- AMERICA PROTESTS-NEW MEXICO
SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — Crews in Santa Fe have removed a statue of a Spanish territorial governor from a city park amid a national debate over the appropriateness of monuments and other markers that recognize historical figures. The statue of Don Diego de Vargas was taken down Thursday morning ahead of a planned protest. In addition to the de Vargas statue, Mayor Alan Webber is calling for the removal of two other monuments that many Native Americans find offensive. The mayor also promised to revive a commission that will evaluate every statue and monument in the centuries-old city.
- VIRUS OUTBREAK-NEW MEXICO
LAS CRUCES, N.M. (AP) — New Mexico State University is rolling out plans for students, faculty and staff as they prepare to return to campus in the fall. The document released this week outlines the steps the university will take to ensure what officials said would be a welcoming and functioning campus environment when classes begin Aug. 19. University officials say the plan is a living document and can be updated as more is learned about the novel coronavirus and as best practices evolve. The university planned a town hall for Thursday afternoon. The number of positive tests in New Mexico surpassed 10,000 on Wednesday.
- SPECIAL SESSION-NEW MEXICO
SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — The New Mexico Legislature is meeting for the first time since the coronavirus pandemic struck in a special session to shore up state finances. House lawmakers began their session with a moment of silence for people who have died from COVID-19. Democratic House speaker Brian Egolf described an urgent need for a clear framework for economic recovery and said other proposed legislation is designed to uncover and uproot institutional racism. Lawmakers are confronting a 25% decline in estimated state government income for the coming budget year. Solvency proposals would diminish but not do away with increased spending on public salaries, education and heath care.
- SUPREME COURT-IMMIGRATION-EXPLAINER
PHOENIX (AP) — The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled President Donald Trump improperly ended the program that protects immigrants brought to the country as children and allows them to legally work, effectively rescuing the roughly 650,000 people enrolled in Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals. The Supreme Court didn't say Trump can't end the program, just that his administration went about it the wrong way. Now, his administration will have to decide whether to keep it or dismantle it another way. There have been many efforts to pass legislation that would provide legal status and a path to citizenship for Dreamers, but even bipartisan plans have fallen flat.
- VIRUS OUTBREAK-EDUCATION FUNDING
SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — New Mexico's latest oil bust and the economic consequences of the coronavirus pandemic have gutted the state's coffers. While education has always been a priority for lawmakers, the Legislature now faces an impossible challenge of boosting teacher pay and preserving the funding pipeline for landmark efforts to expand learning opportunities for more students. The legislative special session begins Thursday. The stakes are enormous for New Mexico children, who are grappling with coronavirus shutdown and endemic poverty in a state that ranks near-last in most academic achievement measures. The state also is under a court order to ensure adequate resources for all students.
- AP-US-SUPREME-COURT-IMMIGRATION-VIGNETTES
PHOENIX (AP) — The U.S. Supreme Court has kept alive, for now, the Obama-era program that allows immigrants brought here as children to work and protects them from deportation. The high court on Thursday ruled that the Trump administration attempted to end the program improperly when it announced it was rescinding it in 2017. Since then, only people who were already enrolled in the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program have been able to stay on board, and no new applicants have been accepted. About 650,000 people have DACA protections. Here are six from around the country.
- AP-US-POOR-PEOPLE'S-CAMPAIGN
RIO RANCHO, N.M. (AP) — An anti-poverty coalition is scheduled to hold a virtual march as part of the Poor People's Campaign to highlight the plight of struggling U.S. residents. The Mass Poor People's Assembly & Moral March on Washington is slated for Saturday. Modeled after the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.'s last organizing effort in 1968, the new campaign seeks to bring the issue of poverty to the American consciousness. Organizers say poor coal miners from Kentucky and San Carlos Apache tribal members from Arizona will speak about their experiences during the live-streamed gathering.
- AMERICA PROTESTS-CONQUISTADOR
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — Prosecutors in Albuquerque, New Mexico, say an investigation into a shooting during a protest over a statue of a Spanish conquistador is far from complete, and they are amending charges against a man accused of opening fire after a fight broke out. District Attorney Raúl Torrez said Wednesday it's too soon to pursue a charge related to the shooting because investigators still need to identify witnesses, verify video of the incident and gather more evidence. Prosecutors are instead charging Steven Baca with battery for his interactions with three women and a weapons charge. An attorney for Baca said his client had no choice but to defend himself using force.