The Biden administration was sued by the state of Alaska over claims they violated a Trump-era law by narrowing the scope of a mandated oil and gas lease.
During President-elect Donald Trump's first term in 2017, he signed the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, which required the government to allow for at least two oil and gas drilling lease sales in the Coastal Plain of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) by December 2024.
With the deadline quickly approaching, the Biden administration announced in December plans to move forward with an oil and gas lease sale of 400,000 acres within the northwest portion of the program area. But the lease, which was the smallest amount required under the Trump-era law, contained some restrictions.
In a lawsuit filed on Monday, the state of Alaska sued the Biden administration on claims that they are violating the statutory mandate of Congress by limiting drilling in the region.
"Interior’s continued and irrational opposition under the Biden administration to responsible energy development in the Arctic continues America on a path of energy dependence instead of utilizing the vast resources we have available," Alaska's Republican Gov. Mike Dunleavy said in a statement.
In 1980, President Jimmy Carter set aside an area of ANWR, known as "Area 1002," for the potential future exploration and development of natural resources.
The state of Alaska claims that by limiting drilling in the region, the Biden administration "negates Congress’ express call for oil and gas leasing and development on the Coastal Plain."
"Congress did not authorize a new direction for ANWR. President Biden’s Administration ignored the law and took this unlawful detour without even presenting their final decision to the public for comment," Alaska Attorney General Treg Taylor said in a statement.
The Biden administration issued restrictions on the lease, such as surface use and occupancy, which the complaint claims could "make any development economically and practically impossible."
The lawsuit was filed just days before the lease sale is expected to take place on Jan. 9.
The Department of Interior told Fox News Digital it would not be commenting on the lawsuit.
For those considering their first trip to the US in 2025, now is the perfect time to start planning.
In 2024, the United States Travel Association's (USTA) biannual US travel forecast predicted that about 77.9 million international visitors would travel to the US and spend an estimated $153 billion. In 2025, that visitor number is projected to increase by 9.8%, for a total of approximately 85.5 million international visitors.
And while many people prefer cities like New York, Boston, and San Francisco, Nicole Sunderland — a travel creator who has been to every state in the country — said there's more to America than its big cities.
"The places that are getting the most tourists in the country are not even in my top 10 list of places that I would recommend," Sunderland told Business Insider, adding that she's spent years in California and often leaves it off her recommendation list, which infuriates many people.
She realized this was because most people preferred hiking or exploring the same type of locations outdoors. She said that although these are fun and engaging activities, she prefers more diversity in her itineraries, which include trying out new cuisines, riding seaplanes, or taking a boat to explore an Alaskan fjord.
If you're a first-time visitor in need of some inspiration, here are five states you could add to your itinerary for a mix of popular and off-beat experiences, according to Nicole Sunderland.
Michigan
Sunderland grew up in Michigan but did not fully appreciate its beauty until she began working on Mackinac Island.
Eric Poulin/Shutterstock
"This [state] is one that I get the most flack for," said Sunderland.
She grew up in Detroit and lived in a small town in Northern Michigan, but said she did not truly experience the state's beauty until she was 19 and took up a seasonal job on Mackinac Island on Lake Huron.
"I did not realize places like that existed in my state," she said, adding that if people looked past Detroit and Lansing, they'd be introduced to a host of incredible places.
"Grand Rapids is like Beer City, USA. We've got Traverse City, which is the cherry capital of the state," she said. "We have crystal-clear lakes like Torch Lake and Higgins Lake, and the Tunnel of Trees, which is one of the most incredible fall destinations — I mean, it is literally a riot of colors with the trees."
Hawaii
Sunderland says she loves visiting Oahu on long weekends to experience the island's diverse culinary scene.
RugliG/Shutterstock
Sunderland loves that each Hawaiian island is so different and has something to offer everyone.
"It's impossible to run out of things to do, especially on Oahu," Sunderland said, adding that she's found something new to explore on every visit.
"I feel like I've barely scratched the surface," she added.
Beyond its beautiful beaches and state parks, though, she enjoys the island's culinary scene and loves heading to it on long weekends so she can "eat and explore."
"There's nothing like waiting in line for a piping-hot custard malasada from Leonard's Bakery or getting a local plate lunch, extra mac salad, please!" said Sunderland.
Florida
Florida's Panhandle Beaches are Sunderland's favorite new seaside spots.
Bilanol/Shutterstock
"Orlando's popular. Miami's popular. But looking outside those areas, one place that I fell in love with last year was Pensacola Beach," said Sunderland.
Having traveled extensively to beaches around the world, Sunderland said Florida's Panhandle beaches, with their crystal-clear waters, surprised her.
"I've been enamored with that area ever since because everyone thinks, 'Oh, you got to go to Bora Bora or Maldives to access these insanely gorgeous beaches,' but you don't even have to leave the country," she said.
If you plan a road trip to the Florida Keys, Sunderland recommends lounging by the Islamorada sandbar or riding a seaplane to explore the area.
While in the Keys, she also enjoys visiting Amelia Island, the Palm Beaches, and the Biscayne and Dry Tortugas National Parks.
Alaska
Sunderland says her favorite place in the US is the Tracy Arm Fjord. The inlet is only accessible by boat and offers some seriously scenic sights.
Ruth Peterkin/Shutterstock
Sunderland loves traveling to Alaska and said it is quite different from places she usually visits or shares on her social media.
It was also the final state on her 50 states travel bucket list; she checked it off in 2019.
"I think I've been back five times since," she said, adding, "Alaska is a different level of beauty and one I never expected. It's like the air is lighter there."
The time she's spent there has been so refreshing that she struggles to explain it completely. She said that people need to visit the state and experience it for themselves, preferably in summer, when it's warmer.
One of her favorite places in the country is also in Alaska, about 45 miles outside Juneau.
"It's called Tracy Arm Fjord," said Sunderland, adding that it is close to Sawyer Glacier and only accessible by boat.
Utah
Sunderland said her trip to Lake Powell left her in awe.
LHBLLC/Shutterstock
Most people love the national parks in Utah, as does Sunderland, but her favorite memory of the state is from when she "got to spend a day out on Lake Powell," she said.
She visited the lake on Labor Day and described the experience as "one of those moments where I was just in awe. I'll never have the words to eloquently explain that experience, but it was overwhelming."
President-elect Trump pledged this week to undo former President Obama’s 2015 decision to change the name of North America’s tallest peak to its Koyukon Athabascan name "Denali," meaning "High One" or "Great One."
Speaking to conservatives at a Phoenix conference, Trump made the pledge and noted President William McKinley was also a Republican who believed in tariffs. He first promised to undo Obama's action in August 2015 and called it an "insult to Ohio," where McKinley was born and raised.
During his Phoenix remarks, he also pledged to undo Democrats’ rebranding of southern military bases named for Confederates – like Fort Liberty in Fayetteville, North Carolina, which was formerly named after Gen. Braxton Bragg.
The 20,320-foot mountain was first dubbed Mount McKinley in 1896 by gold prospector William Dickey, after learning the Ohioan had won the GOP presidential nomination – and as a swipe at silver prospectors he met who preferred Democrat William Jennings Bryan and his plan for a silver standard for the dollar.
Six months into his second term, McKinley was visiting Buffalo, New York, when anarchist laborer Leon Czolgosz assassinated him in a gladhanding line. Czolgosz believed the root of economic inequality stood with the government and was reportedly inspired by the 1900 assassination of Italian King Umberto I.
However, many Alaskans have appeared to prefer the historic name Denali:
GOP Sen. Lisa Murkowski told KTUU that Trump’s plan to bring back "Mt. McKinley" is an "awful idea."
"We already went through this with President Trump back and at the very, very beginning of his first term," she said Monday.
Murkowski said both she and Sen. Dan Sullivan, R-Alaska, – who originally hails from McKinley’s Ohio – support the name Denali.
"[Denali] is a name that has been around for thousands of years… North America’s tallest mountain – shouldn’t it have a name like ‘The Great One’?" Murkowski added.
In 2015, Sullivan told the Anchorage Daily News that "Denali belongs to Alaska and its citizens" and that the naming rights are held by Alaskan Natives.
In a statement to KTUU this week, a spokesperson for Sullivan said he, "like many Alaskans prefers the name that the very tough, very strong, very patriotic Athabascan people gave" the peak.
Meanwhile, then-Rep. Ralph Regula, R-Ohio, spent decades in Congress preventing any name change from McKinley to Denali – as the namesake president hailed from his Canton district.
Regula, who died in 2017, lambasted Obama over the name change, saying he "thinks he is a dictator."
Appearing to cite his own work presenting procedural roadblocks and language added to Interior-related bills, Regula said Obama could not change such a law "by a flick of his pen."
However, some Ohio officials have also been deferential to the will of Alaskans.
Current Lt. Gov. Jon Husted told the Dayton Daily News in 2015 that if Denali is what Alaskans want, then he in turn understood, as he wouldn’t want Alaskans dictating Ohio name changes.
"So, I guess we shouldn't tell people in Alaska should do in their own state. But I'm a big fan of Canton and McKinley and I'm glad that he's getting talked about some more," he said at the time.
I'm a solo traveler who recently visited Alaska for the first time.
I recommend taking the Alaska Railroad for its scenic views and efficient transportation.
I loved taking in the wildlife at Kenai Fjords National Park and Potter Marsh.
Over the years, I've watched many of my friends and family members go on weeklong cruises to Alaska.
As a solo traveler, I thought a cruise would be the best way to see the state. However, I didn't want to spend my entire trip on a boat and decided to make my own itinerary instead.
Here are four activities I recommend to those visiting Alaska for the first time.
Take advantage of the views on the Alaska Railroad.
The views from the train were gorgeous.
Malika Bowling
During my trip, I loved talking a ride on the Alaska Railroad, which just celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2023.
Since I was staying in Anchorage and wanted to see Kenai Fjords National Park, I took the train from Anchorage to Seward and back.
If you have the means to splurge a bit, I recommend opting for the GoldStar service, which featured glass-dome ceilings and incredible panoramic views of Alaska.
Cruise through Kenai Fjords National Park.
The views from the boat were incredible.
Malika Bowling
Taking a boat ride through Kenai Fjords National Park is a terrific option for anyone who doesn't want to spend their entire trip on a boat. I loved seeing the fjords and watching the playful sea lions and orcas.
Our ship even stopped for lunch on Fox Island. Although there isn't much exploring to do on the small island, it was nice to get off the boat and warm up with some soup and salad.
Take a flightseeing tour to Denali.
Even though I didn't get to see Denali, I saw many glaciers and mountains.
Malika Bowling
I knew booking a flightseeing tour to Denali was a gamble because of how weather-dependent the activity is.
When I arrived at the office, though, I was disappointed to find out the cloud cover would prevent us from seeing Denali, the tallest mountain in North America.
However, the pilots had a backup plan, and I still got to see lots of gorgeous glaciers and breathtaking snow-covered mountains.
Check out the wildlife at Potter Marsh.
I enjoyed observing the birds at Potter Marsh.
Malika Bowling
If you're looking to enjoy some fresh air and see different species of birds, Potter Marsh is the place to go. I loved walking along the wooden boardwalk and having close-up views of the wildlife.
Although there are tours of Potter Marsh, I'm glad I drove myself and could take my time soaking in my surroundings.
Why did some species, including ancient humans, cross the Bering Land Bridge between modern-day Siberia and Alaska during the last Ice Age? The picture has only gotten more complex.
A member of a fire crew makes their way to the Riley Fire in Denali National Park and Preserve, Alaska
Paul Ollig/National Park Service via AP
The Arctic is rapidly changing from the climate crisis, with no "new normal," scientists warn.
Wildfires and permafrost thaw are making the tundra emit more carbon than it absorbs.
From beaver invasions to giant holes, drastic changes in the Arctic are affecting the entire planet.
From Alaska to Siberia, the Arctic is changing so rapidly that there is no "normal" there now, scientists warn. The consequences reach across the globe.
The Arctic tundra now releases more carbon than it naturally draws down from the sky, as wildfires burn down its trees and permafrost thaw releases potent gases from its soil.
Once-brown regions are turning green with vegetation, while green areas are turning brown and barren. Sea ice and herds of caribou are disappearing.
This summer was the wettest on record for the Arctic overall, as rain is becoming more common than snow in some areas. Region by region, though, rainfall and the snow season are knocking down both high and low records.
Decades of data on "vital signs" suggest that "the Arctic exists now within a new regime, in which conditions year after year are substantially different than just a couple of decades ago," Twila Moon, a scientist at the National Snow and Ice Data Center, said in a briefing on Tuesday.
"Climate change is not bringing about a new normal," she added. "Instead, climate change is bringing ongoing and rapid change."
That's because the Arctic is warming about four times faster than the rest of the planet, according to previous research.
The increase in average temperatures is changing weather and landscapes in the Arctic, speeding up the climate crisis worldwide.
Giant holes, beaver invasions, and polar wildfires
For example, beavers are moving into Alaska's tundra and transforming its waterways with their dams, as warmer conditions have brought more wooded, comfortable riverbanks for them.
In Siberia, a giant hole in the ground is rapidly growing because the permafrost — a layer of soil that used to be permanently frozen — is thawing.
Satellite images from 1999 and 2017 show how much the Batagaika megaslump has grown (and how much satellite imaging has improved).
NASA Earth Observatory/Jesse Allen/Landsat data from the US Geological Survey
That's an extreme example, but melt and thaw is happening all over the planet's northernmost regions. Combined with drastic swings in weather year-to-year, these changes are wreaking havoc on Arctic landscapes, ecosystems, and people.
"These dramatic differences are making it difficult for communities to plan and they create safety issues for people who are used to more stable ice, snow, and temperature," Moon said.
Melting permafrost and the disappearance of sea ice, which once formed a protective barrier, threaten houses in the Yupik Eskimo village of Quinhagak in Alaska.
Mark Ralston/AFP/Getty Images
She was presenting the Arctic Report Card, an update that the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration publishes each year, at the fall meeting of the American Geophysical Union.
This year's report revealed a crucial shift in northern landscapes: The Arctic tundra is no longer a net carbon sink, with its boreal forests pulling carbon dioxide from the sky. Now it's a net source of carbon emissions.
"This transition from a carbon sink to a source is of global concern," Brendan Rogers, a scientist studying the tundra at the Woodwell Climate Research Center, said in the briefing.
He added that the tundra's carbon emissions are relatively small for now, "but it's that transition that we're concerned about."
This shift is partly due to giant polar wildfires burning down tundra vegetation and all the carbon it's stored. It's also because of permafrost thaw, which releases large amounts of methane — a heat-trapping gas more potent than carbon dioxide — as bacteria in the soil digest thawing plant matter.
Meanwhile,rising Arctic temperatures are driving ice melt, including on the Greenland Ice Sheet, which is a major contributor to sea-level rise worldwide. Rising oceans are already increasing flooding in coastal cities across the planet.
For example, US coastal cities from Boston to San Diego have seen more and more flood days per year every decade since 1950, according to the Environmental Protection Agency.
Arctic science is more important than ever
Reporters asked the NOAA scientists about the incoming Trump administration and whether they were concerned about losing funding for their Arctic research.
"The need, the requirement, the demand signal if you will, is higher than ever before," Richard Spinrad, the NOAA Administrator, said in the briefing.
Changes in extreme weather and sea level across the globe show that "there's a need for these investments to increase right now," he said, adding that studies have shown "the return on those investments is extraordinary, in many cases 10 to 1 in terms of protection of lives and property."
Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, indicated that she's not wedded to the Republican label, but noted that she has never abandoned it.
Murkowski, who made the remarks at a conference for the No Labels group, claimed that she's "more of a Ronald Reagan … Republican than I am a Trump Republican. And … some would say, well you're not really a Republican at all," she noted.
But the senator said "you can call me whatever you want … I'm not attached to a label. I'd rather be that no label."
Murkowski said she'd prefer being known as someone who seeks to "do right by this state and the people that I serve regardless of party."
President-elect Trump urged a crowd in Alaska in 2022 to "dump the horrific RINO senator Lisa Murkowski," using the acronym that stands for "Republican in name only."
In late 2002, Frank Murkowski, who had just departed the U.S. Senate to serve as governor, appointed his daughter Lisa Murkowski to fill the Senate vacancy.
She has since won election to the Senate multiple times, including in 2022 when she defeated Trump-backed challenger Kelly Tshibaka.
Multiple top Alaskan officials are expressing outrage at the way the Biden administration is orchestrating its final congressionally mandated leasing of Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) Section 1002 land for fossil fuel exploration.
Both of Alaska's U.S. senators, the state’s governor and local officials in the remote communities nearest the North Slope refuge collectively expressed that the Department of Interior’s planned January sale was set up in bad faith.
"These leases should be executed in good faith along the established historical processes. And obviously, the Biden administration in the past four years has just been brutal on Alaska," said Gov. Mike Dunleavy.
"And, you know, they're in the twilight of their term here. But nonetheless, they're going to continue to double-down on denying Alaska opportunities, denying our people opportunities, denying America the opportunity to potentially get some more oil [exploration] going to the future."
Dunleavy added that, despite his top perch in Juneau, he remained unclear on exactly what the Biden administration sought to gain by treating Alaska as alleged while buying energy from America’s rivals and working to shepherd in alternative fuels.
"I think when we look back on this over time, there's going to be a lot of head-scratching as to what was the purpose of all this?" he said.
"I keep telling people the idea that nobody's going to want oil if you don't allow drilling in Alaska: it makes no sense."
For his part, Dunleavy has expressed an openness to pursuing alternative fuels, including the idea of harnessing tides in the Kenai Peninsula's Cook Inlet — the second-strongest in the world — to produce energy.
The governor said that just as the Biden administration cancelled leases in ANWR-1002, President-elect Trump could nix those moves.
"They defied the spirit of the law itself," he said. "So I look forward to January 20th."
Meanwhile, leaders in the Inupiat village of Kaktovik — the only community within ANWR-1002 — slammed the structure of the lease sale.
Green interests have long claimed local residents and Native communities oppose development on their lands, but in a statement to Fox News Digital, Inupiat leaders disagreed.
"The release of the Coastal Plain Oil and Gas Leasing Program Record of Decision by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management has left the community of Kaktovik, Alaska… frustrated and discontented," a community representative said.
"The lands under question are the traditional lands of the Kaktovikmiut. However, it is apparent once again that outside, well-funded environmental groups have had the preferential voice during the Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (SEIS) process."
Local leaders accused the administration of siding with outside interests, rather than hearing from locals who may not see it their way.
"Kaktovik does not support this outcome nor condone the process by which it was reached," community leaders jointly said of the lease sale structure.
Edward Rexford, the Native village president, called it a "predetermined outcome," and that as a small tribal entity, they were not afforded adequate opportunity to participate in the impact statement process.
"The City of Kaktovik is outraged by this result," said Mayor Nathan Gordon, Jr.
Officials at the Alaska Industrial Development & Export Authority (AIDEA) concurred, adding their analysis found the Biden administration's record-of-decision blocked "nearly all development of even a small part" of ANWR-1002.
"Sadly, the Biden administration continues to take illegal actions to stop all natural resource development in Alaska," said AIDEA executive director Randy Ruaro.
"Jobs from developing ANWR would offer high wages to Alaskans at a level that can keep families in-state."
In a statement, Sen. Dan Sullivan, R-Alaska, said the sale is an "eleventh-hour" decision and "yet another charade aimed at subverting the will of Congress in the 2017 Tax Cuts & Jobs Act."
The Trump-era law was the policy that set the timeline and compelled the Biden administration to conduct the sale.
"It’s a fitting finale for an administration that has routinely allowed Iran, Venezuela and other adversaries to produce their resources, regardless of the consequences, while attempting to shut everything down in Alaska," added Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska.
Fox News Digital reached out to the Department of the Interior and the White House for response to the collective criticism, but did not receive a response by press time.
Conservative Republican Nick Begich has won a tight race for Alaska's lone seat in the House of Representatives, according to the Associated Press.
Begich defeated his main rival, Rep. Mary Peltola, D-Alaska, the first Native Alaskan in Congress, and one of only five House Democrats currently representing a district won by President-elect Trump in 2020.
The win widens the Republican majority in the House to 219 and 213 for Democrats.
The GOP candidate is no stranger to politics, having been born into a prominent political family in Alaska – made up of mostly Democrats.
His grandfather, Nick Begich, Sr., was an Alaska congressman, before mysteriously disappearing on a flight and being pronounced dead in 1972. His uncle, Mark Begich, was a U.S. senator for Alaska from 2009 to 2015.
The other two hopefuls in the race were Alaska Independence Party candidate John Wayne Howe and Democratic candidate Eric Hafner.
In a statement, the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) congratulated Begich for his "resounding victory."
"Congratulations to Congressman-elect Nick Begich on his resounding victory," NRCC Spokesperson Ben Petersen said in a statement. "Alaskans just sent an America First fighter to drain the swamp and stop the liberal war on Alaska, and Congressman-elect Begich will deliver."
Alaska is one of only two states to use ranked-choice voting in federal elections, something that benefited Peltola in 2022, when Begich and former Gov. Sarah Palin knocked each other out of the running by splitting the Republican vote.
Republicans took a lesson from that defeat, however, and instead, coalesced around Begich earlier in the race.
Alaska has just one House seat given its modest population compared to more densely packed states. It is also one of only two states to use ranked-choice voting in its federal elections.
Peltola won her seat in a special election following the sudden death of longtime Rep. Don Young, R-Alaska, in 2022.
Young’s daughters and several former staffers endorsed Peltola for re-election in the November race later that year.
The moderate Democrat has been known to break from her party on certain climate and energy issues, among others.
Begich's victory is a much-needed win for House Republicans who have fought tooth-and-nail to retain and even expand their majority.
He was added to the House GOP campaign arm's "Young Guns" list in August of this year, giving him access to National Republican Congressional Committee resources, support, and advisement.
