Rep. Ben Ray Luján Cosponsors Raise The Wage Act
U.S. Rep. Ben Ray Luján
U.S. CONGRESSIONAL News:
Washington, D.C. – U.S. Rep. Ben Ray Luján of New Mexico’s Third District announced Thursday that he is cosponsoring legislation to raise the minimum wage and put more money in the pocket of New Mexicans.
The Raise the Wage Act would increase the national minimum wage from $7.25 to $12 by 2020.
“New Mexico’s workers want to receive a fair day’s pay for a fair day’s work. They want to work hard so they can send their children to college and save for a dignified retirement,” Luján said. “Yet at today’s minimum wage, many full-time workers and their Read More
Governor And DOE Secretary Announce WIPP Settlement
WIPP News:
WASHINGTON, D.C. — New Mexico Gov. Susana Martinez and Secretary of Energy Ernest Moniz released the terms Thursday of a $73 million settlement of the State’s claims against the U.S. Department of Energy and its contractors related to the February 2014 incidents at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant in Carlsbad, including the associated activities at Los Alamos National Laboratory.
“The Department of Energy and the State of New Mexico have worked together to identify projects at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant and the Los Alamos National Laboratory that are mutually beneficial and Read More
Udall On DOE Settlement For WIPP Radiation Release
U.S. Sen. Tom Udall
U.S. SENATE News:
WASHINGTON, D.C. – In a statement released Thursday, U.S. Sen. Tom Udall welcomed the $73 million settlement between the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and the state of New Mexico.
Investigations by DOE and the state have found that numerous violations at Los Alamos National Laboratory led to the radiation release at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) that put at risk the health of workers and the nearby community.
Udall statement:
“New Mexicans are rightly disturbed by the violations at Los Alamos and WIPP, which led to the radiation release and put Read More
Heinrich, Udall Applaud Federal Funding For Homeless Veterans Housing Program
U.S. SENATE News:LANL/Partners Identify Clues Through Body Chemistry
The LANL and SMT collaborators (left to right): Donald Shields, Aaron Anderson, Paul Smith, Nicholas Hengartner, Dr. Donald Becker, Harshini Mukundan (co-PI), Laurie Samitaur Smith, Frederick Smith, Dung Vu (co-PI) and Robert Dye. Absent from the team photo are Srinivas Iyer, Michael Everhart Erickson and Timothy Sanchez. Courtesy/LANL
LANL News:
A new detection approach originally developed for tuberculosis diagnostics is being adapted as a tool for determining traumatic brain injury, one of the challenges facing the medical community as it works to treat military and sports figures Read More
Background-checks Database Breach Heightens Blackmail Risk
Security breach image. Courtesy/missionmode
HSNW News:
Newly released documents show how hackers infiltrated servers used by US Investigations Services (USIS), a federal contractor that conducts background checks for DHS.
In a House Oversight and Government Reform Committee hearing last week, Representative Elijah Cummings, D-Maryland said more than 27,000 personnel seeking security clearances likely were affected by the USIS breach. Similar hacks also affected servers at the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), which holds information on security clearance investigations. Read More
NM GOP Asking AG To Investigate Rep. Kenny Martinez
Rep. Kenny Martinez
STATE News:
ALBUQUERQUE – The New Mexico Republican Party is asking the Office of Attorney General Hector Balderas to investigate Rep. Kenny Martinez for possibly granting special access to lobbyists who donated vast amounts of money to his PAC.
“Attorney General Balderas needs to address the question; if Rep. Martinez is violating state law, people deserve to know,” said Pat Garrett, spokesman for the Republican Party of New Mexico.
Local news broke the story about two lobbyists, Natasha Ning and Drew Setter, who were possibly given office space in the New Read More
NEI Commends Consent-Based Used Fuel Storage Solution
NEI News:
WASHINGTON, D.C.—The Nuclear Energy Institute Tuesday welcomed a consent-based approach in New Mexico to manage used nuclear fuel from U.S. commercial reactors. Holtec International announced a memorandum of agreement with two New Mexico counties to establish a consolidated interim storage facility in southeastern New Mexico.
The announcement took place in Albuquerque and included support from New Mexico Gov. Susana Martinez. Earlier this year, Texas-based Waste Control Specialists announced its intent to design and license an interim consolidated storage facility Read More
Popular Jemez Mountains Campgrounds Reopens
USFS News:VIDEO: Heinrich Presses For Code Of Conduct In Space
U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich
U.S. SENATE News:
WASHINGTON, D.C.– During a U.S. Senate Committee on Armed Services Subcommittee on Strategic Forces hearing, U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich, D-N.M. discussed the need for an international code of conduct for behavior in space and highlighted the contributions New Mexico’s space program makes to national security.
He specifically underscored the ability of the Operationally Responsive Space (ORS) program at Kirtland Air Force Base (KAFB) to provide short-term tactical capabilities and long-term solutions to developing low cost satellites. Read More