ArcticToday

I was the D.C. correspondent for ArcticToday, covering politics, science, security and more in the circumpolar region, from 2018 to 2023.

Security & Defense

• U.S. jet shoots down unidentified object over Alaska’s Arctic waters
• Two Russians fled across the Bering Strait to Alaska to escape mobilization
• U.S. Defense Department creates new Arctic strategy office
• U.S. special forces are testing a new vehicle designed for Arctic conditions
• Russia’s invasion of Ukraine will have spillover effects in the Arctic
• A Russian incursion into Ukraine will likely affect the Arctic — but exactly how is unclear
• What the new defense spending bill could mean for the Arctic
• Anchorage will be home to the new US Arctic security center
• U.S. Defense Department appoints a leader for its new Arctic security center
• US Defense Department announces new Arctic security center
• US Army’s first Arctic strategy looks to “regain dominance” in extreme cold conditions
• New US Arctic strategies ignore climate risks in focus on geopolitics, experts say
• A new U.S. defense bill could require plans for an Arctic strategic port, missile warning upgrades
• The US Air Force’s first Arctic strategy emphasizes geopolitics, space
• The US Navy needs to rework its relationships with Iceland and Greenland, expert says
• New Senate legislation would require a greater U.S. Navy presence in the Arctic, more collaboration with Coast Guard
• The latest U.S. national defense bill expands focus on Russia and China in the Arctic
• When the U.S. Navy ended its climate task force, Arctic issues were sidelined too, experts say
• How geopolitics make the U.S. Navy’s plans for major Arctic operations so complicated
• New U.S. Senate defense bill requires Arctic strategic ports, attention on Russia and China
• U.S. Arctic defense strategy ramps up rhetoric without committing resources, experts say
• The US Navy’s revived 2nd Fleet, with a focus on the North Atlantic and nearby Arctic, is now operational
• As climate changes, U.S. admirals see increasing need for Arctic presence
• Will the Arctic Council begin addressing national security?
• The US Navy’s new Arctic strategy is limited in scope and details, say critics
• Congress calls for a new US Arctic defense strategy
• As the Arctic changes, international cooperation may be put to the test
• How the U.S. National Guard in cold-weather states is driving U.S. Arctic preparedness
• Growing security concerns make the Arctic loom larger in Washington
• Against a backdrop of shifting Arctic security, Iceland seeks a US trade deal

Politics & Policy

• Sfraga named new Arctic ambassador
• China will not recognize an Arctic Council without Russia, envoy says
• New U.S. Arctic strategy focuses on geopolitical rivalries and climate change
• US to create new Arctic ambassador position
• A sweeping US Senate bill aims to address key Arctic issues
• Russia denounces its exclusion from some Arctic Council work
• Arctic Council nations to resume limited cooperation — without Russia
• Future of Arctic diplomacy still unclear, says outgoing US Arctic coordinator
• Arctic Council nations are ‘pausing’ work after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine
• A new bill aims to create the US’s first high-level Arctic diplomatic office
• Biden appoints new U.S. Arctic research, leadership officials in science-based approach
• In a surprising shakeup, Biden ousts some Trump-appointed Arctic research commissioners
• A long-awaited Central Arctic Ocean commercial fishing ban takes effect
• What the Biden-Putin summit means — and doesn’t mean — for Arctic cooperation
• Top US, Russian diplomats to meet during Arctic Council ministerial
• With new leadership, US Arctic research agency prioritizes climate change, sustainable development
• Why shifting US Arctic policy to focus on climate change will be complicated
• A new inventory of Arctic infrastructure aims to spur sustainable development
• How coronavirus cancellations could change the way Arctic dialogue is conducted
• The Trump administration appoints a new State Department Arctic coordinator
• A new U.S. defense bill could require plans for an Arctic strategic port, missile warning upgrades
• Alaska senators blast banks for ‘discrimination’ as they halt Arctic oil and gas investments
• Greenland welcomes US aid, but some lawmakers fear it could bring entanglements
• U.S. officials, tribal leaders clash over Alaska Native corporation emergency funding
• Trump’s 2021 budget includes more funding for icebreakers, other Arctic priorities
• Grappling with shared issues, northern mayors have created an international Arctic cities’ forum
• Washington Arctic experts say Trump’s Greenland purchase idea shouldn’t be taken too seriously
• Iceland prioritizes continuity and a smooth transition to Russia in its chairmanship of the Arctic Council
• US has ‘vital national interests’ at stake in Russia-China relationship in the Arctic, expert says
• US budget signals more spending for long-term Arctic strategies
• Two U.S. bills could advance American presence in the Arctic
• Here’s what the U.S. federal government shutdown means for the Arctic
• Brett Kavanaugh’s confirmation to the US Supreme Court could affect the Arctic
• Duncan Hunter’s indictment has Arctic implications

Health

• Could a warming Arctic unleash the next pandemic?
• Iceland fully reopens amid rising vaccinations and demand for tourism (also published by Nunatsiaq News)
• With new COVID-19 cases, Yukon adds travel restrictions and urges more caution
• Nunavut COVID-19 lockdown begins as cases continue to rise
• Sweden’s new mental health strategy will include Sámi for the first time
• Coronavirus isn’t the only serious respiratory illness threatening Arctic residents
• A Quebec couple sparked outrage by fleeing to a remote Yukon village to escape COVID-19
• Canada’s Arctic territories all declare public health emergencies
• MOSAiC expedition halts aerial surveys due to coronavirus, travel restrictions
• How the Arctic’s limited infrastructure could make coronavirus deadlier in the region
• This year’s Arctic Winter Games have been canceled over fears of coronavirus spread
• Arctic fisheries brace for ‘significant’ effects from China’s coronavirus lockdown

Coast Guard & Icebreakers

• A U.S. Coast Guard ship unexpectedly encountered Chinese and Russian warships off Alaska
• Coast Guard crew trains in Greenland for an Arctic maritime crisis
• A changing Arctic could bring ‘potential conflict,’ Biden says
• US Coast Guard proposes purchase of existing icebreaker as Arctic ‘bridging strategy’
• The newest US icebreaker now has a name, but construction is still delayed
• Delivery of the U.S. Coast Guard’s new icebreaker is delayed, even as the agency as sharpens its Arctic focus
• A US Coast Guard patrol unexpectedly encountered Chinese warships near Alaska’s Aleutian Islands
• US, Canada conduct a joint Arctic search-and-rescue exercise in Nunavut (also published by Nunatsiaq News)
• US icebreaker departs on a voyage that will transit the Northwest Passage (also published by Nunatsiaq News)
• Arctic disaster responders train together in a first-of-its-kind joint exercise
• US Coast Guard announces plans to transit the Northwest Passage this summer
• U.S. and Russia sign new maritime pollution agreement, conduct joint Bering Sea patrol
• Inside the U.S. Coast Guard’s unusual winter mission to the Arctic
• U.S. lawmakers authorize six new icebreakers in defense bill
• A US heavy icebreaker is set to depart on its first winter Arctic mission in decades
• The only US icebreaker sailing the Arctic faces extensive repairs after an engine fire
• Trump calls for an accelerated expansion of the U.S. icebreaker fleet
• U.S. Coast Guard announces plans for a third heavy icebreaker
• U.S. Coast Guard will broaden Arctic focus to include European Arctic, commandant says
• New US icebreaker to be based in Seattle
• Amid increasingly aggressive geopolitical rhetoric, the US Coast Guard seeks peaceful cooperation
• The US Coast Guard plans to request more icebreaker funding next year
• U.S. Coast Guard awards contract for first new heavy icebreaker in four decades
• The US Coast Guard’s new Arctic strategy highlights geopolitics and security
• The only US heavy icebreaker catches fire returning from Antarctica
• US Coast Guard evaluates the environmental effects of new icebreakers
• New U.S. spending bill brings icebreaker funding back
• The only U.S. heavy icebreaker broke down on a mission to Antarctica again
• Defense bill could keep plans for progress on a new US heavy polar icebreaker alive
• New Coast Guard commandant sees the Arctic as an urgent concern
• Funding for a long-awaited US heavy icebreaker is target of House GOP cuts
• Outgoing commandant says Arctic has become a top priority for US Coast Guard

Science & Research

• Climate change is driving a sharp increase in Arctic mercury levels, a new report says
• Arctic security expert will lead Washington polar institute
• An Alaska scientist will fill the last vacancy at a key US Arctic research agency
• An unusually cool ‘blue blob’ in the North Atlantic is slowing glacier loss in Iceland
• The US participation at a major Arctic science summit suggests a return to science, climate leadership
• Greenland’s ice sheet could begin losing more than it gains every year as soon as 2055, a new study says
• The Russian Arctic is seeing record-breaking heat, and an early start to wildfires
• The massive Norilsk fuel spill could be linked to permafrost thaw, a growing threat to Arctic infrastructure
• Narwhals and belugas may be at high risk for coronavirus infection, researchers fear (also published by Nunatsiaq News)
• New climate models predict ice-free Arctic summers by 2050
• The magnetic North Pole is still moving toward Russia, but has slowed its pace
• The past six years have all been the hottest on record in the Arctic
• Caribou make the world’s longest land migration — but face risks from Arctic development, a new study says
• Funding shortfalls threaten Alaska ionosphere research center
• Arctic scientists turn to comedy to discuss serious environmental changes
• Thawing permafrost could release a long-lasting greenhouse gas at ‘surprising’ rates, says study
• Understanding climate change is key to Arctic diplomacy, experts say
• The magnetic North Pole has officially moved
• Insects play an important role in caribou migration, new research finds
• Permafrost thaw in Russia alone could cost more than $80 billion in damaged infrastructure, report says
• Climate change is pushing the Arctic into unprecedented — and unpredictable — territory, scientists warn
• Scientists puzzle over the mystery of a beluga pod spotted near Ireland
• Meet the researcher who wants to find out whether Arctic conferences are worth it
• Birds in the boreal forest will venture further north as the climate changes
• As permafrost thaws, the rocks once contained within it are dissolving, new research finds
• Arctic coastal erosion isn’t just a byproduct of climate change — it also contributes to it
• Arctic wildfires will likely become more common and more intense, experts say
• US Arctic research guidelines are getting an overhaul
• Alaska needs a permanent research station, National Weather Service says
• Alaska aims to steer its own course on climate change
• In Alaska, the National Weather Service must change as rapidly as the climate

Transportation & Maritime Policy

• New Icelandair connecting flights will ease travel between Greenland and North America
• A key Arctic Alaska port expansion gets $250 million in federal funding
• The US federal government has greenlighted the next phase of Nome’s port expansion
• Loopholes in a proposed Arctic HFO ban seriously weaken environmental protections, a new report says
• Shipping noises can disrupt Arctic cod behavior, new research finds
• New Nome port expansion plans add marine animal protections, but don’t increase depth
• Alaska’s U.S. senators push for a new Arctic shipping committee
• Nike, other retailers vow not to use Arctic shipping routes
• Nome eyes a significant port expansion — but critics wonder if it will be enough
• Like Denmark and Russia, Canada says its extended continental shelf includes the North Pole
• Russia and Canada may lose their legal claim to Arctic seaways as ice melts, experts say
• NOAA plans to test Saildrones for Arctic Ocean mapping
• New U.S. legislation speeds up the possibility of a Nome port
• Alaska senator calls for a system of U.S. Arctic ports
• How ordinary shipping could help map the uncharted Arctic Ocean seafloor
• U.S. executive order on oceans neglects the Arctic, expert says
• A French navigator is trying to sail the Northwest Passage solo — in a solar-powered boat

Energy & Natural Resources

• Major oil companies and investors pull back from Russian Arctic oil and gas
• Denmark to fund major hydropower projects in Greenland
• Biden halts oil and gas development in Arctic refuge hours after inauguration
• How energy storage can be the key to developing renewable energy in remote Arctic communities
• US Energy Department reopens Arctic office with focus on methane hydrates, microgrids and nuclear
• How remote Arctic communities can tap into river power
• U.S. Energy Secretary Perry praises Arctic oil and gas potential, while emphasizing energy geopolitics
• U.S. House votes to prevent oil exploration in Arctic refuge
• A top federal official working on Arctic refuge oil development is resigning
• U.S. House Democrats vote to block ANWR drilling if leasing bids don’t deliver
• Scientists inside and out of the federal government raise concerns about Arctic refuge drilling

Gender & Social Issues

• The first-ever Polar Pride Day this week aims to broaden inclusion among polar researchers
• Why domestic violence in the Arctic could surge with the coronavirus pandemic (also published by Nunatsiaq News)
• Why human trafficking is a serious — but mostly invisible — problem in Alaska
• Women of the Arctic is now a nonprofit focused on gender issues
• Does the United States need an inquiry into murdered and missing Indigenous women and girls?
• A breakthrough in Alaska cold-case murder shines a light on violence against Indigenous women in the Arctic
• Women’s issues are coming to the forefront of Arctic discussions
• The Arctic’s Indigenous peoples bear a disproportionate burden of the world’s response to climate change, leaders say

Arts & Culture

• How an Inuk artist drew on Arctic Indigenous culture to design a Twitter emoji
• How an art project works to brings Arctic climate change to a global audience
• How a rock band helped bring about Greenland’s home rule
• Smithsonian’s narwhal exhibit will begin traveling around the U.S. in 2020
• Finnish company promises lifelong gin to visitors at North Pole pop-up bar

Space & Technology

• As NASA resumes polar ice monitoring by satellite, some Arctic data may be passed over
• US Coast Guard satellites ceased communicating soon after launch
• NASA’s ice-measuring mission may be extended after shutdown delay
• The U.S. government shutdown is delaying a critical NASA polar ice-measuring mission
• U.S. Coast Guard launches its first satellites, with an eye on Arctic security
• How Beaufort Sea oil exploration could affect NASA’s rocket research in Alaska
• A new China-Iceland Arctic science observatory is already expanding its focus
• The Coast Guard is launching small satellites for Arctic search and rescue
• Continuous satellite coverage in the Arctic could help predict extreme weather around the globe