Nation

White House: Illicit Fentanyl Is Closer To Chemical Weapon Than Narcotic

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RPNM News:

ALBUQUERQUE — The White House officially designated fentanyl as a weapon of mass destruction. This historic announcement will change how the drug is viewed by the Department of Justice, the State Department, the Department of War, and law enforcement. The Trump Administration is ensuring illicit fentanyl isn’t just approached as a deadly narcotic, but as a chemical weapon responsible for killing hundreds of thousands of Americans.

“Fentanyl is one of, if not the single biggest threat facing Western civilization today, and I could not be more proud of the Trump Administration Read More

Luján, Heinrich Applaud Senate Passage Of Legislation To Amend Water Rights Settlements, Return Earned Interest To New Mexico Tribes

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U.S. SENATE News:

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sen. Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), a member of the Senate Indian Affairs Committee, and U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) applauded Senate passage of the Technical Corrections to the Northwestern New Mexico Rural Water Projects Act, Taos Pueblo Indian Water Rights Settlement Act, and Aamodt Litigation Settlement Act, legislation led by Senator Luján that authorizes the release of $18.312 million in water settlement interest funds to New Mexico Tribes to support water development projects.

Specifically, the bill authorizes the appropriation of $6.3 Read More

GSA Sells Excess Federal Property In New Mexico

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GSA News:

SILVER CITY — The U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) announced the completion of a $340,000 negotiated sale of the vacant former Phillips Memorial U.S. Army Reserve Center in Silver City, New Mexico. The sale marks a strategic step in ongoing efforts by GSA to rightsize the federal real estate portfolio, cut costs for American taxpayers and optimize the space agencies’ need to achieve their missions.

“The sale of this property is another example of GSA’s commitment to optimizing the federal real estate portfolio by divesting costly, underperforming assets,” GSA Acting Read More

New Federal Rules May Affect SNAP Food Benefit Eligibility

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NMHCA News:

SANTA FE — About 55,750 New Mexicans will need to work, volunteer or attend training for 80 hours a month to keep receiving SNAP food benefits under the new federal law taking effect Jan. 1, 2026. 

These federal mandates, passed by Congress in July, expand work requirements for able-bodied adults to include those ages 55-64, add an exception for Native Americans, and remove exceptions for veterans, people experiencing homelessness and former foster youth. 

The new law will only begin affecting SNAP eligibility when someone first applies for benefits or renews their case on or after Read More

Heinrich, Mullin Reintroduce Bipartisan Indian Buffalo Management Act

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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.) reintroduced the bipartisan Indian Buffalo Management Act, legislation to direct the U.S. Department of the Interior Secretary to coordinate with Tribes and Tribal organizations that have an established buffalo herd and management program, as well as provide resources for Tribes that would like to establish new herds.

“For generations, buffalo have been a critical part of our culture—in New Mexico, the West, and especially in Indian Country. And I Read More

National Academies: DOE Should Develop AI-Based Foundation Models Fused With Traditional Computational Methods To Bring Paradigm Shift To Scientific Discovery

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National Academies News:

WASHINGTON, D.C. — A new report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine examines how the U.S. Department of Energy could use foundation models for scientific research, and finds fusing these models with traditional computational methods could bring a paradigm shift to scientific discovery. The report makes recommendations for how the agency can pursue increased use of such models in research. 

Foundation models are large-scale AI neural networks that are trained on vast amounts of data—often trillions of individual data points—and Read More

Heinrich Legislation To Ensure New Mexico Schools Offer More Dairy & Non-Dairy Options Heads To White House

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U.S. SENATE News:

WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), a member of the U.S. Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, and the Food and Drug Administration, welcomed the House passage of the Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act, legislation he cosponsored that will allow schools to provide more dairy options and non-dairy alternatives for school lunches.

Currently, schools participating in the National School Lunch Program must provide milk that is consistent with the most recent Dietary Guidelines for Americans, which means that schools can Read More

Congresswoman Leger Fernández Introduces Lowrider Resolution To Honor Vibrant Tradition

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U.S. CONGRESS News:

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Congresswoman Teresa Leger Fernández introduced a resolution to celebrate National Lowrider Day on the first Saturday in May. The resolution recognizes lowriders, both the drivers and the cars, and their contributions to the cultural fabric of the United States.

Lowrider culture is a vibrant part of the historical and cultural fabric of the United States, with roots dating to post-World War II Mexican American and Chicano communities across the Southwest. Generations later, lowriders in New Mexico and across the entire country continue to share Read More

New Mexico Governor Addresses ACA Tax Credits Block

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Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham

From the Office of Gov. Lujan Grisham:

SANTA FE — New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham issued the following statement:

“On Thursday, Senate Republicans in Congress blocked a Democratic proposal to extend Affordable Care Act (ACA) tax credits for millions of Americans, which will cause healthcare premiums to skyrocket in January. It’s an appalling failure by a Republican Party that is more concerned with placating President Trump than protecting the constituents they were elected to represent.

“My administration saw this coming, which is why we worked with Read More

New Mexico Delegation Urges USPS To Take Urgent Action To Restore Full-Service Postal Operations In Chimayó  

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N.M. DELEGATION News:

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sens. Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), and U.S. Reps. Teresa Leger Fernández (D-N.M.) and Melanie Stansbury (D-N.M.) sent a letter to Postmaster General David Steiner urging the United States Postal Service (USPS) to take all necessary actions to prioritize and ensure that the rebuilding project for USPS operations in Chimayó is completed in 2026. 

This letter follows the USPS’s repeated failure to provide a clear timeline or adequate information about the construction of a new Chimayó Post Office, which burned down nearly Read More