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.
Colorado Gov. Bill Ritter will announce today that he is withdrawing from the 2010 race for governor, according to the Denver Post. The governor’s decision has caught many by surprise in Denver and sent Democrats in the state scrambling to find someone to replace Ritter on the ticket, the paper reports. U.S. Interior Secretary Ken Salazar, a Democrat, is facing increasing pressure to jump into the race.
The New Jersey Senate will vote tomorrow on a bill to allow same-sex marriages, reports the Philadelphia Inquirer. Even if the Senate approves the legislation, supporters confront a series of challenges, including an ambitious time line. The bill also must clear the New Jersey House and it must do so before Tuesday, when the legislative session ends, according to the paper. Outgoing New Jersey Gov. John Corzine, a Democrat, supports the legislation, meaning he likely would sign it. But if the legislation doesn’t clear the New Jersey Legislature by Tuesday, the bill’s chances dim significantly. Republican governor-elect Chris Christie has said he would veto the legislation if it reached his desk.
Embattled Sen. Christopher J. Dodd (D-Conn.) announced today that he will not seek reelection, reports the Washington Post. The state’s popular Attorney General, Richard Blumenthal, a Democrat, meanwhile, has scheduled a 2:30 p.m. ET press conference today to announce that he is running for the now-open Senate seat. Yes, Dodd’s retirement demonstrates the Democrats’ fragile hold on its 60-seat majority in the U.S. Senate. But Blumenthal’s run should be a cakewalk, meaning Democrats will retain that seat.
Maryland lawmakers are not allowed to raise campaign funds during their annual legislative session. But they make up for it in the days before they convene — particularly in a spirited election year like this one, according to the Washington Post. At last count, 41 fundraisers had been scheduled between New Year’s and the start of the session next week, many of them targeting lobbyists and businesses that will have bills affecting their interests before the General Assembly, the paper reports.
One Onondaga County, N.Y. sheriff’s deputy earned $134,000 in 2008 teaching at a law enforcement training academy, thanks to more than 1,300 hours of sheriff’s overtime. Another deputy, the son of the man who oversees the training facility, earned $123,000 the same year after he racked up more than 1,100 hours of overtime, reports The Syracuse Post-Standard. The paper analyzed the sheriff’s department use of overtime and found that the first deputy had increased his annual pension benefits by $20,000 a year because his pension is based on the top three years of earnings.
Finally, here’s an article for all of us aging boomers, Gen Xers and whatever you call yourself these days: how to train the aging brain. The story ran in Education Life from the Sunday New York Times. It’s good advice.
