Western news outlets that have been reporting on alleged corruption among China's leadership appear to be targeted. The Times says it has been under attack for four months.

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The former Nebraska senator faces the Senate Armed Services Committee. After some initial doubts, the conventional wisdom in Washington is that he's likely to be confirmed. But Hagel will face some sharp questions about his views on key issues.

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The quake was centered about 100 miles northwest of Dixon Entrance, at a depth of 8.1 miles, according to initial data from the West Coast Alaska Tsunami Warning Center. Officials said there is NO tsunami danger.

Many Sitka residents felt an earthquake just before 1 a.m. Thursday.

The quake did not set off any tsunami alerts, and the West Coast and Alaska Tsunami Warning Center in Palmer reported shortly afterward that there is NO tsunami danger.

The tsunami warning center put the magnitude at 5.5, but the U.S. Geological Survey reported it at 6.0.

Thursday’s shaking comes about a month after a larger 7.5 magnitude quake that put the entire panhandle under a tsunami warning. In that instance, minimal changes in sea level were reported.

Most states require car owners to have liability insurance to cover damages their vehicles cause to others; some economists think we should require the same of gun owners.

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ANCHORAGE — The united command overseeing the salvage of the Royal Dutch Shell PLC drill barge says the vessel’s damage poses no threat to its stability while it’s anchored off an Alaska island.

But spokesman Kevin Hardy said Wednesday he could not answer whether hull damage will make the Kulluk unsuitable for towing, whether it could be moved by heavy lift ship rather than by towing, or whether it will be moved for repairs to an Asia shipyard rather than a Pacific Northwest shipyard.

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JUNEAU — Alaska’s prison population could reach capacity by 2016, even as a new prison is just gearing up.

Corrections Commissioner Joe Schmidt told the House Judiciary Committee on Wednesday that the estimate speaks to the effort under way within his department geared at reducing recidivism.

Schmidt said if the state can take steps to stop repeat offenders, it should consider those. He said the state doesn’t want to talk about building another prison any sooner than it has to.

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Single-digit temperatures fail to deter Jim Barkeley as he trains for the 350-mile 2013 Iditarod Trail Invitational bike race Monday afternoon Jan. 28, 2013 on the Tony Knowles Coastal Trail near Pt. Woronzof in Anchorage, Alaska. Barkeley, who has practiced winter camping and studied arctic survival techniques, is now riding his fully-packed bike on training runs to prepare for the February 24 race start in Knik. Racers will travel by bike, ski or foot, covering either the 350 miles to McGrath or continuing on for 1,000 miles to Nome.

JUNEAU — Gov. Sean Parnell has proposed a $24.5 million supplemental budget for unexpected or additional costs this fiscal year.

Parnell said his request includes a net decrease to the budget of about $11 million in state general fund dollars. It also includes a reduction of $25 million for the Medicaid program, which Parnell, in his transmittal letter, attributed largely to cost control measures. Margaret Brodie, with the state Department of Health and Social Services, said expenses for the program weren’t as high as earlier expected.

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Boeing is scrambling to figure out why two batteries malfunctioned on its 787, causing officials to ground the airplane this month. And at a time when Boeing most needs its skilled engineers, they're weighing a possible strike. Union leaders are considering the company's final contract offer Thursday.

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