INSIDER
Migrant deaths in New Mexico have increased tenfold
Read full article: Migrant deaths in New Mexico have increased tenfoldNew Mexico authorities are grappling with a growing number of migrants dying in the state's border region, with the remains of more than 100 found in the first eight months of the year in the state.
Hot-air balloon bumps line, causing brief power outage during Albuquerque balloon fiesta
Read full article: Hot-air balloon bumps line, causing brief power outage during Albuquerque balloon fiestaAuthorities say nearly 13,000 utility customers were without electricity for an hour after a hot-air balloon bumped a power line in northeast Albuquerque.
'Magical' flotilla of hot air balloons take flight at international fiesta amid warm temperatures
Read full article: 'Magical' flotilla of hot air balloons take flight at international fiesta amid warm temperaturesA flotilla of hot air balloons ascended into a clear desert sky on Saturday to kick off a colorful mass ascension at the 52nd annual Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta.
International fiesta fills New Mexico's sky with colorful hot air balloons
Read full article: International fiesta fills New Mexico's sky with colorful hot air balloonsHundreds of colorful hot air balloons are scheduled to take off together for the 52nd annual Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta.
ACLU lawsuit details DWI scheme rocking Albuquerque police
Read full article: ACLU lawsuit details DWI scheme rocking Albuquerque policeA civil rights group is suing the city of Albuquerque, its police department and top officials on behalf of a man who was among those arrested on suspicion of driving while intoxicated and later forced to pay bribes to get the charges dropped.
US nuclear repository is among the federally owned spots identified for renewable energy projects
Read full article: US nuclear repository is among the federally owned spots identified for renewable energy projectsFederal officials have identified more than 50 square miles of government-owned property across the U.S. as having great potential for renewable energy projects.
House Democrats dig in amid ongoing fight in Congress over compensation for US radiation victims
Read full article: House Democrats dig in amid ongoing fight in Congress over compensation for US radiation victimsA top Democrat in the U.S. House says it will take a shift of power in Congress to ensure that legislation is finally passed to extend and expand a compensation program for people exposed to radiation following uranium mining and nuclear testing carried out by the federal government.
New Mexico Democrats mostly rebuff calls from Democratic governor to address high crime rates
Read full article: New Mexico Democrats mostly rebuff calls from Democratic governor to address high crime ratesDemocrats in the state legislative majority have rebuffed calls by New Mexicoās governor to address the ādangerous intersectionā of crime and homelessness.
The Supreme Court rejects a settlement in a water dispute between New Mexico and Texas
Read full article: The Supreme Court rejects a settlement in a water dispute between New Mexico and TexasThe Supreme Court has rejected a settlement between Western states over the management of one of North Americaās longest rivers.
Weeklong heat wave loosens grip slightly on US Southwest but forecasters still urge caution
Read full article: Weeklong heat wave loosens grip slightly on US Southwest but forecasters still urge cautionThe weeklong heat wave that baked most of the U.S. Southwest in temperatures well into triple digits is on its last legs, but forecasters are still urging people to be cautious.
As US spotlights those missing or dead in Native communities, prosecutors work to solve their cases
Read full article: As US spotlights those missing or dead in Native communities, prosecutors work to solve their casesFrom marches and art exhibitions to candlelight vigils, people are gathering across the U.S. to spotlight the high rate of disappearances and killings in Native American communities.
Prosecutors charge a South Carolina man with carjacking and the killing of a New Mexico officer
Read full article: Prosecutors charge a South Carolina man with carjacking and the killing of a New Mexico officerFederal prosecutors have charged a South Carolina man with carjacking resulting in death and the gunning down of a New Mexico state police officer who had stopped to help him.
Antoine Predock, internationally renowned architect and motorcycle aficionado, dies at 87
Read full article: Antoine Predock, internationally renowned architect and motorcycle aficionado, dies at 87Internationally renowned architect and avid motorcyclist Antoine Predock has died at his home in Albuquerque, according to longtime friends.
Leaders seek to expand crime-fighting net of cameras and sensors beyond New Mexico's largest city
Read full article: Leaders seek to expand crime-fighting net of cameras and sensors beyond New Mexico's largest cityNew Mexicoās largest city is blanketed with a network of cameras, license plate readers and special listening devices that hone in on the sound of gunfire.
Governor wants New Mexico legislators to debate new approach to regulating assault-style weapons
Read full article: Governor wants New Mexico legislators to debate new approach to regulating assault-style weaponsNew Mexico could become an early political testing ground for an unconventional proposal to make assault-style weapons less deadly.
Federal judge won't block suspension of right to carry guns in some New Mexico parks, playgrounds
Read full article: Federal judge won't block suspension of right to carry guns in some New Mexico parks, playgroundsA federal judge will allow enforcement of a public health order that suspends the right to carry guns at public parks and playgrounds in New Mexicoās largest metro area.
New Mexico governor defends approach to attempted gun restrictions, emergency order on gun violence
Read full article: New Mexico governor defends approach to attempted gun restrictions, emergency order on gun violenceNew Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham is defending her decision to treat gun violence as a public health epidemic by presenting statistics on recent firearms seizures, reduced reports of gunfire in the Albuquerque metro area and an uptick in jail bookings.
US moves closer to underground testing of nuclear weapons stockpile without any actual explosions
Read full article: US moves closer to underground testing of nuclear weapons stockpile without any actual explosionsScientists charged with making sure the United States' aging stockpile of nuclear weapons are good to go, if needed, say theyāll start shipping key components to the Nevada desert next year.
Court reviews gun-carry restrictions under health order in New Mexico, as states explore options
Read full article: Court reviews gun-carry restrictions under health order in New Mexico, as states explore optionsRestrictions on carrying guns in public that are tied to an emergency public health order are going under the legal microscope in U.S. District Court in New Mexico.
New Mexico governor amends order suspending right to carry firearms to focus on parks, playgrounds
Read full article: New Mexico governor amends order suspending right to carry firearms to focus on parks, playgroundsNew Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham has narrowed an order that broadly suspended the right to carry firearms in and around Albuquerque to apply only to public parks and playgrounds where children and their families gather.
Judge blocks suspension of right to carry firearms in public, siding against New Mexico governor
Read full article: Judge blocks suspension of right to carry firearms in public, siding against New Mexico governorA federal judge has blocked part of a public health order that suspended the right to carry guns in public across New Mexicoās largest metro area.
New Mexico governor's suspension of right to public carry ignites protests, lawsuits and debates
Read full article: New Mexico governor's suspension of right to public carry ignites protests, lawsuits and debatesSome demonstrators defiantly wore holstered handguns on their hips or carried assault rifles in a rally by gun-rights advocates, protesting New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grishamās surprise order to suspend for 30 days the right to carry firearms after two children were recently killed in separate shootings.
Sheriff in New Mexico's most populous county rejects governor's gun ban, calling it unconstitutional
Read full article: Sheriff in New Mexico's most populous county rejects governor's gun ban, calling it unconstitutionalThe sheriff in New Mexicoās largest metro area has vowed not to enforce an emergency order by the governor to temporarily suspend the right to carry firearms in public in and around the city of Albuquerque.
New Mexico governor issues order suspending the right to carry firearms in public across Albuquerque
Read full article: New Mexico governor issues order suspending the right to carry firearms in public across AlbuquerqueNew Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham has issued an emergency public health order temporarily suspending the right to carry firearms in public across Albuquerque and surrounding Bernalillo County.
Water managers warn that stretches of the Rio Grande will dry up without more rain
Read full article: Water managers warn that stretches of the Rio Grande will dry up without more rainLack of rain and hot conditions in central New Mexico are leaving one of North America's longest rivers in dire shape again.
Singapore solar company plans major US manufacturing plant in New Mexico, pending federal loan
Read full article: Singapore solar company plans major US manufacturing plant in New Mexico, pending federal loanSingapore-based Maxeon Solar Technologies plans to build a major solar panel manufacturing plant in Albuquerque, pending approval of a loan application with the U.S. Department of Energy.
Nearly 10,000 more babies born in nine months under Texasā restrictive abortion law, study finds
Read full article: Nearly 10,000 more babies born in nine months under Texasā restrictive abortion law, study findsThis is the first analysis of live births since the law, which banned abortions after about six weeks of pregnancy, went into effect in September 2021.
US commits more lawyers to address Native American disappearances and killings
Read full article: US commits more lawyers to address Native American disappearances and killingsThe U.S. Department of Justice will be funneling more resources toward addressing the alarming rate of disappearances and killings among Native Americans.
Suspect emerges in shooting at New Mexico official's home
Read full article: Suspect emerges in shooting at New Mexico official's homeAuthorities in New Mexico's largest city say a suspect believed to be connected to at least one of the recent shootings at or near the homes or offices of several elected officials is in custody.
US bankruptcy court approves $121M clergy abuse settlement
Read full article: US bankruptcy court approves $121M clergy abuse settlementA federal bankruptcy judge has approved a $121 million reorganization plan for one of the oldest Roman Catholic dioceses in the U.S. as it tries to stem financial losses from clergy abuse claims that date back decades.
Albuquerque sued by ACLU for hounding, harassing homeless
Read full article: Albuquerque sued by ACLU for hounding, harassing homelessThe American Civil Liberties Union of New Mexico and others are suing the city of Albuquerque in an effort to stop officials in the stateās largest city from destroying homeless encampments and jailing and fining people who are living on the street.
US agencies sued over fate of rare Rio Grande minnow
Read full article: US agencies sued over fate of rare Rio Grande minnowEnvironmentalists say the federal government isnāt doing enough to ensure the survival of the Rio Grande silvery minnow as drought tightens its grip on one of the longest rivers in the West.
Annual hot air balloon festival draws global audience to US
Read full article: Annual hot air balloon festival draws global audience to USHundreds of hot air balloons lifted off Saturday, marking the start of an annual fiesta that has drawn pilots and spectators from across the globe to New Mexico's high desert for 50 years now.
Albuquerque killings send fear through Islamic communities
Read full article: Albuquerque killings send fear through Islamic communitiesAuthorities have identified the fourth victim in a series of killings of Muslim men in Albuquerque, New Mexico, as the deaths sent ripples of fear through Islamic communities nationwide.
Former Colombian soccer players to teach their skills in US
Read full article: Former Colombian soccer players to teach their skills in USA Colombian soccer fan who came to the U.S. as a political refugee is creating a training camp for young people in New Mexico with former players from Colombia as the instructors.
Copter crashes, kills 4 during severe New Mexico fire season
Read full article: Copter crashes, kills 4 during severe New Mexico fire seasonFederal investigators say evidence indicates that a helicopter that crashed in New Mexico after helping fight a wildfire over the weekend descended at a fast rate.
At a New Mexico abortion clinic, calls flood in from Texas and wait time for appointments grows
Read full article: At a New Mexico abortion clinic, calls flood in from Texas and wait time for appointments growsThe University of New Mexico Center for Reproductive Health is one of only three clinics in the state that perform abortion procedures. The clinicās doctors say people from Texas make up more than 75% of their patients.
Members of Congress highlight missing minority women, girls
Read full article: Members of Congress highlight missing minority women, girlsMembers of a congressional panel focused on civil rights and liberties are acknowledging that more needs to be done to address the disproportionate numbers of Indigenous, Black and other minority women and girls who are missing in the United States.
I ventured from San Antonio to the Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta, and it was breathtaking
Read full article: I ventured from San Antonio to the Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta, and it was breathtakingSome people will do whatever it takes to cross items off of their bucket lists. However, this particular item cost me over 20 hours of traveling in a vehicle in two days.
Former UFC champ Jon Jones jailed in Vegas battery incident
Read full article: Former UFC champ Jon Jones jailed in Vegas battery incidentFormer mixed martial arts champion Jon Jones was jailed in Las Vegas after an incident at Caesars Palace that police said led to his arrest on charges of domestic battery and felony damaging a vehicle.
1 dies in New Mexico school shooting; student detained
Read full article: 1 dies in New Mexico school shooting; student detainedNew Mexico authorities say one student was killed and another was taken into custody following a shooting at a middle school near downtown Albuquerque during the lunch hour Friday.
5 who died in New Mexico hot air balloon crash identified
Read full article: 5 who died in New Mexico hot air balloon crash identifiedAuthorities have released the names of a pilot and two couples who died after a hot air balloon they were riding in struck a power line and crashed onto a busy street in Albuquerque.
4 die in hot air balloon crash in New Mexicoās largest city
Read full article: 4 die in hot air balloon crash in New Mexicoās largest cityFour people died and one person was in critical condition after a hot air balloon they were riding in hit power lines in New Mexicoās largest city, police said Saturday.
Special House election measures political pulse after Trump
Read full article: Special House election measures political pulse after TrumpA special congressional election is testing the pulse of politics in the Albuquerque metro area and a few outlying rural communities at a turning point in the pandemic and economic recovery.
New Mexico Legislature moves to preserve abortion rights
Read full article: New Mexico Legislature moves to preserve abortion rightsFemale senators took the lead in presenting the Democratic-sponsored bill that would repeal a 1969 ban on most abortion procedures. The law has been dormant since 1973 when the nation's highest court issued the Roe v. Wade decision, overriding state laws that banned or severely restricted access to abortion procedures. Left in place, the statute could go back into effect if the high court eventually overturns the landmark Roe v. Wade ruling. āWith uncertainty at the federal level, New Mexico needs to be clear about womenās rights, womenās health care, womenās reproductive choices, abortion and abortion care,ā Lujan Grisham said in a video conference with news media. AdSupporters of New Mexico's restrictions on abortions say a repeal would drive valued medical professionals from New Mexico who are conscientious objectors to abortion procedures.
Wayne Taylor Racing wins record-tying 3rd consecutive Rolex
Read full article: Wayne Taylor Racing wins record-tying 3rd consecutive RolexWayne Taylor left General Motors after 28 years at the end of last season to become a factory Acura program. "We won it with Ricky, and Jordan won the GT class with Corvette, and then the Wayne Taylor Racing program won it overall. Albuquerque won in 2018 driving a Cadillac; Ricky Taylor won in a Cadillac for his father's team in 2017. AdWhen Taylor switched to Acura, he released van der Zande, who was grabbed by Ganassi as the team returned to sports car racing after a one-year hiatus. āLooked like we had the race won right there.
'Lost connection' hampers Virgin Galactic's test flight
Read full article: 'Lost connection' hampers Virgin Galactic's test flightALBUQUERQUE, N.M. ā A Virgin Galactic test flight Saturday ended prematurely as the spacecraft's rocket motor failed to ignite and it then glided down safely to its landing site in southern New Mexico. āAfter being released from its mothership, the spaceshipās onboard computer that monitors the rocket motor lost connection,ā CEO Michael Colglazier said in a statement. āAs we do with every test flight, we are evaluating all the data, including the root cause assessment of the computer communication loss,ā Colglazier said. It's unclear how soon another window will open for Virgin Galactic's next attempt at a powered flight to space. Virgin Galactic has yet to announce a firm date for its first commercial flight.
Netflix to expand production hub in New Mexico
Read full article: Netflix to expand production hub in New MexicoThe footprint of the production hub will grow with a private land purchase and a lease involving state trust land. She said the partnership with Netflix should send a signal that New Mexico is the place to be for film and television production. As part of the proposed investment, Netflix has committed to providing training programs in partnership with the New Mexico Film Office, local universities and industry organizations. Since coming to New Mexico in 2018, Netflix said it has spent more than $200 million, used more than 2,000 production vendors and hired more than 1,600 cast and crew members. Netflix is in production in New Mexico on the original films āThe Harder They Fall" and āIntrusion" and is expected to soon begin filming āStranger Things 4" in Albuquerque.
US Latino civil rights group moves 2021 convention online
Read full article: US Latino civil rights group moves 2021 convention onlineLULAC, the nation's oldest Latino civil rights organization, voted Saturday, Sept. 26, 2020, to postpone its planned national convention in Albuquerque, N.M., in 2021 over uncertainty caused by COVID-19. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik, File)RIO RANCHO, N.M. ā The League of United Latin American Citizens, the oldest Latino civil rights group in the U.S., has decided to move its 2021 national convention online amid concerns and health orders caused by COVID-19. The state currently limits the number of people at large gatherings and LULAC national conventions typically attract thousands of activists. The group still plans to hold a national convention in Albuquerque in 2023 because the city and the LULAC's local chapters made financial commitments to hold an event in the city. LULAC national conventions and gatherings have attracted presidents, presidential candidates, and international leaders.
Ambassador: Time is right for new arms control agreement
Read full article: Ambassador: Time is right for new arms control agreementALBUQUERQUE, N.M. ā The Trump administration has sketched out a framework that it hopes will avoid a three-way arms race as a deadline nears for extending the only remaining nuclear arms control deal with Russia and as China looks to expand its nuclear forces. Ambassador Marshall Billingslea, the special presidential envoy for arms control, spoke with The Associated Press about negotiations with Russia while touring some of the top nuclear research labs and production sites in the United States. Signed in 2010, the New START treaty limits the United States and Russia to no more than 1,550 deployed nuclear warheads and 700 deployed missiles and bombers. It represents the only remaining nuclear arms control deal between the two countries after they both withdrew from the 1987 Intermediate-range Nuclear Forces Treaty last year. āWe need to get the experts together to get comfortable with technical solutions that enable meaningful arms control going forward,ā he said, with the goal being security and stability in Europe and Asia.
Trump sends in agents as Albuquerque struggles with crime
Read full article: Trump sends in agents as Albuquerque struggles with crimeThey're now facing charges in a city that is 10th in the nation for violent crime, ranks No. Since the agents arrived, 16 people in Albuquerque have been charged with offenses involving firearms, drugs, carjacking and other crimes, federal officials have said. The latest non-preliminary federal crime statistics from 2018 show that Albuquerque's crime rate was more than 3.5 times the national average. An Associated Press analysis of violent crime rates per 100,000 people put Albuquerque as No. "Without addressing this inequality in areas like housing, you might see increases in violent crime, Lyons said.
Surge of federal agents leaves many questions unanswered
Read full article: Surge of federal agents leaves many questions unansweredFederal agents wearing camouflage without clear identification hit the streets in Portland to protect federal property amid demonstrations against police brutality. For now, the plan for Chicago and Albuquerque does not seem to include federal agents engaging with protesters. The agents in Kansas City were to investigate homicides, shootings and violent crime in cooperation with local law enforcement agencies, officials said. For decades, administrations have dispatched extra federal agents to cities during surges of violence, natural disasters and other crises. But since this weeks announcement about sending additional federal agents, shes struck a cautiously optimistic chord, saying she was encouraged that the U.S. attorneys office would supervise at least some of the agents.
Trump deploys more federal agents under 'law and order' push
Read full article: Trump deploys more federal agents under 'law and order' push(AP Photo/Evan Vucci)WASHINGTON President Donald Trump announced he will send federal agents to Chicago and Albuquerque, New Mexico, to help combat rising crime, expanding the administrations intervention into local enforcement as he runs for reelection under a law and order mantle. Sending federal agents to help localities is not uncommon; Attorney General William Barr announced a similar surge effort in December for seven cities with spiking violence. Indeed, civil unrest escalated after federal agents were accused of whisking people away in unmarked cars without probable cause. The campaign believes the push can help Trump by drumming up support from suburban and older voters who may be rattled by violent images, which have been broadcast often by conservative media outlets. In New Mexico, Democratic elected officials had cautioned Trump against sending in federal agents, with U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich calling on Bernalillo County Sheriff Manny Gonzales to resign for attending the White House event.
Atomic anniversary brings US nuclear official to New Mexico
Read full article: Atomic anniversary brings US nuclear official to New MexicoFILE - In this Aug. 6, 2019, file photo, National Nuclear Security Administration administrator Lisa Gordon-Hagerty talks about her agency's work to reduce global nuclear threats during a business conference in Albuquerque, N.M. Lisa Gordon-Hagerty will visit New Mexico Thursday, July 16, 2020 as part of a nationwide tour of the federal government's nuclear security operations. Administrator Lisa Gordon-Hagerty spoke with The Associated Press during a stop in New Mexico. The visit coincides with the 75th anniversary of the Trinity Test, which marked the worlds first atomic explosion. The latest round of funding for the plutonium project is being hashed out now by Congress. Some lawmakers are concerned that the nuclear agency hasn't developed a master schedule that outlines all the activities related to plutonium pit production.
Man arrested in shooting during Albuquerque statue protest
Read full article: Man arrested in shooting during Albuquerque statue protest(Adolphe Pierre-Louis/The Albuquerque Journal via AP)ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. A 31-year-old man has been arrested in a shooting that happened as protesters in New Mexicos largest city tried to tear down a bronze statue of a Spanish conquistador outside the Albuquerque Museum, police said Tuesday. The shooting prompted the city to announce that the statue would be removed until officials determine the next steps. Police in a statement said detectives arrested Stephen Ray Baca and that he was jailed on suspicion of aggravated battery. In 1998, someone sawed the right foot off the statue an incident that weighed in the decision to stash away the statue. Tony Valerio, 65, rushed to the site after a neighbor alerted him that the statue was being taken down.
Man shot during protest over Spanish conqueror's statue
Read full article: Man shot during protest over Spanish conqueror's statue(AP Photo/Susan Montoya Bryan)ALCALDE, N.M. A man was shot Monday night as protesters in New Mexicos largest city tried to tear down a bronze statue of a Spanish conquistador outside the Albuquerque Museum. The man was taken to a hospital but his condition was not immediately unknown, said Albuquerque police spokesman Gilbert Gallegos. A forklift pried the massive bronze statue of Oate on horseback from a concrete pedestal. Plus, I don't feel like risking my sheriff's deputies or state police to defend it.The Oate statues have been a source of criticism for decades. In 1998, someone sawed the right foot off the statue an incident that weighed in the decision to stash away the statue.