Politics

Op-Ed: ‘County Shows It Doesn’t Give A Flock About Surveilling Citizens’

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By JAMES RICKMAN
Los Alamos

Perhaps I should feel grateful that County leaders dispatched their official Spin Doctor to reply to my letter about the emergence of a network of Automatic License Plate Readers (ALPRs) in our community (link). But outside of Mr. Krueger’s “Trust Us, We’re the Government” response, the County continues to sidestep the issue of why the cameras were installed in the first place.

Is Los Alamos facing some kind of underlying existential threat that necessitates its citizens giving up some of their liberties to gain a little more security?

The way the County tells it, Read More

Rep. Vasquez Secures Win In Fight For Accountability & Answers From DOD On El Paso Airport Closure

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U.S. HOUSE News:

WASHINGTON, D.C. — On June 4, U.S. Rep. Gabe Vasquez (NM-02)—in his role as a member of the House Armed Services Committee—secured a critical, bipartisan win in his ongoing fight to get the accountability and answers New Mexicans deserve from the Department of Defense regarding the chaotic closure of the El Paso Airport in February 2026. 

During committee markup, Rep. Vasquez introduced an amendment to the Fiscal Year 2027 National Defense Authorization Act requiring the Department of Defense to provide a report on its coordination process with DHS and FAA, an explanation Read More

Los Alamos Helps Fire Up interplanetary Space Missions

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Artist’s rendering of NASA’s Dragonfly rotorcraft on the surface of Saturn’s moon Titan. The car-sized lander will explore Titan’s environment and study its complex chemistry. Courtesy/NASA/Johns Hopkins APL/Steve Gribben

LANL News:

  • Work is helping to power exploration into the cosmos

Within the recesses of a Los Alamos National Laboratory facility, a scientist studies a small ceramic pellet through layers of leaded glass. The pellet fits in the palm of a hand, but its purpose is anything but small. It is a plutonium-238 heat source, engineered to power scientific instruments in some Read More

DPLAC To Hold Monthly Meeting Monday June 8  

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DPLAC News:

The Democratic Party of Los Alamos (DPLAC) is scheduled to hold its monthly meeting at 6:30 p.m. Monday, June 8.

How to attend:

          • In person: White Rock Branch Library
          • Via Zoom, Meeting ID: 816 5412 7593

Agenda items:

  • Primary election results
  • Executive team updates (Chair, Vice Chair, Ward Chairs)
  • Upcoming events
    • Table at Los Alamos Pride June 12
    • June 13: Garage Sale. Donations welcome.
    • Friday night concerts
    • Next monthly meeting 6:30 p.m., July 13, at Mesa Public Library
    • Aug. 2: Obama Chili Cookoff, Fuller Lodge.
    • September 12: JFK Fundraiser Dinner, Beef & Leaf Cafe.
  • Democratic
Read More

County Invites Community To Comment On Upcoming Safety Improvements To Ashley Pond Park

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COUNTY News:

Los Alamos County preliminary design concepts for preventing vehicles from leaving Trinity Drive and entering Ashley Pond Park are now available for residents to provide feedback on now through Aug. 2.

The community is invited to review the designs and provide feedback on the County’s consultation page for this project.

Three design concepts were drafted with contractor Groundworks Studio to provide different options of protecting park-goers from the potential of vehicles intentionally or unintentionally leaving Trinity Drive, while also improving or complementing Read More

U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich Releases Statement Ahead Of Oil And Gas Lease Sale In The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge

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U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich

From the Office of U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich:

WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), Ranking Member of the U.S. Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, released the following statement Thursday ahead of the Bureau of Land Management (BLM)’s lease sale for the Coastal Plain of the Arctic Refuge today, June 5, which will open up the area’s 1.56 million acres for harmful drilling:

“I’ve been blessed to see the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge with my own eyes. It is deeply connected to the traditions and daily life of the people who have lived Read More

New Mexico Health Care Authority Restores Hotline For Reporting Abuse Of People With Disabilities

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NMHCA News:

SANTA FE — New Mexicans will again be able to report suspected abuse, neglect or exploitation of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities directly to intake specialists starting July 1 by calling a restored toll-free hotline: 800.445.6242.

The hotline connects callers straight to intake specialists in the New Mexico Health Care Authority’s Division of Health Improvement Incident Management Bureau, eliminating extra steps so reports reach the intake team more quickly. Beginning July 1, online reports submitted through HCA’s reporting webpage will also Read More

How Is The U.S. Modernizing The Nuclear Tip Of The Spear?

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A B61 Nuclear Bombs in a Bunker illustrates the unimaginable destructive power located in one storage bunker. Courtesy/Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists 2025

By Mark MacInnes
For the Los Alamos Daily Post

Adversaries and Urgency

As the United States confronts growing competition from China and Russia, much of the public discussion about nuclear deterrence focuses on missiles, submarines, and bombers. A recent online forum hosted by the Advanced Nuclear Weapons Alliance Deterrence Center highlighted a less visible challenge: rebuilding the industrial and scientific infrastructure Read More

Heinrich And Stansbury Announce House Passage & Senate Committee Advancement Of Legislation To Transfer Federal Land To Pueblos For Indian Pueblo Cultural Center

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U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) speaks in support of the Albuquerque Indian School Act at a Senate Committee on Indian Affairs hearing to consider pending legislation, June 3, 2026. Courtesy photo

NM Delegation News:

WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) and U.S. Rep. Melanie Stansbury (D-N.M.) announced that their Albuquerque Indian School Act of 2025, which is cosponsored by U.S. Sen. Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), a member of the U.S. Senate Committee on Indian Affairs, and U.S. Representative Teresa Leger Fernández (D-N.M.), passed the U.S. House of Representatives and Read More

2026 Primary Election Winners Express Appreciation

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Winners of the 2026 Primary Election are: clockwise from left, Municipal Judge Elizabeth Allen, Los Alamos County Assessor candidate Jeff Casalina, Los Alamos County Council candidate Jason Chappel, incumbent Councilor Theresa Cull, Council candidate David Hampton, incumbent Councilor Melanee Hand, Probate Judge Perry Klare, Council candidate Steven Lynne, Sheriff candidate Antonio Maggiore and Magistrate Judge Catherine Taylor. Courtesy photos

Staff Report

The unofficial results of the 2026 Primary Election are in.

In the locally contested races for Los Alamos County Council Read More