Nation

Udall Welcomes Passage Of Bill To Begin Reform Of Federal Information Technology Systems

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 U.S. Sen. Tom Udall

U.S. SENATE News:

  • Udall authored reform legislation to improve how citizens interact with government, save billions of taxpayers’ dollars, increase transparency in IT purchasing

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sen. Tom Udall, chairman of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Financial Services and General Government, announced that a bill he has helped champion in Congress, to begin needed reforms of federal information technology (IT) purchasing and management, has passed Congress as a part of major defense legislation. 

The Federal Information Technology Read More

Bandelier Proposes Entrance Fee Increases

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Bandelier back country. Photo by Sally King/NPS

BANDELIER News:

Beginning in mid-January 2015, Bandelier National Monument will be seeking public comment on proposed changes in their fee schedule. 

In the summer of 2014, National Park Service (NPS) areas that charge fees were authorized to consider increases in entry fees, which could be implemented as early as sometime in 2015. These changes align with the NPS’ new standard entrance-fee schedule. 

At Bandelier and most other NPS areas, fees have not been updated since 2006. An increase to these fees can only be made after each Read More

Saturday Mail Delivery Continues But Congress Leaves Postal Service In Limbo

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NNA News:

The National Newspaper Association (NNA) this week celebrated the continuation of Saturday mail delivery through the federal fiscal year ending Sept. 30, but lamented the passage of another congressional session without postal reform.

NNA President John Edgecombe Jr. called on publishers to attend NNA’s Leadership Summit March 19 in Washington to urge quick action in the next Congress.

“If common sense had prevailed, a reform bill would have been completed. We had a solid proposal that provided USPS with financial relief, preserved service and implemented health cost reforms. Read More

CEMRC Releases Final Summary Report On WIPP

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WIPP News:

The Carlsbad Environmental Monitoring and Research Center (CEMRC) has posted its final summary report regarding the Feb. 14 radiological event that occurred at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP).

CEMRC is a division of the College of Engineering at New Mexico State University that provides independent monitoring of the WIPP facility.

Following the radiological release that occurred at WIPP, CEMRC increased its monitoring activities – both at the WIPP site and in the surrounding area. This included accelerated analyses of WIPP exhaust and ambient air samples, as well as Read More

USNRC Public Document Room Holiday Closure

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USNRC News:

The USNRC Public Document Room will be closed, along with the rest of the Federal government, Friday, Dec. 26.

This closure is in addition to the Christmas Day holiday Thursday, Dec. 25. It will open again Monday, Dec. 29.

The mission of NRC’s Public Document Room is to help the public find and obtain NRC information in the agency’s extensive electronic, paper, and microfiche collections. Located in Rockville, Md., it is staffed by reference and technical librarians. Its holdings are focused on unclassified documents related to the NRC’s licensing and rulemaking Read More

Senate Confirms Estevan López As New Bureau of Reclamation Commissioner

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Estevan López
 
U.S. SENATE News:
 
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Tom Udall and Martin Heinrich joined the Senate Tuesday in confirming Estevan López, a native New Mexican, as Commissioner of the Bureau of Reclamation. 
 
López, who previously served as director of the New Mexico Interstate Stream Commission, replaces former Commissioner and fellow New Mexican, Michael Connor, who was confirmed as Deputy Secretary of the Department of Interior in February. 
 
“Water is a defining issue in New Mexico and across the Western United
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Udall Addresses New Cuba Relations; Prisoner Release

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U.S. Sen. Tom Udall

U.S. SENATE News:

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sen. Tom Udall released a statement today on the president’s announcement that he has taken steps to normalize relations with the country of Cuba and has secured the release of American prisoner Alan Gross, who had been held in a Cuban jail since 2009. 

In November, Udall traveled to Cuba with Sen. Jeff Flake, R-Ariz., where they met with Cuban officials as well as religious and business leaders to discuss the impacts of the embargo and travel restrictions on American and Cuban families. Udall also visited Alan Gross in prison and Read More

Entry Gift To National Parks Benefits Bandelier

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Courtesy/NPS

BANDELIER News:

When looking for holiday gifts, Bandelier suggests considering giving gifts of entry to all the National Park areas in the country for a full year.
 
Drop by the Visitor Center at Bandelier and buy an Interagency Annual Pass. With this pass, the recipient can visit all the National Park Service areas across the country (think Petroglyph, Pecos, Grand Canyon, Everglades, Glacier, Rocky Mountain and 395 others.
 
The pass also includes areas under the Bureau of Land Management like Tent Rocks – Kasha Katuwe, US Forest Service including Mount St
Read More

Udall Secures Tech Transfer Provisions For N.M. Labs

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U.S.SENATE News:

  • Provisions in defense and appropriations bills increase funding and direct Energy Department to emphasize tech transfer 

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sen. Tom Udall today announced that two major bills passed by Congress last week include key reforms he has championed to improve technology transfer at New Mexico’s national laboratories and create new businesses and jobs in New Mexico. 

Udall is pushing the federal government to improve its tech transfer efforts to bring to market research being done at Los Alamos and Sandia national labs as well as White Sands

Read More

Los Alamos Names New Laboratory Fellows For 2014

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LANL News:

  • Honorees span sciences in physics, astrophysics, chemistry

The Los Alamos National Laboratory Fellows list expands by five this week as a new group of high achievers is named.

The honorees this year are Christopher L. Fryer, Herbert O. Funsten, John C. Gordon, Jaqueline L. Kiplinger and David S. Moore.

“The sustained scientific excellence demonstrated by the work of Chris, Herb, John, Jaqueline and David exemplifies the outstanding people and capabilities we apply to today’s national security mission, and positions the Laboratory to be prepared to meet future challenges,” Read More