Alaska Public Media

WASHINGTON — The federal government’s official name for North America’s tallest peak is Mount McKinley.

President Trump reinstated the moniker on Day 1 of his second term with an executive order entitled “Restoring Names that Honor American Greatness.”

But Sen. Lisa Murkowski is trying to re-restore a much older name.

“We have called it, this mountain, Denali in Alaska for decades, generations,” she said at a Senate hearing Tuesday. “The Koyukon Athabascan have called it, referred to it, as Denali for millennia.”

Murkowski has sponsored a bill that would nullify Trump’s name change, and change the official name back to Denali, which is often translated as “The Great One.” Alaskans feel strongly about it, she said.

“This is about respecting the original stewards of the land who gave this fitting name,” she said.

President William McKinley has no particular connection to Alaska and never visited, Murkowski noted.

A prospector named the mountain for him, and the government adopted it officially in 1901. The appellation stuck for the rest of the 20th century, despite a petition from the state of Alaska in the 1970s in favor of Denali. Murkowski and the rest of the Alaska delegation to Congress sponsored Denali bills year after year but the delegation from McKinley’s home state —Ohio — blocked them. President Obama finally stepped in and ordered the name changed in 2015. That held for a decade, until Trump changed it back.

Murkowski said her Denali bill is not meant to diminish President McKinley or his contributions to the country. And, she said, he won’t go un-honored.

“You’ve got the McKinley national memorial, the National McKinley Birthplace Memorial, the McKinley Presidential Library Museum,” she said. “You’ve got statues in Ohio, Hawaii, Illinois, among others. So this is nothing against our former president.”

An Interior Department witness at the hearing said the administration opposes the name restoration because it conflicts with Trump’s executive order on the mountain’s name.

Sen. Dan Sullivan co-sponsored Murkowski’s bill, as did three Democratic senators. Its prospects are uncertain. It could be negotiated into a package of bills containing the home-state priorities of other senators. Or it could be added to must-pass legislation. But if Trump insists on keeping the name McKinley, it’s not clear a sufficient number of Republicans in Congress would cross him.

It’s that season: time for snow, holiday shopping and, of course, end-of-year top 10 lists. Last week, Spotify’s Wrapped and Apple Music’s Replay gave users their top songs, artists and genres of the year.

That got us wondering — what did state lawmakers have on their playlist this year? We asked a few.

Rep. Genevieve Mina, D-Anchorage: Feminine angst and ennui

For some people — maybe, a lot of people — music is one of those things that helps you get in touch with what you’re feeling. At least, that’s what Democratic Anchorage state Rep. Genevieve Mina said she got out of the more than 19,000 minutes she spent listening to Spotify this year.

“I guess my relationship with music is, being able to just tap into emotions that I love, to feel and to process,” Mina said. “I think that’s important, especially, you know, in a role where you have to present yourself in a specific way.”

At the top of Mina’s list is the song “Juna” by Clairo — a little indie pop with some R&B undertones. She said she loves the way the song swells in the middle.

 

“I definitely put that album on repeat a lot at the beginning of the year,” she said. “I mean, all of the songs are just like, they’re very romantic. They’re very lovey-dovey. And so it’s just, like, a good, easy listening album.”

Looking back at her top songs and artists of the year — Adrianne Lenker, Clairo, some of the more introspective Charli XCX songs — Mina said something of a theme emerged.

“It’s a bit of, I’m about to turn 30, feminine angst and ennui,” she said.

Sen. Mike Cronk, R-Tok: Comforting classics

For Tok Republican Sen. Mike Cronk, what Spotify calls “honky tonk” and “southern rock” were at the top of his Spotify Wrapped. He said he listens to all kinds of music but consistently returns to some familiar favorites.

“A lot of, like, the Eagles’ greatest hits, Bob Seger’s greatest hits,” Cronk said. “I guess it’s kind of soothing, in a way.”

He said the music he listened to the most this year calls back fond memories — like time at the family cabin after a long day tending traps.

“We had, like, four cassette tapes,” he said. “The Eagles’ Greatest Hits was one and Alabama was one.”

Grunge also makes an appearance on Cronk’s list. Chris Cornell, the late vocalist of Soundgarden and Audioslave, had two songs in Cronk’s top 5 — a cover of Prince’s “Nothing Compares 2 U” took the top spot.

Rep. Ashley Carrick, D-Fairbanks: Whimsical pump-ups

There’s a bit of that in the Fairbanks Democratic Rep. Ashley Carrick’s playlist. There are some familiar millennial anthems — you know, some Neon Trees, a little Florence and the Machine, Lady Gaga, Kesha — but also some newer songs, like “Yes, I’m A Mess” by the band AJR.

“There’s just like, this note of whimsy in these otherwise pretty serious, kind of power-you-up kind of songs,” she said.

 

Perfect, she said, for going to the gym, walking into work, and starting the day.

“I’m a huge fan of, like, turning my volume up all the way and going outside and just running,” she said. “You do that for 20 minutes to an hour, and you feel like a different person. And I just love that music lets me do that.”

This reporter: Danger Zone

I suppose, it’s only fair that at this point I share my own top song of the year — the Kenny Loggins classic “Danger Zone.” You know, the one from Top Gun.

It’s not because I’m really into the ’80s. I just flew a lot this year.

Stay with me: If you press “play” right as the engines on a 737 power up for takeoff, you leave the ground right around the time the chorus hits. You know, just like in Top Gun.

 

It’s a little moment — on every takeoff — that reminds me exactly how cool it is that humans can fly. And this year, I flew enough to push Loggins above Kendrick Lamar, Dua Lipa and Lake Street Dive on my Apple Music Replay.

What that says about me, that’s up to you.

Winter in Alaska isn’t just cold. It can feel like the sun barely shows up. I wake up, and it’s dark. I go to work, still dark. By the time I drive home, it’s dark again. Every winter, those long, dark days can drag me into the winter blues — grumpy mornings, sadness and low energy.

This year, I wondered: How could I feel better during Alaska’s long, dark season without a huge effort or blowing my budget?

For this Alaska Survival Kit, I talked to two experts who shared five simple strategies.

1. Turn your bedroom into a cave

Debby Maloney, a nurse practitioner at Vitae Integrative Medical Center in Anchorage, said she sees many of the same patients each year as winter begins, seeking help for symptoms of seasonal depression. She said prevention is key because it’s easy for some people to descend into the winter blues by letting small things slide.

“We stay in bed longer,” she said. “We don’t take care of ourselves as well. We’re not exercising as much. We’re not eating the same foods and we start getting into this very slow decline, into this depressive state.”

So how do we avoid this fate?

It starts with where you sleep, Maloney said. She said you want to transform your bedroom into a cool, dark cave.

“Our bodies actually sleep better if we’re in a more cool environment,” Maloney said. “So cool, dark, cozy.”

She recommends turning your thermostat down by as much as 10 degrees at night.

2. Wake up with bright lights

To turn off the sleep hormone melatonin, you need light — and lots of it. With no morning sun in the winter, Maloney said your best bet is to use sun lamps, which mimic daytime brightness.

Maloney said she doesn’t have seasonal affective disorder, but she still uses the lamps to help with her energy and mood.

“Getting that bright light in your eyes within the first hour of waking up, [for] 20 to 30 minutes, it’s been a game changer for me,” Maloney said. “I don’t have that afternoon crash.”

If you’re on a budget, thrift stores or secondhand marketplaces usually have some of the lights for sale. Also, the hardware store sells more affordable light bulbs that simulate sunlight.

3. Don’t skip exercise

Maloney said even gentle exercise tells your body it’s time to wake up and you don’t need to be a super athlete to benefit.

“I used to tell some of my elderly patients that, if we can’t go outside and walk, maybe go to your favorite store and just walk around the perimeter,” she said. “Just get some exercise.”

4. Check in and reach out

Rani Malone, who works in mental health support at Alaska Behavioral Health, didn’t do anything special during seasonal changes as a kid growing up in Palmer. But as an adult, she’s leaned into self care in the winter to boost her mood.

One of her favorite tips is simple: Check in with neighbors and friends. It’s good for you and good for them.

“Asking people how they’re doing and trying to just connect and and plan things — social connection is going to be a huge thing that’s going to help you get through the season,” Malone said. 

5. Visualize the good. Repeat.

But it’s one thing to know that we should be doing these things, and another to make yourself do them in the winter, even if you don’t feel like it. Malone said to motivate yourself, visualize the good that will come out of it.

“Thinking of, what’s your overall goal?” she said. “So just, doing the opposite of what you naturally want to do, which is stay in bed and stay warm.”

She said the more you do a healthy routine, the easier it gets. And she would know. Her elaborate night routine includes winding down with aromatherapy and a shower with eucalyptus, dim lights, journaling and sipping a nightcap magnesium drink.

But she said self care like that isn’t always enough. Malone said to get professional help if you notice these signs:

“If you’re having a hard time getting out of bed multiple mornings, and it’s now turned into weeks, and you’re missing work, or you’re missing your responsibilities of taking care of your kids or your household,” she said.

And she said it’s really important to reach out for help if you’re thinking of harming yourself or others.

This story is part of Alaska Public Media’s Alaska Survival Kit series. 

WASHINGTON — U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski said she was deeply troubled by a Washington Post report alleging that the military launched a second strike on Sept. 2 to kill survivors clinging to the wreckage of their suspected drug boat.

“That effectively makes you a war criminal,” she said. “I mean, there are rules of war. We don’t do that.”

Some of her colleagues on Thursday viewed a video of the Sept. 2 attack. Murkowski said the situation is far from clear.

“I have heard from two different individuals who viewed that same video, that they viewed it differently,” she said.

The White House and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth confirmed this week that there was a second strike, though they say it was legal and dispute key parts of the Post story. Hegseth said he watched the first strike live and then left the room.

“I did not personally see survivors but I stand – because that thing was on fire,” he told reporters after a White House Cabinet meeting. “It was exploded. Fire and smoke … This is called the fog of war.”

The Pentagon Law of War Manual says “Persons who have been incapacitated by wounds, sickness, or shipwreck are in a helpless state, and it would be dishonorable and inhumane to make them the object of attack.”

Hegseth and President Trump say they stand by the commander of the operation. Adm. Frank Bradley was at the Capitol Thursday to brief a select group of Congress members, which did not include the Alaska delegation.

Several Republicans watched the video in a closed-door briefing and emerged sounding confident the strikes were legal and justified. But Democrats had a different take. One House member called the footage “one of the most disturbing things I’ve ever seen in my public service.”

The chairman of the Senate Armed Service Committee is calling for an inquiry into the “double-tap” incident, and this could prove to be a rare moment when a number of Senate Republicans publicly disagree with Trump.

Murkowski is already there. She has been critical of the strikes and voted with Democrats in October on a measure that would have curtailed military attacks on suspected drug boats without congressional approval. She also crossed the aisle to vote on a similar war powers resolution last month. The strikes, she said, have now killed more than 80 people without trials.

“I have questioned the legality, and I wanted to know specifically, what’s the end goal here,” she said.

Sen. Dan Sullivan declined an interview request this week but his office sent a statement saying he’s seeking more information.

Alaska sees the largest seasonal employment swing of any state, according to new data from the state Department of Labor and Workforce Development. The gap between the lowest and highest employment months is about 14% in the state, or a difference of 43,900 jobs. The next closest state is Montana at 6%.

State economist Dan Robinson said tourism, seafood processing and construction are especially seasonal industries, and that they bring thousands of workers to communities around the state.

“There’s some big economic activity that occurs seasonally, that just really blows things up in the summer,” he said.

Alaska’s employment is far less seasonal than it used to be. In the 1970s, the difference between the highest and lowest months was over 40%, according to the report, more than twice the current level. That difference was largely tied to building the Trans-Alaska Pipeline and a wave of oil-boom construction. The state’s seasonality has been relatively stable since the early 1990s.

Robinson said some of the state’s most rural areas see the biggest seasonal differences. For example, in the Bristol Bay Borough employment skyrockets in the summer months from just under 500 jobs to almost 4,000, according to the study. That’s an increase of over 667%.

“They’re small enough to not have very big industries elsewhere, the support type industries,” Robinson said. “They’re interesting and unusual for rural areas in the country because either fishing or tourism are massive draws.”

The Denali Borough and Skagway are also extremely seasonal, which the report attributes to tourism. Anchorage sees the smallest swings at 6%.

The report said that seasonal employment swings are also likely tied to Alaska having the largest gross migration rate – the number of people moving to and from the state each year. Between 1990 and 2018, Alaska’s gross migration rate was 12.8%.

Robinson said about 20% of workers don’t stay in the state long enough to claim residency.

“There are things that excite people to come here, both as a tourist and then to live here. The possibility of living here is kind of a big adventure, but we also have strong push factors,” Robinson said.

Those push factors, Robinson said, are a comparative lack of entertainment, and long winters.

Update, 9:30 a.m. Thursday:

The repeal resolution passed the Senate Thursday by a vote of 49-45. It goes next to the president’s desk.

Original story:

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Senate is about to vote on a resolution to toss ex-President Biden’s limits on oil and gas leasing in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and ensure nothing like it is imposed again.

The measure would expand the area available for leasing to the entire coastal plain of the refuge, in the northeast corner of Alaska. It is part of a strategy to dismantle Biden’s environmental legacy, much of which took place in Alaska, the state with the most federal land.

The sponsor of the repeal, Sen. Lisa Murkowski, described it as removing Biden’s barriers to resource development in Alaska.

“We opposed their central Yukon Resource Management Plan, their integrated activity plan for our National Petroleum Reserve, and their decision to shut down any potential development on a very small part of the coastal plain,” she said on the Senate floor Wednesday.

Congress and the Trump administration have already nullified the Biden limits on leasing in the Arctic Refuge. But the latest nullification method uses the Congressional Review Act. That means a future president could not impose substantially similar limits without an act of Congress.

Sen. Martin Heinrich, D-N.M., spoke against the resolution. An outdoorsman who has travelled to the region, Heinrich described the refuge as a breathtaking wilderness that’s vital for hundreds of species of birds and wildlife.

“”The Arctic Refuge is the crown jewel of our National Wildlife Refuge System, and it belongs to every single American,” he said. “It deserves our protection.”

Market forces may, in effect, provide that protection. No major oil companies bid when the first Trump administration held an ANWR lease sale in 2021. A lease sale during the Biden administration, with more restrictive conditions imposed, drew no bids at all.

The resolution cleared a Senate procedural vote largely along party lines Wednesday, with only Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, crossing the aisle to vote with Democrats. It’s expected to pass the Senate on a final vote Thursday. The House has already passed an identical resolution so it would go next to the president for signature.