Free Republic

New Mexico’s clean energy and environmental advocates are recoiling from energy policy shifts set in motion by the Trump administration this week, including the possible rollback of a major scientific finding about climate change and the delay of rules regulating oil and gas emissions. For a big oil- and gas-producing state like New Mexico, the consequences could be far-reaching, state officials say. But Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham’s administration is sticking to its own clean energy policies, and a state board in the coming weeks will hold a hearing to consider the adoption of a clean fuels rule. “ The proposal...

Radical leftist agitators are planning a series of coordinated demonstrations across New Mexico on June 14, targeting President Donald Trump with what they’re branding as “No Kings” protests. But what organizers portray as “peaceful protests” have all the hallmarks of the kind of far-left mob activity that has already sparked violent insurrections in places like Los Angeles, where criminal aliens and anarchists recently clashed with federal law enforcement officers. The so-called “50501 Movement”—standing for 50 protests, 50 states, one movement—has aligned with fringe progressive groups to launch what they claim is a “nationwide day of defiance” against Trump’s leadership, coinciding...

Sandia Peak Tram partnered with the city and Albuquerque Police Department to raise money for a K-9 training facility dedicated to Rebel, a police dog shot and killed by officers during an armed confrontation with a suspect last week. Starting Monday, the tram will donate $1 from each ticket sold to APD’s K-9 Unit, Sandia Peak Tramway President Ben Abruzzo announced at a Friday news conference. The “Rides for Rebel” fundraiser will end June 29. The facility will be named for Rebel, an 8-year-old Belgian Malinois who was shot in the face by officers during a confrontation with Jorge Dominguez...

A dairy farmer says his livelihood was upended Tuesday when federal agents raided his operation in Lovington and arrested nearly a dozen workers. Isaak Bos said masked Homeland Security Investigations agents armed with rifles swept onto the property without warning, brushing past signs asking visitors to check in as a protective measure against H5 bird flu. Bos said the surprise raid followed an audit of the dairy’s employment records a few months ago. The dairy was not accused of wrongdoing, but Bos said he was required to fire 24 employees on the spot Tuesday, as well as the 11 who...

Officer Timothy Ontiveros of the Bloomfield Police Department has died from injuries sustained during a violent encounter earlier in the week. The incident occurred during a traffic stop, where Ontiveros was shot in the neck and shoulder by 58-year-old Dennis Armenta. A fellow officer returned fire, fatally shooting Armenta. Ontiveros was transported to the University of New Mexico Hospital following the shooting, where he underwent extensive treatment. Despite the efforts of medical staff and support from his fellow officers, Ontiveros succumbed to his injuries on Sunday. “We’re really sad and disheartened on the current events that happened with Officer Ontiveros’s...

Snobby, entitled wealthy liberals from all over the country have turned Santa Fe, New Mexico into their own playground. So we went for three days to see how that is impacting their community.

A recent article by the far-left outlet NPR highlights a growing trend of liberal Texans fleeing the Lone Star State for New Mexico — a move applauded by progressive politicians and activists hoping to transform the rural, resource-rich state into a safe haven for far-left policies. According to NPR, over 34,000 Texans relocated to New Mexico between 2022 and 2023, more than from any other state. Many cited Texas’ conservative laws protecting unborn life, religious freedom, and children from radical gender ideology as reasons for their departure. The report framed these policies as “oppressive,” while praising New Mexico’s left-wing agenda....

A sprawling fentanyl trafficking network stretching from Albuquerque to Salem, Oregon, has been shattered by federal authorities in what’s being called one of the largest operations of its kind in U.S. history. The takedown, made public this week, culminated in a massive sweep across New Mexico, Arizona, Nevada, Utah, and Oregon. Federal agents with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration seized staggering amounts of contraband: over 4 million fentanyl pills, $4.4 million in cash, 79 pounds of meth, along with heroin, cocaine, and more than 41 firearms, according to records from the U.S. District Court in Albuquerque. At the helm of...

New Mexico Democrat Rep. Gabe Vasquez is facing sharp criticism after touting his vote against the Laken Riley Act and attacking President Donald Trump’s immigration policies during an April 16 town hall event. At the meeting, Vasquez proudly announced his opposition to the legislation, which was signed into law by Trump on January 29. “I did. I voted against [the bill],” Vasquez declared to cheers from the audience. He added, “Because due process is a fundamental part of who we are as Americans,” attempting to frame his opposition as a defense of constitutional rights — despite the clear public safety...

Federal authorities have charged 40-year-old Jamison Wagner of Albuquerque with two counts of arson tied to politically charged firebombing attacks on both a Tesla showroom and the Republican Party of New Mexico headquarters, labeling the incidents as acts of domestic terrorism. Wagner, a self-styled radical, was arrested on April 12 following an extensive federal investigation involving the FBI, ATF, Albuquerque Police, and other law enforcement agencies. According to a profile he has on “500 Queer Scientists,” he describes himself as “queer and I am an electrical engineer.” It has been independently verified through voter registration records that Wagner is a...

In a dramatic and unmistakably vindictive move, Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham unleashed a political tantrum on Friday, vetoing a slate of bills—most notably Senate Bill 315, which would have designated the tortilla as New Mexico’s official state bread. The veto wasn’t about bread, though—it was about revenge. The governor’s veto message dripped with frustration as she lashed out at the Legislature, blaming Democratic leadership in both chambers for failing to move forward with her policy priorities. Instead of working collaboratively or responsibly, the governor torched legislation ranging from cultural designations to tax relief and public safety funding—effectively using her veto...

The Albuquerque Police Department has provided more details on just how many guardsmen will be used and what roles they will fill to assist officers after the governor declared a crime-related emergency in the city. APD spokesman Gilbert Gallegos said Friday that 60 members of the New Mexico National Guard will fulfill non-law enforcement duties for the department starting in mid-May. Of those deployed, 36 will help secure scenes and perimeters during incidents and investigations, 12 will help operate drones for the Real Time Crime Center, and 12 will work with the Prisoner Transport Center to “help evidence collection and...

Firefox's newest release once again breaks browser screens for users who prefer tabs on bottom (as originally presented in legacy Netscape). However, now that the breaks are so frequent (the last one was this past November) most users know where to go to fix the problem. Info at the link directs them to a userChrome fix that again brings the Firefox internet universe into harmony. https://www.reddit.com/r/firefox/comments/1joylag/tabs_on_bottom_for_firefox_1370/?rdt=45696

As Dems are set to descent upon American streets to attack Trump and “fight back,” including in New Mexico through agitating “Hands Off” protests organized by a rogue group called “Indivisible,” more threats pour in targeting the New Mexico Republican Party, which was firebombed Sunday morning following Democrat Rep. Teresa Leger Fernandez demanding her supporters “agitate.”Now, new phone calls into the GOP office show the levels of unhinged lunacy that embody the left. One such phone call begins as follows: “Yeah, I saw a report this morning on the news about your state headquarters being firebombed and ICE equals the...

Hantavirus isn’t just in deer mice, according to a new peer-reviewed study from the University of New Mexico, which found the virus in a quarter of more than 1,400 small mammals tested across the state. Hantavirus is a rare but often serious rodent-borne illness, which first reared its head in the United States in the Four Corners region in 1993. From 1993 through 2022, New Mexico had 122 human cases and 52 deaths — more than anywhere else in the country, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The illness recently made international headlines for causing the death...

As Tax Day approaches on April 15, a new WalletHub report ranks New Mexico dead last in the nation for taxpayer return on investment (ROI), raising serious questions about how effectively state government uses public funds. The annual study from WalletHub evaluated all 50 states using 29 metrics across five key categories: education, health, safety, economy, and infrastructure & pollution. New Mexico ranked 50th overall despite having one of the highest tax burdens in the country. The state placed near the bottom in nearly every category: 49th in education 42nd in health 50th in safety 45th in economy 34th in...

New Mexico lawmakers filed nearly 1,200 bills during the 60-day legislative session that ended Saturday at noon. A total of 194 of those bills ultimately passed both legislative chambers. Some have already been signed or vetoed by Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham, but most will have their fates decided by the April 11 bill signing deadline. Here's a look at what bills passed — and which fell short — at the Roundhouse. Measures marked with an asterisk (*) are already signed into law. Crime/Public safety Passed — Allow judges to impose longer prison sentences for fentanyl trafficking.* Change how courts handle...

A child who died in a Texas hospital after developing pneumonia following a measles infection died as a result of “medical error” — including failure to administer the correct antibiotic in time, according to a medical expert who reviewed the child’s medical records. Children’s Health Defense (CHD) obtained the medical records from the family of the 6-year-old girl. The parents said they wanted people to know what happened to their daughter so it wouldn’t happen to other children. Dr. Pierre Kory, who has extensive experience in pulmonary and critical care medicine, analyzed the records and said ... "this case was...

The parents of a young girl who died after contracting measles last month in West Texas are speaking out about their position on the MMR vaccine. The child, age 6, died on Feb. 26 after being hospitalized in Lubbock, as reported by the Texas Department of State Health Services. The agency stated it was "the first death from measles in the ongoing outbreak in the South Plains and Panhandle regions" — adding that the child was not vaccinated. The family lives in Seminole, Texas, in Gaines County, which is where the vast majority of measles cases have occurred in the...

A New Mexico lawmaker whose son was murdered by a juvenile expressed outrage this week after her criminal justice bill was tanked in favor of what some on the right are calling a "homicide scholarship" program. State Rep. Nicole Chavez of Albuquerque said Thursday she is "sickened" by the developments. "New Mexico Democrats voted to hand offenders like my son’s killer $2,000 a month—some twisted reward for shattering my family," Chavez said of the "homicide scholarship" moniker first dubbed by state Rep. Rod Montoya, R-Farmington, earlier this month. That bill [HB-255] would provide a monthly stipend for certain former convicts...