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.
New Mexico Department of Health Secretary Alfredo Vigil responded today to a story in the Albuquerque Journal that questioned why the state does not disclose publicly the identities of physicians who certify medical marijuana patients. Vigil says the…
In the past changing gender has been difficult on a New Mexico driver’s license. But it just got easier.
Last month the New Mexico Motor Vehicles Division established a new form to help facilitate changing a person’s gender designation on a drivers license, prompting cheers from the state’s growing transgender community.
The health insurance reform law that was enacted in March “substantially improves” the financial outlook of the Medicare program, according to an annual report of the board of trustees established by the Social Security Act to oversee the finances of…
The mood to elect a woman as head of state isn’t reserved for just New Mexico. In the Navajo Nation primary election yesterday, New Mexico State Senator Lynda Lovejoy left the crowded field of twelve contenders in the dust. If…
Despite a steady rebound in output, continued high unemployment plagues cities and states across the country. Albuquerque is no different, having fully regained its pre-recession output levels but still struggling with an unemployment rate that has more than doubled since the recession began. A report released this week suggests cities like Albuquerque to zero in on an export strategy.
The Navajo Nation Human Rights Commission has published a report about race relations in towns bordering the reservation. The commission conducted 25 listening sessions over the course of a year, hearing from anyone who chose to speak about racism and discrimination. Of the 25 towns highlighted in the report, 12 are in New Mexico. The process was described as an opening of “forbidden doors” against candid discussions of racism and discrimination, which the commission says will thrive among mankind until it’s collectively acknowledged and eliminated.
Americans appear to be equally divided on whether to legalize marijuana, according to a Rasmussen poll released yesterday. The survey of 1,000 adults conducted last week found 43 percent in favor of legalization while 42 percent said it should remain illegal—a…
A mining company has announced its next steps and timeframe for beginning uranium mining in New Mexico. Uranium Resources, Inc. (URI) hopes to begin production by 2013, subject to financing, uranium prices, and final permits…
Veterans who use medical marijuana in the 14 states where it’s legal won’t be denied access to prescription drugs they receive through Veteran’s Administration hospitals, a new department directive states. (In general, veterans found to be using illegal drugs can…
When the free-market Illinois Policy Institute looked into the range of salaries paid to state legislators across the country, it found that the states that pay their legislators the most also have the highest budget shortfalls. It used this…
The rapid growth of Montana’s medical marijuana community has fueled a local economy but isn’t making anyone rich, yet. In the past two years, the state’s licensed patient pool has grown to 20,000 who are supplied by nearly 4,000 caregivers.…
One of the three men who branded a swastika on the arm of a mentally challenged Navajo man in Farmington, New Mexico has been notified by federal authorities that it’s likely he’ll be charged with a hate crime,…
Farmington and Grants aren’t the only two New Mexico cities with which the Navajo Nation Human Rights Commission would like to have a formal working relationship. Albuquerque also received a request from the NNHRC to sign an agreement that establishes a framework for cooperation on human rights. Of the approximately 60,000 American Indians who live in Albuquerque, about half are Navajo. City officials say they’ve been working on the language in the agreement and expect to have discussions with the NNHRC about agreement on an edited version soon.
New federal guidelines that will streamline the diagnosis of post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) for veterans are likely to increase the number of PTSD patients in New Mexico’s medical marijuana program because they will make it easier for veterans…
The Department of Veterans Affairs has released new guidelines that will make it easier for veterans to receive benefits for post traumatic stress disorder. Currently, unless a veteran has been in combat, claims adjudicators must conduct an extensive records analysis…
Race relations will be on the agenda next week during the summer session of the Navajo Nation Council, and one topic of conversation will be a report that summarizes the testimony given by 158 Navajos at 25 public hearings held…
The state of New Mexico has approved six new medical marijuana non-profit dispensaries located in Harding, Doña Ana, Lea, Catron, Cibola and Bernalillo counties, adding to the current set of five that operate in Santa Fe, Cibola and Bernalillo counties.…
The federal poverty rate in the United States is expected to be 15 percent when 2009 census data is unveiled later this year, up from 13.2 percent in 2008. But many think that figure is low because of the way…
A new study that looks at the benefits of the clean energy sector as an economic driver shows that New Mexico is ahead of the curve when compared to other western states. Green job growth outpaced overall job growth…
One month into the program, and with three months to go, over 2,000 people have already looked into using New Mexico’s tax amnesty program, reported the Associated Press yesterday. The program was approved by the state Legislature this…
