Kavanaugh Vote Reverberates In New Mexico Senate Race – By Morgan Lee, Associated Press
The Libertarian and Republican challengers in New Mexico's three-way U.S. Senate race voiced support Friday for the confirmation of Judge Brett Kavanaugh, as the Senate closed in on a final vote.
Kavanaugh's confirmation is all but guaranteed with a final roll call vote likely to take place Saturday.
Incumbent Democratic U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich has made clear he'll vote against Kavanaugh based on the nominee's judicial views and accusations of teenage sexual misconduct that the first-term senator calls credible.
Former New Mexico governor and third-party Senate candidate Gary Johnson said Friday in an email that he would vote in favor of Kavanaugh's confirmation if he were voting. Johnson said it was appropriate and good that Christine Blasey Ford was given the opportunity testify before a Senate committee.
Kavanaugh has angrily denied Ford's accusations that he drunkenly sexually assaulted her in 1982 behind locked doors at a high school gathering, along with allegations of sexual misconduct by two other women.
Republican candidate Mick Rich, an enthusiastic supporter of President Trump, said he too would be voting for Kavanaugh if he could.
Rich said Kavanaugh is well qualified to sit on the Supreme Court and that the nominee was justified in expressing anger during his denial of the accusations by Ford.
Radiation Found In Los Alamos Lab Worker's Wound – Los Alamos Monitor, Associated Press
The Los Alamos National Laboratory says radiation has been found in a worker's puncture wound received while changing cables on a glove box.
The Los Alamos Monitor reports the contamination was found during medical testing done in the wake of the Aug. 18 accident.
The worker's injury was reported in the latest inspection report prepared by an on-site Defense Facilities Nuclear Safety Board inspector.
Lab spokesman Kevin Roark says the worker was wearing proper safety clothing when the accident occurred.
He says the worker is currently undergoing standard medical treatment for internal radiation exposure, and the worker is doing non-radiological work at the laboratory.
New Mexico Man Sues Store After Slipping On Chile Pod– Albuquerque Journal, Associated Press
A New Mexico man is suing a supermarket chain after he says he slipped and fell on a green chile pod.
The Albuquerque Journal reports a lawyer for Richard Berman filed a lawsuit on Thursday in Santa Fe District Court two years after the chile allegedly swept Berman off his feet.
Berman is seeking damages from Sprouts Farmers Markets for injuries he suffered to his neck, shoulder, back and left knee. The lawsuit claims Berman continues to suffer from headaches and other pains.
The lawsuit says Sprouts "knew or should have known that the floor of the store, where the green chile was located, was subject to routine heavy foot traffic."
The Phoenix-based Sprouts Farmers Markets declined to comment.