- Billionaire Richard Branson reaches space in his own ship
TRUTH OR CONSEQUENCES, N.M. (AP) — Thrill-seeking billionaire Richard Branson has reached space aboard his own winged rocket ship, bringing astro-tourism a step closer to reality. The feat vaults the nearly 71-year-old Branson past fellow billionaire and rival Jeff Bezos, who is planning to fly to space in a craft of his own nine days from now. Branson and five crewmates from his Virgin Galactic space tourism company reached an altitude of 53.5 miles (86 kilometers) over the New Mexico desert — enough to experience three to four minutes of weightlessness and see the curvature of the Earth — and then glided back home to a runway landing.
- Police investigate homicide at Albuquerque apartment complex
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — Police in Albuquerque say they are investigating a homicide on the city's southeast side. They say officers responded around 5 p.m. Saturday to a shooting at an apartment complex. Police found a man who had been shot. He was transported to the hospital where he died from his injury. The names and age of the victim haven't been released yet. Police say it's still unclear what led up to the shooting. There was no immediate word of any suspects in the case.
- 2 shot, 1 fatally in Albuquerque; officer slightly injured
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — Shots fired across a downtown Albuquerque street killed one person and wounded another early Saturday and a police officer driving through the area was slightly injured, apparently by glass fragments when a bullet hit his vehicle's windshield. No identities or information on a possible motive were released and no immediate arrest was made. The wounded person was reported to be in stable condition. Police appealed to the public for information on the suspect or suspects. They also asked business owners to provide surveillance video of the 2:30 a.m. shooting. Police Chief Harold Medina said the officer was "in good spirits but obviously shaken up."
- Deputy shoots, kills man after fatal stabbing of mother
SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — Authorities say a man was shot and killed by a Santa Fe County sheriff's deputy during an encounter after the fatally stabbing of the man's mother. The New Mexico State Police identified the man killed Wednesday as 45-year-old Edward Daniel Santana and his mother as 67-year-old Delia Cervantes. According to the State Police, when deputies responded to a reported domestic dispute at a home north of Santa Fe, they found Cervantes lying on a patio bench and they then had an encounter with Santana that led to the shooting. The State Police said Cervantes died at a hospital.
- Navajo Nation's largest casino prepares to reopen to public
FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (AP) — The largest of the Navajo Nation casinos is preparing to reopen for the first time since the coronavirus pandemic began. The Twin Arrows Resort Casino east of Flagstaff has been closed since March 2020. Officials have planned a job fair Saturday ahead of the Monday reopening. The casino will have limited hours and a 50% occupancy level for now. Tribal President Jonathan Nez recently signed legislation that allows visitors to travel on the reservation, paving the way for the casino to reopen. Casino patrons will be required to wear masks and have their temperatures checked. The tribe on Saturday reported 13 additional cases.
- New Mexico GOP seeks legal intervention on $1.75B budget row
SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — Republican lawmakers in New Mexico are asking the state attorney general to weigh in on a $1.75 billion spending dispute. Democratic Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham vetoed the Legislature's allocations of the federal pandemic relief money earlier this year, saying it should be distributed by her administration. Democratic Attorney General Hector Balderas was asked to intervene after Republican lawmakers fell short in an attempt to override the governor's veto. Albuquerque Senate Democrat Jacob Candelaria also supported the veto override. He says his colleagues in the Democratic majorities of the House and Senate have a "fair weather commitment to the law."
- University of New Mexico won't require COVID-19 vaccinations
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — The University of New Mexico says it will continue to encourage that students, faculty and staff get vaccinated against COVID-19 before returning to campus in August for the fall semester but no longer plans to require it. University President Garnett Stokes said in an email that vaccinations are key to stopping the spread of the coronavirus and that the university is working toward a 100% vaccination rate. However, the university noted in a statement Thursday that the vaccine remains under emergency use authorization by the federal government. The university previously proposed a vaccine requirement and posted a draft policy on its website.
- EXPLAINER: How Richard Branson will ride own rocket to space
Virgin Galactic is about to become the first rocket company to launch the boss to space. Richard Branson will strap into one of his sleek, shiny space planes on Sunday for a brief up-and-down ride to the edge of space. He'll join five company employees for the test flight from New Mexico. It will be the company's fourth trip to space. The 70-year-old founder of the Virgin Group assigned himself to his company's first full-scale space crew, jumping ahead of Blue Origin's Jeff Bezos by nine days. Bezos' liftoff is set for July 20 from West Texas.