Former state treasurer once again a free man

Released from federal custody last Friday, Robert Vigil still faces three years of probation and has to finish paying off $97,000 in fines.

In 2006, the former state treasurer was convicted on one count of attempted extortion in 2006. The 56-year old Vigil served just over two years in prison -- first in Texas and later in Colorado -- before being moved to a halfway house in Albuquerque this past June.

In this morning's Albuquerque Journal Thomas Cole reports -- in his Up Front -- column today that Vigil has been confined to his home for the last three months.

Vigil, who also served two terms as state auditor, originally faced 28 counts stemming from a kickback scheme at the state treasurers office. Four counts were dropped before his first trial. It ended in a hung jury.

Last April, we were the first to report that Vigil's appeal in the 10th Circuit Court was denied. Later the U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear the case.

Under terms of his probation, Vigil must remain employed or attend school fulltime. He also must meet with his probation officer once a month, can not possess a firearm, and ask for persmission to travel out of the state.

He's also not allowed to associate with other known felons -- including his own sister-in-law, Roberta Vigil, who was convicted in May of fraud and conspiracy to commit fraud, after she diverted taxpayer money from the West Las Vegas School District.

Morning news brief from 770KKOB

It's TIME for Bernanke
Time magazine has announced its ``Person of the Year'' for 2009. It's Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke. Last year's winner was then-President-elect Barack Obama. Previous winners include George W. Bush and Bono.

Health bill compromises
The public insurance option that most senate Democrats wanted to include in health care reform legislation appears dead, as does a Medicare buy-in plan. But Democrats are nearing a compromise on the bill as they come to terms with the idea that they're not going to get everything they want in the nearly $1 trillion bill.

Raising the federal debt ceiling
The House plans to vote today on a $200 billion increase in the federal debt ceiling, extending the limit for two months. President Barack Obama says deficit spending is still needed to create jobs and stimulate the economy. But most Republicans and some moderate Democrats say the deficit is growing too large.

Trouble in Copenhagen
Police are using tear gas and batons to disperse crowds of protesters trying to disrupt the U.N. climate talks in Copenhagen. A police spokesman says 230 protesters have been detained. The demonstrators say they want to take over the global conference and turn it into a ``people's assembly.''

Teens need health screenings after sex
A new study suggests that half of all urban teenage girls may get one or more sexually transmitted infections within two years of becoming sexually active. Researchers at Indiana University say their findings point to the need to screen sexually active teenage girls sooner for infections.

Denish releases new campaign video

"Our New Mexico," Diane Denish's latest 2010 gubernatorial campaign video was released on Sunday night -- after being previewed at an Albuquerque North Valley ward meeting on Saturday afternoon.

In the 3.5 minute video, she talks about her rural roots, the state's cultural diversity and natural resources, the need to "get out of Santa Fe" and be more accessible to all New Mexicans, and her record generating small business loans for over 1600 local companies.

Denish pledges, "to be bold in our thinking, wise in our spending, courageous in our action -- that's how we'll build our economy, grow new businesses, create jobs, and deliver the better schools and safer communities our kids and families deserve."

She also talks about her record of releasing campaign finance reports, which include list of political contributors, more often than state law requires and her plan to give taxpayers the opportunity to review state contracts online.

Denish hopes to win next year so she can preside over the state's 100th anniversary of statehood and in the video she says she hopes, "our second century can be as great as our first."

Denish, who does not have a Democrat primary challenger, does have $2 million dollars in her campaign treasury, which makes it a whole lot easier to generate high quality and well produced videos to brand Denish's campaign and establish themed messages early in the election season.

Four Republicans, businessmen Allen Weh and Doug Turner, Doña Ana County District Attorney Susana Martinez, and State Representative Janice Arnold-Jones, are campaigning for the GOP nomination.

Obama and the banks

A top adviser to President Barack Obama says the White House is telling the banking industry it helped create last year's near economic meltdown and it has to be ``part of the solution.''

Small business and mortgage lending, financial reform and the economic recovery are all on the agenda for President Barak Obama's meeting with bank executives this morning.

Previewing a meeting Obama will have later Monday with industry leaders, David Axelrod said there simply has to be easier credit for businesses to reinvest and do the hiring needed to bring down double-digit unemployment.

Interviewed on ABC's ``Good Morning America,'' Axelrod said the message to bankers is, ``You have to accelerate lending to credible small businesses.''

Meeting could be tense

In a ``60 Minutes'' interview aired last night, Obama said Wall Street's huge bonuses anger people and he didn't run for president to help ``fat cat bankers.''

Meanwhile, Citigroup is the latest big bank to announce it's paying back bailout money. It will return $20 billion to the Treasury.

One of the hardest hit by the credit crisis and loan defaults, Citigroup received $45 in government support.

Many banks have moved quickly to repay the bailout money because it came with restrictions like caps on executive pay and dividends.

COP15 in dissarray

U.N. climate talks have been thrown into disarray as developing countries blocked negotiations, demanding that rich countries raise their pledges for reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

Representatives from developing countries said they refused to participate in any working groups Monday at the 192-nation summit until the issue was resolved.

The move was a setback for the Copenhagen talks, which were already faltering over long-running disputes between rich and poor nations over emissions cuts and financing for developing countries to deal with climate change.