By Kevin Hendricks Alamogordo residents came to Tuesday’s town hall carrying their PNM bills. Some were double their usual amount, some triple, and one topped $1,900. They wanted state regulators to explain how the utility arrived at those numbers. The New Mexico Public Regulation Commission hosted the two-hour town hall at the Sgt. Willie Estrada […]
Statewide News
Posted inEnvironment, Conservation & Climate
Rain check: State forester lifts fire restrictions after soggy September
By Kevin Hendricks, The Paper A soggy September just bought New Mexicans a rain check. The state forester lifted restrictions on campfires, smoking, fireworks and open burning Monday morning after late-season storms knocked down the wildfire threat. State Forester Laura McCarthy’s order ends restrictions in place since April 6 on state and private land outside […]
Posted inEnvironment, Conservation & Climate
Polo match: Hurricane leftovers square off with an already-soaked New Mexico
By Kevin Hendricks, The Paper New Mexicans who spent last week wringing out their socks should keep the towels handy. Moisture from Hurricane Polo is rolling north this week, and it’s bringing flash flood risk to nearly every corner of the state. Polo is forecast to hit Baja California Sur Monday night as a Category […]
Posted inEnvironment, Conservation & Climate
Estimated bills, real frustration: Regulation commission brings PNM meter-reading mess to Alamogordo
By Kevin Hendricks If your PNM bill lately looks more like an educated guess than a meter reading, state regulators want to hear about it, in person, in Alamogordo. The New Mexico Public Regulation Commission will host a community town hall from noon to 2 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 29, at the Sgt. Willie Estrada Memorial […]
Posted inStatewide News
Potential $219 billion penalty: Jury finds Meta misled New Mexicans 43.9 million times
By Kevin Hendricks In 2010, Mark Zuckerberg told Facebook users, “We do not and never will sell any of your information to anyone.” A Santa Fe jury didn’t buy it. Jurors in state District Court found Friday that Meta Platforms Inc., formerly Facebook Inc., willfully violated New Mexico’s Unfair Practices Act 43,899,720 times by misleading […]
Posted inFederal Government & Congress
U.S. Rep. Teresa Leger Fernández wants New Mexico to hit pause on data centers
By Jesse Jones, The Paper. — U.S. Rep. Teresa Leger Fernández wants New Mexico to hit pause on new data centers, saying Thursday that companies should first prove they can protect the state’s water, keep electricity costs from passing onto families and bring jobs and benefits to local communities. In a press release, Leger Fernández […]
Posted inHousing & Homelessness
Pennies for the poorest: Only 1% of state housing dollars target New Mexicans most in need
By Kevin Hendricks, New Mexico Political Report — New Mexico has poured $524 million into housing since 2022, but households with the lowest incomes get about a penny of every income-restricted dollar. The state also can’t consistently say what the rest bought, according to a Legislative Finance Committee report presented Tuesday in Las Cruces. This […]
The Paper.
New Mexico wants FEMA to pay for years of wildfire recovery costs
By Jesse Jones, The Paper. — Years after the largest wildfire in New Mexico history, the National Guard is still helping northern New Mexico communities respond to flooding across the burn scar. Now, the state wants FEMA to pay millions for that work. The New Mexico Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management sued the […]
Posted inStatewide News
Letter to the Editor: Presbyterian’s abandonment of Medicare Advantage is an opportunity for seniors, but Universal Healthcare is a better solution
Submitted by Judith Gordon, Bernalillo Presbyterian’s decision to drop Medicare Advantage plans in 2027 disrupts many seniors’ coverage—but creates an important opportunity. Medicare Advantage plans attract seniors with low premiums and extra benefits such as dental and vision coverage. Yet those advantages can come at a cost. Because Medicare Advantage is private insurance, it shares […]
Posted inPolitics & Elections
Haaland’s eight-point plan takes aim at New Mexico’s data center boom
By Jesse Jones, The Paper. — New Mexico’s data center boom could drive up electricity rates for residents while putting more pressure on the state’s water supply. Democratic gubernatorial candidate Deb Haaland announced her support for a statewide moratorium on new large-scale data centers as electricity demand grows and drought persists. Speaking Thursday at the […]
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