- HORSE VIRUS-NEW MEXICO
New Mexico warns of blister-causing livestock virusALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — New Mexico officials are warning horse owners to take precautions to keep their animals from contracting a virus that causes blister-like sores on the mouths of infected animals.
The state livestock board says vesicular stomatitis cases have been confirmed in Valencia, Sandoval, Los Alamos and Santa Fe counties.
State Veterinarian Ralph Zimmerman says officials aren't ordering the cancellation of any events at this point, but they're circulating a list of recommendations for fair and rodeo organizers and individual owners.
That includes checking for sores, using fly spray and not sharing grooming equipment.
The virus primarily affects horses and cattle, and occasionally swine, sheep, goats, llamas and alpacas. In rare events, humans can also become infected when exposed.
There's no specific treatment and there are no licensed vaccines for the virus.
- LOS ALAMOS-CHROMIUM PLUME
Lab officials report progress on chromium plume cleanupLOS ALAMOS, N.M. (AP) — Officials at Los Alamos National Laboratory say they're seeing positive results from efforts to contain and control a plume of chromium contamination located in two canyons at the northern New Mexico complex.
A system that extracts tainted groundwater and then re-injects treated water into the ground has been operating for the past year near the lab's boundary with San Ildefonso Pueblo.
Officials said Tuesday that sampling in May from a monitoring well near that boundary showed a drop in concentrations of hexavalent chromium to levels just above state standards.
Cheryl Rodriguez is with the U.S. Energy Department's Environmental Management Los Alamos Field Office. She says the interim measure is helping to reduce the plume's footprint.
Officials say the contamination has not affected any drinking water wells in the area.
- NAVAJO NATION PRESIDENT'S DAUGHTER
Ex-Navajo president's daughter pleads guilty in DUI caseFLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (AP) — The daughter of former Navajo Nation President Russell Begaye is serving three years of probation in a DUI case.
Karis Begaye pleaded guilty last month to misdemeanor impaired driving and criminal damage, and to a felony count of endangerment.
She had been serving as legal counsel in her father's administration when she was arrested south of Flagstaff in April 2018. The tribal vehicle she was driving crashed into a tractor-trailer.
Authorities say her blood-alcohol content was more than twice the legal limit for driving. The DUI charge was downgraded in a plea agreement.
Begaye must pay more than $35,000 in restitution to the tribe and a private transportation company.
Russell Begaye wrote to the court saying his daughter is working to overcome alcohol abuse with help from friends and family.
- ELECTION 2020-HOUSE-VALERIE PLAME
Valerie Plame campaign gets boost from undisclosed sourcesSANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — Thousands of small campaign contributions from undisclosed sources have propelled former CIA operative and author Valerie Plame to the financial pole position in a crowded primary competition for an open congressional seat in 2020.
Plame spokesman Daniel Garcia says small, non-itemized contributions to the campaign since April 1 are evidence of broad political support from everyday people.
Plame's campaign for the Democratic nomination raised $239,000 from April through June and has drawn criticism from rival campaigns for not revealing the source of more than 3,000 contributions of under $200. Garcia says that is standard practice in federal campaigns.
Democratic state Rep. Joseph Sanchez says he also chose not to itemize small contributions to his congressional campaign but will in the future to highlight his local base of support.
- SEXUAL MISCONDUCT-EPSTEIN-NEW MEXICO
New Mexico leases ranch land to Epstein companySANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — New Mexico state land regulators are reviewing property leases to a company controlled by financier Jeffrey Epstein in light of federal charges that he sexually abused underage girls.
State Land Commissioner Stephanie Garcia Richard on Tuesday delivered lease documents to state prosecutors who have interviewed possible victims of Epstein who visited his ranch south of Santa Fe.
In 2016, New Mexico renewed agricultural grazing leases on 2 square miles (5 square kilometers) of inholdings, or privately owned land inside the boundary of a state park, at Epstein's ranch through his company Cypress. Garcia Richard says her agency is pursuing every legal avenue to terminate the leases while acknowledging that the contracts are legally binding.
New Mexico has come under scrutiny for laws that allowed Epstein to avoid registering as a sex offender following a guilty plea a decade ago in Florida.
- GUADALUPE COUNTY HOMICIDE
Death of a Texas man in New Mexico being called a homicideSANTA ROSA, N.M. (AP) — New Mexico State Police say they've been asked to investigate the death of a Texas man in Guadalupe County near Santa Rosa.
They say a 32-year-old William Moore of El Paso was found injured on the ground on State Road 91 around 11 p.m. Sunday.
Moore was taken to Guadalupe County Hospital, where he later died from his injuries.
New Mexico State Police Investigations Bureau agents as well as the New Mexico State Police Crime Scene Team were called out to the scene.
State Police say the death is being treated as a homicide, but no details have been released yet.
- RADIATION EXPOSURE-COMPENSATION
Lawmaker: Expand compensation from nuclear weapons testingALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — A compensation program for those exposed to radiation from years of nuclear weapons testing and uranium mining would be expanded under legislation that seeks to address fallout across the western United States, Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands.
Rep. Ben Ray Lujan of New Mexico is rolling out the measure Tuesday on the 74th anniversary of the Trinity Test.
As part of the top-secret Manhattan Project, government scientists and the U.S. military dropped the first atomic bomb in the New Mexico desert in 1945. Nearly 200 atmospheric tests followed. Uranium mining persisted even after the tests ceased.
Citing affected downwinders and Native American tribes, Lujan says coverage must be expanded.
Among other things, the measure would require Congress to issue a formal apology to people in a dozen U.S. states.
- ELECTION 2020-HOUSE-NEW MEXICO
Trump tweets shape Congressional campaigningSANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — A district attorney running for the Democratic nomination to a U.S. House seat in northern New Mexico says Donald Trump's statements against four Democratic congresswomen show that Trump is unfit to serve as president.
Santa Fe-based prosecutor and congressional candidate Marco Serna issued a statement Tuesday condemning Trump for "relentless racist attacks against four women of color."
Trump's tweets urged the progressive women to "go back" to their "broken and crime-infested" countries, though three are U.S.-born. Trump insists the comments were not racist.
The tweets were directed at Reps. Ilhan Omar of Minnesota, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, Ayanna Pressley of Massachusetts and Rashida Tlaib of Michigan.
Serna is running against a lengthy list primary contenders in a heavily Hispanic, Democratic district. Rep. Ben Ray Luján is running for Senate.