Politics

Los Alamos Peace Vigils Scheduled At Ashley Pond

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National peace and justice activist and former Jesuit priest John Dear

NATIONAL PEACE GROUP News:

Thursday Aug. 6 and Sunday Aug. 9, hundreds of protesters are scheduled to converge on Los Alamos for the 70th Anniversary Peace and Disarmament Vigils commemorating the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

National peace and justice activists expected to attend include John Dear, Rev. James Lawson, Medea Benjamin, Kathy Kelly, Roshi Joan Halifax, Ken Butigan and Rev. Lennox Yearwood and individuals from the 250 Campaign Nonviolence National Conference Participants, Upaya Read More

Los Alamos Sheriff Meets With Governor’s Staff

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Los Alamos County Sheriff Marco Lucero
 
By CAROL A. CLARK
Los Alamos Daily Post
 
Los Alamos County Sheriff Marco Lucero together with officials from the New Mexico Sheriff’s Association met this morning with staff at the governor’s office.

They shared with the staff three concerns:

  • The bill regarding qualifications for sheriffs, which died in the last legislative session;
  • Term limits for sheriffs; and
  • Ongoing issues related to the Los Alamos County Sheriff’s Office and the County.

One issue involves the fact that the Los Alamos County Council voted at its July 7 meeting

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NM Lawmakers Call For Curb On Natural Gas Waste Causing Methane Hot Spot Over San Juan Basin

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CONGRESSIONAL DELEGATION News:

WASHINGTON – In a letter this week to Office of Management and Budget (OPM) Director Shaun Donovan, U.S. Sens. Tom Udall and Martin Heinrich and U.S. Reps. Ben Ray Luján and Michelle Lujan Grisham called for prompt action on upcoming federal standards to curb natural gas waste.

New Mexico is the nation’s leading producer of oil from onshore federal land, and second for natural gas production. Yet too much of the state’s natural gas goes to waste through venting, flaring and leaks  — causing dangerous methane pollution over the San Juan Basin and more than Read More

Udall Welcomes Formal Restoration Of Diplomatic Relations Between United States And Cuba

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U.S. Sen. Tom Udall

U.S. SENATE News:

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sen. Tom Udall, a member of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee, released the following statement as the United States and Cuba formally re-established diplomatic relations after 54 years:

“The re-opening of the embassies in Havana and Washington marks a turning point in a relationship fraught with mistrust and Cold War antagonism. While both our countries have many differences to resolve, the best diplomats of American values are Americans themselves, and I believe that by re-establishing formal relations and further Read More

Lujan On 21st Century Cures Act

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U.S. Rep. Ben Ray Luján
 
U.S. CONGRESSIONAL News:
 
WASHINGTON, D.C. ― U.S. Rep. Ben Ray Luján of New Mexico’s Third District voted today in support of the 21st Century Cures Act, bipartisan legislation that encourages biomedical innovation and the development of new treatment and cures. 
 
The bill increases funding for the National Institutes of Health (NIH), supporting awards to academic researchers at institutions across the country.
 
“This legislation is a victory for both patients and scientists. By providing a dedicated
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World Politics Of A Changing Energy Landscape July 22

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CIR News:
 
The Santa Fe Council on International Relations (CIR) is hosting a discussion on “The World Politics of a Changing Energy Landscape” with speaker James Clad―senior advisor to the Center for Naval Analysis and former Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense―at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, July 22 at Tipton Hall, Santa Fe University of Art and Design, 1600 St. Michael’s Dr. 
 
Cost is $15 for CIR members, and $20 for non-members and guests.
 
Clad will discuss how recent energy trends have upset the world oil market and transformed the geopolitical landscape.
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NCLR Applauds EEOC Ruling Protecting Workers Against Discrimination Based On Sexual Orientation

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NCLR News:
 
WASHINGTON, D.C. — On July 15, the United States Equal Employment Opportunity Commission—the agency charged with enforcement of federal employment nondiscrimination laws—ruled that existing federal protections against discrimination on the basis of sex also protect gay, lesbian, and bisexual workers against employment discrimination based on their sexual orientation.
 
The Commission ruled that “allegations of discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation necessarily state a claim of discrimination on the basis of sex.”
 
The ruling constitutes
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Udall, Heinrich Announce $6.1 Million In FAA Grants For New Mexico Airports

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SENATE News:
 
WASHINGTON, D.C. ― U.S. Senators Tom Udall, D-N.M. and Martin Heinrich, D-N.M. announced Thursday, that the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), an agency under the U.S. Department of Transportation, has awarded more than $6.1 million for rehabilitation and development projects for airports across New Mexico.
 
These grants will be used for the construction of a new airport at Zuni Pueblo, runway rehabilitation, airport planning, and perimeter fencing.
 
“These grants will improve and expand airports throughout New Mexico,
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Luján Statement On 70th Anniversary Of Trinity Test

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U.S. Rep. Ben Ray Luján
 
CONGRESSIONAL News:
 
WASHINGTON, D.C. ― U.S. Rep. Ben Ray Luján of New Mexico’s Third District released the following statement Thursday on the 70th anniversary of the first test of an atomic bomb detonation at the Trinity test site in southern New Mexico:
 
“Today, we honor the memory of those who have fallen ill or passed on due to radiation exposure from the Trinity test. On this day 70 years ago, rural New Mexico became ground zero for the detonation of the first nuclear bomb. While it would usher in the start of the atomic age, it also
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Heinrich Votes To Overhaul No Child Left Behind, Expand High-Quality Education For New Mexico Students

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U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich, D-N.M., voted to pass S.1177, the Every Child Achieves Act (ECAA), a bipartisan bill to reauthorize the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) and overhaul the country’s current K-12 education law known as No Child Left Behind (NCLB).

The bill passed the senate by a vote of 81 to 17.

Under NCLB, accountability was centered on test scores, which pressured schools, teachers, and students to focus more on testing than instruction. NCLB set a high bar for student achievement, but never followed through with the Read More