Job picture improves in many sectors

New Mexico’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 6.5 percent in October, down from 6.9 percent in September and down from 8.5 percent in the previous year. The national unemployment rate in October was 4.6 percent, down from 4.8 percent in September and down from 6.9 percent in Oct. 2020.

Total nonagricultural payroll employment grew by 31,200 jobs, or 3.9 percent, between Oct. 2020 and Oct. 2021. All gains came from the private sector, which was up 36,100 jobs, or 5.9 percent. The public sector was down 4,900 jobs, or 2.7 percent. Most private sector gains were in the private service-providing industries, which were up 29,100 jobs, or 5.6...

Francisco: Lack of support by government OFFICIALS,  fractured criminal investigations create problems for OFFICERS, dangers to the public

Navajo Nation Police Chief Phillip Francisco is leaving the position he’s held for five and half years. He’ll instead become chief of police for Bloomfield, N.M., and will begin his new job Jan. 4.

Before Francisco was named Navajo Nation police chief, it had been well over a decade since someone was in that role. Instead, the department had a revolving door of acting chiefs. Francisco came on board after working at the Farmington and Aztec Police Departments and the San Juan County Sheriff’s Department. He is also an Army veteran and was a...

WINDOW ROCK, Ariz.— Navajo Nation President Jonathan Nez and Vice President Myron Lizer recently met with Division Directors, to review Legislation No. 0257-21, which seeks the 24th Navajo Nation Council’s support to allocate over $1.16 billion in Fiscal Recovery Funds authorized through the American Rescue Plan Act for hardship assistance, water/electricity/broadband infrastructure, housing, and bathroom additions.

This will be the first of several legislations that will be considered to allocate over $2 billion that the Navajo Nation received to help recover from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Legislation No. 0257-21 proposes the following funding allocations:

-Water and Wastewater...

Week ending Friday, November 26, 2021

 

Gone in a Flash

Researchers say they have found a new and effective way to kill bacterial superbugs and viruses without harming human cells — ultrashort pulses of lasers. A team at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis says its findings could lead to new ways to sterilize wounds and blood products. “At a certain laser power, we’re inactivating viruses. As you increase the power, you start inactivating bacteria,” first author Shaw-Wei (David) Tsen said. “But it takes even higher power than that, and we’re talking orders of magnitude, to start killing human cells.” He proposes that scanning a wound with tuned lasers...