Senate Hatches Last-Minute Deal. The Senate reached a last-minute procedural agreement late Thursday that spared them from horribly-timed votes on Friday and Saturday, and should let everyone fly home Friday for Christmas. Before the deal, senators were facing a bitter end to a bitter year. The Hill

Montana Senator's Move to China Could Shift Sen. Mary Landrieu to Energy Committee Chair. Word that President Barack Obama is ready to appoint Sen. Max Baucus, D-Mont., as his new ambassador to China could have big implications for Sen. Mary Landrieu, D-La. Nothing is definite, but the appointment, assuming Baucus wins Senate confirmation, could propel Landrieu to the chair of the Senate Energy Committee. That's because Baucus' departure could set up a domino effect on Senate committees. The Times-Picanyune

Scientists Use Laser Technology to Map Polar Bear Den Habitat. What is the best way to find sites that could be used for polar bear dens, the cozy snow caves where sows give birth and nurture their newborn cubs? On Alaska's pancake-flat North Slope, it may be deployment of laser-guided topography mapping, a new study says. Airborne light detecting and ranging -- commonly known as LiDAR -- proved extremely accurate at finding suitable denning sites on the North Slope, according to the study, which was led by the U.S. Geological Survey's Alaska Science Center. Alaska Dispatch    

Conference Report: "The Arctic: Region of Cooperation and Development." On 2-3rd December 2013, "The Arctic: Region of Cooperation and Development" international conference took place in Moscow, Russia. The conference was organized by the Russian International Affairs Council (RIAC) and its partners - the Russian Academy of Sciences Institute of World Economy and International Relations (RAS IMEMO), International Maritime Law Association, The Pew Charitable Trusts, and The Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS). The conference enjoyed a high-level opening ceremony which featured the Russian President's Special Representative for International Cooperation in The Arctic and Antarctic Arthur Chilingarov, Senior Arctic Official for Russia Anton Vasilyev, RIAC Director Andrey Kortunov, RAS IMEMO Director Alexander Dynkin, followed by Director of the CSIS Russia and Eurasia Program Andrew Kuchins, Director of The Pew Charitable Trusts International Arctic Programme Scott Highleyman, President of International Maritime Law Association Vladimir Mednikov, and Leonid Kalashnikov of the State Duma Committee on Foreign Affairs. The Arctic Institute

Is Harper's Pole Claim an Arctic Deal-Breaker? [Opinion] "What does the Danish government say about Canada's claim to the North Pole?" he asked. Our conversation might otherwise have ended quickly; the Danish government hasn't said anything about it. Neither has the Greenland Self-Rule government. But the conversation touched on an important issue: the North Pole is a hot international topic. It also revealed that Canada's prime minister might have broken an agreement with the Danish government. Arctic Journal 

Study: Climate Change Will Put Caribou Genetic Diversity at Risk. Climate change will strain caribou herds around the circumpolar north in coming decades, but Alaska's herds should fare better than their Canadian counterparts, according to a newly published study. Genetic diversity, key to the animals' ability to withstand climate shifts and habitat loss, will take varying hits over the coming decades, says the study, which predicts the fate of genetic diversity of caribou herds through 2080. It was published online Sunday in the journal Nature Climate Change. Alaska Dispatch

Mysterious Drop in Nunavut Seal Harvest. The number of seal skins harvested in Nunavut has fallen by more than half since the European Union banned seal products in 2009, but the reason for the drop in the harvest remains a mystery because the price paid to hunters for their furs has remained the same, and local demand for seal skins is at an all-time high. In the past, Nunavut hunters sent 8,000 skins to auction per year, but that number dropped to just 3,000 after the European Union imposed its seal ban in 2009. Alaska Dispatch