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A new horror movie combines oil drilling, global warming and ancient ghosts, all set in Alaska. See story below. (IFMagazine.com)

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Club for Growth calls Rep. Don Young a "professional earmarker." Club for Growth President Pat Toomey got more space in the Wall Street Journal today to announce its own poll results on voter attitudes abut earmarks. It asked voters:

"All things being equal, for whom would you be more likely to vote for the U.S. Congress: 1) A candidate who wants to cut overall federal spending even if that includes cutting some money that would come to your district or 2) A candidate who wants to increase overall spending on federal programs as long as more federal spending and projects come to your district?"

Toomey calls the results unambiguous. General election voters chose the frugal candidate 54 percent to 29 percent, Republicans 72 to 17. He says politicians who are proud about their earmarks just don't get the changed climate.

And he quotes Young: "I listen, and I provide. That's what I'm elected for. You show me a congressman who says, I'm not going to have any earmarks, and I'm not going to listen and I'm not going to provide, and I'll show you a short-timer."

***

U.S. health secretary visits Y-K Delta. KYUK reports that Mike Leavitt visited a huffing treatment center in Bethel, then took a boat upriver to Kwethluk to see a village health clinic and a sewage lagoon. Later, talking to reporters, he said the trip gave him a chance to "see it all at one time."

"I saw the health care need, the need for sanitation systems. I had the chance to understand telemedecine in a better way. This will improve my decision-making."

***

Alaska's safe-driving teens get noticed. The Anchorage Press pointed out a state-by-state survey of laws, accident statistics and death figures prepared by Reader's Digest. Alaska and 12 other states plus the District of Columbia earned a "best" rating for saving the lives of young drivers.

And the credit for this good news goes to ... the graduated license law, one of the most restrictive in the nation.

***

House-price drop was regional, not local. Yesterday's Newsreader included an item on dropping house prices that deserves clarification. The item cited a Bloomberg.com story on a federal report stating that Alaska was grouped with four other states that had a regional drop of 14.5 percent in home prices.

This update was added to the item in the afternoon:

Update: Readers correctly note that the Office of Federal Housing Enterprise Oversight report does not include sales figures for individual states and that California's sharp real estate declines would affect a regional number. According to Dan Fauske, CEO of Alaska Housing Finance, the average residential sales price for Alaska has declined less than 1 percent, from $275,558 in May 2007 to $273,362 in May 2008.

Here are the individual state figures from OFHEO for the "Pacific census district," which includes Alaska. They clearly demonstrate the effect California's crash is having on the region:

Alaska, +1.3%

Washington, + 2.9%

Oregon, +2.2%

Hawaii, -0.3%

California, -10.6%

Here's something else that moved today on Alaska's housing market and general economic health. Northrim BanCorp's reported second quarter profits of $1.4 million, according to Marketwatch.com, and added:

While our housing market remains stable, we have experienced longer sales cycles in our major markets, reflecting a tighter mortgage loan market and reduced consumer confidence and uncertainty.

According to the Mortgage Bankers Association of America, the mortgage loan delinquency rate for Alaska is approximately half the delinquency rate for the rest of the country. Building permits have been declining since the fall of 2006, and the inventory of new lots in the greater Anchorage market is fairly limited.

Continuing high prices for energy and natural resources are creating new investments in the Alaska economy and stabilizing employment in the state. The most recent projection for the State of Alaska revenues is now forecasting a surplus through fiscal year 2009 of more than $10 billion. Consequently, we remain positive about the economic outlook in our market.

Collective sigh of relief.

***

"Bong Hits 4 Jesus" case is back in court. The Juneau Empire reports that the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals will hear arguments in the case in September, according to Juneau attorney Doug Mertz. Mertz represented the Juneau-Douglas high school student Joseph Frederick in the six-year free speech case that went all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court.

Mertz says the Supreme Court ruling failed to address all the issues involved in the case, particularly whether Alaska's free speech provisions protected Frederick's actions and whether the banner constituted a legitimate political or social protest rather than a pro-drug declaration. He lost that fight in District Court and is taking it forward on appeal.

Mertz also said he was notified that the same panel of three judges that had previously sided with his client agreed to hear the case.

***

Chuck Schumer calls Alaska for the Democrats. Both the Associated Press and a Wall Street Journal story quote the Democratic senator from New York: "We think Alaska is a race we're gonna win."

That's the sound bite. The Wall Street Journal also takes a longer, closer look at Sen. Ted Stevens and Rep. Don Young and their election challenges.

***

Yes, the House approved AGIA, but not without gas pains. Both KTVA and the Juneau Empire cover the letter of intent skirmish before the House voted a second time in support of AGIA. The Empire notes that the House failed to approve a specific start date, which means the bill becomes effective in 90 days and could delay TransCanada's preliminary work.

KTVA reports that the Senate hearings today will begin with Canadian energy officials answering questions about delays on a different pipeline project in Canada, the McKenzie line. The hearings will be closed, according to Senate President Lyda Green, because "they're not allowed to present before a foreign government committee unless it's an executive session."

Meanwhile, the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner editorial writers call for the Senate to just say no to AGIA.

TransCanada has no gas of its own. It will need the gas held under legitimate lease by BP, ConocoPhillips and Exxon Mobil for its project to proceed. TransCanada needs the oil companies to commit the gas to its project so it can secure financing - no financing, no project. That's an inescapable fact.

Interesting days are ahead.

***

Trick-or-treat bandit is sentenced. Remember the tale of Halloween candy stolen at gunpoint in Talkeetna last October? For her role, Kendra Butts, 19, was sentenced in federal court to six months in prison, according to KTUU. Butts faces further charges in state court.

***

Alaska Ranger sinking prompts Coast Guard warning about propellers. The Seattle Times this morning reports that the Coast Guard was disturbed enough by its findings to issue an early warning on "controllable-pitch propellers that can go into reverse when electric power is lost."

Capt. Mike Rand, chairman of the Marine Board of Investigation, said he struggled with the warning because investigators still aren't sure that all motors of this type will behave the same way or what prompts the action.

The story gives a gripping account of the effect the reversed engines had during the rescue attempt, forcing crewmembers to leap into the water trying to reach boats trailing off the bow.

***

Alaska Airlines says capacity and job losses possible in September. The Associated Press and Reuters report that Alaska Air announced a second-quarter profit thanks to a "fuel hedge," a financial maneuver to bet on rising oil prices.

Still, fuel prices are causing serious pain. Today the company said "it would cut Alaska Airlines' fourth-quarter mainline capacity by 5 percent versus 2007, and that 2009 capacity will decrease 5 percent to 10 percent from this year." Also, the company said it would cut the number of Alaska Airlines managers by 5 percent beginning Sept. 1.

"Skyrocketing fuel prices have eclipsed the improvements we've worked so hard to achieve in every area of our business," said Bill Ayer, Alaska Air chairman and chief executive officer.

***

Sarah James travels Outside to talk about ANWR. While members of Congress travel to ANWR as they consider solutions to the current energy crisis, the Des Moines Register reports that Gwich'in leader Sarah James from Arctic Village will speak at an ANWR information session there.

James is one of the first recipients of the Ford Foundation Leadership for a Changing World Award. She is also a co-recipient of the Goldman Environmental Prize for her work with the Gwich'in Steering Committee to protect the calving and nursery grounds of the Porcupine River caribou herd.

The Minneapolis Star Tribune, meanwhile, takes exception with the 11-member Congressional tour north, quibbling that Congresswoman Michele Bachman never set foot on the ground due to bad weather and poor flying conditions near the refuge.

***

High crime rates in Native communities targeted by proposed law. APRN and the Associated Press both report on a bipartisan bill introduced Wednesday that would boost tribal law enforcement and improve coordination between federal and local authorities.

A catalyst for the measure was the 2007 Amnesty International report that said American Indian women are more than twice as likely to be raped as other U.S. women. Suspects often go free because of unclear police jurisdictions and lack of adequate forensics.

According to the Indian Affairs panel, the United States declined to prosecute 62 percent of Indian country criminal cases referred to federal prosecutors between 2004 and 2007. Federal statistics have shown that American Indians are the victims of violent crime at 2.5 times the national rate, and rates of homicide and domestic are much higher than national averages.

Federal Bureau of Investigation reports showed that rates of all of those crimes doubled between 2005 and 2006, partly fueled by a raging methamphetamine epidemic on reservations and high rates of alcohol use.

Sen. Lisa Murkowski, a co-sponsor of the bill, called the data "an in-your-face reminder that the trust responsibility that we have, we have simply failed, in so many areas when it comes to public safety and law enforcement."

***

Sealaska's stolen data leads to fraud-protection offer. The Juneau Empire reports that after company data was stolen from an employee, Sealaska has arranged to provide its more than 19,000 shareholders with fraud protection.

"We believe that unauthorized access to your name, address and Social Security number by the thieves is unlikely, but we cannot know for sure," wrote Chris McNeil Jr., president and CEO of Sealaska, in a letter to shareholders.

The corporation negotiated with a credit protection service to establish alerts on its shareholders' credit card accounts.

***

Global warming movie gets a cool review. Called "The Last Winter," according to IF Magazine, the horror flick is set in Alaska. Congress has decided to open up drilling for oil, and engineers are assigned to construct an ice road to the drill site. Ancient creatures are unearthed during the drilling, and all the humans go slowly crazy. Oh, and the weather gets warm, and it rains a lot.

OK, it got a C+, but the scenery is said to be spectacular. Don't look for it in theaters; it's direct to DVD. Catch the trailer here.

***

Other headlines of interest to Alaskans:

> Anchorage is losing its war against obesity (KSKA)

> Alaska Guard children featured in Nickelodeon's "Coming Home"(ngb.army.mil)

> Alaska Crossing takes youth into the wild for healing (Capitol City Weekly)

> U.S. Geological Survey says Alaska is loaded with gas, oil (The New York Times)

> Sizing up Monegan's firing (The Anchorage Press)

> New mental health facility for youths opens in Fairbanks (KUAC)

> Ferry ridership grows with expanded schedule (Coast Alaska)

> North Pole has new marketing plan for Santa's hometown (Fairbanks Daily News-Miner)

> Dead humpback whale reports up to eight (Homer News)

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