- VIRTUAL REALITY STARTUP
Santa Fe startup gets $1M grant for virtual reality tech(Information from: The Santa Fe New Mexican, http://www.santafenewmexican.com)
SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — A Santa Fe startup has received a $1 million federal Small Business Innovation Research grant to complete its virtual reality data visualization technology.
The Santa Fe New Mexican reports SciVista is developing a product called Summit VR — a platform to add three-dimensional data into virtual reality.
Summit VR is being developed in partnership with Intel, Kitware, the Texas Advanced Computing Center, the Culham Centre for Fusion Energy and others.
SciVista, a builder of data visualization programs, was established in 2018 and is a spinoff from Woodruff Scientific, a Santa Fe research and development company focused on electromagnets.
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- ELECTION 2020-HOUSE-NEW MEXICO
Congresswoman Torres Small still outraising GOP opponentsLAS CRUCES, N.M. (AP) — U.S. Rep. Xochitl (ZOH'-cheel) Torres Small continues to outraise her Republican opponents in her re-election bid for a key Congressional seat in southern New Mexico.
Federal election records show the Las Cruces Democrat pulled in $1,091,386 during her first six months in office after winning the seat in November. Records show she had around $1 million cash on hand.
Republican Yvette Herrell, who lost to Torres Small last year and is seeking a rematch, raised $312,000 during the same period and reported having $307,000 cash on hand.
But to win the GOP nomination Herrell will have to go through Las Cruces businessman Chris Mathys who is also running. Records show Mathys reported raising $180,000 and had around $160,000 cash on hand.
No other candidates have declared for the seat.
- HAZMAT SITUATION-NEIGHBORHOOD EVACUATED
Albuquerque neighborhood is evacuated in a hazmat situation(Information from: Albuquerque Journal, http://www.abqjournal.com)
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — Bernalillo County Sheriff's officials say a hazmat situation in Albuquerque has caused the closure and evacuation of a neighborhood.
They say deputies are assisted county firefighters after responding to reports Tuesday evening about an unknown leaking substance.
Officials didn't immediately say what caused the leak or what is leaking.
The Albuquerque Journal reports deputies are asking residents in the area to evacuate to the Raymond G. Sanchez Community Center.
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- ELECTION 2020-WARREN ENDORSEMENT
Native American congresswoman endorses Elizabeth WarrenSANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — One of two Native American women in Congress has endorsed Democratic presidential candidate Elizabeth Warren.
U.S. Rep. Debra Haaland of New Mexico on Tuesday announced her endorsement in social media posts that describe Warren as a great friend and partner on policies that affect Indian Country.
On Instagram , a tinted photograph of Haaland and Warren accompanies praise for the senator's efforts related to working families, student loan debt and missing and murdered indigenous women.
Warren has been criticized for claiming Native American identity early in her career and apologized recently to the Cherokee Nation for releasing DNA test results as evidence she had Native American ancestry, albeit at least six generations back.
Haaland is a tribal member of Laguna Pueblo and represents a district centered in Albuquerque.
- BOARDING HOMES REGULATIONS
New Mexico governor aims to up oversight of boarding homes(Information from: Albuquerque Journal, http://www.abqjournal.com)
SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham's administration is working on regulations to increase oversight of boarding homes for people with mental illnesses.
The Albuquerque Journal reported Tuesday that the administration is aiming to require licenses and periodic inspections of the homes.
The Democratic governor says the rules would also set standards for fire safety, staffing levels, crowding and bathroom facilities.
Grisham says the state has about 100 boarding homes that are unregulated.
Most of the facilities are near Las Vegas, New Mexico, where the only state psychiatric hospital is located.
State Department of Health spokesman David Morgan says the rules aim to ensure residents of the homes have "safe and supported" living conditions.
He says they aim to release the proposed rules in the coming weeks.
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- AMBER ALERT SYSTEM-TRIBES
Tribes train to implement Amber Alert under new federal lawALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — The mother of a Navajo girl who was abducted and killed in 2016 is urging tribal officials to take advantage of tools and funding that have been made available for responding to reports of missing Native American children.
Pamela Foster's comments Tuesday came during a training in Albuquerque for tribes to implement the alert system. Organizers say more than 20 tribes are participating in the training.
A federal law signed last year expanded the alert system to tribal land. It gives tribes direct access to grants and training long available in other jurisdictions.
The law is named for Foster's daughter Ashlynne Mike. She was 11 when she was kidnapped near her school bus stop and killed.
An Amber Alert wasn't issued for her until early the next morning.
- PRESIDENTS-RACIST GESTURES
Presidents have made racist gestures throughout US historyALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — President Donald Trump's recent tweets aren't the first time a president has drawn attention for racist gestures.
Throughout American history, presidents have uttered comments, issued decisions and made public and private moves that critics said were racist, either at the time or in later generations.
Thomas Jefferson wrote that black slaves smelled and couldn't produce art or poetry. Woodrow Wilson screened the racist film "The Birth of a Nation" at the White House without apology. Lyndon Johnson and Richard Nixon used racist epithets in secretly recorded conversations with aides.
Many of the early presidents owned black slaves. They also held power when African Americans, Native Americans and Latinos did not have the right to vote or serve on juries and could be refused service in public accommodations.
- IMMIGRATION-MIGRANT DETENTION
Border Patrol detains adults with no end _ until lawyers sueHOUSTON (AP) — Immigration lawyers allege adults are being detained in packed Border Patrol cells — malnourished, poorly treated and incommunicado — only to be moved within hours once the government is sued on their behalf.
One group of lawyers has filed lawsuits on behalf of the spouses, siblings and relatives of 18 migrants — all of whom were removed from their cells almost immediately.
The lawyers believe the government is trying to avoid a federal judge issuing a sweeping order that would require the release of potentially thousands of people detained by the Border Patrol.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection declined to comment.