• From frozen tundra, we built airports, roads, ports, water and sewer systems, hospitals, clinics, communications networks, research labs and much, much more.
• Former Sen. Ted Stevens • Speaking during his unsuccessful 2008 Senate campaign. Stevens, perhaps the most well-known politician in Alaska until Sarah Palin came along, was a tireless advocate for his state. While the many earmarks were controversial, it earned him some high marks amongst the people in his home state. He defended the earmarks in part because the state was relatively new, the government owned most of it, and there were numerous strategic reasons for modernizing Alaska. The state legislature responded by making him the “Alaskan of the Century” back in 2000. The scandals and flub-ups he faced late in his career (including the embarrassing “series of tubes” incident) put a negative mark on a popular politician, but ultimately, he was cleared of the ethics charges against him, leaving his reputation relatively in check. Still, a sad end for an iconic senator. source

• As we’re sure you’ve heard, Ted Stevens died in a plane crash. Looking beyond the man’s history (a long-standing Alaska senator who finished his career in scandal) and the crash itself (which killed five and injured four others, including a top aerospace executive), it’s good to point out a little bit of the culture around why Ted Stevens, who was 86 years old at the time of the crash, was in a small plane in a remote region of Alaska, rather than, say, on the road. Simple answer: It’s pretty much the best option available. source

Alaska: A state built for small planes

• 1.3 the number of pilots per 100 people in Alaska source

• » Why? Simply put, Alaska has a very complex geography which makes it impossible to drive to the many small towns that pepper the state. So instead, they fly. In fact, there’s a whole cottage industry around flying in small aircraft, or air taxis, as the natives call them. So, as a result, it has a higher pilots-per-capita than any other state by far.

Stevens: Synonymous with planes in Alaska

• Stevens was no stranger to planes, or plane crashes. In 1978, Stevens survived a plane crash in Anchorage that killed his first wife, Ann. It’s also worth pointing out that Ted Stevens has an entire airport named after him, the “Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport.” Will they keep the name? It’s going to be a strange reminder of a man who died in a plane crash.

• It’s not often you see a city totally try to reboot itself. But in the case of San Juan, Puerto Rico (technically in the U.S.), they have an ambitious $1.5 billion plan in the works. Most interesting part? The city of 400,000 (with a 2.5-million strong metro area) won’t allow any cars within the city limits. They plan to make it walkable, with heavy mass transit. Intriguing. source

• 700people have died per day in Moscow this Summer source

• what Moscow has been under a huge cloud of smoke for months, causing heavy smog.
• why A bunch of peat bogs fires near Moscow have led to record high levels of pollution.
• reaction After a sports injury, mayor Yury Luzhkov took a three-week vacation to rehab. Oops.

• They’re not out there alone right now. There’s people that are providing support. From what I’m told, there are survivors on this aircraft. I don’t know how many could be fatalities at this point.
• Alaska Air National Guard Maj. Guy Hayes • Regarding the crash, which many fear could’ve included Ted Stevens. While it’s claimed that some people survived the crash, it’s too early to know who. Stevens, the longest-serving GOP senator in history, lost in the 2008 election amid myriad ethics charges. The charges were dropped months later in the wake of prosecutorial misconduct. source

• 31% increase in civilian deaths in just six months source

• » Why the dramatic increase? Blame the intensifying insurgency. Seventy-six percent of the casualties were caused by “antigovernment elements” such as the Taliban, a number up by 53 percent from January to June 2009.

• The agreement outsources the FCC’s powers and authorities to the very industries these rules are supposed to oversee.
• Public Knowledge Senior Director Sherwin Sly • Discussing yesterday’s deal of an announcement between Google and Verizon. This is the sticking point many other people and groups have, just an FYI. Sure, it’s good for them to talk to the FCC about this kind of thing, but they’re basically trying to set public policy for everyone with a bunch of backroom deals. Sounds shady to us. Many feel that there’s a hidden agenda at work here, and if they do use this self-appointed authority, it could be dangerous. source