Lauren Lifke - The Daily Lobo

News

‘It’s Joever’: Biden drops out of the presidential race

Lauren Lifke , Lily Alexander and Addison Fulton | July 22

On Sunday, July 21, President Joe Biden stepped down from his position as the 2024 presidential Democratic nominee. Shortly after the announcement, Biden endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris as the new nominee. “It has been the greatest honor of my life to serve as your president. And while it has been my intention to seek reelection, I believe it is in the best interest of my party and the country for me to stand down and to focus solely on fulfilling my duties as President for the remainder of my term,” Biden wrote in a statement posted to X.

News

The history of incumbent presidents dropping out of the race

Lauren Lifke | July 22

On Sunday, July 21, President Joe Biden announced that he will not seek reelection in November. This is the closest to an election that a United States incumbent president has ever dropped out of a race for reelection, and the first time it has happened since 1968. Only six other U.S. presidents have not sought a second term, according to Britannica. Out of those, two dropped out of the race within a year of the end of their terms, according to the Kansas City Star.

News

NMSUPD uses body-cameras; UNMPD doesn’t

Lauren Lifke and Lily Alexander | March 4

The New Mexico State University Police Department has been utilizing body-worn cameras since 2011. The University of New Mexico Police Department has not. NMSUPD began using body-worn cameras in response to industry standards and best nationwide law enforcement practices, according to Justin Dunivan, Deputy Chief of NMSUPD. “This program has been a great success for our department,” Dunivan said.

News

College affirmative consent bill heads to governor’s desk

Lauren Lifke and Lily Alexander | February 19

The New Mexico Senate passed an amended bill Tuesday, Feb. 13 that would require state-funded colleges to include affirmative consent in their policies and procedures on sexual activity. House Bill 151, sponsored by Rep. Elizabeth Thomson (D) and four other House Democrats, defines affirmative consent as “affirmative, conscious and voluntary agreement to engage in sexual activity.” Affirmative consent cannot be given by a party who is unconscious or incapacitated, cannot be implied or assumed and can be revoked at any time, according to the bill. “With this, I’m hoping that particularly women – but everyone – realizes that their body belongs to them. They don’t owe anybody anything. Taking you out for dinner doesn’t mean you owe them sex. Being their girlfriend doesn’t mean you owe them sex,” Thomson said.

Opinion

Ask the editors: How do you show love to your loved ones?

Katrina Estrada , Lauren Lifke , Karina Bolaños , Lily Alexander , Maddie Pukite and Kelsa Mendoza | February 16

With another Valentine's Day week coming to a close, we find chocolate wrappers tossed in trash cans and roses slowly drying under the sun. Six editors at the Daily Lobo came together to reflect on how we show love to those around us. Time shared over a meal As someone whose primary love language is quality time, I let the people in my life know that I love them by existing around them as much as I can. Having the ability to exist in the same space as another person without feeling anxious, performative or uncomfortable is precious.

News

Taylor Swift incident draws attention to AI-generated pornography

Lauren Lifke | February 12

Since the rise of Artificial Intelligence and ChatGPT’s release in 2022, victims have been targeted by pornographic AI-generated images that have, in some cases, circulated on social media websites like X, formerly Twitter. Deepfakes are videos or images in which a person’s “face or body has been digitally altered so that they appear to be someone else, typically used maliciously or to spread false information,” according to Oxford Languages. Recently, these have risen in the form of pornographic images. In late January, pornographic AI-generated images of Taylor Swift started to circulate the internet and gained thousands of views on X, according to the Associated Press. Mary Rice, associate professor of literacy at the University of New Mexico, specializes in AI’s role in education. The Swift incident was not a random act that sprung up on its own, Rice said.

News

LoboAlert issued for traffic following stabbing

Lauren Lifke and Lily Alexander | February 5

On Friday, Jan. 26, a stabbing occurred inside the Golden Pride restaurant on Lomas Blvd. N.E. near the University of New Mexico campus. The UNM Police Department issued a LoboAlert for traffic following the incident. Employee Ethan Sheppard reportedly stabbed his coworker, an adult male, at about 1:45 p.m. while they were both working. The victim was transported to UNM Hospital and later died from his injuries, according to an Albuquerque Police Department news release. UNM Police Department issued a LoboAlert at 6:25 p.m. advising the campus community of police presence in the area. A second alert was issued at 10:45 p.m. advising that APD had cleared the area.

News

New dinosaur unlocked

Lauren Lifke and Lily Alexander | January 22

Researchers have put a name to a dinosaur fossil discovered in New Mexico in the 1980s, identifying a new species of Tyrannosaurus that pre-dates the T. rex. The findings were published Jan. 11 in the Scientific Reports journal. New Mexico Museum of Natural History & Science Curator of Paleontology, Spencer Lewis, and the museum’s executive director, Anthony Fiorillo, both are co-authors on the study. The identification of Tyrannosaurus mcraeensis changes what paleontologists previously understood about the geographical origin of the T. rex. The standing idea, Lucas said, is the T. rex originated in Asia and immigrated over a land bridge to get to North America.

Culture

Sarah Maurice strives to give back using her passion for engineering

Lauren Lifke | December 11

After seven semesters, Computer Engineering student Sarah Maurice graduates this month from the University of New Mexico with a bachelor’s degree, an internship at Intel and enough credits to earn her master’s degree by 2024. “Engineering gives me the opportunity to give back to the community and to help in a way that I can make a positive impact,” Maurice said. Maurice’s interest in engineering stems from her goal to use biomedical engineering to increase accessibility to prosthetics after handling the insurance and cost of her own following the loss of her leg in 2010.

News

Possible fentanyl pill left in student apartment after break-in

Lauren Lifke and Lily Alexander | December 6

An unidentified suspect broke into a Student Residence Center apartment Nov. 23, leaving behind a possible fentanyl pill and miscellaneous items, according to a State of New Mexico Uniform Incident Report. The suspect returned to the scene while a University of New Mexico police officer was present, but fled and was not caught, according to the report. No Lobo Advisory or LoboAlert was issued. "We have the LoboAlert system which – if it works as it is meant to work – there would have been a notice about this happening," Juan Camilo Gómez said – the resident who reported the burglary.