Tribes Have High Hopes As Haaland Confirmation Hearing Nears - By Felicia Fonseca Associated Press Deb Haaland has stood with fellow tribal members in protesting an oil pipeline, advocating for protecting cultural landmarks and criticizing destruction of Native American sites near the U.S.-Mexico border.

Recent surveys show that the U.S. Latino population is skeptical and mistrusts the COVID-19 vaccine, with nearly 30% saying they are unlikely to get it. University of New Mexico Political Science professor and Director of the UNM Center for Social Policy Gabriel Sanchez co-authored a study published by the Brookings Institution last month that digs deeper into this data. The report highlights the historical roots of this fear, and makes recommendations for community-specific outreach efforts that could increase equity in vaccine distribution. Dr. Sanchez spoke with KUNM’s Nash Jones about the report and why some Latinos said they are reluctant to get the vaccine.

This week so far more than 628,000 New Mexicans were registered to get the COVID vaccine. Just over 306,000 of those had received their first dose. State health officials say the delay in getting more people vaccinated is in their efforts to be more equitable and coordinated. But a growing number of New Mexicans are deciding not to wait, and to go to Amarillo, Texas instead. Note: Texas is currently recovering from a massive storm and power outage, and access to vaccines -- much less heat, water and electricity -- may be greatly disrupted.