New Mexico news

• UNM to test alarm system Tuesday morning

  01-02-2016 23:56
  
  University of New Mexico’s safety officials will test the university’s emergency alarm system on Tuesday morning, so prepare for sirens. A news release said in addition to sirens, officials will also be testing email and text message alerts . The fracas will start at 11:02 a.m. Tuesday. UNM will also email and text students about the […]
  
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• Last-minute rush on health insurance sign-ups

  01-02-2016 23:56
  
  The state’s health insurance exchange, BeWellNM.com, received so many calls in the final hours before the midnight Sunday deadline that some customers were unable to finish the enrollment process. Those people will be contacted so they can complete the steps needed to sign up for coverage for this year, according to a news release. “This […]
  
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• Four-legged fur balls take to the field in Kitten Bowl III

  01-02-2016 23:55
  
  NEW YORK — On the field, the four-legged fur balls of the Hallmark Channel’s Kitten Bowl III were all business. But off? Well, let’s just say there were some impurr-prieties dogging these feline paw-thletes. “Sometimes we get into an issue or two. They tend to like to really delve into the catnip, and that type […]
  
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• ‘Night Shift’ returns for filming in Duke City

  01-02-2016 23:45
  
    Three years and “The Night Shift” is going strong. The NBC drama will begin principal photography this month and film through June in Albuquerque. According to the New Mexico Film Office, the production will employ approximately 130 New Mexico crew members and approximately 500 New Mexico background talent per episode. “Sony Pictures Television has […]
  
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• Mystery surrounds Muslim cleric in US mountain compound

  01-02-2016 23:45
  
  SAYLORSBURG, Pennsylvania — The influential Muslim cleric lives quietly on a gated 26-acre compound in the Pocono Mountains, where he prays, works, meets admirers and watches from afar as terrorism accusations that have landed him on Turkey’s most-wanted list unfold in court. Rarely seen in public, Fethullah Gulen has long been one of Turkey’s most […]
  
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• Catholic leaders: El Paso faithful to receive papal blessing

  01-02-2016 23:44
  
  EL PASO, Texas — Roman Catholic leaders in El Paso, Texas, say those attending a Sun Bowl telecast of Pope Francis’ Mass in neighboring Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, will share in the papal blessing to be bestowed in Juarez. About 50,000 worshippers are expected to attend the Feb. 17 Sun Bowl event scheduled to occur simultaneously […]
  
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• Andrew Padilla named deputy police chief in Santa Fe

  01-02-2016 23:37
  
  Andrew Padilla, a 15-year veteran of the Santa Fe Police Department, has been promoted to deputy chief, according to a SFPD news release. Padilla, who had been serving as a commander who headed the Support Operations Division, will oversee administrative operations. Among those duties are budgeting matters, crime prevention, internal affairs, recruiting and training, and […]
  
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• Updated: Denver in store for its first big snowstorm of the season

  01-02-2016 23:36
  
  DENVER — A weather system that blew in from California is leaving air travelers stranded and dumping steady snow on the Denver area Monday in what is expected to be the first big snowstorm of the season. About a third of the flights at the city’s airport were canceled before the snow picked up around […]
  
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• Gun violence prevention town hall in Santa Fe postponed

  01-02-2016 23:13
  
  A town hall meeting focusing on gun violence prevention scheduled for Feb. 1 in Santa Fe has been postponed due to inclement weather. According to a city press release, the meeting was to include a panel of city leaders, including Santa Fe Mayor Javier Gonzales, First Judicial District Attorney Jennifer Jadgett, Miranda Vicolo of New […]
  
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• 4 Oklahoma high school wrestlers accused of raping 2 on bus

  01-02-2016 23:03
  
  NORMAN, Okla. — Four high school wrestlers in Oklahoma have been charged with sexually assaulting two other wrestlers on a bus. Officials with Norman North High School have said an incident involving students from the school occurred as students were returning from a tournament on a bus on Jan. 9. The victims are 16 and […]
  
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• WHO declares global emergency over Zika virus spread

  01-02-2016 22:47
  
  GENEVA — The World Health Organization declared a global emergency over the explosive spread of the Zika virus, which has been linked to birth defects in the Americas, calling it an “extraordinary event” that poses a public health threat to other parts of the world. The U.N. agency took the rare step despite a lack […]
  
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• The Latest: People rally to support, condemn Oregon standoff

  01-02-2016 22:47
  
  BURNS, Ore. — The Latest on an armed group that took over buildings at a federal wildlife refuge in Oregon (all times local): 1:35 p.m. Hundreds of people gathered outside the courthouse in a small Oregon town both to protest and support the armed occupation of a national wildlife preserve. People upset over the police […]
  
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• State suspends audit into MLK commission amid investigation

  01-02-2016 22:21
  
  ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — The state auditor is suspending an audit into the Martin Luther King, Jr. State Commission and calling for the Department of Finance Administration to take over the panel’s day-to-day financial operations as its executive director faces accusations of possible fraud and embezzlement. New Mexico State Auditor Tim Keller sent a letter Monday […]
  
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• Insurer Aetna lays out concerns about ACA exchange business

  01-02-2016 22:21
  
  Aetna has joined other major health insurers in sounding a warning about the Affordable Care Act’s public insurance exchanges. The nation’s third-largest insurer said Monday that it has been struggling with customers who sign up for coverage outside the ACA’s annual enrollment window and then use a lot of care. This dumps claims on the […]
  
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• Early childhood funding proposals meet differing fates

  01-02-2016 22:09
  
  A pair of proposals to earmark more money from New Mexico’s largest permanent fund for early childhood programs met divergent fates today, with a Senate proposal surviving its first legislative hearing and a similar House proposal getting derailed in its first stop. Both votes fell along party lines, with legislative Democrats supporting the proposals — Senate […]
  
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• Smith, Ingle introduce driver’s license bill

  01-02-2016 21:55
  
  A bipartisan bill to bring New Mexico driver’s licenses into compliance with the federal Real ID law was introduced in the Senate today. It’s significant because it’s sponsored by two Senate leaders whose driver’s license bill last year passed the Senate overwhelmingly, with bipartisan support. Senate Republican Leader Stuart Ingle of Portales and Democratic Senate […]
  
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• Prosecutors: Islamic State inspired N. Carolina man’s plan

  01-02-2016 21:33
  
  ASHEVILLE, N.C. — Federal prosecutors say a North Carolina man accused of planning an Islamic State-inspired attack also offered to pay an informant to kill his parents. A federal indictment unsealed Monday charges Justin Nojan Sullivan of Morganton with attempting to provide material support to the Islamic State, as well as firearms charges and a […]
  
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• New prayer site highlights divide between Israel, US Jews

  01-02-2016 21:29
  
  JERUSALEM — The Israeli government’s decision to allow non-Orthodox Jewish prayer at Jerusalem’s Western Wall is a major breakthrough for the country’s long-marginalized liberal streams and their powerful supporters in the United States. But the compromise agreement also highlights the deep rift between the world’s two largest Jewish communities over how religion should be practiced […]
  
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• IS victims’ advocate, pontiff among Nobel Peace Prize names

  01-02-2016 21:29
  
  STAVANGER, Norway — A woman who champions the rights of Islamic State rape victims, Pope Francis and the Afghan women’s cycling team are among the known candidates for the 2016 Nobel Peace Prize as the nomination window was set to close Monday. The five-member Norwegian Nobel Committee typically receives more than 200 nominations for the […]
  
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• Democratic, GOP races tight as Iowa kicks off 2016 voting

  01-02-2016 21:28
  
  DES MOINES, Iowa — In a high-stakes test of enthusiasm versus organization, Republican Donald Trump and Democrat Bernie Sanders hope to ride voter energy into victories in Monday’s Iowa caucuses, as Ted Cruz and Hillary Clinton bank on sophisticated get-out-the vote operations months in the making. The caucuses kick off the 2016 presidential nominating contests, […]
  
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• Police: Officer fatally shoots man who had BB gun in D.C.

  01-02-2016 21:25
  
  WASHINGTON — District of Columbia police say an officer fatally shot a man who had a weapon that turned out to be a BB gun. Police Chief Cathy Lanier said at a news conference that the officer tried to stop the man, who was acting suspiciously, early Monday, but the man fell as he tried […]
  
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• Heavy snow making travel tough on northern Arizona highways

  01-02-2016 21:22
  
  FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. — A winter storm dropped snow across Arizona on Monday, from the state’s high country down to the desert region bordering Mexico. The Flagstaff area had several inches of snow before noon Monday and was expecting around a foot total before the storm moves out. Enough snow fell in Nogales and Sierra Vista […]
  
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• Updated: CDC says Chipotle-linked outbreak of E. coli appears over

  01-02-2016 20:11
  
  WASHINGTON — The federal agency that monitors public health says the outbreak of E. coli illness linked to Chipotle restaurants that sickened 60 people appears to be over. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Monday the most recent illness reported to the agency started on Dec. 1. Although the CDC closed its investigation, […]
  
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• CDC says Chipotle-linked outbreak of E. coli appears over

  01-02-2016 20:11
  
  WASHINGTON — The federal agency that monitors public health says the outbreak of E. coli illness linked to Chipotle restaurants that sickened 60 people appears to be over. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Monday the most recent illness reported to the agency started on Dec. 1. Although the CDC closed its investigation, […]
  
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• Breaking: Alleged robber fatally shot by Santa Fe police ID’d; thousands of dollars had been taken in Walmart heist

  01-02-2016 19:56
  
    The State Police today identified Herman Flores, 31, as the man who died in an exchange of gunfire with Santa Fe police officers at the Motel 6 at 3007 Cerrillos Road on Wednesday night. In a news release, the State Police said that in an armed robbery at a nearby Walmart store earlier in […]
  
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• The Latest: Teacher held in jail escape to be freed

  01-02-2016 19:38
  
  SANTA ANA, Calif. — The latest on the inmates caught after breaking out of a California jail on Jan. 22 (all times local): 10:15 a.m. Prosecutors say there’s insufficient evidence to hold a teacher who was arrested in connection with the escape of three inmates from a California jail. Orange County District Attorney Tony Rackaukas […]
  
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• Indicted Texas attorney general denied OK to use donors

  01-02-2016 19:38
  
  AUSTIN, Texas — A state ethics board has declined to support Texas’ attorney general using political donors to pay his mounting legal bills on criminal charges of defrauding investors. Monday’s decision means Republican Ken Paxton could still use supporters’ money to cover his criminal defense, but he would do so without the board’s key seal […]
  
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• Cats in Maine still await inheritance from $200,000 estate

  01-02-2016 19:36
  
  DIXFIELD, Maine — A Maine town and a group of cat caretakers have sued estate trustees in a long-running dispute over a woman’s wishes that her life savings go to care for abandoned cats. Barbara Thorpe died in 2002 and left most of her $200,000 estate to give food, shelter and veterinary care to the […]
  
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• The Latest: WHO declares Zika virus international emergency

  01-02-2016 19:35
  
  GENEVA — The Latest on developments regarding the Zika virus (all times local): 7:30 p.m. The World Health Organization has announced that the explosive spread of the Zika virus in the Americas is an “extraordinary event” that merits being declared an international emergency. The agency convened an emergency meeting of independent experts on Monday to […]
  
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• 10,000 young migrants unaccounted for, EU police agency says

  01-02-2016 19:35
  
  THE HAGUE, Netherlands — The European Union police agency says authorities dealing with Europe’s migrant crisis have lost track of about 10,000 unaccompanied children over the last 18 months amid fears that organized crime gangs are beginning to exploit the vulnerable youngsters. Europol Chief of Staff Brian Donald said Monday that the figure “would be […]
  
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• Give yourself a (tax) break

  01-02-2016 19:27
  
  More than 210,000 New Mexicans qualified for the earned income tax credit last year, and the Internal Revenue Service is encouraging those who qualify to take advantage of the break this year. Millions of taxpayers who earned $53,267 or less last year may qualify for the tax credit for the first time in 2016, according […]
  
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• City opens new Talent ABQ skills center

  01-02-2016 19:26
  
  Innovate+Educate has opened its 36th skills center for Talent ABQ, a city initiative focused on skills-based hiring. The new “skill-up site” will be at the Amity Foundation, 609 Gold SW and will focus on skills training for women affected by addiction, trauma, criminality, homelessness, incarcerations, poverty, racism and violence, according to a news release. “Skills-based […]
  
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• UNM hosts Career Expo

  01-02-2016 19:24
  
  The University of New Mexico is hosting its annual Career Expo from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Feb. 9 at the Student Union ballroom. Employers representing a wide range of career opportunities will attend to meet with and possible recruit job seekers. For a list of registered recruiters as well as a list of career […]
  
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• Strip clubs team up with authorities to bust sex traffickers

  01-02-2016 18:51
  
  LOS ANGELES — Dwayne Angebrandt wasn’t all that surprised when his bosses at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security asked their expert on sex trafficking to put together a public presentation on how to spot its signs. What really took him aback was the audience he was asked to deliver it to: a group of […]
  
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• No arrests made after Denver brawl between biker clubs

  01-02-2016 18:46
  
  DENVER — No one has been arrested after a weekend brawl at a Denver motorcycle show that left one dead and seven others injured. Attorneys for two biker groups, including one made up mostly of law enforcement, have blamed each other for inciting the violence. The medical examiner’s office said Monday that 46-year-old Victor Mendoza […]
  
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• AZ Senate committee OKs bill on Mexican gray wolf release

  01-02-2016 18:46
  
  PHOENIX — An Arizona Senate committee has passed a measure requiring prior approval for the release of Mexican gray wolves into the wild. Sen. Gail Griffin of Hereford sponsored the legislation requiring the Arizona Game and Fish Commission to approve any release of a Mexican gray wolf. The measure prevents release near state trust land […]
  
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• Report: UNM one of best schools for potential prosecutors, public defenders

  01-02-2016 18:33
  
  A magazine for students considering law school said the University of New Mexico has one of the best legal programs for those interested in becoming prosecutors or public defenders. PreLaw, the law magazine, in ranking schools considered the diversity of classes offered, the likelihood of graduates finding jobs and their amount of debt and their […]
  
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• Report: Google testing drone technology at Spaceport

  01-02-2016 18:06
  
  Google is testing solar-powered drones at Spaceport America in its continuing efforts to explore ways to deliver high-speed internet from the air, according to a report in the Guardian. According to the news site, Google the technology giant built several prototype transceivers at the spaceport last summer and is testing them with multiple drones, according […]
  
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• Court says Texas inmate swinging a hoe doesn’t deserve pay

  01-02-2016 17:55
  
  HUNTSVILLE, Texas — A federal appeals court says the civil rights of a 37-year-old convicted sex offender aren’t violated because he gets no pay for cultivating fields at a Texas prison. Inmate Kyle Farrar filed a federal civil rights lawsuit arguing it’s wrong he’s not getting paid and inhumane for a corrections officer to dictate […]
  
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• Wolves who survived wildfire now living on Arizona preserve

  01-02-2016 17:54
  
  KINGMAN, Ariz. — Four wolves that survived a California wildfire by burrowing underground are now living in an Arizona wildlife preserve. The Kingman Daily Miner reports (http://bit.ly/1VCA0FR ) that last September’s Butte Fire burned more than 70,000 acres near Jackson, California. When the flames died, a man set out to bury the five wolves who […]
  
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• 5 finalists for New Mexico Tech presidency visiting campus

  01-02-2016 17:54
  
  SOCORRO, N.M. — New Mexico Tech says the five finalists for its presidency are visiting the Socorro university and that the Board of Regents will make a selection on Feb. 19. The finalists are visiting the campus this week for forums with faculty, staff and others. They include Kate C. Miller, dean of geosciences at […]
  
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• Updated: SunZia fights green energy requirement for transmission line

  01-02-2016 17:30
  
  TUCSON, Ariz. — The group in charge of a proposed $2 billion transmission line that would carry electricity generated by wind and solar in New Mexico to Arizona and beyond is fighting against a requirement to guarantee it will put renewables on the line. Opponents of the 515-mile-long SunZia Southwest Transmission Project want 50 percent […]
  
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• SunZia fights green energy requirement for transmission line

  01-02-2016 17:30
  
  TUCSON, Ariz. — The group in charge of a proposed $2 billion transmission line that would carry electricity generated by wind and solar in New Mexico the Arizona and beyond is fighting against a requirement to guarantee it will put renewables on the line. The Arizona Daily Star reports (http://bit.ly/1Klwhfd ) that opponents of the […]
  
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• Aspiring school counselor struggles with debt, goals

  01-02-2016 17:09
  
  TACOMA, Wash. — Like many young adults, graduate student Taylor Reyes is pursuing her dreams of a career and a home while college debt piles up around her. She’s worried whether she can earn enough money as a school counselor to buy a house and pay off student loans that could hit $50,000 by the […]
  
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• Your best financial adviser? Start with your employer

  01-02-2016 17:08
  
  MINNEAPOLIS — When I attempted to become a financial planner years ago, I realized that a successful adviser has to be a good salesperson first and an educator and adviser second. Educating people to take control of their finances on their own doesn’t pay the bills. In her new book “What Your Financial Advisor Isn’t […]
  
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• Chuck Epstein: 3 tax mistakes salaried workers make

  01-02-2016 17:06
  
  Every year, salaried employees miss out on opportunities to improve their tax situation. As a result, they lose thousands of dollars in federal and state tax overpayments. Salaried workers are employees who often work in supervisory, managerial or professional positions. They work on an annual basis, and they are not paid an hourly rate. They […]
  
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• Medical device-makers get into the ad game, heating up ethics debate

  01-02-2016 17:05
  
  MINNEAPOLIS — Giant gray stomachs filled with toxic waste and flame-wielding archers have appeared in the skies above Twin Cities highways, courtesy of a medical device-maker called Torax Medical. The billboards are intended to advertise a Torax medical device, the Linx, which treats painful acid reflux by using magnets to clamp down on the lower […]
  
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• The Journey: Widow’s Social Security benefits can be blended with her own

  01-02-2016 17:03
  
  Q: I am 63 and living on Social Security widow’s benefits. Although I was employed since I was 16, my income as a woman, even though I have a master’s degree and held positions of higher responsibility, was significantly less than my husband’s. My benefits at 65 would be the same as I’m receiving now […]
  
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• Federal coal sales moratorium shakes industry stronghold

  01-02-2016 17:02
  
  GILLETTE, Wyo. — Like a trusty pickup truck, Gillette has bounced through tough times before and pulled through, thanks to coal. Lately the bumps for an industry that’s brought wealth and jobs to this town are getting bigger — bankruptcies of major producers, pollution rules that have made burning coal more expensive and the decline […]
  
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• Updated: Va Tech students get lawyers as police probe teen’s death

  01-02-2016 17:01
  
  BLACKSBURG, Va. — Two Virginia Tech students charged in the death of a 13-year-old girl who apparently climbed out her bedroom window obtained lawyers and appeared in court on Monday, but the events that led to her killing remained a mystery. David Eisenhauer, 18, has been charged with kidnapping and first-degree murder in the death […]
  
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