- Uncovering boarding school history makes for monumental task
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — The U.S. Interior Department is embarking on a massive undertaking to uncover the troubled legacy left by Indigenous boarding schools. Over more than a century, the schools represented a systematic attempt by the federal government, church groups and others to assimilate Indigenous youth into white society. The challenges of identifying the schools, students and their tribes and possible burial sites for children who died while attending the schools are immense. Records are scattered across the country and in some cases have been lost or destroyed. Some advocates are pushing for the establishment of a federal commission that would be dedicated to investigating the schools.
- Navajo Nation reports 16 new COVID-19 cases and 1 more death
WINDOW ROCK, Ariz. (AP) — The Navajo Nation on Wednesday reported 16 new COVID-19 cases and one more death. The figures released by the Navajo Department of Health brought the total number of cases on the vast reservation to 31,132 since the pandemic began. The death toll now is at 1,362. The Navajo Nation recently relaxed restrictions to allow visitors to travel on the reservation and visit popular attractions like Canyon de Chelly and Monument Valley. The reservation is the country's largest at 27,000 square miles (70,000 square kilometers) and it covers parts of Arizona, New Mexico and Utah. While cases are down, Navajo leaders are urging residents to continue wearing masks and get vaccinated.
- New Mexico officials: Pandemic is not over, vaccine is key
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — New Mexico's top public health officials say that while businesses are open and restrictions have been lifted, the coronavirus pandemic is not over. They said during a briefing Wednesday that they're carefully watching the spread of the more-contagious delta variant. Human Services Secretary Dr. David Scrase said New Mexico is in a good position given that nearly two-thirds of residents over 18 have been fully vaccinated. He noted that those states seeing the biggest increase in new cases also have lower vaccination rates. Still, Scrase said there are many unknowns and he couldn't predict what effect the variant will have on hospitalization and death rates.
- FBI agent serving warrant wounded in shootout in Albuquerque
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — Authorities say an FBI agent has been wounded during a shootout Wednesday that left another man dead in northeast Albuquerque. An FBI spokesman says the agent was wearing a bulletproof vest that has struck by gunfire and is expected to survive. The agent was serving a warrant related to a violent crime investigation and trying to make an arrest when the shootout occurred in an alleyway behind the strip mall. The other man was declared dead at the scene. FBI officials didn't identify the injured agent or the man killed and declined to say if any other suspects were detained or involved.
- Opera returns to open-air desert theater with diverse cast
SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — The Santa Fe Opera is back at its open-air theater in the high desert of New Mexico. The first performance over the weekend included an unmasked cast and a masked audience. State restrictions on performances and crowds lifted last month, but the opera house is still playing it safe. The performance of "The Marriage of Figaro" was sold out, with some seats empty for distancing. Rehearsals are taking place with masks, another layer of difficulty for opera singers belting challenging music at Santa Fe's high altitude. Operas around the world are wrestling with ongoing COVID-19 safety concerns and labor negotiations.
- Autopsy: Teenage girl died from dog attack on Navajo Nation
FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (AP) — An autopsy confirms that a 13-year-old girl was killed by a pack of dogs while taking a walk near her family's home on the Navajo Nation. Medical examiners say Lyssa Rose Upshaw had extensive injuries that were consistent with canine teeth marks. The autopsy was released this week in response to a public records request from The Associated Press. Upshaw's death on May 16 in Fort Defiance was classified as accidental. It has sparked renewed discussion about penalties for vicious dog attacks on the reservation. At least a handful of deaths on the Navajo Nation have been blamed on dog attacks, and countless other people have been injured.
- Numbers explain how and why West bakes, burns and dries out
The US West is getting hit with a triple whammy of record heat, megadrought and wildfires — and just a handful of numbers explains the how and why of this wild and deadly weather. A potential all-time record or two may have been set in Death Valley. June was the hottest on record. And less than 1% of the West is not in drought or abnormally dry. Summers in the West have warmed by 2.7 degrees in just 30 years. In 20 years the number of acres burned by wildfire has doubled on average. Scientists say this is climate change in action.
- State paid $1.5M to show logo during Virgin Galactic flight
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — New Mexico spent $1.5 million to advertise the state during the Virgin Galactic space launch Sunday. KOV-TV reports that the state paid the money to display New Mexico's logo on video of the flight. A third of the money came from a $500,000 special appropriation by the New Mexico Legislature to market and promote the state during the flight. Tourism Department spokesman Cody Johnson said the rest came from the department's budget. The flight saw Virgin Galactic founder Richard Branson briefly rocket into space aboard the company's winged space plane for the first time.