Tag Archives: New Mexico

NBC News reports: A man has been federally charged with carrying out arson attacks against the Republican Party headquarters in New Mexico and a Tesla dealership, the Department of Justice said Monday. Jamison Wagner, from Albuquerque and born in 1984, faces two counts of causing malicious damage or destruction of property by fire or explosives. He is currently in police …

The Albuquerque Journal reports: The Republican Party of New Mexico’s entryway was destroyed by what party chairwoman Amy Barela described as a “deliberate act of arson” in a news release Sunday morning. It is unclear if there are any suspects. “This horrific attack, fueled by hatred and intolerance, is a direct assault on our values, freedoms, and our right to …

MedPage reports: Measles outbreaks in West Texas and New Mexico are now up to nearly 300 cases, and two unvaccinated people have died from measles-related causes. Texas state health officials said Friday there were 36 new cases of measles since Tuesday, bringing Texas’ total to 259. Five more people were hospitalized, for a total of 34. The outbreak has spread …

Albuquerque’s CBS affiliate reports: The New Mexico Department of Health confirmed a Lea County resident who died tested positive for measles after their death. The official cause of death is under investigation by the New Mexico Office of the Medical Investigator. NMDOH said the person was unvaccinated and did not seek medical care before their death. Ten cases of measles have …

Roll Call reports: Deb Haaland, a former Democratic House member and Interior secretary under Joe Biden, launched a run for New Mexico governor on Tuesday. Haaland would be the nation’s first Native American woman to serve as a governor if she is elected to succeed term-limited Democratic Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham, herself a former House lawmaker. In a video message …

Variety reports: Alec Baldwin‘s manslaughter case has been dismissed, after the judge blasted prosecutors for failing to turn over a batch of bullets to the defense. Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer threw out the case, ruling that no other sanction was sufficient. “The state is highly culpable for its failure to provide discovery to the defendant,” Marlowe Sommer said. “Dismissal with …

The Associated Press reports: Alec Baldwin’s trial in the shooting of a cinematographer is set to begin Tuesday with the selection of jurors who will be tasked with deciding whether the actor is guilty of involuntary manslaughter. Getting chosen to serve in a trial of such a major star accused of such a major crime would be unusual even in …

CBS News reports: The “Rust” armorer who last month was found guilty of involuntary manslaughter in the deadly shooting of Halyna Hutchins, the film’s cinematographer, was sentenced in a New Mexico state court today to 18 months’ imprisonment. Hannah Gutierrez-Reed received the maximum penalty for her part in the 2021 tragedy that several experts have since characterized as a preventable …

From the Justice Department: Alexander M.M. Uballez, United States Attorney for the District of New Mexico, and Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office, announced today that Demetrio Trujillo pled guilty to conspiracy, two counts of interference with federally protected activities, using and carrying a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, …

The Associated Press reports: New Mexico’s top prosecutor said Friday that the state’s five Republican electors cannot be prosecuted under the current law for filing election certificates that falsely declared Donald Trump the winner of the 2020 presidential race. However, Democratic Attorney General Raúl Torrez is making recommendations to state lawmakers that he says would enhance the security of the …

The Hill reports: Texas is adding to its border wall to deter migrants from entering the state by constructing a barrier between itself and New Mexico. Construction of a wall along the Texas-Mexico border has been in the works for months since Abbott committed to the project in 2021. He has continually posted videos and images of the border wall …

The Messenger reports: A gun rights group and Albuquerque resident are suing New Mexico state officials over a temporary ban on firearm carry laws. The National Association for Gun Rights and resident Foster Haines filed the suit one day after New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham, D, announced a 30 day ban on open and concealed carry in Albuquerque, citing …

Albuquerque’s ABC affiliate reports: New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham on Friday issued an emergency order suspending the right to carry firearms in public across Albuquerque and the surrounding county for at least 30 days in response to a spate of gun violence. The Democratic governor said she expects legal challenges but was compelled to act because of recent shootings, …

NBC News reports: Bill Richardson, the former New Mexico governor, U.S. ambassador to the United Nations and Secretary of Energy under President Bill Clinton, died Saturday, according to the Richardson Center for Global Engagement. Richardson was 75. Mickey Bergman, Vice President of the Richardson Center, commented in a statement, “Governor Richardson passed away peacefully in his sleep last night. He …

The Santa Fe New Mexican reports: A Roman Catholic priest removed from a Santa Fe parish nearly a year ago amid a misconduct investigation was arrested Thursday on federal charges accusing him of enticement of a minor with the intent to engage in sexual activity. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Mexico and the FBI field office …

The New York Times reports: An 18-year-old gunman fired indiscriminately while roaming a residential street in Farmington, N.M., on Monday morning, killing three people before the police arrived and killed the suspect, the authorities said. Six other people, including two officers, were injured. The authorities received several reports of shots fired near Dustin Avenue and Ute Street just before 11 …

The Albuquerque Journal reports: Legislation signed into law Friday will expand protections under the New Mexico Human Rights Act and remove the requirement that name changes be published in a newspaper. Supporters of the two bills say they will strengthen LGBTQ rights by updating requirements that prohibit discrimination against protected classes and allowing people to more easily change their name …

The Hill reports: The New Mexico legislature has passed legislation to modernize the state’s anti-discrimination law by adding explicit protections for LGBTQ people. The bill, officially titled the Human Rights Modernization Act, now heads to the governor’s desk for final approval. The proposed law, which New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham (D) is expected to sign, establishes a broader slate …

ABC News reports: The Santa Fe District Attorney’s Office announced Monday it is dropping the gun enhancement charge — a crime that would have carried a five-year sentence if convicted — against Alec Baldwin in the fatal shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the set of “Rust” in October 2021. Baldwin still faces a charge of involuntary manslaughter for the …

The Associated Press reports: The New Mexico Supreme Court rejected a final appeal for reconsideration by a New Mexico politician and Donald Trump supporter who was removed and barred from elected office for his role in the U.S. Capitol riot on Jan. 6, 2021. The court on Thursday closed out an appeal initiated last year by Cowboys for Trump co-founder …