complain About It.
According to a recent report, the system Palin once said was "so weird" that it "results in voter suppression" worked just as well as intended.
In Alaska, Ranked Choice Voting Worked
Partisan outrage over Sarah Palin's defeat shouldn't obscure the obvious benefits of better voting systems.
Don't Blame Ranked Choice Voting. Sarah Palin Was a Bad Candidate.
Blaming the ballot system ignores the fact that many Alaskans simply did not think the former governor really represented them.
Alaska Elected a Democrat to Congress for the First Time in 50 Years
Mary Peltola will only be the third Democrat, as well as the first Native Alaskan, to represent Alaska since it became a state.
Lisa Murkowski Survives, Sarah Palin Struggles Under Alaska's New Voting System
Murkowski was likely saved by the state's new open primary, while Palin may have to depend on voters who picked her as their second choice.
America's Fishing Industry Is Getting Caught Up in the Trade War
Seafood prices have gone up by double digits as tariffs and inflation drive up costs for consumers
Sarah Palin, Santa Claus Among 48 Candidates for Alaska's Open House Seat
The election serves as a trial run for Alaska's new voting process, which could be a boon for third-party candidates.
Booze News: Party Bikes in Rhode Island, Hard Seltzer in Utah
Plus: tasting rooms in Alaska and liquor delivery in Alabama
Rather Than Eliminating a Terrible Cruise Ship Law, Alaska's Lawmakers Just Want To Exempt Their Ports
How obsolete, cronyist regulations force domestic cruise ships into foreign stops
Federalizing Elections Doesn't Make Much Sense and Won't Save Democracy
The "For The People Act" was a flawed package that would have solved some problems while creating new headaches.
A 135-Year-Old Maritime Law Is Stopping Cruise Ships From Returning to Alaska
President Biden signed a bill Monday that temporarily waives the regulation. Why not just repeal the law?
This 87-Year-Old Republican's Bill Would Restore the Second Amendment Rights of Cannabis Consumers in States That Have Legalized Marijuana
Under current law, marijuana users who possess firearms are committing a felony punishable by up to 10 years in prison.
Alaskans Approve Shift to Ranked-Choice Voting
St. Louis residents agree to shift to approval voting for local primaries.
Massachusetts and Alaska May Join Maine in Letting Voters Rank Their Choices
Two November ballot initiatives would introduce ranked-choice voting in two more states.
The 5 (Mostly Libertarian) Candidates Who Might Get Blamed for Tipping Control of the Senate
Lindsey Graham just dodged a third-party bullet, but there are a handful of other tossup Senate races where third-party candidates could exceed the major candidates' margin.
Why Alaskans Can't Get Alaskan Natural Gas
It's ridiculous to cut off Alaskans from the resources found in their own backyards.
Stupid Federal Shipping Regulations Will Prevent Alaskans From Buying Alaskan Natural Gas
The Jones Act isn't saving American shipbuilders, but it's driving up prices for Americans.
Dissenting From a Decision Blocking a Retaliatory Arrest Claim, Neil Gorsuch Notes That 'Almost Anyone Can Be Arrested for Something'
The Trump appointee warns that "little would be left of our First Amendment liberties" if cops could punish people who irk them by finding a legal reason to bust them.
Hovercraft-Driving Moose Hunter Is Big Winner at SCOTUS Today
John Sturgeon can once again "rev up his hovercraft" to hunt moose on Alaska's rivers, the Supreme Court ruled unanimously.
