- VIRUS OUTBREAK-NEW MEXICO
SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — Democratic Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham is being criticized for a jewelry purchase from a store in Albuquerque that had closed its retail locations after she issued a public health order prompting the closure of all non-essential businesses. The governor's office says the transaction was done remotely and didn't violate the order. But Republicans are calling Lujan Grisham's behavior hypocritical and dishonorable. They say the jewelry purchase exemplifies recent weeks of harsh and inequitable treatment of small businesses at a time when the governor was telling people to stay home and only go out for essential items such as food.
- ELECTION 2020-NEW MEXICO PRIMARY
SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — New Mexico is deciding on final contenders in open races for a U.S. Senate seat and a congressional slot that last changed hands a dozen years ago. The retirement of Sen. Tom Udall has thrown open a window of opportunity for U.S. Rep. Ben Ray Luján, the presumptive Democratic Senate nominee in an increasingly blue state. Former CIA operative Valerie Plame is competing in the seven-way Democratic primary to succeed Luján in the northern 3rd Congressional District. Other candidates have connections to Hispanic political traditions and Native American communities.
- MISSING INDIGENOUS-TASK FORCE
FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (AP) — A presidential task force charged with addressing an epidemic of missing and slain Native Americans is resuming listening sessions. The task force held a handful of sessions in person before the coronavirus hit. It's now turning to teleconferences and webinars to update tribes on its work and get feedback, starting Wednesday. The group says it will meet a November deadline to submit a report to the White House. The task force is reviewing cold cases in Indian Country to find ways to improve investigations and respond more quickly to reports of missing Native Americans.
- VIRUS OUTBREAK-NEW MEXICO-HEALTH CARE
SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — Public officials in New Mexico continue to contemplate a possible transition to single-payer health care in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic. Preliminary results of a study commissioned by New Mexico's Democrat-led Legislature in 2019 were released Tuesday that outline the consequences of combining nearly all financing for health care services behind a single, state-administered payer for all residents. Analysts found that significant additional funding sources would likely be needed to fully cover the cost of the plan despite new administrative efficiencies. Presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden opposes single-payer proposals even as the coronavirus reveals shortcomings of the current U.S. medical system.
- AMAZON FULFILLMENT CENTER
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — Amazon has announced that construction began on a fulfillment center in Albuquerque that is expected to bring 1,000 jobs to the region. The company said work has begun on the 465,000-square-foot multi-level center. It will use robotics to help employees fulfill orders for small items such as books, electronics and toys. The facility is scheduled to open by the end of 2021. The Bernalillo County Commission approved a $6.5 million series of infrastructure upgrades Tuesday in the Upper Petroglyphs Industrial Park including street improvements, lighting and paving. Bernalillo County Commission Chair Lonnie Talbert says this project represents further investment in the industrial region.
- GAS PIPELINE
SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — Construction has started on a new $60 million pipeline that officials say will provide northern New Mexico with more natural gas. The Albuquerque Journal reports the 35-mile pipeline from Bernalillo to Santa Fe is expected to come online in December and increase supply for northern communities. The New Mexico Gas Company began work this month on the pipeline, to be laid parallel to the current mainline that now hugs I-25 northward from Placitas to Santa Fe. An older line, built by the U.S. Department of Energy in the 1940s, is reaching the end of its useful life and is difficult to replace because it cuts through national forest area, including the Valles Caldera National Preserve.
- DIOCESE CLASSIC CAR-HEIST
GALLUP, N.M. (AP) — A Roman Catholic diocese in New Mexico says thieves stole a classic car officials were using to raise money for a vocations program. The Gallup Independent reports security cameras from the Diocese of Gallup captured two men in a dark Chevy Silverado stealing the 1966 Plymouth Sport Fury last week. Diocese's spokeswoman Suzanne Hammons says the Sport Fury was attached to a trailer and secured to a railing in the Cathedral's parking lot while awaiting transfer to a buyer. No arrests have been made. The Rev. Matthew Keller started the V8s for Vocations program several years ago to raise funds to educate seminary students studying for the priesthood in the Diocese of Gallup.
- VIRUS OUTBREAK-NEW MEXICO
SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — Limited outdoor dining will be allowed at New Mexico restaurants beginning Wednesday. Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham's office said Tuesday she'll be amending the public health order, clearing the way for patio dining at restaurants as long as it's limited to 50% of an establishment's outdoor seating capacity. Tables must be placed at least 6 feet apart, no more than six people may be seated at any single table and no bar or counter seating will be allowed. New Mexico reported an additional 107 positive tests for the coronavirus Tuesday, bringing the statewide total to 7,130.