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Party for Socialism and Liberation courts young voters

William Bowen | October 9

ALBUQUERQUE — As the 2020 election cycle nears its end, some voters are turning away from establishment political parties. One of the parties attracting young voters in particular is the Party for Socialism and Liberation (PSL), a self-described revolutionary Marxist party whose presidential ticket will appear on New Mexicans’ ballots in 2020. The PSL 2020 presidential ticket features Albuquerque native and longtime activist Gloria La Riva for president and disability rights advocate and cultural worker Sunil Freeman for vice president. The party is hoping to ride a wave of youth support.

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UNMPD files leaked in large-scale law enforcement hack

Bella Davis | October 7

Amidst national protests against police brutality spurred by the police murder of George Floyd, hundreds of University of New Mexico Police Department files were leaked in what is reportedly the largest hack of United States law enforcement agencies. Notably, UNMPD appears to be the only university police department included in the leak. It’s now been over three months since the hacked files were published with no public action from the University. Responding to a request from the Daily Lobo, UNM said they were unaware that private information — like home addresses and driver’s license numbers collected for police reports — was made public.

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COVID-19, flu season threaten to push hospitals over the edge

Nikita Jaiswal | October 7

U.S. health officials are bracing for a potential perfect storm as the flu season begins amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. Each year influenza, or the common flu, poses a large burden on the health care system. Within the last year, New Mexico has seen several hundred deaths due to the flu. The state’s mortality rates follow closely with national mortality rates, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The University of New Mexico Hospital is operating at critical levels, “well above the 85% average capacity threshold considered optimal for hospital efficiency,” according to a UNMH report. A heavy flu season could stagger hospitals already dealing with COVID cases, as both respiratory viral infections can require intensive care treatment.

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Balloon Fiesta takes flight in a different light

Nicholas Romero | October 4

New Mexicans were able to experience some bit of normalcy amidst the ongoing pandemic on Saturday and Sunday as hot air balloons took flight in the crisp early morning October air. Due to COVID-19 social distancing regulations, the 49th annual Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta was postponed to at least 2021, and all events this year were canceled. The International Balloon Fiesta traditionally is a nine-day event which not only brings in hundreds of different hot air balloons from across the world, but also brings hundreds of thousands of tourists from around the world to Albuquerque.

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Trump tests positive for COVID-19

Liam Debonis | October 4

President Donald Trump confirmed in a tweet on the evening of Oct. 1 that he tested positive for the coronavirus, along with first lady Melania Trump. According to reporting from the New York Times, Trump’s senior advisor Hope Hicks began exhibiting COVID symptoms “around the time of Mr. Trump’s rally” in Duluth, Minnesota on Wednesday, which she attended with the president. Hicks was quarantined while returning to Washington on Air Force One and received positive test results the following day. No details have been provided about if the air in her area of the plane was recycled and filtered throughout the rest of the aircraft.

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UNM employees plead for better working conditions, hazard pay

Jasmine Casillas and Maddie Pukite | September 29

With the University of New Mexico currently reporting 42 cases of COVID-19 among students, faculty and staff, some employees working on campus are requesting better working conditions and hazard pay. Dante Gonzales, a representative of the labor union Communications Workers of America, explained some of the fears and concerns UNM employees have, many of which have been lingering since the coronavirus pandemic began over six months ago. When asked about job security and the potential for layoffs, Gonzales said the rumor mill is abuzz. “(There is) lots of fear around that, especially with temporary workers, because there are definitely rumors about layoffs and furloughs,” Gonzales said. “But to my knowledge, there have been no answers regarding that question.”

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Four UNM buildings still bear names of violent conquistadors

Gabriel Saiz | September 29

The University of New Mexico’s Committee on Naming has reported to President Garnett Stokes that UNM should develop thorough criteria and an enduring, community-inclusive process for removing controversial names from campus buildings. After a counter-protester shot a man protesting the Juan de Oñate statue outside the Albuquerque Museum in June and the sign outside UNM’s Oñate Hall was vandalized, Stokes requested that the committee review the University’s building renaming policy. The committee reported their conclusions and recommendations in a memo sent to Stokes on Sept. 23. The committee reported their conclusions and recommendations in a memo sent to Stokes on Sept. 23.

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Breonna Taylor grand jury verdict sparks nightly protests in Albuquerque

Bella Davis | September 27

Joining nationwide protests over the grand jury verdict in the police murder of Breonna Taylor, protesters in Albuquerque have taken to the streets every night since the decision to not indict the officers was announced on Sept. 23. Taylor was a 26-year-old Black woman killed in her apartment by Louisville, Ky. police officers during the execution of a no-knock warrant in March. A grand jury indicted one officer, Brett Hankison, for wanton endangerment for his actions that night, but none of the three officers who fired shots are facing charges for Taylor’s murder.

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College voters poised to impact 2020 election

Liam Debonis and William Bowen | September 27

As the 2020 general election approaches, the role college voters might play is taking shape. Early polling indicates young voters are highly engaged and that college students strongly favor Democratic nominee Joe Biden, making them a potentially pivotal group. Voters aged 18-29 turned out in the 2018 midterm elections at a higher rate than any time in the last 30 years, according to U.S. Census Data. Furthermore, over 70% of college students surveyed in a recent poll by College Pulse said they were definitely voting. The majority of college students polled are planning to vote for Biden instead of President Donald Trump — but the trend seems to be driven by disdain for the president, not enthusiasm for Biden.

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‘Alarming’ inaction: Department chair calls for transparent investigation of UNMPD

Bella Davis | September 26

American Studies Chair David Correia is calling for a community-led investigation of the University of New Mexico Police Department “with a focus on finding alternatives to armed police on UNM’s campus,” per a letter Correia sent to UNM President Garnett Stokes on Friday. The letter was written in part as a response to UNMPD officer Eric Peer, who recently returned to work after two weeks of paid leave following an investigation for a racist TikTok video that featured a “scanning for Mexicans” South Park voice over. University spokesperson Cinnamon Blair said disciplinary action has been taken but wouldn’t say what that disciplinary action was. The Daily Lobo has filed a records request in an attempt to learn the nature of the sanctions levied on Peer.

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Sex workers move services online after strip club shutdown

Gabriel Biadora | September 24

(10/05/2020) EDITOR’S NOTE: This article has been updated with contributions and input from a sex worker rights expert. Since Albuquerque’s strip clubs shut down following the onset of the coronavirus pandemic and Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham’s subsequent order for non-essential businesses to close in March, some sex workers have adjusted by moving their services online. Online adult entertainment, ranging from webcam or “camming” sites to more traditional pornography sites, has seen a surge in activity in the last 6 months. Sex work online has become an increasingly popular way for people to create, own and publish their own content and support themselves financially amidst the coronavirus pandemic.

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'Tomorrow we rise:’ Ginsburg’s legacy honored in Albuquerque

Shelby Kleinhans | September 23

Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, known for her judicial fight for women’s equality, passed away Friday, Sept. 18 at the age of 87. In response, an event called “When There are Nine: Remembering RBG and a Call to Action” was held at Tiguex Park on Sunday evening. “If there was ever a moment folx were waiting for to be mad as hell, this is it,” the event page stated, referring to President Donald Trump and Republican Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell’s promise to replace Ginsburg before the imminent election.

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UNM community urges students to vote

Gabriel Saiz | September 20

The University of New Mexico community is gearing up for the 2020 general election with in-person and online events for National Voter Registration Day on Tuesday, Sept. 22. An in-person voter registration drive will take place at the Pit from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Tuesday. The organizers — the UNM Athletics department and the Albuquerque City Clerk’s Office — ask that participants bring their state-issued ID or proof of residency, according to a press release from the Athletics department. UNM assistant athletic director of marketing Carlos Ramirez said he wants to reach the student body and the area surrounding campus with the event. He also said that parking at the Pit will be free.

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Contact tracers work to slow the spread of COVID-19

Nikita Jaiswal | September 20

A University of New Mexico student received a phone call from the New Mexico Department of Health (NMDOH) late one Wednesday evening. The department was calling to tell her she had tested positive for COVID-19. “I was so shocked when I found out,” she said, “but talking to the contact tracer eased my worries.” Contract tracers play an important role in combating the coronavirus. When a person tests positive for the virus, contract tracers call and inform them of their test result, which begins the case investigation.

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Search for new student regent underway

Spencer Butler | September 20

The Associated Students of the University of New Mexico (ASUNM) and the Graduate and Professional Student Association (GPSA) have put out calls for the next student regent. The student regent is a member of the student body who serves on the UNM Board of Regents as one of seven full voting members. Melissa C. Henry, a doctoral candidate in the College of Education, is currently serving as the student regent, but her term expires at the end of the year. The next student regent’s two-year term will start in January 2021.

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Cutoff to receive absentee ballots just over a month away

Spencer Butler | September 18

With the 2020 general election less than two months away, time is running out for New Mexico voters to obtain absentee ballots. On Aug. 28, New Mexico Secretary of State Maggie Toulouse Oliver announced that voters can apply for absentee ballots through an online portal. New Mexico is a “no-excuse” absentee ballot state, meaning that any registered voter can obtain an absentee ballot. The deadline to register to vote, either online or by mail, is Oct. 6. The final day to get an absentee ballot is Oct. 20, and it is suggested that voters mail them back by Oct. 27.

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Over a third of UNM students food insecure, even more lack stable housing

Annya Loya | September 18

In April — just one month into the COVID-19 stay-at-home order — 32% of UNM students reported experiencing food insecurity and almost 42% were unsure about their housing, according to a recent study conducted by the University of New Mexico’s Basic Needs Team. The team — comprised of researchers from a variety of departments and offices on campus — examined the rates of food and housing insecurity and how they are patterned across different demographic groups at UNM. New Mexico households have the highest rate (16.8%) of food insecurity across the country, according to the study.

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Black New Mexico Movement rally in Rio Rancho met with large, aggressive counter-protest

Bella Davis | September 16

A group of 50 or so protesters in attendance at a Black New Mexico Movement (BNMM) rally held in Rio Rancho on Sept. 12 were met with hateful rhetoric from a large crowd of right-wing counter-protesters. BNMM held the rally on the eve of the late rapper Tupac Shakur’s murder “to call for the same changes Tupac called for many years ago,” according to the Facebook event page, a reference to Shakur’s activism against racism and police bruality. Organizers encouraged attendees to register to vote, fill out the census and keep working toward racial justice.

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‘The new normal’: New Mexico’s clear and present climate crisis

Andrew Gunn | September 14

As climate change continues to accelerate and manifest in the form of hotter summers, drier monsoons and ever more extreme weather, New Mexico’s complex ecosystem has borne witness to a hellfire of havoc disproportionate to that of other states in the union. But what grim reality should New Mexicans ...

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Great American Outdoors Act: ‘A big damn deal’

Hevyn Heckes | September 14

On Aug. 4, after waiting several months for a proposal from Congress, President Donald Trump signed into law the Great American Outdoors Act (GAOA), giving nearly a billion dollars a year in the process to wilderness conservation and park construction projects across the country. “The Great American Outdoors Act provides $900 million a year in guaranteed funding for the Land and Water Conservation Fund so that all Americans can continue to enjoy our parks and wildlife refuges,” according to a White House briefing. New Mexico stands to benefit greatly from the legislation, given that the state is home to two national parks and a number of wilderness areas.