- MILITARY DEATH-NEW MEXICO
SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — The Department of Defense says a member of the New Mexico Air National Guard has died at a military base in Qatar. The department said Sunday in a news release that Lt. Col. James C. Willis of Albuquerque died the previous day in events unrelated to combat that are under investigation. The 55-year-old airman was providing support to military efforts against the Islamic State group of Iraq and Syria. Willis had been assigned as commander of the 210th Red Horse Squadron at Kirtland Air Force Base.
- ALBUQUERQUE-CHILD DEATH
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — Police in Albuquerque say an infant has been found dead in a hotel. They say officers were called to the Roadway Inn on Sunday morning in reference to a child who unconscious and not breathing. The child was declared dead at the scene. Police haven't released the infant's name, age or gender. They say detectives with the Crimes Against Children Unit are investigating the death.
- IMMIGRATION-VENEZUELAN MIGRANTS
DEL RIO, Texas (AP) — Record numbers of Venezuelans are crossing the U.S.-Mexico border as overall migration swells. Unlike the farmers and low-wage workers who come from Mexico or Central America, the Venezuelans include bankers, doctors and engineers. They're fleeing turmoil in the country with the world's largest oil reserves and pandemic-induced pain across South America. The increased number of Venezuelan migrants is a harbinger of a new type of migration that has caught the Biden administration off guard: pandemic refugees. Many had been living for years in other South American countries to escape economic devastation in Venezuela. But with the pandemic still raging in many parts of South America, they're moving again.
- DEADLY HOT AIR BALLOON CRASH
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — Authorities 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. New Mexico State Police on Sunday identified the pilot as 62-year-old Nicholas Meleski and the four passengers as 65-year-old Susan Montoya, 61-year-old John Montoya, 59-year-old Mary Martinez and 62-year-old Martin Martinez. All were Albuquerque residents. State Police say John Montoya died at a hospital from his injuries while the other victims were declared dead at the crash scene Saturday morning. The National Transportation Safety Board and Federal Aviation Administration will be investigating the cause of the crash.
- FIREWORKS-DROUGHT
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Many Americans aching for normalcy as pandemic restrictions end are looking forward to traditional Fourth of July fireworks. But with a historic drought in the U.S. West and fears of another devastating wildfire season, officials are canceling displays, passing bans or begging for caution. Fireworks already have caused a few small wildfires as some parts of the American West experience their worst drought conditions in more than 100 years. Local bans on personal fireworks are popping up from New Mexico to Idaho, and displays are being canceled in states like Colorado and Arizona, where several wildfires are burning.
- VIRUS OUTBREAK-NAVAJO NATION
WINDOW ROCK, Ariz. (AP) — The Navajo Nation on Sunday reported three new cases of COVID-19, but no additional deaths. Tribal health officials had announced eight new cases and four deaths on Saturday. The vast reservation that stretches into New Mexico, Arizona and Utah now has seen at least 30,987 known cases of the coronavirus since the pandemic began more than a year ago. The known death toll remains at 1,352. Tribal health officials say the first case of the Delta variant has been identified on the reservation. The variant has become prevalent in the U.S. over the past few weeks and has been detected in many states, including the Four Corners states.
- NAVAJO NATION DOGS
SUNDANCE, N.M. (AP) — The death of a teenage girl on the Navajo Nation has renewed discussion about free-roaming dogs on the reservation. Tribal lawmakers recently approved a resolution to establish criminal penalties for vicious dog attacks. But Navajo Nation President Jonathan Nez vetoed the resolution, saying it didn't go far enough and more input is needed. The family of Lyssa Rose Upshaw believes that dogs killed the 13-year-old while she was on a walk near their home in Fort Defiance, Arizona. The family say Upshaw was sweet and quiet, and had been looking forward to her freshman year in high school.
- NUCLEAR WEAPONS
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — A top U.S. nuclear security official and the leaders of three key national laboratories are doubling down on the push to modernize the country's nuclear arsenal and the science and technology that back it up. During a virtual forum Friday, the officials acknowledged global pressures that include more investment by Russia and China in nuclear weapons and advanced laser capabilities. The head of Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in California, Kim Budil, says the United States has an opportunity to re-imagine its entire nuclear enterprise. She also notes that competition on the international stage for computing, artificial intelligence and other critical technologies is extraordinary right now and that the U.S. needs to maintain a leadership role in that arena.