Author: Gallupsun Staff
Staff Reports A lot happened in 2024 outside of Gallup, both on a national and global scale. Here’s a breakdown of the top, most impactful stories to come out of 2024. BIDEN STEPS DOWN Following a debate in the summer, President Joe Biden announced that he would be stepping down from his reelection campaign. In a public statement published on July 21, Biden thanked the American people for their support during his presidency and explained why he felt he shouldn’t seek reelection. “While it has been my intention to seek reelection, I believe it is in the best interest of my…
By Glenn KayFor the Sun Well, this was something of an unusual year at the movies. 2023 saw a major portion of film productions put on hold for much of the year due to the SAG-AFTRA and Writers Guild of America strikes. As a result, it felt like a lean year. Still, I’ve done my best to name some films that have really stood out in my mind as exceptional. If you appreciate action, my number 10 pick should satisfy. Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga (Warner Bros.) is another excellent chapter in the Mad Max saga. For me, it falls…
By Dana Jackson Q: I finally subscribed to Paramount+ and started watching the newer episodes of Criminal Minds. I’m happy that most of the cast is back, but what about Matthew Gray Gubler? — D.E. A: Criminal Minds ran on CBS for 15 seasons and ended in 2020, before it was rebooted as Criminal Minds: Evolution two years later on Paramount+. Much of the original cast returned, including Joe Mantegna, Paget Brewster, A.J. Cook, and Kirsten Vangsness. However, one person who was noticeably absent was Matthew Gray Gubler, a fan favorite as super-intellectual agent Spencer Reid. Showrunner Erica Messer explained…
DEAR PAW’S CORNER: I recently adopted a year-old puppy. “Max” is a friendly, well-socialized dog, and during the trial stay a month ago, my 10-year-old cat, “Nora,” seemed to tolerate him. Well, on the second day that Max was home, he started barking excitedly. Nora sprang up and attacked him, cornering Max on the sofa. She batted him around the snout several times. Now, Max slinks out of the room anytime that Nora appears. How can I make peace between them? — Gerry G., Manchester, New Hampshire DEAR GERRY: I’m sorry to hear that! Introducing a new pet into an…
By Sen. Martin Heinrich WASHINGTON D.C. — U.S. Senators Martin Heinrich, D-N.M., and Ben Ray Luján, D-N.M., secured Senate passage of the Social Security Fairness Act, legislation they cosponsored to restore full Social Security benefits for law enforcement officers, firefighters, and other state and local public servants by repealing two provisions of current law that unfairly reduce the Social Security benefits that public employees receive. The Social Security Fairness Act passed the House in November and, following the Dec. 21 Senate passage, now heads to President Joe Biden to be signed into law. “Our police officers, firefighters, bus drivers, and…
By Sarah SmithCo-leader of the New Mexico Freedoms Alliance Our communities are paying the price for our broken criminal justice system, which is failing those with mental health problems and/or drug addiction. Shortly, the 2025 Legislative Session will be underway in Santa Fe. Like many others, I’m wondering whether our legislators will take action to fix the situation. Here in Las Cruces, repeat offenders are responsible for innumerable crimes after being deemed “incompetent” to stand trial and then being released back onto the streets. For instance, from a public records request, one of the top repeat offenders in Las Cruces…
By Rich Lowry It’s a testament to the energy and drive of Elon Musk that he’s now a key adviser to an incoming president of the United States who he helped elect this year — and this is a side project for him. What stamp collecting is to most of us — something we make time for when not engaged in our day jobs — influencing the future direction of the U.S. government is to Musk. This is not to minimize his significance. Far from it. The revolutionary businessman represents a distinctive and unexpected contribution to the Trump coalition. From…