Alaska Volcano Shoots Lava up Hundreds of Feet

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Photo Credit: APAlaska’s remote Pavlof Volcano was shooting lava hundreds of feet into the air, but its ash plume was thinning Saturday and no longer making it dangerous for airplanes to fly nearby.

A narrow ash plume extends a couple hundred miles southeast from the volcano, which is 625 miles southwest of Anchorage, said Geologist Chris Waythomas of the Alaska Volcano Observatory.

The eruption that began Monday seemed to be slowing on Saturday, but Waythomas said that could change at any time.

“Things could ramp up quickly,” he said.

There are no flight restrictions because of the eruption, but pilots are being told to use caution and pay attention, Waythomas said.

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Alaska Conservatives Respond After IRS Commissioner Ousted (+video)

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The head of the Internal Revenue Service was ousted amidst controversy that the agency had targeted certain political groups. According to the U.S. Treasury, the IRS delayed processing applications for groups tea party-affiliated groups. Those groups are already very critical of the federal government. Those CBS 11 talked to say firing the head of the agency does little to ease their fears about federal bias.

Since 2010, the Treasury Inspector General said, the IRS has not been fair in processing applications from certain groups seeking tax-exempt status. President Barack Obama addressed Americans in a press conference where he called the scandal an “outrage.”

He announced the resignation of acting IRS Commissioner Steven Miller, but former Alaska tea party candidate Joe Miller said that’s not enough. “The people that made that decision, they need to be prosecuted. The house needs to be cleaned. The IRS [needs] to make sure this doesn’t happen again.”

Mark Fish is one of the founding members of Alaska’s tea party movement. He said government scrutiny is exactly why his tea party group in Alaska opted not to file tor tax exempt status. “You know, with current events, it looks like some of those fears have been founded.”

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Remote Alaska Volcano Erupting with Lava and Ash

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Photo Credit: APA remote Alaska volcano continues to erupt, spewing lava and ash clouds.

The Alaska Volcano Observatory said Thursday a continuous cloud of ash, steam and gas from Pavlof Volcano has been seen 20,000 feet above sea level. The cloud was moving to the southeast Thursday.

John Power, the U.S. Geological Survey scientist in charge at the observatory, estimates the lava fountain rose several hundred feet into the air.

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China Seeks Foothold in Arctic Group As Competition Heats Up for Region’s Resources

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Photo Credit: State DepartmentChina is one of several countries hoping to obtain a foothold in a grouping of nations with territory lying within the Arctic Circle, a resource-rich area of fast-growing economic and strategic significance.

Beijing’s application for observer status at the Arctic Council, which meets in northern Sweden on Wednesday, requires the approval of all eight current members of the intergovernmental body, and some analysts are urging the United States to block it, pointing to China’s territorial disputes with neighboring countries and some of its policies at home.

The rising importance of the Arctic lies in its huge oil and gas potential, and experts predict virtually ice-free summers in the coming decades, making the region more accessible and navigable, and triggering concerns about potential harm to sensitive ecosystems.

A much-cited U.S. Geological Survey study in 2008 found that “the Arctic accounts for about 13 percent of the undiscovered oil, 30 percent of the undiscovered natural gas, and 20 percent of the undiscovered natural gas liquids in the world.”

Geopolitical competition among Arctic nations has been heating up in recent years, and a Russian security strategy released in 2009 warned of the possibility of military conflict over the region’s resources.

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Massive Underwater Volcano Discovered off the Coast of Southeast Alaska

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Photo Credit: Forest Service Geologist Jim BaichtalAbout 10,000 years ago, give or take a couple thousand years, a volcano blew its top in the middle of Behm Canal. The crater is still there, covered by 150 feet or so of ocean. But when the volcano exploded many thousands of years ago, it was not underwater. That’s what makes it so interesting.

Well, that and the fact that nobody currently living knew it was even there until just a few weeks ago.

U.S. Forest Service Geologist Jim Baichtal, who is based on Prince of Wales Island, and Anchorage USGS geologist Sue Karl were looking at some hydrographic surveys, something geologists tend to do.

When we were done, I noticed the area from Thorne Arm to Rudyerd had been surveyed,” Baichtal said. “I zoomed in and there was this large… some kind of volcano, and two other dome-like structures.”

Karl added that, “This new NOAA survey allowed us to see things that people had never seen before.”

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Sarah Palin Says ‘No’ to Mark Burnett for TV Talk Show

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Photo Credit: NewsmaxFormer Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin has been offered a major syndicated TV talk show by reality show producer Mark Burnett but turned down the deal, Newsmax has learned.

One of country’s sought after speakers on the political circuit, Burnett believed he could turn Palin into the next Oprah, offering to produce a daytime TV talk show hosted by the conservative icon herself.

But so far, Palin has said no — though the deal is not completely dead, say insiders.

The sticking points have been over location and money, people familiar with the deal say. Burnett has insisted that Palin do the show from either New York or Los Angeles, which would require her to move for a significant portion of the year from her residence in Alaska where she lives with husband Todd.

Palin has a distaste for cultural elites in the Big Apple and LA, one person familiar with the discussions said.

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Alaska Talks Liberty Featuring Greg Stoddard: Alaskans United for Liberty Rep.

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Russ Millette, host of Alaska Talks Liberty, will be featuring Greg Stoddard, Alaskans United for Liberty Representative. They will be discussing Failed Governance, Benghazi, Fast and Furious and IRS targets. Tune in to his radio show Tuesday May 7th at 3 PM AK Time.

See flyer below for details:

Palin on IRS Corruption: I’m Sure Obama is Grateful

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Photo Credit: © Copyright Shealah Craighead/ FacebookLet the Light Shine

Today we learned that our government targeted and harassed conservative Americans who simply wanted to be involved in the national discussion. Is it any wonder why Americans are so distrustful of D.C.? I’m sure President Obama is grateful for all the help the IRS gave his reelection campaign, but, still, you have to wonder how the bureaucrats who tried to pull this off can sleep at night.

So many Americans knew this was happening, but many felt defenseless and even helpless against a government that seems to roll along without accountability or sense of obligation to the people it’s supposed to serve. These Americans were mocked for being concerned about this, but now we see light shining on the truth, finally.

This IRS revelation is another step in the unraveling of the Obama administration’s self-proclaimed “hope and change.” Between the Benghazi cover-up and the IRS targeting Obama’s political opponents, we see the corruption at the heart of big government.

Americans should remember that this same corrupt IRS will be in charge of enforcing Obamacare. And this same inept and corrupt government will supposedly secure our now unsecured borders in advance of immigration reform and will implement a completely ethical and non-political IPAB panel to make life and death health care decisions for you and your family. Forgive me for not trusting these big government promises any more than I trust the White House’s latest Benghazi spin or the IRS’ fairness.

Despite all of this, I still believe that this “fundamental transformation of America” is temporary. This attempted transformation into a disheartened, weakened, unrecognizable nation is so far below anything Americans deserve. It becomes permanent only if we throw up our hands and surrender to the corruption and cover-ups.

We must demand more light shine on all that’s transpiring in D.C.’s self-absorbed bubble. On the IRS scandal, we must have accountability and a full investigation. On Benghazi, Speaker Boehner must create a Select Committee with full investigative and subpoena authority to get to the bottom of the cover-up. Keep the faith, friends.

– Sarah Palin

[See the full posting at Sarah Palin’s Facebook page HERE]

Bears, Glaciers: Show Pits Man Against Alaska

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Photo Credit: APDallas Seavey knows what it’s like to mush across the wilds of Alaska. Now it remains to be seen how he survives being dropped off in the middle of that wilderness and navigates his way out without the help of a dog team.

Seavey, 26, who became the youngest Iditarod champion ever when he won the 1,000-mile sled dog race across Alaska last year, is among eight mushers or outdoor adventurers featured in the latest reality show set in Alaska.

“Ultimate Survival Alaska” premieres Sunday (10 p.m. EST) on the National Geographic Channel.

“We took eight of the toughest outdoorsmen in Alaska and actually did something that was true to the nature of National Geographic,” Seavey said. “Anybody who appreciates the outdoors is going to enjoy the show.”

In each episode, the eight participants are taken by plane or helicopter to a different part of Alaska. They must find their way to a pre-arranged landing zone within three days, fighting the harshest elements the state puts in their way, from bears, mountains and raging rivers to guiding their way along a glacier. Spoiler alert: It’s not easy.

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Police Break Up Eagle Party at Safeway (+video)

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Photo Credit: YouTubeA flock of eagles descended on the Safeway parking lot last week, prompting police intervention.

Public Safety Director Jamie Sunderland says several people called in short succession on Thursday afternoon to report the melee.

“One of our officers went over there and there were 40 eagles sitting on, in and around several vehicles in the area,” Sunderland said.

Sunderland says the eagles were feasting on garbage bags of fish product in the bed of a pickup truck. Public Safety contacted the truck owner:

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