Reliably red New Mexico district a “toss-up” between 2 candidates

Democrat Xochitl Torres Small is running for New Mexico's 2nd Congressional district -- long considered a Republican stronghold -- yet the race is garnering national attention because of the razor-thin margin in polling data. In 2016, the congressional district went to President Donald Trump by 10 points.

Udall: Amtrak dropping plans for bus service on Southwest Chief route in New Mexico

Amtrak's Southwest Chief, which runs daily between Chicago and Los Angeles and has several stops in New Mexico, will drop its plan to convert a segment of the rail line between Dodge City, Kan., and Albuquerque to bus service, U.S. Sen. Tom Udall announced Wednesday. The senator said in a news release that he secured a commitment from a top Amtrak official during a Senate Commerce Committee hearing to continue rail service on that segment through fiscal year 2019.

Libertarian Party courts Gary Johnson for Senate run

In this May 18, 2016 file photo, Libertarian presidential candidate and former New Mexico Gov. Gary Johnson speaks with legislators at the Utah State Capitol in Salt Lake City. Former Libertarian Party presidential candidate Johnson is considering jumping into the race for U.S. Senate in New Mexico as the current Libertarian candidate prepares to drops out, Johnson consultant Ron Nielson told The Associated Press on Friday, July 27, 2018.

New Mexico research site gets US grant for climate research

A $6.4 million federal grant for a New Mexico research project will provide $6.4 million for work looking at how climate change affects arid land ecosystems. The five-year National Science Foundation grant to the Sevilleta Long-Term Ecological Research site located in central New Mexico was announced Wednesday by U.S. Sens. Tom Udall and Martin Heinrich.

Youth group issues report card on where members of Congress…

A group that engages young people on gun-violence issues is releasing a report card that assesses whether members of Congress are co-sponsoring gun-control bills. The group, Team Enough, gives pass, fail or incomplete grades to lawmakers based on whether they co-sponsored one of three bills in the House or four in the Senate.

New Mexico residents testify on atomic bomb fallout

Advocates for New Mexicans who many believe were sickened by U.S. uranium mining and nuclear weapons testing have urged Congress to acknowledge their sacrifice and authorize compensation for them. Navajo Nation Vice President Jonathan Nez and the co-founder of the Tularosa Basin Downwinders Consortium testified during a hearing Wednesday in Washington on a compensation measure.

New Mexico residents to testify on atomic bomb fallout

Residents of a New Mexico Hispanic village near the site of the world's first atomic bomb test say they were long ignored about the lingering health effects and were expected to share their stories with Congress . The Tularosa Basin Downwinders Consortium plans to travel to Washington, D.C., to testify Wednesday before the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee about how the Trinity Test hurt generations of Tularosa residents.

The Latest: Lawmakers emphasize jobs for nuke laboratory

Members of New Mexico's congressional delegation say their first concern for the management and operation of Los Alamos National Laboratory is assuring the stability of the workforce and the safety of employees and the public while the lab meets its national security mission. U.S. Sens. Tom Udall and Martin Heinrich and Congressman Ben Ray Lujan weighed in Friday as the federal government announced a $2.5 billion-a-year management contract for the lab.

Navajos commemorate anniversary of 1868 treaty

In this May 12, 2015, file photo, Navajo Nation President Russell Begaye, right, and vice president Jonathan Nez receive blessings during their inauguration ceremony at Fighting Scouts Events Center in Fort Defiance, Ariz. The Navajo leaders and others on Friday, June 1, 2018, commemorated the 150th anniversary of the Navajo Treaty of 1868, which allowed for the Navajo people to return to their the homeland in the Four Corners region of the Southwest after being held for years by the United States in eastern New Mexico.

Senators press Pruitt for details on new legal defense fund Source: AP

Four Senate Democrats asked Scott Pruitt on Monday for details about a new legal defense fund to help the Environmental Protection Agency administrator as he weathers a series of federal ethics investigations. Pruitt confirmed at a Senate hearing last week that people he did not identify have created the legal defense fund in his behalf, but he gave no specifics on its operation.

Senators press Pruitt for details on new legal defense fund

Four Senate Democrats asked Scott Pruitt on Monday for details about a new legal defense fund to help the Environmental Protection Agency administrator as he weathers a series of federal ethics investigations. Pruitt confirmed at a Senate hearing last week that people he did not identify have created the legal defense fund in his behalf, but he gave no specifics on its operation.

Email challenges Pruitt account on motorcade lights, siren

Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Scott Pruitt appears before a Senate Appropriations subcommittee on the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies on budget on Capitol Hill in Washington, Wednesday, May 16, 2018. Pruitt goes before a Senate panel Wednesday as he faces a growing number of federal ethics investigations over his lavish spending on travel and security.

EPA’s Scott Pruitt, Subject Of Many Ethics Probes, Plays Defense Before Senate

If Scott Pruitt arrived on Capitol Hill expecting to be grilled Wednesday, he did not have to wait long to see that expectation fulfilled. The Environmental Protection Agency administrator, who is facing a series of federal ethics investigations some 15 months into his tenure, fielded reproaches from both sides of the aisle during testimony before a Senate Appropriations subcommittee.

US to decide best site option for nuclear weapons production Source: AP

The federal agency that oversees the nation's nuclear weapons stockpile is expected this week to release a report on the best site option for the United States as it looks to ramp up production of the plutonium cores that trigger nuclear warheads. At stake are hundreds of jobs and billions of dollars in federal funding that would be needed to either revamp existing buildings or construct new factories to support the work.

A Civil Rights Movement for Corporations? Inside the 400-Year Struggle: New at Reason

"The movement and struggle to win rights for corporations," says UCLA Law School Professor Adam Winkler, is "one of the least well-known yet most successful civil rights movements in American history." An important chapter in that history came in 2010, when the Supreme Court ruled it unconstitutional to keep corporations from spending money on political ads right before an election.

FILE – In this April 3, 2018, file photo, Environmental Protection…

In this April 3, 2018, file photo, Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Scott Pruitt speaks at a news conference in Washington. An internal government watchdog says the EPA violated federal spending laws when purchasing a $43,000 soundproof privacy booth for Pruitt to make private phone calls in his office.

Contra Costa County Republican Party Supports Release Of…

The Contra Costa Republican Party and a gubernatorial candidate spoke out today in favor of the Contra Costa County Sheriff's Office's practice of publishing release dates and personal information of jail inmates. "I'm proud that ... Sheriff David Livingston has decided to prioritize the safety of Contra Costa's residents and visitors over the perverse political agenda of the Democratic Party leaders in Sacramento," Matt Shupe, chairman of the Contra Costa Republican Party, said in a statement this afternoon.