Gabriel Biadora

News

Autopsy and footage reveals MDC inmate’s circumstances of death

Gabriel Biadora and Shelby Kleinhans | August 23

On Jan. 31, Joleen Nez, a Native American woman who was cited for the petty misdemeanor of public littering in 2020, was pronounced dead due to the toxic effects of methamphetamine according to an autopsy report filed by the Office of the Medical Investigator. As reported in the Daily Lobo in February, Nez was cited in April of last year after she kicked over a cup and bowl at the intersection of Texas Street and Zuni Road and refused to pick up and throw away the cup — although she did throw away the bowl — according to the criminal complaint completed by Officer Preston Panana. Body camera footage shows an officer giving Nez the citation at the intersection after a verbal altercation with another individual that four officers witnessed.

Culture

OPINION: A Filipino’s modern journey to Independence Day

Gabriel Biadora | June 10

Philippines Independence Day on June 12 not only commemorates the day the nation was declared as independent from Spanish colonial rule, but also serves as a continual reminder of the struggle for the liberation of Filipinos in America. My family settled into New Mexico in 2008, when I was in third grade. My mom had been living in the state for three years already, working as a nurse, but my dad was still waiting on his visa before he could come to the mainland from Saipan, an island 120 miles north of Guam.

Culture

OPINION: New ‘Conjuring’ film is just not that scary

Gabriel Biadora | June 6

The latest installment to the “Conjuring” series, “The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It,” is not inventive, nor does it instill any profound sense of terror for the viewer, which is essential for any good horror movie. This film, the seventh in the canon, does not offer anything new to its own mythos or to the supernatural horror genre, though it’s definitely not without a few positive moments. With perhaps vain optimism, I have been chasing that terrifying high that was the first “Conjuring” movie, which came out nearly seven years ago. But this film failed to meet the standards of its predecessors and my own expectations.

Culture

From Shakespeare to journalism, Daniel Ward graduates with two degrees and an unforgettable experience at UNM

Gabriel Biadora and Tina Memarian | May 9

While the Daily Lobo editors were finishing their issues on print night, former Culture Editor Daniel Ward would finish early and recite Shakespeare across the hall, manifesting both his reporter and thespian sides to life. With a double major in English and in journalism, Ward is stepping out into the professional world to pursue his love of acting and writing. Ward is continuing from the Daily Lobo having completed a successful career as a senior reporter and a prominent tenure as editor of the culture desk. Ward originally sought out journalism as a means of infusing his passion for writing and connecting with people. Media journalism was also a way to support his pursuit towards a career in the film industry.

News

Governor legalizes recreational marijuana statewide

Gabriel Biadora and Maddie Pukite | April 12

On April 12, Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham signed legislation legalizing adult recreational cannabis use and authorizing the expungement of some cannabis convictions. “This legislation is a major, major step forward for our state. Legalized adult-use cannabis is going to change the way we think about New Mexico for the better — our workforce, our economy, our future,” Lujan Grisham said in a statement released on Monday.

News

Yes we cannabis!

Gabriel Biadora and Maddie Pukite | April 1

SANTA FE — On March 31, the New Mexico State Legislature legalized recreational cannabis after a contentious vote of 23-19 in the Senate, after decades of failed attempts. House Bill 2 (HB 2) passed on the Senate floor around 8 p.m. during a special session prompted by the Governor after legalization efforts failed during the Regular Session. The bill advanced after Legislators killed its competing bill, Senate Bill 3 (SB 3), in committee. New Mexico will soon be the 18th state to legalize recreational cannabis, following New York which passed a legalization bill earlier this week. The bill is now at Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham’s desk, where it is expected to be signed into law.

News

Cannabis legalization hits another pothole in NM Legislature

Gabriel Biadora | March 22

New Mexico will have to wait for its turn in the proverbial smoke session after the Cannabis Regulation Act (House Bill 12) failed to be heard on the Senate floor before the 2021 legislative session ended at noon on March 20. In response to yet another failure to join the growing number of states allowing recreational marijuana use, Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham is set to call a special session for “roughly March 31” to specifically address legalization efforts, according to an official press release sent out two hours after the session ended.

News

‘Enough APD terror:’ Protesters call for abolition over reform

Gabriel Biadora | March 5

On Friday, Feb. 26, local activists and community members gathered at the Albuquerque Police Department’s downtown headquarters to march for the abolishment of the heavily scrutinized force. They stood on the police department’s steps as they delivered their speeches to a crowd of about 70 people. The demonstration took place nine years to the day after Trayvon Martin was killed by neighborhood watch coordinator George Zimmerman and was organized by Fight For Our Lives Albuquerque (FFOL) — a local youth-led organization — All African People’s Revolutionary Party, Power Through Peace, Save the Kids from Incarceration and Allied People's Coalition. Jennifer Marley, of the Indigenous liberation organization Red Nation, recounted the 2014 police killing of James Boyd and castigated APD’s consistent brutalization of people of color and marginalized populations.

News

Unhoused woman cited for littering dies in MDC custody

Gabriel Biadora and Shelby Kleinhans | February 16

Ten months ago, Joleen Nez was accused of the crime of improper trash disposal in a southeast Albuquerque neighborhood. The petty charge ultimately cost Nez her life. Nez, an unhoused Native American woman, was cited, released and issued a criminal summons for the petty misdemeanor of littering on public property by officer Preston Panana of the Albuquerque Police Department on April 16, 2020. The original complaint filed by Panana said that Nez was issued a civil citation for kicking over a cup and bowl at the intersection of Texas Street and Zuni Road and refusing to pick up and throw away the cup "after (Nez) was given several opportunities to pick up her litter." On Jan. 30, 2021, Nez died in Bernalillo County Metropolitan Detention Center custody.

News

Police use of force accountability bill resurfaces at Roundhouse

Gabriel Biadora | February 3

As the 55th session of the New Mexico Legislature picks up steam, state lawmakers have introduced a number of police reform bills. One of note is the return of a bill that would provide reporting mechanisms to investigate police officers after their use of “deadly force” on an individual that leads to great bodily harm or death. Senate Bill 274, introduced on Feb. 1 by Sen. Antoinette Sedillo Lopez, aims to reform police accountability laws after a surge in public calls to reduce violent activity by law enforcement. There were 16 fatal police shootings in New Mexico in 2020, according to a database compiled by the Washington Post.