Alaska House remains disorganized as Senate prepares for session ahead
Sean Maguire, KTUU, January 15, 2019
The Alaska House of Representatives gaveled into session Tuesday afternoon, but members were unable to organize a functional coalition or elect a House Speaker. For weeks, members from both parties have been working behind the scenes to establish a majority in the House without a result. Lt. Gov. Kevin Meyer gaveled the House into session and began swearing lawmakers in after the pledge of allegiance and state song. A controversy erupted when Meyer tried to deliver a note from Gov. Mike Dunleavy to House Republicans regarding the vacant seat for House District 13.
Our Take: Representative Gary Knopp must have an incredible plan in mind to allow this to continue. Thank goodness the Senate is organized and working.
U.S.-Qatar Energy Partnership Has Russia On Edge
Tim Daiss, OilPrice.Com, January 15, 2019
It’s been well noted on my OilPrice.com posts over the past year that President Donald Trump isn’t happy with where and even how much of Europe procures its natural gas. It’s still been less than a year when Trump shocked media both at home and abroad with his tongue lashing of EU members and more poignantly Germany over its continued reliance on geopolitically charged Russian natural gas. As a refresher, in early July Trump lashed out at long-time, strategic ally Germany for supporting the Russian-backed Nordstream 2 gas pipeline, stating that Berlin had become “a captive to Russia”, while he criticized German leaders for failing to raise defense spending more. In fact, Trump unashamedly jabbed Germany in front of an international audience and a host of media just before a NATO summit in Brussels, adding that it was “very inappropriate” that the U.S. was paying for European defense against Russia.
Related:
Russia Looks to Build ‘LNG Island’ To Supply Booming Asian Market
