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The history of the Missing and Murdered Indigenous People crisis

Paloma Chapa | July 22

The crisis of Missing and Murdered Indigenous People has gained attention in recent years. However, it is not new. Violence against Indigenous women dates back 500 years to the start of European colonization, according to a study by A. Skylar Joseph published in the “Journal of Forensic and Legal Medicine.” European colonists with patriarchal views took Indigenous women as slaves to men, leading to rape, violence and submission, according to Native Hope. As of 2021, Albuquerque and Gallup had among the highest numbers of MMIP in the United States, according to a report by the New Mexico Indian Affairs Department. Native American women in New Mexico experienced the highest rate of homicide among all racial and ethnic groups at the time of the report.

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Unpacking UNM’s divestment from South Africa in 1985

Lily Alexander and Nate Bernard | July 22

On June 11, 1985, the University of New Mexico Board of Regents unanimously voted to divest from gold mines and other investments in apartheid South Africa. This move has been referenced regularly in current pro-Palestine protesters’ calls for University divestment from Israel. Prior to 1994, South Africa held long-standing policies of racial segregation and the exclusion of all non-white South Africans, according to the African Union. This included forcefully removing Black citizens from their homes and illegalizing interracial marriage, according to South African History Online. Throughout the 1980s, internal and external pressures to end apartheid in South Africa mounted — as well as the nation’s brutal tactics to suppress the movement, according to the AU.

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The history of presidential assassination attempts

Shin Thant Hlaing and Addison Fulton | July 22

The history of successful and unsuccessful presidential assassination attempts is tied together by threads of lone gunmen and conspiracy theories. The phenomenon, though highlighted by the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump on the campaign trail, isn’t new. Donald Trump On July 13, gunman Thomas Matthew Crooks opened fire at a Trump rally, killing Pennsylvania resident Corey Comperatore and clipping the former president in the ear. Crooks fired from the top of a nearby building, which was allegedly outside of the security perimeter set up by the Secret Service, according to a statement the Secret Service gave NBC. The building was meant to be guarded by local police.

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‘It’s Joever’: Biden drops out of the presidential race

Lauren Lifke , Lily Alexander and Addison Fulton | July 22

On Sunday, July 21, President Joe Biden stepped down from his position as the 2024 presidential Democratic nominee. Shortly after the announcement, Biden endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris as the new nominee. “It has been the greatest honor of my life to serve as your president. And while it has been my intention to seek reelection, I believe it is in the best interest of my party and the country for me to stand down and to focus solely on fulfilling my duties as President for the remainder of my term,” Biden wrote in a statement posted to X.

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The history of incumbent presidents dropping out of the race

Lauren Lifke | July 22

On Sunday, July 21, President Joe Biden announced that he will not seek reelection in November. This is the closest to an election that a United States incumbent president has ever dropped out of a race for reelection, and the first time it has happened since 1968. Only six other U.S. presidents have not sought a second term, according to Britannica. Out of those, two dropped out of the race within a year of the end of their terms, according to the Kansas City Star.

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‘A purloined possession’: The history of the Smith Family Totem Pole

Marcela Johnson | July 22

The Smith Family Totem Pole, located at the Hibben Center on the University of New Mexico campus, has not always been represented or respected as the sacred item that it is. In 1941, then-assistant anthropology professor Frank Hibben took the pole from the Smith family of the Tlowitsis Nation in British Columbia, but said that he had bought it for two cases of whiskey, according to the UNM Department of Anthropology. Hibben took the pole after he was told he could not have it, according to Lea McChesney, curator of ethnology at the Maxwell Museum of Anthropology.

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79 years since Trinity: The chain-reaction isn’t over

Shin Thant Hlaing | July 17

The shockwaves from the Trinity Test detonation 79 years ago are still felt by the world today. The present-day effects of the test in New Mexico include disproportionate disease and death for those who live near the test site, with no recognition or compensation from the United States government, according to Source New Mexico. Additional effects include “brain drain” – which occurs when educated or professional people leave an area for better conditions – and financial drain from civilian causes, according to Greg Mello, the executive director of the Los Alamos Study Group, an organization that pursues nuclear disarmament and environmental protection.

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UNM to implement new Title IX regulations

Lily Alexander | July 17

New Title IX regulations require the University of New Mexico to make changes to the way it addresses sex discrimination and sexual misconduct by August 1. The regulations – released by the U.S. Department of Education on April 19 – broaden the University’s jurisdiction to respond to Title IX complaints; expand mandated reporting of sex discrimination and sexual misconduct; and clarify language and definitions around sexual harassment, sexual orientation, gender identity and sex stereotypes. The regulations also increase protections for pregnant individuals at UNM. Title IX is a federal law passed in 1972 that protects people from sex-based discrimination in education programs or activities that receive federal financial assistance.

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UNM students and alumni receive sanctions following pro-Palestine demonstration

Leila Chapa and Paloma Chapa | July 12

One University of New Mexico alumni and two students received different sanctions from the University following a June 6 pro-Palestine protest that took place during New Student Orientation. Over the course of the summer, pro-Palestine protesters have held three demonstrations during NSO. Protesters have rallied and marched on campus, displayed painted fabric banners and distributed flyers to incoming students about their goals — including divestment from Israel and dropping the criminal charges against protesters arrested during the April 29-30 Student Union Building occupation.

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Heavy rains, burn scars cause flash floods in Ruidoso area

Leila Chapa and Paloma Chapa | July 10

On Tuesday, July 9, heavy rains caused flash flooding near Ruidoso, New Mexico, which led to evacuation orders, road closures and gas leaks. This followed floods through the end of June, and the South Fork and Salt fires that were over 80% contained as of a July 4 New Mexico Fire Information update. The area was under a flash flood emergency at 1:45 p.m., and a flash flood warning until 6 p.m., according to the Albuquerque National Weather Service. “Please do not try to protect your property or gather your belongings. Get out and move to higher ground immediately,” the Village of Ruidoso posted to X.

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Study shows pollutants may contribute to low birth weight in New Mexico

Addison Fulton | July 3

One of New Mexico’s biggest economic industries may also be endangering its youngest residents. The oil and gas industry contributes over $2 billion to the New Mexican economy, according to the Carlsbad Department of Development. However, those industries are significant contributors of “health-damaging air pollutant emissions,” according to PSE Healthy Energy. Oil and gas may also contribute to low birth weights among New Mexican infants, a new University of New Mexico study published in the "Journal of Environmental Management" shows.

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What Biden’s debate performance means for New Mexicans

Addison Fulton and Nate Bernard | July 3

On Thursday, June 27, President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump faced off in the first debate of a tense presidential race. The ripple effects of Biden’s performance in the debate could impact New Mexicans and local political races. Biden underperformed compared to Trump, voters say: 67% of those who watched the debate said they believed Trump performed better, according to a CNN poll. This is an uptick compared to the 2020 debates, when 39% of voters believed Trump won. Biden seemed unfocused and unenergetic through much of the debate, offering a “shaky performance,” according to the Washington Post.

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UNM invests in funds with shares in Israeli companies

Lily Alexander and Nate Bernard | July 1

The University of New Mexico invests in at least two mutual funds that own shares in Israeli companies, according to a list of investments within the funds obtained by the Daily Lobo through a public records request. UNM also holds bonds in a weapons manufacturer that supplies the Israel Defense Forces — the national military of Israel. This information comes amidst calls by pro-Palestine activists for UNM to divest from companies based in Israel or companies that indirectly aid the Israeli military. The mutual funds — Axiom International Small Cap Equity Fund and BlackRock ACWI ex USA Index — together own shares in 15 companies based in Israel, including defense company Elbit Systems Ltd.

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South Fork and Salt fires burn 40 square miles in south-central New Mexico

Addison Fulton | June 26

The South Fork and Salt fires have burned nearly 40 square miles in south-central New Mexico near Ruidoso and the Mescalero Apache Reservation as of Tuesday, June 25. Ruidoso residents were allowed to return on Monday, June 24, as 29 people remained unaccounted for, Mayor Lynn Crawford said during a local radio program that day. The South Fork Fire was 54% contained and the Salt Fire was 38% contained as of June 25, according to New Mexico Fire Information. Over 1,000 personnel are assisting.

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Pro-Palestine protesters arrested during April SUB occupation begin trials (updated)

Leila Chapa and Paloma Chapa | June 26

On Monday, June 17, the pro-Palestine protesters who were arrested during the April 29-30 occupation of the Student Union Building began their virtual bench trials at the Bernalillo County Metropolitan Court. All 16 University of New Mexico students and community members who were arrested during the SUB occupation were charged with criminal trespass and wrongful use of public property — with the exception of UNM alumni and former Kiva Club vice president Siihasin Hope, who was additionally charged with criminal trespass involving damage. The UNM Dean of Students Office said the SUB sustained $40,000 in damages during its occupation, according to a letter written by the office and distributed to protesters. According to a post by the UNM Palestine Solidarity Camp Instagram, liability for these damages has been placed on Hope.

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Heat advisories issued throughout New Mexico as monsoon season begins

Shin Thant Hlaing | June 22

Heat advisory warnings have been issued in several parts of New Mexico as a heat wave bakes the Southwest United States. Albuquerque reached 101 degrees Fahrenheit on June 13 – the third time the city has hit 100 degrees so far in June, according to the National Weather Service. Monsoon season, marked by a change in wind direction that brings more rain and storms to the Southwest, began Saturday, June 15 and will last through September 30. This year’s monsoon season will be hotter than average, according to KRQE.

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UNM researchers discover new species, answer Darwinian question

Marcela Johnson | June 17

Previously considered all one species, the giant hummingbird group is actually made up of two distinct species, according to a study published last month. The study, published in the journal “PNAS” in collaboration with the University of New Mexico and the Museum of Southwestern Biology (MSB), answered centuries-old questions about giant hummingbirds. In 1834, naturalist Charles Darwin wrote about not knowing where the birds went after they bred, according to lead researcher Jessie Williamson. “This has been a question that has been outstanding in the literature for a very, very long time,” Williamson said. “Darwin was the first person to actually note it in a publication.”