• The ADN’s Rich Mauer is reporting that Sens. Lisa Murkowski and Mark Begich are requesting more federal oversight for the scandal-plagued Alaska National Guard. Murkowski is requesting that the GAO investigate how the DOD manages serious National Guard allegations. Begich is aiming to increase the Pentagon’s authority with the AK Nat. Guard.
• Gubernatorial candidate Bill Walker refutes Gov. Sean Parnell’s claim that Pt. Thomson deal is great for Alaska in an ADN Compass piece.
• In another Compass piece, Anchorage Assemblywoman Elvi Gray Jackson slams Mayor Dan Sullivan on his administration’s alleged mismanagement of key muni projects and departments.
• Sen. Murkowski told Reuters that 2015 could be the year to lift the 40-year-old ban on exporting crude oil. “I think it may be timely then,” Sen. Lisa Murkowski, the top Republican on the Senate Energy Committee, told Reuters.
• The Fairbanks News Miner reports on a legal dispute between Alaska Communications System and the Fairbanks North Star Borough over whether ACS can charge the borough for daily updates to the borough’s 911 system, updates that GCI provides for free.Because of the dispute, the borough doesn’t have up-to-day information on 3,000 landlines in Alaska Communications’ phone network. The News Miner says that the information is used to locate “911 landline callers in cases where the caller doesn’t know or is unable to provide the dispatcher with their location.” The case is being argued in front of the FCC and in federal court.
• Want to commemorate the infamous Palin brawl in true Alaskan style? The Mudflats is selling Palin Street Brawl Gear for all the (adult) members of your family.
• The Juneau Empire reports that the state DOT is proposing a $570 million road project to help connect Juneau to Alaska’s main highway using a yet-to-be built ferry port in Haines or Skagway. Also in the Empire, Katie Moritz’s reports that that while Alaska has more ferries, there are fewer passengers than ever before. Ferry ridership has gone from its peak in 1992 of about 400K to today’s roughly 300K today.
• The EPA is extending time for comments on their proposal to restrict Pebble Mine.  According to the Fairbanks News Miner, they have received more than 155,000 written comments and expect several thousand more before 5:00 pm EST today.
• The National Review  and Powerlineblog.com are reporting that Senate Democrats succeeded in protecting Obama’s administrative amnesty to illegal immigrants by the narrowest of margins. Sen. Mark Begich is credited with casing the crucial vote for its passage.
• The Washington Post has reported a major blow to the GOP’s Senate takeover plans. The Kansas Supreme Court ruled that the now-resigned Democratic candidate’s name be removed from the November ballot, leaving Republican Sen. Pat Roberts and Independent Greg Orman as the main contenders. The GOP was hoping that keeping the Dem. candidate’s name on the ballot would siphon votes from Orman’s potential victory.
• Here in Alaska, the Walker-Mallott ticket have intervened in a suit in order to try to keep their names on the ballot.
• Sen. Mark Begich has come out against the Democratic Party in promising to vote against a stopgap funding measure to equip Syrian rebels. The Hill reports this action is creating ire among his peers.
• Want to look at colorful charts that show Alaska isn’t receiving nearly as many political ads as some other states?  Public Integrity has not only bar graphs and cluster bubbles, but also an interesting take on the races.
• Northwest Traveler reports that Alaska Airlines is literally saving the day for many stranded American tourists in Los Cabos desperately trying to escape the hurricane-devastated Mexican coast.  They are currently sending 6 planes and possibly more if the U.S. government asks for more help with evacuations.

Contact Amanda Coyne at amandamcoyne@yahoo.com