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OPINION: Stop the presses, robo-porter

Addison Fulton | September 9

You’re all probably going to be sick of me by the time the robot revolution comes, but until then, I will have bone after bone to pick with the machine. In August, CBS reported that Aaron Pelczar, a journalist for Wyoming news outlet the Cody Enterprise, was caught using generative artificial intelligence to write and publish news articles. One of the stories Pelczar generated was a piece on a shooting in Yellowstone National Park, which featured the line, “This incident serves as a stark reminder of the unpredictable nature of human behavior, even in the most serene settings,” according to the Associated Press. Following the incident, Pelczar resigned.

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Library cyberattack leaves no student or employee data compromised

Lily Alexander | September 9

A cyber attack on University of New Mexico Libraries that began on July 31 resulted in no compromised data for students or employees, according to Mark Emmons, associate dean of the College of University Libraries and Learning Sciences. Publicly accessible resources were mostly available by the start of the semester, according to Emmons, while issues accessing library resources from off campus continued.

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ASUNM senate kicks off the semester

Marcela Johnson | September 3

The Associated Students at the University of New Mexico appointed a new senator and passed two appropriation requests and a bill on Wednesday, Aug. 28 during the first full senate meeting since the start of fall classes.

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Campus crime: Week of Aug. 26

Lauren Lifke | September 2

Editor’s note: The crimes listed were entered into the daily crime log during the week. The list includes crimes that police entered last week but allegedly occurred before that. It does not include crimes that may have occurred but weren’t entered into the log. From Monday, Aug. 26 through Sunday, Sept. 1, there were 26 crimes reported on or near the University of New Mexico campus that were entered into its daily crime log. There were also two LoboAlerts issued to the community involving incidents that occurred on or near campus since Aug. 25.

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DNC sparks conversations about press freedom

Shin Thant Hlaing | September 2

On Aug. 20, during the Democratic National Convention, three accredited journalists were arrested while documenting pro-Palestine protests in Chicago — a similarity to the arrest of two journalists at the University of New Mexico earlier this year. The three photojournalists working at the protests in Chicago faced misdemeanor charges of disorderly conduct after spending hours in jail, according to the Intercept. In May, Bryant Furlow and Tara Armijo-Prewitt were arrested on the UNM campus during their coverage of the UNM Police Department and New Mexico State Police dismantling the pro-Palestine encampment. Furlow is a freelance journalist who regularly contributes to New Mexico In Depth.

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Uncommitted movement persists at UNM with Harris as Democratic nominee

Nate Bernard | September 2

Some University of New Mexico students who voted “uncommitted” during the 2024 primary elections continue to decline support for the Democratic nominee. During the 2024 primary elections, 10% of Democratic voters in New Mexico checked the uncommitted box — about double the number of those who voted uncommitted in the 2020 primary elections. President Joe Biden won the primary elections but later dropped out, with Vice President Kamala Harris becoming the new Democratic nominee. Since the primary elections, Vote Uncommitted New Mexico, an organization advocating for progressive policies, has held rallies in Albuquerque that criticize Harris for her role in the Biden administration’s support for Israel.

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Communication and journalism department revamps broadcast studio

Shin Thant Hlaing | September 2

The Department of Communication and Journalism has a new revamped live streaming studio that can be used by students and faculty alike at the University of New Mexico. The studio has been available for booking since Aug. 19. Santi Colmenero, audio-visual technician for the communication and journalism department, said they wanted to make use of old dormant equipment lying around. They aimed to create a studio that met modern and contemporary needs, according to UNM Newsroom, and began working on developing the studio space in September 2023.

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Campus crime: Week of Aug. 18

Lauren Lifke | August 26

Editor’s note: The crimes listed were entered into the log during the week. The list includes crimes that police entered last week but allegedly occurred before that. It does not include crimes that may have occurred but weren’t entered into the log. From Sunday, Aug. 18 through Sunday, Aug. 25, there were 18 crimes reported on or near the University of New Mexico campus that were entered into its daily crime log.

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UNMPD to begin using body-worn cameras

Lauren Lifke and Lily Alexander | August 26

The University of New Mexico Police Department will obtain and begin using body-worn cameras within the next six months. The decision follows reporting in November 2023 and March of this year by the Daily Lobo that discussed a loophole in a 2020 statute requiring most New Mexico police departments to use the devices. The Daily Lobo’s investigation — along with reporting from KOB in April — prompted new discussions about UNMPD getting body cameras, UNM Chief Marketing and Communications Officer Cinnamon Blair said.

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Stokes discloses UNM Foundation holdings

Lily Alexander and Nate Bernard | August 23

University of New Mexico President Garnett Stokes disclosed UNM Foundation holdings in her “President’s Weekly Perspective” email on Monday, Aug. 19. The 83-page document lists the funds the UNM Foundation invests in, but only lists the individual investments within 25 out of 84 of those funds. The investments within a fund are known as “securities.” This comes ahead of the first Board of Regents meeting of the academic year on Thursday, Aug. 22, during which Stokes is expected to discuss the disclosure, according to the UNM Palestine Solidarity Camp Instagram. The meeting will take place at the UNM Valencia campus.

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Pro-Palestine rally in held in Old Town

Leila Chapa and Paloma Chapa | August 21

On the morning of Sunday, Aug. 18, over 100 people gathered at Tiguex Park for a pro-Palestine rally and march calling for a permanent ceasefire and an arms embargo on Israel. The Albuquerque rally was one of several “Not Another Bomb” rallies that took place in cities across the country before the Democratic National Convention, which began on Monday, Aug. 19, according to Mother Jones. Uncommitted New Mexico primarily led the rally. “Uncommitted” is a national movement applying pressure on the Democratic Party and warning that they could lose voters this presidential election without an immediate and permanent ceasefire in Gaza and an arms embargo on Israel, according to Politico.

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Mayor Keller delivers State of the City address

Paloma Chapa | August 19

On the evening of Saturday, Aug. 17, the Albuquerque BioPark Zoo welcomed over 1,300 people to watch Mayor Tim Keller’s sixth State of the City address. Two topics that surfaced frequently throughout the address were the challenges of crime and the unhoused community in Albuquerque. Keller also mentioned the issues of gun violence and fentanyl. Keller highlighted some of the City’s upcoming projects and initiatives, including $200 million for redeveloping Downtown and the expansion of the Gateway Center, which he said will accept hundreds of unhoused individuals and families and provide them with health resources.

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Crime brief: Week of Aug. 11

Lauren Lifke | August 19

From Sunday, Aug. 11 through Saturday, Aug. 17, there were 19 crimes reported on or near the University of New Mexico campus that were entered into its daily crime log. The crimes listed below were entered into the log during the week. The list includes crimes that were entered last week but allegedly occurred before that. It does not include crimes that may have occurred but weren’t entered into the log.

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PATS doubles ticket fines, increases permit prices

Lily Alexander and Nate Bernard | August 19

Over the summer, University of New Mexico Parking and Transportation Services increased fines for parking citations from $25 to $50. This is one of a handful of changes PATS made to its operations ahead of the 2024-25 academic year amid student criticism. PATS also increased rates for permits. Costs for campus resident permits and commuter permits increased by 3%. Costs for Reserved Proximity Tier 1 and 2 permits — reserved for faculty and staff — increased by 7% and 5%, respectively.

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OPINION: Contribute to the Daily Lobo’s election coverage

Lily Alexander | August 19

When I stepped into the role of editor-in-chief of the Daily Lobo at the University of New Mexico, I told my colleagues that we would never report from the perspectives of people in power. Instead, we would report from the perspectives of the people affected by the decisions of people in power. Our coverage of the upcoming unparalleled general election will stick to this idea. To do so, we need your voices. We want to broaden our reach beyond the conversations our reporters have time for between classes and the other responsibilities that come with being student journalists. Those are valuable, too, but we want to increase the scope of our connection with the campus community.

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UNM psychology department members release statement supporting campus protesters

Leila Chapa and Paloma Chapa | August 12

On July 19, individuals from the University of New Mexico psychology department delivered a statement to UNM leadership, calling for the University to drop all charges against pro-Palestine protesters and to support student rights to activism and free speech. The statement also highlighted the potential mental health effects of the responses by UNM leadership and police to the UNM Palestine Solidarity Encampment, dismantled by police in May. “We are alarmed with these reported incidents of police violence against peaceful protestors, as these actions infringe on students’ civil liberties and right to peaceful protest. Police violence negatively impacts mental health and social determinants of health,” the statement reads. On July 26, the Board of Regents acknowledged receipt of the statement via email. As of Sunday, Aug. 11, UNM leadership has not responded to the statement.

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Over 200 crimes recorded on and near campus over the summer

Lauren Lifke | August 12

Since the end of the spring semester at the University of New Mexico, over 200 crimes on and near University properties have been reported and entered in the UNM Police Department’s daily crime log. Each crime warrants an individual entry, meaning that one incident can prompt more than one entry if multiple crimes were allegedly committed. The most common types of crimes were assault and battery, totaling at 64 entries over the summer. The second most common category included burglary, robbery and theft-related crimes, which totaled 48 entries. The 10 total categories of crime also include property crime, noncompliance with law enforcement officers and Violence Against Women Act-related offenses: sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence, stalking and related crimes.

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New Mexico abortions rise two years after Roe v. Wade overruling

Shin Thant Hlaing | July 26

A March report from the Guttmacher Institute tracked the increase of abortions performed in New Mexico this year, observing a 250% increase since 2022. Two-thirds of them were patients who traveled from Texas — a state with a near-total abortion ban. Significant barriers to accessing reproductive healthcare include cost, transportation, social stigma and insufficient rural healthcare workforce, according to Scholars Strategy Network. The University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center aims to identify gaps in healthcare to prevent barriers, according to Communications Director Chris Ramirez.

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The history of paleontology in New Mexico

Leila Chapa | July 22

New Mexico, once a place of flood plains and swamps, has been home to many dinosaur discoveries. This is largely due to the state’s geographical history, according to three experts. One dinosaur was identified in January as a new subspecies of Tyrannosaurus that predates the T. Rex by up to 7 million years. The discovery of T. mcraeensis resulted from a study of a jaw and partial skull fossil that were found in the 1980s-90s by boaters and museum staff in southern New Mexico, according to the New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science.

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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.