Politics

DOJ: First Ever Indictments Against Designated Chinese Manufacturers Of Deadly Fentanyl And Other Opiates

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DEA News:
 
WASHINGTON, D.C. ― The Justice Department announced today that federal grand juries in the Southern District of Mississippi and the District of North Dakota returned indictments, unsealed Oct. 17, against two Chinese nationals and their North American based traffickers and distributors for separate conspiracies to distribute large quantities of fentanyl and fentanyl analogues and other opiate substances in the United States. 
 
The Chinese nationals are the first manufacturers and distributors of fentanyl and other opiate substances to be designated
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Udall, Commerce Committee Request FCC Oversight Hearing On President’s Threats To Freedom Of Press

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U.S. SENATE News:
 
WASHINGTON, D.C. ― This week, U.S. Senators Tom Udall, a member of the Senate Commerce Committee, joined fellow Democrats on the committee in calling for a hearing on President Trump’s attacks on the media and his latest threat to interfere with the Federal Communication Commission’s (FCC) television station license renewal proceedings.
 
In a letter to Senators John Thune (R-S.D.) and Bill Nelson (D-Fla.), respectively the chairman and ranking member of the committee, which has jurisdiction over the FCC, the senators wrote, “Since
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Two Lead Staff From State Auditor’s Office Win Prestigious Professional Awards

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State Auditor Tim Keller
 
OSA News:
 
SANTA FE ― Today, the Office of the State Auditor (OSA) announced that two of its lead staff won New Mexico Society of Certified Public Accountants (NMSCPA) Pride in the Profession Awards.
 
Sanjay Bhakta, Deputy State Auditor, won the award for Outstanding Member in Government. Emily Oster, Director of Compliance and Quality Control, won the award for Woman to Watch, Emerging Leader. 
 
“We are honored that two of our office’s lead staff have been recognized for making significant contributions to the accounting
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Joint Economic Committee Democrats; Congressional Hispanic Caucus Release ‘Economic State Of Latino Community In America’

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U.S. CONGRESSIONAL News:
 
WASHINGTON, D.C. ― As we continue to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month, Joint Economic Committee Democrats and the Congressional Hispanic Caucus have released a fact sheet on the “Economic State of the Latino Community in America.”
 
The fact sheet outlines the latest statistics on the economic well-being of the nation’s Latino community, including population, employment, and earnings statistics, and other key indicators.
 
Latinos continue to be one of the fastest growing minority groups in the United States,
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Reps. Lujan Grisham, Davis Introduce Legislation To Provide Stable Funding For Food Banks

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Rep. Michelle Lujan Grisham
 
STATE News:
 
WASHINGTON, D.C. ― Representatives Michelle Lujan Grisham (D-NM) and Rodney Davis (R-IL) introduced bipartisan legislation to ensure stable and increased federal funding for emergency food banks that distribute the food to communities throughout the state.
 
As members of the House Agriculture Committee, Reps. Lujan Grisham and Davis help draft the Farm Bill, which dedicates money for food purchases, along with $100 million a year for food banks to distribute food to communities. But the distribution money is usually
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Los Alamos Resident Greg White Files Suit In New Mexico Supreme Court Against County Council

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Los Alamos resident Greg White at a council meeting. Photo by Carol A. Clark/ladailypost.com
 
By MAIRE O’NEILL
Los Alamos Daily Post
maire@ladailypost.com
 

Los Alamos resident Greg White has filed a verified petition for a writ of prohibition against the Los Alamos County Council and the Incorporated County of Los Alamos with the New Mexico Supreme Court requesting that the Court exercise jurisdiction. The petition, filed Oct.17, lists Los Alamos County Sheriff Marco Lucero as an interested party.

White recently announced that he will be a candidate for sheriff in 2018.

The Read More

Secretary Names Bryan Rice Director Of Bureau Of Indian Affairs

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DOI News:
 
WASHINGTON, D.C. ― U.S. Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke today announced the selection of Bryan Rice, a veteran federal administrator and citizen of the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma, as the new Director of the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA), the federal agency that coordinates government-to-government relations with 567 federally recognized tribes in the United States.

“Bryan has a wealth of management expertise and experience that will well serve Indian Country as the BIA works to enhance the quality of life, promote economic opportunity, and carry out

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Lujan Grisham Announces Staff Promotions

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U.S. Rep. Michelle Lujan Grisham
 
STATE News:
 
ALBUQUERQUE ― U.S. Rep. Michelle Lujan Grisham announced the promotion of two staff members to serve as Chief of Staff and Deputy Chief of Staff.
 
“I am pleased to congratulate my hard-working staff on their promotions,” Grisham said. “I am confident they will continue to be passionate public servants and effective leaders as our team advocates for and serves the people of New Mexico.”
 
Natalie Armijo has been promoted to Chief of Staff. An Albuquerque native with deep roots in New Mexico, Armijo started
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Coalition Of LANL Communities Board Hears From University Of Texas

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University of Texas consultant Susan Rogers chats with San Ildefonso Pueblo Governor James Mountain at Friday’s Coalition of LANL Communities Board meeting in Espanola. Photo by Maire O’Neill/ladailypost.com

 
By MAIRE O’NEILL
Los Alamos Daily Post
maire@ladailypost.com

 

A representative of the University of Texas (UT) told the Regional Coalition of LANL Communities Board Friday that the university is looking forward to submitting a successful bid to manage and operate Los Alamos National Laboratory.

 

Susan Rogers, a longtime former UT staff member Read More

Response Filed In IPRA Suit Against County Council

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By MAIRE O’NEILL
Los Alamos Daily Post
maire@ladailypost.com

Court documents filed Oct. 10 on behalf of Patrick Brenner and his mother Lisa Brenner state that there is no “win-win” in a proposal by Los Alamos County Council unless the Inspection of Public Records Act (IPRA) is complied with in a case involving emails in a personal account belonging to County Council Vice Chair Susan O’Leary.

The Brenners had asked the County through its Custodian of Public Records Barb Ricci to release every email by every Councilor from May 15 but O’Leary has maintained that she has a privacy interest and legitimate Read More