Driver who crashed into an APS school bus pleads guilty - Albuquerque Journal, KUNM News
The driver who crashed into an Albuquerque school bus in 2022, injuring several children, pleaded guilty to five felony counts Monday.
The Albuquerque Journal reports Mario Perez was charged with reckless driving resulting in great bodily harm after crashing into the bus full of students while racing another car.
Five people were hospitalized after the bus was toppled over and Perez’s Ford Mustang caught fire, according to police. Students and the bus driver were among the injured. Two middle school students had broken bones and one needed surgery.
Perez’s sentencing hearing has not yet been scheduled. He faces up to 15 years in prison.
PNM plans to build a new solar facility in northwest New Mexico - Hannah Grover, New Mexico Political Report
A new solar and battery storage facility known as the Sunbelt Project could be coming to the Central Consolidated School District in northwest New Mexico.
The Public Service Company of New Mexico plans to build a 100 megawatt array with either 30 or 50 megawatts of battery storage in the school district’s boundaries.
PNM filed an application with the New Mexico Public Regulation Commission asking state regulators to approve that project as well as additional power purchase agreements and energy storage agreements for a total of 430 megawatts. These resources would all come online in 2028.
Locating the Sunbelt Project in CCSD boundaries is important because the school district faced a loss of property tax revenue when the San Juan Generating Station closed.
Henry Monroy, the vice president of regulatory affairs for PNM, said in filed testimony that the New Mexico Public Regulation Commission approved replacing the San Juan Generating Station with 430 megawatts of resources in CCSD boundaries, but the Rockmont project defaulted and that resulted in only 300 megawatts to date being placed in CCSD boundaries.
While the resources being proposed for 2028 are not considered replacements for the San Juan Generating Station, Monroy said PNM supports placing cost-effective resources within the school district’s boundaries.
CCSD and San Juan County have sought to compel PNM to increase the amount of energy resources located within CCSD’s boundaries after the Rockmont project fell through.
The Energy Transition Act called for up to 450 megawatts of replacement resources within CCSD’s boundaries, which is why PNM has proposed an alternative that would increase the amount of battery storage.
The Sunbelt Project will cost about $220.4 million to build, though increasing the battery storage would bump the price tag up to $252 million. The price tag includes upgrades to transmission infrastructure.
PNM has previously faced delays in the rollout of new renewable projects. Monroy explained that utility ownership of the Sunbelt Project “provides for more certainty on development of the project and ongoing maintenance of the facility.” Additionally, Monroy said that the utility ownership allows PNM to benefit from the tax incentives in the Inflation Reduction Act.
The application also calls for a long-term power purchase agreement for 167 megawatts of natural gas generation from the Valencia Power Plant through 2039 and two energy storage agreements for 300 megawatts.
Under the energy storage agreements, PNM will pay $14.55 per megawatt hour to store 150 megawatts at the Sun Lasso facility and $15.40 per megawatt hour to store the same amount of electricity at the Corazon facility. Both facilities are located in Bernalillo County.
Under the power purchase agreement, PNM would pay the Valencia Power Plant’s owner $5 per megawatt hour for operations and maintenance and $8,000 every time the plant is started up. PNM will also pay a monthly capacity charge of $9 per kilowatt. PNM currently has a PPA to receive electricity from the Valencia Power Plant, but that PPA is set to expire in 2028.
The Energy Transition Act requires PNM to receive all of its electricity from carbon-free sources by 2045, though PNM has stated it plans to reach that milestone by 2040.
Thomas Duane, the director of integrated resource planning for PNM, said in his filed testimony that continued use of the Valencia Power Plant is “consistent with our transition to a carbon-free portfolio by helping to maintain reliability as we continue to increase the amount of intermittent renewable energy used to serve our customers.”
Intel CEO Gelsinger retires; Zinsner and Johnston Holthaus named interim co-CEOs - By Michelle Chapman AP Business Writer
Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger has retired, the struggling chipmaker said Monday in a surprise announcement.
Two company executives, David Zinsner and Michelle Johnston Holthaus, will act as interim co-CEOs while the company searches for a replacement for Gelsinger, who also stepped down from the company's board.
The departure of Gelsinger, whose career spanned more than 40 years, underscores the turmoil at Intel. The company was once a dominant force in the semiconductor industry but has been eclipsed by rival Nvidia, which has cornered the market for chips that run artificial intelligence systems.
Gelsinger started at Intel in 1979 and was its first chief technology officer. He returned to the company as chief executive in 2021.
Gelsinger said his exit was "bittersweet as this company has been my life for the bulk of my working career," he said in a statement. "I can look back with pride at all that we have accomplished together. It has been a challenging year for all of us as we have made tough but necessary decisions to position Intel for the current market dynamics."
Zinsner is executive vice president and chief financial officer at Intel. Holthaus was appointed to the newly created position of CEO of Intel Products, which includes the client computing, data center and AI groups.
Frank Yeary, independent chair of Intel's board, will become interim executive chair.
"Pat spent his formative years at Intel, then returned at a critical time for the company in 2021," Yeary said in a statement. "As a leader, Pat helped launch and revitalize process manufacturing by investing in state-of-the-art semiconductor manufacturing, while working tirelessly to drive innovation throughout the company."
Gelsinger's departure comes as Intel's financial woes have been piling up. The company posted a $16.6 billion loss and halted its dividend in the most recent quarter, and its shares have fallen by about 60% since he took over as CEO. Gelsinger announced plans in August to slash 15% of its huge workforce — or about 15,000 jobs — as part of cost-cutting efforts to to save $10 billion in 2025.
Nvidia's ascendance, meanwhile, was cemented earlier this month when it replaced Intel on the Dow Jones Industrial Average.
Unlike some of rivals, Intel manufactures chips in addition to designing them. Under Gelsinger, the company has been working to build up its foundry business making semiconductors in the U.S. designed by other firms, in a bid to compete with rivals such as market leader Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. or TSMC.
Intel has benefited from tens of billions of dollars that the administration has pledged to support construction of U.S. chip foundries and reduce reliance on Asian suppliers, which Washington sees as a security weakness.
After taking over as CEO, Gelsinger unveiled plans to build a $20 billion chipmaking facility in central Ohio, and poured billions more into expanding in Europe, where leaders were also worried about dependence on Asia.
The Biden administration had said it would give Intel up to $8.5 billion in federal funding for semiconductor plants around the country, but last week it trimmed that amount, according to three people familiar with the grant who spoke on the condition of anonymity.
Shares of the Santa Clara, California, company jumped in early trading Monday but ended the day down 0.5%.
Work at Downtown pedestrian tunnels at a standstill - By Damon Scott, City Desk ABQ
It’s been six months since the city held an event to mark the beginning of demolition work at the pedestrian tunnels, located on Central Avenue under the railroad tracks to First Street in Downtown Albuquerque. Crews have demolished part of an Alvarado Transportation Center structure and some exterior walls near the south tunnel, but otherwise, not much has changed.
Both tunnels — north and south — are to be brought above ground (dubbed the “First Central Crossing”) as part of the beginning of the multiphase and multimillion dollar Rail Trail development, which is a planned 7-mile walking and biking trail eventually linking Downtown to historic neighborhoods, cultural destinations, entertainment options, mass transit and the city’s Rail Yards.
The pedestrian tunnels have frustrated multiple mayors and city administrations spanning decades, each admitting to the uncomfortable and often unsafe conditions experienced by those who use the option to access Downtown.
“I lived here in the ’80s and it used to be beautiful,” said one woman reluctant to use the still-open north tunnel late last week.
Part of the frustration stems from the need for significant bureaucratic coordination with multiple entities like Amtrak, the New Mexico Department of Transportation, Rio Metro Regional Transit and BNSF Railway. Nevertheless, officials say the project is on its original track to be completed by mid-2025.
City Desk ABQ checked in with Metropolitan Redevelopment Agency spokesperson Sarah Supple about the project. The MRA is the city entity overseeing the First Central Crossing and other phases of the Rail Trail. Answers have been edited for length and clarity.
CITY DESK ABQ: WHAT HAS BEEN ACCOMPLISHED SINCE MAY?
SUPPLE: We’ve successfully completed the demolition work at the site and wrapped up the underground investigation. An underground investigation is done to ensure that critical infrastructure, such as utility systems or other buried structures, will not be impacted during construction.
CITY DESK ABQ: HAS THE TIMELINE SHIFTED?
SUPPLE: The completion timeline remains largely on track, though progress will depend on factors like weather conditions and the timing of project approvals.
CITY DESK ABQ: WHY HAS IT BEEN SO DIFFICULT TO GET THIS PROJECT DONE?
SUPPLE: This project represents the first major improvement to the bridge area in decades, involving coordination among different government and private entities. Addressing safety, construction and security concerns requires careful alignment across all parties, which adds complexity to the process.
CITY DESK ABQ: WHAT HAVE BEEN THE BIGGEST ROADBLOCKS?
SUPPLE: The biggest challenge since May has been securing the necessary site approvals, which are critical to moving the project forward.
CITY DESK ABQ: WHERE IS THE MOST VISIBLE RAIL TRAIL PROGRESS TAKING PLACE?
SUPPLE: The Sawmill District is where we’re seeing the most progress right now. That section of the trail has been easier to advance because it’s relatively flat and the property is already owned by the city.
Cyber Monday shoppers expected to set a record on the year's biggest day for online shopping - By Haleluya Hadero and Wyatte Grantham-Philips AP Business Writers
Consumers in the United States are scouring the internet for online deals as they look to take advantage of the post-Thanksgiving shopping marathon with Cyber Monday.
Even though e-commerce is now part and parcel of many people's regular routines and the holiday shopping season, Cyber Monday — a term coined in 2005 by the National Retail Federation — has become the biggest online shopping day of the year, thanks to the deals and the hype the industry has created to fuel it.
Adobe Analytics, which tracks online shopping, expects consumers to spend a record $13.2 billion on Monday, 6.1% more than last year. That would make it the season's — and the year's — biggest — shopping day for e-commerce.
Online spending is expected to peak between the hours of 8 p.m. and 10 p.m. Monday night, per Adobe — reaching an estimated $15.7 million spent every minute.
For several major retailers, a Cyber Monday sale is a dayslong event that began over the Thanksgiving weekend. Amazon kicked off its sales event right after midnight Pacific time on Saturday. Target's two days of discount offers on its website and app began overnight Sunday. Walmart rolled out its Cyber Monday offers for Walmart+ members on Sunday afternoon and opened it up to all customers three hours later, at 8 p.m. Eastern time.
Consumer spending for Cyber Week — the five major shopping days between Thanksgiving and Cyber Monday — provides a strong indication of how much shoppers are willing to spend for the holidays.
Many U.S. consumers continue to experience sticker shock following the period of post-pandemic inflation, which left prices for many goods and services higher than they were three years ago. But retail sales nonetheless have remained strong, and the economy has kept growing at a healthy pace.
At the same time, credit card debt and delinquencies have been rising. More shoppers than ever are also on track to use "buy now, pay later" plans this holiday season, which allows them to delay payments on holiday decor, gifts and other items.
Many economist have also warned that President-elect Donald Trump's plan to impose tariffs next year on foreign goods coming into the United States would lead to higher prices on everything from food to clothing to automobiles.
The National Retail Federation expects holiday shoppers to spend more this year both in stores and online than last year. But the pace of spending growth will slow slightly, the trade group said, growing 2.5% to 3.5% — compared to 3.9% in 2023.
A clear sense of consumer spending patterns during the holiday season won't emerge until the government releases sales data for the period. But some preliminary data from other sources shows some encouraging signs for retailers.
Vivek Pandya, lead analyst at Adobe Digital Insights, notes that discounts from Thanksgiving onward have "exceeded expectations" — and online spending throughout Cyber Week is on track to cross a record $40 billion mark combined.
U.S. shoppers spent $10.8 billion online on Black Friday, a 10.2% increase over last year, according to Adobe Analytics. That's also more than double what consumers spent in 2017, when Black Friday pulled in roughly $5 billion in online sales. Consumers also spent a record $6.1 billion online on Thanksgiving Day, Adobe said.
Meanwhile, software company Salesforce, which also tracks online shopping, estimated that Black Friday online sales totaled $17.5 billion in the U.S. and $74.4 billion globally. And Mastercard SpendingPulse, which tracks in-person and online spending, reported that overall Black Friday sales excluding automotive rose 3.4% from a year ago. The retail sales indicator, which is not adjusted for inflation, showed online sales jumped by double-digits while in-store purchase rose a modest 0.7%.
E-commerce platform Shopify said its merchants raked in a record $5 billion in sales worldwide on Black Friday. At its peak, sales reached $4.6 million per minute — with top categories by volume including clothing, cosmetics and fitness products, according to the Canadian company.
Toys, electronics, home goods, self-care and beauty categories were among the key drivers of holiday spending on Thanksgiving and Black Friday, according to Adobe. "Hot products" included Lego sets, espresso machines, fitness trackers, makeup and skin care.
Other data showed physical stores saw fewer customers on Black Friday, underscoring how the huge crowds that were once synonymous with the day after Thanksgiving are now more than happy to shop from the comfort of their homes.
RetailNext, which measures real-time foot traffic in stores, reported that its early data showed store traffic on Friday was down 3.2% in the U.S. compared to last year, with the biggest dip happening in the Midwest.
Sensormatic Solutions, which also tracks store traffic, said its preliminary analysis showed retail store traffic on Black Friday was down 8.2% compared to 2023.
Grant Gustafson, head of retail consulting and analytics at Sensormatic Solutions, noted that in-store traffic was getting spread across multiple days since many retailers offered generous discounts before and after Black Friday.
"Some of the extended Black Friday promotions really ended up leading to a little bit of a softer day-of traffic than expected," Gustafson said.
While physical items like toys and electronics are always popular around the holidays, experts note that consumers have turned to more "experience-driven spending" in recent years, especially as the COVID-19 pandemic waned.
Jie Zhang, a marketing professor at the University of Maryland's Robert H. Smith School of Business, told The Associated Press ahead of the post-Thanksgiving shopping weekend that he expected shoppers to "indulge themselves a bit more" when it comes to "self-gifting," increasing interest in categories like self care.
Adobe notes that shoppers are also buying higher-ticket items this season — with consumers opening their wallets to invest or "trade up" to more premium versions of products like electronics, appliances and sporting goods.
Brie Carere, executive vice president and chief customer officer at FedEx, cited strong shipping volume for Thanksgiving weekend, and CyberMonday has had a good start. She anticipated that FedEx's shipping volume on the online shopping holiday will be slightly up over the 19 million items shipped a year ago on the holiday.
But she said the truncated season — there are five fewer days between Thanksgiving and Christmas Day — is making it harder for her retail customers to forecast.
In fact, Carere said only four of FedEx's top 20 holiday e-commerce customers got their shipping predictions correct for the week before the Thanksgiving weekend. And she also noted that while FedEx predicts low single-digit percentage growth in shipping volume each day, she thinks that many retail customers will see a decline for the overall holiday period because of the truncated season.
"I do think that we're going to see some retailers be disappointed in their volume numbers," she said.
Carere also doesn't anticipate much of a lull in shipping between Thanksgiving weekend and last two weeks before Christmas because of the shorter season.
Jim Katsafanas, president of U.S. Small Business Sales, UPS, agreed, noting last week "we are going to see a pretty consistent surge of volume right through the end. "
NM has to spend almost $180 million by the end of the year, or lose it to the federal government — KUNM News
The clock is ticking for the state of New Mexico and its cities and counties to spend hundreds of millions of dollars in COVID relief funds.
The Office of the State Auditor announced the governments will lose the money if it’s not ready to be spent soon.
In 2021, New Mexico received more than $700 million in State Local Fiscal Recovery Funds from the federal government with a deadline to have the money obligated by the end of this year, and to be fully spent by the end of 2026.
Almost $180 million of that still needs to be designated for specific projects and purposes, or it will be returned to the feds.
The funds were intended to help respond to the pandemic, create jobs and support recovery efforts.
Dave Peña, policy director for the Auditor’s Office, says the money could still go to what he calls “essential projects” like improving drinking water, upgrading wastewater and stormwater infrastructure, expanding broadband access, and providing emergency relief for natural disasters.
Report shows clean energy jobs are surging in New Mexico - By Hannah Grover, New Mexico Political Report
A new report shows that New Mexico has experienced some of the fastest growth in clean energy jobs in the country.
The report, released by E2 and the Renewable Energy Industry Association of New Mexico, ranks the state as top in the nation for growth in energy efficiency jobs and third for clean energy jobs.
This job growth is in part due to the $2 billion of private investments since the passage of the federal Inflation Reduction Act.
There are now more than 13,400 clean energy jobs in the state and New Mexico added 770 clean energy workers in 2023.
“The historic policies and incentives created by the IRA are transforming New Mexico’s clean energy industry, and workers and businesses in every part of our state are benefiting,” Susan Nedell, the senior western advocate for E2, said in a press release. “This report clearly shows clean energy continues to be an important economic driver for the state, demonstrating the need for continued leadership at the state level to attract even more jobs and investments to New Mexico as the sector grows across the country.”
The report uses data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages. This shows that clean energy jobs in New Mexico grew 6.1 percent last year, which is more than double the pace of economy-wide job growth in the state. In fact, the clean energy sectors accounted for 19 percent of all energy-related jobs added in New Mexico in 2023.
““New Mexico’s economic growth due to clean energy is a major win for the Mountain West,” Jim DesJardins, executive director of REIA-NM, said in a press release. “Solar is an outstanding renewable energy source for states with an abundance of sunshine, like New Mexico. We need to continue to foster collaborative efforts between renewable energy companies, state governments, communities and landowners, as we seek to lower our carbon footprint and to create new career opportunities.”
Taos woman earns bronze in global horse archery championship - Santa Fe New Mexican, KUNM News
A woman from northern New Mexico has placed third at an internationally renowned horse archery competition.
As the Santa Fe New Mexican reports, Taos resident Gemma DiFerdinando won the bronze medal in the eighth annual Korea Masangmuye Championship of Horseback Martial Arts.
There, around 50 people from nine different countries put their martial arts and concentration skills to the test in various archery marksmanship challenges. The competition takes place over three days in a town nestled in southeastern South Korea.
Masangmuye is a martial art performed primarily on a running horse – focusing on several different shooting competitions like ground archery, shooting from a horse-drawn wagon and on horseback.
DiFerdinando won gold in the Bosa ground archery event where contestants are tasked with firing five arrows from different stances at three targets in just under a minute.
When not competing, Diferdinando runs a wildlife conservation ranch in El Prado where she teaches horseback archery and survival skills.