Nation

U.S. Rep. Lujan Grisham Appointed Senior Whip

U.S. Rep. Michelle Lujan Grisham

POLITICAL News:

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Rep. Michelle Lujan Grisham has been named a Senior Whip, which is an opinion leader who helps develop strategy on votes that are important to the House Democratic Caucus. Democratic Whip Steny Hoyer appointed Lujan Grisham to the leadership position.

“I am proud to announce that Rep. Lujan Grisham will serve as a Senior Whip in the 115th Congress,” Whip Hoyer said. “As chair of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, she will bring an important perspective to the whip operation. I look forward to working with her to support Read More

Princeton Study: Electron-Photon Small-Talk Could Have Big Impact On Quantum Computing

PRINCETON News:
 
In a step that brings silicon-based quantum computers closer to reality, researchers at Princeton University have built a device in which a single electron can pass its quantum information to a particle of light.
 
The particle of light, or photon, can then act as a messenger to carry the information to other electrons, creating connections that form the circuits of a quantum computer.
 
The research will appear today in the journal Science. A PDF is available on request. The research was conducted at Princeton and HRL Laboratories in Malibu, Calif.,
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NNSA Improves Standing In ‘Best Places To Work’

NNSA News:
 
WASHINGTON, D.C. — For the second year in a row, the Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration (DOE/NNSA) has made significant gains in its “Best Places to Work in the Federal Government” rankings.
 
This year, NNSA improved its score in the index by nearly 12 points to a score a 62.5. Just two years ago, that number was 44.7.
 
“By focusing on the mission and our people, NNSA continues to make significant progress in empowering our team members, making sure they have the training and skills to do the job and ensuring that the right leaders are in
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U.S. Rep. Ben Ray Luján Meets With Elected Officials

U.S. Rep. Ben Ray Luján, right, at a meeting this afternoon outside El Parasol Restaurant in downtown Los Alamos with newly elected and re-elected officials from left, County Councilor Chris Chandler, House Dist. 43 Rep. Stephanie Garcia Richard, County Councilor Antonio Maggiore and current County Council Vice Chair Susan O’Leary. Courtesy photo Read More

LANL’s Short Animation On Asteroid Ocean Impacts Takes A First Prize

Asteroid visualization team. Courtesy photo
 
By ROGER SNODGRASS
Los Alamos Daily Post
 
For the second year in a row, a Los Alamos data visualization team won the Best Visualization and Data Analytics Showcase Award at Supercomputing 2016 in Salt Lake City last month.
 
The content of their 4-minute video illustrates varying degrees of threats from different types and sizes of asteroids landing in the ocean.
 
There’s a lot of traffic bustling about in the vicinity of Earth, not only the objects that orbit the planet, but also asteroids that
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Top Los Alamos Science Stories Of 2016

LANL News:

  • Scientific advances underscore the Lab’s integrated, multidisciplinary capabilities 

From discoveries on Mars to breakthroughs in cancer and solar cell research, as well as shedding new light on the nature of plutonium, Los Alamos National Laboratory’s 2016 accomplishments highlighted the Lab’s unique capabilities for carrying out its essential national security mission in a broad range of disciplines. Innovations in supercomputing data storage, the use of medical isotopes for cancer treatment, a tissue-engineered artificial lung, and other new technologies Read More

LANL: DNA Markers Distinguish Between Harmless And Deadly Bacteria

Scanning electron micrograph of a murine macrophage infected with Francisella tularensis strain LVS. Macrophages were dry-fractured by touching the cell surface with cellophane tape after critical point drying to reveal intracellular bacteria. Bacteria (colorized in blue) are located either in the cytosol or within a membrane-bound vacuole. Courtesy/NIAID
 
LANL News:
 
The virulent pathogen that causes the disease tularemia, or “rabbit fever,” was weaponized during past world wars and is considered a potential bioweapon.
 
Through a new study of the coccobacillus Francisella,
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DOE Awards Co-op Agreement To New Mexico Energy, Confederated Tribes Of Umatilla Indian Reservation

DOE News:

CARLSBAD — The Department of Energy’s Carlsbad Field Office Monday awarded a $375,000, five-year cooperative agreement to the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation in Pendleton, Ore. for the coordination of activities to ensure the safe transportation of transuranic waste to the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP).

Activities under the cooperative agreement focus on technical assistance to be provided through training and exercises for the Indian Nation to prepare emergency responders and emergency management for the continued assurance of safe

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IRS: Plan Now On Health Flexible Spending Arrangements For 2017

IRS News:
 
PHOENIX  The Internal Revenue Service recently reminded eligible employees that now is the time to begin planning to take full advantage of their employer’s health flexible spending arrangement (FSA) during 2017.
 
FSAs provide employees a way to use tax-free dollars to pay medical expenses not covered by other health plans. Because eligible employees need to decide how much to contribute through payroll deductions before the plan year begins, many employers this fall are offering their employees the option to participate during the 2017 plan year.
 
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U.S. Rep. Eric Swalwell Leads Call To Protect National Laboratory Employees From Blacklisting

U.S. Rep. Eric Swalwell

CONGRESSIONAL News:

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Rep. Eric Swalwell (CA15) today led 26 members of Congress, including Ben Ray Luján (NM-03) and Michelle Lujan Grisham (NM-01), in sending President-elect Donald Trump their vow to defend the scientific freedom of employees at the Department of Energy’s 17 National Laboratories, following reports that Trump’s transition team sought personal information regarding department employees’ work on climate change.

Swalwell’s district includes Lawrence Livermore and Sandia National Laboratories. The Trump transition Read More