Nation

Study: New Mexico Most Federally Dependent State

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WALLETHUB News:

A WalletHub study reveals that New Mexico is the most federally dependent state.

In order to identify which states most and least depend on the federal government, WalletHub analyzed the 50 U.S. states across four key metrics, including:

  • the return on taxes paid to the federal government;
  • federal funding as a percentage of state revenue;
  • the number of federal employees per capita; and
  • the number of civilian non-defense federal employees per capita.

How Federally Dependent Is New Mexico? (1=Least, 25 =Avg.): 

  • 46th – Highest Return on Federal Income Tax
  • 42nd – Lowest Independent
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U.S. Rep. Lujan Grisham Highlights Positive Effects Of Medicaid Expansion

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Rep. Michelle Lujan Grisham

U.S. CONGRESSIONAL News:

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Rep. Michelle Lujan Grisham, D-N.M., marked the anniversary of the Affordable Care Act by highlighting how hundreds of thousands of New Mexico families are benefiting from the expansion of Medicaid.

An additional 230,000 New Mexicans have gained health coverage through Medicaid and the federal children’s health insurance program – a 50-percent increase over 18 months.

“I am pushing Congress to make needed improvements to the Affordable Care Act so health care is more accessible to average families,” Lujan Read More

Heinrich, Udall Introduce Bill To Boost Funding For Laboratory Directed R&D Program

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U.S. SENTATE News:

  • LDRD program advances frontiers of science and engineering, invests in critical national security missions, helps recruit and retain staff for national laboratories

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Martin Heinrich, D-N.M. and Tom Udall, D-N.M. introduced S.830, the LDRD Enhancement Act of 2015, a bill to increase the maximum percentage each laboratory director may set aside for Laboratory Directed Research and Development (LDRD) from 6 to 10 percent of the lab’s budget.

The U.S. Department of Energy’s discretionary LDRD program advances the Read More

Udall On Fifth Anniversary Of Affordable Care Act

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U.S. Sen. Tom Udall
 
U.S. SENATE News:            
 
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sen. Tom Udall issued the following statement celebrating the fifth anniversary of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) being signed into law:
 
“Five years ago today, hundreds of thousands of New Mexicans had no access to health insurance. Our state had one of the highest rates of uninsured, and among the highest rates for chronic disease. Many New Mexicans couldn’t afford to see a doctor when they or their children got sick. They didn’t have access
Read More

National Work Zone Awareness Week Highlights Start Of Annual Construction Season

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Slow down in construction zones. Courtesy/NMDOT

NMDOT News:

SANTA FE – Expect the unexpected when driving through work zones.

This week marks National Work Zone Awareness Week, the annual spring campaign held at the start of construction season to encourage safe driving through highway work zones and construction sites.

The theme for National Work Zone Awareness Week 2015 (March 23-27) is “Expect the Unexpected.”

This was the original theme used 15 years ago when the national event was created by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), the American Traffic Safety Services Read More

Udall Warns About Scam Targeting Taxpayers

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U.S. Sen. Tom Udall

STATE News:

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Sen. Tom Udall warned consumers about a phone scam targeting thousands of taxpayers in New Mexico and throughout the country, and encouraged taxpayers to exercise caution when providing personal information solicited over the phone or online. 

According to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), criminals are targeting taxpayers throughout the country with an aggressive and sophisticated impersonation scam. Callers claim to be IRS employees, often using fake names and caller ID that may make it appear as though their call Read More

SFCIR: Dr. Nakhleh To Speak On ISIS And The Aftermath Of The Arab Spring – Threats And Challenges

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Dr. Emile Nakhleh

SFCIR News:

The Santa Fe Council on International Relations presents a World Affairs Discussion Event “ISIS and the Aftermath of the Arab Spring: Threats and Challenges” by speaker Emile Nakhleh at 3 p.m. Saturday, April 11.

The event is hosted at the Santa Fe University of Art & Design, in the Forum, 1600 St. Michael’s Dr., and the cost is $15 for CIR members; $20 for non-members and guests, and qualified students with appropriate I.D. are welcome to attend this event for free.

Dr. Nakhlehretired is a Senior Intelligence Service Officer (SIS-3), Research Read More

WIPP Center Stage At Waste Management Conference

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James Knox with the Arizona Department of Public Service performs a mock Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA) level VI inspection of a WIPP truck and transuranic waste shipping containers during this week’s Waste Management Conference in Phoenix. Courtesy/WIPP

WIPP News:

WIPP took center stage at this week’s Waste Management Symposia 2015 in Phoenix, Ariz., where more than 200 participants attended a three-hour panel discussion titled “Lessons Learned and Return to Operations Following 2014 Operational Incidents.”

The panel focused on the WIPP fire and radiological release Read More

LANL: HAWC Observatory To Study Universe’s Most Energetic Phenomena

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The HAWC Gamma-Ray Observatory, 13,500 feet above sea level on the slopes of Mexico’s Volcán Sierra Negra. Courtesy/LANL

LANL News:

  • Inaugural ceremony marks completion of powerful system to detect gamma rays and cosmic rays

Supernovae, neutron star collisions and active galactic nuclei are among the most energetic phenomena in the known universe. These violent explosions produce high-energy gamma rays and cosmic rays, which can easily travel large distances—making it possible to see objects and events far outside our own galaxy.

Construction is now complete on the newest tool available Read More

Heinrich, Udall Commemorate 70th Anniversary Of White Sands Missile Range

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White Sands Missile Range Museum Park. Courtesy/delange.org

U.S. SENATE News:

WASHINGTON, D.C.– Wednesday,  U.S. Senators Martin Heinrich, D-N.M. and Tom Udall, D-N.M. introduced a resolution to commemorate the 70th anniversary of White Sands Missile Range (WSMR) in September 2015. The resolution recognizes WSMR’s unique place in history and its national security importance.

“White Sands Missile Range’s mission remains as pertinent to national security today as it was in 1945. It is the premier research, development, test, and evaluation facility, and Read More