Anchorage Daily News

Begich promises to educate Salazar on ANWR (Politico): Senator-elect Mark Begich repeatedly promised to fight D.C. Democrats who have long opposed opening ANWR for oil drilling. So when Barack Obama named Ken Salazar as his choice as the next Interior secretary, Begich had to perform a careful balancing act. See also:

Obama taps Colorado senator for Interior (AP)

Feds nearly quash Japan's flights to Fairbanks (Fairbanks Daily News-Miner): U.S. Customs and Border Protection staffing shortfalls nearly cost Fairbanks 18 direct winter flights from Japan and the estimated $4 million those tourists would have fueled into the local economy. But Gov. Sarah Palin's intervention with Homeland Security rectified the situation.

PUNDIT POSTS: Proposed pay raises for state politicians, department heads (see Daily News story):

The Immoral Minority: "Sarah Palin about to get a raise? For what? For spending three months campaigning for vice president? For charging the state a per diem for 312 nights she spent in her own home? ..."

The Mudflats: "There are people in rural Alaska who cannot afford heat. Our budget is based on $76/barrel oil. Oil, right now, is less than $40/barrel. Our budget does not adequately fund our state troopers, even on the most basic level, among many, many other things. The national media is talking about facing the next Great Depression. And Gov. Sarah Palin is going to get a raise? ..."

Kodiak Konfidential: "The commission is also recommending a raise for our legislators. Excuse the fudge out of me, but didn't they get an effective 33% raise when we reduced their workload by a third (mandating a 90-day session over a 120-day session)? ..."

See also: Commission puts "citizens in charge" of setting pay, legislator says (Juneau Empire)

Palin says she won't accept a raise this term (ADN politics blog)

Endemic elitism in Senate appointments (Open Left): Murkowski, Carnahan, Chafee. Now, Biden and Kennedy. The frequency with which family members and close aides receive appointment to Senate seats is indicative of how our broader political system is dominated by an insider elite. See also:

2010: Year of the dynasty? (Washington Post politics blog)

Appointments with a wink and nod (MSNBC blog)

Palin among 4 runners-up to Obama for Time ‘Person of the Year' (Time magazine): In the beginning, she winked. "I was just your average hockey mom," she told us by way of introduction, which was a charming diversion from the reality of the most astonishing political debut in modern times. Sarah Palin did indeed show she could play politics as a contact sport; her motherhood did become central to her message. But average? Not in your wildest dreams. See also:

Ann Coulter's choice: Palin (Time): "I name Sarah Palin for her genius at annoying all the right people. I haven't seen liberals so enraged by a woman since me."

People who mattered: Tina Fey (Time)

Time's Sept. 15 Palin cover and cover story

Alaskans crash Time's year-end Top 10 lists (Time)

McCain: 'I'm proud of Palin' (Tucson Citizen)

Gift-giving tips from the potlatch (The New York Times): Now that hard times have arrived, what are we supposed to do for the holidays? Northwest Coast Indians who conduct potlatch ceremonies say exchanging gifts is too important to be discontinued in any kind of economy.

Nikolski phone service down for more than a month (KUCB, Unalaska): The Aleutian Islands village of Nikolski has not had phone service since early November. The problem started with the blowout of an unusual switch, and getting a replacement to the village hasn't been easy.

At 85, more peaks to conquer and adventures to seek (The New York Times): Fred Beckey, the climber whose 1954 Alaska Range "triple crown" - summiting Denali via the North Buttress plus mounts Hunter and Deborah in one summer - helped make him a legend, isn't yet content to sit at home in Seattle. With photos and video.

U.S. archaeologists work to return Alaska Native remains and artifacts (KUCB, Unalaska): Federal law requires museums and agencies to return human remains and other cultural items to descendants. That means it's up to people like U.S. Fish & Wildlife archaeologist Debbie Corbett to locate all of the remains that were taken from federal lands in Alaska, identify who they belong to and try to get them home.

Return to Alaska Newsreader through the day for new links.

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HIGHLIGHTS FROM RECENT NEWSREADERS:

Goose eggs may help polar bears weather climate change (Science Daily)

Tlingit quarterback: William Paul's big game 100 years ago (The Whitworthian)

‘Sunshine vitamin' hard to come by in winter (Juneau Empire)

Alaska Internet speed among slowest in nation (Fairbanks Daily News-Miner)

Clear for landing - a little too clear (The Redoubt Reporter)

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