In Depth Stories
Search OptionsTea Party On
Liberal critics have dismissed the Tea Party as “astroturf”—a front for old-guard corporate Republicans hoping to derail Obama’s domestic agenda while poisoning the national debate with subtle racism. It may indeed have begun as hype, but even outsiders now acknowledge the Tea Party’s Pinocchio-like transformation from an imitation grassroots movement to the genuine article.
Jackson’s Legacy
The lawsuit that began when Walter Stephen Jackson drank oven cleaner has brought necessary change for those living with disabilities. But its legacy is one of conflict. As the Jackson plaintiffs and the state wrangle over the court’s requirements, the list of New Mexicans waiting to participate in the state’s developmental disability program—4,732—now exceeds the 3,883 people actually served.
Yes, Please
The Yes Men invade Santa Fe and help the art institute, show their movie, offer a primer on the threat of corporatocracy and prank everyone, including SFR, Intel, Qwest, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Bechtel, the Independent Petroleum Association and the City of Santa Fe. Also, they're going hiking.
Born Poor?
Samuel Bowles heads the Behavioral Sciences Program at the Santa Fe Institute, which is home to dozens of big brains imported from all over the world. If he’s right, troubling job numbers are only the start of New Mexico’s problems. It's time to completely rethink economic development.
The West of Us
The American West is more than a geographical location. It’s an idea that encompasses certain traits, such as freedom, adventurousness and courage. Corinne Platt and Meredith Ogilby spent four years traveling the Rocky Mountain West, clocking thousands of highway miles and interviewing dozens of the West’s “heavy lifters.” SFR excerpts Voices of the American West.
Writing His World
Native American literature would not be what it is today without the works of N Scott Momaday. The Kiowa author’s first novel, House Made of Dawn, won the Pulitzer Prize for fiction in 1969. It is an unflinching examination of Native Americans’ alienation and sadness, as unapologetic in its honesty as it is unconventional in its literary format. This week, SFR talks to the author about Native American culture, his career as a writer and what comes next.
DOH!
At the New Mexico Department of Health, a swirling mass of allegations, accusations, threats and denials creates a murky picture of a state agency still caught between the past and the future.From all the competing accusations and denials, one truth emerges: Something is sick at the New Mexico Department of Health.
10 for '10
Forget the personal. It’s time to get political. New Mexico, after all, faces some, uh, challenges when it comes to everything from tackling political corruption to budget shortfalls, endemic drunk driving to declining educational achievement. That’s not to mention global warming.
Top Ten Stories of 2009
2009 began with celebratory optimism as Santa Fe watched—along with the rest of the world—the inauguration of President Barack Obama. The Champagne glasses didn’t get much more use as the year unfolded. As the economy tumbled, with it came the housing market, the job market and the public pocketbook. SFR's Top 10 stories of the year.
400 Years Old
The Santa Fe 400th Anniversary website confirms that the kickoff event to its 16-month-long commem-oration was a resounding success. In fact, pictures of the more than 20,000 visitors will be posted shortly! Problem is, the kickoff event was the first weekend in September. Not only are there still no pictures on the website, but there’s no money in the coffers.