Free Republic

In Joe Biden's caretaker administration, it's amazing how many misdeeds can be erased through the useful tool of identity politics. Take his nomination Deb Haaland, a congresswoman representing greater Albuquerque, who's a registered member of a Native American tribe ... and a tax cheat, energy ignoramus, persistent welfare recipient, and marijuana booster, who has now advanced in the Senate as his nominee to run the $12 billion U.S. Department of the Interior. Her trump card in qualifications after all those red flags? That she's half-Native American and has mastered the identity politics games of victimhood. What could go wrong? Unlike,...

have noticed that the closer we get to the election, the more hateful the rhetoric from the opposing party becomes. I must be doing something right if my adversary is working so hard to make me look bad. I have been portrayed as heartless and as a person who doesn’t care about children or workers. In reality, I am an educator who actually left the profession to do something more for “my kids.” That is why I am running – for our future generations. I am proud to be endorsed by the New Mexico Right to Life Committee, the New...

Screenshot from Youtube video of Protest for Freedom Rally, cropped and scaled by Dean Weingarten On Sunday morning, 19 July, 2020, a kindergarten teacher was organizing a Black New Mexico Movement protest at the Civic Plaza in Albuquerque, New Mexico. He had a firearm holstered across his chest. Police say he refused to disarm after they told him firearms were banned at the Plaza. A few minutes later they arrested him and two other armed men who were with him. Grady complained that members of the New Mexico Civil Guard, who attended a Protest for Freedom rally at the Civic...

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — The unusually-early storm that is hitting New Mexico has been causing a lot of damage – there's power outages, flooding, downed trees, and slick roads across the state. The wind in the metro peaked Tuesday evening at over 70 mph. The intersection at 5th Street and Lomas was closed Wednesday because roof panels were blown off the district courthouse. PNM officials also said some of their power line poles just snapped or were lifted from their foundation altogether. But that's not all – a viral video shows a porta-potty on the move down Central near Tramway. Watch...

Scott Williams says he doesn’t remember hearing gunshots or feeling the bullets that created nine holes in his body. Steven Ray Baca, 31, is charged with two felony counts of aggravated battery causing bodily harm for shooting Williams and for forcefully throwing Julie Harris to the ground during a protest over the controversial Juan de Oñate statue in Old Town on June 15. A preliminary hearing to determine whether there’s probable cause for Baca’s case to move forward in the 2nd Judicial District Court was held via Google Meet on Thursday. It will continue Friday before Judge Cristina Jaramillo makes...

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M.- Two Black conservatives in New Mexico do not feel like they are being heard in the debate about systemic racism and policing. Retired businessman Jewll Powdrell of Rio Rancho, and Dr. Larry Allen, a pastor in Albuquerque, have both been a part of New Mexico's history. "I was the first Black New Mexico State Police officer," Dr. Allen said. Powdrell said he worked at IBM as one of the first Black salesman they hired in Albuquerque.

(KRQE) – New video shows what led up to the moment an Albuquerque woman slapped an Albuquerque Police officer across the face. “Shut the f— up, bro,” the woman said before slapping the officer. “Shut the f— up.” The moment when 22-year-old Selena Moreno slaps an APD officer all began when Moreno’s girlfriend called police on her. “No, I am f—— pissed,” her girlfriend said in the police lapel video. “She f—— bit me.” When police arrived at the apartment in southeast Albuquerque, Selena was topless and said she was drunk. “I took f—— alcohol and my hurt feelings and...

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — President Donald Trump and Attorney General William Barr announced that 35 federal agents and additional resources will be coming to Albuquerque as part of the expansion of Operation Legend in a handful of cities across the United States. At a news conference in the White House on Wednesday, President Trump said the influx will be in cities where the leadership wants to “defund, defame or abolish” police. “Under Operation Legend we will soon send fed law enforcement to other cities that need help,” Trump said. “Other cities need help, they need it badly. They should call, they...

Donald Trump is set to escalate his federal intervention in cities Wednesday by expanding 'Operation Legend,' deploying FBI and other agents to Chicago and Albuquerque to quell what he claims is out of control violence. The move was to be announced Wednesday afternoon by Trump at the White House - putting him once again at odds with Democratic mayors, especially Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot. They have opposed deploying federal forces to tackle protests. But Operation Legend, which was started in Kansas City, MO, involves surging Department of Justice, not Department of Homeland Security, agents to tackle crime rather then protests.

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M.- The Bernalillo County district attorney filed a lawsuit Monday against the New Mexico Civil Guard, a group that has showed up at protests in military-like uniforms, carrying guns, and telling people they are there to protect property. "When you have self-appointed police officers and military units out there advancing their own form of justice, there is no democratic accountability," District Attorney Raul Torrez said.  The lawsuit asks a judge to order the New Mexico Civil Guard to stop representing itself as a police force. "What is affected is their ability to organize, train and operate as an unlawful...

Almost a month ago, Steven Ray Baca was arrested and charged in the shooting of a demonstrator at a protest calling for the removal of the Juan De Oñate statue from the Albuquerque Museum grounds. Then, a couple of days later, the charges were dropped pending further investigation. That investigation has happened and 31-year-old Baca is once again charged in the shooting of Scott Williams, who was critically injured. Baca’s attorney, meanwhile, maintains the shooting was a “completely lawful exercise of self-defense.” Second Judicial District Attorney Raúl Torrez announced his decision to resurrect the shooting charge at a news conference...

A New Mexico restaurant generated controversy -- and profits -- this summer with a play on "Black Lives Matter." Now it's coasting on the uproar that began with its sign and has printed hats and T-shirts with the phrase, jumping straight into the seemingly never-ending national conversation on race. Rick Camuglia, owner of Paisano's, an Italian restaurant in Albuquerque, put the phrase "black olives matter" on his sign last month to help sell a new tuna dish with black olive tapenade. It worked like a charm, bringing in more business, with some people adding black olives to every dish they...

The owner of an Italian restaurant in New Mexico says he’s seen a surge in business after posting a billboard that featured a food-centric pun playing off the Black Lives Matter slogan. Rick Camuglia, owner of Paisano’s in Albuquerque, posted what he thought would be a well-received joke on the marquee sign in front of his restaurant last week. It read: "BLACK OLIVES MATTER — TRY OUR TAPENADE."

Paisano’s Italian restaurant was accused of making a joke in poor taste against the “Black Lives Matter” protest when it shared the “Black Olives Matter Try Our Tapenade” slogan out the front of its Alburquerque, New Mexico, premises. People have taken to social media to slam the slogan, with Claudia Sanchez writing: “As a woman of color I find your posting offensive and in very bad taste. “You simply wish to rub salt in an ugly festering wound which evil minded people refuse to allow to heal. The civilized world no longer has any tolerance for your hateful public display...

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — The COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic has officially claimed another victim. The 49th Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta has been postponed until October 2-10, 2021, which means the 50th event fiesta will now be pushed back until 2022. The decision was made Monday by the all-volunteer Balloon Fiesta board of directors. Matt Guthrie, president of the board, said in a statement, “The safety of our pilots, guests, sponsors, staff and volunteers has always been our top concern and in the wake of COVID-19 and its continued impacts, we must stay dedicated to upholding that commitment.” People who already made reservations...

A man who faces several battery charges stemming from a protest in Albuquerque earlier this month has been released on his own recognizance. Bernalillo County District Court Judge Charles Brown released Steven Ray Baca, 31, Monday morning. Brown said he believed Baca posed a danger to the community, but also said that there were conditions of release that could keep the community safe. Baca is required to report to Pretrial Services, cannot possess firearms and cannot go to any protests while the charges are pending. Baca is charged with one count of aggravated battery, a felony, two counts of misdemeanor...

Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham’s top medical official in the fight against COVID-19 said Friday state officials are putting off for at least two weeks a plan for greater reopening of businesses and other activities. In recent days, state officials have reevaluated whether to take the next step in the gradual relaxing of some business restrictions. But New Mexico had a “major setback” in a surge of new virus cases recently, and the state’s intensive care beds “were more than 100% full,” said Dr. David Scrase, cabinet secretary for the state Human Services Department. On June 8, New Mexico had been...

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — The law firm representing the man who was shot during a protest against the statue of Spanish conquistador Juan de Oñate in Old Town on Monday night has sent a letter to city and county agencies announcing its intention to file suit on his behalf and asking that evidence be preserved. The tort claims notice was sent to the city and the Albuquerque Police Department and includes the possible claims of negligence resulting in battery; conspiracy to violate civil rights, violations of the rights to equal protection, substantive due process, and right to peacefully assemble; denial of...

When Raul Torréz was running for district attorney in Albuquerque, New Mexico in 2016, locals were surprised that a famous billionaire like George Soros would invest over $100,000 in his candidacy. Whitney Tymas, a former senior staffer at the Vera Institute for Justice and chief deputy prosecutor of Richmond, Virginia in the 1990s, was the Treasurer and sole person listed on the Soros-funded New Mexico Safety and Justice PAC’s campaign finance filings. After Torréz declared victory in 2016, Tymas celebrated in The Nation, declaring that ”elected prosecutors lost their primary races to more progressive, reform-minded candidates in Albuquerque, Chicago, Denver,...

A New Mexico prosecutor on Wednesday dropped a shooting charge against a man suspected of shooting a protester in New Mexico, stressing the need for further investigation after “rumors on social media” emerged about the incident. Bernalillo County District Attorney Raúl Torrez dropped an initial aggravated battery with a deadly weapon charge against Steven Baca, a 31-year-old former City Council candidate, after online images emerged showing the protester Scott Williams, 39, holding what is rumored to be a knife before he was allegedly shot by Baca, Reuters reported. “There have been rumors on social media about what transpired in the...