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led by a former adviser to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid. And yet those groups so far have escaped investigations into whether they have crossed the blurry line under the law between what constitutes a taxexempt “social welfare” organization that is free from donor reporting requirements and a political committee subject to taxes and disclosures. Watchdog groups and lawmakers who have sought more disclosure and restrictions on such groups
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allows you to be able to make mistakes along the way,” she said. Stephen Pater noster, president of the Board of Regents and a 1979 graduate, presented Padres Elias to the crowd. “As a graduate, my success in life traces back to my life as a cadet,” the governor said. “It fills me
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broken before the crash. He said he won’t speculate on the cause of the derailment and emphasized the investigation was in its early stages. Seventy-two people were sent to the hospital Friday evening after a Metro-North train heading east from New York City derailed and was hit by a train heading west from New Haven. Most have been discharged. Officials earlier described devastating damage and said it was fortunate no one was killed. “All of the injured people described the really harrowing experience of having the train jolt to a stop, the dust, darkness, other kinds of factors that made it particularly frightening,” said U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal, who visited several patients in the hospital. The crash damaged the tracks and threatened to snarl travel in the Northeast Corridor. The crash also caused Amtrak to suspend service between New York and Boston. “The damage is absolutely staggering,” Blumenthal said, describing the shattered interior of cars and tons of metal tossed around. “I feel that we are fortunate that even more injuries were not the result of this very tragic and unfortunate accident.” U.S. Sen. Chris Murphy said it was “frankly amazing” people weren’t killed on scene. Both said new MetroNorth Railroad cars built with higher standards may have saved lives. Metro-North said train service will remain suspended between South Norwalk and New Haven until further notice. Railroad officials said rebuilding the two tracks and restore train service “will take well into next week.” “We want our customers to know that while you travel on Metro-North, you can remain confident that your safety, and the safety of our employees, is always the first priority in everything we do,” said Howard Permut, President of MTA Metro-North Railroad. NTSB investigators arrived Saturday and are expected to be on site for seven to 10 days. They will look at the brakes and performance of the trains, the condition of the tracks, crew performance and train signal information, among other things. When the NTSB has concluded the on-site phase of its investigation, MetroNorth will begin to remove the damaged rail cars and remaining debris. The
claim an injustice. They say the IRS saga over the targeting of smaller groups shines a bright light onto the agency’s failure to guard against the flood of secret money into the political system through the creation of the deep-pocketed groups.
Yet other advocates of reform worry that, in light of the IRS disclosure of targeting small groups, government regulators will be less likely to scrutinize the tax-exempt status of the bigger, more power ful groups out of fear that they will appear to be targeting groups for political reasons.
Since a series of court decisions including the with an emotion so deep that words cannot express.” Padres Elias, who graduated NMMI high school in 1988 and returned for one year of college, became gover nor of Senora in 2009. He spoke about three cornerstones he learned at NMMI that he said pushed him throughout his life: duty, honor and achievement. “After graduating, these three simple words process requires specialized, heavy equipment that will be in place by Sunday, officials said. Only after the damaged train cars have been removed can MetroNorth begin the work of rebuilding the damaged tracks and overhead wires. The NTSB has allowed Metro-North to begin removing some of the track and wire from the scene. Gov. Dannel P. Malloy said commuters should make plans for alternative travel through the area and urged them to consult the state Department of Transportation website for information. said data Weener recorders on board are expected to provide the speed of the trains at the time of the crash and other information. About 700 people were on board the Metro-North trains when one heading east from New York City’s Grand Central Terminal to New Haven derailed at about 6:10 p.m. just outside Bridgeport, transit and Bridgeport officials said. Passengers described a chaotic, terrifying scene of crunching metal and flying bodies. A spokeswoman for St. Vincent Medical Center said late Saturday that 46 people from the crash were treated there, with six of them admitted. All were in stable condition, she said. A Bridgeport Hospital spokesman said 26 people from the crash were treated there, with three of them admitted. One was in critical condition and two were in stable condition, he said. The other 23 were released. Bridgeport Mayor Bill Finch said the disruption caused by the crash could cost the region’s economy millions of dollars. The MTA operates the Metro-North Railroad, the second-largest commuter railroad in the nation. The Metro-North main lines — the Hudson, Harlem, and New Haven — run northward from New York City’s Grand Central Ter minal into suburban New York and Connecticut.
GENERAL
Supreme Court’s ruling in the 2010 Citizens United case, the IRS has seen an influx of applications — from 1,735 in 2010 to 3,357 in 2012 — by socalled social welfare groups wanting to form under section 501(c)(4) of the federal tax code. That section grants tax-exempt status as long as the primary mission of these organizations is not politics and influencing elections. The IRS makes that determination. Such nonprofits can keep secret the names of their donors, which are not subject to traditional campaign finance limits.
can only be involved in social welfare activity and not politics. But IRS regulations give the groups leeway to conduct political activities — as long as that is not its “primary activity.” That conflict opens the door to potential abuses and different interpretations of what is allowed and what is prohibited.
The rules are fuzzy. The law says that these groups
An IRS inspector general’s report released last week recommended developing for the first time specific guidelines to measure the primary activity of social welfare organizations, and some in Congress have shown a willingness to review big groups like the nonprofit Cross-
became more than just a sum of their parts,” he said. “I said to myself, ‘This is what I ought to be, this is what I can be, this is what I will be.’” He told cadets he did not fully understand what NMMI taught him until later in life. “When you get to that very difficult point in your life, NMMI will come through for you. I guarantee you,” he said. “It did for me. I can tell you it continues to influence me
today and will continue to do so tomorrow.” Padres Elias, who is working on water and safety issues for Sonora, said the NMMI principles are guiding him to serve. “Leading by example will help us define our basic character,” he said. “These words make us strong to do the right thing in the face of adversity. They challenge us each day to be better than before.” Padres Elias was one of many in his family to
STATE BRIEFS
Developer to close offices ALBUQUERQUE (AP) — Uranium Resources Inc. has announced that it will be closing its of fices in Albuquerque, Crownpoint and Grants. The move announced Friday is aimed at reducing corporate overhead, but URI President and CEO Christopher Jones says the company is still committed to the projects is has pending in New Mexico. The Lewisville, Texasbased company says the changes will likely be complete by the end of June. The company expects to save about $1.5 million annual with the consolidation. Environmentalists, including members of the Navajo Nation, have been battling URI for the past 17 years as the company tries to develop uranium claims near the communities of Church Rock and Crownpoint. URI says it has more than 322 square miles of uranium mineral holdings in New Mexico. Rabid bat in ABQ ALBUQUERQUE (AP) — New Mexico health officials are urging parents to tell children not to handle wild animals.
The warning comes after a bat found in northeast Albuquerque tested positive for rabies. A number of children were reportedly near the bat and took photographs of it on the evening of May 11, but it’s not clear if any of them touched or handled it. Health Secretary Retta Ward says the state wants to make sure no children were inadvertently exposed to rabies. Rabies is a fatal disease if it is not treated before symptoms develop. Santa Fe Internet project SANTA FE (AP) — The city of Santa Fe has launched a $1 million project aimed at improving the city’s broadband infrastructure and boosting the availability of high-speed Internet connections. City officials announced Friday that they have issued a request for firms to compete for the opportunity to design, build, own and operate a fiber -optic link from downtown Santa Fe to the St. Michael’s corridor. Mayor David Coss says city councilors heard the request from businesses and community members and made it a priority for bond funding.
Sunday, May 19, 2013 roads GPS and its sister super PAC, American Crossroads. They spent a combined $176 million in the last election cycle, much of it on television advertisements to benefit Republican candidates.
A Senate investigative panel led by Democrat Carl Levin of Michigan and Republican John McCain of Arizona has been reviewing the use of social welfare groups for political causes for the past year and now is examining the agency’s handling of the tax-exempt reviews. Despite the bipartisan outcry over the IRS scandal, there’s little incentive for lawmakers on either
side of the aisle to push for reforms because Republicans and Democrats alike benefit from these big outside groups. In fact, just the opposite may be happening. congressional Some Democrats, fearful of being tied to the scandal, are backing the push for more aggressive enforcement of these groups. And some conservative leaders and Republican donors are using the IRS scandal to help protect the status quo while preparing to pump hundreds of millions of dollars — raised anonymously in many cases with no contribution limits — into the next election cycle, just as they did last fall. in your hands the destiny of our great nation. You are the leaders. You have what it takes to find the solutions. Will your future be easy? No it will not. Nothing worthwhile is ever easy. But I can guarantee without a doubt your path will be exciting and eventfilled.
attend NMMI. He also sent his two sons to the school. “Today I stand before you as your guest speaker and I must say amongst you graduates is my son, he is graduating with you with highest honors,” he said. “I am very proud.” He also talked to the cadets about the challenge of being an inspiration, teaching themselves to lead and also follow. “You are the glue that binds together our entire society,” he said. “You hold
“You are the guideposts. Stand like beacons in the night.”
Navajo Prep FARMINGTON (AP) — Navajo Preparatory School is one step closer to getting new offices. Officials gathered Friday to break ground on the long-awaited project. Water was sprinkled on the construction site as part of the ceremony. The administration offices were included in the master plan but were put off for several years in favor of building dormitories and other student facilities. The school’s board of directors is funding the $796,166 project through an investment fund and a 15-year loan. Board vice president Jennifer Laughter says the time had come when the project could no longer be put off. The Daily Times reports that the vision for the school began in 1991 as a college preparatory school for Navajo students. Around 1993, the tribe purchased the 83-acre campus and existing buildings from the United Methodist Church and
developed a master plan. DA clears ABQ cops ALBUQUERQUE (AP) — Two Albuquerque police officers who were involved in non-fatal shootings have been cleared by the Bernalillo County district attorney’s office. The office announced its findings on Friday, saying no criminal charges should be pursued against officers Leah Kelly and Brian Pitzer. The of ficers were also cleared through the police department’s inter nal affairs and by the Police Oversight Commission. The Albuquerque Journal reports that the two men shot by the of ficers — Chandler Barr and Russell Tenorio — were seriously injured but survived. They’re now suing the police department in federal court over alleged civil rights violations. Barr and Tenorio were holding knives when they were shot in 2010. They were also both living with different forms of mental illness at the time of the shootings.
Dr. Steven Black Internal Medicine & Psychiatry
Dr. Steven Black will no longer be providing services at Counseling Associates as of May 24, 2013
Starting on May 25, 2013, Dr. Steven Black will be available to provide ongoing and continued care to any of his patients seen at Counseling Associates. All patients needing an appointment at his new location should call:
EPOCH BEHAVIORAL HEALTHCARE 1-855-469-3242 575-578-0746 or 575-525-8484 Dr. Steven Black accepts new patients with Medicare, Medicaid, and most health plans.
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