- ELECTION 2020-HOUSE-NEW MEXICO
Competition heats up in New Mexico congressional primarySANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — Santa Fe-based attorney Teresa Leger Fernandez is launching her campaign for the Democratic nomination to an open congressional seat in 2020.
Leger Fernandez announced Thursday that she was kicking off her campaign in Las Vegas, New Mexico, where she graduated from high school.
A new campaign website describes Leger Fernandez as a mother of three and cancer survivor, who has worked on behalf of tribal communities as an attorney and serves on the board of a nonprofit affordable housing group.
The Democratic primary is likely to be decisive in the heavily Democratic 3rd Congressional District. At least six contenders are vying for the Democratic nomination to succeed U.S. Rep. Ben Ray Luján of Nambé as he runs for Senate.
Leger Fernandez is the daughter of former state Sen. Ray Leger.
- LAS CRUCES-BISHOP
Pope Francis appoints Malta-born priest as Las Cruces bishop(Information from: Las Cruces Sun-News, http://www.lcsun-news.com)
LAS CRUCES, N.M. (AP) — Pope Francis has appointed a Malta-born priest as the new head of the Diocese of Las Cruces.
The Las Cruces Sun-News reports the Vatican announced this week Francis named Peter Baldacchino as Las Cruces bishop.
Baldacchino replaces Bishop Oscar Cantú who was reassigned as the coadjutor bishop of San Jose, California in September 2018.
Baldacchino was formerly the auxiliary bishop of Miami.
After ordination to the priesthood, he served for three years as parochial vicar at Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Parish in Ridgewood, New Jersey.
His installation as the third Bishop of Las Cruces will take place on July 23.
The Las Cruces Diocese serves all of southern New Mexico.
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- IMMIGRATION DETENTION-NEW MEXICO
Officials reopen New Mexico private prison to hold migrantsESTANCIA, N.M. (AP) — Officials have decided to reopen a private prison in New Mexico to hold local inmates as well as immigrants being detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Torrance County commissioners voted unanimously Wednesday to open the detention center in the rural town of Estancia under an agreement with the federal agency.
The contract stipulates for ICE to pay the county nearly $2 million per month during the first year of prison use, allowing up to 714 immigrants to be housed.
The price will increase in subsequent years. Only adult men will be held in the facility.
Officials say the agreement will provide the county with 240 jobs.
Officials say the county will also sign agreement with private prison operator CoreCivic for it to run the facility and hire staff.
- FACEBOOK DATA CENTER
Facebook buys land in New Mexico but mum on purpose(Information from: Albuquerque Journal, http://www.abqjournal.com)
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — Facebook has more than doubled its New Mexico footprint with the purchase of more than 400 acres near its new data center.
The Albuquerque Journal reports the social media giant confirmed this week that it purchased the land in March, adding to the 300 acres in Los Lunas, New Mexico, it already owns. But the Menlo Park, California-based Facebook declined to say what it plans to do with the property adjacent to its data center.
The recent purchase was disclosed last week in a joint letter from two state cabinet secretaries to the New Mexico Public Regulation Commission.
New Mexico does not publicly disclose property sale prices.
Facebook is constructing a six-building, $1 billion data center on the 300-acre parcel it purchased in 2016.
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- ELECTION 2020-HOUSE-NEW MEXICO-THE LATEST
The Latest: New Mexico candidate warns against warSANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — Congressional candidate and former CIA operative Valeria Plame says a war with Iran would be devastating for all involved and is warning of warmongering tendencies within the Trump administration.
In a broadcast interview with SiriusXM's The Press Pool with Julie Mason on Wednesday, Plame urged the Trump administration to use diplomatic tools to ease strained relations with Iran.
Tensions are sweeping the Persian Gulf region over unspecified threats that the Trump administration says are linked to Iran.
In a wide-ranging conversation about national security, Plame says the U.S. lost leverage in its relationship with Iran when the Trump administration withdrew a year ago from Iran's nuclear deal with world powers. Plame says U.S. national security adviser John Bolton "never saw a war that he didn't want to jump in."
Plame, who lives in Santa Fe, became a national figure after her identity as a CIA operative was leaked by an official in President George W. Bush's administration in an effort to discredit her then-husband, diplomat Joe Wilson. She is seeking the Democratic nomination in 2020 for an open congressional race in northern New Mexico.
- TRUMP-IMMIGRATION
Trump to deliver immigration speech ThursdayWASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump will deliver an immigration speech on Thursday.
Trump's son-in-law and senior adviser Jared Kushner has been working to finalize a plan that focuses on border security and changes to the legal immigration system. Kushner presented the plan to senators on the Hill Tuesday.
Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., told reporters after the presentation that White House officials seemed "well on their way" to winning consensus for a plan that would unite Republicans on the contentious issue. But he added, "Whether it will or not, I don't know."
One Republican official briefed on Tuesday's meeting said Kushner provided few details.
Trump's speech Thursday hasn't been publicly announced, but a person familiar with the plans discussed them on condition of anonymity.
- BASEBALL PLAYER KILLED-SUSPECT
No bond before trial for suspect in killing of UNM pitcherALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — A man accused of fatally shooting a University of New Mexico baseball player outside an Albuquerque bar earlier this month will be held without bond pending trial.
A judge made that decision Wednesday during a court hearing.
Authorities say 23-year-old Darian Bashir is charged with an open count of murder in the death of Jackson Weller.
Witnesses told Albuquerque police that Weller was shot after he got into a fight at a bar on May 4 and the shooter fled the scene in a car.
Bashir was arrested last Saturday.
Weller was a 23-year-old right-handed pitcher from Keller, Texas who wasn't on the Lobos' active roster due to an injury.
He had transferred to UNM from Gateway Community College in Phoenix.
Weller's funeral was held Monday in Colleyville, Texas.
- BODIES FOUND-MOBILE HOME
3 people found dead amid gas fumes in New Mexico mobile homeSANTA CRUZ, N.M. (AP) — Authorities say a man and his two children have been found dead inside a mobile home in the Santa Cruz area of northern Santa Fe County.
County Sheriff's officials say deputies went to the home around 6 p.m. Tuesday after a report of a heavy smell of gas fumes.
They say two bodies were found in the kitchen and the other body was discovered in a bathtub.
A Sheriff's Office search warrant affidavit identified the three dead as 39-year-old Dominic Mansanarez, 19-year-old Isa Mansanarez and 9-year-old Ventura Mansanarez.
Authorities say it's unclear what caused the mobile home to fill with gas.
They say Dominic Mansanarez's mother discovered the bodies on the floor of the home after becoming concerned when no one answered the door Tuesday.