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University police bodycam bill passes first committee

Lauren Lifke and Lily Alexander | February 25

Lawmakers voted Monday, Feb. 24 to advance a bill that would explicitly require university police departments to use body cameras, just over a year after the Daily Lobo revealed a loophole in a state statute. The 2020 statute, sponsored by Sen. Joseph Cervantes (D-Las Cruces), requires law enforcement agencies in New Mexico to use body cameras. While it does not explicitly exclude university police departments, it also does not explicitly include them.

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UNM study finds high levels of microplastics in human brains

Shin Thant Hlaing | February 24

A team of University of New Mexico scientists found that the human brain is the organ with the highest concentration of microplastics and nanoplastics compared to the liver or kidney. The study, led by Matthew Campen, looked at the brains of people in New Mexico who died in 2016 and 2024. It also included samples from people who died from 1997- 2013 on the east coast. The total mass concentration of plastics in the analyzed brains increased by about 50% in the 2024 sample compared to the 2016 sample, according to the study.

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UNM reaffirms commitment to diversity following federal guidance against race-based programs

Maria Fernandez and Nate Bernard | February 24

The University of New Mexico will risk losing federal funding if it does not end race-based programs by Feb. 28, according to a Department of Education memo sent to schools across the country Feb. 14. The memo cited Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which bans discrimination on the basis of race, color or national origin against any person, including within programs that receive federal funding. As of Feb. 21, UNM will not make any changes to its operations, nor to its academic programming or student support services, according to UNM Chief Marketing and Communications Officer Cinnamon Blair.

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Speakers discuss Trump’s policies, free speech, divestment at Regents meeting

Leila Chapa and Paloma Chapa | February 24

On Thursday, Feb 20, speakers at a University of New Mexico Board of Regents meeting raised concerns about President Donald Trump’s executive actions, including on immigration, funding cuts, and diversity, equity and inclusion. The meeting, held at the Student Union Building, was the first open session of the spring semester and the first for newly appointed regents Patricia Williams and Christina Campos. Some student and faculty speakers also asked the Regents to consider divesting from Israel and the fossil fuel industry. During advisors’ comments, Graduate and Professional Student Association President Michel Rivera Ramirez spoke to the Regents about his concerns related to Department of Education guidelines for schools to end race-based programs by Feb. 28.

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Stokes sets vision for UNM’s future at State of the University address

Lily Alexander and Jaden McKelvey-Francis | February 24

On Friday, Feb. 21, University of New Mexico President Garnett Stokes reflected on the past year and outlined plans for UNM’s future in her seventh annual State of the University address. During the speech, she mentioned the University’s response to President Donald Trump’s recent executive actions that target funding for higher education. Part of the University’s response, Stokes said, includes maintaining UNM’s resource centers and health programs in the face of Department of Education guidance telling universities to end race-based programs by Feb. 28 or risk losing federal funding. The University’s rapid response teams, which were implemented after Trump’s inauguration, will continue to analyze executive orders and regulations, she said.

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Uncertainty looms over UNM with proposed federal research funding cuts

Lauren Lifke and Lily Alexander | February 17

The future of medical research at the University of New Mexico remains uncertain after a federal judge temporarily blocked funding cuts for overhead costs at research institutions. President Donald Trump announced the cuts Feb. 7, which would put a cap on funding from the National Institutes of Health for “indirect costs.” These costs are used for things like laboratory space, faculty and equipment. The proposed cuts aim to maximize the amount of funds that go toward “direct” research costs, according to the announcement.

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UNM reverts to Trump-era Title IX regulations after federal actions

Lily Alexander | February 17

Universities across the country, including the University of New Mexico, have reverted to 2020 federal regulations that increased rights for students accused of sexual misconduct and did not explicitly protect LGBTQ+ students. This follows a Feb. 4 Department of Education notice that instructed schools to revert to the Title IX regulations that were in place during President Donald Trump’s first administration. The last major shift for Title IX occurred in August 2024, when some universities, including UNM, implemented regulations put in place by then-President Joe Biden’s administration. Passed in 1972, Title IX is a federal law that, in part, protects people from sex-based discrimination at public universities that receive federal funding. It also requires universities to prevent, assess, investigate and resolve complaints, according to UNM Compliance, Ethics & Equal Opportunity.

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ASUNM sees rush of appropriations, elects new president pro tempore

Elliott Wood | February 17

The Associated Students at the University of New Mexico voted on 12 appropriations requests from student organizations and elected a new president pro tempore during its full senate meeting Wednesday, Feb. 12. This was the second election for the president pro tempore position in three months. The newly elected president pro tempore, Sen. Gabbie Gonzales, won over Sen. Charlie Doyle in the roll-call ballot, with endorsements from former President Pro Tempore and current Finance Chair Hope Montoya and Steering & Rules Committee Chair Mary Garcia.

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James Monroe Middle School educates students on Black history in New Mexico

Elliott Wood | February 10

At James Monroe Middle School located in northwest Albuquerque, seventh grade New Mexico history teacher Jon Stauss teaches lesser-known Black History Month lessons to his students. “For Black History Month, my classes engage in a three-day unit on the town of Blackdom near modern day Roswell,” Stauss said. “It was established and settled by Black sharecroppers coming into the state from places like Georgia at the turn of the 20th century.” Francis (Frank) Marion Boyer, the leader of the group who created Blackdom Townsite Company in 1903, began his search for an area to settle after being threatened by the white supremacist group the Ku Klux Klan in his home state of Georgia, according to the National Park Service.

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Timeline: The history of Black protest at UNM

Leila Chapa and Paloma Chapa | February 10

Throughout the University’s history, Black students have continued to fight for justice and equality at the University of New Mexico. Here are some of the many instances during which these students fought for what they believed was right. 1969 protest against Brigham Young University On Feb. 27, 1969, about 85 members of UNM’s Black Student Union and United Mexican American Students staged a walkout at a UNM-BYU basketball game to protest against Brigham Young University, whose racially discriminatory practices sparked protest across university athletic competitions against BYU, according to a 1969 Daily Lobo article.

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East End Addition: The legacy of Albuquerque’s first Black neighborhood

Shin Thant Hlaing | February 10

The East End Addition, located near Interstate 40 and Wyoming Boulevard, was the first Black neighborhood in Albuquerque. It was built for Black families by Black people, and it was designated as a Historic Protection Overlay zone in 2023. In 1938, Henry Outley, a Black homesteader, proposed a plan for 144 acres of land on behalf of the Fraternal Aid Society of Black Businessmen. At the time, acquiring a loan to build the housing project was impossible due to laws that discriminated against people of color, according to KRQE.

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Barbara Brown Simmons: The history of the first Black woman to graduate from UNM Law

Maria Fernandez | February 10

Born Nov. 29, 1947, Barbara Brown Simmons was the first Black woman to graduate from the University of New Mexico School of Law and the first Black woman to become a member of the New Mexico State Bar. An advocate for equal rights, Brown Simmons fought tirelessly through activism and protests to shape UNM during the Civil Rights era in the 1960s before her death in 2022. Brown Simmons lived in Amarillo, Texas as a child, where she said she learned about Black history in school and became proud of her culture during the time of segregation.

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ASUNM spring semester opens with quiet full senate meeting

Elliott Wood | February 3

The Associated Students at the University of New Mexico held its first full senate meeting of the spring semester Wednesday, Jan. 29 — though it was hardly full, as many members were absent due to the date coinciding with UNM Day at the New Mexico capitol. The senate’s repeated close calls in pursuit of the required quorum — ⅔ of sitting senate members present — have been discussed previously by ASUNM Vice President Mutazz Jaber. ASUNM’s newest President Pro Tempore, Bailey Rutherford, led the meeting in Jaber’s stead in their official capacity, having been elected at last semester’s final meeting when Sen. Hope Montoya’s term ended.

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EPA launches investigation into City of Albuquerque and City Council due to civil rights concerns

Maria Fernandez | February 3

On Jan. 17, the Environmental Protection Agency announced an investigation into the City of Albuquerque and the Albuquerque City Council over allegedly discriminating against a South Valley neighborhood by taking action to prevent the adoption of a rule to reduce pollution in the area. The investigation stems from two complaints filed by the Mountain View Coalition and the New Mexico Environmental Law Center. The EPA will investigate complaints alleging that actions taken by the Albuquerque City Council and the Albuquerque Environmental Health Department “discriminated against persons in Albuquerque on the basis of race, color, and national origin, in violation of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964,” the EPA’s complaint acceptance letter reads.

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Stokes announces UNM rapid response teams after Trump administration actions

Lily Alexander | February 3

One week into President Donald Trump’s administration, University of New Mexico President Garnett Stokes announced the creation of four rapid response teams to address federal changes that could impact UNM. The teams will focus on inclusive excellence, immigration policy implications, research funding impacts and patient care considerations, according to a Jan. 27 campus-wide email. The teams will be composed of the best experts on each topic, guided by Stokes and the University’s three executive vice presidents, according to UNM Chief Marketing and Communications Officer Cinnamon Blair. The UNM Office of Government & Community Relations is helping gather information for UNM at the federal level, Blair said.

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Two injured after shooting at Lobo Village

Lauren Lifke | February 3

On Friday, Jan. 31, a man shot two residents at Lobo Village and fled the scene with four other people. The victims were taken to the hospital with non-fatal injuries, according to University of New Mexico Chief Marketing and Communications Officer Cinnamon Blair. There has been no new information about the suspects, and witnesses are still being interviewed as of Sunday, Feb. 2, she said. “If anybody has video, was there or has any information that they can share, they should contact UNMPD,” Blair said.

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UNM community responds to the ceasefire in Gaza

Leila Chapa and Paloma Chapa | February 3

On Jan. 19, a three-stage ceasefire deal was negotiated between Israel and Hamas after 15 months of war in Gaza. Some students, faculty members and staff members say the pressure on the University of New Mexico to divest from Israel will not slow down. The first stage of the deal will allow greater humanitarian aid to enter the Gaza strip, Hamas’ release of 33 hostages in exchange for the release of hundreds of imprisoned Palestinians, the withdrawal of Israeli forces from populated areas and displaced Palestinians to return to their homes, according to The Associated Press.

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City Council passes housing reform ordinances

Jaden McKelvey-Francis | February 3

On Jan. 6, the Albuquerque City Council approved two ordinances targeted at improving housing availability through home development and reducing the amount of vacant property Downtown. The first bill, O-24-69, amended the existing Integrated Development Ordinance to allow for the development of multifamily homes in areas that are within a quarter-mile of Main Street and Premium Transit Station (ART) areas. The bill was sponsored by Council President Dan Lewis and Councilor Joaquín Baca, and passed by a vote of 7-2. The bill also made changes to the appeal process against city projects. To file an appeal opposing a city project, a majority of property owners or tenants who live within 660 feet of the project site must now sign a petition in support of the appeal.

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