With the defeat of Sen. Lisa Murkowski, Mark Begich has become Alaska's senior U.S. senator -- less than two years into his first term. In an interview Aug. 26, Begich talked about his ability to build relationships while also bucking the federal government.

The federal health care reform passed with much controversy during the summer included, among its provisions, some extra assistance for a handful of small hospitals caught in a Medicare no man's land.

The dynamics in the Alaska Senate race were changed dramatically when Sen. Lisa Murkowski was upset in the Aug. 24 GOP primary by Fairbanks attorney Joe Miller. While we're not convinced that national Democrats will commit the level of resources needed to make the race competitive, CQ Politics is moving the rating of the race from Safe Republican to Likely Republican to reflect the new ...

Make sure to sign up to get "Afternoon Fix" in your e-mail inbox every day by 5 (ish) p.m.! EARLIER ON THE FIX Daily Fix Poll: Will Democrats lose the House? The enthusiasm gap (and seven races where it matters) "Worst Week in Washington": The Nominations Al Franken comes out of his shell Larry Sabato predicts a Republican House majority FIRST ON THE FIX * Sen. Mark Begich's (D-Alaska) state ...

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — The defeat of Republican U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski by an upstart fiscal conservative in Alaska's GOP primary could mark a significant shift for a state that has so long relied on federal pork to survive.