Melted Alaska sea ice alarms coast residents, scientists

Melted Alaska sea ice alarms coast residents, scientists

ANCHORAGE, Alaska

Sea ice along northern Alaska disappeared far earlier than normal this spring, alarming coastal residents who rely on wildlife and fish.

Ice melted as a result of exceptionally warm ocean temperatures, the Anchorage Daily News reported.

The early melting has been “crazy,” said Janet Mitchell of Kivalina. Hunters from her family in early June traveled more than 50 miles by boat to find bearded seals on sea ice. Bearded seals in the past could be hunted just outside the village, but sea ice had receded far to the north.

“We didn’t know if we’d have our winter food,” she said. “That was scary.”

The hunters ran out of gas after harvesting eight seals and a walrus. They were able to call other residents to deliver fuel, Mitchell said.

Kudlow: US sales to Huawei won’t imperil security

WASHINGTON

White House economic adviser Larry Kudlow insisted Sunday that President Donald Trump won’t back off national security concerns after agreeing to allow U.S. companies to sell some components to Chinese telecommunications giant Huawei.

Kudlow told “Fox News Sunday” and CBS’ “Face the Nation” that Huawei will remain on an American blacklist as a potential security threat. He stressed that additional U.S. licensing “will be for what we call general merchandise, not national security sensitive,” such as chips and software generally available around the world.

“What’s happening now is simply a loosening up for general merchandise,” Kudlow said. “This is not a general amnesty.”

Action sought on Republican who threatened police

SALEM, Ore.

Just one day after Republicans ended a walkout that shut down the Legislature for over a week, the Senate was once again delayed Sunday – this time by Democrats demanding a Republican senator who threatened state police be barred from the floor.

The Senate was delayed more than three hours as Democrats met in closed-door meetings to press for action against Sen. Brian Boquist, who drew criticism after saying state police should “send bachelors and come heavily armed” if they try to return him to the Capitol amid a GOP walkout over climate legislation.

“We have a situation where someone threatened to kill a police officer,” said Democratic Sen. Shemia Fagan. “Where are we going to draw the line and say we’re not going to just look the other way in order to get our paperwork done?”

Japan resumes commercial whaling

TOKYO

Japan has resumed commercial whaling after 31 years, meeting a long-cherished goal of traditionalists that’s seen as a largely lost cause.

Whaling boats embarked today on their first commercial hunts since 1988, when Japan switched to so-called research whaling, but will stay within the country’s exclusive economic waters. Japan’s six-month notice to withdraw from the International Whaling Commission took effect Sunday.

The Fisheries Agency said the catch quota through the end of this year is set at 227 whales, fewer than the 333 Japan hunted in the Antarctic in recent years. The quota for this season’s catch, planned for release in late June, was postponed apparently to avoid criticism during the Group of 20 summit that concluded over the weekend in Osaka.

Associated Press