I am writing today to announce the closure of the New Mexico Independent. After three and a half years of operation in New Mexico, the board of the American Independent News Network, has decided to shift publication of its news…
While environmental activists played their part yesterday during demonstrations at the capitol building, going so far as to dress up as solar panels and to sing the tune of “You Are My Sunshine,” their counterparts, the anti-cap-and-trade contingency who has…
Roughly one quarter of University of New Mexico students are unimpressed with the state’s flagship public school, according to a survey that questioned college students about their higher education experiences.
The feds are looking to transfer New Mexico’s national labs from the Department of Energy to the Pentagon, reports the Santa Fe New Mexican.
Criticism mounted Wednesday against the plan as New Mexico’s congressional delegation vowed to fight such a measure, reports ihe Albuquerque Journal.
In case you don’t subscribe and can’t see the story through the link, here’s an excerpt.
Sen. Jeff Bingaman, D-N.M., went even further, saying he would urge the energy secretary to begin consideration of eliminating the National Nuclear Security Administration and putting the program back under the Department of Energy.
The NNSA, created as a quasi-independent agency eight years ago to manage nuclear weapons design and manufacture, has been a failure, Bingaman told the Journal on Wednesday.
But the solution is not to move nuclear weapons work into the Pentagon, as the Obama administration is considering, Bingaman said. Such a move would hamper the labs’ ability to do nonmilitary research, Bingaman contends.
Also, more layoffs are coming at the High Energy Laser System Test Facility on the White Sands Missile Range, reports the Las Cruces Sun News.
In other stories, an attorney for former U.S. Sen. Pete Domenici tells the Albuquerque Journal that his client is not involved in the Department of Justice investigation into the U.S. Attorney investigations.
Here’s an excerpt:
Former Sen. Pete Domenici’s lawyer disputed a report Wednesday on a prominent political Web site that said Domenici is the focus of a grand jury investigation related to the firing of former U.S. attorney for New Mexico David Iglesias.
Talking Points Memo, which won a top national journalism award for its reporting on the U.S. attorneys controversy that led to the resignation of former Attorney General Alberto Gonzales last year, reported that a federal grand jury “is focusing on the role played by recently retired Sen. Pete Domenici and former senior White House aides” in the firing of Iglesias.
“The federal grand jury is investigating whether Domenici and other political figures attempted to improperly press Iglesias to bring a criminal prosecution against New Mexico Democrats just prior to the 2006 congressional midterm elections,” the Web site said. It attributed the report to “legal sources close to the investigation and private attorneys representing officials who prosecutors want to question.”
Domenici told the Journal late Wednesday that he was not aware of any grand jury inquiry.
“I don’t believe that’s right,” said Domenici, the former U.S. senator from New Mexico who retired last month after 36 years in office.
Domenici’s attorney in Washington, Lee Blalack, told the Journal the “implication” in the Talking Points Memo story was “false.”
