ending March 16
Pinch me, I'm green!
New York Gov. George Pataki (R).
Photo © Reuters.
Trust reform has weighed heavily in the mind of Secretary of Interior Gale Norton but her top aides said this week they would rather see the problem eliminated altogether. Not by fixing the broken system, however. At a Congressional hearing, department officials jumped at the chance to limit, in some fashion, the government's obligations to hundreds of thousands of American Indians. The push will likely go nowhere. But in front of the right audience, the department's message appears to change as no end is in sight to a lawsuit that has dragged on for more than five years. Get the Story:
Effort targets 'deviations' prized by tribes (3/11)
Trust records being moved (3/11)
On trust, tribes still waiting (3/12)
Norton stressing cooperation (3/12)
Trust fund accounting tests federal judge (3/13)
Norton: No 'dollar amount' on trust fund mess (3/14)
Judge 'dumbfounded' with DOI (3/15)
Interior considering a limited trust fund (3/15) Debate continues on energy bill
Sen. Frank Murkowski (R-Alaska) this week pitched a compromise to opening up the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to oil drilling. He didn't offer an amendment, well at least not for now. He brought pictures of Inupiat Eskimos who would be among the most affected -- financially -- by development in Alaska's North Slope. Meanwhile, oil companies wonder whether it makes sense to wander into the untapped refuge, which may or may not provide as many jobs at the Bush administration hopes. Get the Story:
ANWR drilling could be a bust (3/11)
Safety of oil pipeline questioned (3/11)
Norton's Arctic jobs figure doubted (3/12)
Among Inupiat Eskimos, an 'injustice' (3/13)
Report questions ANWR claims (3/13)
Gwich'in leader awarded Ford grant (3/13) more stories
There's still more to read in the recap of the top stories.