Sandy has sailed

Alaska's attempt to grab some Superstorm Sandy money for its Chinook salmon disaster has failed.

President Obama has signed a $50.5 billion relief package for the October hurricane that trashed New York, New Jersey and other Northeast areas. Congress gave final passage to the bill Monday.

U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, voted in favor of the Sandy bill despite the omission of aid for federally declared fishery disasters in Alaska and other states. But she complained about it and said she'll keep looking for a way to reel in federal funding.

Critics panned efforts to use the Sandy bill as a vehicle to address fishery disasters in states far off the storm's path.