NM reports six more measles cases鈥�
The New Mexico Department of Health on Friday reported , six more since the previous report on Tuesday.
According to a news release, all but two of the cases are in Lea County, with the remaining two in Eddy County, and most are among unvaccinated residents. NMDOH said the state鈥檚 measles situation 鈥渋s not a rapidly expanding outbreak,鈥� but, rather, one in which cases have 鈥渂een occurring steadily over time.鈥�
Measles, a highly contagious virus, can be transmitted by someone four days before and after the onset of the rash. Moreover, in enclosed spaces, the virus can stay in the air for two hours after an infected person has left the space. Symptoms begin with: a cough, runny nose and eye redness before progressing to fever and rash, the latter of which starts on the head before spreading down the body.
Measles, mumps, rubella (MMR) vaccines, health officials say, provide lifetime protection, and are 93% effective with one dose and 97% effective with two.
Between Feb. 1 and April 3 of this year, 15,718 New Mexicans have received the MMR vaccine, which is nearly double the 8,472 MMR vaccinations administered during the same period last year.
鈥淲e are grateful for the response New Mexicans have had in getting their measles vaccination over these last two months,鈥� NMDOH Chief Medical Officer Dr. Miranda Durham said in a statement. 鈥淲ithout it, measles outbreaks are more likely to last longer and increase over time.鈥�
One dozen New Mexico cities to join nationwide 鈥楬ands Off鈥� protests 鈥�
Protests against U.S. President Donald Trump are planned for a dozen cities in New Mexico on Saturday, part of a mass mobilization effort at state capitals across the country and in Washington D.C.
center around the message, 鈥淲e do not consent to the destruction of our government and our economy for the benefit of Trump and his billionaire allies,鈥� according to its website.
Rallies on Saturday will take place in Santa Fe, Ramah, Albuquerque, Taos, Gallup, Las Cruces, Portales, Socorro, Truth or Consequences, Los Lunas, Silver City and Alamogordo, according to a of actions planned for New Mexico.
The Santa Fe action is being organized by , a group of mostly women activists created in 2016 at the outset of the first Trump administration, and a chapter of larger movement.
Santa Fe local Max Thurston, one of the co-organizers of the Santa Fe demonstration, told Source NM on Friday he joined the organization because he was looking for something meaningful to do in order to resist the Trump administration鈥檚 authoritarian attacks on immigrants, LGBTQ people and women鈥檚 rights, freedom of speech and the environment.
鈥淵ou can feel really helpless and not that powerful when you鈥檙e looking at the news individually, so the whole idea of Indivisible is that it鈥檚 all about how we can organize, come together and resist this authoritarianism, fight for something we really believe in and fight for our values,鈥� Thurston said.
Thurston, a researcher and PhD student in exercise science at the University of Jyv盲skyl盲 in Finland, said he was particularly affected by the Trump administration鈥檚 funding cuts for research programs.
鈥淔or me, it鈥檚 also a pretty uncertain, difficult time because I really wanted to be a scientist here in the U.S., ideally in New Mexico,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 believe in scientific institutions and, in a lot of ways, I felt like America had some of the best science in the world and now I don鈥檛 know if that鈥檚 the case.鈥�
Thurston said there are now thousands of rallies planned for Saturday, and his group is expecting millions of people to show up.
鈥淚 think it鈥檚 true of all of the different Hands Off rallies all across the state and across the country that the movement is about bringing together a lot of different groups, really building a strong coalition of different grassroots organizations focused on lots of different topics but that all have the same goal of standing up against the ways the Trump and Musk administration is dismantling our democracy, our government and our future,鈥� Thurston said.
Speakers at the event in Santa Fe are expected to include U.S. Rep. Teresa Leger Fern谩ndez (D-N.M.), Georgetown University law professor Heidi Li Feldman and EarthCare Co-Director Bianca Sapoci-Belknap.
The rally in Santa Fe is scheduled from noon to 2 p.m. on Saturday outside the New Mexico Legislature, on the east side of the Roundhouse.
Thurston said the Santa Fe rally will include people from the National Organization for Women鈥檚 , , the National Education Association鈥檚 and the Democratic Party of New Mexico鈥檚 .
The and have also sent out emails to supporters this week encouraging them to participate.
Thurston said organizers picked Saturday as the time for the protests in part because of the urgency to the harms being done by the Trump administration and the uncertainty about what happens next.
鈥淲e stand up on April 5 so that we can keep standing up on April 15, and on April 25, and keep this movement going,鈥� he said. 鈥淭his is definitely only the start.鈥�
States sue to block Trump's election order, saying it violates the Constitution - By Lindsay Whitehurst and Christina A. Cassidy, Associated Press
Democratic officials in 19 states filed a lawsuit Thursday against President Donald Trump's attempt to reshape elections across the U.S., calling it an unconstitutional invasion of states' clear authority to run their own elections.
The lawsuit is the fourth against the executive order issued just a week ago. It seeks to block key aspects of it, including new requirements that people provide documentary proof of citizenship when registering to vote and a demand that all mail ballots be received by Election Day.
"The President has no power to do any of this," the state attorneys general wrote in court documents. "The Elections EO is unconstitutional, antidemocratic, and un-American."
Trump's order said the U.S. has failed "to enforce basic and necessary election protection." Election officials have said recent elections have been among the most secure in U.S. history. There has been no indication of any widespread fraud, including when Trump lost to Democrat Joe Biden in 2020.
The order is the culmination of Trump's longstanding complaints about how U.S. elections are run. After his first win in 2016, Trump falsely claimed his popular vote total would have been much higher if not for "millions of people who voted illegally." In 2020, Trump blamed a "rigged" election for his loss and falsely claimed widespread voter fraud and manipulation of voting machines.
Trump has argued his order secures the vote against illegal voting by noncitizens, though multiple studies and investigations in the states have shown that it's rare.
It has received praise from the top election officials in some Republican states who say it could inhibit instances of voter fraud and will give them access to federal data to better maintain their voter rolls.
The order also requires states to exclude any mail-in or absentee ballots received after Election Day, and puts states' federal funding at risk if election officials don't comply. Some states count ballots as long as they are postmarked by Election Day or allow voters to correct minor errors on their ballots.
Forcing states to change, the suit says, would violate the broad authority the Constitution gives states to set their own election rules. It says they decide the "times, places and manner" of how elections are run.
Congress has the power to "make or alter" election regulations, at least for federal office, but the Constitution doesn't mention any presidential authority over election administration.
"We are a democracy 鈥� not a monarchy 鈥� and this executive order is an authoritarian power grab," said New York Attorney General Letitia James.
Rhode Island Attorney General Peter Neronha said the Trump administration is requiring states to either comply with an unconstitutional order or lose congressionally approved funding, something he said the president has no authority to do.
"In one fell swoop, this president is attempting to undermine elections and sidestep the Congress, and we're not going to stand for it," he said.
California Attorney General Rob Bonta said Trump's executive order was an attempt to impose "sweeping voting restrictions" across the country and disenfranchise voters.
The attorney general and secretary of state in Nevada, a presidential battleground, defended their state's elections as fair, secure and transparent, and objected to the president's attempt to interfere in how they are run. Attorney General Aaron Ford praised Nevada's automatic systems for registering voters and distributing mail ballots.
"While this order is on its face unconstitutional and illegal, it is also unnecessary," he said.
A request for comment sent to the White House was not immediately returned.
The lawsuit was filed in U.S. District Court in Massachusetts by the Democratic attorneys general of Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Rhode Island, Vermont and Wisconsin.
Other lawsuits filed over the order argue it could disenfranchise voters because millions of eligible voting-age Americans do not have the proper documents readily available. People are already required to attest to being citizens, under penalty of perjury, in order to vote.
Under the order, documents acceptable to prove citizenship would be a U.S. passport, a REAL ID-compliant driver's license that "indicates the applicant is a citizen," and a valid photo ID as long as it is presented with proof of citizenship.
Democrats argue that millions of Americans do not have easy access to their birth certificates, about half don't have a U.S. passport, and married women would need multiple documents if they had changed their name. That was a complication for some women during recent town elections in New Hampshire, the first ones held under a new state law requiring proof of citizenship to register.
Not all REAL ID-compliant driver's licenses designate U.S. citizenship.
___
Cassidy reported from Atlanta. Associated Press writers Tran Nguyen in Sacramento, California, Holly Ramer in Concord, New Hampshire, and Rio Yamat in Las Vegas contributed to this report.
Grand jury indicts four in Las Cruces shooting - Algernon D'Ammassa,
A grand jury on Tuesday indicted four accused gunmen in the fatal March 21 shooting in Young Park.
The four defendants were arrested by Las Cruces police within 36 hours of the shooting that during a car meetup at a popular city park. Tomas Rivas, 20; Nathan Rivas, 17; Gustavo Dominguez, 17; and Josiah Ontiveros, 15, have remained in custody since. District Attorney Fernando Macias had previously stated the juveniles would likely be tried as adults.
Each of the four was indicted on three counts of first-degree murder and three counts of conspiracy to commit murder. They are set for arraignment in 3rd Judicial District Court on Monday.
The shooting was the city鈥檚 worst mass-casualty event since 1990, claiming the lives of Dominick Estrada, 19; Andrew 鈥淎J鈥� Madrid, 16; and Jason Gomez, 17.
At approximately 10 p.m. on a Friday night, a crowd of around 200 people was at an unsanctioned car show in the parking lot of Young Park when witnesses said a dispute between two groups of people erupted in gunfire. Fifteen people were wounded by gunfire or shrapnel as the crowd took cover or fled in all directions and the shooters left the scene. At least one of the deceased was reportedly shot at point-blank range as he lay on the ground, according to a search warrant.
The shooting and subsequent hunt for suspects occurred in the final hours of New Mexico鈥檚 legislative session in Santa Fe, where Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham lashed out at lawmakers for failing to take up measures she had supported stiffening criminal penalties and addressing juvenile crime.
鈥淭hey promised a lot more in this session on public safety,鈥� Lujan Grisham said of the Legislature in a news conference capping the session. 鈥淭he longer we wait, the more victims we have.鈥�
The governor is expected to bring lawmakers back to the Roundhouse for a special session focusing on crime and public safety.
NM Humanities Council will have to close its doors following latest Trump cuts, director says - Patrick Lohmann,
An organization that provides small grants to uplift and explain New Mexico culture and history will have to close its doors, following deep cuts to the National Endowment for the Humanities and local humanities councils across the country.
The New Mexico Humanities Council has been around since 1972 and has provided schools, tribes, colleges, cultural centers, libraries and others grants to engage 鈥淣ew Mexicans with history, culture and humanities topics.鈥�
Recent events that credit the council include a Taos honoring Hispanic stories of northern New Mexico; a youth history ; and virtual learning experiences at the New Mexico Farm & Ranch Heritage Museum in .
鈥淭hose will essentially go away,鈥� said Brandon Johnson, executive director of the humanities council, in a phone interview Thursday with Source New Mexico.
Johnson received two letters around 11 p.m. Wednesday from Michael McDonald, the acting director of the National Endowment for the Humanities, related to two NEH grants the council received. About $500,000 had not been awarded to the council, Johnson said, from what online records show were initially $11.3 million contracts.
鈥淣EH has reasonable cause to terminate your grant in light of the fact that the NEH is repurposing its funding allocations in a new direction in furtherance of the President鈥檚 agenda,鈥� McDonald wrote in the letter dated April 2, citing a February Trump executive order seeking to reduce the federal bureaucracy.
鈥淵our grant鈥檚 immediate termination is necessary to safeguard the interests of the federal government, including its fiscal priorities. The termination of your grant represents an urgent priority for the administration,鈥� McDonald wrote.
The letter goes on to note that an audit may still occur, even though the grants were terminated, and provides a Microsoft email address to contact 鈥渨ith only urgent questions.鈥�
An unnamed official told that McDonald recently told senior staff of the so-called 鈥淒epartment of Government Efficiency鈥� team that he wants to 鈥渃law back鈥� $175 million in grant money that has not been disbursed.
A large number of , as well, according to the New York Times.
Johnson said the news came as a shock and called the cuts 鈥渧ery disappointing,鈥� though he acknowledged he鈥檇 withheld much stronger words he wanted to say about the abrupt cancellation of the program. He noted that the NEH has enjoyed bipartisan support for decades and that the council here has done great work across the state.
鈥淭hat鈥檚 money that won鈥檛 go to our New Mexico communities,鈥� he said.
A statement from the National Alliance for the Humanities, an advocacy group, called on members of the public to fight back against the cuts, noting that the spending was already approved by Congress.
鈥淲e condemn these actions in the strongest possible terms,鈥� the alliance . 鈥淲e support the mission of the National Endowment for the Humanities and the agency staff who make that mission possible, and we call upon Members of Congress to ensure that this crucial government agency fulfills the mandate set by Congress.鈥�
New Mexico AG Torrez files suit against Las Cruces business allegedly defrauding veterans - Leah Romero,
Attorney General Ra煤l Torrez is seeking restitution for veterans he alleges were defrauded by a consulting company based in Las Cruces.
Torrez filed a civil suit against Disabled Veterans Consultants, Inc. Thursday claiming the company violated the Unfair Practices Act by using unfair and deceptive trade practices and unconscionable trade practices. During a press conference in Las Cruces, Torrez said the company offers consulting services to veterans to help access their benefits. However, the company is not as they are required to charge for services. And such services are provided to veterans for free through various agencies, including Veterans of Foreign Wars, American Legion and Disabled American Veterans.
Torrez described the company as a 鈥渃laimshark,鈥� or 鈥渙rganizations who prey upon our veterans in their moment of need when they鈥檙e trying to access the disability benefits that they鈥檙e entitled to as a result of their service to our country.鈥� He said such companies often offer to process claims on behalf of veterans for large fees or percentages of the person鈥檚 benefits.
鈥淪adly, this country has not invested enough in supporting our veterans. This country, indeed, this state, has not invested enough in supporting our veterans,鈥� Torrez said. 鈥淲e have men and women who have honorably served this country who have disabilities as a result of their service who don鈥檛 realize or may not have access to free services to help.鈥�
Court documents also state that payments the company received from veterans were not made to the company itself, but to ; ; and 鈥� codefendants in the suit and all based out of Chula Vista, California.
Torrez is asking the court to grant an injunction to prohibit the company from continuing to operate in such a manner. According to court documents, Torrez is asking that the company issue full refunds to the impacted veterans, cancel all contracts and pay fines of up to $5,000 per violation.
鈥淭he action that we have taken today is intended to send a very clear signal to claimsharks, both in this community in Las Cruces, but around the state, that this kind of conduct will not be tolerated by my office,鈥� Torrez said. 鈥淲e will be aggressively investigating anyone who is engaged in this conduct.鈥�
Brian Ravak, state commander of the Veterans of Foreign Wars, told members of the media during Thursday鈥檚 press conference that state and federal legislation should be passed to further protect veterans from bad actors.
鈥淭he VFW, along with the American Legion and [Disabled American Veterans], have actively urged Congress to pass legislation that would prohibit the exploitation of veterans and survivors of unscrupulous claimsharks and strengthen the accreditation system,鈥� Ravak said. 鈥淓ach of our organizations have accredited veteran service officers who file VA claims for free 鈥� not one dime of a veteran鈥檚 benefits goes to a veteran service organization.鈥�
He also mentioned , legislation introduced during the recent session that died in the House Judiciary Committee, which would have prohibited companies or individuals from asking for payment for helping a veteran obtain their benefits, unless they were permitted to ask for compensation under federal law.
Ravak said he will 鈥渄emand鈥� the bill be reintroduced in a future legislative session.
At least , while Louisiana passed a law last year that would allow consulting companies to charge veterans up to $12,500 in fees for benefit services.
Torrez said the case against the Las Cruces company is still in the early stages and it is unclear at this point how many veterans may have been taken advantage of.
鈥淚 can tell you that while this is the first action that we鈥檝e taken against a claimshark in this space, it almost certainly won鈥檛 be the last,鈥� he said.
He added that the state and federal government have expanded eligibility for benefit claims, but have not increased capacity for processing the higher number of claims, creating an 鈥渙pportunity for businesses like this, and unethical and unscrupulous people, to step into that space and take advantage of folks.鈥�
Torrez said veterans are encouraged to reach out to his office if they have a complaint about how their benefits were processed, particularly if they were asked to sign over a portion of their benefits to a consultant.
US energy department invites AI data center development at Los Alamos and other federal lands - By Matt O'brien, AP Technology Writer
The U.S. Department of Energy said it has identified 16 federal sites, including storied nuclear research laboratories such as Los Alamos, where tech companies could build data centers in a push to accelerate commercial development of artificial intelligence technology.
The sites are "uniquely positioned for rapid data center construction, including in-place energy infrastructure with the ability to fast-track permitting for new energy generation such as nuclear," the agency said in a statement Thursday.
The move follows an executive order signed in January by outgoing President Joe Biden that sought to remove hurdles for AI data center expansion in the U.S. while also encouraging those data centers, which require large amounts of electricity, to be powered with renewable energy.
While President Donald Trump has since sought to erase most of Biden's signature AI policies, he made clear after returning to the White House that he had no interest in rescinding Biden's data center order.
"I'd like to see federal lands opened up for data centers," Trump said in January. "I think they're going to be very important."
The lands identified as potential sites include a number of national laboratories, such as the New Mexico-centered Los Alamos and Sandia laboratories and Oak Ridge in Tennessee.
While the tech industry has long relied on data centers to run online services, from email and social media to financial transactions, new AI technology behind popular chatbots and generative AI tools requires even more powerful computation to build and operate.
A report released by the Department of Energy late last year estimated that the electricity needed for data centers in the U.S. tripled over the past decade and is projected to double or triple again by 2028 when it could consume up to 12% of the nation's electricity.
The United States, under both presidents, has been speeding up efforts to license and build a new generation of nuclear reactors to supply carbon-free electricity.
While Biden's executive order focused on powering AI infrastructure with clean energy sources such as "geothermal, solar, wind, and nuclear," Thursday's statement from Trump's energy department focused only on nuclear. But in a lengthy request for information sought from data center and energy developers, the agency outlines a variety of electricity sources available at each site, from solar arrays to gas turbines.