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Albuquerque community continues to protest leaked Supreme Court draft opinion

Maddie Pukite | May 8

Albuquerque community members took to the streets again on Saturday, May 7 to protest the leaked Supreme Court draft opinion that would overturn Roe v. Wade and Planned Parenthood v. Casey, cases that provide constitutional protection for abortion in the U.S. under the doctrine of privacy granted by the Fourteenth Amendment. The protest was organized by the Party for Socialism and Liberation to continue motivating people to fight back and not fall into apathy while calling for the Democrats in Congress to act to protect abortion rights. “We have to keep up the energy, and we have to remind people that we can't stop just because we came out right after it happened.

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UNM showcases a range of commencement events

Maddie Pukite | May 8

On May 14 at 9 a.m., the University of New Mexico will be holding its in-person commencement ceremony at the University Arena. The ceremony will be only the second ceremony in which guests are allowed back in person since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. “We're thankful that we can get back to having families and guests there and celebrating our students for this wonderful accomplishment,” University Secretary Nancy Middlebrook said. The event will feature keynote speaker Mark Herman, CEO of Dion's, along with performances by the UNM Brass Choir and the singing of the national anthem by Cameron Smith, a graduate student in the vocal performance program.

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Leaked Supreme Court draft opinion terrifies, angers ABQ community members

Maddie Pukite | May 3

Protesters gathered at the Pete V. Domenici U.S. Courthouse in Albuquerque on May 3 in light of a leaked draft of a majority opinion from Politico written by Justice Samuel Alito that signifies the court’s decision to overturn Roe V. Wade and Planned Parenthood v. Casey, both landmark cases that provide constitutional protection for abortion in the U.S. under the doctrine of privacy granted by the Fourteenth Amendment. The protests, one in front of the courthouse organized by the Party of Socialism and Liberation and one kitty-corner in front of the Bernalillo County Metropolitan Court organized by Planned Parenthood, were each attended by hundreds of people.

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Albuquerque undergoes redistricting committee sessions

Maddie Pukite | May 2

The city of Albuquerque is currently undergoing a redistricting process as is required by the city charter following every census, the latest of which happened in 2020. The redistricting committee has been meeting since early March to discuss potential new district lines and hear community input; their latest meeting took place on Wednesday, April 27. Redistricting has a substantial effect on how the city government operates as it ensures that the populations of different districts are equally represented within the City Council. Some districts have grown unevenly in the 10 years since the city was last redistricted. The redistricting process can also be used to ensure that marginalized communities' voices are being adequately represented and heard.

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AAPI Resource Center officially open

Maxwell Minty McGrael / Daily Lobo and Nell Johnson | May 1

April 28 marked a historic event for the University of New Mexico’s Asian American and Pacific Islander community with the official opening of the Asian American Pacific Islander Resource Center (colloquially pronounced as ay-perk). The ribbon-cutting ceremony boasted a large turnout of students, community members and notable guests. Although AAPIRC has been open for some time now, this marks one of the first large public events in the space with socializing and lots of tasty food. Farah Nousheen, the Associate Director of AAPIRC, led the ceremony, opening it with a series of warm welcomes.

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New Mexico ablaze, wildfire season begins

Maddie Pukite and Elizabeth Secor | May 1

Destruction continues throughout the state as the combined Calf Canyon and Hermit’s Peak fires are currently the largest wildfire in the United States, having burned down 103,908 acres of land as of Sunday, May 1. Across New Mexico, there are currently 49 active wildfires as of Sunday, May 1 caused by severe to exceptional drought conditions, a leading cause of the wildfires that have been ablaze since early April, impacting communities and workers across the state working to keep everyone informed and safe. Intense wind conditions and years of drought have rapidly increased the speed at which the fires have grown, according to KOAT.

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Marginalized communities in Albuquerque, Santa Fe fight environmental racism

Megan Gleason | April 24

Areas with people of color, low-income residents and immigrants have historically been forced to endure environmental racism around the U.S., but New Mexico locals are fighting against it. Santa Fe’s south side and Albuquerque’s South Valley continue in their efforts against unjust environmental decisions that disproportionately affect marginalized groups. In Santa Fe’s south side, Associated Asphalt and Materials received a permit from the New Mexico Environment Department last summer to consolidate its two plants — located on both sides of Highway 599, north of Airport Road — to only the west side of the highway.

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UNM Sustainability Expo promotes clean, green local resources

Alizay Chavez / Daily Lobo | April 24

Sustainability was the topic of discussion at the 12th annual University of New Mexico Sustainability Expo on Thursday, April 21. Fresh farm products, other food and goods for sale drew crowds in as live music drifted across Cornell Mall. At the event hosted by UNM’s Sustainability Studies department, local farmer’s markets and gardens provided students with different resources and tips to promote a more sustainable lifestyle and live demonstrations taught attendees about the ecosystem in New Mexico. “The event provides the University community with an opportunity to support local and sustainable small businesses,” ABQ Stew, a UNM Sustainability Studies blog, reported.

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New Mexico Wild calls for audit of inactive wells

Maddie Pukite | April 18

The New Mexico Wilderness Alliance, a group that advocates for the conservation of wild land, issued a letter on March 17 that called on the Bureau of Land Management to conduct a formal audit of inactive wells on federal land. “What we're looking for with the audit is for BLM to actually do a full analysis of how many (of) what we call orphaned or abandoned wells really do exist on BLM lands in New Mexico,” NM Wild staff attorney Logan Glasenapp said. Glasenapp said the group wrote the letter asking for the audit right now because the acting state director for the Bureau of Land Management, Melanie Barnes, has a background in biology as opposed to a background in the fossil fuel industry, as prior directors have had.

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New Mexico enacts community solar, commits to energy equity

Nell Johnson | April 18

More New Mexicans can now opt in to using renewable energy to power their homes after a year of rulemaking done by the Public Regulation Commission. The new Community Solar Rule will mandate that 30% of the electricity produced by shared solar facilities be distributed to low-income communities and the organizations that support them. Individuals who may benefit from this rule include those who qualify for Medicaid or food assistance programs. It also doesn’t limit solar energy options for those who rent the property they live on or for those who live in government-funded housing. Eligible service organizations may include places like homeless shelters or food pantries.

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UNM teach-in, benefit concert to be held in solidarity with Ukraine

Megan Gleason | April 11

A teach-in and benefit concert to stand in solidarity with Ukraine will be held at the University of New Mexico’s Rodey Theater on Thursday, April 14 at 7 p.m. This event, which is a personal choice of entry for free or by donation, will feature musicians as well as activists, and all proceeds raised will go toward Ukrainian refugee relief efforts. Vitaliy Osmolovsky, an activist and grassroots organizer, will be joining from Poland via Zoom for the event. All funds raised will go to his organizing efforts, for which he has a supply list that addresses many different needs, some of which are for physical and mental health aid.

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Individuals with disabilities struggle at UNM amid ineffective ADA accessibility measures

Maddie Pukite | April 10

Over 30 years have passed since the Americans with Disabilities Act was first signed into law in the U.S. by former President George Bush. While the Act was a step forward for addressing accessibility issues, students and staff with disabilities at the University of New Mexico still face mobility issues due to ADA standards for historically significant buildings as well as construction and maintenance. Any building that was built before March 14, 2012 is not required to comply with the 2010 ADA revised codes, titled the ADA Standards for Accessible Design, and are only required to bring the building up to code if they are planning a major renovation, according to Disability Rights New Mexico coordinator Bernadine Chavez.

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Physical, mental benefits of cannabis amid stigmatized industry

Megan Gleason | April 4

Despite a long list of positive effects, cannabis use still remains a taboo subject for some. While medical cannabis was legalized over a decade ago in New Mexico, recreational marijuana was only legalized last summer with retail sales having started on Friday, April 1. Jacob Vigil, associate professor in the University of New Mexico psychology department, and Sarah Stith, associate professor in economics, are married and have done both joint and separate research on cannabis specifically. Through this, they have found that it’s largely more beneficial than a lot of people think and believe it should be normalized in society.

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Cannabusiness unfolds in New Mexico

Maddie Pukite | April 3

Recreational cannabis storefronts opened on Friday, April 1, a year after the legislation was passed in the roundhouse in Santa Fe during the special session to legalize recreational cannabis. The bill allows anyone 21 and over in the state to purchase 2 oz (about 57 grams) of cannabis flower, 16 grams of extract and 800 mg of edibles at one time. Many of the dispensaries in the state that are now able to start recreational sales were strictly medical prior to the new legislation and had to acquire a new license in the past year.

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The politics, impacts of legalized recreational cannabis and sales

Megan Gleason | April 3

New Mexico is one of the most recent states to legalize cannabis recreationally, jumping on the bandwagon as the 17th state to legalize out of 18 so far. This recent move stems from decades-old political movements and increased acceptance of the drug on a local and national level. “I think over time, the science has evolved in a way and our attitudes have evolved in a way that (has) created political openings for legalizing marijuana at the state level … Legalization of marijuana has become a fairly popular thing,” said Timothy Krebs, University of New Mexico professor and department chair of political science.

Valente-Acosta-Bustillos Press Conference

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Family of community member killed by APD continues fight for justice

Maddie Pukite | March 31

Two years after the death of Valente Acosta-Bustillos, family members and community activists gathered together for a press conference on the morning of Wednesday, March 30 as well as a vigil later in the day to continue to call for the reopening of the investigation into Acosta-Bustillos’ death at the hands of two Albuquerque Police Department officers. Officers Joseph Bush and Edgar Sandoval were called for a wellness check on March 30, 2020 when Sandoval shot and killed Acosta-Bustillos in his own home following the discovery that Acosta-Bustillos had an outstanding warrant.

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7 candidates vie for GPSA president

Megan Gleason | March 27

Presidential elections for the University of New Mexico’s Graduate and Professional Student Association are being held from Monday, March 28 to Friday, April 1. On Tuesday, March 22, the seven presidential candidates — which are listed in ballot order in this article — met for an online forum highlighting their various platforms with goals ranging from better wages and benefits to equity to outreach and engagement. No. 1: Paul J. Tice Engineering student Paul Tice is running on the platform of Peace Engineering, which “works towards a world where prosperity, sustainability, social equity, entrepreneurship, transparency, community voice and engagement, and a culture of quality thrive,” according to UNM Newsroom.

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Incoming ASUNM president, vice president to focus on student outreach

Megan Gleason | March 21

The unofficial results from the Associated Students of the University of New Mexico election were announced on Wednesday, March 9 with Ian May and Krystah Pacheco winning the president and vice president positions, respectively. In their campaign, May and Pacheco focused heavily on student outreach, which reflects their future goals as well. Many initiatives in May and Pacheco’s campaign came not just from themselves but from conversations with students and student organizations about what they wanted to see in their next undergraduate student leadership. “The biggest thing is visibility. During our campaign time (approximately) a third of students didn’t even know what ASUNM was, and especially I think it’s really important we have that presence on campus,” Pacheco said.

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Immunocompromised community and advocates speak out against end of UNM mask mandate

Maddie Pukite and Natalie Jude | March 20

Since University of New Mexico President Garnett Stokes announced the March 19 expiration of UNM’s indoor mask mandate at a majority of campuses and locations, members of the UNM community who are or who advocate for those who are immunocompromised are raising concerns that their safety was not taken into consideration in the decision-making process. Soph Colson, a UNM student on medical leave and a member of Crip Lib, a disability advocacy group on campus, said she feels dropping the mask mandate is dangerous to disabled students.

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May, Pacheco take narrow win for ASUNM president, vice president

Megan Gleason | March 10

The unofficial results for this year’s close two-way race for the Associated Students of the University of New Mexico president and vice president were released on Wednesday, March 2 with students Ian May and Krystah Pacheco coming out on top as the next ASUNM president and vice president, respectively. Changes to the ASUNM Constitution were also included in the vote and easily passed. These results will remain unofficial until fully ratified by the Election Committee. Only 817 votes were cast in total, a minuscule percentage of the over 15,000 undergraduate students that were eligible to vote in the online elections held from March 7-9. This is similar to the 874 voters last year, just 5.2% of the then 16,662 eligible undergraduates.