New Mexico Independent: Stories by John Arnold

LANL draws candidates

John Arnold — Wed, 16 Apr 2008 00:45:45 GMT

New Mexico’s battle for U.S. Senate is headed to the birthplace of the atomic bomb, where Rep. Heather Wilson is scheduled to address Los Alamos National Laboratory workers Wednesday.

Anastasio goes to Washington

John Arnold — Wed, 16 Apr 2008 15:44:16 GMT

Top Los Alamos and Sandia laboratories officials are on Capitol Hill today to talk money with federal lawmakers. Their appearance comes as New Mexico and the federal government are arguing over the timeline of clean up of hazardous waste at Los Alamos National Laboratory.

Wilson: Lab funding threatened by two extremes

John Arnold — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 15:00:00 GMT

U.S. Rep. Heather Wilson said Wednesday that Democrats want to gut funding for the Los Alamos National Laboratory while some Republicans want to slash government spending no matter what. One could interpret those remarks as veiled attacks on her two rivals also running for the soon-to-be-vacant U.S. Senate seat.

New Mexico rivers endangered

John Arnold — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 19:11:46 GMT

A New Mexico river wound up on a list of the country's most endangered waterways this year. It's not the first time. This year the Gila won the designation. Last year it was the Santa Fe river. New Mexico, in fact, is no stranger to having its waterways designated endangered.

Does John McCain get mad? Ask Pete Domenici

John Arnold — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 16:28:58 GMT

John McCain and anger are old friends. McCain has admitted as much. So have his Senate colleagues. And now add New Mexico's senior senator, Pete Domenici, to the growing list of folks who've felt the sting of McCain's temper, according to a weekend piece in the Washington Post.

Is LANL saving dough or skirting scrutiny?

John Arnold — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 22:45:14 GMT

Los Alamos National Laboratory is looking beyond Congress to fund big construction projects. Administrators say it's a way to save money. LANL critics say the nuclear weapons lab is simply looking for a way to skirt congressional scrutiny.

Rail Runner on track in Santa Fe

John Arnold — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 16:34:04 GMT

NMI Video: Rail Runner groundbreaking in Santa Fe

Guv wants action on PNM

John Arnold — Sat, 26 Apr 2008 02:40:21 GMT

A rating agency downgrades PNM's credit rating, leading Gov. Bill Richardson on Friday to call for "quick action" by the state Public Regulation Commission on the company's request to pass along fuel cost adjustments to costumers.

Wilson and Pearce head to "The Hill"

John Arnold — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 00:29:47 GMT

Steve Pearce and Heather Wilson debated one another Friday in their continuing contest to win the GOP nomination for the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by Pete Domenici. See a short NMI video on how the two handled the issues, including the Iraq war, border security and global warming.

Vacation destination: your own backyard?

John Arnold — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 16:00:00 GMT

Rising gas prices has the New Mexico Tourism Department marketing the state's many wonders to an audience intimately familiar with the Land of Enchantment: New Mexicans themselves. The pitch? Save gas. Vacation in New Mexico.

More $$ needed to stop spread of nukes

John Arnold — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 21:51:14 GMT

A former director of the Los Alamos National Laboratory testified on Capitol Hill today that the U.S. needs to spend more money on keeping nuclear materials out of the hands of terrorists and rogue states.

Taos to LANL: No pits, thank you

John Arnold — Thu, 01 May 2008 12:00:00 GMT

The town of Taos and Taos County lodged a formal protest Wednesday against the idea of Los Alamos National Laboratory expanding its plutonium pit production. The Santa Fe City Council has passed a similar resolution, and other local leaders have expressed unease with increased production.

Wilson v. Pearce: The gloves are off

Trip Jennings, John Arnold — Mon, 05 May 2008 12:00:00 GMT

Heather Wilson and Steve Pearce are battling to represent the GOP in November. To get there, Pearce is appealing to political convictions of those who typically turn out for GOP primaries, while Wilson is hoping to leverage their competitive instincts. And that leaves many GOP voters searching their souls. In the words of one prominent Republican, the question they are asking is "Am I actually going to vote for the candidate of choice or am I going to vote for the candidate that I think can win in November?"

Drilling Debate

John Arnold — Mon, 05 May 2008 16:30:00 GMT

With rising fuel prices, the public debate over how to bring them down is reaching an ever higher decibel level. Opponents to drilling for oil and natural gas say more should be spent on renewable technologies. But representatives of the oil and gas industry say they'll never be enough fuel produced through renewable technology and drilling has to happen to fill the need.

Want to vote? Registration ends today

John Arnold — Tue, 06 May 2008 17:40:44 GMT

If you want to vote in the June 3 primary, the deadline to register is today.