- VIRUS OUTBREAK-NAVAJO NATION
WINDOW ROCK, Ariz. (AP) — The Navajo Nation on Wednesday reported 126 more COVID-19 cases and eight additional deaths. The tribe had gone without reporting a coronavirus-related death 25 times in the previous 40 days before reporting one on Tuesday. The latest numbers pushed the tribe's totals to 37,737 confirmed COVID-19 cases from the virus since the pandemic began more than a year ago. The known death toll now is 1,507. Based on cases from Oct. 22-Nov. 4, the Navajo Department of Health on Monday issued an advisory for 56 communities due to an uncontrolled spread of COVID-19. The tribe's reservation is the country's largest at 27,000 square miles and covers parts of Arizona, New Mexico and Utah.
- PROP FIREARM-SHOOTING
LOS ANGELES (AP) — The head of lighting on the film "Rust" has sued over Alec Baldwin's fatal shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the New Mexico set of the Western. The lawsuit filed in Los Angeles court Wednesday alleges widespread negligence that Serge Svetnoy says caused him "severe emotional distress" that will haunt him forever. The lawsuit names nearly two dozen defendants including Baldwin, the assistant director who handed him the gun, and the armorer who was in charge of weapons on the set. The defendants didn't immediately reply to requests for comment on the lawsuit.
- NEW MEXICO ECONOMY
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — New Mexico economic development officials are ready to put into action a 20-year strategy for diversifying the state's economy. They announced Wednesday that the federal government has awarded the state another $1 million for the effort. The latest grant will be used to implement the strategy. Economic Development Secretary Alicia J. Keyes outlined the plan during a luncheon with business leaders in Albuquerque. She called it a springboard for what can happen in New Mexico. Part of the work includes improving access to capital and economic recovery resources. The plan also calls for assessing the availability of start-up resources and creating an online dashboard to track their impact.
- VIRUS OUTBREAK-RURAL HOSPITALS
SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — Hospitals in northwestern New Mexico are grappling with a surge in coronavirus cases that has left only a handful of intensive care beds available and led to a rationing of care. State health officials said Wednesday that New Mexico's health care system overall remains heavily burdened with high rates of COVID-19 hospitalizations. Hospitals across the state had just eight intensive care beds available. But the situation is particularly concerning in the state's far northwest, where hospital administrators recently invoked crisis standards of care to focus resources on critical patients. Federal and state authorities have dispatched medical and support personnel to shore up services.
- BASEBALL PLAYER KILLED-SUSPECT CONVICTED
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — A suspect has been convicted of first-degree murder in the 2019 death of a University of New Mexico baseball player. The 2nd Judicial District Court jury began deliberating shortly before noon Tuesday on the fifth day of the trial before returning with a verdict about 4 1/2 hours later against Darian Bashir. The 25-year-old Bashir also was found guilty of tampering with evidence for allegedly hiding a license plate in an attempt to conceal his identity from police. Prosecutors say Bashir is facing life in prison when he's sentenced at a later date. Bashir was accused of fatally shooting 23-year-old Jackson Weller outside a Nob Hill club. Prosecutors say Bashir drove to club after Weller got into a fight with one of his friends.
- AP-US-TRIBAL-ELECTION-LANGUAGE
POLACCA, Ariz. (AP) — Members of a small northeastern Arizona tribe are voting Thursday for their next chairman. One of the key differences between incumbent Tim Nuvangyaoma and David Talayumptewa is their stance on maintaining a Hopi language requirement for the job. Nuvangyaoma says he'll push for a change in the tribe's constitution to eliminate it if he's reelected, to draw in younger Hopis to the government. Talayumptewa says the rule should be maintained to promote the language that defines Hopis. The winner in the election can't single-handedly change the 1930s constitution but can help shape proposals through the Tribal Council.
- LEGISLATURE-PUBLIC SAFETY
SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — Advocates for alternatives to mass incarceration in New Mexico are warning of potential adverse outcomes in a public safety initiative from the governor aimed at reducing crime and violence amid a record-setting spate of homicides in Albuquerque. The New Mexico SAFE coalition warned a panel of legislators on Monday that the proposals could increase the number of people held in county jails who are prone to coronavirus infections, and might initiate or exacerbate over-policing of minority communities. Democratic New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham is advocating for a $100 million effort to hire 1,000 new police officers and place new limits pretrial release programs.