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UNM invests in major tobacco companies

Lily Alexander and Nate Bernard | September 16

The University of New Mexico has investments in two major tobacco companies, according to statements obtained by the Daily Lobo via public records requests. The companies are Philip Morris International and British American Tobacco, according to UNM Asset Summary Statements from May-July. In 2023, PMI and BAT had the first and second-highest net sales out of all tobacco companies worldwide, according to Statista. They both manufacture, market and sell cigarettes and other tobacco products. Products that contain tobacco are addictive and deadly. Tobacco kills longtime users and is a leading cause of death, illness and impoverishment, according to the World Health Organization.

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REVIEW: Logical fallacies in the presidential debate

Lauren Lifke | September 16

On Tuesday, Sept. 10, Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump met in person for the first presidential debate between the two candidates. During the debate, both Harris and Trump used more than a few logical fallacies — described in a philosophical context as “reasoning that comes to a conclusion without the evidence to support it,” according to Merriam-Webster.

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New Mexico Attorney General files lawsuit against Snapchat

Maria Fernandez | September 16

On Sept. 5, New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez filed a lawsuit against Snapchat over concerns that the app’s policies have allowed for mass amounts of exploitative material from underage users to spread across the dark web. Torrez is alleging that criminals used Snapchat to carry out sextortion, which occurs when a predator coerces minors into sharing explicit images and then threatens to release the content publicly unless the minor pays the predator, according to a press release.

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ASUNM senate rushes to pass legislation

Marcela Johnson | September 16

The Associated Students at the University of New Mexico passed six appropriation requests, appointed two new senators and passed one bill during a rushed meeting on Wednesday, Sept. 11.

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New Mexicans respond to presidential debate

Lily Alexander , Addison Fulton and Nate Bernard | September 13

On Tuesday, Sept. 10, Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump met in person for the first time during a debate hosted by ABC. New Mexican elected officials and students at the University of New Mexico supported candidates largely along party lines. After the debate, 63% of viewers said Harris outperformed Trump, according to a CNN poll. Fox News anchor Brit Hume said “Trump had a bad night,” according to a Fox News post-debate analysis. In contrast, following the June debate between Trump and President Joe Biden, 33% of viewers said Biden outperformed Trump, according to a CNN poll.

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Campus crime: Week of Sept. 2

Lauren Lifke | September 11

From Monday, Sept. 2 through Sunday, Sept. 8, there were 34 crimes reported on or near the University of New Mexico campus that were entered into its daily crime log. There was also a LoboAlert issued to the community on Sept. 8.

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Woman with felony warrant arrested near SRC

Lauren Lifke | September 9

On the early morning of Aug. 23, University of New Mexico police arrested a woman at the Student Residence Center for trespassing and possession of meth. The suspect had a felony warrant, according to the police report of the incident.

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Man with narcotic pipe breaks into Redondo Village apartment

Lauren Lifke | September 9

On Aug. 27, police arrested a man who had broken into a student’s room at the Redondo Village Apartments. The suspect broke the window screen, entered the apartment and took a student’s keys and wallet. He had a pipe and torch consistent with those used to smoke narcotics, according to the police report of the incident. At about 9:30 p.m. the day of the report, a University of New Mexico Police Department officer was notified of an unknown suspect inside a student’s RVA room. The officer arrived on the scene to find the victim — a sophomore who lived in the room — restraining a suspect, who police then arrested.

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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.