Gene Hackman died of heart disease, his wife died of hantavirus about 1 week prior, authorities say - By Morgan Lee, Susan Montoya Bryan and Lisa Baumann, Associated Press
Actor Gene Hackman died of heart disease a full week after his wife died from hantavirus in their New Mexico hillside home, and he may not have been aware she was dead because he showed severe signs of Alzheimer's disease, authorities revealed Friday.
Both deaths were ruled to be from natural causes, chief medical examiner Dr. Heather Jarrell said alongside state fire and health officials at a news conference.
"Mr. Hackman showed evidence of advanced Alzheimer's disease," Jarrell said. "He was in a very poor state of health. He had significant heart disease, and I think ultimately that's what resulted in his death."
Authorities ruled out foul play after the bodies of Hackman, 95, and Betsy Arakawa, 65, were discovered Feb 26. Immediate tests for carbon monoxide poisoning were negative.
Investigators found that the last known communication and activity from Arakawa was Feb. 11 when she visited a pharmacy, a pet store and a farm market, Santa Fe County Sheriff Adan Mendoza said Friday.
Hackman's pacemaker last showed signs of activity a week later and that he had an abnormal heart rhythm Feb. 18., the day he likely died, Jarrell said.
"It's quite possible he was not aware she was deceased," Jarrell said.
Their bodies were found a little over a week later. Hackman was found in the home's entryway. His death was tied to heart disease with Alzheimer's disease contributing.
Arakawa was found in a bathroom. Authorities linked her death to hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, a rare but potentially fatal disease spread by infected rodent droppings. Thyroid medication pills prescribed to Arakawa were found nearby and weren't listed as contributing to her death, Jarrell said.
Hantavirus is typically is reported in spring and summer, often due to exposures that occur when people are near mouse droppings in homes, sheds or poorly ventilated areas. This is the first confirmed case of hantavirus in New Mexico this year.
Jarrell said it was not known how quickly Arakawa died.
Investigators earlier retrieved personal items from the couple's home, including a monthly planner and two cellphones.
One of the couple's three dogs also was found dead in a crate in a bathroom closet near Arakawa, while two other dogs survived. Authorities initially misidentified the breed.
Dogs do not get sick from hantavirus, said Erin Phipps, a veterinarian with the New Mexico Health Department. A necropsy will be done on the dog. The sheriff considers this an open investigation until they finish checking into cellphone data and receive results of the dog's necropsy.
When Hackman and Arakawa were found, the bodies were decomposing with some mummification, a consequence of body type and climate in Santa Fe's especially dry air at an elevation of nearly 7,200 feet (2,200 meters).
Hackman, a Hollywood icon, won two Oscars during a storied career in films including "The French Connection," "Hoosiers" and "Superman" from the 1960s until his retirement in the early 2000s.
Arakawa, born in Hawaii, studied as a concert pianist, attended the University of Southern California and met Hackman in the mid-1980s while working at a California gym.
The couple's stucco, Pueblo-revival style home sits on a hill in a gated community at the southern tip of the Rocky Mountains. Santa Fe is known as a refuge for celebrities, artists and authors.
Hackman dedicated much of his time in retirement to painting and writing novels far from Hollywood's social circuit. He served for several years on the board of trustees at the Georgia O'Keeffe Museum in Santa Fe, and he and his wife were investors in local businesses.
West Texas reports nearly 200 measles cases. New Mexico is up to 30 - By Devi Shastri AP Health Writer
A historic measles outbreak in West Texas is just short of 200 cases, Texas state health officials said Friday, while the number of cases in neighboring New Mexico tripled to 30.
Most of the cases across both states are in people younger than 18 and people who are unvaccinated or have an unknown vaccination status.
Texas health officials identified 39 new infections of the highly contagious disease, bringing the total count in the West Texas outbreak to 198 people since it began in late January. Twenty-three people have been hospitalized so far.
Last week, a school-age child died of measles in Texas, the nation's first measles death in a decade. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced this week that they were sending a team to Texas to help local public health officials respond to the outbreak.
New Mexico health officials had been reporting for weeks a steady number of cases in Lea County — which borders the epicenter of Texas' outbreak. But on Friday, state health officials provided The Associated Press a week-by-week count that shows cases have steadily increased from 14 cases in the week of Feb. 9 to 30 this week.
A spokesman for the health department said more cases are expected and that many of the cases reported Friday weren't identified until after people's illnesses had run their course. The department has said it hasn't been able to prove a clear connection to the Texas outbreak, though on Feb. 14, it said a link is "suspected."
On Thursday, New Mexico health officials confirmed an unvaccinated adult who died without seeking medical care tested positive for measles. The state medical investigator has not announced the official cause of death, but the state health department said Friday it is "measles-related."
The CDC said Friday it has also confirmed measles cases in Alaska, California, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, New Jersey, New York City, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and Washington. But the Texas and New Mexico outbreaks make up for most of the nation's case count.
The rise in measles cases has been a major test for U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., an anti-vaccine activist who has questioned the safety of childhood vaccines. Recently, he has stopped short of recommending people get the vaccine, and has promoted unproven treatments for the virus, like cod liver oil.
Kennedy dismissed the Texas outbreak as "not unusual," though most local doctors in the West Texas region told The Associated Press that they have never seen a case of measles in their careers until this outbreak.
The measles, mumps and rubella vaccine is safe and highly effective at preventing infection and severe cases. The first shot is recommended for children ages 12 to 15 months, and the second for ages 4 to 6 years.
Childhood vaccination rates across the country have declined as an increasing number of parents seek exemptions from public school requirements for personal or religious reasons. In Gaines County, Texas, which has the majority of cases, the kindergarten measles vaccination rate is 82% - far below the 95% needed to prevent outbreaks.
Many of Gaines County's cases are in the county's "close-knit, undervaccinated" Mennonite community, a diverse group that has historically had lower vaccination rates and whose members can be distrusting of government mandates and intervention.
Measles is a respiratory virus that can survive in the air for up to two hours. Up to 9 out of 10 people who are susceptible will get the virus if exposed, according to the CDC. Owing to the success of the vaccine, the U.S. considered measles eliminated in 2000.
States sue President Trump's administration over mass firings of probationary federal workers - By Brian Witte, Associated Press
Maryland and 19 other states are suing multiple federal agencies, contending President Donald Trump's administration has illegally fired thousands of federal probationary workers.
Maryland Attorney General Anthony Brown is leading the coalition of attorneys general in the federal lawsuit that was filed late Thursday in Maryland, where the state estimates about 10% of households receive wages from the federal government.
"The draconian actions of the Trump-Vance Administration could lead to tens of thousands of jobs lost, hundreds of thousands of lives disrupted, and the cratering of tens of millions of dollars in income here in Maryland," Gov. Wes Moore, a Democrat, said Friday in support of the complaint.
Brown followed up on Friday by moving for a temporary restraining order in federal court in Maryland seeking to stop any more firings of federal probationary employees and to reinstate those who have already been dismissed.
The mass firings will cause irreparable burdens and expenses on the states, the lawsuit said, because states will have to support recently unemployed workers and review and adjudicate claims of unemployment assistance. More than 800 fired federal workers in Maryland already have applied for unemployment benefits, Brown's office said.
The lawsuit also contended that the layoffs will hurt state finances due to lost tax revenue.
"President Trump's unlawful mass firings of federal workers are a blatant attack on the civil service, throwing thousands of hardworking families into financial turmoil," Brown, a Democrat, said in a news release. "Instead of following the law and notifying states, his administration blindsided Maryland, forcing us to deal with the devastating economic fallout and social consequences."
Trump, a Republican, has said he's targeting fraud, waste and abuse in a bloated federal government. The president and his adviser Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency have fired both new and career workers, telling agency leaders to plan for "large-scale reductions in force." The purge has spawned a number of lawsuits as unions and attorneys general have challenged Doge's authority. Attempts to contact the White House and Justice Department for comment were unsuccessful.
Probationary workers have been targeted for layoffs across the federal government because they're usually new to the job and lack full civil service protection.
While federal agencies claimed the employees were fired for unsatisfactory performance or conduct, the lawsuit said the firings were part of the administration's attempt to restructure and downsize the entire government.
That means the administration was required to follow federal laws and regulations that govern large-scale federal reductions in force, the lawsuit said. For example, regulations require that government agencies consider an employee's tenure, performance and veteran status when making termination decisions, the attorneys said. Regulations also typically require 60 days' advance notice of termination in a reduction in force.
"This has inflicted and will continue to inflict serious and irreparable harms on the Plaintiff States, as they must now deal with a sudden surge in unemployment, without the advance notice required under the federal (reduction in force) statute and regulations," the lawsuit said.
The attorneys general are asking for the court to reinstate the fired employees and stop further terminations of federal employees.
The other states that have joined the lawsuit are Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Wisconsin. The District of Columbia also is a plaintiff.
NMED issues $9M fine for air pollution; recordkeeping violations at White Sands - By Danielle Prokop, Source New Mexico
New Mexico environment officials issued a more than $9 million fine last week to the U.S. Army for more than two dozen violations permits, including pollution events and record-keeping issues between 2020 and 2024 at White Sands Missile Range.
White Sands Missile Range is a 3,200 square mile area covering portions of Doña Ana, Otero, Sierra, Socorro and Lincoln counties.
On Friday, the New Mexico Environment Department issued a 54-page order including a $9.7 million civil penalty to the U.S. Army. The order alleges pollution from a gasoline dispensing facility on base and says the U.S. Army failed to report violations on time; exceeded limits for fuel dispensal; overran time limits for engines at least 30 times; and failed to follow rules on mandatory maintenance for emergency and standby engines. The most significant portion of the penalties stemmed from the emissions and the record-keeping violations.
In the order, the New Mexico Environment Department alleged repeated failures to keep required records and said U.S. Army officials did not answer NMED’s questions, provide data or explanations for the permit violations in multiple violations over the past four years.
“It’s been several years of us issuing violations to the Army on these engines and getting crickets for a response,” =NMED Director of Compliance and Enforcement Bruce Baizel told Source.
NMED ordered the U.S. Army to “cease and desist” running engines over the time limits and violating pollution standards. The state also ordered the U.S. Army submit a training plan to prevent further air pollution within the next 90 days, and an entire facility-wide inventory of all of the engines used on site.
“It’s not like these are rocket engines,” Baizel said. “They are pretty standard diesel engines. So there’s a way they can work within their operation.”
White Sands Missile Range did not return emailed requests for comment.
The U.S. Army has 30 days to submit a formal answer and request a hearing to appeal the order.
Baizel said the military has already requested an extension to prepare a response, which NMED would most likely grant.
“Reading between the lines, I think they are focused on their mission and operations, and that’s fine, they need to do that, but it can be done in a way that doesn’t violate the Clean Air Act and human health standards,” Baizel said. “I think we’ll be able to work this out.”
Health care recruitment bill passes House chamber - by Lauren Lifke, New Mexico Political Report
A bill that aims to entice health care workers back to New Mexico after graduating and leaving the state hit its halfway point this week after the New Mexico House voted to advance it.
House Bill 15, sponsored by Rep. Marianna Anaya, D-Albuquerque, proposes addressing the health care worker shortage by recruiting workers who graduated from institutions in New Mexico and no longer live in the state.
“This is the first program of its kind in the entire nation,” Anaya, a freshman representative, said. “One of the things that I really hoped to bring to this body and to this floor was new ideas.”
The program would be run by the Department of Workforce Solutions and contain two aspects: finding recruits and helping them adjust to their return to New Mexico.
It would help educate recruits about existing loan forgiveness and tax credits available in the state, Anaya said. The “concierge” aspect of the program would walk the recruits through licensing, credentialing, housing and child care incentives.
Anaya said the program would gather data about health care workers who graduated from New Mexico institutions. Anaya said she has spoken with local medical facilities about their current recruitment processes.
“When I asked how they are recruiting — that’s where I saw the biggest gap,” Anaya said. “We are not actively recruiting.”
The program would use the data to contact those who have graduated from local institutions and encourage them to return.
“We’re not waiting for health care recruits to come to us,” Anaya said. “We are recruiting them actively.”
The Legislature and governor would later use the data to evaluate whether the program is working.
The bill passed 39-21, with some opposition arguing the state should prioritize other ways of solving the crisis by advocating to keep health care workers who are already in New Mexico.
“Our health care workers across the state may need a little bit of a battle cry to come back home,” Anaya said. “We miss you, and we’re ready for you.”
NM Environment Department seeks more PFAS cleanup authority - Megan Gleason, Albuquerque Journal
In 2018, chemical contamination stemming from a U.S. Air Force base in eastern New Mexico resulted in 3,665 euthanized cows and a cost of nearly $6 million to a fourth-generation dairy farmer. The contaminated cow carcasses still sit decomposing on the farm.
Six years of litigation and ignored cleanup orders later, the New Mexico Environment Department is looking for legislative approval to enforce specific contamination cleanups, even over the federal government. House Bill 140 would give the agency’s Environmental Improvement Board authority to enforce cleanup of disposed firefighting foam that contains per- or polyfluoroalkyl substances, known as PFAS.
The legislation passed the floor unanimously Thursday and heads to the Senate.
“By correcting that in our state law and clearly identifying the Department of Environment as having that authority, we are in a stronger position to force the (U.S. Department of Defense) through litigation to do what’s right,” said bill sponsor Christine Chandler, D-Los Alamos.
PFAS is a carcinogenic substance that doesn’t break down naturally. In addition to the everyday items the human-made chemicals are found in, from food packaging to carpet cleaners, PFAS is found in firefighting foams.
In 2018, dairy farmer Art Schaap found out his well water was contaminated with PFAS that came from Cannon Air Force Base near Clovis. All of his milk was pulled off the market and Schaap had to euthanize thousands of cows.
Despite the contamination stemming from an Air Force base, under the purview of the Department of Defense, the federal agency hasn’t “cleaned up a drop of PFAS that has migrated off their base,” New Mexico Environment Secretary James Kenney told the Journal on Thursday.
When state and federal agencies initially detected the contamination in 2018, NMED directed the DOD to clean it up. DOD in turn sued New Mexico on the basis that the state didn’t have the authority to order the federal government to clean up the contamination.
Meanwhile, NMED is still working to clean up the contamination, “spending taxpayer and permit fee dollars on something that the federal government has taken responsibility for in other states, but not here,” Kenney said. New Mexico has spent $12 million so far on understanding the extent of the PFAS contamination, according to NMED.
That’s why Kenney is working with legislators to pass HB140, which would amend the state’s definition of “hazardous waste” under the Hazardous Waste Act, giving the Environmental Improvement Board authority to enforce the cleanup of PFAS as a result of discarded firefighting foam.
That’s in addition to the board’s current authority to enforce cleanup of other hazardous waste defined by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
“The fact that DOD, after six years of suing us, has not cleaned up a drop of PFAS that has migrated off their base is the exact reason that we need this bill,” Kenney said. “I’d be saying something very different to you in the Legislature if they were at least trying to clean up the PFAS.”
As for the still-toxic Clovis farm, Kenney said NMED is working to help clean up the contamination. The agency’s next step is pumping and treating the groundwater to ensure the toxic plume doesn’t continue toward the southwest.
Rep. Rod Montoya, R-Farmington, said it’s an issue that PFAS are in so many everyday products, and there’s a larger issue at stake than strictly PFAS from firefighting foam. He said New Mexicans are poisoning themselves “just a little bit every day.”
“Until we or till the federal government or someone deals with the fact that PFAS cannot be in our daily products — everything from Scotchgard, plastics, petroleum jelly, things that are placed directly on the skin … — this does not fix the whole problem,” he said.
To that end, Kenney said, NMED is also pursuing House Bill 212, the PFAS Protection Act. It would ban the sale of specific products that contain PFAS, from medical devices and drugs to heating and cooling equipment, and require PFAS disclosures on other products sold.
The legislation is sitting on the House floor calendar.
“We can talk about climate, we can talk about air quality, we can talk about oil and gas, we can talk about all these issues. And I very much believe we need to talk about them,” Kenney said. “The one thing that we’re not talking about is the one thing that’s at your breakfast table. The amount of times you experience it before you even leave for work is remarkable, and you don’t even know it.”
A local board has big plans for opioid settlement money - Rodd Cayton, City Desk ABQ
An intergovernmental board is pushing for opioid settlement money to go toward attacking substance use disorder from two directions: helping some get off drugs and preventing others from ever trying them.
The Local Government Coordinating Council (LGCC) is charged with plotting how best to use a pot of settlement money that will add up to more than $150 million.
The council is recommending to the Bernalillo County Commission, Albuquerque City Council and Albuquerque Public Schools Board of Education that 60% of the money go toward treatment and 40% toward prevention efforts.
“This is an unprecedented opportunity to apply $150 million to meaningfully expand programs, services and facilities and provide comprehensive wrap-around services to those in our community suffering from substance use disorder,” Bernalillo County Commission Vice Chair and LGCC Chair Adriann Barboa said. “By combining funds, we will facilitate a sizable impact with the potential to effectively service those most in need.”
Opioid settlement dollars are being awarded as part of litigation brought by states and local governments against pharmaceutical companies and drug manufacturers. The settlements reached so far entitled Bernalillo County and the City of Albuquerque to receive a total of $150 million over 15 years.
The Joint Opioid Settlement Implementation Plan will next be presented to the County Commission, City Council and school board for final adoption.
The plan includes new space for treatment and intervention efforts, an investment in creating capacity through competitive grants to local service providers and expansion of APS’ Crossroads program.
The latter program is designed to improve academic performance and overall student wellness, while helping students avoid alcohol, tobacco and recreational drug use.
“We see early prevention as our front-line defense against the scourge of drugs in our community, and we’re grateful to be part of this visionary effort,” APS Superintendent Gabriella Durán Blakey said.
The plan also calls for a detailed explanation of elevated community involvement, expansion of access to the overdose prevention drug naloxone (commonly known as Narcan or Evzio) and the creation of a combined dashboard showing expenditures and outcomes.
The New Mexico judge who presided over Alec Baldwin's trial is set to retire - Associated Press
A New Mexico state district judge who presided over the widely publicized trial of actor Alec Baldwin for a fatal movie set shooting is getting ready to retire from the bench.
Court administrators announced Mary Marlowe Sommer's upcoming retirement on Thursday. She will step down at the end of May after serving 15 years on the First Judicial District Court in Santa Fe, New Mexico. She served as the district's chief judge from 2019 to 2022.
Her decades-long career also includes work as a law clerk, a defense attorney, an assistant attorney general and a hearing officer who has handled thousands of cases involving domestic violence and family matters.
Marlowe Sommer said it's been an honor and privilege to serve but that it's time to step away from what she called "the hectic schedule of court business."
"During my time on the bench, I have admired and deeply appreciated those who work so hard each day to ensure the court delivers the fair and timely justice that people are entitled to in our legal system," she said in a statement.
Last summer, Marlowe Sommer dismissed a charge of involuntary manslaughter against Baldwin in the October 2021 death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins during a rehearsal for the movie "Rust" at a film-set ranch on the outskirts of Santa Fe.
Baldwin, the lead actor and co-producer, was pointing a pistol at Hutchins when it fired, killing Hutchins and wounding director Joel Souza. Baldwin has said he pulled back the hammer — but not the trigger — and the revolver fired.
The trial was upended by revelations that ammunition was brought into the Santa Fe County Sheriff's Office by a man who said it could be related to Hutchins' killing. Prosecutors said they deemed the ammo unrelated and unimportant, while Baldwin's lawyers say investigators "buried" the evidence in a separate case folder and filed a successful motion to dismiss the case.
Baldwin then filed a civil lawsuit for malicious prosecution and civil rights violation.
Separately, the shooting led to an involuntary manslaughter conviction against movie weapons supervisor Hannah Gutierrez-Reed. Marlowe Sommer also presided over that case.
Current Chief Judge Bryan Biedscheid said Marlowe Sommer has served with distinction, integrity and an unswerving commitment to the rule of law.
In all, court administrators say Marlowe Sommer has presided over about 21,600 cases during her tenure, starting with family, abuse and neglect, and juvenile delinquency cases. She began taking on criminal cases in 2012, with the most notable being that of Baldwin and Gutierrez-Reed.
She also presided over the child molestation cases of former teacher Gary Gregor, and the trial of Jeannine Jaramillo, who killed a police officer and retired firefighter during a wrong-way crash while attempting to evade law enforcement.
Marlowe Sommer's term was set to expire in 2028. A judicial nominating commission will consider applicants for the vacancy and recommend to the governor for an appointment to serve the remainder of the term.
Investigation advances into Gene Hackman's mysterious death, with update by New Mexico authorities - By Morgan Lee, Associated Press
Authorities are set to reveal more information about an investigation into the deaths of actor Gene Hackman and wife Betsy Arakawa, whose partially mummified bodies were discovered last month at their home in New Mexico.
The Santa Fe County Sheriff's Office has said it does not suspect foul play, and tests for carbon monoxide poisoning were negative.
Sheriff Adan Mendoza and state fire, health and forensics officials scheduled an afternoon news conference Friday to provide updates on the case.
Mendoza has said the couple may have died up to two weeks before they were discovered on Feb. 26. Hackman's pacemaker last showed activity Feb. 17, nine days before maintenance and security workers showed up at the home and alerted police.
Arakawa was found with an open prescription bottle and pills scattered on the bathroom counter, while Hackman was found in the home's entryway.
One of the couple's three dogs also was found dead in a crate in a bathroom closet near Arakawa, while two other dogs survived. Authorities initially misidentified the breed of the dead animal.
Authorities retrieved personal items from the home including a monthly planner and two cellphones that will be analyzed. Medical investigators have been working to establish the cause of their deaths, but toxicology reports often take weeks to complete.
When they were found, the bodies were decomposing with some mummification, a consequence of body type and climate in Santa Fe's especially dry air at an elevation of nearly 7,200 feet (2,200 meters).
Hackman, a Hollywood icon, won two Oscars during a storied career in films including "The French Connection," "Hoosiers" and "Superman" from the 1960s until his retirement in the early 2000s.
Arakawa, born in Hawaii, studied as a concert pianist, attended the University of Southern California and met Hackman in the mid-1980s while working at a California gym.
The couple's stucco, Pueblo-revival style home sits on a hill in a gated community at the southern tip of the Rocky Mountains. Santa Fe is known as a refuge for celebrities, artists and authors.
Hackman dedicated much of his time in retirement to painting and writing novels far from Hollywood's social circuit. He served for several years on the board of trustees at the Georgia O'Keeffe Museum in Santa Fe, and he and his wife were investors in local businesses.
NMDOH reports new measles case in deceased Lea County resident - By Danielle Prokop, Source New MexicoAn unvaccinated Lea County resident tested positive for measles after their death, New Mexico Health officials announced Thursday.
The New Mexico Office of the Medical Investigator is still investigating the resident’s cause of death, but the NMDOH Scientific Laboratory confirmed the presence of the measles virus.
The resident, according to an NMDOH news release, was over the age of 18 and did not seek medical attention before their death.
The positive case now brings the number of reported measles cases in New Mexico to 10, all located in Lea County. Four infections are in children under the age of 17.
Measles is one of the most contagious diseases in the world. Symptoms can appear anywhere from one to three weeks after exposure and include fever, cough, runny nose, red eyes and a red spotty rash. Serious complications can develop, including brain swelling, blindness, pneumonia and death. One in five cases requires hospitalization.
The best prevention against the measles is getting two doses of the vaccine, according to health officials.
“We don’t want to see New Mexicans getting sick or dying from measles,” NMDOH Deputy State Epidemiologist Dr. Chad Smelser said in a statement. “The measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine is the best protection against this serious disease.”
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention still reports only one confirmed death from measles Thursday: a school-aged unvaccinated child in Texas.
DOGE backs off after seeking closure of office overseeing nuclear waste site - By Algernon D'Ammassa, Albuquerque Journal
Alarm this week over reports that the Department of Energy’s field office in Carlsbad was being closed at the behest of Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency appeared to be settled Thursday, when plans to terminate the office's lease were withdrawn.
The Carlsbad DOE office oversees the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant, an underground nuclear waste repository 26 miles southeast of the city.
Earlier in the week, the DOGE website listed the office's lease among those that would be cancelled as part of the billionaire tech executive's project to enact drastic cuts to spending and personnel across the federal government.
Neither the Department of Energy nor the General Services Administration, which manages federal properties, answered questions about what the closure would mean for the management and safety teams responsible for WIPP, which houses defense-related nuclear waste in a repository situated in an ancient salt bed half a mile underground.
Instead, a notice from the GSA dated Wednesday and obtained by the Journal informs the property owner that the termination, which had been set for Aug. 31, had been revoked and the lease remained "in full force and effect."
The notice of termination followed a 30% reduction in staff at the Carlsbad office over the past month, per U.S. Rep. Gabe Vasquez, D-N.M., who voiced concern about the lease termination in public statements as he sought a meeting with GSA officials.
WIPP is projected to consume its available storage space during 2025, Vasquez noted in a news release, and plans to expand capacity at the site depend on system upgrades that have already run into delays attributed, in part, to staffing shortages.
“The attempted closure of the WIPP office was reckless and short-sighted,” Vasquez said in a written statement. “I stood up for Carlsbad workers and our national security interests as soon as I heard of this potential closure. I’ll continue holding the administration accountable when uninformed decisions threaten the livelihoods of New Mexicans.”
The closure remained on the DOGE website's list of "savings" as of Thursday morning. But a spokesperson for the Department of Energy confirmed the GSA "has revoked its prior notice to exercise termination rights for multiple DOE facility leases, ensuring that these mission-critical operations continue without disruption.”
NM Supreme Court issues split ruling on governor’s emergency orders targeting gun violence, drug abuse - By Matthew Reichbach, New Mexico Political Report
The New Mexico Supreme Court issued a split ruling on the legality of emergency orders related to gun violence and drug use.
The court ruled that Gov. Michelle Lujan’s executive order banning guns in parks and playgrounds within the City of Albuquerque and Bernalillo County, did not violate the separation of powers between the executive and the legislative branches. A previous version of the order banned the public possession of firearms, but was blocked by a federal court, leading the governor to tighten the restrictions.
The state high court however ruled that an executive order to suspend a program originally aimed at lowering the number of children in detention centers exceeded “the limits of police power.”
Lujan Grisham used the Public Health Emergency Response Act to issue the orders in September 2023. It’s the same law that justified COVID-19 executive actions, something Republicans opposed and sought to overturn, including in this lawsuit.
The court ruled that the legislative intent of the Public Health Emergency Response Act was to “delegate considerable authority and discretion to the executive branch to declare a public health emergency.”
The ruling continued, “the Legislature presumably intended to grant a governor the authority to determine when an occurring or imminent event gives rise to an imminent threat of substantial harm that warrants declaration of a public health emergency.”
The court also ruled that a public health emergency does not need to be “sudden” or “unforeseen” under the law, or under the common meaning of the word “emergency.”
“Petitioners offer no argument that the Legislature intended for a governor not to be able to declare and address a public health emergency when a proper crisis arises gradually and foreseeably, such as substantial harm to the public from persistent drought or flu,” the ruling states.
One area the state Supreme Court said the executive branch overstepped its bounds: Seeking to suspend the Juvenile Detention Alternatives Initiative program within the state Children, Youth and Families Department which seeks to reduce the population of children within detention facilities.
The court ruled that it was not clear “which declared public health emergency — gun violence or drug abuse — is meant to be addressed by the suspension of JDAI or CYFD’s evaluation of juvenile probation protocols” and that the order did not give an expected outcome from doing so.
All of the orders expired in October of 2024, but the state Supreme Court said they would decide the case, brought by Republican members of the state legislature and others, because of “substantial public interest” as well as the likelihood that similar questions would come in front of the court in the future.
The ruling was not unanimous. Justice Shannon Bacon wrote the opinion, with Chief Justice David Thomson and Justice Julie Vargas concurring. Justices Michael Vigil and Briana Zamora each wrote dissenting opinions.
“I am guided by my apprehension that the unconstrained exercise of emergency executive powers the majority has approved in this instance could readily be misused,” Zamora wrote. “While the Governor’s desire to combat gun violence and drug abuse appears to be well-intended, there is nothing in the majority’s opinion that would restrict a future governor from taking actions that would be substantively more troubling.”
AG investigating community health center that screened for citizenship - By Algernon D'Ammassa, Albuquerque JournalNew Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez’s office confirmed it is investigating a Hatch-based health care provider that announced last week it would restrict services based on immigration status.
Ben Archer Health Center, a nonprofit community health center based in Hatch, operates 11 locations across four counties and provides services at three high schools in Las Cruces.
On Feb. 26, multiple locations posted notices at their entrances that, in light of an executive order from President Donald Trump, “any ineligible alien who entered the United States illegally or is otherwise unlawfully present in the United States does not qualify for federally funded services at Ben Archer Health Center.”
The signs came down later that day after Ben Archer received guidance from the New Mexico Primary Care Association. However, Sen. Martin Heinrich, D-N.M., reported hearing from constituents who had been asked to provide proof of citizenship before receiving services.
Community organizing group NM Café reported on its Facebook page that it had also heard reports of such requests the following day, after the senator’s office and the health department intervened.
“Folks are choosing to not try to go at all or don’t know which clinics they can go to,” Stevie Paz, a spokesperson for NM Café, told the Journal.
The New Mexico Health Care Authority confirmed Tuesday it was investigating one complaint about the matter.
“The Health Care Authority is actively monitoring the situation with the Ben Archer Health Centers in response to concerns from community members,” the agency told the Journal, adding that it was “working to ensure all people living in New Mexico receive health care from providers and will continue monitoring access to care in the region.”
Ben Archer CEO Mary Alice Garay did not respond to queries for this story. It is not clear whether the clinics or Ben Archer’s pharmacies have continued to ask about citizenship status since last week.
The state Department of Justice sent a cease and desist letter to Ben Archer on Feb. 28. The letter, obtained by the Journal, requested confirmation that the practice had stopped along with an accounting of how many patients were denied services, and what services or programs were affected.
Heinrich and Rep. Gabe Vasquez, a fellow Democrat representing southern New Mexico, called on the DOJ to determine whether Ben Archer had violated any laws and to assure patients were not being questioned about their immigration status.
“We have opened an investigation into this matter,” Lauren Rodriguez, Torrez’s spokesperson, told the Journal on Monday, “and will take all appropriate steps to ensure that no one is discriminated against based on their national origin and that all health care facilities in New Mexico operate in compliance with state law.”
Darren White announces run for ABQ mayor - By Andy Lyman and Matthew Reichbach, City Desk ABQ
Darren White — a former Bernalillo County sheriff, state cabinet secretary and one of Mayor Tim Keller’s most vocal critics — announced Thursday afternoon that he would run for Mayor of Albuquerque.
In an announcement video released Thursday, White called himself a fiscal conservative and vowed to crack down on crime and homelessness in Albuquerque. In a news release, White criticized Keller for the number of homicides during the mayor’s two terms.
“Mayor Keller has presided over the most murders in Albuquerque’s history,” White said.
“His weak approach to crime and homelessness has failed and it’s time for change.”
Keller is not prohibited from running for a third term and has signalled he will do so, but has yet to make a formal announcement.
White went on to say in his official announcement that he will “give police officers the resources and support they need to restore order to our city” and “repeal Mayor Keller’s Sanctuary City law,” referring to the city’s policy of not working with federal immigration agents or detaining anyone based on their immigration status.
White said he plans on using public financing to fund his campaign.
If he wins election in November, it won’t be White’s first time working in City Hall. He was the Chief Public Safety Officer under Mayor Richard Berry. He retired from the position in 2011, a little more than a week after he showed up to the scene of a car crash involving his wife. The Police Oversight Commission exonerated White of any wrongdoing in the incident later that year.
White has long been involved in politics. He unsuccessfully ran for Congress in 2008 against Martin Heinrich in the state’s 1st Congressional District.
White also served as Secretary of Public Safety under Gov. Gary Johnson, though he resigned when the then-Republican governor began advocating for marijuana legalization. Despite lobbying against state medical cannabis legalization efforts, White again made news when he changed his stance on the substance and ran a medical cannabis company, which sold just before New Mexico legalized recreational use.
Disclosure: Darren White was a founding donor of City Desk ABQ
USDA ordered to rehire thousands of fired employees - By Cathy Cook, Albuquerque Journal
The U.S. Department of Agriculture has to rehire over 5,000 employees who were abruptly laid off as part of President Donald Trump’s attempts to unilaterally cut down the size of the federal government, in ways that sometimes run afoul of the law.
While the decision only affects the USDA, it undermines Trump’s efforts to dramatically cut down the size of the federal government by laying off broad swathes of federal employees. The rehired employees could still be laid off in the coming months, but being laid off as part of a reduction in force, or RIF, instead of for alleged performance issues, would be better for the employees’ long-term careers and help them financially, according to recently fired federal workers in New Mexico.
“It would be a difference, because at least I would hopefully know then that it was based off of legitimate reasons, not because of false accusations,” said former Carson National Forest wildlife biologist Jordan Martinez, who may be one of those 5,000 employees getting rehired. Having that she got fired for performance in her record could harm her prospects if she applies for other federal jobs in the future, she said.
The U.S. Merit Systems Protection Board ruled Wednesday that USDA has to stay its termination of an anonymous forestry technician who was fired Feb. 13 during his probationary period, along with every other USDA employee who received the same termination letter, which may include New Mexicans. The ruling requires the employees to be given back their jobs until at least April 18. USDA has five days to comply with the order.
USDA oversees a range of agricultural and rural services agencies, including the Forest Service. The department did not respond to a request for comment.
Martinez believes she will be reinstated because she received an identical termination letter to the employee in the Merit Board case, but she has not gotten a return work notice yet. Martinez had worked for Carson for just over a year and, in that time, received awards, positive performance reviews and a promotion.
Former Carlsbad park ranger Suzette Runyon also does not know yet if she will be rehired, and she’s trying not to get her hopes up.
“Since, like, everybody that I know had the literal exact same letter, word for word, other than our names, I’m pretty sure that we do fall into that same category,” Runyon said.
Runyon is a former teacher, so she is working to get her substitute teaching license. She expects to see her fellow fired park rangers at a job fair in Carlsbad on Friday.
Former U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services biologist Robert Prather will not be one of those 5,000 employees, as Fish and Wildlife is underneath the Interior Department, but he was heartened to hear Wednesday’s news. Prather was one of thousands laid off in February, with a letter claiming that he was terminated because his skills, knowledge and capabilities are unfit for the department.
“That’s just wildly untrue,” he said. “I had gotten really, really great performance reviews. They’re actually so good that I was given a cash award. I was nominated for the Region Two Early Career Professional of the Year Award. I was excelling in my position, and so I would like to, even if I return and then get RIF-ed, I’d like it to be done in a manner that’s legal,” Prather said.
Getting fired through a reduction in force would also come with a severance payment, unlike a termination for performance.
“There’s a lot of consequences associated with the way they chose to fire us. And it’s a stain on our record that nobody deserves,” Prather said.
If her old job is offered, Martinez said she would likely take it. Finding a new job has been especially difficult because so many people in the same field were laid off at once.
“I just don’t have much of a choice right now,” she said. “I’m having a hard time trying to find another position; unemployment is next to nothing, and even though priorities have changed, I would still do my best to help with our natural resources.”