Author: The Associated Press

MONTANA Judge says fire retardant drops are polluting streams, allows continued use BILLINGS – The U.S. government can keep using chemical retardant dropped from aircraft to fight wildfires, despite finding that the practice pollutes streams in western states in violation of federal law, a judge ruled on May 26. Halting the use of the red…

NEVADA Feds say huge lithium mine can proceed under 1872 Mining Law RENO – The Biden administration says it has completed a court-ordered review that should ensure construction continues at a Nevada lithium mine, despite legal challenges brought by conservationists and tribal leaders. At the same time, in a broader response to recent U.S. court…

NEW MEXICO US regulators OK spent nuclear fuel storage facility ALBUQUERQUE – U.S. nuclear regulators licensed a multibillion-dollar complex to temporarily store tons of spent nuclear fuel in New Mexico from commercial power plants around the nation, a decision likely to be challenged in court. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission issued its decision on May 9,…

NEW MEXICO Largest powwow draws Indigenous dancers ALBUQUERQUE – Tens of thousands of people gathered in New Mexico on April 28 for what organizers bill as the largest powwow in North America. The annual Gathering of Nations kicked off with a colorful procession of Native American and Indigenous dancers from around the world moving to…

MONTANA US plans new forest protections, ID’s old-growth inventory BILLINGS – The Biden administration has identified more than 175,000 square miles of old growth and mature forests on U.S. government land and plans to craft a new rule to better protect the nation’s woodlands from fires, insects and other side effects of climate change, officials…

NEW MEXICO Lujan Grisham reins in tax relief, boosts state spending SANTA FE – The governor of New Mexico scaled back a tax relief package on April 7 based on concerns it could undermine future spending on public education, health care and law enforcement while signing into law $500 individual tax rebates and the largest…

NEW MEXICO State boosts chile production, adopts official aroma ALBUQUERQUE – New Mexico produced more than 53,000 tons of its most famous crop during the last growing season, meaning more chile peppers found their way into salsas and onto dinner plates than the previous year. State and federal agriculture officials rolled out the latest numbers…

MONTANA Train derailment spills beer and clay PARADISE – Crews faced a difficult cleanup task after a 25-car train derailment spilled powdered clay and cases of beer beside a scenic western Montana river, leaving some cars off the tracks in a narrow, century-old tunnel with limited access, officials said. Montana Rail Link has said nobody…

NEW MEXICO State to provide free meals for all students ALBUQUERQUE – Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham on March 27 signed legislation to provide free school meals to all students regardless of family income, as New Mexico and several other states look to fill the gap left by lapsed federal pandemic-era benefit programs and address the…

WYOMING Governor signs measure prohibiting abortion pills Wyoming Gov. Mark Gordon has signed into law the nation’s first explicit ban on abortion pills since they became the predominant choice for abortion in the U.S. in recent years. Gordon, a Republican, signed the bill on the night of March 17 while allowing a separate measure restricting…