By Nicolás Rivers — Scientists have long known that making plastic warms the planet. But plastic may be heating the Earth even more than we realized, according to a report released Wednesday. The Plastics & Climate Project, a nonprofit research group that studies how plastic contributes to climate change, analyzed hundreds of published research papers […]
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EPA plans to weaken rule curbing forever chemicals in drinking water
By Amudalat Ajasa — The Environmental Protection Agency announced Wednesday that it plansto rescind and reconsider limits on four “forever chemicals” under a landmark drinking water standard implemented last year by President Joe Biden. The drinking water rules were adopted as part of the Biden administration’s efforts to limit public exposure to per- and polyfluoroalkyl […]
Budget crunch time
By Rodd Cayton Albuquerque City Councilors continue to work through building a spending plan for fiscal year 2026. They’ll get more scrutinous after Thursday evening as they fine-tune adjustments to Mayor Tim Keller’s $1.5 billion proposed budget. All nine councilors make up the budget-focused Committee of the Whole. The overall budget, including all revenue sources, […]
New bicycle safety law takes effect July 1 in New Mexico
New Mexico is set to implement a new bicycle safety law aimed at enhancing cyclist safety and promoting sustainable transportation. Senate Bill 73, passed during the 2025 legislative session and signed into law by Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham in March, introduces the “Idaho stop” law to New Mexico, allowing cyclists to treat stop signs as […]
County ethics board finds hiring of former clerk violated rules. But there isn’t much they can do about it.
By Rodd Cayton A board looking into the Bernalillo County Treasurer’s Office Tuesday found Linda Stover broke county ethics rules when she accepted a deputy treasurer position the day after her term as county clerk ended. However, the Code of Conduct Review Board noted the matter is in state district court and clarified that its […]
Rio Rancho retains March elections and Voter ID after ordinance fails
By Kevin Hendricks March municipal elections and voter identification requirements will remain in place in Rio Rancho after the Governing Body voted against eliminating them and opting into statewide elections at its May 8 meeting. Ordinance 13 failed in a 3-3 tie vote following public opposition. The power of the people was on full display […]
Proposed GOP cuts could jeopardize SNAP users, farmers and state budgets
By Mariana Alfaro, Daniel Wu — The federal government has fully paid for benefits under the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program since it was created in 1939 as a way to fight food insecurity amid the Great Depression. But now, Republicans in Congress are looking into forcing states to pay for 5 to 25 percent of […]
What’s in Trump and Republicans’ giant tax and immigration bill?
By Jacob Bogage — New tax cuts. Massive spending on border security. Cuts to social safety net programs. Pullbacks on investments to fight climate change. New limits on student loans. If it becomes law, President Donald Trump and congressional Republicans’ massive bill will reshape much of the federal government – and the U.S. economy. GOP […]
New Mexico election report shows smooth operation, identifies areas for improvement
Staff report A nonpartisan election observation effort recently finalized a full report on findings gathered during early voting and on election day last year. The report by Observe New Mexico Elections (ONME) indicates a successful election on November 5, 2024, with votes counted, polls opening and closing on time, and equipment functioning properly. ONME, a […]
White House fires head of Copyright Office amid Library of Congress shakeup
(c) 2025 , The Washington Post · Kyle Melnick, Hannah Natanson, NATIONAL, POLITICS, May 11, 2025 — The White House fired the head of the U.S. Copyright Office on Saturday, according to an email acting librarian of Congress Robert Newlen sent to his staff. Shira Perlmutter, the register of copyrights and director of the Copyright Office, was terminated […]