Nation

Posts From The Road: Amboy In The Mojave Desert

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Amboy: A lone sign welcomes travelers to the ghost town of Amboy, Calif., as Historic Route 66 passes through the Mojave Desert. Once a thriving stop for travelers in the mid 1900s. Today Amboy is a ghost town but with the help of the late Albert Okura and his son Kyle Okura working to revive Roy’s Motel and Cafe, there is hope for the ghost town. Photo by Gary Warren/ladailypost.com

Roy’s: This image shows Roy’s Motel and Cafe while visiting in 2021. Shown is the gas station, motel lobby building and iconic Roy’s sign. A milestone was reached in 2019 when renovations to the sign were completed and the Read More

Senators Luján And Boozman Introduce Bipartisan Legislation To Increase Organ Donations And Save Lives

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U.S. SENATE News:

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Friday, U.S. Senators Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.) and John Boozman (R-AR) introduced the Honor Our Living Donors (HOLD) Act to expand support for more living donors by allowing more donors compensation to cover wages, travel, child care and caregiver expenses associated with donation.

Each day, 17 Americans die while waiting for an organ transplant, with many of these patients suffering from kidney failure and undergoing costly and painful dialysis treatments.

Dialysis alone costs Medicare more than $50 billion annually. Under the current law, the Living Read More

U.S. Senators Heinrich And Mullin Legislation To Promote Tribal Buffalo Management Passes Senate

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U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich

U.S. SENATE News:

WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Sens. Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) and Markwayne Mullin (R-Okla.) applauded the Senate passage of their bipartisan Indian Buffalo Management Act, legislation to create a buffalo program at the U.S. Department of the Interior and help promote and develop Tribal capacity to manage buffalo.

The Indian Buffalo Management Act provides secure, consistent funding for Tribes and Tribal organizations that have an established buffalo herd and management program, and provides resources for Tribes that would like to establish new Read More

Luján Joins Colleagues To Introduce ‘End Threat Of Default Act’ Legislation To Permanently Repeal National Debt Ceiling

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U.S. SENATE News:

WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Sen. Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.) joined U.S. Sen. Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) Thursday in reintroducing the End the Threat of Default Act, legislation that would permanently remove the threat of a default by repealing the national debt ceiling, an arbitrary limit restricting the amount that the United States Treasury can borrow to pay its debts.

Eliminating the debt limit does not increase spending or raise taxes, it merely allows the government to pay its bills just like Americans do every day. In June 2023, the president signed legislation that suspended Read More

Sen. Luján Introduces Legislation To Develop, Demonstrate, Deploy Technologies To Accelerate Nuclear Waste Cleanup

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U.S. Sen. Ben Ray Luján

From the Office of U.S. Sen. Ben Ray Luján:

          • “Luján Bill Would Save Taxpayers Billions and Accelerate Waste Cleanup”

Washington, D.C. – Thursday, U.S. Sen. Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.) introduced the Combining Laboratory Expertise to Accelerate Novel Solutions for Minimizing Accumulated Radioactive Toxins (CLEAN SMART) Act, legislation that would build on the success of the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Network of National Laboratories for Environmental Management and Stewardship (NNLEMS) to accelerate nuclear waste cleanup.

The CLEAN SMART Act would codify and Read More

U.S. Rep. Leger Fernandez Statement On NDAA

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U.S. Rep. Teresa Leger Fernández

From the Office of U.S. Rep. Teresa Leger Fernández:

WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Rep. Teresa Leger Fernández issued the following statement after the House vote on the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). The bill passed the House Wednesday 281-140.

Watch the Congresswoman’s NDAA speech on the floor of the House. 

“Much of this year’s NDAA is rooted in improving the quality of life for our service members and their families,” Congresswoman Leger Fernández said. “These measures, like the 14.5 percent pay raise for junior enlisted service members and 4.5 percent Read More

Denish: Presidential Pardons Through History Have Been Messy

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By DIANE DENISH
Corner to Corner
© 2024 New Mexico News Services

Note to mainstream media, Republicans, Democrats, Independents, and sanctimonious opinion writers, TV pundits and elected officials: SPARE ME THE OUTRAGE ABOUT THE HUNTER BIDEN PARDON. Think about how you would protect your child from continued threatened prosecution or, put another way, how would you give your child a second chance for taking accountability and reversing course in a life that had unraveled?

It’s fair to be disappointed that President Biden changed his mind and decided to do something he said he wouldn’t do. Read More

Dannemann: We May Improve Access To Health Care, Or Not

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By MERILEE DANNEMANN
Triple Spaced Again
© 2024 New Mexico News Services

To review the obvious: Most of us could not afford the financial cost of serious illness or injury.

We never know who’s going to be the unlucky one to become ill or injured. Health insurance was developed to share the risk. When private health insurance was not enough, government joined in with Medicare and Medicaid. One principle underlying these policies is that when more of us have access to healthcare, we are all better off.

I find that principle persuasive. When more people have healthcare, fewer people spread infectious Read More

Posts From The Road: Wimberley, Texas

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Natural Beauty: Cypress Creek runs through the center of Wimberley, Texas. The tall cypress trees line the shores and late afternoon light shining through the foliage reveal the beauty of the area. The creek is just steps from the Wimberley downtown square, which is the center of town. Restaurants along Cypress Creek have outdoor dining which faces the creek and scenic surroundings. Photo by Gary Warren/ladailypost.com

Downtown Square: Shops on on side of the downtown square in Wimberley, Texas, shine as the afternoon sunlight skims across the store fronts. The beginning of the Christmas Read More

Denish: Post-Election Rumination Finds Silver Linings

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By DIANE DENISH
Corner to Corner
© 2024 New Mexico News Services

Now that the election is over I see some silver linings, and have some observations a bit outside of the daily drumming of announcements and alarm bells. I recognize readers may disagree or have a different point of view.

Silver lining: From the moment he is sworn in Trump is a lame duck. The term “lame duck” means not being able to keep up with the rest of the flock and becoming subject to predators. The term “lame duck” in politics means someone who is an outgoing officeholder. That is Trump. He has four years to do good for the country or damage Read More