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Latest New Mexico news, sports, business and entertainment at 3:20 a.m. MST

  • Medical Providers on Notice

SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — New Mexico's top insurance regulator is putting medical providers on notice that people cannot be charged for coronavirus testing after reports that residents have been required to pay for coronavirus rapid-result tests. Insurance Superintendent Russell Toal said Wednesday that his office is preparing an administrative bulletin to ensure testing costs are not passed directly on to consumers as state health officials push for robust testing to track infection rates and new strains of COVID-19. Toal says the Office of the Superintendent of Insurance has received reports of people being charged in excess of $100 for testing services that should be free.

  • Navajo Nation reports 20 new COVID-19 cases, 3 more deaths

WINDOW ROCK, Ariz. (AP) — The Navajo Nation on Wednesday reported 20 new COVID-19 cases with three additional deaths. The latest figures from tribal health officials bring the total number of COVID-19 cases to 29,794 cases since the pandemic began. The death toll now is 1,187. Health facilities on the reservation and in border towns are conducting drive-thru vaccine events or administering doses by appointment. The Navajo-area Indian Health Service has vaccinated more than 135,000 people so far. A daily curfew from 9 a.m. to 5 a.m. and a mask mandate remain in effect for residents of the vast reservation that covers parts of Arizona, New Mexico and Utah to prevent the spread of the virus. Tribal health officials say more than 16,000 people have recovered from COVID-19.

  • New Mexico weighs options for teacher vaccination mandate

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — Top health officials in New Mexico say the U.S. government needs to boost vaccine supplies if it wants the state to meet a new mandate for getting at least one shot into the arms of all teachers by the end of March. Health Secretary Dr. Tracie Collins said during a briefing Wednesday that the state already has vaccinated more than 15,000 educators. With demand still outpacing supplies, the state is in talks with the White House about how to roll out the initiative. Teachers are next in line under New Mexico's phased-in approach. But health officials have been reluctant to offer a timeline given the limited supplies.

  • New Mexico corrections officer sues over vaccination mandate

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — A corrections officer is suing a New Mexico county over a requirement that first responders and other Dona Ana County employees be vaccinated. Isaac Legaretta says in a complaint filed in U.S. District Court that forcing employees to take vaccines that aren't yet fully approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration violates federal law. Legaretta is facing termination for declining a vaccination. His attorney is seeking an injunction to keep the county from firing or disciplining the officer before a ruling is issued. County officials are defending the policy, saying it's aimed at ensuring a safe workplace and protecting inmates.

  • Collins to back Haaland for Interior, sealing her approval

WASHINGTON (AP) — Maine Sen. Susan Collins says she will support New Mexico Rep. Deb Haaland to be Interior secretary. Collins is the first Republican senator to publicly back Haaland, who's set to become the first Native American to lead a Cabinet agency. The announcement Wednesday makes Haaland's confirmation by the Senate nearly certain and follows Haaland's endorsement last week by Democratic West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin, chairman of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee. Collins says she differs with Haaland on several issues but appreciates her role in helping to lead House passage of the Great American Outdoors Act, a landmark conservation law that Collins co-sponsored.

  • New Mexico governor signs pandemic relief bills

SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — New Mexico Democratic governor has signed economic relief legislation that provides $600 rebates to low-income workers and a tax holiday for restaurants that have been hobbled by aggressive pandemic health restrictions. Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham on Wednesday signed two bills that are part of an ambitious economic recovery package. The newly signed bills also would provide loans of up to $150,000 to business that lost income in 2020. New Mexico state finances and trust funds are rebounding amid a surge in oil production and prices, along with a boost from 2020 federal relief. Lujan Grisham says she hopes the relief reaches people who need it most.

  • New Mexico Legislature seeks reforms to spur internet access

SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — New Mexico legislators are advancing bills that would modernize efforts to expand access to high-speed internet service as online schooling during the pandemic exposes infrastructure gaps. The state Senate on Wednesday endorsed a bill that creates a centralized office for broadband internet access. Outside of New Mexico's metro areas, internet access can be slow, expensive, or simply not available. Proposals from House and Senate lawmakers would set up a centralized clearinghouse within state government for improving internet access — following the example of many other states that address broadband internet through one agency.

  • New Mexico's Spaceport America names new executive director

SIERRA COUNTY, N.M. (AP) — Spaceport America has named New Mexico native Scott A. McLaughlin as its new executive director. The company announced the appointment on Tuesday. McLaughlin served as the director of business development at Spaceport America prior to being named interim executive director in July 2020. He has worked at several government agencies including the U.S. Army Research Laboratory and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration as well as in the private sector with tech and engineering companies. McLaughlin graduated from New Mexico State University with a degree in electrical engineering. Spaceport America is a federally licensed launch complex situated on 18,000 acres adjacent to the U.S. Army White Sands Missile Range in southern New Mexico.