out west roundup
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New Mexico legislators rush to shore up safety net programs after federal cuts | OUT WEST ROUNDUP
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NEW MEXICO Legislators address safety-net SANTA FE — New Mexico legislators pushed to shore up safety-net spending on Oct. 1 in response to President Donald Trump’s spending and tax cuts, in a state with one of the highest enrollment rates for Medicaid and federal food assistance. State legislators in the Democratic majority said they weren’t…
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New Mexico is first state to promise free child care for all families | OUT WEST ROUNDUP
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NEW MEXICO State promises free child care SANTA FE — New Mexico’s governor is promising universal free child care to families of all income levels. Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham announced her plans in the second week of September, saying she wants to leverage a financial windfall from oil and gas production to help more parents…
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Power restored after fearsome dust storm rips through Phoenix area | OUT WEST ROUNDUP
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ARIZONA Dust storm rips Phoenix area PHOENIX — Crews cleaned up downed trees and got electricity mostly restored for thousands of people on Aug. 26 after a powerful dust storm roared through the Phoenix area. The wall of dust towering hundreds of feet high dwarfed the city’s neighborhoods. Called a haboob, the wind-driven phenomenon blackened…
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Grand Canyon mascot Brighty the Burro recovered from rubble after wildfire | OUT WEST ROUNDUP
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ARIZONA Grand Canyon mascot recovered Missing an ear and his front legs detached, Brighty the Burro certainly has seen better days. The 600-pound bronze statue used to greet visitors at the Grand Canyon Lodge on the national park’s North Rim. The nearly century-old building was reduce to rubble this summer when a wildfire swept through…
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Arizona, Nevada and Mexico will again get less Colorado River water in 2026 | OUT WEST ROUNDUP
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Lower Basin to get less Colorado River water DENVER — Arizona, Nevada and Mexico will again live with less water from the Colorado River as drought lingers in the West, federal officials announced Aug. 15. The Colorado River is a critical lifeline to seven U.S. states, 30 Native American tribes, and two Mexican states. The…
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Feds OK expansion of mine that supplies coal to Montana’s largest power plant | OUT WEST ROUNDUP
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MONTANA Feds OK coal mine expansion The federal government has authorized a nearly 1,900-acre expansion of the mine that supplies Montana’s largest power plant with coal. The Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement announced on Aug. 6 that it has approved an expansion of the Rosebud coal mine near Colstrip that is expected to…
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Cheyenne’s mayor unveils plans for massive, electricity-hungry AI data center | OUT WEST ROUNDUP
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Associated Press WYOMING Massive AI data center planned CHEYENNE — An artificial intelligence data center that would use more electricity than every home in Wyoming combined before expanding to as much as five times that size will be built soon near Cheyenne, according to Mayor Patrick Collins. With cool weather — good for keeping computer…
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OUT WEST ROUNDUP | New Mexico bills, governor test appetite for gun control
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NEW MEXICO Bills, governor test appetite for gun control SANTA FE – The Democrat-led Legislature and governor are pushing to increase oversight of firearms sales and place new limits on gun possession and ownership. During its 60-day annual legislative session, lawmakers could make New Mexico the first state to enact major gun control reforms in…
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OUT WEST ROUNDUP | Kobach considering 2020 US Senate bid in Kansas
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KANSAS Kobach considering US Senate bid in 2020 TOPEKA, Kansas – Kris Kobach, a vocal ally of President Donald Trump and an advocate of tough immigration laws, has confirmed he is considering a run for the U.S. Senate in 2020 after losing the Kansas governor’s race. Kobach, the former Kansas secretary of state, joins a…
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OUT WEST ROUNDUP | North Dakota residents ignore law making car-idling illegal
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NORTH DAKOTA State residents ignore law making car-idling illegal BISMARCK, North Dakota – When the winds howl and the bone-numbing cold sets in, scores of North Dakotans willingly become lawbreakers by warming up their vehicles without being in them, ignoring a potential $1,500 state fine and 30 days in jail. “It’s ineffective. The people ignore…