J. Bennett Johnston Jr., a Louisiana Democrat who as a four-term United States senator helped shape America’s energy and science policies in an era of rising concerns over the perils of nuclear power and the nation’s dependence on foreign oilbet365pg, died on Tuesday in Arlington, Va. He was 92.
betexHis death, in a hospital, was confirmed by his son J. Bennett Johnston III. Mr. Johnston lived in McLean, Va.
One of a new breed of polished Southern Democrats that included Presidents Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton, Mr. Johnston served in the Senate from 1972 to 1997, a tenure that included Middle East conflicts that threatened American oil imports, as well as nuclear licensing and safety changes in the aftermath of the nation’s worst nuclear accident, the partial reactor meltdown at Three Mile Island in Pennsylvania in 1979.
A target of environmentalists’ wrath, he favored more nuclear power plants, although public safety concerns limited new construction for decades. But he won fights to sharply expand oil drilling in the Gulf of Mexico, the major offshore petroleum-producing area for the United States, and sponsored laws to let coastal states share federal revenue from offshore drilling.
As chairman or a ranking member of the energy and natural resources committee from 1973 to 1996, Mr. Johnston was involved in virtually all Senate energy legislation, from rewriting the nuclear licensing provisions of federal law to developing synthetic fuels and deregulating oil and natural gas prices to spur production. It was a delicate balancing act for a senator from a state with ferociously competing energy interests.
In a state that was also renowned for flamboyant politicians like Huey and Earl Long and corrupt rogues like the longtime governor Edwin W. Edwards, Mr. Johnston was a notable exception — a quiet intellectual with finely honed political judgments who grasped the technical intricacies of energy exploration and production and could also lucidly discuss astrophysics,66br subatomic particles and tennis serves.
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Even so, there’s plenty to worry about.
The reopened Mii amo hotel includes renovated accommodations, extensive wellness facilities and the new Hummingbird at Mii amo restaurant, above, which emphasizes seasonal local produce.Credit...Ken Hayden
After being closed for two years, this longstanding escape amid the red rocks of Sedona has reopened following a $40 million renovation and expansion. Part of the Relais & Châteaux hotel network, the hotel’s new additions include the Hummingbird at Mii amo restaurant, where you can enjoy seasonal local produce. There’s also a 3,300-square-foot movement and fitness studio; a reflexology path designed to massage and engage acupressure points on your feet; an expanded spa, where you can get a massage with CBD oil and try reiki or hypnosis; and a yoga lawn.
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