• The 11th Alaska Inauguration! AKA “The Honeymoon.” The Fairbanks News Miner has Gov. Bill Walker’s inaugural speech. KTUU writes about Gov. Walker’s family story. KTVA has their own take on the event, but with background music and an introduction by Rhonda McBride. Twitter is full of pictures of the Unity wishbone stance.

• On the same day as being sworn into office, Gov. Walker names two commissioners. The Peninsula Clarion has the some details. Find a full list here.

• The price of LNG is continuing to drop as Australia and Russia offer new supply to the global market, per Reuters.

• Roll Call has an in-depth story about Sen. Murkowski’s “energy manifesto,” and points out that although she’s a supporter of the dirtier fuels, she’s also more amenable to talking about global warming and alternatives than many of her GOP colleagues.

• KNOM Radio Mission has a great piece on low oil prices and the implications for current Alaska projects.

• One of the last acts as Governor and Lt. Governor of Alaska was to certify the election results. If it was uncomfortable for them, it didn’t show in the pictures. The pictures show men carrying out their duty to the state with the dignity and grace for which they are known.

• The first of potentially many unintended consequences from the Unity Ticket.

• The New York Times has an awesome story about how Michael George Patterson, a 59-year-old Alaska Native who is dying as a result of smoking, is bringing his anti-smoking message to the Alaska Native community.

• Now that Sean Parnell is now one of the most recognized private citizen in Alaska, the Juneau Empire asks Parnell about his future plans.

• The 2016 rising stars of the GOP are a motely bunch. Politico writes about where this diverse group stands on issues involving education, gay marriage, and spying on American citizens. The answers might surprise you.

• The  Speaker John Boehner-backed two-step plan to prevent another government shutdown is explained by The Hill.

• The Juneau Empire reports that the state’s exemption from the EPA’s vessel discharge regulations are set to expire in December. Alaska’s senators differ on a fix.

• Politico makes the case that maybe the price for the presidency is simply too high for any political party

• The Fairbanks News Miner was on hand during the first of many smoke pollution meetings by the state to get Fairbanks in alignment with federal air quality regulations.

• The Fairbanks City Council approved an ordinance adopting the operating and capital budgets for the city of Fairbanks.

• The public ousting of Def. Sec. Chuck Hagel has The Hill thinking this might signal an internal power shift around the president.

• An important deal was struck between the Iraqi government and the autonomous Kurdish region that has the potential to unite these two factions in the face of a Sunni insurgency. What brought them together? Oil, according to the New York Times.

• The Washington Post and the Huffington Post read the same CNN/ORC International poll released yesterday on the presidential race, but their headlines couldn’t be more different.

Contact Amanda Coyne at amandamcoyne@yahoo.com