Kagi News - USA | New Mexico

New Mexico leaders challenge Chaco rollback; tenants seek housing

Fri, 24 Jul 2026 19:45:25 +0000

New Mexico’s entire federal congressional delegation joined the All Pueblo Council of Governors this week to oppose the Trump administration’s proposal to remove or shrink protections around Chaco Culture National Historical Park. The disputed zone bars oil and gas drilling and mining within 10 miles of the park. Federal officials opened a 14-day public comment period on the proposal; tribal and political leaders asked that the current withdrawal remain in place, that the comment window expand to 90 days and that formal tribal consultation occur. Pueblo leaders described Chaco Canyon as an active cultural and sacred landscape tied to Pueblo communities across generations, while Sen. Martin Heinrich said New Mexico can maintain oil and gas revenue without compromising cultural, historical or natural resources. Sen. Ben Ray Luján urged residents to submit comments despite the short timeline, saying the public should not let the period pass unnoticed. In Santa Fe, eight tenants remained displaced more than a month after a June 19 fire affected a building at the affordable Sangre de Cristo apartment complex in the Hopewell Mann neighborhood. Residents and advocates delivered a demand letter Thursday to JL Gray Co., the property manager and developer that took ownership in 2023, saying tenants had not received clear information after the fire.

Highlights:

Prior comments: An April comment period drew 100,000 comments opposing Chaco protection rollbacks.
Tenant displacement: Displaced tenant Desiree Velarde said she has stayed with friends and sometimes driven nearly 70 miles to her daughters’ apartment complex in Las Vegas, New Mexico.

Perspectives:

Sen. Ben Ray Luján: Luján urged the public to engage despite the short timeline, saying, “We need you to come forward and make your voices heard.” (KUNM)
All Pueblo Council of Governors Chair Joey Sanchez: Sanchez joined the delegation in calling for permanent protections for Chaco Canyon, saying the landscape remains a living cultural site for Pueblo communities. (KSFR)
Displaced Santa Fe tenants: Tenant Desiree Velarde said, “We have nowhere to go,” describing the instability of temporary housing after the fire. (Searchlight New Mexico)

Sources:

New Mexico's tribal and federal officials rally public participation to safeguard Chaco Canyon - kunm.org
“Nowhere to go:” Santa Fe tenants displaced by June fire deliver demand letter to owners - searchlightnm.org
Pueblo leaders travel to Washington D.C. to defend Chaco Canyon - ksfr.org

US measles cases reach 35-year high at 2,318

Sat, 25 Jul 2026 01:58:13 +0000

The United States has confirmed 2,318 measles cases in 2026, surpassing the 2,289 recorded in all of 2025 and marking the highest annual total since 1991, according to CDC data released Friday. The count came with more than five months left in the year and has already exceeded last year’s total. CDC data show 151 hospitalizations this year, compared with 243 hospitalizations and three deaths in 2025; Source New Mexico reported no deaths had been recorded in 2026. Public health officials and physicians linked the resurgence to low vaccination coverage in affected communities, with about 93% of confirmed cases in both 2025 and 2026 occurring among unvaccinated people. Richard Skolnik, the New Mexico lead for Grandparents for Vaccines, urged parents and grandparents not to take unimmunized infants into outbreak settings or places where vaccination rates are too low to provide community protection.

Highlights:

Child burden: People from infancy through age 19 accounted for 69% of CDC-tracked 2026 cases, and children younger than 5 made up one-fifth of infections.
Coverage gap: National MMR coverage among kindergartners fell to 92.5% in the 2024-25 school year from 95.2% in 2019-20, below the 95% level cited as needed to prevent outbreaks.
Status review: International health officials are expected to meet in November to determine whether the United States and Mexico have lost measles-free status.

This essentially is a public health failure, and it's avoidable. - Dr. Andrew Racine

Perspectives:

Richard Skolnik, Grandparents for Vaccines: Skolnik said that before vaccination, measles was an expected childhood illness and parents could only hope their children recovered without complications. He said a disease the U.S. came close to eliminating is spreading again. (Los Alamos Daily Post)
American Academy of Pediatrics: AAP President Andrew Racine said children are being disproportionately harmed and added, “We should not accept this as our new normal.” (RTÉ)
Johns Hopkins International Vaccine Access Center: William Moss called ongoing U.S. measles outbreaks “an unnecessary and preventable tragedy” because a safe and effective vaccine is available. (Healio)
CDC scientist cited by KFF Health News: A CDC scientist familiar with an internal measles report said the agency could not credibly deny transmission over the past 12 months, a key issue for the elimination status review. (KFF Health News)

Sources:

Op-Ed: Measles … A Record We Never Wanted To See - ladailypost.com
MAP: States report new measles cases as virus surpasses alarming benchmark - krqe.com
Measles cases have reached a 35-year high - sourcenm.com
US measles outbreak the worst in 35 years: Official data - straitstimes.com
US measles outbreak hits case counts not seen in 35 years - euractiv.com
US measles cases reach 35-year high, for second record-breaking year in a row - ksl.com
There are already more US measles cases this year than in all of 2025 - wbrz.com
Official data: US measles outbreak the worst in 35 years - dhakatribune.com
US measles cases reach highest level in 35 years, CDC data shows - thenews.com.pk
What to know as measles cases hit new record in U.S. - wcvb.com
U.S. has already surpassed total measles cases in 2025 - cbsnews.com
There are already more U.S. measles cases this year than in all of 2025 - statnews.com
US measles cases surpass 2025 total, reach 35-year high - healio.com
US Measles cases hit highest level in 35 years, CD... - minutemirror.com.pk
US suffering worst measles outbreak in 35 years - rte.ie
U.S. measles cases surpass last year’s total with months remaining - kaaltv.com
US measles cases reach 35-year high - urdupoint.com
EU registra cifra récord de casos de sarampión en 35 años - eleconomista.com.mx
‘The Child Is Terrified’: Doctors on the Front Lines of a Measles Comeback Speak Out - kffhealthnews.org
US Measles Infections Surpass 2025 Total to Reach 35-Year High - reddit.com
2026 already has more US measles cases than any year since 1991 - kare11.com
Measles hits U.S. record not seen since 1991; California seen as vulnerable - latimes.com
US measles cases hit 31-year high to 2,318 as vaccinations decline - prothomalo.com
Maserninfektionen in den USA auf höchstem Stand seit 35 Jahren - sueddeutsche.de
USA verzeichnen höchste Zahl an Masern-Infektionen seit 35 Jahren - derstandard.at
美國麻疹病例創35年新高絕大多數未打疫苗清零地位恐不保 - stheadline.com
Les Etats-Unis connaissent leur pire épidémie de rougeole depuis 1991 - letemps.ch
Florida ranks #5 for U.S. measles cases in 2026: CDC Report - wfla.com
EE. UU. registra su mayor brote de sarampión en los últimos 35 años - rccnoticias.com.do
EEUU registra peor brote de sarampión de los últimos 35 años - biobiochile.cl
US measles cases hit 35-year high as vax rates decline - thewest.com.au
Highest measles cases in US since 1991 - dawn.com
In den USA steigt die Zahl der Masernfälle rasant an [premium] - diepresse.com

DNC panel advances New Mexico in 2028 primary

Fri, 24 Jul 2026 20:04:51 +0000

The Democratic National Committee’s Rules and Bylaws Committee voted Friday to recommend moving New Mexico to fourth place in the 2028 Democratic presidential primary calendar, giving the state an early role in choosing the party’s next nominee. Under the recommended order, South Carolina would vote first on Jan. 22, followed by Nevada, New Hampshire and New Mexico on Feb. 15. The recommendation still requires approval by the full DNC on Aug. 15. New Mexico Democratic leaders, including Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham, had sought earlier placement and argued that the state offers a border-state electorate with Hispanic, Native American, rural and working-class voters. The New York Times reported that South Carolina, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, Michigan and Virginia would help decide the party’s next presidential nominee under the committee-backed calendar.

Highlights:

Current timing: New Mexico now holds primary elections for both major parties on the first Tuesday in June.
State coalition: The coalition seeking early-primary status included Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham, New Mexico’s congressional delegation and the All Pueblo Council of Governors.
Earlier bid: Democratic leaders in New Mexico had previously campaigned to make the state the first contest in the 2028 presidential cycle.

For years, I’ve said the same thing: you cannot show up for Hispanic voters in November after Democrats have already picked a nominee. You have to engage with them from the start. Today, national Democrats agreed. - Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham

Perspectives:

Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham: Lujan Grisham argued that New Mexico's border-state status would require candidates to address immigration and border issues, and that the state's working-class population has more in common with red states than blue states. (Source New Mexico)
Democratic Party of New Mexico Chair Sara Attleson: Attleson said the recommendation ended New Mexico's treatment as an afterthought in Democratic presidential primaries and credited a coalition that included the governor, congressional delegation and All Pueblo Council of Governors. (New Mexico News)
DNC Rules and Bylaws Committee members: Committee members cited New Mexico's Hispanic, Native American and rural voters, along with its border-state status, as reasons to test Democratic candidates there early. (New Mexico News)