Nonprofits that spend money to talk about candidates could be silenced

A decision last week by New Mexico Secretary of State Mary Herrera could have a major effect on what some nonprofit organizations do and say.

What does Big Bill think about Sen. Barack Obama's VP choice? APD is trying some new tricks to make Downtown safer. An Albuquerque author links nuclear weapons to ... ? And which TV show will be filmed at a New Mexico university?

Eric Williams

Idea Propulsion Lab members invent from the comfort of their living rooms

Necessity may spur invention, but for Matt Grommes, creativity is the driving factor behind his creations. The members of the Idea Propulsion Lab (IPL) don't need engineering degrees to go mad scientist. And while these garage engineers aren't reeling in millions with their inventions, they probably have the highest-tech stereo systems and the best solar-powered fighting robots in town.

Council weighs in on labor-management balance

City workers won the right to settle disputes with the administration via an independent party—but their victory will probably last only until Mayor Martin Chavez wields his veto pen.

Will you fight his wars?

Barack Obama wants to keep as many as 50,000 American troops in Iraq indefinitely. His 16-month timetable does not mean a complete withdrawal, only a reduction in force so combat troops can be rotated from Iraq to Afghanistan.

Eric J. Garcia

Dateline: Australia—A bizarre batch of garlic bread that mysteriously turns blue in the oven has sparked a nationwide recall by Australia’s biggest supplier. The recall of 13 brands made by Capalaba-based AGB International has left Australia’s top pizza chain, Domino’s, temporarily out-of-stock on its most popular side dish. A spokesperson for AGB said the company did not believe the breads were a danger to the public but was issuing the recall in the interest of quality control. AGB did not yet know why the bread turned blue when baked but believed the problem was “isolated to a batch of garlic we are no longer using.” Domino’s, meanwhile, said they would be replacing the dish with “cheesy herb pizza bread” for the time being.

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