ARLINGTON, Virginia, May 19 [Category: Sociological] -- Americans for Prosperity posted the following news release: * * * AFP-Alaska Thanks Gov. Dunleavy for Veto of Costly Defined Benefit Pension Bill; Commends Legislators for Sustaining Veto * JUNEAU, AK - Americans for Prosperity-Alaska (AFP-Alaska) today thanked Governor Mike Dunleavy for vetoing legislation that would have reintroduced a costly, government-run defined benefit pension system, and praised members of the Alaska State Legis  more

WASHINGTON, May 18 -- Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, issued the following news release: * * * Alaska Delegation Celebrates First Oil from Pikka Development * WASHINGTON -U.S. Senators Dan Sullivan and Lisa Murkowski, and Congressman Nick Begich (all R-Alaska), today celebrated an announcement from Santos and Repsol that first oil has been produced at the Pikka development on Alaska's North Slope. "This is one of the most significant achievements on the North Slope in decades and further ce  more

WASHINGTON, May 18 -- Rep. Nicholas J. Begich III, R-Alaska, issued the following news release: * * * Alaska Delegation Celebrates First Oil from Pikka Development * WASHINGTON, D.C. - May 18, 2026 \- U.S. Senators Dan Sullivan and Lisa Murkowski, and Congressman Nick Begich (all R-Alaska), today celebrated an announcement from Santos and Repsol that first oil has been produced at the Pikka development on Alaska's North Slope. "The Pikka project, Alaska's largest oil development in more th  more

WASHINGTON, May 19 -- The American Action Forum issued the following commentary on May 18, 2026, by Energy and Environmental Policy Director Shuting Pomerleau: * * * U.S. Natural Gas Market: Soaring AI Demand and Infrastructure Constraints Executive Summary * The rapid expansion of artificial intelligence (AI) data centers is fueling a surge in U.S. electricity demand, positioning natural gas as a main baseload power source to meet the new demand; under a high-demand scenario, natural gas-fi  more

WASHINGTON, May 18 [Category: Environment] -- The Wilderness Society posted the following news release: * * * BLM takes steps to hand over Western Arctic to industry * The federal Bureau of Land Management has announced an effort to recklessly fast-track permitting for oil and gas development in the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska, and it reads like a destructive wish list that would essentially hand over the Western Arctic to the oil industry. The Alaska Oil and Gas Association petition  more

WASHINGTON, May 19 -- The U.S. Department of War issued the following news: * * * Coast Guard's Newest Polar Icebreaker Returns Home Following Arctic Deployment * The crew of the Coast Guard's newest polar icebreaker, the cutter Storis, returned to their temporary Seattle home port May 11, after a 36-day deployment to the Bering Sea. The patrol focused on advancing operational readiness, strengthening interoperability with other military assets and testing new concepts to support prolonged   more

WASHINGTON, May 18 (TNSFR) -- The U.S. Department of Commerce National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration announced issuance of an incidental harassment authorization to Aleut Corp., Anchorage, Alaska, for marine mammal disturbance associated with the Port of Adak Pier 5 Improvements Project at Adak. According to the notice, the project involves pier improvement and related construction activities that may incidentally disturb marine mammals through underwater noise and associated operation  more

WASHINGTON, May 19 (TNSFR) -- The U.S. Department of Commerce National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration announced on May 19, 2026, that it has received an application for a marine mammal research permit involving northern fur seals in Alaska. The application was submitted by the Marine Mammal Laboratory in Seattle, Washington state. According to the notice, the permit would authorize research activities involving northern fur seals (Callorhinus ursinus) from the Eastern Pacific stock in A  more

ARLINGTON, Virginia, May 19 [Category: Construction] -- Associated General Contractors of America posted the following news release: * * * Construction Jobs Increase In Fewer Than Half Metro Areas From March 2025 To 2026; Association Urges Prompt Action On Highway Bill To Support Wider Gains * Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, Texas and Idaho Falls, Idaho Have Highest Number and Percentage of Job Gains Since March 2025; New York City and Lawton, Okla. Have Largest and Steepest Job Losses  Co  more

WASHINGTON, May 19 -- The Environmental Protection Agency issued the following news release: * * * EPA Announces $9.5 Million to Address PFAS in Drinking Water in Alaska * SEATTLE (May 19, 2026) - U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has announced nearly $9.5 million in new Emerging Contaminants in Small or Disadvantaged Communities grant funding to address PFAS and emerging contaminants in Alaska communities that need it most. This new funding is part of a comprehensive, lifecycle-based str  more

WASHINGTON, May 20 -- The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development has launched the Community Development Block Grant Program specifically designed for Indian Tribes and Alaska Native Villages. With available funding ranging from $500,000 to $2 million, this program aims to empower tribal governments and communities to address their unique housing and community development needs. The initiative focuses on enhancing the quality of life for residents in these underserved areas through a v  more

WASHINGTON, May 19 (TNSFR) -- The U.S. Department of Interior Bureau of Land Management announced on May 19, 2026, that it intends to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement examining a proposed rulemaking designed to streamline permitting for oil and gas production site development within the National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska. According to the notice, the proposed rulemaking would establish pre-defined criteria for common and repeatable production-site activities in the NPR-A. Projects me  more

WASHINGTON, May 19 (TNSFR) -- The U.S. Department of Interior Fish and Wildlife Service has proposed new regulations under the Marine Mammal Protection Act that would allow the incidental, unintentional take of small numbers of polar bear during seismic exploration activities conducted by SAExploration Inc., Stafford, Texas, on Alaska's North Slope. The proposed rule would apply to seismic exploration and associated industrial activities occurring in onshore and nearshore areas of the Beaufort   more

WASHINGTON, May 19 (TNSFR) -- The U.S. Department of the Interior National Park Service published a proposed rule on May 18, 2026, seeking to amend vehicle-use regulations for the restricted portion of the Denali Park Road within Denali National Park and Preserve, Alaska. The proposal would formally codify a vehicle management framework that the National Park Service has been implementing since 2012 under the Denali Park Road Vehicle Management Plan. Under the proposed regulation, no more than  more

WASHINGTON, May 19 -- Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, issued the following news release: * * * Murkowski Presses Acting AG on MMIW Crisis, State and Local Grants * Washington, DC- U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) today questioned Acting U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche on the Department of Justice's (DOJ) Fiscal Year 2027 budget request, focusing on substantial cuts to grant programs for local and state governments and the consolidation of offices that play a critical role in achieving ju  more

WASHINGTON, May 19 (TNSinfo) -- The U.S. Department of Commerce National Telecommunications and Information Administration issued the following information collection: * * * The Department of Commerce will submit the following information collection request to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and clearance in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, on or after the date of publication of this notice. We invite the general public and other Federal agencies to com  more

WEST LAFAYETTE, Indiana, May 19 -- Purdue University issued the following news release: * * * Researchers in various studies looking for participants * Here is a list of research studies that currently are looking for participants. Study on snack's effect on heart, kidneys and gut bacteria Researchers in the Purdue University Department of Nutrition Science are doing a research study to learn how a culturally inspired snack, based on the traditional Dieta de la Milpa from Mexico and Cent  more

PHILADELPHIA, Pennsylvania, May 19 -- The University of Pennsylvania posted the following news: * * * The past and future of higher education * Nearly 400 years into its history in the United States, higher education is facing unique challenges, a panel of former university presidents and deans said during a recent discussion of its future through the lens of the past and the tumultuous present. President J. Larry Jameson opened the conversation with perspectives on Penn's heritage, dating  more

WASHINGTON, May 19 -- The U.S. Department of Homeland Security Transportation Security Administration issued the following news release: * * * TSA PreCheck Touchless ID now available at Cleveland Hopkins International Airport * CLEVELAND - The Transportation Security Administration (TSA), in partnership with Cleveland Hopkins International Airport (CLE) and participating airlines, is proud to announce the availability of TSA PreCheck (r) Touchless ID at CLE's newly expanded Central Security   more

WASHINGTON, May 19 (TNSFR) -- The U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service published a notice updating the newspapers that will serve as official publications for legal notices issued by ranger districts, national forests, grasslands, and regional offices across the Alaska, Pacific Northwest, and Pacific Southwest regions. The notice was published in the Federal Register on May 18, 2026, and covers forests and districts in Alaska, California, Oregon, Washington, and parts of Idaho and Nevad  more

WASHINGTON, May 19 [Category: ThinkTank] -- Common Cause posted the following news release: * * * Voting Rights Group Seeks Ruling to Prevent Federal Interference in Elections Before 2026 Midterms * Common Cause and four individual voters filed a motion for partial summary judgment in their federal lawsuit to stop the Trump administration from attempting to compile voters' personal data and take over elections from the states. With just months before the midterm elections and primaries alrea  more

SEATTLE, May 20 -- Alaska Airlines, a subsidiary of Alaska Air Group, issued the following statement on May 19, 2026, by travel journalist Ali Wunderman: * * * Why Belize in the off-season is the best-kept secret in the Caribbean There's a version of Belize that most travelers never see simply because they've been told to wait. Wait for the so-called "dry season." Wait for peak travel windows. But if you wait, you might miss something special: Belize stripped of its crowds, softened by aftern  more