"Game of Thrones" author George R.R. Martin is offering to show "The Interview" at his theater in Santa Fe. Martin wrote on his blog this week that the Jean Cocteau Cinema would be glad to screen the film if Sony ever releases the comedy for theatrical exhibition. Martin called the decision to shelve "The Interview" in the face of terrorist threats a "stunning display of corporate cowardice." The New Mexican reports that Martin hasn't seen the film and doesn't know whether it's good or bad. Martin says he's astonished that a major Hollywood film could be killed before release by threats from a foreign power and anonymous hackers.
The head of the New Mexico Lottery says the state needs to catch up with the mobile revolution if it wants to attract the next generation of players and raise more money for the lottery scholarship program. Lottery CEO David Barden testified Thursday before the legislative- Revenue Stabilization and Tax Policy Committee. While more than 80 percent of tickets are sold at convenience stores, Barden says statistics show about 73 percent of people who stop for gas never go inside and that amounts to lost opportunity. Barden says the lottery needs to tap in to smartphone and debit card sales if it wants to raise revenues. Lottery proceeds fund the scholarship program. Changes were enacted earlier this year to shore up the program's finances because tuition increases and demand for the financial assistance had grown faster than lottery proceeds.
A final report by independent researchers shows the radiation leak from the federal government's underground nuclear waste repository earlier this year in southern New Mexico was small and localized. The report released Thursday by the Carlsbad Environmental Monitoring and Research Center also says no negative health effects are expected among workers or the public.
New Mexican teens' birth rates are down. The Department of Health announced Thursday that vital records show a 10 percent drop between 2012 and 2013 for teens 15-17 years old and for teens 18-19 years old. The department says the drop is New Mexico's largest in the last 15 years, continuing a trend that has seen birth rates for teens 15-17 years old decline 56-percent since 1998. Meanwhile, birth rates for teens 18-19 years old dropped 36 percent. However, New Mexico's rates still top national rates for each age group. According to the most recent data- available, New Mexico has the highest rate nationally for teens 15-19. Health Secretary Retta Ward says that means the state is making progress in reducing teen pregnancies but still has work to do.
A New Mexico state health official says this flu season could be more difficult than others. According to the Albuquerque Journal, Dr. Joan Baumbach says the flu strain causing the most cases so far this year is one whose variations lead to more illness among older people. The deputy state epidemiologist also says the strain circulating now has changed from the strain that was the basis for this year's flu vaccine. That may reduce the vaccine's ability to fully protect against the flu. But Baumbach says it's still better to have some protection than no protection. She says it's important for everyone to get vaccine.
New Mexico legislators will be asked again to consider allowing authorities to prohibit alcohol- purchases by people required to use ignition interlocks because of drunken driving convictions. KRQE-TV reports that a bill introduced this week by Representative Brian Egolf would allow the state to put "No Alcohol Sales" on licenses issued to a people who have had their licenses -revoked. The Santa Fe Democrat's bill also would allow judges to order the same marking on state-issued ID cards of people who have had their licenses revoked. The state House approved a similar bill in 2013 but it died in the Senate.
A federal judge is inviting Albuquerque residents to submit friend-of-the-court briefs for a pending settlement between the city and the U.S. Justice Department to overhaul the Albuquerque Police Department. U.S. District Judge Robert Brack issued Wednesday his ruling to give the public a chance to submit up to 15 pages. The ruling will allow briefs to argue positions so the court can craft a final agreement. The reform blueprint calls for new training and protocols for investigating officer shootings. It also calls for the agency to dismantle some troubled units. A federal monitor will be chosen to keep tabs on whether the department is following the agreement.
Santa Fe Weather: Partly sunny, then gradually becoming sunny today, with a high near 35. Tonight: Partly cloudy, with a low around 24. For Tomorrow: Mostly cloudy, with a high near 38