Nation

Udall In Appropriations Subcommittee: VA Must Restore Accountability, Protect Whistleblowers

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U.S. SENATE News:
 
WASHINGTON, D.C. ― Thursday July 30, during a hearing of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Military Construction and Veterans Affairs, U.S. Sen. Tom Udall continued to press for the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs to improve care for New Mexico veterans in the wake of the appointment scheduling scandal and unacceptable delay in processing a backlog of benefit claims.
 
Udall questioned two VA whistleblowers about consequences they suffered after coming forward and the need for a strong VA Inspector General (IG).

Last year, Udall

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Luján And Welch Introduce National Renewable Energy And Efficiency Standard Legislation

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U.S. Rep. Ben Ray Luján
 
U.S. CONGRESSIONAL News:
 
Washington, D.C. ― Rep. Ben Ray Luján (D-NM) and Rep. Peter Welch (D-VT) this week introduced legislation that creates a national renewable energy and energy efficiency standard that will reduce carbon emissions and drive the deployment of clean energy resources around the country.
 
“Promoting the use of renewable energy and increased energy efficiency is not only good for our environment, but it is good for our economy and forconsumers,” Luján said. “A number of
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WIPP: Schedule Changes For Resumption Of Operations

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WIPP News:

While the WIPP recovery program continues to make significant progress, the original target date of March 2016 for resuming waste emplacement operations is no longer viable due to a variety of unanticipated issues.

Over the past several months, a number of additional activities have been identified that need to be added to the project schedule, including safety related activities that are required to be completed prior to resumption of operation.

Key issues impacting the recovery schedule include the need to:

  • address the findings and recommendations from the Accident Investigation
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LANL: Mechanism Discovered For Controlling Ultracold Chemical Reactions

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The two reaction pathways (direct and looping) combine to determine the overall reaction rate for the chemical reaction. The ultracold reaction can be turned on or off depending upon whether the interference between the two pathways is constructive or destructive. Courtesy/LANL

LANL News:

  • Discovery has important technological applications

Researchers have discovered a new interference mechanism in ultracold chemical reactions, one which has important technological applications in precision measurements, sensing and quantum computing.

“Remarkable progress in cooling and trapping Read More

Udall On 50th Anniversary Of Medicare And Medicaid

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 U.S. SENATE News:

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Thursday, U.S. Sen. Tom Udall released the following statement in honor of the 50th anniversary of President Lyndon Johnson signing Medicare and Medicaid into law July 30, 1965: 

“Fifty years ago today, President Johnson signed Medicare and Medicaid into law. These landmark programs now help protect the health, well-being and financial security of more than half of New Mexico’s families. They allow children, seniors and people with disabilities to see a doctor when they’re sick, get medicines they need, and access preventive Read More

EM’s Los Alamos Site Completes Canyon-Side Cleanup

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A spider excavator extracts mercury-contaminated soil. Courtesy/energy.gov

A waste container is loaded for off-site disposal. Courtesy/energy.gov

DOE News:

The Environmental Management (EM) Los Alamos Field Office has completed the steep canyon-side cleanup of mercury-contaminated soil on DOE property just south of Smith’s Marketplace shopping center in Los Alamos.

The project was finished in about five weeks — approximately three weeks ahead of schedule. The field office, management and operations contractor Los Alamos National Security, LLC, and subcontractor TerranearPMC Read More

NSA To Destroy Millions Of American Call Records Collected Under Controversial Program

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NSA bulk collection image. Courtesy photo

HSNW News:

The director of national intelligence said on Monday that the NSA would no longer examine call records collected by the NSA in its controversial bulk collection program before the June reauthorization of the Patriot Act which prohibits such collection.

Bulk records are typically kept for five years, but the director said that although the records in the NSA database were collected lawfully, they would not be examined, and would soon be destroyed.

The Obama administration has announced that the NSA will soon stop examining, and soon Read More

NPS And DOE Seek Public Input On Manhattan Project National Historical Park Draft Memo Of Agreement

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NPS News:

Washington, D.C. — The National Park Service and the U.S. Department of Energy are inviting the public to review and comment on the Draft Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) between the National Park Service and the Department of Energy (DOE) that will guide the operation of the Manhattan Project National Historical Park.

The 2015 National Defense Authorization Act established the Manhattan Project National Historical Park and required the Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of Energy to create a Memorandum of Agreement for the park by Dec. 19, 2015. 

Once signed, Read More

FBI: Former Ringleader Of Albuquerque-Based Drug Trafficking Organization Sentenced To Federal Prison

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FBI News:

ALBUQUERQUE—Christopher Roybal, 35, the former leader of an Albuquerque-based drug trafficking organization, was sentenced this morning in federal court to 168 months in prison followed by five years of supervised release for his conviction on cocaine trafficking and money laundering charges.

Roybal also is required to pay a $184,080.00 money judgment under the terms of his plea agreement.

Roybal was one of the 19 defendants charged in Dec. 2012, with drug trafficking and money laundering charges in a 60-count indictment. The indictment was superseded twice; first in Feb. 2014,

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Governor Directs NM State Parks To Establish First Miles Of Rio Grande Trail

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Gov. Susana Martinez

STATE News:

  • Six New Mexico State Parks to Designate More than 20 Miles for proposed trail

ALBUQUERQUE — Today, Gov. Susana Martinez directed New Mexico State Parks Division to designate more than 20 miles in six parks throughout the state as the first miles of the Rio Grande Trail.

The proposed trail would stretch more than 500 miles from Texas to Colorado.

“The Rio Grande Trail has the potential to attract visitors from all around the world, much like the Appalachian Trail or the Pacific Crest Trail,” Martinez said. “To help jumpstart the process, I’ve directed our State Parks Read More