- VIRUS OUTBREAK-NEW MEXICO
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — More than 6,500 New Mexico businesses and nonprofits will receive up to $50,000 under a state program created to help companies cope with the economic fallout from the coronavirus pandemic. The Albuquerque Journal reports that's about half of the companies that applied. The program uses $100 million of federal coronavirus relief funds allocated to the state. Marquita Russel, who runs the state agency that administers the program, says she expected to receive roughly 10,000 applications. The agency received over 14,000. In all, 6,530 applications were funded, which comprises about 46% of all applicants.
- INSULIN PRICES-CAP
SEATTLE (AP) — Many Washington residents with diabetes will have an easier time affording insulin this year, as a law imposes a $100 cap on patient copayments. The law applies to any health-care plan issued or renewed after Jan. 1 that covers insulin drugs. It includes language to protect people who have "high deductible" insurance from paying more than $100 per 30-day supply. The law was approved by the Washington Legislature in March to ease a crisis that can lead to medical complications. Studies show an estimated-one quarter of patients ration the medication because of cost or difficulty obtaining steady supplies.
- DRY SOUTHWEST
FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (AP) — National Weather Service forecasters say they're still looking at the data for 2020 but that it's clear that there was record or near-record dryness in much of the Southwest last year. In Arizona, Flagstaff had only 9.59 inches of rain in 2020, compared with the normal amount of 21.86 inches. Flagstaff's previous record low of 9.90 inches in 1942. In New Mexico, the weather service office in Albuquerque reported that the statewide average precipitation through November was only 5.22 inches. That was 8.03 inches below normal and put the state on track to make 2020 the fourth driest year on record.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-TRIBES-VACCINE TRIALS
Fast rollout of virus vaccine trials reveals tribal distrust
FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (AP) — Few Native American tribes have signed up to participate in clinical trials as coronavirus vaccines are developed. The reasons range from suspicion and distrust tied to unethical practices of the past to the quick nature of the studies, which typically may need several layers of approval from tribes. Researchers say that without participation from Native Americans, tribes won't know which vaccine might best be suited for their citizens. About a handful of tribes have agreed to allow researchers to enroll their citizens in vaccine trials, including in the Southwest and Pacific Northwest. They point to a need to slow the virus among a population that's been disproportionately affected.
- VIRUS OUTBREAK-NAVAJO NATION
WINDOW ROCK, Ariz. (AP) — The Navajo Nation has reported 266 additional known cases of COVID-19 and seven more deaths. The figures reported late Friday increased the tribe's totals since the pandemic began to 23,429 cases and 813 deaths. The number of infections is thought to be far higher than reported because many people have not been tested, and studies suggest people can be infected with the virus without feeling sick. The tribe's reservation was under a 57-hour weekend lockdown that began Friday evening and will end Monday at 5 a.m. The reservation includes parts of Arizona, New Mexico and Utah.
ELECTORAL COLLEGE-NEW MEXICO
New Mexico's Herrell to object to Electoral College results
ROSWELL, N.M. (AP) — U.S. Rep.-elect Yvette Herrell of New Mexico says she'll be among Republican members of Congress who will formally object on Wednesday to the certification of the Electoral College tally of votes. The Roswell Daily Record reports that Herrell said Thursday on her Facebook page that she would vote against certifying the Electoral College results in which President-elect Joe Biden defeated President Donald Trump. Herrell is set to be sworn into office on Sunday, three days before House and Senate hold a joint session to certify the vote results. Trump has attributed his defeat to widespread voter fraud, despite nonpartisan election officials saying there wasn't any.
- INMATE MEDICAL MARIJUANA USE
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — A judge in Albuquerque has ruled this week that the Bernalillo County Metropolitan Detention Center should not penalize medical marijuana patients under its custody or supervision for using the drug. District Court Judge Lucy Solimon said the order, issued Tuesday, applies specifically to the Albuquerque facility. Spokeswoman Julia Rivera said the jail would comply with the ruling. The decision stems from a drunken driving case where Joe Montaño, who was sentenced to house arrest in October 2019, was jailed for having medical marijuana as a licensed patient. County attorneys said he violated federal laws. His attorney Jacob Candelaria argued licensed inmates should not be penalized.
- GRIZZLY BEARS-RECOVERY PLANS
JACKSON, Wyo. (AP) — A federal judge has ruled that an environmental group has no legal standing to challenge the specific components of endangered species recovery plans. The ruling last week came in a 2014 petition by the Center for Biological Diversity that asked federal wildlife officials to update a recovery plan for threatened grizzly bears. It also asked the agency's plans to take into account updated information from new research. U.S. District Judge Dana Christensen ruled that recovery plans are guidelines for the agency and not rules that can be challenged in court.