- IMMIGRATION COURTS
Trump puts his stamp on nation's immigration courtsLOS ANGELES (AP) — In just 2½ years, the Trump administration has put its stamp on the nation's immigration court system, appointing more than 4 in 10 judges, overseeing a hiring surge, and issuing new rules that make it harder for migrants to win their cases and stay in the country.
An Associated Press analysis shows that President Donald Trump's administration has appointed at least 190 immigration judges, accounting for 43 percent of the total.
The administration has also continued a trend in hiring large numbers of former military lawyers and Immigration and Customs Enforcement attorneys as immigration judges.
- MOON LANDING-MISSING MOON TREES
Apollo 14 'moon trees' planted in New Mexico are lost(Information from: KOAT-TV, http://www.thenewmexicochannel.com/index.html)
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — Five trees planted in New Mexico from seeds taken to the moon during Apollo 14 and given to the state by NASA have all died or been forgotten.
KOAT-TV in Albuquerque reports officials where the trees were planted decades ago admit they have lost track of the trees.
Other states have kept up with moon tree locations.
Moon trees were grown from 500 seeds taken into orbit around the moon by former U.S. Forest Service smokejumper Stuart Roosa during the 1971 mission.
NASA says the resulting seedlings were planted throughout the United States and the world. The trees were meant to honor Durango, Colorado-born Roosa.
A NASA list of moon trees only cites one New Mexico tree. That one was planted in Albuquerque and city officials say it later died.
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- PASTOR-RECORDING STEPDAUGHTER
Police: New Mexico pastor secretly recorded stepdaughter(Information from: Hobbs News-Sun, http://www.hobbsnews.com)
LOVINGTON, N.M. (AP) — A Lovington pastor is facing charges after his estranged wife told police he secretly recorded his stepdaughter undressing in her bedroom.
The Hobbs News-Sun reports Macedonia Church of God in Christ Pastor Steve Mackey was arrested this month after his wife says she found the covertly recorded videos on an SD card at her home.
The 52-year-old Mackey told the News-Sun the allegations are false and says he doesn't have the technical skills to do electronic eavesdropping.
Investigators say the SD card contained 565 video files and Mackey's name was identified on metadata as the owner of software embedded in one file.
Mackey was charged with two counts of manufacturing visual medium of sexual exploitation of children, both second-degree felonies.
He was released last week on $5,000 bond.
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- TROUBLED NEW MEXICO CITY
Troubled New Mexico city faces racial discrimination lawsuit(Information from: The Santa Fe New Mexican, http://www.santafenewmexican.com)
LAS VEGAS, N.M. (AP) — A northern New Mexico city plagued by lawsuits and a mayor whose home was raided in connection with a bid-rigging investigation is facing another lawsuit.
The Santa Fe New Mexican reports a former Las Vegas, New Mexico, deputy police chief recently filed a federal racial discrimination lawsuit against the city.
Ken Jenkins says in court documents that he was "subjected to unwarranted and discriminatory action" for speaking out about how the police department was underfunded.
Jenkins also alleges he was passed over for the interim chief job because he was black.
Jenkins worked in the Las Vegas Police Department for nearly 20 years and says he was forced to retire.
City Attorney Esther Garduno-Montoya did not immediately respond to an email.
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- ALBUQUERQUE POLICE-HIRING
Albuquerque plans shift from in-state police recruitment(Information from: Albuquerque Journal, http://www.abqjournal.com)
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — Albuquerque Mayor Tim Keller says the city will shift police recruitment efforts away from targeting officers in other departments in the state.
The Albuquerque Journals reported Monday that the city aims to now attract 100 new recruits each year from schools and other states instead of luring officers from New Mexico cities that pay less.
Albuquerque hired several officers last year from nearby departments, including the Bernalillo County Sheriff's Office, the Rio Rancho department and the Santa Fe department.
Spokeswoman Jessie Damazyn says lateral recruiting was always part of the plan, but the city is now in a better position to look outside the state.
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- PUBLIC EDUCATION-NEW MEXICO
New Mexico governor removes public education secretarySANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham has removed the head of the state's Public Education Department while expressing dissatisfaction with efforts to implement sweeping education reforms.
Lujan Grisham spokesman Tripp Stelnicki said Monday that Karen Trujillo had been dismissed nearly six months after her appointment as Cabinet secretary for public education.
Trujillo was tapped in January to carry out the governor's agenda for education reforms that include a new system for evaluating teacher performance, along with a major increase in spending on public schools and at-risk students.
A nationwide search is being launched to find a successor.
A district court ruled last year that the state was failing to provide children an adequate education, especially when it comes to students from poor and minority households.
- JON JONES-STRIP CLUB ASSAULT
UFC's Jon Jones disputes strip club waitress' assault claimALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones is denying allegations that he assaulted a waitress in a New Mexico strip club.
Denise White, a representative for Jones, said in a statement Monday that he is confident he will be cleared of the "baseless claim."
According to White, the fighter only became aware of the battery charge against him Sunday through Albuquerque news outlets.
Jones is accused of placing the waitress in a chokehold and slapping her genitals during an April visit.
Court records show a bench warrant was issued for Jones when he never attended a bond arraignment last month.
White says Jones has since paid the bond and the warrant was lifted.
Jones is coming off of a 15-month suspension last year for doping.
He plans to fight in December.
- ELECTION 2020-SENATE-NEW MEXICO
Senate candidate reads Mueller report aloud from kitchenSANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — A Democratic contender for U.S. Senate is reading aloud special counsel Robert Mueller's report on Russian interference in the 2016 election to highlight her support for immediate impeachment proceedings against President Trump.
New Mexico Secretary of State Maggie Toulouse Oliver on Monday read the report from her home kitchen table for a social media broadcast , in anticipation of Mueller's scheduled testimony this week before Congress.
Campaign spokeswoman Heather Brewer said Toulouse Oliver would spend about seven hours reading aloud the second of two volumes from the report that focuses on obstruction of justice.
Toulouse Oliver is competing with U.S. Rep. Ben Ray Luján for the Democratic nomination in 2020 to succeed Sen. Tom Udall as he retires. Luján has resisted attempts to begin impeachment before additional evidence is collected.