- HORSE RACING-NEW MEXICO
APNewsBreak: Horse racing regulator ousted over commentsALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — One of the five commissioners responsible for overseeing New Mexico's horse racing industry has been ousted over comments she made regarding changes in the way horses are tested for certain medications.
The governor's office confirmed Friday that Freda McSwane was removed from Racing Commission earlier this week.
Documents obtained by The Associated Press indicate state attorneys were concerned that comments McSwane made in May during a public meeting implied bias that could potentially prompt more legal complications in the ongoing testing fight.
McSwane did not return messages seeking comment.
The commission is wading through numerous appeals after some owners and trainers complained they should have been given a grace period when the state began using a new testing lab.
With the change, more samples turned up positive for corticosteroids, which are used to treat swelling and joint pain.
- CONGRESS-MINIMUM WAGE-NEW MEXICO
New Mexico congresswoman breaks ranks in wage hike vote(Information from: Albuquerque Journal, http://www.abqjournal.com)
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — One of New Mexico's congresswomen broke ranks with fellow Democrats as the U.S. House approved legislation to raise the federal minimum wage.
U.S. Rep. Xochitl Torres Small says she's for raising the minimum wage but that $15 was too high.
The Albuquerque Journal reported Torres Small had heard from constituents in the 2nd Congressional District that such a boost would have a devastating effect on small businesses, especially those in rural areas.
U.S. Reps. Ben Ray Lujan and Deb Haaland voted for the bill.
The last increase in the federal minimum wage occurred 10 years ago, the longest stretch without an adjustment since the wage floor was first enacted during the 1930s.
Under the bill, tipped workers would be required to be paid the same as others earning the minimum.
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- UNITED STATES-MEXICO-ASYLUM
US expands 'Remain in Mexico' at dangerous part of borderHOUSTON (AP) — The U.S. government will expand its policy requiring asylum seekers to wait outside the country to one of Mexico's most dangerous cities.
The Department of Homeland Security said Friday it will implement its "Migrant Protection Protocols" in Brownsville, Texas, across the border from Matamoros, Mexico. DHS says it anticipates the first asylum seekers will be sent back to Mexico starting Friday.
Thousands of people are already camped in Matamoros, at the eastern edge of the U.S.-Mexico border. An official waiting list to seek asylum has more than 1,000 people.
Matamoros is in Mexico's Tamaulipas state, which the U.S. government warns citizens not to visit due to violence and kidnappings.
The city is also near where a Salvadoran father and his 23-month-old daughter were found drowned in the Rio Grande, in photos that were shared around the world.
- NEW MEXICO LOTTERY-RAISE
Salary of New Mexico Lottery head increases to $220K(Information from: Albuquerque Journal, http://www.abqjournal.com)
SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — The New Mexico Lottery Authority has increased its CEO's base annual pay to $220,000 — a move drawing criticism by those who argue the money should be going into a scholarship program.
Lottery board Chairman Dan Salzwedel told the Albuquerque Journal on Thursday that the 26% increase for CEO David Barden is smaller than it appears because the new salary agreement does not include several bonus pay incentives that the previous contract offered.
Barden's three-year agreement does include a one-time $8,800 salary retention adjustment and a severance package if he's fired.
Think New Mexico Executive Director Fred Nathan says the board should be focused on maximizing scholarship funds.
The group advocated for the state requirement for the lottery to put 30% of its gross sales into a college scholarship program.
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- UNIVERSITY-HONEY BEE HIVE
University of New Mexico brings in experts to move bee hiveALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — Thousands of swarming bees and several pounds of dripping honeycomb have been removed from a building on the University of New Mexico's main campus.
Officials said Thursday the bee hive was nested within the decorative trim over a window near one of the entrances of the Maxwell Museum of Anthropology.
Unlike more aggressive wasps and hornets, university officials say there's minimal risk to humans when honey bees are involved. But groundskeepers decided to move the hive to limit the possibility of passers-by being stung and to prevent damage to the building due to the weight of the honeycomb.
The university got help moving the hive from the group Albuquerque Beekeepers.
The removal process took multiple sessions over two days before the hive could be transported to a local farm.
- ENDANGERED WOLVES-DEATH
US authorities investigate death of Mexican gray wolfALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — Wildlife managers say investigators are looking into the death of a Mexican gray wolf that found last month in New Mexico.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service says the male endangered wolf belonged to the Elk Horn pack, which has been roaming an area just west of the Arizona-New Mexico state line.
Officials say there have been eight documented wolf mortalities in the first six months of 2019. They have not released any details about the circumstances of the deaths.
Survey results released earlier this year indicated there were at least 131 wolves in the mountain ranges spanning southwestern New Mexico and southeastern Arizona.
A subspecies of the Western gray wolf, Mexican wolves have faced a difficult road to recovery that has been complicated by politics and conflicts with livestock.
- LAS CRUCES-COOLING STATIONS
Las Cruces activates cooling stations to help with hot tempsLAS CRUCES, N.M. (AP) — One southern New Mexico city has activated its cooling stations as high temperatures near triple digits.
Las Cruces officials say the cooling stations will be open until 8 p.m. every week night and from noon to 8 p.m. on weekends.
The stations are places where the elderly, other high-risk residents and the general public can find temporary shelter from the heat. They include community centers and other city buildings such as the Thomas Branigan Memorial Library.
Officials say city museums also are open to provide relief during regular business hours.
Forecasters with the National Weather Service say they expect record and near record warmth for portions of New Mexico's central valley and eastern plains through Saturday. While no records are likely in the south, they say it'll be very warm.
- DAKOTA ACCESS PIPELINE-PROTESTS
Lawsuit: North Dakota officers used 'violence' on protesterBISMARCK, N.D. (AP) — A man who was injured during protests against the Dakota Access pipeline in January 2017 has filed a lawsuit accusing North Dakota law enforcement of using "excessive violence."
The lawsuit filed Thursday names Morton County, the city of Bismarck and state Highway Patrol officers.
The complaint says officers fired shotgun beanbag rounds at peaceful, unarmed protesters and that one shattered the orbital wall of Marcus Mitchell's left eye, wounding his cheekbone and the skin near his eye.
The suit says 24-year-old Mitchell, a Navajo tribal member who lives in New Mexico, underwent treatment but still suffers from vision, hearing and smell problems. He's seeking unspecified damages.
The Bismarck Tribune reports that representatives for the three entities Mitchell is suing didn't comment on the lawsuit.
Law enforcement has denied using excessive force against the pipeline protesters.