Albuquerque news

• After slow start, snow is catching up in Western mountains

  28-12-2016 23:58 via krqe.com
  
  DENVER (AP) — After a dry autumn, snowfall is rebounding to normal levels at Western ski areas and in the mountains that feed the vital Colorado River.
  Snow totals were encouraging across most of the region Wednesday, especially in Oregon, eastern Nevada and Utah, where it stood as high as 176 percent of average.
  “I don’t want to wave ‘mission accomplished’ banners here, but it looks pretty good,” said Klaus Wolter, a climate scientist with the Cooperative Ins
  
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• Uber, Lyft respond to Sen. Al Franken’s discrimination concerns

  28-12-2016 23:41
  
  Sen. Al Franken has a pattern of calling on car-hailing services Uber and Lyft, and not because the Minnesota Democrat needs a ride. Franken has sent letters to the chief executives of both companies over the past two years that question their policies and practices when it comes to protecting customers from privacy infringement and […]
  
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• Senators introduce bill aimed at closing gun sale loopholes

  28-12-2016 23:01 via krqe.com
  
  ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – The fight to close loopholes in New Mexico gun laws will be back in the Roundhouse come January. Two Democratic Senators have introduced a bill that would require background checks on private gun sales. That would include those sold at gun shows and through any private transaction. Under the bill, the seller and buyer would have to go through a licensed dealer who would run the background check for a fee.
  You may remember the gun used to murder Albuquerque Police
  
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• Resurgent ‘Today’ show has December ratings milestone

  28-12-2016 22:16
  
  NEW YORK — In what could signal a changing of the guard in morning television, NBC’s “Today” show has eclipsed ABC’s “Good Morning America” in popularity for the first month that did not include the Olympics in four and a half years. “Today” averaged 4.79 million viewers in December to 4.69 million for “Good Morning […]
  
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• Updated: Hundreds who bought bad dough for tamales line up for refund

  28-12-2016 22:15
  
  DOWNEY, Calif. — Hundreds of people have lined up for refunds at a Southern California market that sold bad masa, a kind of dough, which spoiled traditional Christmas tamales. People who couldn’t get refunds from an Amapola market in Downey earlier this week lined up when the store reopened Wednesday. It had run out of […]
  
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• Shocking, but true: Corporate elites think Trump’s trade agenda might help them

  28-12-2016 22:04
  
  It’s widely treated as an article of faith that, if Donald Trump makes good on his vow to rip up our trade deals, he’ll seek to re-negotiate them in a manner that helps American workers. After all, he’s a “populist” who vows to remake the GOP as a “workers party,” so surely any renegotiated deals […]
  
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• Updated: Analysis: Why Trump’s secretary of state pick shows up in leaked offshore documents

  28-12-2016 22:01
  
  Rex Tillerson, President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee for secretary of state and the current chief executive of ExxonMobil, has surfaced in a corporate registration document leaked to journalists from the tax haven of the Bahamas. The document shows Tillerson served with American and Russian executives as a director and officer of an Exxon subsidiary that operates […]
  
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• Co-op drops non-local, conventional produce after outcry

  28-12-2016 21:49
  
  New Mexico’s largest member-owned natural foods grocer has rethought its produce practices once again. La Montañita Co-op will stop carrying the nonorganic fruits and vegetables it introduced in stores this year, a spokeswoman said, thus reversing a decision that had sparked outrage among some members and employees. In early 2016, the six-store co-op began selling […]
  
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• Today in History: December 28

  28-12-2016 20:54 via krqe.com
  
  Today in History
  Today is Wednesday, Dec. 28, the 363rd day of 2016. There are three days left in the year.
  Today’s Highlight in History:
  On Dec. 28, 1846, Iowa became the 29th state to be admitted to the Union.
  On this date:
  In 1612, Italian astronomer Galileo Galilei observed the planet Neptune, but mistook it for a star. (Neptune wasn’t officially discovered until 1846 by Johann Gottfried Galle.)
  In 1832, John C. Calhoun became the first vice president of the United States to resi
  
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• Updated: Driver boasts cruising through 240 consecutive green lights

  28-12-2016 19:55
  
  A New York City Uber driver is boasting that he drove through 240 green traffic lights before hitting a red…
  
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• Updated: On the road to Raqqa: Kurds close in on Islamic State’s Syrian capital

  28-12-2016 19:44
  
  TAL SAMAN, Syria – “Raqqa we are coming” say the words spray-painted in Kurdish at the entrance to this empty little town, which lies on the front line of a U.S.-backed advance toward the Islamic State’s capital. The city of Raqqa is 17 miles away, a tantalizingly short hop to the place showcased in the […]
  
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• Mexico’s Interjet grounds 11 Russian-made planes over safety

  28-12-2016 19:39
  
  MEXICO CITY — Mexican airline Interjet has grounded half its 22 Russian-made Superjet100 planes after doing a mandatory safety inspection of the aircraft. Mexico’s civil aviation agency says in a statement that 11 jets will be out of service while unspecified measures are taken to guarantee their safety and restore them to flight status. The […]
  
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• Northern New Mexico village battles more water problems

  28-12-2016 19:36
  
  QUESTA, N.M. — Some residents in a northern New Mexico community are still without running water. Questa village officials tell Albuquerque television station KOB-TV (http://bit.ly/2iF0Jsd) that after three weeks, they aren’t able to provide enough water and that there may be a leak. A second well was recently installed, but water pressure isn’t keeping up […]
  
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• Updated: ‘Hail, Caesar!’ foresaw how a liberal mash-up of culture and politics faltered in 2016

  28-12-2016 19:35
  
  In “Hail, Caesar!,” Joel and Ethan Coen’s movie about classic Hollywood, studio fixer Eddie Mannix (Josh Brolin) finds himself in a pickle when his biggest star, Baird Whitlock (George Clooney), is kidnapped by a group of Communist writers who call themselves the Future. “Until quite recently, our study group had a narrow focus. We focused […]
  
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• How Trump can partially undo Obama’s harm to Israel

  28-12-2016 18:59
  
  The administration is playing defense, offering contradictory justifications for its abstention at the U.N. Security Council on a resolution declaring everything — including all of East Jerusalem — to be an illegal occupation and virtually inviting boycotts and international sanctions against Israel. Among the strongest critics of President Obama’s decision are Democrats like incoming minority […]
  
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• NYC block across from Trump Tower to reopen to traffic

  28-12-2016 18:55
  
  NEW YORK — New York City officials say they’re easing up slightly on the security perimeter around Trump Tower to improve traffic flow and make it easier for businesses to receive deliveries. Mayor Bill de Blasio said Wednesday that 56th Street between Fifth and Sixth avenues will reopen after being closed for several weeks. The […]
  
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• Mia, Elijah rank as top baby names in New Mexico in 2016

  28-12-2016 18:51
  
  SANTA FE, N.M. — The most popular names for newborns in New Mexico during 2016 were Mia and Elijah. The New Mexico Department of Health has been compiling the rankings since 2014. The department’s vital records bureau uses birth certificates to come up with the list. Amelia and Sebastian made their top 10 debut on […]
  
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• New Mexico Republican House speaker will leave Legislature

  28-12-2016 18:40 via krqe.com
  
  SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) – Republican House speaker Don Tripp says he will leave the Legislature in January as he passes his leadership post to a Democrat.
  Tripp said Wednesday from his jewelry store in Socorro that he will hand over the ceremonial gavel to the next House speaker on the first day of the legislative session in January and retire from his seat at the same time.
  Republican Gov. Susana Martinez and local county commissioners are responsible for choosing a successor until the next e
  
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• Updated: DA: SWAT officer who shot Air Force veteran won’t face charges

  28-12-2016 18:37
  
  District Attorney Kari Brandenburg announced in a news release Wednesday morning that her office will not bring charges against Albuquerque police officer Daniel Hughes for the fatal shooting of Armand Martin. Hughes shot Martin, an Air Force veteran, on May 3, 2014 after a SWAT operation outside of Martin’s home on Albuquerque’s West Side. Police […]
  
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• Updated: West Virginia Supreme Court to have female majority

  28-12-2016 18:28
  
  CHARLESTON, W.Va. — West Virginia will be one of 11 states with a majority of women on their high courts starting next week. The Charleston Gazette-Mail reports (http://bit.ly/2iqR05i) the West Virginia Supreme Court will have a female majority for the first time when Beth Walker takes the bench Jan. 1. Walker, who will join Justices […]
  
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• District Attorney clears officers of wrongdoing in shooting

  28-12-2016 18:10 via krqe.com
  
  SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) – The Santa Fe District Attorney’s Office has cleared four officers of wrongdoing in connection to the fatal shooting of a 30-year-old suspect.
  The Albuquerque Journal reports that District Attorney Jennifer Padgett on Tuesday sent a letter to State Police Chief Pete Kassetas stating that the four officers will not face charges for the August 2015 death of Marvin Maestas.
  Maestas, who was wanted in connection to a drive-by shooting in Las Vegas, led officers on a
  
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• Updated: Carrie Fisher’s books become best sellers after her death

  28-12-2016 17:03
  
  NEW YORK — There’s been a run on Carrie Fisher’s books since the “Star Wars” actress and humorist died on Tuesday. Fisher’s book, “The Princess Diarist,” was on top of Amazon’s list of best-selling books on Wednesday, just ahead of “Zero Sugar Diet.” “Wishful Drinking” and “Postcards From the Edge” were also in Amazon’s top […]
  
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• Man armed with knife demands $2 in gas, then flees

  28-12-2016 16:59 via krqe.com
  
  PENNSVILLE, N.J. (AP) — Police are searching for a man who tried to hold up a New Jersey gas station for $2 worth of gasoline but fled after the attendant refused.
  NJ.com reports the attempted robbery occurred Tuesday night at the Coastal Gas Station in Pennsville Township.
  Police Chief Allen Cummings says the suspect was carrying a gas can when he first approached the attendant outside the station. The man pulled out a knife and demanded $2 in gasoline.
  When the attendant denied the
  
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• Updated: Spare a dime? Cities install meters to combat panhandling

  28-12-2016 16:58
  
  NEW HAVEN, Conn. — In cities across the country, parking-style meters collect loose change from donors in an attempt to cut down on panhandling — a strategy critics argue is wrongheaded and in vain. New Haven is among the latest to install the meters, which sit curbside and collect donations in the form of cash […]
  
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• Ex-employee claims Versace used code for black customers

  28-12-2016 16:58
  
  LIVERMORE, Calif. — A former employee at a Versace outlet store in the San Francisco Bay Area is suing the global retailer for discriminating against him and customers. The East Bay Times reports (http://bayareane.ws/2iEr7yn ) that 23-year-old Christopher Sampino alleges that store employees used a code to notify each other when black customers walked into […]
  
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• Updated: Some babies die waiting for a liver transplant. This baby was matched in 40 minutes.

  28-12-2016 16:57
  
  Before Daniel McCabe defied the odds and got a new liver, his parents braced themselves for months of exhausting hospital visits to try to keep their infant alive. The 4-month-old’s life was an endless parade of weekly blood work, interspersed with mad dashes to the emergency room when his condition deteriorated. By December, Melody and […]
  
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• Video appears to show Texas police shooting man walking away

  28-12-2016 16:56
  
  FORT WORTH, Texas — A police dashcam video appears to show a Texas officer shoot a black man as he’s walking away from the officer and not posing any immediate threat. A lawyer for David Collie released a copy of the video Tuesday showing the July encounter with a Fort Worth officer and a Tarrant […]
  
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• 5-year-old koala dies at Albuquerque zoo

  28-12-2016 16:32
  
  ABQ BioPark officials say that Luke, a 5-year-old Queensland koala, died last week at ABQ BioPark.
  
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• Hobbs takes step toward outfitting officers with cameras

  28-12-2016 16:26 via krqe.com
  
  HOBBS, N.M. (AP) – Police officers in one southeastern New Mexico community are one step closer to wearing body cameras.
  The Hobbs City Commission recently approved a request for proposals for body cameras and in-car cameras for the police department. The move followed a staff recommendation that a contract be awarded to Georgia-based public safety company Utility Associates, Inc.
  The Hobbs News-Sun reports the contract is not final yet but is expected to be worth more than $325,000 the fi
  
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• Lobos need to shoot better from 3 to succeed in conference

  28-12-2016 16:16 via krqe.com
  
  ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE)- The 7-5 UNM Men’s Basketball team is heading into a tough start to the conference season. It is a fresh start though, as Head Coach Craig Neal pointed out in his press conference on Tuesday.
  He believes his team is rested from their short break and understands what needs to be done in the conference schedule. They start with Fresno State, they then head to San Diego State, then play at Utah State, and then return home to host Nevada. It’s a tough schedule, b
  
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• Hector Munoz is back stronger than ever and ready to fight

  28-12-2016 16:12 via krqe.com
  
  ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE)- Hector Munoz is coming off a TKO victory in June that was thought to be his last fight of his 24-18-1 boxing career, but El Hurricane is back. He is taking on a former world champion Thomas Dulorme (23-2 with 15 KO’s) at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York, on Jan. 14.
  The fight will be shown on Showtime and Munoz is set to kick off an exciting fight card.
  “He is a good fighter, I don’t think he is going to stay there and trade with me, but I am
  
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• Police at scene of possible shooting at Lomas and Edith

  28-12-2016 16:10
  
  Albuquerque Police Department officials confirm that units are currently on the scene Wednesday morning of a possible shooting in the area of Lomas and Edith boulevards.
  
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• Campaign finance reform on the agenda again in New Mexico

  28-12-2016 15:56 via krqe.com
  
  SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) – New Mexico Senate majority leader and longtime open government advocate Peter Wirth says the time might be right for an overhaul of the state’s campaign finance laws.
  The Santa Fe Democrat has been pushing for years to require more reporting of campaign spending and fundraising and to limit coordination among certain political action committees and candidates.
  Wirth tells The New Mexican he plans to push the issues again when the Legislature meets in January.
  On
  
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• Wednesday’s Morning Rush Video, 5 Facts: Rio Rancho votes against continuing red light camera program

  28-12-2016 15:25 via krqe.com
  
  The 5 Facts You Need to Know
  1. Another metro area city will be turning off its red light cameras soon. Rio Rancho says its contract with Redflex comes to an end Saturday. City Council voted not to renew the contract, saying the program isn’t working and citing millions of dollars in unpaid fines as proof. However, Councilor Jim Owen says the program still has a fighting chance, and he plans to meet with the city manager this week to discuss it.
  Full Story: Rio Rancho to shut off
  
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• Drunken driver crashes into café’s trailer, police say

  28-12-2016 15:21
  
  Christmas Day went from merry to dreary for one Albuquerque business owner. Police say a drunken driver crashed into a trailer he keeps outside his shop, but the criminal damage didn't stop there. Several windows were also vandalized.
  
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• Albuquerque mayor discusses 2016 accomplishments, goals for 2017

  28-12-2016 15:10
  
  To ring in the new year, KOB-TV is talking to some of New Mexico’s leaders about things they accomplished in 2016, and things they didn't.
  
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• Balloon Museum gears up for Manhattan on the Mesa

  28-12-2016 15:06 via krqe.com
  
  ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – It’s know as Albuquerque’s most unique New Year’s celebration because it brings New York City into the Land of Enchantment.
  Manhattan on the Mesa lets its guests enjoy a New York style New Years Eve experience with dinner, dancing and prizes, all while gearing up to watch the ball drop in New York City.
  The Anderson-Abruzzo International Ballon Museum’s Executive Director, Jill Lane, joined KRQE’s This Morning team to discuss th
  
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• Police investigate after finding body in northeast Albuquerque

  28-12-2016 15:00 via krqe.com
  
  ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – The Albuquerque Police Department is investigating a stabbing that left one person dead in northeast Albuquerque.
  Officers were called to the area of Lomas and Edith Wednesday morning where they found a dead body in the road.
  Police originally referred to the incident as a “possible shooting,” however police now say the incident was actually a fatal stabbing.
  The Albuquerque Police Department says a Violent Crimes Unit is on scene and detectives are i
  
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• Albuquerque police on scene of possible shooting near Edith, Lomas

  28-12-2016 15:00 via krqe.com
  
  ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – Albuquerque police say units are on scene after a possible shooting near Lomas and Edith Boulevard.
  Police say information is limited, but Edith Boulevard is shutdown between Roma and Fruit Avenue. They ask that people avoid the area.
  KRQE News 13 has a crew on scene and will provide updates.
  No further information is available at this time.
   APD has Edith Blvd shutdown between Roma and Fruit NE.
  — Albuquerque Police (@ABQPOLICE) December 28,
  
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• Albuquerque police: 1 person dead after stabbing near Edith, Lomas

  28-12-2016 15:00 via krqe.com
  
  ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – Albuquerque police say one person is dead after a stabbing near Lomas and Edith Boulevard Wednesday morning.
  Police originally referred to the incident as a “possible shooting,” however police now say the incident was actually a fatal stabbing.
  The Albuquerque Police Department says a Violent Crimes Unit is on scene and detectives are investigating.
  Albuquerque Police Officer Fred Duran says no suspect information is available at this time.
  
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• Junk dumped near woman's property

  28-12-2016 14:59
  
  Albuquerque property owner Bernice Derickson was frustrated to learn that someone else’s trash would become her chore. The junk discarded near on her property included two mattresses, box springs and a couple couches.
  
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• Israel Cabinet minister calls Kerry speech ‘pathetic’

  28-12-2016 14:52 via krqe.com
  
  JERUSALEM (AP) — A senior Israeli Cabinet minister on Wednesday called U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry’s planned Mideast policy speech a “pathetic step,” further heightening tensions between the two close allies as the Obama administration prepares to leave office.
  The comments by Public Security Minister Gilad Erdan were the latest salvo in a toxic exchange following the U.S.’s refusal to veto a U.N. Security Council resolution last week that called Israeli sett
  
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• Authorities: Small plane crashed in Tennessee, no survivors

  28-12-2016 14:48 via krqe.com
  
  GATLINBURG, Tenn. (AP) — Authorities say a small plane with three people aboard has crashed in the mountains of eastern Tennessee, and no one survived.
  A reconnaissance flight by the Tennessee Army National Guard found the plane inside the Great Smoky Mountains National Park at around 4:45 p.m. Tuesday.
  A release from the National Park Service says the three on the plane were 41-year-old David Starling, 42-year-old Kim Smith and 8-year-old Hunter Starling, all from Bradford County, Florida
  
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• Police made welfare check on man month before Four Hills shooting

  28-12-2016 14:44
  
  Lapel camera footage shows another perspective on the man police say gunned down his ex-girlfriend and killed her three children before shooting and killing himself.
  
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• Contested race for ABQ mayor coming next October

  28-12-2016 14:44
  
  Richard Berry has said he won't run for another term as Albuquerque’s mayor, meaning the position will be up for grabs during the Oct. 3, 2017, municipal election. The official declarations for mayoral campaigns won't come until at least Jan. 2, but some hopefuls have already made it very clear.
  
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• Texas family stuck in New Mexico after dangerous crash

  28-12-2016 14:40
  
  A Texas family has probably had the worst Christmas they'll ever have, and they're still living through their nightmare.
  
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• New Mexico photo to be featured in National Geographic calendar

  28-12-2016 14:12 via krqe.com
  
  ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – The beauty of New Mexico will soon be recognized by National Geographic. A photo of El Salto Mountain near Arroyo Seco will be featured in the 2017 National Geographic engagement calendar.
  The photographer who captured it is Glory Ann Penington of Taos. She says NatGeo found her image on her website and invited her to submit it for consideration.
  The picture is featured in the month of November.
  If you are interested in purchasing a calendar you can do so here.
  F
  
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• New Mexico lawmakers propose raising state’s minimum wage

  28-12-2016 13:31 via krqe.com
  
  ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – Workers in some New Mexico cities will soon see a pay raise, as minimum wage in those areas is going up. But, if two lawmakers get their way, the bump in pay could go up even more next year.
  There are several cities and counties already above that state-wide imposed $7.50 wage mark including Albuquerque, Las Cruces and Santa Fe. But one bill filed by Democrat Patricia Roybal Caballero is looking to double that.
  In Albuquerque, the hourly minimum wage is already i
  
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• Updated: Man armed with knife demands $2 in gas, then flees

  28-12-2016 13:29
  
  Police are searching for a man who tried to hold up a New Jersey gas station for $2 worth of…
  
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• Updated: Prosecutors: Man pulled gun, threatened family over TV show

  28-12-2016 11:40
  
  Prosecutors say an argument over which television show to watch prompted a Massachusetts man to threaten his family members with…
  
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