Alaskan Volcano Seen Erupting from Space: PHOTOS

Astronauts aboard the ISS took some incredible shots of Alaska's Pavlof volcano, which began erupting on May 13, 2013, and has been disrupting air travel up near the Aleutian arc where it is situated, approximately 625 miles south of Anchorage.

When photograph ISS036-E-2105 (top) was taken, the space station was about 475 miles south-southeast of the volcano (49.1° North latitude, 157.4° West longitude). The volcanic plume extended southeastward over the North Pacific Ocean.

Two more shots, AFTER THE JUMP...

Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) is 'Evolving' on Gay Marriage

Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) is "evolving" on the subject of gay marriage, or, as Jeremy Hooper puts it, is "totally going to support equality once polls tell her she can comfortably do so..."

The HuffPost reports:

"The term 'evolving view' has been perhaps overused, but I think it is an appropriate term for me to use," she said in an address at the Chugiak-Eagle River Chamber of Commerce, according to the Chugiak-Eagle River Star.

Murkowski elaborated on her stance to Alaska Public Radio. "I think you are seeing a change in attitude, change in tolerance, I guess, and an acceptance that what marriage should truly be about is a lasting, loving, committed relationship with respect to the individual," she said. Her comments came on the same day as the Supreme Court heard arguments challenging the constitutionality of the Defense of Marriage Act.

Who will be the next Republican to make the leap? Guesses, anyone?

Senator Mark Begich (D-AK) Comes Out for Marriage Equality

Senator Mark Begich (D-AK) became the third Democratic senator in two days to come out in support of marriage equality last night after issuing a statement to Buzzfeed.

Said Begich:

"Gay and lesbian couples should not be denied the ability to pledge their love and commitment through the civil institution of marriage. I believe that two committed adults of the same sex should be able to receive a government-issued marriage license, while religious institutions retain their right to determine which marriages they will perform."

Begich has never stated whether he was for or against same-sex marriage directly but opposed a federal marriage amendment and supported same-sex partner benefits. He did not join a recent amicus brief in the DOMA case urging the court to strike it down.

Begich joins Senator Mark Warner (D-VA), and Senator Claire McCaskill (D-MO) who also suddenly evolved on marriage equality.

Alaska Republicans Literally Laugh At Idea Of Civil Unions: VIDEO

Alaska's Republican-led House Majority Caucus really gave had themselves a good laugh on Friday, when Mark Miller from the Juneau Empire asked if their upcoming initiatives include civil unions or domestic partnerships to same-sex couples.

No, House Leader Lance Pruitt said after overcoming his giggles, of course they have no such plans. Civil unions are an issue Pruitt and company wouldn't deign discuss, and it's laughable to even suggest they would debate things that "happen in people's bedrooms."

Isn't that funny? The people leading a state don't care about equality because they think being gay is just about sex? What a riot!! I'm slapping my knee!

Watch the video, via Alaska Commons, AFTER THE JUMP. It's disgusting, but thankfully it's also short.

No Investigation Into Anchorage Gay Ordinance Vote

The battle to win LGBT-inclusive non-discrimination laws in Anchorage, Alaska, has come to an end. Well, maybe.

Local NBC affiliate KTUU reports that the Anchorage Assembly voted Tuesday evening 7-4 not to launch an independent investigation into allegations that conservatives committed voter fraud by telling supporters they could register on the same day as the vote and separate claims that ballot shortages unfairly cost equality activists a winning vote.

But not all the Assembly members, even those who voted against an investigation, are convinced there weren't some shenanigans at play in the vote.

From the Kansas City Star, via Joe My God:

Some Assembly members who voted "no" said they liked the idea but wanted more information first to better direct the investigation.

Assembly Chairwoman Debbie Ossiander announced the Assembly would have a work session on the election Friday and would hear from the city clerk as well as the six-person Election Commission.

The clerk's office, which runs the elections, has said that 53 of 121 precincts at least temporarily ran short on ballots, based on a preliminary review. The shortages frustrated voters who drove from polling place to polling place in search of a way to choose their mayor and pick sides in the fractious gay rights debate.

One Assembly member said during a break that the election irregularities may have been severe enough to justify a redo.

"That's my gut feeling," said Harriet Drummond, who chairs the Assembly elections and ethics committee… "There are so many errors. There's no way to fix a specific point of blame at this point in time until we have answers to all these questions."

So while there will be no official investigation for now, it seems the case is not yet closed. That's at least better than nothing, right?

Anchorage Officials Say More Than 8,000 Ballots Suspect or Unscanned After Failed Gay Rights Vote

As we've been reporting all week, the recent election in Anchorage, Alaska in which Proposition 5, a long-fought-for LGBT anti-discrimination ordinance, failed to pass, was muddied by potential voter fraud and polling places running out of ballots.

An update from the Alaska Dispatch:

The Municipal Clerk's office has released a final tally for questioned ballots across all Anchorage precincts. With all precincts reporting, 6,095 questioned ballots have been discovered. By comparison, during the last municipal election there were only 1,060 questioned ballots. About 55,000 ballots were counted after Tuesday's election.

There also was an updated count offered by the municipality regarding those "unscanned ballots" -- ones that weren't electronically tabulated by Accuvote machines. The preliminary total: 1,433 unscanned ballots. Those included voters who showed up, signed in, but weren't electronically counted on election day. Those who used sample ballots or other non-official ballots (mayor challenger Paul Honeman alleged some voters had to poll on napkins).

No word on the napkin count. Or hanging napkins.

ACLU executive director Jeffrey Mittman is now calling for "an independent, special counsel to investigate the conduct of the April 3, 2012 Municipal Election" in the wake of the chaotic and bungled election there which resulted in the failure to pass Proposition 5, an LGBT anti-discrimination ordinance, the Anchorage Daily News reports:

Mittman was a leader in the One Anchorage campaign, the group that formed to promote the gay rights measure, and the ACLU contributed $10,000 to its effort.

Mittman said the ACLU is trying to ensure that each individual's right to vote is protected, even those who wanted to vote against Proposition 5, the gay rights ballot measure. He acknowledged the ACLU is "wearing two hats" by reviewing the election and advocating for Proposition 5. But he said it could serve both roles.

Both the city clerk's office and the ACLU are urging people who had trouble voting to come forward with complaints.

LGBT advocates have been working to pass the ordinance, which would add sexual orientation and gender identity to the city's anti-discrimination policies, for more than 35 years.