Albuquerque news

• Taos County Sheriff’s deputy accused of Medicaid fraud

  22-03-2017 23:30 via krqe.com
  
  TAOS, N.M. (KRQE) – A New Mexico Sheriff’s deputy is in deep trouble, accused of trying to pull off two jobs at once.
  Taos County Deputy Ricky Romero is facing 21 counts, from Medicaid fraud to falsifying time sheets and perjury.
  Deputy Ricky Romero ran for Taos County Sheriff in 2014. He lost the election, but stayed working as a deputy with the department. However, according to a 15-page indictment, Romero also claimed to be working another job at the same time he was on patrol as
  
  Read more

• Albuquerque Balloon Museum hosting special spring break events

  22-03-2017 23:28 via krqe.com
  
  ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – All week long the Albuquerque Balloon Museum is holding special events for spring breakers, and Wednesday they hosted a family day.
  Families attending enjoyed several activities including, “Celebrating the Sky.”
  There were remote control air balloons, bubbles, butterflies and an Albuquerque-based video company showed off their drones.
  “You got your basic controller, but it’s in real life and you get to interact in the world in a complete d
  
  Read more

• BioPark to host 50th birthday celebration for elephant

  22-03-2017 23:18 via krqe.com
  
  ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – You’re invited to a big celebration at the BioPark this weekend.
  Irene, the elephant, is turning 50. A major milestone for Asian elephants who on average live 45 to 55 years. Despite Irene’s age, zoo keepers say she’s doing extremely well.
  She’s moving well. She’s interacting. She’s the best playmate a little elephant can have. You’ll see her out here in the yard, interacting with baby Jazmine, pushing on her, chasing her
  
  Read more

• Updated: After fight, Indiana man receives 'ATHE1ST' license plate

  22-03-2017 20:43
  
  A man who was initially denied an Indiana license plate reading "ATHE1ST" now has the personalized plate. The Indiana Bureau…
  
  Read more

• Advertisement

• ABQ ranked high for women in tech

  22-03-2017 20:29
  
  Albuquerque ranks as one of the better cities in the United States for women in technology fields, according to a new ranking by the financial website smartasset.com. Albuquerque was ranked in 11th place, just behind Philadelphia, Pa. and just ahead of St. Paul, Minn. The gender pay gap for workers in mathematical and computer roles […]
  
  Read more

• Suspect in Navajo officer’s death will be held

  22-03-2017 19:08 via krqe.com
  
  ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) – A federal judge has determined there’s probable cause for prosecutors to pursue their case against a man accused of gunning down a police officer on the nation’s largest American Indian reservation.
  Kirby Cleveland is charged with killing Navajo Nation Officer Houston James Largo on March 11 following what authorities call a drinking binge and domestic violence at the defendant’s home in western New Mexico.
  Largo was responding to the call wh
  
  Read more

• US stock indexes wobble; technology gains but energy slides

  22-03-2017 19:02 via krqe.com
  
  NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stocks are mixed Wednesday as technology companies rise while energy firms fall with the price of oil. Investors are reacting to another drop in bond yields by selling bank stocks and buying high-dividend utility companies. Major indexes are little changed. More stocks are down than up as the market comes off its biggest loss in five months.
  KEEPING SCORE: The Standard & Poor’s 500 index picked up 3 points, or 0.1 percent, to 2,346 as of 1:45 p.m. Eastern tim
  
  Read more

• Indexes inch back upward as tech stocks rise; Nike plunges

  22-03-2017 19:02 via krqe.com
  
  NEW YORK (AP) — After a shaky start, U.S. stocks finished mostly higher Wednesday as technology and industrial companies rose. Banks fell with interest rates as the market came off its biggest loss in five months.
  Stocks started lower, then rallied around midday and wandered between gains and losses for several hours before a late-afternoon push.
  Technology companies led the market, as they’ve done throughout this year. Gains for shipping company FedEx helped take industrial companie
  
  Read more

• Advertisement

• Asian shares up as Wall Street steadies, with eye on US vote

  22-03-2017 19:02 via krqe.com
  
  TOKYO (AP) — Shares were modestly higher Thursday in Asia after Wall Street steadied overnight. Investors are awaiting a vote in the U.S. Congress on health care legislation that is seen as a bellwether for the capacity of the administration of President Donald Trump to deliver on campaign promises for tax and regulatory reform.
  KEEPING SCORE: Japan’s Nikkei 225 index edged 0.1 percent higher to 19,057.26. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng added 0.3 percent to 24,399.78 and South Korea&rsq
  
  Read more

• APD identifies suspects in gas station skimming scam

  22-03-2017 18:48
  
  After a month-long investigation, the Albuquerque Police Department has identified three suspects and a person of interest in the gas station "skimming" scam that victimized as many as 200 people around the city. They are working to confirm the identity of two more suspects.
  
  Read more

• Disney’s hit ‘Beauty and the Beast’ is banned in Kuwait for its ‘gay moment’

  22-03-2017 18:47
  
  CAIRO – What does Kuwait have in common with Alabama? “Beauty and the Beast” has been banned from theaters there. The international blockbuster, Disney’s live-action remake of the animation classic, is under fire for a scene widely seen as alluding to homosexuality. In Kuwait, censors have pulled the movie from all theaters, and in a […]
  
  Read more

• Updated: Trump’s SEC pick, a lawyer for Goldman, to face skepticism

  22-03-2017 18:46
  
  WASHINGTON — Goldman Sachs may be about to get another friend in Washington. Jay Clayton, a well-connected Wall Street lawyer who is President Donald Trump’s pick to lead the Securities and Exchange Commission, is sure to face sharp questions from Democrats at his confirmation hearing Thursday over his years of work for Goldman and other […]
  
  Read more

• Xcel plans $1.6 billion wind farms in New Mexico, West Texas

  22-03-2017 18:35 via krqe.com
  
  PORTALES, N.M. (AP) – Xcel Energy has announced plans to invest $1.6 billion to build wind farms in eastern New Mexico and West Texas.
  The energy company announced Tuesday that it has filed proposals with the New Mexico Public Regulation Commission and the Public Utility Commission of Texas to construct and operate two facilities and to purchase wind under a third transaction.
  Xcel plans to build a 522-megawatt wind facility about 20 miles south of Portales. The new wind farm will be the s
  
  Read more

• Fate of child abuse bills frustrates New Mexico official

  22-03-2017 18:34 via krqe.com
  
  ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) – The head of New Mexico’s child welfare agency is frustrated that a string of measures aimed at closing loopholes and toughening penalties for those convicted of child abuse and similar crimes failed to reach Gov. Susana Martinez’s desk.
  The 60-day legislative session wrapped up March 18. Left on the agenda were bills that Monique Jacobson, secretary of the Children, Youth and Families Department, said would have increased accountability for those who hu
  
  Read more

• Reports of possible gunfire near Britain’s Parliament

  22-03-2017 18:00 via krqe.com
  
  LONDON (AP) — Britain’s Parliament was on lockdown Wednesday after an assailant stabbed an officer, then was shot by police, officials said. London Police also said officers were called to an incident on Westminster Bridge nearby.
  It was not clear exactly what happened or how many people were injured. On the bridge, witnesses said a vehicle struck several people, and photos showed a car plowed into railings. Witnesses in Parliament reported hearing sounds like gunfire.
  Leader of the
  
  Read more

• 5 dead in vehicle, knife attack at British Parliament

  22-03-2017 18:00 via krqe.com
  
  LONDON (AP) — A knife-wielding man went on a deadly rampage in the heart of Britain’s seat of power Wednesday, plowing a car into pedestrians on London’s Westminster Bridge before stabbing a police officer to death inside the gates of Parliament. Five people were killed, including the assailant, and 40 others were injured in what Prime Minister Theresa May condemned as a “sick and depraved terrorist attack.”
  Lawmakers, lords, staff and visitors were locked down afte
  
  Read more

• Updated: The film is ‘CHIPS’ and ‘CHiPs TV fans are poised to hate it

  22-03-2017 17:35
  
  LOS ANGELES — Hardcore “CHiPs” fans hate it and the real California Highway Patrol seems not quite sure what to make of it. But Larry Wilcox, who rode his motorcycle to everlasting fame in the old “CHiPs” TV series, says that for now, he’ll give the benefit of the doubt to “CHIPS,” the forthcoming film […]
  
  Read more

• Updated: First US aircraft carrier of Trump presidency enters Gulf

  22-03-2017 17:34
  
  ABOARD THE USS GEORGE H.W. BUSH — American sailors watched as the first Revolutionary Guard vessels appeared on the horizon of the Strait of Hormuz, beginning a daylong face-off that has become familiar to both Iranian paramilitary and U.S. naval forces that pass through the narrow mouth of the Persian Gulf. But these routine, if […]
  
  Read more

• Updated: Gorsuch explains ruling where he was overruled

  22-03-2017 17:33
  
  WASHINGTON — The Latest on Senate confirmation hearings for Supreme Court nominee Judge Neil Gorsuch: (all times EDT): 12:55 p.m. Democrats are pressing Judge Neil Gorsuch on a Supreme Court ruling issued Wednesday that overruled a standard he’d laid out in 2008. Gorsuch’s opinion said a Colorado school didn’t have to pay a private school […]
  
  Read more

• Texas man says money woes, failing health led to standoff

  22-03-2017 17:33
  
  SAN ANGELO, Texas — A West Texas man says financial problems and the failing health of both he and his wife prompted the couple to set fire to their home and then engage in a standoff with responding officers. Gary Ray Wright told the San Angelo Standard-Times (http://bit.ly/2o4Libv ) that the two hoped they would […]
  
  Read more

• NCAA games expected to increase traffic on I-10 in Phoenix

  22-03-2017 17:33
  
  PHOENIX — Transportation officials are advising Phoenix-area residents to start thinking about ways to cope with increased traffic on Interstate 10 when the NCAA holds the last games of the men’s basketball tournament in Glendale. Final Four semifinal games will be held Saturday April 1 at University of Phoenix Stadium and the national championship game […]
  
  Read more

• Albuquerque police identify suspects in gas station skimming investigation

  22-03-2017 17:14 via krqe.com
  
  ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – Albuquerque police have released a major update on a crime that had the city on its toes. They now have more information for the public about the skimmer operation that nabbed hundreds of victims.
  Detectives say that 200 people’s credit card information was compromised in this skimmer ring operation. But after a months-long investigation, they say it’s now safe to start using your cards again at gas station pumps across Albuquerque.
  The Albuquerq
  
  Read more

• Sexual assault reported on UNM campus

  22-03-2017 17:11
  
  UNM police want people to watch out for a sexual assault suspect after an attack Tuesday night.
  
  Read more

• US tells allies to do more to pressure Islamic State group

  22-03-2017 16:50 via krqe.com
  
  WASHINGTON (AP) — The United States on Wednesday urged coalition partners to step up efforts to defeat Islamic State militants as top officials from 68 nations gathered in Washington to assess the fight to retake Iraq’s second largest city and advance on the extremists’ self-declared Syrian capital.
  “I recognize there are many pressing challenges in the Middle East, but defeating ISIS is the United States’ number one goal in the region,” Secretary of State Rex
  
  Read more

• US tells allies to do more amid new offensive against IS

  22-03-2017 16:50 via krqe.com
  
  WASHINGTON (AP) — Declaring the Islamic State group’s destruction its top Middle East priority, the Trump administration on Wednesday urged coalition partners to contribute more to forces who are retaking Iraq’s second largest city and readying an assault on the extremists’ self-declared Syrian capital. There was no apparent announcement of a new overall strategy, however.
  Addressing top diplomats of the 68-nation coalition, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson called for new
  
  Read more

• US, allies seek ways to up pressure on Islamic State group

  22-03-2017 16:50 via krqe.com
  
  WASHINGTON (AP) — With U.S.-backed Iraqi forces battling to retake Mosul, officials from the 68-nation coalition fighting the Islamic State group are looking for ways to increase the pressure as planning intensifies on the next objective, dislodging the extremists from their self-declared capital in Syria.
  Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and Defense Secretary Jim Mattis were hosting Iraq’s prime minister and diplomats from the coalition partners in a Wednesday meeting at the State D
  
  Read more

• Supreme Court pick vows adherence to legal precedence

  22-03-2017 16:50 via krqe.com
  
  WASHINGTON (AP) — On a glide path toward confirmation, Supreme Court nominee Neil Gorsuch declared Wednesday that “when you put on the robe, you open your mind” as he faced a final day of questions from the Senate Judiciary Committee.
  Frustrated Democrats, unable to get much out of the Denver-based appeals court judge over 11 hours of questioning a day earlier, suggested they might not vote to confirm him later this month. Regardless, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has
  
  Read more

• Supreme Court nominee unscathed facing last day of hearings

  22-03-2017 16:50 via krqe.com
  
  WASHINGTON (AP) — Supreme Court nominee Neil Gorsuch enters the third day of his confirmation hearing — and his final day of testimony — largely unscathed by Democratic attacks, as Republicans confidently predict he will win Senate approval despite liberal opposition.
  A growing number of Democrats, including Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York and Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, are calling for Gorsuch’s confirmation to be delayed because of the FBI i
  
  Read more

• Gorsuch to Democrats: No return to ‘horse and buggy’ era

  22-03-2017 16:50 via krqe.com
  
  WASHINGTON (AP) — Assured of support from majority Republicans, Supreme Court nominee Neil Gorsuch was wrapping up two days of Senate questioning Wednesday to glowing GOP reviews but complaints from frustrated Democrats that he concealed his views from the American public.
  Gorsuch, a federal appeals court judge in Denver, refused repeated attempts to get him to talk about key legal and political issues of the day. But he did tell Sen. Dianne Feinstein, who worried that Gorsuch would vote t
  
  Read more

• Officer stabbed at UK Parliament; report of car rampage

  22-03-2017 16:48 via krqe.com
  
  LONDON (AP) — Britain’s Parliament was locked down Wednesday after an attacker stabbed an officer and was then shot by police, and witnesses said a vehicle struck several people on the nearby Westminster Bridge. London police said they were treating the attack as a “terrorist incident until we know otherwise.”
  The threat level for international terrorism in the UK was listed at severe. The city was also on alert for the Thursday funeral of Martin McGuinness, former IRA co
  
  Read more

• New Mexico sees stark financial choices in health overhaul

  22-03-2017 15:52 via krqe.com
  
  SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) – Stark choices lie ahead for New Mexico about which residents continue to receive Medicaid coverage and to what extent if congressional Republicans enact a plan to overhaul Barack Obama’s Affordable Care Act, according to first detailed analysis from the state with the nation’s second-highest poverty rate.
  Maintaining expanded Medicaid health care coverage for low-income adults in New Mexico could cost state government up to $140 million a year, as federal
  
  Read more

• Clovis man gets 59 years in prison for stabbing woman

  22-03-2017 15:42 via krqe.com
  
  CLOVIS, N.M. (AP) – A Clovis man accused of stabbing a woman last June was sentenced to 59 years in prison after he pleaded guilty to several felony charges.
  Prosecutors say 31-year-old Aaron Joshua Morrisette pleaded guilty on Monday to armed robbery, aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, assault with intent to commit a violent felony and other charges in the attack.
  Authorities say Morrisette took the victim against her will, stabbed her and left her for dead in the middle of a street
  
  Read more

• Broken glass slows traffic on I-40 eastbound at 12th Street

  22-03-2017 14:57 via krqe.com
  
  ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – All lanes of I-40 are now open after debris in the roadway caused traffic trouble for morning commuters.
  Three lanes of eastbound I-40 at 12th Street were blocked off due to broken glass on the road Wednesday.
  Crews were able to clean the glass off the road and traffic resumed as normal.
   
   
  Filed under: Albuquerque - Metro, Home, News
  
  Read more

• Report: Overtime puts APD over budget by $3.9M

  22-03-2017 14:29
  
  The Albuquerque Police Department has gone $3.9 million over budget to pay overtime for its strained and understaffed force, according to a report from the city's Internal Audit Office.
  
  Read more

• Mayoral candidates introduce themselves at forum

  22-03-2017 14:23
  
  From Albuquerque Police Department reform to addressing homelessness, and finding a solution for failing education, Albuquerque's mayoral candidates tackled several issues at a community forum at the North Valley Senior Center.
  
  Read more

• Officials: Murder suspect drunk before Navajo officer's death

  22-03-2017 14:21
  
  Investigators say the man charged with the murder of a Navajo Nation police officer who was responding to a domestic violence call was intoxicated the night of the shooting.
  
  Read more

• Motorcycle ride raises money for cancer

  22-03-2017 14:14 via krqe.com
  
  ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – A fun family event to help 60 percent of adults and virtually all New Mexican children diagnosed with cancer is happening Saturday.
  Ride for the Cure NM is a motorcycle ride to raise money for cancer treatment and research for the UNM Comprehensive Cancer Center.
  The ride will take place on Saturday, March 25 at Molly’s Bar in Tijeras. The ride will end at Wildlife West Nature Park in Edgewood.
  Following the ride, there will be an event at the par
  
  Read more

• Animal Welfare offers free spaying and neutering for local cat owners

  22-03-2017 14:12 via krqe.com
  
  ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – With permanent warmer weather heading towards New Mexico it’s important to spay and neuter cats before an unwanted influx of litters hit for “kitten season.”Spring represents the feline heat cycle and the importance of spaying becomes an issue of unwanted kitten litters that are difficult to adopt.
  The Albuquerque Animal Welfare Department is hoping to help by offering Albuquerque residents, with proof of residency,  fre
  
  Read more

• AYSP fundraiser pairs dinner with music

  22-03-2017 14:07 via krqe.com
  
  ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – It’s a dinner benefit that’s pairing their dishes with something quite unique.
  The Albuquerque Youth Symphony Program (AYSP) is now in its 62nd year and is hosting a unique fundraiser which is great for both foodies and music lovers.
  This progressive dinner will pair each course with a piece of music performed by the AYSP string chamber group.
  The proceeds from this dinner will go to tuition assistance to students who have a love for music t
  
  Read more

• Duke City events for mid March

  22-03-2017 14:00 via krqe.com
  
  ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – Whether you’re a visitor, lived here your entire life, or are somewhere in the middle, you are bound to be looking for something to do.
  With Albuquerque’s feel of a small town in a big city, repetitiveness seems to become the norm. So those who are looking to get out of the same-old, same-old, don’t worry, there are always fun events happening around town to help you venture from your comfort zone.
  This week, there is plenty to keep boxing
  
  Read more

• Wednesday’s Morning Rush Video, 5 Facts: GOP leaders increase pressure as health bill vote nears

  22-03-2017 13:59 via krqe.com
  
  The 5 Facts You Need to Know
  1. President Trump is working hard to gather enough Republican support for the revised GOP plan to replace Obamacare. The bill is set to be taken up by a House committee for the fourth and final time Wednesday before it’s expected to go to a vote. All Democrats are expected to vote no and 216 votes are needed for it to pass. That means GOP leaders can only afford to lose 21 votes. CBS News is saying 24 Republicans oppose the bill as it stands right no
  
  Read more

• Leaders need votes for health bill on eve of House showdown

  22-03-2017 13:49 via krqe.com
  
  WASHINGTON (AP) — Their top legislative priority dangling in peril, President Donald Trump and Republican leaders cajoled recalcitrant GOP lawmakers Wednesday to back their health care overhaul. A day ahead of a long-awaited House showdown roll call, conservatives insisted they had the votes to torpedo the measure and the number of lawmakers publicly expressing opposition snowballed.
  Trump huddled at the White House with 18 lawmakers, a mix of supporters and opponents, Vice President Mike
  
  Read more

• GOP leaders boost pressure as health bill crunch time nears

  22-03-2017 13:49 via krqe.com
  
  WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump and House leaders revved up pressure Wednesday on balky conservatives and other Republicans as crunch time approached on the party’s health care overhaul bill. Outnumbered Democrats condemned the bill as a transfer of money to the rich, and former Vice President Joe Biden predicted the measure would fail.
  A day before the House planned votes on the measure, Trump and top Republicans continued hunting support for what would be a significant ach
  
  Read more

• Trump signs NASA bill, ponders sending Congress to space

  22-03-2017 13:21 via krqe.com
  
  WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump signed legislation Tuesday adding human exploration of Mars to NASA’s mission. Could sending Congress into space be next?
  Flanked at an Oval Office bill-signing ceremony by astronauts and lawmakers, Trump observed that being an astronaut is a “pretty tough job.” He said he wasn’t sure he’d want it and, among lawmakers he put the question to, Sen. Ted Cruz said he wouldn’t want to be a space traveler, either.
  But C
  
  Read more

• Police: Chicago teen apparently gang-raped on Facebook Live

  22-03-2017 13:20 via krqe.com
  
  CHICAGO (AP) — A 15-year-old Chicago girl was apparently sexually assaulted by five or six men or boys on Facebook Live, and none of the roughly 40 people who watched the live video reported the attack to police, authorities said Tuesday.
  The video marks the second time in recent months that the Chicago Police Department has investigated an apparent attack that was streamed live on Facebook. In January, four people were arrested after a cellphone footage showed them allegedly taunting and
  
  Read more

• Bid to strip terrorist’s citizenship may mark new Trump way

  22-03-2017 13:20 via krqe.com
  
  CHICAGO (AP) — The Department of Justice has taken the rare step of seeking to strip a convicted terrorist of his U.S. citizenship as he serves the last several years of a 20-year prison sentence for plotting to destroy New York’s Brooklyn Bridge.
  Some national security experts suggested Tuesday the move might signal a new, tougher line under President Donald Trump.
  The case involves Iyman Faris, 47 and born in Pakistan, who was sentenced in 2003 for aiding and abetting the al-Qaida
  
  Read more

• US, South Korea say North Korea’s latest missile test fails

  22-03-2017 13:16 via krqe.com
  
  SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — North Korea’s latest missile launch ended in failure on Wednesday as the United States sent a supersonic bomber streaking over ally South Korea in a show of force against the North, officials said.
  The reported launch failure comes as the North angrily reacts to ongoing annual U.S.-South Korean military drills that it views as an invasion rehearsal. Earlier this month, North Korea fired four ballistic missiles that landed in waters off Japan, triggering stro
  
  Read more

• US forces ferry Syrian-Kurdish fighters behind IS lines

  22-03-2017 13:16 via krqe.com
  
  BEIRUT (AP) — U.S. aircraft ferried Syrian Kurdish fighters and allied forces behind Islamic State lines Wednesday to spearhead an assault on a strategic town belonging to the extremist group outside its de facto capital, Raqqa, the Pentagon said.
  The airlift was part of what Pentagon spokesman Eric Pohan described as a large, high-priority offensive to secure the area around Tabqa and the associated Tabqa Dam on the Euphrates River.
  “This is a significant strategic target,” sa
  
  Read more

• Closer US-Russia ties uncertain as Tillerson plans trip

  22-03-2017 13:16 via krqe.com
  
  WASHINGTON (AP) — With Russia-tinged investigations swirling around his administration, President Donald Trump has yet to fulfill a campaign pledge of closer cooperation with Moscow. A planned trip by Secretary of State Rex Tillerson to Russia could test if detente proves anything more than talk.
  In a move alarming U.S. allies, Tillerson plans to skip a meeting of NATO foreign ministers in Belgium next month, according to U.S. officials. The top American diplomat almost always attends such
  
  Read more

• Suspect sought after reported sexual assault at UNM

  22-03-2017 13:14 via krqe.com
  
  ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – The University of New Mexico is warning students to be on alert after a reported sexual assault on campus.
  School officials sent out a Lobo Alert at around 12:30 a.m. warning students of a man they say sexually assaulted a non-student.
  According to the alert, the assault happened at around 11:30 Tuesday night on the southeast corner of Johnson Field. The alert describes the suspect as a Native American man, between 27 and 30 years old.  It says he was 5&rsqu
  
  Read more

Follow @Albuquerque_Nws on Twitter!