Political News

Air Force Heeds Heinrich’s Call To Address RPA Personnel Shortfalls

SENATE News:
 
WASHINGTON, D.C.  U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich, D-N.M., a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, welcomed the Air Force’s announcement Oct. 8, to expand the Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPA) mission at Holloman Air Force Base.
 
The expansion will increase the rate of student production from 603 pilots and sensor operator students in fiscal year 2015 up to an estimated 818 students in fiscal year 2016.
 
“Our RPA community has been at a breaking point. Our airmen have had to fly countless missions with too few pilots,” Heinrich
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Luján Legislation Supports Treatment For Pregnant And Postpartum Women Suffering From Substance Abuse

U.S. Rep. Ben Ray Luján
 
CONGRESSIONAL News:
 
WASHINGTON, D.C. U.S. Rep. Ben Ray Luján of New Mexico’s Third District spoke Friday Oct. 9, at a Health Subcommittee hearing, “Examining Legislative Proposals to Combat our Nation’s Drug Abuse Crisis.”
 
Luján discussed legislation he introduced earlier this week to enhance treatment programs for pregnant and postpartum women who are suffering from substance use disorders. 
 
The Improving Treatment for Pregnant and Postpartum Women Act reauthorizes a residential treatment program that provides
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Oak Ridge 3 Peace Protesters Headline Awards Ceremony On Capitol Hill

NFFAF News:
 
TAKOMA PARK, Md.,  Peace protesters Megan Rice, Michael Walli and Greg Boertje-Obed are among those to be honored at this year’s Nuclear-Free Future Awards in Washington, D.C., sponsored by the Nuclear-Free Future Award Foundation (NFFAF).
 
The Nuclear-Free Future Awards are given annually to individuals who, through courage, integrity and conviction, have acted to rid the world of uranium mining, nuclear power and nuclear weapons.
 
This year’s Nuclear-Free Future Award ceremony is Wednesday, Oct. 28, in the Rayburn House
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Waters Of The U.S. Rule Blocked Nationwide

NMED News:

The Oct. 9 Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals ruling applying a nationwide stay of the Environmental Protection Agency’s and Army Corps of Engineer’s Waters of the U.S. (WOTUS) rule affirms the success already achieved by the New Mexico Environment Department, Office of the State Engineer, and 12 other Rocky Mountain coalition states in halting the implementation of the WOTUS rule, while the rule’s serious deficiencies are litigated. 

The federal appeals court in Ohio ruled that delaying implementation of the WOTUS rule nationwide, while litigation proceeds, would not threaten Read More

DOE Invests Over $34 Million To Improve Protection Of Nation’s Energy Infrastructure

DOE News:
 
WASHINGTON, D.C.  As part of the Obama Administration’s commitment to protecting America’s energy critical infrastructure, the Energy Department (DOE) announced more than $34 million for two projects that will improve the protection of the U.S. electric grid and oil and natural gas infrastructure from cyber threats.
 
The University of Arkansas and the University of Illinois will assemble teams with expertise in power systems engineering and the computer science of cybersecurity to develop new technologies that will help protect energy delivery systems
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Udall Hosts Events At LANL And Sandia With Lead Senate Appropriations Democrat Barbara Mikulski

SENATE News:
 
Tuesday, Oct. 13 and Wednesday, Oct. 14, U.S. Sen. Tom Udall will host Senate Appropriations Committee Vice Chairwoman Barbara A. Mikulski (D-Md.) in Los Alamos and Albuquerque to discuss the important role New Mexico’s national laboratories play in national security, energy and the state’s economy.
 
Udall, a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, has fought for strong funding for important programs at New Mexico’s national labs.
 
He invited Mikulski to tour both labs and to
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Even When It’s Out Of Commission, Everybody Wants A Piece Of WIPP

Beatrice Brailsford, left, of the Snake River Alliance and Tom Clements, right, of Savannah River Site Watch teamed up last week for nuclear waste site visits with their New Mexico counterpart, Don Hancock, director of the Nuclear Waste Safety program at the Southwest Research and Information Center in Albuquerque. Photo by Roger Snodgrass/ladailypost.com

By ROGER SNODGRASS

Los Alamos Daily Post
 
Twenty months after a truck fire and a Valentine’s Day radiation release almost half a mile underground, the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant in southeastern New Mexico is still out of business
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Barney Trujillo Announces Bid For House Dist. 40

More than 150 guest attend SUnday’s launch of the Barney Trujillo for House Dst. 40 campaign at the Santa Claran. Courtesy photo

POLITICAL News:

Barney Trujillo

Española – With more than 150 guests in attendance Sunday at the Santa Claran, Rio Arriba County Commissioner Barney Trujillo formally announced his bid for New Mexico’s House Dist. 40 (Rio Arriba, Colfax, Mora, & San Miguel).

Trujillo is the chairman of the Regional Coalition of LANL Communities.

Special guests at Sunday’s event include Sen. Richard Martinez, Rio Arriba Commissioner Alex Naranjo, Read More

Happy Columbus Day, Discovery Day, Dia De La Raza…

First Landing of Columbus on the Shores of the New World; painting by Dióscoro Puebla (1862). Courtesy/wikipedia

Staff Report

Today is Columbus Day and some organizations are open and others closed around the local area.

Los Alamos County is open except for the Eco Station; LANL is closed, Los Alamos Public Schools is closed, Santa Fe National Forest Offices are closed and the NCRTD blue bus company is closed.

Many countries in the New World and elsewhere officially celebrate as a holiday the anniversary of Christopher Columbus’ arrival in the Americas, which happened Oct. 12, 1492. Read More

Date Change: Democratic Party Meeting Oct. 19

DPLA News:

The Democratic Party of Los Alamos County monthly meeting is typically held the second Monday of each month, however, because of the Columbus Day holiday; the date for this month’s meeting has changed.

The October meeting is 7 p.m., Monday, Oct. 19 at UNM-Los Alamos, Building 5, Wallace Hall.

The featured speaker is a representative from Santa Fe speaking for Presidential Candidate Bernie Sanders. Read More

Secretary Jewell Joins New Mexico Community Leaders To Welcome Valles Caldera To National Park Service

Interior Secretary Sally Jewell addresses the crowd gathered Saturday at the Valles Caldera for the hand-over to the National Park Service. Photo by Felicia Orth
 
Sen. Martin Heinrich stands next to the arrowhead plaque unveiled at the end of the speeches Saturday at the Valles Caldera. Photo by Felicia Orth

INTERIOR DEPARTMENT News:

  • Area underscores importance of Land and Water Conservation Fund to preserve nation’s natural, cultural and outdoor recreation heritage

SANTA FE – U.S. Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell joined state, tribal and local leaders Saturday to celebrate Read More

Energy Department Invests More Than $20 Million To Advance Fuel Cell Technologies

Assistant Secretary, Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy David Danielson

DOE News:

The Energy Department announced Thursday a new report that shows the fuel cell industry is continuing to grow at an unprecedented rate, totaling more than $2.2 billion in sales in 2014.

In order to further expand on this emerging market, the Department also announced the investment of more than $20 million in 10 projects to advance fuel cell and hydrogen technologies, and enable early adoption of fuel cell applications such as light-duty fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs). 

These projects will Read More

Mother Teresa’s Volunteer Receives Caring Award

Noah Levinson. Photo by Miranda Parro/Reformer
 
SENATE News:
 
WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senators Bob Dole and Tom Daschle, co-chairs of the Caring Institute, have announced the 2015 Caring Award honorees.
 
The Caring Institute was founded in 1985 by Val J. Halamandaris after a meeting with Mother Teresa, who told him there was a poverty of the spirit in the developed world that was much worse than the poverty of the body seen in the developing world.
 
When she directed him to do something about it, he founded an awards program that identifies those who give back to society
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Saturday: Interior Secretary Jewell Celebrates Valles Caldera’s Addition To National Park Service

U.S. Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell

U.S. DEPT. OF INTERIOR News:

SANTA FE – U.S. Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell is visiting the Valles Caldera Saturday, Oct. 10.

Jewell will join U.S. Senators Tom Udall and Martin Heinrich, former U.S. Sen. Jeff Bingaman, tribal, state and local officials, and other conservation and community leaders to celebrate the inclusion of the Valles Caldera National Preserve as part of the National Park System.

The dedication ceremony is 11 a.m. in the Valle Grande Contact Station Parking Area

Valles Caldera National Preserve was established Read More

Lujan Grisham Opens Hearing On 2015 Fire Season

U.S. Rep. Michelle Lujan Grisham

U.S. CONGRESSIONAL News:

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Rep. Michelle Lujan Grisham delivered the following opening statement during today’s Agriculture Committee Subcommittee on Conservation & Forestry. As the ranking member on the committee, Lujan Grisham kicked off the hearing to review 2015 fire season and long-term trends.  

—As Prepared for Delivery—

“Thank you Mr. Chairman. I really appreciate you calling today’s hearing to review the 2015 fire season and long-term wildfire trends. Although wildfires have occasionally been discussed in Read More

Udall Votes For Major National Defense Bill, Urges Solution To Dangerous Sequestration Cuts

U.S. Sen. Tom Udall
 
U.S. SENATE News:
 
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Wednesday, U.S. Sen. Tom Udall joined the Senate in voting 70-27 for a major defense policy bill, the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA).
 
The bill — the result of an agreement between the U.S. Senate and the U.S. House of Representatives — includes several priorities Udall has championed for New Mexico. In addition to programs important for New Mexico’s military bases and national laboratories, the bill includes Udall’s measure to strengthen the open-air burn pits registry he created
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Heinrich Statement On Gun Violence Prevention

U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich

U.S. SENATE News:

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich, D-N.M. issued the following statement on the need for bipartisan, commonsense solutions to reduce gun violence in America:

“It is no secret that I am a passionate outdoorsman, hunter and supporter of the Second Amendment. It is my firmly held belief that law-abiding citizens should be able to own firearms for both sport and self-defense. That is not a political statement, it is simply who I am. 

“In our efforts to protect the established constitutional right of individual Read More

UNM Researcher Travels East To Track Pope’s Visit

Pope Francis rides in the ‘Popemobile.’ Courtesy/UNM
 
UNM News:
 
In his first visit to the United States, Pope Francis made headlines around the world and was greeted by hundreds of thousands of American Catholics and non-Catholics alike.
 
And for University of New Mexico sociology Professor Richard Wood, to see and study the pope on American soil was a special experience.
 
 
“What I focus on is the intersection of faith and public life in the United States,” Wood said, who is also
Read More

VIDEO: Udall Leads Bipartisan Coalition Of Senators Pushing For Vote On Chemical Safety Reform

SENATE News:
 
WASHINGTON  As the Senate prepares to begin debate on chemical safety reform, U.S. Sen. Tom Udall (D-N.M) led a bipartisan coalition of senators calling on Congress to finally protect families from dangerous chemicals by passing the bipartisan Frank R. Lautenberg Chemical Safety for the 21st Century Act, which Udall wrote with Sen. David Vitter (R-La.).
 
The bill is named for the late Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D-N.J.), who worked for many years to reform the broken and outdated Toxic Substances Control Act of 1976 (TSCA).
 
It would
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Udall, Heinrich Announce $4.39 Million For Tribal Suicide, Drug Abuse And Domestic Violence Prevention

SENATE News:
 
WASHINGTON U.S. Senators Tom Udall and Martin Heinrich announced that several New Mexico Tribes and organizations will be receiving a total of $4.39 million over five years to prevent suicide, fight drug abuse and combat domestic violence through the Indian Health Service’s Methamphetamine and Suicide Prevention Initiative (MSPI) and Domestic Violence Prevention Initiative (DVPI) programs.
 
The MSPI programprovides support for Tribal communities to develop culturally appropriate prevention and treatment methods for suicide and drug abuse, particularly
Read More
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