New Mexico news

• US official: Iran tested another ballistic missile in Nov.

  08-12-2015 23:56
  
  WASHINGTON — Iran tested a ballistic missile last month, a U.S. official said Tuesday, describing the second such test since this summer’s nuclear agreement. The State Department said only that it was conducting a “serious review” of such reports. The test occurred Nov. 21, according to the official, coming on top of an Oct. 10 […]
  
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• New Mexico Dem: Gov. Martinez acts like Trump over licenses

  08-12-2015 23:30
  
  LOS LUNAS, N.M. (AP) — New Mexico’s top Senate Democrat is comparing Gov. Susana Martinez to GOP presidential hopeful Donald Trump because of her opposition to the state’s immigrant driver’s license law. Senate Majority Leader Michael Sanchez said Tuesday in his Los Lunas office the Republican governor’s actions were “almost Trumpism” since they were dividing […]
  
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• New Mexico ties university funding to performance

  08-12-2015 23:28
  
  SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — Higher education officials in New Mexico are urging lawmakers to tie more funding for universities, colleges and specialized schools to performance goals. State Higher Education Secretary Barbara Damron recommended Tuesday that the Legislature increase the percentage of funding linked to performance goals from to 8 percent from the current 6.5 […]
  
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• California firm Hyperloop to test engine in southern Nevada

  08-12-2015 23:28
  
  LAS VEGAS — A California company with visions of building a futuristic transportation system to one day zip people and packages at nearly the speed of sound announced Tuesday it is building a test facility in southern Nevada. Hyperloop Technologies Inc. and the Nevada governor’s office said the 50-acre facility at a fledgling North Las […]
  
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• Updated: Sen. Sanchez: Gov. Martinez acts like Trump over licenses

  08-12-2015 23:23
  
  LOS LUNAS, N.M. (AP) — New Mexico Gov. Susana Martinez’s opposition to the state’s immigrant driver’s license law is similar to GOP presidential hopeful Donald Trump’s racially charged comments, the state’s top Democratic Senate leader said Tuesday. Speaking at his Los Lunas law office, Senate Majority Leader Michael Sanchez, D-Belen, told reporters the Republican governor’s […]
  
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• Sen. Sanchez: Gov. Martinez acts like Trump over licenses

  08-12-2015 23:23
  
  LOS LUNAS — New Mexico’s top Senate Democrat is comparing Gov. Susana Martinez to GOP presidential hopeful Donald Trump because of her opposition to the state’s immigrant driver’s license law. Senate Majority Leader Michael Sanchez said Tuesday in his Los Lunas office the Republican governor’s actions were “almost Trumpism” since they were dividing New Mexico […]
  
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• Alorica hiring 125 employees

  08-12-2015 23:22
  
  The Irvine, Calif.-based company opened its call center last spring, when it hired 200 customer service representatives.
  
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• U.S. Rep. Steve Pearce backs Dianna Duran in letter to judge

  08-12-2015 23:21
  
  U.S. Rep. Steve Pearce has urged a District Court judge to weigh the “many contributions” that former Secretary of State Dianna Duran made during her tenure in elected office when the judge levies a sentence against Duran next week. Pearce, the lone Republican member of New Mexico’s congressional delegation, served in the Legislature with Duran […]
  
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• Prison unit where riots took place to house sex offenders

  08-12-2015 23:14
  
  KINGMAN, Ariz. — The prison unit where riotous inmates destroyed up to five housing pods will house sex offenders when it reopens next month. The Kingman Daily Miner reports (http://bit.ly/1NE4Ah7 ) the Arizona Department of Corrections confirms the Hualapai Housing Unit at Arizona State Prison-Kingman will no longer hold general population prisoners. A series of […]
  
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• APD: man driving stolen car hits police cruiser, escapes

  08-12-2015 23:14
  
  When his consistently poor parking choices caught the eye of detectives Monday evening, police say Jarvis Segovia crashed a stolen car into two sports utility vehicles and fled the scene. Officers first saw Segovia, 28, park in the middle of a crosswalk in front of the Wal-mart at Eubank and Copper NE, said officer Tanner […]
  
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• Updated: Trump’s Muslim ban idea pushes GOP toward chaos

  08-12-2015 23:13
  
  WASHINGTON — Donald Trump’s plan to ban Muslims from entering the United States is shoving the Republican Party to the edge of chaos, abruptly pitting GOP leaders against their own presidential front-runner and jeopardizing the party’s longtime drive to attract minorities. Unbowed, Trump fired a searing warning Tuesday via Twitter to fellow Republicans carping about […]
  
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• Poll: Republicans wary of immigration from Middle East

  08-12-2015 23:13
  
  WASHINGTON — With his call for blocking Muslims from entering the United States, Donald Trump may be tapping into deep concern among Republican voters about allowing Middle Eastern immigrants into the country, according to a new Associated Press-GfK poll. In particular, a majority of Republicans see a high risk that refugees from Syria will commit […]
  
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• Wary high court tackles Texas ‘one person, one vote’ case

  08-12-2015 22:51
  
  WASHINGTON — Practical concerns about forcing states to abandon the way they have drawn electoral districts for more than 50 years seemed to give a key justice pause Tuesday in a Supreme Court case of immense importance to the nation’s growing Latino population. The court heard arguments in a case from Texas on the meaning […]
  
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• Lawmaker: Were US forces manipulated into striking hospital?

  08-12-2015 22:51
  
  WASHINGTON — Two servicemen have told Congress that American special forces called in an air strike on a hospital in Afghanistan because they believed the Taliban were using it as a command center. Their account contradicts the military’s explanation that the attack was meant for a different building. Rep. Duncan Hunter, a California Republican, quoted […]
  
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• Chicago police misconduct has frayed relations with blacks

  08-12-2015 22:49
  
  CHICAGO — A South Side police commander and his officers tortured black suspects into confessing to crimes they didn’t commit. Another rogue unit shook down drug dealers on the West Side for drugs and money. A different group of officers accepted payments from drug dealers to warn them of police raids. And for years, whenever […]
  
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• Delaware jury acquits white officer of assaulting black man

  08-12-2015 22:47
  
  DOVER, Del. — A white police officer who kicked a black suspect in the head and broke his jaw was acquitted of assault Tuesday by a Delaware jury. Jurors deliberated for about 16 hours over three days before acquitting Dover police Cpl. Thomas Webster IV of felony assault. They also declined to convict Webster on […]
  
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• Two indicted in pyramid scheme

  08-12-2015 22:32
  
  State alleges they promised to use investors' money to promote "mom and pop" radio stations.
  
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• Man pleads guilty to robbing banks in Colorado, New Mexico

  08-12-2015 22:27
  
  LAS CRUCES — A Denver man has pleaded guilty to committing two bank robberies in Colorado last year and one in New Mexico this year. Prosecutors say 54-year-old John Allen Pierceall entered his plea Tuesday in federal court in Las Cruces and is facing up to a 20-year prison term when sentenced. Pierceall was accused […]
  
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• Some in Northeast are beginning to wonder: Where’s the snow?

  08-12-2015 22:06
  
  MONTPELIER, Vt. — Some Northeasterners are beginning to wonder if a white Christmas may just be a dream, and business owners who rely on snow are starting to worry if warm weather could lead to a nightmare winter. In Maine, an outdoor sports business owner says he’s anxious. And in Vermont, ski areas are making […]
  
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• Officer critically injured in Denver shooting

  08-12-2015 22:05
  
  DENVER — Police in Denver are searching for suspects after an officer was shot and critically injured during a traffic stop. Chief Robert White said Tuesday that one suspect was arrested, and officers were searching for possibly two others. White says the injured officer was shot several times and is in critical but stable condition. […]
  
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• FAA approval near, Honda’s business jet about to hit market

  08-12-2015 22:03
  
  RALEIGH, N.C. — Nearly 30 years after Honda’s founder started developing the product and after more than a dozen years of testing, the company best known for its cars and motorcycles is about to start delivering its first aircraft. The Japan-based company this week is expected to receive a crucial Federal Aviation Administration certification of […]
  
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• Auto safety ratings to include collision prevention systems

  08-12-2015 22:03
  
  WASHINGTON — The government on Tuesday announced plans to update its safety rating system for new cars to include whether the car has technology to avoid crashes, in addition to how well it protects occupants in accidents. The 5-star rating system now uses crash tests to assess how well people inside are shielded from injury […]
  
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• Backlash over Common Core extends to US Catholic schools

  08-12-2015 21:42
  
  The backlash against standardized testing is rippling through some Roman Catholic schools. Those schools are already balancing the college-driven Common Core learning standards against their institutions’ spiritual goals. The Diocese of Albany, New York, announced recently that it will reduce the frequency of the Common Core-aligned tests while sticking with the standards. Superintendent Michael Pizzingrillo […]
  
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• House set to tighten controls on visa-free travel to US

  08-12-2015 21:34
  
  WASHINGTON — Invoking the Paris terror attacks, House lawmakers pushed toward a vote Tuesday on legislation tightening controls on travel to the U.S. and requiring visas for anyone who’s been in Iraq or Syria in the previous five years. The bill, which is backed by the White House and expected to be overwhelmingly approved, takes […]
  
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• Legal experts agree: Trump’s proposal unconstitutional

  08-12-2015 21:33
  
  MADISON, Wis. — Donald Trump’s call to block all Muslims from entering the United States is not only unconstitutional, but also impossible to carry out, legal experts said Tuesday. Trump’s proposed ban, announced to cheers at a rally in South Carolina Monday, would apply to immigrants and visitors alike, a sweeping prohibition affecting all adherents […]
  
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• Cardinal: If climate talks stall, pope may gently intervene

  08-12-2015 21:33
  
  LE BOURGET, France — If international climate talks really stall, don’t be surprised if there might be an ever-so-slight intervention by Pope Francis. Cardinal Peter Turkson, president of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace who helped draft the pope’s June encyclical on global warming, said the pontiff has “deep trust” that negotiators in Paris […]
  
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• Russia launches new airstrikes in Syria; 1st from submarine

  08-12-2015 21:32
  
  MOSCOW — Russia has unleashed another barrage of airstrikes on Syria, including the first combat launch of a new cruise missile from a Russian submarine in the Mediterranean Sea, the country’s defense minister said Tuesday. The Kalibr cruise missiles launched by the Rostov-on-Don submarine successfully hit the designated targets in Raqqa, Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu […]
  
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• London mayor calls Trump’s comments on city ‘utter nonsense’

  08-12-2015 21:32
  
  LONDON — Donald Trump’s comments about London are “nonsense,” the city’s mayor said Tuesday, inviting the U.S. Republican presidential hopeful to come and see for himself. Trump, who on Monday called for a “total and complete shutdown of Muslims entering the United States,” told MSNBC that some parts of London “are so radicalized that the […]
  
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• Juan Gabriel concert in Santa Fe cancelled

  08-12-2015 21:18
  
  Some 1,400 ticket-holders are going to be disappointed: The Juan Gabriel concert scheduled for Wednesday night at the Santa Fe Community Convention Center has been cancelled. Or at least postponed, although no date has been set for the popular Mexican singer’s return. On behalf of the award-winning singer, the Cardenas Marketing Network Inc. wrote in […]
  
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• Local two-cent gas tax gets OK from Santa Fe committee

  08-12-2015 20:22
  
  SANTA FE — City Councilor Joseph Maestas’ plan to help close Santa Fe’s estimated $15 million budget gap next fiscal year with a 2-cent-per-gallon tax on gasoline sold within the city limits has the support of at least two other councilors. A depleted version of the City Council’s Public Works Committee approved the proposal that […]
  
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• Homeless murder case goes to jury

  08-12-2015 20:22
  
  The fate of murder defendant Alex Rios is now in the hands of the jury. Attorneys finished their closing arguments before noon Tuesday after 2nd Judicial District Judge Briana Zamora instructed jurors on the law. Besides first-degree murder, they may consider second-degree murder and voluntary manslaughter in the July 19, 2014 bludgeoning deaths of Allison […]
  
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• Mayor touts improved fire rating in ABQ

  08-12-2015 20:01
  
  Mayor Richard Berry says business owners may save some money on insurance this year thanks to the work of Albuquerque firefighters. The city’s Fire Department is one of only 100 across the country to win a top rating from the Insurance Service Office, an independent group that evaluates fire protection, the mayor said. The ISO […]
  
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• Mixed reax from ‘Cat Land

  08-12-2015 19:51
  
  I’ve been to Tucson several times, and I like it. It’s not such a garden spot, though, that any Tucsonian should be calling Albuquerque a dump. And given the way Arizona finished the regular season — four losses in its last five games, albeit to good teams — Wildcat fans should be happy to see […]
  
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• Why death is common in kids’ films and how parents can cope

  08-12-2015 19:28
  
  LOS ANGELES — In the latest Pixar release, “The Good Dinosaur,” little Arlo’s dad is dramatically washed away by a raging river. And Arlo isn’t the only animated hero to lose a family member in the film’s first act. The protagonist in last year’s “Big Hero 6” loses his brother in an explosion. Then, there’s […]
  
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• New Mexico gets funding for storm, flooding damage to roads

  08-12-2015 19:14
  
  ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Members of New Mexico’s congressional delegation have announced federal transportation funding to repair and rebuild roads and highways damaged by storms and flooding in September 2014. The delegation supported the state’s request for disaster recovery assistance following Hurricane Odile. The funding includes $8.6 million to the state for road and highway repairs […]
  
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• Trump shrugs off GOP rejections of proposal to ban Muslims

  08-12-2015 19:05
  
  MOUNT PLEASANT, S.C. — Donald Trump on Tuesday stood by his call to block all Muslims from entering the United States, even as the idea drew condemnation from rival Republican presidential candidates, party leaders and others as un-American and potentially dangerous. “I don’t care about them,” Trump told CNN in an early-morning phone interview, when […]
  
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• No Child Left Behind rewrite heading toward final approval

  08-12-2015 18:56
  
  WASHINGTON — A long-awaited rewrite of federal education law appears headed for final congressional approval. The Senate voted overwhelmingly Tuesday to end debate on the makeover of the widely criticized No Child Left Behind Act, setting up a final vote Wednesday. The sweeping legislation would give the states greater control over the nation’s public schools […]
  
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• Boston College: 80 sickened after eating at Chipotle

  08-12-2015 18:48
  
  BOSTON — Boston College says the number of students reporting gastrointestinal symptoms after eating at a Chipotle has climbed to 80. On Monday, the school had said 30 students, including members of its men’s basketball team, had been sickened. Chipotle Mexican Grill Inc. closed the restaurant in Boston’s Cleveland Circle Monday and says it thinks […]
  
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• Poll: Americans wary of hidden political donors

  08-12-2015 18:47
  
  WASHINGTON — Americans want to know the names of donors who are giving to all groups that work to elect candidates — and by an overwhelming majority believe that requiring disclosure would be an effective way to reduce the influence of money in politics. The views on disclosure cut across party lines, with 78 percent […]
  
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• Police looking for man in suspicious death case

  08-12-2015 18:47
  
  Police are looking for a man they say is a person of interest in the death of 21-year-old man who was found dead in Northwest Albuquerque Sunday, according to a spokesman. Officer Tanner Tixier said detectives want to speak to Steve Aragon, 25, in connection to the death of Randy Kowalchuk, 21, who was found […]
  
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• Texas police punish 4 officers after death of man in custody

  08-12-2015 18:43
  
  ARLINGTON, Texas — Four North Texas jailers face either dismissal or suspension over the March death of an inmate who was physically restrained. Arlington police late Monday announced plans to fire three detention officers following the administrative investigation into the death of 42-year-old Jonathan Paul. A jail supervisor will be suspended five days. All can […]
  
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• Harrison Ford promises older, wiser Solo in ‘Force Awakens’

  08-12-2015 18:42
  
  LOS ANGELES — When speaking about “Star Wars,” there are few topics that inspire a twinkle in Harrison Ford’s eyes. The 73-year-old actor is matter-of-fact about almost everything involving the sci-fi series’ latest episode — from his reunion with Carrie Fisher (“It was no big deal.”) to the franchise’s unwavering popularity (“For me, it’s old […]
  
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• Washington, Baghdad on different pages in fight against IS

  08-12-2015 18:41
  
  BAGHDAD — A series of political spats in Baghdad over the past week surrounding foreign forces on Iraqi soil have exposed the increasing weakness of Iraq’s prime minister and a disconnect between Washington and Baghdad in the fight against the Islamic State group. As Iraq struggles to push IS out of the vast areas still […]
  
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• Israel sentences female Palestinian lawmaker to 15 months

  08-12-2015 18:41
  
  JERUSALEM — An Israeli military court has sentenced a female Palestinian lawmaker to 15 months in prison after convicting her of belonging to an illegal organization and incitement, the army announced Tuesday, drawing angry denunciations from Palestinian leaders in the West Bank. The sentencing of Khalida Jarrar culminated a case that has attracted widespread attention. […]
  
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• The Latest: Prosecutors rest case at Freddie Gray trial

  08-12-2015 17:54
  
  BALTIMORE — The latest on the trial of a Baltimore police officer who is charged with manslaughter in the death of Freddie Gray, a 25-year-old black man who was injured in the back of a police transport van (all times local). 11:45 a.m. The prosecution has rested its case in the manslaughter trial of a […]
  
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• Junior college educator in Texas accused of soliciting minor

  08-12-2015 17:54
  
  TYLER, Texas — An East Texas college professor has been accused of conversing with a 12-year-old girl online and trying to meet her for sex. Judd Harrison Quarles of Tyler was charged with online solicitation of a minor under age 14. Smith County jail records Tuesday didn’t list an attorney for the 31-year-old Quarles, who […]
  
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• Donor drops rings worth $3,500 in Salvation Army kettle

  08-12-2015 17:54
  
  BILLERICA, Mass. — The Salvation Army says someone has placed a wedding band and a diamond engagement ring worth $3,500 in one of its holiday red kettles in Massachusetts. The charity said Tuesday that the anonymous donation made last week in the town of Billerica, about 20 miles northwest of Boston, is reminiscent of a […]
  
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• Officials approve Jemez Mountains restoration project

  08-12-2015 17:07
  
  SANTA FE, N.M. — The Santa Fe National Forest has approved a 10-year-plan to restore streams and thin forests in the Jemez Mountains. The Santa Fe New Mexican reports (http://bit.ly/1NfGwgW ) that forest officials worked out an agreement with at least one of two environmental groups that had opposed the project, which will see road […]
  
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• Martinez administration seeks to link food stamps with work

  08-12-2015 17:06
  
  SANTA FE, N.M. — The New Mexico Human Services Department is seeking to change state rules in order to link food stamp benefits with work requirements. The Santa Fe New Mexican reports (http://bit.ly/21M9dMi ) that the administration of Republican Gov. Susana Martinez tried last summer to change state rules to require parents of children older […]
  
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• Dona Ana County mental health center sees staffing shortages

  08-12-2015 17:06
  
  LAS CRUCES, N.M. — A staffing shortage is plaguing a new mental health service center in southern New Mexico. The Las Cruces Sun-News reports (http://goo.gl/a880gf) La Clinica de Familia in Dona Ana County also is struggling to gain a financial foothold since taking over as the area’s main provider of Medicaid-funded behavioral health care. La […]
  
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