AP-US-IMMIGRATION-DEPORTATION-LAWSUIT
Biden suspends rules limiting immigrant arrest, deportation
WASHINGTON, (AP) — The Biden administration has suspended an order that had focused resources for the arrest and deportation of immigrants on those considered a threat to public safety and national security. The action over the weekend followed a ruling this month from a federal judge in Texas. Advocates and experts say the move announced Saturday will only sow fear among immigrant communities. A Cornell University law professor says many immigrants will now be afraid to leave their homes out of concern they'll be detained. President Joe Biden's order last year was a departure from former President Donald Trump's administration, when immigration agencies were given wider latitude.

ABORTION-NEW MEXICO
New Mexico governor orders safeguards for abortion access
SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — New Mexico's Democratic governor is taking steps to ensure safe harbor to people seeking abortions or providing abortions at health care facilities within the state. Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham signed an executive order Monday that rejects cooperation with other states that might interfere with abortion access in New Mexico. The order also prohibits most New Mexico state employees from assisting other states in investigating or seeking sanctions against local abortion providers. Lujan Grisham has vowed to continue legal access to abortion in New Mexico after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned the Roe v. Wade decision to end constitutional protection for abortion.

CAPITOL RIOT-TRUMP ADVISER
Lawyer who advised Trump says federal agents seized phone
WASHINGTON (AP) — A lawyer who aided former President Donald Trump's efforts to undo the 2020 election results says in a federal court filing that federal agents have seized his cell phone. John Eastman says the agents took his phone as he left a restaurant last Wednesday evening. Federal law enforcement officials conducted similar activity around the country that day as part of broadening investigations into efforts by Trump allies to overturn the election results. The action was disclosed in a filing in federal court in New Mexico in which Eastman challenges the legitimacy of the warrant.

BC-NM-HOMICIDE CASES POSSIBLY CONNECTED
Albuquerque police say 2 homicides cases may be connected
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — Police in Albuquerque are investigating two homicides that may be connected and a suspect is in custody. They say officers responded to a convenience store 7:45 a.m. Sunday and found the body of a man who had been shot. During their investigation, police say they received another call about a deceased woman in a southwest Albuquerque home. Police say the shooting began with a fight inside the gas station, which moved outside to a side street. The name of the suspect hasn't been released by police yet.

BC-NM-ALBUQUERQUE MAYOR-STATE OF CITY ADDRESS
Albuquerque mayor: Pandemic erased much of progress vs crime
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — Albuquerque Mayor Tim Keller says much of the progress made against crime was erased by the COVID-19 pandemic, but believes the city's police department has made improvements. In his first State of the City address of his second term, Keller also announced Saturday that the Albuquerque Police Department is seeking release from at least some of the federal oversight it has been under since 2015. He says police are aiming to show compliance with about a quarter of the terms inside its U.S. Department of Justice settlement agreement. Keller didn't announce any new solutions for homelessness, but says the city is revisiting its approach to encampments.

VAMPIRE FACIALS-PLEA
Albuquerque salon owner behind 'vampire facials' takes plea
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — A former Albuquerque spa owner has pleaded guilty to conducting unlicensed "vampire facials" that led to two clients contracting HIV. New Mexico Attorney General Hector Balderas announced the plea from Maria de Lourdes Ramos de Ruiz in a news release Friday. Ramos de Ruiz will enter a guilty plea to five felony counts of practicing medicine without a license. The scam was discovered when a client who was diagnosed with HIV reported visiting her spa. State licensing regulators investigated her business and found multiple health-code violations. A second client with HIV then came forward. Ramos de Ruiz faces more than seven years in prison.

BC-NM-HOMICIDE CASES POSSIBLY CONNECTED
Albuquerque police say 2 homicides cases may be connected
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — Police in Albuquerque are investigating two homicides that may be connected and a suspect is in custody. They say officers responded to a convenience store 7:45 a.m. Sunday and found the body of a man who had been shot. During their investigation, police say they received another call about a deceased woman in a southwest Albuquerque home. Police say the shooting began with a fight inside the gas station, which moved outside to a side street. The name of the suspect hasn't been released by police yet.

BC-NM-ALBUQUERQUE MAYOR-STATE OF CITY ADDRESS
Albuquerque mayor: Pandemic erased much of progress vs crime
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — Albuquerque Mayor Tim Keller says much of the progress made against crime was erased by the COVID-19 pandemic, but believes the city's police department has made improvements. In his first State of the City address of his second term, Keller also announced Saturday that the Albuquerque Police Department is seeking release from at least some of the federal oversight it has been under since 2015. He says police are aiming to show compliance with about a quarter of the terms inside its U.S. Department of Justice settlement agreement. Keller didn't announce any new solutions for homelessness, but says the city is revisiting its approach to encampments.

VAMPIRE FACIALS-PLEA
Albuquerque salon owner behind 'vampire facials' takes plea
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — A former Albuquerque spa owner has pleaded guilty to conducting unlicensed "vampire facials" that led to two clients contracting HIV. New Mexico Attorney General Hector Balderas announced the plea from Maria de Lourdes Ramos de Ruiz in a news release Friday. Ramos de Ruiz will enter a guilty plea to five felony counts of practicing medicine without a license. The scam was discovered when a client who was diagnosed with HIV reported visiting her spa. State licensing regulators investigated her business and found multiple health-code violations. A second client with HIV then came forward. Ramos de Ruiz faces more than seven years in prison.

AP-US-ELECTION-2022-NEVADA
Last Nevada county approves primary results after hand count
RENO, Nev. (AP) — Elected officials in a rural Nevada county became the last in the state to certify outstanding results of the June 14 primary election after a hand count of all ballots in an old mining town courthouse. Two county commissioners in Esmeralda County, Nevada's least populated, spent more than seven hours Friday counting all 317 ballots before formally voting to accept the results. Nevada's other 16 counties already had certified the primary results. The largest counties in the western battleground state in Las Vegas and Reno were among those that acted earlier Friday over the objections of some who questioned the results.

SANTA FE OUTAGE-APARTMENT EVICTIONS
Santa Fe complex residents must move after power outage
SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — More than 50 tenants at a Santa Fe apartment complex are being forced to move out because of electrical issues. Residents of the Railyard Flats told Albuquerque's KOB-TV that they lost power Friday and were told by management to leave by July 6. In a statement, Railyard Flats said repairing the electrical issues could take months because of back order and supply chain problems. But residents will be placed in hotels through July 8. They will also be allowed to break their leases with no penalty. Residents are worried about finding a new home in a short amount of time.

SUPREME COURT-ABORTION-THE LATEST
Live updates | Supreme Court overturns Roe v. Wade
WASHINGTON (AP) — Police fired tear gas from the windows of the Arizona Capitol building to disperse hundreds of people demonstrating outside Friday night, as lawmakers briefly huddled in a basement. The lawmakers were working to complete their 2022 session as thousands of protesters gathered on the Capitol grounds in Phoenix. They were divided into groups condemning and supporting the Supreme Court's Roe v. Wade decision. KPHO-TV reported the officers opened fire when several anti-abortion protesters started banging on glass doors of the building. It wasn't immediately known if there were injuries or arrests.

SOUTHWEST-FIRE RESTRICTIONS
Recent rain allows forests in US Southwest to reopen
ALAMOGORDO, N.M. (AP) — Some national forests in Arizona and New Mexico are relaxing fire restrictions and reopening. That's thanks to a strong start to the annual rainy season in the southwestern U.S. The monsoon has delivered much-needed moisture to the parched region and relief from scorching temperatures. Two national forests that border New Mexico's most populous areas and a third in the southern part of the state largely will reopen Friday. Some pockets will remain closed because of active wildfires. The Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest in eastern Arizona will rescind all fire restrictions. The rules vary across all public land on whether campfires are allowed.

BC-NM-PREP BASKETBALL STAR KILLED-SENTENCING
Man gets life in prison for killing of Santa Fe prep star
SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — A man convicted of fatally shooting a Santa Fe High School star basketball player after a fight at a house party nearly two years ago has been sentenced to life in prison. A New Mexico district court judge gave 18-year-old Estevan Montoya the maximum sentence Wednesday for the August 2020 killing of Fedonta "JB" White. The judge says Montoya will be eligible for parole in 30 years. Montoya was 16 at the time of the fatal shooting. A jury found him guilty of first-degree murder, tampering with evidence, unlawful possession of a handgun by an underage person and negligent use of a deadly weapon. White was set to play for New Mexico in the 2020-21 season.

 BC-NM-ALBUQUERQUE MAYOR-STATE OF CITY ADDRESS
Albuquerque mayor: Pandemic erased much of progress vs crime
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — Albuquerque Mayor Tim Keller says much of the progress made against crime was erased by the COVID-19 pandemic, but believes the city's police department has made improvements. In his first State of the City address of his second term, Keller also announced Saturday that the Albuquerque Police Department is seeking release from at least some of the federal oversight it has been under since 2015. He says police are aiming to show compliance with about a quarter of the terms inside its U.S. Department of Justice settlement agreement. Keller didn't announce any new solutions for homelessness, but says the city is revisiting its approach to encampments.
 
VAMPIRE FACIALS-PLEA
Albuquerque salon owner behind 'vampire facials' takes plea
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — A former Albuquerque spa owner has pleaded guilty to conducting unlicensed "vampire facials" that led to two clients contracting HIV. New Mexico Attorney General Hector Balderas announced the plea from Maria de Lourdes Ramos de Ruiz in a news release Friday. Ramos de Ruiz will enter a guilty plea to five felony counts of practicing medicine without a license. The scam was discovered when a client who was diagnosed with HIV reported visiting her spa. State licensing regulators investigated her business and found multiple health-code violations. A second client with HIV then came forward. Ramos de Ruiz faces more than seven years in prison.

SANTA FE OUTAGE-APARTMENT EVICTIONS
Santa Fe complex residents must move after power outage
SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — More than 50 tenants at a Santa Fe apartment complex are being forced to move out because of electrical issues. Residents of the Railyard Flats told Albuquerque's KOB-TV that they lost power Friday and were told by management to leave by July 6. In a statement, Railyard Flats said repairing the electrical issues could take months because of back order and supply chain problems. But residents will be placed in hotels through July 8. They will also be allowed to break their leases with no penalty. Residents are worried about finding a new home in a short amount of time.

SOUTHWEST-FIRE RESTRICTIONS
Recent rain allows forests in US Southwest to reopen
ALAMOGORDO, N.M. (AP) — Some national forests in Arizona and New Mexico are relaxing fire restrictions and reopening. That's thanks to a strong start to the annual rainy season in the southwestern U.S. The monsoon has delivered much-needed moisture to the parched region and relief from scorching temperatures. Two national forests that border New Mexico's most populous areas and a third in the southern part of the state largely will reopen Friday. Some pockets will remain closed because of active wildfires. The Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest in eastern Arizona will rescind all fire restrictions. The rules vary across all public land on whether campfires are allowed.

BC-NM-PREP BASKETBALL STAR KILLED-SENTENCING
Man gets life in prison for killing of Santa Fe prep star
SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — A man convicted of fatally shooting a Santa Fe High School star basketball player after a fight at a house party nearly two years ago has been sentenced to life in prison. A New Mexico district court judge gave 18-year-old Estevan Montoya the maximum sentence Wednesday for the August 2020 killing of Fedonta "JB" White. The judge says Montoya will be eligible for parole in 30 years. Montoya was 16 at the time of the fatal shooting. A jury found him guilty of first-degree murder, tampering with evidence, unlawful possession of a handgun by an underage person and negligent use of a deadly weapon. White was set to play for New Mexico in the 2020-21 season.

AP-US-NATIVE-AMERICANS-BOARDING-SCHOOLS
Native American leaders push for boarding school commission
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — U.S. Interior Secretary Deb Haaland says the federal government has a responsibility to Native American tribes, Alaska Native villages and Native Hawaiian communities to fully support education, language and cultural practices that prior boarding school policies sought to destroy. She testified Wednesday before a U.S. Senate committee on legislation to establish a national commission on truth and healing to address ongoing trauma stemming from the legacy of Native American boarding schools in the United States. Tribal leaders and advocates from Maine to Alaska and Hawaii joined Haaland in voicing their support. They say a commission would offer a path for many to have their personal stories validated.

VAMPIRE FACIALS-PLEA
Albuquerque salon owner behind 'vampire facials' takes plea
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — A former Albuquerque spa owner has pleaded guilty to conducting unlicensed "vampire facials" that led to two clients contracting HIV. New Mexico Attorney General Hector Balderas announced the plea from Maria de Lourdes Ramos de Ruiz in a news release Friday. Ramos de Ruiz will enter a guilty plea to five felony counts of practicing medicine without a license. The scam was discovered when a client who was diagnosed with HIV reported visiting her spa. State licensing regulators investigated her business and found multiple health-code violations. A second client with HIV then came forward. Ramos de Ruiz faces more than seven years in prison.

SANTA FE OUTAGE-APARTMENT EVICTIONS
Santa Fe complex residents must move after power outage
SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — More than 50 tenants at a Santa Fe apartment complex are being forced to move out because of electrical issues. Residents of the Railyard Flats told Albuquerque's KOB-TV that they lost power Friday and were told by management to leave by July 6. In a statement, Railyard Flats said repairing the electrical issues could take months because of back order and supply chain problems. But residents will be placed in hotels through July 8. They will also be allowed to break their leases with no penalty. Residents are worried about finding a new home in a short amount of time.

SUPREME COURT-ABORTION-THE LATEST
Live updates | Supreme Court overturns Roe v. Wade
WASHINGTON (AP) — Police fired tear gas from the windows of the Arizona Capitol building to disperse hundreds of people demonstrating outside Friday night, as lawmakers briefly huddled in a basement. The lawmakers were working to complete their 2022 session as thousands of protesters gathered on the Capitol grounds in Phoenix. They were divided into groups condemning and supporting the Supreme Court's Roe v. Wade decision. KPHO-TV reported the officers opened fire when several anti-abortion protesters started banging on glass doors of the building. It wasn't immediately known if there were injuries or arrests.

SOUTHWEST-FIRE RESTRICTIONS
Recent rain allows forests in US Southwest to reopen
ALAMOGORDO, N.M. (AP) — Some national forests in Arizona and New Mexico are relaxing fire restrictions and reopening. That's thanks to a strong start to the annual rainy season in the southwestern U.S. The monsoon has delivered much-needed moisture to the parched region and relief from scorching temperatures. Two national forests that border New Mexico's most populous areas and a third in the southern part of the state largely will reopen Friday. Some pockets will remain closed because of active wildfires. The Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest in eastern Arizona will rescind all fire restrictions. The rules vary across all public land on whether campfires are allowed.

BC-NM-PREP BASKETBALL STAR KILLED-SENTENCING
Man gets life in prison for killing of Santa Fe prep star
SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — A man convicted of fatally shooting a Santa Fe High School star basketball player after a fight at a house party nearly two years ago has been sentenced to life in prison. A New Mexico district court judge gave 18-year-old Estevan Montoya the maximum sentence Wednesday for the August 2020 killing of Fedonta "JB" White. The judge says Montoya will be eligible for parole in 30 years. Montoya was 16 at the time of the fatal shooting. A jury found him guilty of first-degree murder, tampering with evidence, unlawful possession of a handgun by an underage person and negligent use of a deadly weapon. White was set to play for New Mexico in the 2020-21 season.

AP-US-NATIVE-AMERICANS-BOARDING-SCHOOLS
Native American leaders push for boarding school commission
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — U.S. Interior Secretary Deb Haaland says the federal government has a responsibility to Native American tribes, Alaska Native villages and Native Hawaiian communities to fully support education, language and cultural practices that prior boarding school policies sought to destroy. She testified Wednesday before a U.S. Senate committee on legislation to establish a national commission on truth and healing to address ongoing trauma stemming from the legacy of Native American boarding schools in the United States. Tribal leaders and advocates from Maine to Alaska and Hawaii joined Haaland in voicing their support. They say a commission would offer a path for many to have their personal stories validated.

BC-NM-IMPAIRED DRIVER-FATAL CRASH-SENTENCING
Albuquerque woman gets long prison term for fatal DWI crash
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — Authorities say an Albuquerque woman has been sentenced to 12 years in prison in connection with a fatal car crash in June 2020. A New Mexico district judge on Tuesday sentenced 42-year-old Bernadette Etsitty, who pleaded guilty in April on a charge of vehicular homicide while under the influence of alcohol. Prosecutors say Etsitty had consumed a 12-pack of beer and was driving 66 mph in a 40 mph zone at the time of the head-on crash that killed 18-year-old Roxana Saenz. According to the Albuquerque Journal, court records show Etsitty has been charged three times for driving while intoxicated including two offenses in 2006. The newspaper also reported that a third-offense DWI in 2018 for Etsitty was dismissed by a McKinley County magistrate judge in 2019.

SOUTHWEST-FIRE RESTRICTIONS
Recent rain allows forests in US Southwest to reopen
ALAMOGORDO, N.M. (AP) — Some national forests in Arizona and New Mexico are relaxing fire restrictions and reopening. That's thanks to a strong start to the annual rainy season in the southwestern U.S. The monsoon has delivered much-needed moisture to the parched region and relief from scorching temperatures. Two national forests that border New Mexico's most populous areas and a third in the southern part of the state largely will reopen Friday. Some pockets will remain closed because of active wildfires. The Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest in eastern Arizona will rescind all fire restrictions. The rules vary across all public land on whether campfires are allowed.

BC-NM-PREP BASKETBALL STAR KILLED-SENTENCING
Man gets life in prison for killing of Santa Fe prep star
SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — A man convicted of fatally shooting a Santa Fe High School star basketball player after a fight at a house party nearly two years ago has been sentenced to life in prison. A New Mexico district court judge gave 18-year-old Estevan Montoya the maximum sentence Wednesday for the August 2020 killing of Fedonta "JB" White. The judge says Montoya will be eligible for parole in 30 years. Montoya was 16 at the time of the fatal shooting. A jury found him guilty of first-degree murder, tampering with evidence, unlawful possession of a handgun by an underage person and negligent use of a deadly weapon. White was set to play for New Mexico in the 2020-21 season.

AP-US-NATIVE-AMERICANS-BOARDING-SCHOOLS
Native American leaders push for boarding school commission
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — U.S. Interior Secretary Deb Haaland says the federal government has a responsibility to Native American tribes, Alaska Native villages and Native Hawaiian communities to fully support education, language and cultural practices that prior boarding school policies sought to destroy. She testified Wednesday before a U.S. Senate committee on legislation to establish a national commission on truth and healing to address ongoing trauma stemming from the legacy of Native American boarding schools in the United States. Tribal leaders and advocates from Maine to Alaska and Hawaii joined Haaland in voicing their support. They say a commission would offer a path for many to have their personal stories validated.

BC-NM-IMPAIRED DRIVER-FATAL CRASH-SENTENCING
Albuquerque woman gets long prison term for fatal DWI crash
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — Authorities say an Albuquerque woman has been sentenced to 12 years in prison in connection with a fatal car crash in June 2020. A New Mexico district judge on Tuesday sentenced 42-year-old Bernadette Etsitty, who pleaded guilty in April on a charge of vehicular homicide while under the influence of alcohol. Prosecutors say Etsitty had consumed a 12-pack of beer and was driving 66 mph in a 40 mph zone at the time of the head-on crash that killed 18-year-old Roxana Saenz. According to the Albuquerque Journal, court records show Etsitty has been charged three times for driving while intoxicated including two offenses in 2006. The newspaper also reported that a third-offense DWI in 2018 for Etsitty was dismissed by a McKinley County magistrate judge in 2019.

AP-US-WESTERN-WILDFIRES-NEW-MEXICO
Massive New Mexico blaze blamed on miscalculations, errors
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — U.S. Forest Service employees made multiple miscalculations, used inaccurate models and underestimated how dry conditions were, causing a planned burn to reduce the threat of wildfires to turn into the largest blaze in New Mexico's recorded history. The agency on Tuesday released the findings of an investigation into a fire that ultimately displaced thousands of people and destroyed hundreds of homes. It also forced a pause on the agency's prescribed fire operations nationwide. Anger and frustration have been simmering among residents and elected officials. The blaze has charred more than 533 square miles, and forecasters are warning of post-fire flooding threats amid summer rains.

AP-US-WESTERN-WILDFIRES-NEW-MEXICO
Massive New Mexico blaze blamed on miscalculations, errors
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — U.S. Forest Service employees made multiple miscalculations, used inaccurate models and underestimated how dry conditions were, causing a planned burn to reduce the threat of wildfires to turn into the largest blaze in New Mexico's recorded history. The agency on Tuesday released the findings of an investigation into a fire that ultimately displaced thousands of people and destroyed hundreds of homes. It also forced a pause on the agency's prescribed fire operations nationwide. Anger and frustration have been simmering among residents and elected officials. The blaze has charred more than 533 square miles, and forecasters are warning of post-fire flooding threats amid summer rains.

BC-NM-SCHOOL BUS CRASH-LAWSUIT
Parents of Albuquerque kids injured in crash sue car driver
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — The parents of three children injured in the crash involving an Albuquerque Public Schools bus four months ago have filed a lawsuit against the driver of the speeding car involved and his insurance company. The Albuquerque Journal reported Sunday that the 2nd Judicial District Court suit was filed on behalf of parents of two girls and a boy – identified only by their initials – who were passengers on the school bus. The Feb. 23 crash sent five people to the hospital. Two middle school students suffered serious injuries including a broken pelvis and a broken femur that required surgery. Police allege the 50-year-old driver of the car involved in the crash was racing at high speed with another vehicle at the time and collided with the bus.

AP-NM-ALBUQUERQUE POLICE-FATAL SHOOTING
Albuquerque police fatally shoot man who refused to drop gun
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M, (AP) — Authorities say Albuquerque police officers have fatally shot a man after he told them he had a gun and refused several orders to drop it. Police Chief Harold Medina says the shooting occurred around 3:30 a.m. Sunday. He says investigators have retrieved what appears to be an airsoft gun from the scene and noted that the shooting appears to be a so-called suicide by cop. According to police, a vehicle approached them and the man inside said he had a gun and the officers were going to have to shoot him. Medina says the police gave the man several commands to drop the weapon but he did not and shots were eventually fired. The man's name hasn't been released yet.

NEW MEXICO ELECTION-DOMINION
Building anger in rural New Mexico erupts in election crisis
SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — Behind the raw public frustration and anger over election security that has played out this week in New Mexico was a hint of something deeper — a growing divide between the state's Democratic power structure and conservative rural residents who feel their way of life is under attack. In the state's vast, rural stretches, frustration over voting and political representation has been building for years. Residents have felt marginalized and overrun by government decisions that have placed limits on their livelihoods. Tensions have been mounting for years as Democrats in New Mexico have consolidated control over every statewide office and the Supreme Court.

AP-US-NEW-MEXICO-ELECTION-DOMINION
Screams, threats as New Mexico counties certify vote
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — Commissioners in all New Mexico counties have certified the results from their primary election, after one county had sparked a standoff over election integrity that was fueled by conspiracy theories about the security of voting equipment. Otero County commissioners opted 2-1 on Friday to certify the results during an emergency meeting as New Mexico counties faced a deadline for certification of the vote. The commissioners earlier had refused to certify the results, prompting the state's top election official to seek court intervention. The developments in New Mexico can be traced to far-right conspiracy theories over voting machines that have spread across the country over the past two years.

BC-NM-SCHOOL BUS CRASH-LAWSUIT
Parents of Albuquerque kids injured in crash sue car driver
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — The parents of three children injured in the crash involving an Albuquerque Public Schools bus four months ago have filed a lawsuit against the driver of the speeding car involved and his insurance company. The Albuquerque Journal reported Sunday that the 2nd Judicial District Court suit was filed on behalf of parents of two girls and a boy – identified only by their initials – who were passengers on the school bus. The Feb. 23 crash sent five people to the hospital. Two middle school students suffered serious injuries including a broken pelvis and a broken femur that required surgery. Police allege the 50-year-old driver of the car involved in the crash was racing at high speed with another vehicle at the time and collided with the bus.
 
AP-NM-ALBUQUERQUE POLICE-FATAL SHOOTING
Albuquerque police fatally shoot man who refused to drop gun
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M, (AP) — Authorities say Albuquerque police officers have fatally shot a man after he told them he had a gun and refused several orders to drop it. Police Chief Harold Medina says the shooting occurred around 3:30 a.m. Sunday. He says investigators have retrieved what appears to be an airsoft gun from the scene and noted that the shooting appears to be a so-called suicide by cop. According to police, a vehicle approached them and the man inside said he had a gun and the officers were going to have to shoot him. Medina says the police gave the man several commands to drop the weapon but he did not and shots were eventually fired. The man's name hasn't been released yet.

NEW MEXICO ELECTION-DOMINION
Building anger in rural New Mexico erupts in election crisis
SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — Behind the raw public frustration and anger over election security that has played out this week in New Mexico was a hint of something deeper — a growing divide between the state's Democratic power structure and conservative rural residents who feel their way of life is under attack. In the state's vast, rural stretches, frustration over voting and political representation has been building for years. Residents have felt marginalized and overrun by government decisions that have placed limits on their livelihoods. Tensions have been mounting for years as Democrats in New Mexico have consolidated control over every statewide office and the Supreme Court.

AP-US-NEW-MEXICO-ELECTION-DOMINION
Screams, threats as New Mexico counties certify vote
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — Commissioners in all New Mexico counties have certified the results from their primary election, after one county had sparked a standoff over election integrity that was fueled by conspiracy theories about the security of voting equipment. Otero County commissioners opted 2-1 on Friday to certify the results during an emergency meeting as New Mexico counties faced a deadline for certification of the vote. The commissioners earlier had refused to certify the results, prompting the state's top election official to seek court intervention. The developments in New Mexico can be traced to far-right conspiracy theories over voting machines that have spread across the country over the past two years.

AP-US-CAPITOL-RIOT-ELECTED-OFFICIAL
Official in election standoff avoids prison in Capitol riot
WASHINGTON (AP) — An elected official who was a central figure in a New Mexico county's refusal to certify recent election results based on debunked conspiracy theories about voting machines has avoided more jail time for joining the mob that attacked the U.S. Capitol. Couy Griffin was sentenced Friday to 14 days behind bars, which he has already served. The founder of the political group Cowboys for Trump, who is a member of a county commission in a remote part of New Mexico, entered a restricted area outside the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, but didn't go into the building itself.

DEPUTIES-FATAL SHOOTING PROBE
AG to probe of Chaves County fatal deputy-involved shooting
CHAVES COUNTY, N.M. (AP) — The New Mexico Attorney General's office is taking over the investigation into the shooting death of a suspect by Chaves County deputies. Attorney General Hector Balderas said in a statement Friday that District Attorney Dianna Luce asked for the review because of a conflict of interest in her office. Deputies were called to a dairy in southern Chaves County on March 22 about a man behaving erratically. The two deputies tried subduing 34-year-old David Aguilera with a taser several times. Police body camera footage shows Aguilera in the driver's seat of a police vehicle. A deputy opens fire on him after he refuses to get out of the car.