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How the “One Big Beautiful Bill” could impact New Mexico’s renewable energy infrastructure

Maria Fernandez | August 11

The One Big Beautiful Bill Act — signed into law on July 4 by President Trump — furthered the Trump administration’s cutdowns on renewable energy sources in favor of producing natural energy resources using federal lands and waters. The bill introduces changes to tax credits intended to incentivize the expansion of renewable energy companies building solar and wind farms across the U.S. The effects of the bill are likely to directly affect New Mexicans, Rep. Melanie Stansbury (D) said. “New Mexicans could be looking at a price hike in their electric bills of more than $400 a year because of this bill. It is going to have a direct effect on the overall modernization of our infrastructure, as well as the bottom line for families and paying their utilities,” Stansbury said in an interview with the Daily Lobo.

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Students reflect on fatal UNM dormitory shooting

Paloma Chapa | August 11

On July 25, the University of New Mexico’s main campus was closed and under a shelter-in-place directive due to a fatal shooting at the Casas del Rio dormitories.The shooting resulted in the death of 14-year-old Michael Lamotte and an injury to a 19-year-old. The UNM Police Department responded to the call at 1:36 a.m and the shooting’s perpetrator was taken into custody at around 2:30 p.m. the same day — approximately 13 hours after the police first responded on the scene. Although campus has now resumed normal operation, the shooting has left some students feeling unsafe — according to a Daily Lobo Instagram story post asking for UNM students’ thoughts on campus safety — and hoping UNM will do more to prevent such occurrences. Sophomore Roger Apodaca, wrote that he was sleeping in the dorm across from where the shooting occurred.

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The UNM shooting: what we know now

Jaden McKelvey-Francis | July 28

On Friday, July 25, there was a deadly shooting at the University of New Mexico’s main campus. The incident occurred in one of the rooms of the Casas Del Rio dormitory complex and resulted in the death of a 14-year-old boy and the injury of a 19-year-old in the room. After an hours-long manhunt, New Mexico State Police apprehended the suspect, 18-year-old John Fuentes. A group of four people, including Fuentes, the 19-year-old and 14-year-old, were playing video games in the dorm room. The fourth person said in court documents filed by state police that Fuentes appeared to be on drugs before the incident occurred. After the shooting had begun, the fourth person and 19-year-old, escaped through the dorm room window before eventually making their way to UNM Hospital.

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Video of Walmart ICE arrest sparks protest, city response

Leila Chapa and Paloma Chapa | July 28

On July 20, approximately 100 protesters picketed outside the Walmart on Coors Boulevard and Interstate 40, where Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers arrested a man around two weeks prior. A video of the incident shows masked immigration officers tasing a man as he screams for help. The man in the video is identified as 33-year-old Deivi Jose Molina-Pena, a delivery worker who came to the United States from Venezuela under Temporary Protected Status two years ago, according to Source NM. His current whereabouts within ICE custody remain unknown. A representative of Walmart, where the arrest took place, declined to comment on the incident, as well as national Walmart Media Relations.

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Dorm shooting leaves 1 dead, 1 injured

Jaden McKelvey-Francis | July 25

The University of New Mexico has issued a shelter-in-place order and closed its main campus after gunshots were reported near Casas del Rio early in the morning on Friday, July 25. Reporting officers found two victims, one dead and the other with non-life-threatening injuries. There is no information yet about what circumstances led to the shooting, according to Steve Carr, UNM’s director of communications.

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Artificial relationships are becoming real

Dylan Anthony | July 25

As generative artificial intelligence engines continue to increase in usage and sophistication, there have been growing numbers of headlines about people having romantic relationships with these models. In June, Chris Smith, a father living with his partner and their two-year-old daughter, made headlines after proposing to an artificial intelligence voice-based chatbot named “Sol” that he created using ChatGPT. Smith started using ChatGPT to mix music, but later trained the bot to help him with his hobbies and have a “flirty personality,” according to CBS Saturday Morning.

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Building of Lobo Retail Crossing Center begins on south campus

Dannely Verduzco | July 21

On June 30, University of New Mexico’s Board of Regents approved a land-transfer of 38-acres of University land that will become the Lobo Retail Crossing Center. The center seeks to provide students at Lobo Village and the surrounding areas, including the University’s sports arenas, with easy access to grocery stores, restaurants, and merchandise shops. The site was purchased by SimonCRE, a commercial real estate company based in Phoenix, Arizona. The site is located on the west side of University Boulevard, south of Sunshine Terrace and north of Gibson Boulevard, on the south campus of UNM.

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UNM trends toward reduced greenhouse gas emissions

Leila Chapa and Paloma Chapa | July 21

In 2007, former University of New Mexico President David Schmidly committed the University to eventual carbon neutrality by signing the American College and University President’s Climate Commitment, which led to the release of the Climate Action Plan in 2009. UNM committed to mapping the reduction of 80% of the Albuquerque campus 2006 emissions levels by 2030, according to the plan’s executive summary. With five years until 2030, UNM has reduced its greenhouse gas emissions from 2006 but has yet to meet its climate goals.

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Harvest Market soon to come to International District

Shin Thant Hlaing | July 21

Construction for an outdoor grower’s market coming to the International District has broken ground this summer with hopes of revitalizing the area. The project will be allocated approximately $1 million to support the market, which would feature vendors of produce and art. The funding for the project comes from City Councilor Nicole Rogers’ Government Obligation bond for 2025. A Government Obligation Bond is $1.5 million that a City Councilor has the ability to spend on a project of their choice.

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Ruidoso experiences record flooding, leaving 3 dead

Leila Chapa and Paloma Chapa | July 18

On July 8, Ruidoso experienced record flash flooding, with the Rio Ruidoso reaching a depth of 20.24 feet in 30 minutes, according to National Weather Service Albuquerque Meteorologist Michael Anand. Three people, including two children, died as a result of being caught in the floodwaters and carried downstream, according to the Village of Ruidoso. This year’s peak river depth is five feet higher than the previous record of 15.86 feet, set in 2024, which was three feet higher than the previous record of 12 feet, set in 2008, Anand said.

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United Graduate Workers, UNM continue negotiations over compensation, healthcare

Leila Chapa and Paloma Chapa | July 16

On Friday, July 11, several members of United Graduate Workers of the University of New Mexico attended their seventh bargaining session to negotiate with the University. The Union ratified its first collective bargaining agreement with UNM in December 2022, and a contract extension in November 2023, which expired in March 2025. Nicholás Chávez, a department of Spanish and Portuguese graduate student and media representative of the UGW Contract Action Team, said UGW is negotiating a new collective bargaining agreement. “(The collective bargaining agreement) is going to govern what our compensation is for assistantships, it's going to talk about what benefits we get, it’s going to talk about what kind of worker protections we get,” Chávez said.

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How Trump’s ‘One Big Beautiful Bill’ could impact health care for New Mexicans

Elliott Wood | July 14

On July 4, President Donald Trump signed into law the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, a bill that could have major impacts for the people of New Mexico. The bill’s major items include extending tax cuts from Trump’s first term as president, which were previously due to expire at the end of the year, modifying eligibility requirements for Medicaid enrollees, changes to SNAP benefits, changes to student-loan repayment options and increased funding for border security.

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Affordable Housing in Albuquerque; what’s being done

Shin Thant Hlaing | July 9

Lack of affordable housing is a modern-day hydra in many American cities — Albuquerque is no exception. In 2022, the median affordable home price for a renter with a median household income was $163,000. The median home price in Albuquerque that year was $315,000, 93% more than the median affordable home price, according to the City of Albuquerque’s Housing Needs Assessment. The causes of this crisis range from income not keeping up with rent or property prices to low supply of properties available to people, according to Housing New Mexico and the City of Albuquerque.

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UNM archive reveals decades of clergy abuse

Dylan Anthony | July 2

On June 7, the University of New Mexico’s Center for Southwest Research and Special Collections released the first portion of the Archdiocese of Santa Fe Institutional Abuse Collection. The documents include personnel files from 1968 to 2016 and depositions collected between 1991 and 2015. These materials show internal Church communications, reports of abuse and the response to decades of allegations from across the state.

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New Mexico National Guard starts assisting Albuquerque Police

Leila Chapa and Paloma Chapa | June 30

On June 5, the New Mexico National Guard began assisting the Albuquerque Police Department with administrative tasks, according to a statement from APD Director of Communications, Gilbert Gallegos. In a statement to the Daily Lobo, Gallegos said the National Guard is helping with “non-law enforcement duties,” including monitoring surveillance cameras at the Real Time Crime Center and helping with scene perimeters. National guard members will not be on the University of New Mexico campus because they are working solely with APD, not UNMPD, according to Gallegos.

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Trump administration cuts LGBTQ+ youth crisis hotline

Jaden McKelvey-Francis | June 25

On July 17, the Trump administration will be shutting down a national suicide and crisis hotline intended to assist LGBTQ+ youth, according to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. The service is provided as part of the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, and sometimes known as the press 3 option. It has routed nearly 1.3 million calls since its introduction in September 2022. The 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline will continue to operate without the subnetwork service. LGBTQ+ high school students are over three times more likely to have seriously considered suicide within the last year than cisgender and heterosexual students, according to the Centers for Disease Control’s 2023 Youth Risk Behavior Survey Data Summary and Trends Report.

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Hair braiders to be able to practice without a cosmetology license

Shin Thant Hlaing | June 20

Starting July 1, hair braiders will be exempt from the requirement of a cosmetology license to practice hair braiding due to the recently signed “Exempting Hair Braiding from Provisions of the Barbers and Cosmetologists Act.” Four State House Representatives — Rep. Janelle Anyanonu (D-Albuquerque), Rep. Harold Pope (D-Albuquerque), Rep. Patricia Roybal Caballero (D-Albuquerque) and Rep. Pamelya Herndon (D-Albuquerque) — sponsored the bill. The bill would open up the opportunity for many black people to start small businesses in New Mexico, stimulating the local economy, Herndon said.

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Thousands denounce Trump’s authoritarianism in ‘No Kings’ protest

Jaden McKelvey-Francis | June 16

On Saturday, June 14, a crowd of approximately 8,000 people braved the afternoon heat at Mariposa Basin Park to participate in a “No Kings” protest, organized by local groups including Albuquerque Indivisible and Third Act NM. The protest was part of a national movement of over 2,000 planned protests with over 5 million participants across the country, according to NPR. The protesters aimed to oppose what they see as an authoritarian turn by the Trump administration. The event occurred on the same day as a military parade in Washington, D.C., which celebrated the 250th anniversary of the U.S. Army and coincided with Trump’s 79th birthday. The protest included music, poetry and multiple speeches, which crowds listened to before commencing in a march around the park. Rep. Melanie Stansbury and Albuquerque Mayor Tim Keller delivered keynote addresses.

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Protesters walk in solidarity with ‘Palestinian right of return’

Leila Chapa and Paloma Chapa | June 16

On June 8, community members marched from the Rio Bravo Riverside Picnic Area to the Rail Yards Market to protest the Israeli blockade of all entrances to the Gaza Strip, where close to half a million people are facing acute malnutrition, starvation, illness and death as of May 12, according to the World Health Organization. Protesters carrying signs with scenes from the war in Gaza took one lane along with vehicles supplied with hydration and medical supplies. When the walk concluded at the Rail Yards Market, protesters confronted and questioned Albuquerque Mayor Tim Keller about Albuquerque's sister city relationship with Rehovot, Israel.

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Duck Pond to reopen in August

Shin Thant Hlaing | June 13

On Aug. 8, The University of New Mexico Duck Pond is expected to have its long-awaited grand opening that invites students into a lush and vibrant habitat teeming with aquatic life, according to UNM Facilities Design and Construction. The nine month long renovation project is expected to bring improvements in water quality, compliance with ADA guidelines and the return of most of the pond animals. The $4 million renovation project will keep character defining features — the shape of the pond, waterfall and fountains — unchanged from its 2006 condition, according to a Project Overview document provided to the Daily Lobo.