Update

BLM Grants Peabody Lease To Expand NM Coal Mine -  The Associated Press

The Bureau of Land Management has issued a lease allowing for more than 9 million tons of coal to be mined in western New Mexico.

The federal agency said Tuesday it issued the 640-acre lease to Peabody Natural Resources Co. after considering an appeal that stemmed from a lease sale in August 2013.

The BLM says it weighed potential environmental effects and determined there would be no significant impacts.

Los Alamos Studying Alternatives For Toxic Waste -The Associated Press

With the nation's only underground nuclear waste dump shuttered by a mysterious leak, Los Alamos National Laboratory has begun looking at alternatives for getting toxic waste off its campus.

Lab spokesman Matthew Nerzig confirmed Tuesday that officials have begun looking at options if the Waste Isolation Pilot Project in Carlsbad remains closed indefinitely.

Albuquerque Man Facing Federal Hate Crime Charge  The Associated Press

A 58-year-old Albuquerque man is facing a federal hate crime charge after authorities said he posted threatening anti-Semitic notes outside a Jewish deli.

The U.S. Department of Justice announced that John W. Ng (ING) made his initial appearance in U.S. District Court in Albuquerque related to notes found at the Nosh Jewish Delicatessen & Bakery.

Woman Suing Former New Mexico Parole Officer - The Associated Press

The American Civil Liberties Union of New Mexico has filed a lawsuit against the state Corrections Department and a former probation officer accused of sexually assaulting a woman.

Gordon Chavez was sentenced this week to 18 months in prison after pleading guilty last September to a civil rights violation.

The ACLU's suit filed on behalf of a parolee who alleges that Chavez violated her constitutional rights.

Santa Fe Elects Javier Gonzales As New Mayor - The Santa Fe New Mexican

Santa Fe voters have elected Javier Gonzales as the city’s new mayor.

Union Awaits Info On Leak At New Mexico Nuke Dump - The Associated Press

A union representing some 200 workers at the nation's only underground nuclear waste dump says its wants to be sure employees are safe when the repository opens after a radiation leak that exposed at least 13 people.

The Waste Isolation Pilot Plant near Carlsbad has been off-limits to most workers for nearly three weeks.

NM Sets Deadlines For Handling Waste At Nuke Dump  - The Associated Press

The New Mexico Environment Department is giving the federal government a deadline for dealing with radioactive waste that's sitting above ground at a nuclear dump near Carlsbad.

Dozens of drums and other special containers of waste are being stored in a parking area at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant and inside the facility's waste handling building.

New Mexico Senate Approves $6B Budget - The Associated Press

The Senate has unanimously approved a proposed $6.2 billion budget that would provide 3 percent pay raises next year for government workers and educators.

The budget is the main assignment for lawmakers in the 30-day session, which ends on Thursday.

The bill cleared the Senate on Tuesday and heads to the House.

The measure provides for a $293 million or 5 percent increase in spending on education and government programs next year.

  Agriculture Secretary Announces Focus On Climate Change - The Associated Press

Some federal research centers around the country will be focusing on helping farmers and foresters deal with climate change.

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack is to announce Wednesday designation of seven regional climate hubs.

5 Democrats In Race To Unseat Martinez  - The Associated Press

Five Democrats have officially entered the race to unseat Republican Gov. Susana Martinez.

New Mexico Attorney General Gary King, Santa Fe businessman Alan Weber, longtime government worker Lawrence Rael of Albuquerque and state Sens. Howie Morales of Silver City and Linda Lopez of Albuquerque Tuesday turned in the petitions and paperwork required to qualify for the Democratic Party's June primary ballot.

No one has filed to run against Martinez in the GOP primary.

New Lawsuit Alleges Unreasonable Search In NM - The Associated Press

Another lawsuit has been filed over an unreasonable search by a New Mexico law enforcement agency along the border.

In the latest filing, a New Mexico woman says in a federal lawsuit that police illegally took her car in the town of Lordsburg, in Hidalgo County. She says when she tried to retrieve the vehicle four days later, she was forced to strip naked and a female officer visually inspected her body cavities.

Seismologists To Study Earthquakes - KRDO and The Associated Press

NM Rally Planned For Gun-Buyer Background Checks - The Associated Press

Santa Fe Mayor David Coss and gun safety advocates plan to rally at the Capitol in support of a proposal to require criminal background checks of more people who buy firearms at gun shows.

The rally is scheduled Wednesday at the Capitol and supporters hope to increase pressure on Republican Gov. Susana Martinez to add the gun proposal to the Legislature's agenda.

National Teachers Union President Visits NM - The Associated Press

The head of the American Federation of Teachers is visiting New Mexico to push the importance of early childhood education.

Union officials say president Randi Weingarten met with local AFT leaders, teachers, parents and community members Monday morning at the Parkside Child Development Center in Albuquerque.

Health Care Website Frustrates Spanish Speakers - The Associated Press

Mirroring problems with the federal health care website, users attempting to navigate the Spanish version have discovered their own set of difficulties.

The site, CuidadoDeSalud.gov, launched more than two months late. It had busted links. And the translations are so clunky that critics say they must have been computer-generated.