Justice
Alaska’s first MMIP investigator stayed 5 months; new one is committing to at least 1 year
Retired Alaska State Trooper Lieutenant Lonny Piscoya is Alaska’s new missing and murdered Indigenous persons investigator. He fills the vacancy left by Anne Sears, who went back into retirement in early September after five months on the job. Piscoya, who retired in 2018 after 25 years with the Troopers, is now responsible for leading the […]
Two more people die after a short time in Alaska Corrections custody
Two people died this week after a short time in Alaska Department of Corrections custody, bringing the total number of in-custody deaths this year to 14. Lewey Matoomealook, 37, was pronounced dead on Sept. 25 at Alaska Regional Hospital after 13 days in Corrections custody, becoming the 13th person to die in the state’s prison […]
Nenana-area tribe opposes state’s 20-mile road expansion
Some Nenana-area residents and tribal members say a state road project outside Nenana should be paused after what they describe as a failure by the state to adequately engage the public. The state wants to build 20 miles of new road to open access to agricultural opportunities and improve food security. But tribal members say […]
Alaska Rep. Eastman remains on ballot but could be disqualified after election
An Anchorage Superior Court Judge ruled Thursday that Wasilla Republican Rep. David Eastman is likely ineligible for public office but ordered that he remain on the state’s Nov. 8 election ballots, pending the result of a trial in December. Eastman is heavily favored in the general election, but if he wins in November and the […]
Faith leaders urge minimum wage hike, expanded child tax credit as Congress nears recess
WASHINGTON — Faith leaders pressed Congress to pass voting rights legislation, a $15 minimum wage and a permanent expansion of the child tax credit during a Thursday briefing on Capitol Hill. “Poverty is a policy choice,” Rev. Dr. William Barber, co-chair of the Poor People’s Campaign, said to lawmakers. Barber, who is the pastor of […]
Justice Department funds to aid tribal law enforcement and help Indigenous victims of crime
The U.S. Department of Justice announced it will provide more than $246 million in grants to Native American and Alaska Native communities for improvements in law enforcement and justice. The well-received announcement was made in Anchorage on Wednesday at the start of the federal government’s annual tribal consultation conference on violence against women. Allison Randall, […]
ACLU of Alaska launches effort to cut the number of incarcerated people, improve prison conditions
The American Civil Liberties Union of Alaska is launching on Thursday an effort to lower the prison population in Alaska and ensure that people in custody are treated with dignity and have access to civil rights. Alaska Department of Corrections currently has roughly 4,700 people in custody and the prison population has been trending up […]
Former Alaska AG pick indicted, accused of sex with 17-year-old in 1991
Former Alaska Attorney General-designee Ed Sniffen was indicted Monday by an Anchorage grand jury on three counts of third-degree sexual abuse of a minor. Sniffen is scheduled to be arraigned Monday in Anchorage Superior Court, accused of having a sexual relationship with a 17-year-old girl in 1991. The relationship was first reported in 2021 following […]
Marjorie Taylor Greene leads GOP drive to criminalize gender-affirming care for transgender youth
WASHINGTON — Conservative Republicans gathered outside the U.S. Capitol on Tuesday to commit to bringing legislation to the floor that would make it a felony to perform gender-affirming care on transgender youth, should the GOP take control of the U.S. House following the November midterm elections. “How on earth can this be happening in America? […]
U.S. government failed to properly count deaths of people in prisons and jails, Senate report says
WASHINGTON — The Department of Justice did not properly count nearly 1,000 deaths of incarcerated people in jails and prisons, according to a bipartisan report released Tuesday by a U.S. Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs subcommittee. The 10-month investigation by the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, chaired by Georgia Sen. Jon Ossoff, found that DOJ […]
In 12th Alaska Corrections death of the year, man dies after just 10 days in custody
James Rider, 31, died on Sept. 9 at Mat-Su Regional Medical Center after 10 days in the custody of the Alaska Department of Corrections, becoming the 12th person to die in the state’s prison system this year. Of the dozen deaths to occur so far this year, several have taken place after only a short […]
Before U.S. Senate vote, poll finds majority support in Alaska for same-sex marriage
As the U.S. Senate prepares to vote on a bill protecting the rights of same-sex couples to marry, a new poll indicates majority support for same-sex marriage in Alaska. The poll, which surveyed 400 Alaskans between Aug. 22 and Aug. 31, found 62% of respondents believe same-sex couples should have the same marriage rights as […]