Bernalillo County jail stops releasing people due to internet outage - By Nash Jones, 九色网 News
An internet outage is affecting systems at the Bernalillo County jail, including completely halting the process of releasing people incarcerated there.
The Metropolitan Detention Center announced Thursday evening that the outage, which it says is affecting several CenturyLink and Lumen customers, began in the afternoon. In a statement, jail spokesperson Candace Hopkins said a crew had been 鈥渄ispatched to begin repairs,鈥� but that there is 鈥渘o concrete timeline鈥� for when the outage will be fixed.
Hopkins said the jail has suspended the process of releasing people 鈥渆ffective immediately.鈥� She added that it won鈥檛 release anyone incarcerated at the facility until its internet access is restored.
Meanwhile, Hopkins said the process of booking people into the jail has not been suspended, but 鈥渄elayed.鈥�
The jail is using paper forms for processes that usually require being online, according to the statement, so custody and release lists will also be unavailable until the outage is fixed.
Officials recover New Mexico woman's body from the Grand Canyon, the 3rd death there since July 31 - Associated Press
Authorities have recovered the body of a 20-year-old New Mexico woman in Grand Canyon National Park, the third reported death in the canyon since July 31.
Park officials said Thursday that the body of Leticia A. Castillo of Albuquerque was found Tuesday about 150 feet below Twin Overlooks.
Her body was transported to the canyon's South Rim and then to the Coconino County Medical Examiner's Office in Flagstaff for an autopsy.
The Park Service and the county medical examiner are investigating the death.
Park officials said they believe Castillo entered the park on or around Aug. 3.
On July 31, a 20-year-old North Carolina man on a mission trip with his church slipped and fell about 400 feet to his death off the edge of the South Rim.
The following day, a 43-year-old Missouri man died while attempting to BASE jump from Yavapai Point, falling an estimated 500 feet. Grand Canyon officials said BASE jumping is prohibited in the park.
Park spokesperson Joelle Baird said there have been 11 deaths in Grand Canyon National Park this year, equaling the total for all of 2023. The park had 12 fatalities in 2022, 23 in 2021, and 13 in 2020, Baird said. A breakdown of the causes of deaths at the park wasn't immediately available.
Teachers union secures new contract so fine arts teachers get paid for extra work - By Rodd Cayton,
Fine arts teachers in Albuquerque Public Schools will see their incomes climb after a new union contract mandates they get paid for leading band camps and other activities outside of scheduled hours 鈥� something they had previously done without compensation.
The district鈥檚 Board of Education approved the contract Wednesday. Earlier in the day, Albuquerque Teachers Federation members ratified it, with 99% voting in favor.
According to the contract, a band director or assistant band director who conducts a two-week band camp will earn 10 more days of pay.
ATF President Ellen Bernstein said the union and the district have had the goal of increasing differential pay for teachers who run extracurricular activities for years. Last school year, she said, athletics educators received that boost.
Bernstein said the contributions teachers make outside the classroom are important to keep students engaged and enrolled.
Board member Josefina Dominguez played in a school marching band and she said she knows teachers put in long hours off the clock.
鈥淚 was elated that the fine arts people 鈥� who I like to call the most fun group in the district 鈥� they鈥檙e finally getting there,鈥� she said.
All school employees will also get a 3% raise in the new contract 鈥� a pay bump that was approved by the New Mexico Legislature this spring. Teachers will also work 190 paid days this school year, two more than before.
The board unanimously approved the pact, which brings the average APS educator salary from $65,000 to just above $67,000.
Board member Courtney Jackson said she鈥檚 spoken to multiple teachers who expressed concern about not having enough time for preparation and lesson planning and asked if the contract negotiations touched on that issue.
Bernstein said more prep time has already been built into high school and middle school schedules.
She said they are still working to increase the time elementary school teachers have to prepare but that became more difficult when the Legislature increased the mandatory number of hours of instruction from 990 to 1,140.
Bernstein said she has talked to Superintendent Gabriella Dur谩n Blakey about increasing staffing to permit more prep time and more collaboration time among teachers. She said schools need more state funding in order to pay for more staff.
鈥淩esearch says that when we collaborate and we create lessons together and we have time to work together, that actually increases student achievement,鈥� Bernstein said.
Uncommitted organizers keep up the pressure after Kamala Harris鈥� VP pick - Austin Fisher,
Palestinian solidarity activists are keeping up the pressure on the White House and Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris after the major shakeup in U.S. electoral politics in the last few weeks.
The national Uncommitted movement, which 1 in 10 Democratic primary votes in New Mexico, is pivoting from asking for a 鈥渃easefire鈥� to instead asking for an arms embargo on Israel, under the umbrella of a new national campaign called 鈥�.鈥�
鈥淭he surest way to get a ceasefire is to stop sending the weapons,鈥� said Tanya Hyde, an organizer with Jewish Voice for Peace Albuquerque and Vote Uncommitted NM.
President Joe Biden will remain in office until January, and the movement will keep up the pressure on him for an arms embargo, Hyde said.
鈥淲e can stop it immediately, if we stop feeding them billions of dollars worth of weaponry,鈥� Hyde said. 鈥淭hink of all the nice things we could do in this country with that money, if it wasn鈥檛 going to make rubble into smaller rubble.鈥�
While not enough New Mexican voters picked Uncommitted in the Democratic primary to send any delegates to the Democratic National Convention later this month in Chicago, activists have identified delegates who were pledged to Biden but who support a ceasefire, and may support a ceasefire policy in the national party鈥檚 platform, Hyde said.
There will be 30 Uncommitted delegates at the DNC from across the country, 11 from Minnesota.
鈥淪ince all eyes are going to be on the DNC, we want to put Palestine forward in the conversation,鈥� Hyde said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 not just a moral imperative, but it鈥檚 the best way to beat Trump and MAGA extremism.鈥�
Uncommitted DNC delegates from other states are circulating a calling on the DNC to allow pediatric intensive care and humanitarian doctor Tanya Haj-Hassan to speak on the convention floor about the humanitarian situation in Gaza.
The day before the convention kicks off, there will be a demonstration for local supporters on the issue at 10 a.m. on Aug. 18 at Tiguex Park in Albuquerque.
REACTIONS TO HARRIS VP PICK
Harris picked Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as her running mate. Hyde said the choice for Walz over Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro gave relief to concerns from the Gaza solidarity movement.
鈥淲e were very relieved that she didn鈥檛 go with Shapiro, because we didn鈥檛 know what we were going to do,鈥� Hyde said. 鈥淏ut we knew that if she put Shapiro on the ticket, that would have crushed any optimism, as minimal as it was.鈥�
Hyde said since Harris launched her campaign, New Mexico Uncommitted organizers have been waiting to see what happens with a 鈥渕easured optimism.鈥�
On Tuesday, the group on social media to celebrate the pick as a win, saying they showed the Harris campaign 鈥渃hoosing an anti-Palestine running mate is a liability.鈥�
Hyde said she鈥檚 personally surprised that in the past couple weeksBiden stepped down and Harris has made a vice presidential pick that 鈥渋s not offensive to the base of the Democratic Party.鈥�
鈥淚鈥檓 really pleased that they actually pulled a relatively progressive Democrat as her running mate,鈥� Hyde said.
She pointed to Rep. Ilhan Omar鈥檚 of Walz, and his comments about Uncommitted voters in his home state calling for a ceasefire in Gaza.
鈥淭hese folks are asking for a change in course,鈥� Walz MPR when asked about the Uncommitted Movement after it received 19% of the vote in Minnesota鈥檚 Democratic primary. 鈥淭hey鈥檙e asking for more pressure to be put on.鈥�
Hyde said they did not want Harris to pick Shapiro 鈥渂ecause it would be such a slap in the face to this whole Uncommitted movement, and all the people that are fighting for Palestine.鈥�
Some Democratic lawmakers and donors privately expressed concerns to people around Harris that Shapiro鈥檚 positions on Israel and the pro-Palestinian movement risked alienating voters who had sworn off Biden but were willing to given Harris a chance, the Wall Street Journal .
BIDEN'S EXIT
Hyde said the Uncommitted Movement was a big part of getting Biden to step down.
鈥淭here鈥檚 some cautious optimism that it would be easier to move her than it would have been to move Biden,鈥� she said.
When Biden dropped out of the race, Vote Uncommitted NM on him to 鈥渋mmediately stop all U.S. military aid to Israel and support the resumption of UNRWA funding, an immediate and unqualified ceasefire in Gaza, and Palestinian self-determination.鈥�
They also said anyone aspiring to the party鈥檚 presidential nomination 鈥渕ust adopt these same objectives in unequivocal terms.鈥�
Hyde said on Tuesday that the Harris campaign has not done that yet.
鈥淪he has been a part of this administration,鈥� Hyde said. 鈥淭he general feeling is that she鈥檚 not the same kind of a hardcore Zionist.鈥�
Assisted outpatient treatment, behavioral health back on the agenda for NM legislators - Leah Romero,
Next week New Mexico lawmakers will discuss behavioral health and criminal justice, as well as the next steps for assisted outpatient treatment.
The Courts, Corrections and Justice Committee will hear updates from Legislative Finance Committee analysts on Monday about criminal justice appropriations and recommendations on behavioral health and criminal justice.
鈥淵ou鈥檒l remember that the legislature has passed pretty healthy budget items intended to support both the state and local communities in their crime fighting efforts,鈥� said committee chair Rep. Christine Chandler.
Behavioral health and competency are two topics that will lead the discussion throughout the committee meeting.
鈥淲e鈥檝e always intended to continue the conversation,鈥� Chandler (D-Los Alamos) said.
On Tuesday, New Mexico Supreme Court Justice Briana Zamora will provide the committee an update on the Supreme Court Commission on Mental Health and Competency. Zamora will be joined by representatives from the Administration Office of the Courts and the Second Judicial District.
New Mexico Chief Justice David Thomson and representatives from the First Judicial District Court are on the agenda to speak later in the day about next steps for the Assisted Outpatient Treatment program.
Competency and assisted outpatient treatment were two topics Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham wanted addressed during the July special session, which she called with public safety legislation in mind.
The one bill which sent millions in state for those affected by the South Fork and Salt fires. The bill includes a $3 million appropriation to the administrative office of the courts for assisted outpatient treatment programs and competency diversion pilot programs.
Lujan Grisham criticized the legislature for not doing enough during the special session to address her public safety platform. The governor then took her cabinet and executive staff on a three city town hall tour to pitch the public on the agenda, where she listened to New Mexicans for at least 15 hours about their issues.
Chandler added that she has not heard from Lujan Grisham鈥檚 office about what role they will have during the presentations in the committee next week. At this time there are no members from the governor鈥檚 staff on the agenda to speak either day.
Lujan Grisham is in India until at least Aug. 10, to her office. This week the governor participated in a roundtable discussion about energy that coincided with the opening of a lithium battery storage system at .
Back in Santa Fe, Chandler said lawmakers will be prepared to work on the public safety issues for New Mexicans.
鈥淲e鈥檙e going to continue to discuss issues that are of significant interest to people in the state, and certainly the ongoing interest in improving law enforcement activities will continue to be on future agendas, I would expect,鈥� she said.
US abortion numbers have risen slightly since Roe was overturned, study finds - By Geoff Mulvihill and Kimberlee Kruesi, Associated Press
The number of women getting abortions in the U.S. actually went up in the first three months of 2024 compared with before the Supreme Court overturned Roe v Wade, a report released Wednesday found, reflecting the lengths that Democratic-controlled states went to expand access.
A major reason for the increase is that some Democratic-controlled states enacted laws to protect doctors who use telemedicine to see patients in places that have abortion bans, according to the quarterly #WeCount report for the Society of Family Planning, which supports abortion access.
The data comes ahead of November elections in which abortion-rights supporters hope the issue will drive voters to the polls. In some places, voters will have a chance to enshrine or reject state-level abortion protections.
Fallout from the Supreme Court's June 2022 ruling in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization has remade the way abortion works across the country. The #WeCount data, which has been collected in a monthly survey since April 2022, shows how those providing and seeking abortion have adapted to changing laws.
The survey found that the number of abortions fell to nearly zero in states that ban abortion in all stages of pregnancy and declined by about half in places that ban it after six weeks of pregnancy, before many women know they are pregnant. Fourteen states are enforcing bans on abortion at all stages of pregnancy, with some exceptions, and four others bar it after about six weeks of pregnancy.
Numbers went up in places where abortion remains legal until further into pregnancy 鈥� and especially in states such as Illinois, Kansas and New Mexico, which border states with bans.
The report estimates that if not for the post-Dobbs bans, there would have been about 9,900 more abortions per month 鈥� and 208,000 total since 鈥� in those states. The numbers were up by more than 2,600 per month in Illinois, about 1,300 in Virginia, 1,200 in Kansas and more than 500 in New Mexico.
Abortion pills and telemedicine play a key role. In March, doctors in states with laws to protect medical providers used telemedicine to prescribe abortion pills to nearly 10,000 patients in states with bans or restrictions on abortion by telehealth 鈥� accounting for about 1 in 10 abortions in the U.S.
Laws to protect medical providers who use telemedicine to prescribe abortion pills started taking effect in some Democratic-led states last year.
"It eases the burden on clinics," said Ushma Upadhyay, a University of California, San Francisco School of Medicine professor who co-leads #WeCount. "So it creates more space for the people who are coming to clinics."
Abortion opponents say the fight over the abortion drug mifepristone isn't over after a narrow Supreme Court ruling that preserved access to it for now. But so far there have not been legal challenges to shield laws.
The latest edition of the survey covers the first three months of this year, when it counted an average of just under 99,000 abortions per month, compared with 84,000 in the two months before Dobbs. January was the first time since the survey began that it has counted more than 100,000 abortions across the country in a single month.
The tracking effort collects monthly data from providers across the country, creating a snapshot of abortion trends. In some states, a portion of the data is estimated. The effort makes data public with less than a six-month lag, giving a picture of trends far faster than annual reports from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, where the most recent report covers abortion in 2021.
Before the shield laws began kicking in and #WeCount started tallying them, people were still getting some pills in places with bans.
One of the states where abortions increased was Florida. That changed in April, when a ban after six weeks' gestation took effect. The data doesn't yet reflect that change.
The policy could change again through a November ballot measure that would make abortion legal until viability, generally considered to be around 23 or 24 weeks into pregnancy. It needs at least 60% approval to be added to the state constitution.
One vote against it will come from Mia Adkins, a 20-year-old senior at Florida International University.
"Instead of pushing for more abortion legal later in pregnancy, we should be pushing for laws that protect these pregnant parents and students and provide them with the support that they need," said Akins, a senior at Florida International University.
Florida is one of six states where abortion-related measures are already on the ballot. Determinations from elections officials about adding similar questions are pending in four more states. In one, Nebraska, there are dueling amendments: One to allow access until viability and one to keep the current ban on most abortions after 12 weeks of pregnancy.
Abortion-rights supporters have prevailed in all seven abortion ballot questions in the U.S. since 2022. That tracks with public opinion polling that has shown growing support for abortion rights, including a recent Associated Press-NORC poll that found 6 in 10 Americans think their state should allow someone to obtain a legal abortion if they don't want to be pregnant for any reason.
An amendment to protect access could be on the ballot in Arizona, a political battleground state where court cases have swung abortion policy 鈥� and access 鈥� since the Dobbs ruling.
The state Supreme Court ruled in April that Arizona should enforce an 1864 ban on abortions at all stages of pregnancy, only for lawmakers to repeal that law. The state's ban on abortion after 15 weeks of pregnancy remains. The ballot measure would expand it to 24 weeks.
Natalie Harper, a 23-year-old independent who usually doesn't vote, said the potential of bringing back the Civil War-era ban "absolutely" impacts her decision to vote for the ballot measure this November. "Seeing that as a possibility really made me realize that everyone's pro-choice voices need to be heard in hopes it never goes in that direction again," she said.
In Missouri, which has outlawed almost all abortions and where nearly none were reported in the new data, election officials could soon certify whether a proposed constitutional amendment guaranteeing abortion rights received enough petition signatures to qualify for the ballot in the reliably Republican state.
University of Missouri political scientist Peverill Squire said that if the measure is on the ballot, it could draw out enough Democratic voters to help swing a few competitive legislative races.
"They can seize on the personal freedom arguments the Republicans have generally owned over the recent elections," he said.
___
Associated Press writers Sejal Govindarao in Phoenix and David A. Lieb in Jefferson City, Missouri, contributed to this report.
Lujan Grisham was in the running for Harris鈥� VP - Politico, Albuquerque Journal, 九色网 News
New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham was on a shortlist of politicians vetted to be Vice President Kamala Harris鈥� running mate.
After the veepstakes ended with Harris selecting Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as her No. 2, Lujan Grisham was among nine candidates who went through the official vetting process.
The Governor鈥檚 Office confirmed the report to.
Lujan Grisham did not make it to a round of at least six, who met with Harris鈥� team on Zoom last week, according to Politico. That list included Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly, Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, and Walz.
Lujan Grisham has known Harris since they served in congress at the same time. Harris even officiated the governor鈥檚 wedding to husband Manny Cordova in 2022.
In addition to swiftly endorsing Harris鈥� candidacy after President Biden dropped out of the race last month, Lujan Grisham praised her pick of Walz, calling her fellow governor a 鈥渇riend,鈥� and describing him as 鈥渟mart, effective, dedicated鈥� and 鈥渒ind.鈥�
Solar cell manufacturer announces $942M investment and new Albuquerque facility - By Nash Jones, 九色网 News
Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham announced Wednesday a U.S. solar cell manufacturing company is investing hundreds of millions of dollars in New Mexico as it sets up shop in Albuquerque.
Ebon Solar plans to build an 834,000-square-foot 鈥減roduction complex鈥� in Albuquerque鈥檚 Mesa del Sol area, according to the announcement, where it will build solar cells from beginning to end.
Lujan Grisham highlighted the state鈥檚 鈥渃ommitment to renewable energy,鈥� along with its workforce, job training and tuition-free college in attracting the new business, describing New Mexico as 鈥渁 global center for advanced energy manufacturing.鈥�
Ebon Solar CEO Judy Chai cited the state鈥檚 workforce as behind the decision, along with the state鈥檚 鈥渁bundant solar resources鈥� and 鈥渇avorable renewable energy policies.鈥�
The investment is expected to generate more than 900 new jobs for the area, according to the Governor鈥檚 Office.
Albuquerque Mayor Tim Keller praised the deal, saying it 鈥渕eans more high-paying jobs for locals as Albuquerque continues to become a leader in clean energy.鈥�
Parent company of NM Gas Company proposes sale - Albuquerque Journal, 九色网 News
The parent company of New Mexico Gas Company is proposing to sell it to another company. State regulators still must approve the sale before it can go through.
Canadian company Emera has owned a majority stake in the gas company since 2016. This week, it proposed selling the utility to Bernhard Capital Partners, a private equity firm based in Louisiana, for $1.25 billion.
The company says its decision to sell is a financially strategic one.
It plans to seek approval from the Public Regulation Commission in the next few months. If the commission OKs the sale, the company says it would expect to close late next year, retaining all existing local employees, and potentially adding 70 more jobs.
Councilor said she never thought colleagues would try to 鈥榯ake away pay from workers鈥� during push to update min. wage law - By Elizabeth McCall,This story was originally published by .
When a city councilor who represents some of the most impoverished areas of the city recently tried to update the city鈥檚 minimum wage law, she inadvertently created an opportunity for one of her colleagues to lower the city鈥檚 minimum wage for tipped employees.
Councilor Nichole Rogers in an interview with City Desk ABQ said she was taken aback when Councilor Ren茅e Grout suggested amending Rogers鈥� bill, completely changing the bill鈥檚 intention.
鈥淚 would have never thought that they would use my trying to make sure we have accurate laws on the books, which is my intention, and use it to take away pay from workers,鈥� Rogers said.
At the request of Mayor Tim Keller鈥檚 administration, Rogers sponsored a proposal to update the city鈥檚 minimum rate of $8.50 to the state鈥檚 minimum wage rate of $12.00 鈥� which Albuquerque workers already earn per state law. Early on in the debate, Rogers tried to withdraw her bill after learning language about enforcement needed some work. But before she could pull the bill from consideration, there was a call to make some changes.
Grout proposed amending the proposal to lower Albuquerque鈥檚 tipped minimum wage to match that of the state鈥檚. Grout鈥檚 amendment would have kept the city鈥檚 minimum wage at $12 per hour, but tipped employee wages would have dropped to $3 from the current rate of $7.20 per hour.
Rogers was not on board with Grout鈥檚 proposal but local restaurant owners were.
Numerous restaurant owners, along with New Mexico Restaurant Association CEO Carol Wight, told councilors that servers make significantly more than kitchen staff and 鈥� in some cases 鈥� managers. Wight and others from the restaurant industry argued lowering the tipped rate would allow restaurants to increase pay for other employees.
Grout said at the meeting she understood both sides but the employees 鈥渋n the back of the house that are scrubbing the floors deserve to be paid better.鈥�
鈥淚 think that sometimes we want to mirror what the state is telling us to do and then other times we don鈥檛. I am not understanding why one time it鈥檚 okay and then another time it鈥檚 not,鈥� Grout said. 鈥淲e need to be business friendly and we need to be encouraging.鈥�
After a heated discussion, the proposal was deferred on a 5-4 vote until the council鈥檚 next meeting on Aug. 19.
Rogers said if the councilors want to align the city鈥檚 rate for tipped workers with the state鈥檚 rate, they would 鈥渋nstantly remove almost $8,000 per year from working families鈥� pockets.鈥�
鈥淲ith rising costs of everything and homelessness has doubled, this would only make that worse,鈥� Rogers said. 鈥淲e don鈥檛 have time to play games and we shouldn鈥檛 play games because these are people鈥檚 lives. I am not interested in having my name on something that removes pay from workers, period.鈥�
While Albuquerque is the biggest city in New Mexico and has higher living costs than some other cities, Rogers said she would advocate for the same thing in Espa帽ola or Las Vegas.
鈥淚 think the bottom line is that would be catastrophic for our community鈥here鈥檚 no right time to take pay away from people,鈥� Rogers said. 鈥淧eople in this role in the previous city councils made this that way for a reason, and that I think should stand.鈥�
The debate is expected to pick back up on Aug. 19 when the council convenes for its next meeting.