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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.”

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F-35 fighter jet crashes near Sunport

Nate Bernard | June 12

An F-35 Lightning II fighter jet crashed near the Albuquerque Sunport shortly after takeoff on May 28. The aircraft’s pilot ejected from the jet shortly before its crash and sustained serious injuries, but was hospitalized and is in stable condition, according to Aerotime Hub. The aircraft was on the way to Edwards Air Force Base located in Southern California, according to CBS News. A supervisor of air operations for a cargo handler at the Sunport, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, witnessed the crash.

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New Mexico uncommitted vote doubles since last democratic primary

Lily Alexander and Nate Bernard | June 7

On Tuesday, June 4, in the New Mexico primary elections, 10% of registered democrats voted “uncommitted” for their chosen presidential candidate. This was about double the number of those who voted uncommitted in the 2020 primary elections. The elections coincided with a national movement to vote uncommitted due to President Joe Biden’s administration’s policies on Israel, according to Rhi Mauldin, a volunteer at the campaign Vote Uncommitted New Mexico. This movement contributed significantly to the rise in uncommitted voters this election, Mauldin said.

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A guide to the New Mexico presidential and House of Representatives primary elections

Nate Bernard | June 3

On June 4, New Mexico will hold its primary elections during which voters will be able to choose their preferred party candidate for United States president and New Mexico U.S. representative, as well as state Senate and representative seats. New Mexico has a closed primary, meaning voters can only vote within the party they are registered as. Voters who are not affiliated with the major parties – the Democratic Party, Republican Party and Libertarian Party – will not be able to vote in the primary election. To change party affiliation, a voter must complete a new voter registration form and submit it to the county clerk, Secretary of State’s Office or online.

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“Rally for Rafah” held during New Student Orientation

Nate Bernard and Paloma Chapa | June 3

University of New Mexico students, alumni and community members held a pro-Palestine rally on UNM main campus during the first session of First-Year Summer 2024 New Student Orientation on Thursday, May 30. The rally followed a May 26 attack by the Israeli army on Rafah, where at least 45 people sheltering in tents located in a “safe area” were killed, according to Al Jazeera. During the rally, UNM alumni and former College Democrats President Rakin Faruk spoke about the circulation of videos that show the attack on Rafah. “We have become so desensitized to these videos on our phones but the Palestinians that are suffering this brutality are not desensitized to what they're facing every day,” Faruk said.

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Pro-Palestine protesters speak at last Regents meeting of the semester

Paloma Chapa | May 19

Board of Regents meeting of the semester, calling for the university to cut financial ties with Israel and criticizing the police response to the recent demonstrations on campus. At 10 a.m., protesters rallied at Zimmerman Plaza then marched to the Student Union Building. They filled the ballroom where the meeting took place, holding signs and Palestinian flags. Nearly 100 people signed up for public comment, according to Ernesto Longa, a professor at UNM School of Law. The BOR limited public comment to 30 minutes – allotting 15 minutes to “each side,” Longa said.

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Seven arrested as police dismantle UNM Palestine solidarity encampment

Leila Chapa and Paloma Chapa | May 16

On the morning of Wednesday, May 15, University of New Mexico police arrested seven people – two of them students – while dismantling the UNM Palestine solidarity encampment at the Duck Pond. New Mexico State Police dressed in riot gear participated. The arrests followed a University-wide email from President Garnett Stokes on Tuesday, May 14, demanding the encampment be taken down by 5 p.m. that day. At 5 a.m. on May 15, UNM staff delivered notices signed by Stokes to protesters who remained at the site, ordering them to vacate the premises within the hour.

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Solidarity encampment demands divestment from Israel

Nate Bernard | May 13

The University of New Mexico Palestine solidarity encampment, since its formation at the Duck Pond on April 22, has supported the employment of a divestment resolution from Israel. The resolution seeks to begin the process of disclosing investments the University has that support Israel. It also aims to halt those investments, which would cut economic ties between UNM and Israel – a process known as divestment. The resolution was submitted to Board of Regents (BOR) Chair Kim Rael by the UNM Divestment Coalition, which consists of UNM College Democrats, Law Students Against Imperialism and 37 other student organizations and advocacy groups not affiliated with UNM. It follows the Israel-Hamas War, during which at least 35,000 Palestinians have been killed as of May 12, according to Al Jazeera.

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The SUB’s history with anti-war protest

Lily Alexander and Nate Bernard | May 13

On May 8, 1970, after three days of occupying the Student Union Building in protest of the Vietnam War, 131 University of New Mexico students were arrested. Fifty-four years later, 16 protesters were arrested after they occupied the SUB in solidarity with Palestine amidst the war in Gaza. The Vietnam War protests at UNM followed United States President Richard Nixon’s order to invade Cambodia on April 31, 1970, according to a UNM timeline. UNM President Ferrel Heady sent a telegram to Nixon disapproving of the invasion, according to a Daily Lobo article from May 6, 1970.

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State representatives call for solidarity with UNM pro-Palestine encampment

Leila Chapa and Paloma Chapa | May 10

Two New Mexico representatives sent letters to University of New Mexico President Garnett Stokes in solidarity with the pro-Palestine Duck Pond encampment, the longest standing protest in UNM history, on Tuesday, May 7 and Wednesday, May 8. Stokes visited the encampment on Thursday, May 9. In their letters, Representative Eleanor Chávez and Representative Patricia Roybal Caballero expressed concerns about New Mexico State Police using excessive force on protesters who occupied the Student Union Building April 29-30. They also asked Stokes to meet and work with the students who drafted the Israel divestment resolution.

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16 arrested after pro-Palestine protesters occupy the SUB

Ella Daniel and Paloma Chapa | May 1

On Tuesday, April 30 at around 3:30 a.m., 16 pro-Palestine protesters – five of them University of New Mexico students – were arrested by UNM Police Department officers at the Student Union Building after they occupied the space. New Mexico State Police, dressed in riot gear, participated in the response. The protesters filled the second floor of the SUB with tents, food and supplies, writing pro-Palestine messages on the walls with chalk and marker. As of April 30, at least 34,535 people have been killed in Gaza, according to Aljazeera. Two protesters, including UNM alumni Sofia Jenkins-Nieto, were pepper-sprayed by UNMPD officers.

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UNM encampment stands in solidarity with Palestine, other universities

Ella Daniel and Paloma Chapa | April 30

This story will be updated as the protest continues. Students, alumni, faculty and community members have been camped out at the Duck Pond since Monday, April 22 in solidarity with Palestine and students at universities nationwide. Encampments in support of Palestine have been set up on dozens of college campuses across the U.S., leading to hundreds of student arrests, according to the New York Times. Police officers have been present at the University of New Mexico encampment for the majority of Monday, Tuesday and Thursday. The protesters are calling the University to divest from Israel and call for a ceasefire in Gaza, and for the Board of Regents to employ the divestment resolution written by the UNM Law Students Against Imperialism. UNM has received grants from the U.S.-Israel Binational Foundations, according to The Jewish Virtual Library.

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‘4% don’t pay the rent’: United Graduate Workers rally for higher wages

Shin Thant Hlaing | April 29

The United Graduate Workers of the University of New Mexico rallied at Scholes Hall for higher wages on Tuesday, April 23. While UGW initially asked for a 50% overall salary wage increase and a 58% increase to minimum salaries, the University administration proposed a 4% increase. Three days after the rally, UGW received “more binding language” from UNM administration to include research assistants in proposed wage increases, a group that was previously left out, according to the UGW Instagram. They also received proposed increases to minimum salaries for project assistants and graduate assistants.

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Nation’s first mental health responders sign union contract

Lily Alexander and Nate Bernard | April 29

The Albuquerque Community Safety department secured their first collective bargaining agreement with their union in March. The department cited lack of support for employee well-being, stability and mental health, according to ACS Agency Vice President and bargaining committee member Crystal Little. The Union represents the first government agency in the nation that sends first responders with backgrounds in mental health to non-violent calls, according to Sherii Miera, an ACS behavioral health responder and bargaining committee member. Responders are dispatched through 911 calls, Miera said. “One of our main goals throughout has been to focus on the safety and well-being of the responders and ensuring that our voices are heard,” Little said.

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Daily Lobo News Editor files lawsuit against UNM records custodian

Maddie Pukite | April 29

Editor’s note: Lily Alexander is the incoming editor-in-chief at the Daily Lobo. She was not involved in the reporting or editing process of this story. The News Editor of the Daily Lobo, Lily Alexander, has filed a lawsuit against Rob (Robert) Tafoya, the Custodian of Public Records at the University of New Mexico for failure to provide UNM Police Department's weapons inventory on March 5, 2024. The legal complaint asks for the courts to enforce the Inspection of the Public Records Act (IPRA) by requiring UNMPD to provide the weapons inventory.

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Unions impact on teachers' mental health and well-being

Lily Alexander and Nate Bernard | April 22

“Unionism allows you a track to have your voice heard and to professionally push for the things that you value the most,” Sean Thomas, the executive vice president of the Albuquerque Teachers Federation, said. “Once you feel like you can exercise your voice, you don't feel so much like the world is happening to you, but you have the feeling that what you do matters and that you can change the conditions you're in.” Thomas is a teacher at Eldorado High School. He and fellow ATF member Sonja Kortsch said union involvement has benefited their mental health.