New Mexico News & Current Events | Public News Service

When they convene for the 2025 session, New Mexico and neighboring Colorado will become majority-woman legislatures for the first time. (spiritofamerica/Adobe Stock)

Monday, January 13, 2025

NM 2025 Legislature makes history with number of women lawmakers

New Mexico's 2025 Legislature will make history next week, convening with the largest percentage of women in the U.S., based on its total number of …

Millions of Americans, especially in rural areas or on tribal lands, lack reliable high-speed internet because service there is not profitable for internet companies. (NatalieBoard/Adobe Stock)

NM's rural school kids set to benefit from high-speed internet expansion

By the end of June, students in seven very remote rural New Mexico school districts will get access to high-speed home internet through a state grant …

In a newly released book, Adriana Romero Olivares, assistant professor of biology at New Mexico State University, shared her not-so-perfect journey to a science career. (NMSU)

NM biology professor's success recognized in award-winning book

A New Mexico professor who was once encouraged to pursue a "more ladylike" career is now featured in a book about high-achieving women in STEM fields…

New Mexico's whitewater rafting companies and other outdoor recreation businesses are expected to benefit from the EXPLORE Act. (VisitAlbuquerque.org)

'EXPLORE Act' expected to bolster NM’s outdoor industry

Western states such as New Mexico could see recreational opportunities expand under the EXPLORE Act, now awaiting President Joe Biden's signature …

Extreme political polarization in the U.S. has led to a significant increase in threats of violence against election officials and members of Congress, according to the Brennan Center.

NM political expert says 'polarization' is the logical 'word of the year'

Between endless doomscrolling and nonstop negative headlines, a New Mexico political science professor said it's no surprise the Merriam-Webster …

In the small but popular New Mexico community of Taos, entry level homes are in short supply for purchase by first-time homebuyers. (KristinaBlokhin/Adobe Stock)

NM nonprofit aims to broker affordable housing solutions in Taos

By Anya Petrone Slepyan for The Daily Yonder.Broadcast version by Roz Brown for New Mexico News Connection for the Public News Service/Daily Yonder Co…

New Mexico joined more than a dozen other states in 2023 offering child tax credits meant to boost economic security. (courtesy New Mexico Voices for Children)

Report: Tax credits shrink poverty for NM's kids, families

Child tax credits offer a financial lifeline to parents and can lift children out of poverty, according to a report from New Mexico's Voices for …

To avoid phishing and smishing scams, more than 40 million people have already signed up for

USPS warns NM customers awaiting packages not to fall for 'smishing'

Many folks are still expecting holiday packages this week, and the United States Postal Service is warning customers not to fall for what are known …

Baskets made by craftspeople in New Mexico are often equal parts utilitarian and works of art. (NelsonSirlin/Adobe Stock)<br />

New Mexico artisans offer 'Made in America' holiday gifts

Weekend shoppers in New Mexico may want to buy holiday gifts produced in the U.S. but a new report showed one in five purchases are likely to say…

In 2013, New Mexico became the 16th U.S. state to legalize same-sex marriage. (RobertPeak/Adobe Stock)

NM's LGBTQ+ advocates say 'now is not the time to panic'

Inauguration Day is still five weeks away and gay married couples are already watching for signs conservative lawmakers and the courts may attempt to …

In addition to thousands of jobs, analysis shows outdoor recreation annually contributes $3.2 billion to New Mexico's economy. (Upper Pecos Watershed Association)

NM designates 250 miles as 'Outstanding National Resource Waters'

A New Mexico agency has stepped up vigilance of the state's limited water resources. On Tuesday, the New Mexico Water Quality Control Commission …

Nearly 23 million acres of public lands in Utah, representing about 42% of the state, fall under the jurisdiction of the Bureau of Land Management. (AdobeStock/AlcornImagery)

Utah leads effort to sell off public lands in NM, other states

Utah is leading a battle over control of public lands, with New Mexico and other Western states caught in the crosshairs. Utah's Republican …

Antimicrobial consumption in farm animals is on the rise in the U.S., while declining in Europe by 44% from 2014 to 2021. (pressmaster/Adobe Stock)

Antibiotic use in livestock, once in decline, is creeping back up

By Sophie Kevany for Sentient.Broadcast version by Roz Brown for New Mexico News Connection reporting for the Sentient-Public News Service Collaborati…

New Mexico's Don Bustos has passed on his organic farming knowledge to more than 225 farmers around the state. (Photo courtesy FarmersMarketInstitute.org)

400-year-old New Mexico farm thrives after switch to organic, solar

A 4.5 acre farm surrounded by New Mexico's Sangre de Cristo Mountains is where owner Don Bustos fuses centuries of tradition with modern advances to f…

The Rio Grande and its tributaries provide drinking water for about 13 million people in the United States and Mexico. (SeanPavonePhoto/Adobe Stock)

Lawsuit limbo over disputed NM, TX water rights

A delegation of New Mexico lawmakers is asking the federal government to quickly resolve long-standing litigation affecting water users in the Rio Gra…

New Mexico immigrant advocacy groups said mass deportations promised by the next Trump administration would destabilize local economies. (LRafael/AdobeStock)

NM human rights groups promise to defend immigrants against deportation

New Mexico immigrant-based and immigrant-serving organizations are developing strategies to defend those workers and their families in the new year…

Researchers say when a larger group of people are walking together, the risk of being hit by a car is generally lower. (Viam/Adobe Stock - AI enhanced)

NM researcher studies why pedestrian, bicyclist deaths are on the rise

The number of pedestrians and bicyclists killed on roadways in the U.S. has nearly doubled in the past 12 years and a New Mexico researcher wants to …

Building generational wealth is the goal behind New Mexico's proposed

Child advocates want NM to eradicate poverty through 'baby bonds'

New Mexico child welfare groups are behind an initiative they plan to introduce in the next legislative session to create a so-called baby bonds progr…

New Mexicans who qualify can receive benefits beyond doctor visits and prescription drugs through a Dual Special Needs Plan. (Kzenon/Adobe Stock)

NM Medicaid, Medicare enrollees qualify for extra health insurance coverage

Nearly 13 million people nationwide, including 785,000 in New Mexico who receive Medicare and Medicaid, may also qualify for even more coverage under …

Almost 50 million people, one in six in the United States, rely on food assistance from charities, according to Feeding America. (Photo courtesy Roadrunner Food Bank)

NM food bank encourages neighbors to help neighbors during holidays

Nearly 390,000 New Mexicans received help from the Roadrunner Food Bank last year, and holidays make the need all the more urgent. One in five …

America's schoolteachers report spending nearly 30% of instructional time repeating information because of poor listening skills. (JacobLund/Adobe Stock)

NM's schoolchildren, adults could benefit from 'active listening'

If the election season made one thing clear, it is neither side can hear what the other is saying and one expert believes it is because most of us …

The Associated Press has tabulated election results since 1848 when Zachary Taylor won the presidential election as a member of the Whig Party. (WPW enhanced/Adobe Stock)<br />

To call or not to call: The election night question

After a long campaign season, voters in New Mexico and around the country are casting their ballots. But in some races, the outcome might not be …

More than half of the 46 million immigrants living in the United States are naturalized citizens, according to the United States Census Bureau. (AdobeStock AI enhanced/ChaoticMind)

Legal immigrants in NM, elsewhere, ensnared in voting allegations

New Mexico has a sizable immigrant community - making up 11% of the state's labor force. But during contentious U.S. elections, they can suffer a …

The estimated 11 million unauthorized immigrants living in the United States in 2022 was below the peak of 12.2 million in 2007. (Gretchen/Adobe Stock)

Mass deportation of immigrants opposed by most U.S. voters

A strong majority of voters across party lines want lawmakers to create a path to citizenship for America's 11 million undocumented immigrants…

Early voting in New Mexico will end on Nov. 2. (Photo courtesy of Megan Gleason/Source NM)

Trump schedules last-minute campaign rally in 'blue' New Mexico

Many voters in New Mexico are wondering why former President Donald Trump plans tomorrow's visit to a state where polls showed a firm Democratic lead…

Moms of young children remain vastly underrepresented in state capitols across the country, according to the Vote Mama Foundation. (Mediteraneo/Adobe Stock)

Breaking down barriers to seeking political office in New Mexico

In politics, money talks and the barrier makes it tough for the average person to run for office and still harder in New Mexico. State legislators …

Despite unique barriers, a survey shows transgender people in the United States have a higher voter turnout than the general population. (freshidea/Adobe Stock)

NM GOP candidates amplify Trump's debunked transgender surgery claims

A New Mexico, LGBTQ civil rights group says a debunked claim by the Trump-Vance presidential campaign that "sex changes" are taking place in schools …

Breast cancer in the United States occurs primarily in middle-aged and older women, but age is not the only risk factor. (TarasGrebinets/Adobe Stock)

NM women get new recommendations for breast cancer screenings

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and health professionals are urging New Mexico women and those in other states to get screened at younger …

Because of their remote nature and limited capacity to access financial help, many of New Mexico's colonias rely on water wells not built to code. (GAO)

NM's colonias need oversight to improve water, wastewater systems

Federal funding for infrastructure improvements in colonias, predominately rural, Hispanic communities near the U.S.-Mexico border, including 150 in …

New Mexico changed its state law in 2023 to allow people with felony convictions to vote if they are not incarcerated. (niyazz/Adobe Stock)

Lawsuit forces NM to rush voter registration for those with felony convictions

New Mexicans who've been released from prison after serving time for a felony conviction will be able to vote in next month's election, after pro-…

Candice Griego, the new director of Tribal Relations for Roadrunner Food Bank, wants to help New Mexico's Indigenous communities develop food sovereignty. (Courtesy Roadrunner Food Bank)

NM food bank goes the distance to reach Indigenous communities

A New Mexico food bank has expanded outreach to the state's Indigenous communities by hiring a Director of Tribal Relations. Candice Griego will …

The financially beleaguered U.S. Postal Service expects to save billions of dollars by using electric rather than gas-powered mail delivery trucks. (USPSoig.gov)

NM streets will be quieter, cleaner when USPS electric mail trucks arrive

Neighborhoods across New Mexico and other states will soon be cleaner and quieter as the U.S. Postal Service rolls out its new electric mail-delivery …

The average person's struggle to distinguish between true and false online information now extends beyond voting to health, well-being and civic life. (nicoletaionescu/Adobe Stock)

America's 'era of misinformation' not exclusive to elections, voting

Wading through misinformation these days is not exclusive to voting rights and rules - but also can cause confusion about health, well-being…

Nearly 90% of nonbinary adults in the workforce are younger than age 35 and half are people of color. (Marcos/AdobeStock)

Boosting transgender employment could boost a company's bottom line

Experts say a diverse workforce is crucial for creativity and social justice, and equally good for a company's bottom line. But reluctance to hire …

Life expectancy among American Indians and Alaskan Natives is more than five years shorter than the national average. (unm.edu)

Public health officials lack data in treating Native American communities

By Jazmin Orozco Rodriguez for KFF Health News.Broadcast version by Roz Brown for New Mexico News Connection reporting for the KFF Health News-Public …

Declining monarch butterfly populations are getting help from

Testing the 'butterfly effect' in New Mexico's Bosque

New Mexico volunteers will test the "butterfly effect" this Saturday as they perform small actions meant to produce monumental change. Civic and …

Critics of Project 2025 allege it would put water at greater risk of pollution and contamination for the sake of corporate profits. (wckiw/Adobe Stock)

NM news org identifies impacts of 'Project 2025' on state residents

A New Mexico nonprofit news organization wants voters to know what is included in "Project 2025" and how it could potentially change the course of the…

The Radiation Exposure Compensation Act provides lump-sum compensation for illnesses contracted by people working in the uranium industry or exposed to above-ground nuclear tests. (Courtesy Nuclear Threat Initiative)

New Mexico tribal representatives in D.C. to support radiation exposure compensation

A 2,000-mile bus trip has not deterred representatives from Southwest tribes from traveling to Washington, D.C., this week to support expansion of …

Democrats outnumber Republicans in New Mexico, with about 43% of the electorate compared to the GOP's 31%. (Courtesy Heath Haussamen/NMPolitics.net)

NM officials, voter advocates monitor election disinformation

New Mexico's Doña Ana County Clerk said she feels better than expected about security and safety ahead of November's elections - but still works …

Since the U.S. Supreme Court ruling for Citizens United in 2010, a handful of wealthy donors have dominated electoral giving and spending in America's political campaigns. (AddMeshCube/Adobe Stock)

Women's political contributions in congressional races fall short of men's

A new analysis of money contributed to 2024 congressional candidates showed women contribute about as frequently as men but dollar amounts are signifi…

A new U.S. Census Bureau report shows the rate of children without health insurance in New Mexico was 5.9% in 2023, compared to 5.4% nationwide. (FotoAndalucia/Adobe Stock)

New census data show significant drop in NM's child poverty

A new federal report shows anti-poverty policies enacted by New Mexico are making a big difference. This month, the U.S. Census Bureau has released …

Orange glow in Albuquerque night sky lights up Hunger Action Month

New Mexico's Roadrunner Food Bank sent a "glowing" invitation to encourage food and financial contributions during September's Hunger Action Month…

In New Mexico, 70% of extremely low-income renter households face a severe cost burden, according to the National Low Income Housing Coalition. (qingwa/AdobeStock)

America's 2-decade-long housing shortage needs a fix

New Mexico houses cost less to buy than in many other states but there's also less inventory and one data expert does not expect a building boom to re…

Green chiles take center stage next month when New Mexico extension agents offer classes in preservation techniques. (Photo courtesy of NMSU)

NM experts dish up best techniques for preserving green chile

The growing season is winding down in New Mexico and experts want to make sure the people preserving green chile for the colder months are doing it ri…

The Sierra Club said a third of all Americans, including 28 million children, do not have a park or natural space within a 10-minute walk of their home. (milicanistoran/Adobe Stock)

Congress urged to protect outdoor program for 4th-graders

A national program to connect children and families with the outdoors is at risk of ending without help from Congress. The Every Kid Outdoors …

The 2024 Braver Angels convention in Kenosha, Wisconsin drew about 700 delegates to Carthage College. (braver angels.org)

NM's Braver Angels offers political junkies an alternative to divisiveness

There's evidence that respectful conversations about politics - while not changing hearts or minds - can lead to greater understanding on both sides…

A mega-dairy concentrated animal feeding operations can produce as much waste as a city without the benefit of an advanced sewage treatment system. (ArtemZakharov/Adobe Stock)

NM group seeks moratorium on new factory farms

By Lena Beck for Modern Farmer.Broadcast version by Roz Brown for New Mexico News Connection reporting for the Modern Farmer-Public News Service Colla…

New Mexico's Waste Isolation Pilot Plant is the nation's only deep geologic long-lived radioactive waste repository. (DOE) New Mexico's Waste Isolation Pilot Plant is the nation's only deep geologic long-lived radioactive waste repository. (DOE)

Feds hold NM meetings to decide expansion of radioactive waste site

Public meetings in New Mexico this week will gather input on proposed expansion of a nuclear waste repository. But watchdog groups are urging a …

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