$500 Mil Obama Admin Program Will Help Kids in Kindergarten to "Sit Still"

Kathleen Sebelius
From cnsnews.com -Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius toldCNSNews.com on Wednesday that the administration's new $500 million early learning initiative is designed to deal with children from birth onward to prevent such problems as 5-year olds who "can't sit still" in a kindergarten classroom.  "You really need to look at the range of issues, because if a 5-year-old can’t sit still, it is unlikely that they can do well in a kindergarten class, and it has to be the whole range of issues that go into healthy child development,” Sebelius said during a telephone news conference on Wednesday to announce the Race to the Top Early Learning Challenge.  More News New Mexico

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Martinez to Headline Orange Co. GOP Dinner

From ocregister.com -New Mexico Gov. Susana Martinez, the country's first Hispanic female elected to a state's top post, will be the keynote speaker at the Republican Party of Orange County's annual Flag Day dinner. Martinez was elected in 2010 and may represent a model for California Republicans hoping to appeal to Latinos, who provided Gov. Jerry Brown with his margin of victory over Meg Whitman last year. California Republicans don't have a single Latino in the state Legislature or in Congress. More News New Mexico

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Overreaching Law Enforcement vs. Privacy Rights

From reason.com -Cell phones and cameras with video-recording capability have become ubiquitous. This has led to an increase in the filming of police officers, which has led to a backlash: Cops have begun arresting those who film them, on charges such as interfering with an investigation—even when the filmer is not interfering and the officer is not investigating. In one now-famous example, motorcyclist Anthony Graber’s helmet cam was rolling when Graber was pulled over last March by a Maryland State Trooper. The Trooper came out of an unmarked car in plain clothes, yelling, with his gun drawn. Graber didn’t like that—and posted the video on YouTube. In short order he was arrested and charged with felony wiretapping. A judge eventually threw the charges out—six months later. More News New mexico
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“Roswell FM” Movie Will Shoot on Location This Summer

In a May 17th press release submitted jointly by the film director Stephen Griffin and film producer Alan Trever, of Window Light Productions, it was announced that "Roswell FM" will be shot on location in Roswell, New Mexico starting July 25th. The feature film written by New Mexico native David Spence tells a lighthearted story about a man who must decide between his dream job hosting a quirky, UFO-themed talk show, and the financial needs of his family.
Mark Medoff
Other members of the behind-the-camera crew include director of photography, David Brewer (Insidious) and production designer Bobby Marinelli (Waking Eloise, Bad Influences). Veteran writer/director and Tony Award winning playwright Mark Medoff (Children of a Lesser God, Refuge) will serve as Executive Producer on the film. Recently "Roswell FM" added former Roswell resident and Line Producer/UPM, Carl Lucas (Los Angeles) to the creative team. Casting for the film is well underway and in the hands of veteran Casting Director Cathy Henderson of Los Angeles.


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Lizard Is Going National

Sean Hannity
The “Hannity” show on Fox News cable plans to air national coverage of the dunes sagebrush lizard issue tonight. The show will air tonight at 7:00pm MST/9:00pm EST. Coverage is expected to include footage of southern New Mexicans whose jobs would be impacted by the listing, the recent rally to oppose the listing in Roswell, and an interview with Rep. Steve Pearce. New Mexicans continue to express concerns that the listing will dramatically affect the economy of the southeastern part of the state. US Fish and Wildlife Service has stated that these jobs are not taken into account in the decision to list, despite extensive ranching and energy jobs in the region.
Congressman Pearce has consistently advocated CCAs and CCAAs as alternatives to the listing. These agreements, already in place, take into consideration the concerns of all affected parties in order to protect the species without jeopardizing jobs and the economy. Please Note: While this advisory contains the most up-to-date information at time of sending, television schedules are always subject to change. This is intended only to alert constituents to national coverage of an issue that is very important to southern New Mexico.


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Martinez ‘Surprise Guest’ at Economic Forum Where Wilson Gave Address

Susana Martinez
Pulaski note: I consider this a conflict of interest.  Governor Martinez said she is staying out of the Senate race but in my eyes this is as good as an endorsement. From newmexicoindependent.com -Just a day after she distanced herself from Lt. Gov. John Sanchez, Gov. Susana Martinez appeared at an economic forum in Albuquerque where Senate candidate Heather Wilson was speaking. Wilson posted two pictures of the herself sitting next to Martinez at the forum. Wilson captioned one photo:  The Governor was a surprise guest at my speech at the Economic Forum this morning. Great to sit with her! These photos are a little blury [sic], but things in politics move quickly! :) On the other, Wilson wrote: Susana makes me look bad by eating healthy while I scarf down the tortillas and eggs. . . : Martinez spokesman Scott Darnell told the National Journal that Martinez was in town and decided to stop by the economic forum. He also said that Martinez was not there to specifically see Wilson’s speech.
More News New Mexico
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State Makes $239 Million in Interest Free Loans

KRQE - TV - ALBUQUERQUE - When the State of New Mexico decided to enter the film business a decade ago, it went swimming with sharks. Now, nearly 10 years and more than $239 million worth of interest-free loans later, New Mexico taxpayers are the ones left nursing shark bites after losing nearly $30 million in  stinker film deals.
“It’s just the way Hollywood plays the game,” said Sherri Burr, who teaches entertainment law at the University of New Mexico Law School. “You have to understand the accounting system if you are going to play with the Hollywood folks. All films lose money according to Hollywood.” Read full story here: News New Mexico
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Reflections on the Passing of Mark Haines

Mark Haines
One of the people I had coffee with for a very long time passed away yesterday. Mark Haines was CNBC's anchor of the financial show Squawk Box. Yesterday as we were doing the Wednesday edition of News New Mexico on the radio the television monitors in our studio started to flash the news of his death. It knocked me for a loop. I never met Mark Haines. But I felt like I knew him well after starting my day watching and listening to him deliver the financial news for nearly twenty years. Like everyone else, I remember where I was on 9-11. On that fateful day I was sitting on the edge of the bed at home, spellbound as Mark Haines provided the words to go with the incredible visual images of the Twin Towers. Haines exited this world yesterday. His life included a loving family and a job well done. May he rest in peace.

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APS Superintendent Re-Thinking Some Cuts

Winston Brooks
KOB - TV- APS Superintendent Winston Brooks wants to cut fewer assistant principal positions than he initially proposed. Parents think he should be focusing on cutting fewer teaching positions instead. Some school board members are concerned that Brooks' budget proposal would hurt middle schools, when middle schools are in the need of the most help. Brooks responded by saving eight middle school assistant principal jobs. Brooks initially wanted to cut 17 assistant principal positions across the district in hopes to help cap a $37 million dollar shortfall. At a special school board meeting held on Tuesday, he changed his mind saying he's only going to cut nine assistant principal positions. "I'm willing to commit to you publicly that will happen and we will look in every way we can to make sure we right-size that mid-school," Brooks stated to the board on Tuesday night. Read full story here: News New Mexico
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Many NM Jobs Gone Permanently

KOB - TV According to UNM's Bureau of Business and Economic Research, the latest U.S. Labor Department unemployment numbers may not paint such a rosy picture of an economic recovery in New Mexico after all. Economists say the April unemployment rate of 7.6 percent is down, but that is only part of the picture, and a misleading one at that. Economist Jeff Mitchell said that's because the unemployment rate only counts those who are actually looking for work not those who have given up or moved away to other states with better job opportunities. Mitchell also said that layoffs were common in past recessions, but workers returned to their jobs when the economy improved. "It's different this time," Mitchell said. "This time most of the people, in fact as many as 80 percent of the people who are now seen as unemployed… in fact their jobs are gone…permanently." Mitchell said New Mexico's actual workforce, those working and those looking for work, has declined month after month, and New Mexico remains near the bottom in job creation. "The jobs that we've lost tend to be those that are typically held by men, construction, manufacturing, transportation," Mitchell said. "Consequently, the unemployment rate is higher among men than it is among women." Read full story here: News New Mexico
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