New Mexico

New report shows NM’s bleak divorce, happiness rankings

5 Comments / New Mexico, News / By

New Mexico has been ranked 46th in WalletHub’s 2024 Happiest States in America report, indicating significant challenges in emotional, physical, and social well-being. 

One of the most concerning statistics is that the state has the highest rate of divorce in the nation, with a separation and divorce rate 1.7 times higher than Utah, which ranks the lowest. This underscores many residents’ difficulties in maintaining personal relationships, contributing to the state’s overall happiness struggles.

WalletHub’s analysis ranked states across 30 metrics, including depression rates, mental health, and community engagement. 

While Hawaii was ranked the happiest, with the lowest share of adult depression, and New Jersey had the fewest suicides per 100,000 residents, New Mexico continues to face challenges, including high divorce rates, elevated rates of mental health issues, and community isolation.

Experts argue that addressing these underlying issues—particularly focusing on mental health support and improving family structures—could significantly boost New Mexico’s happiness ranking. 

As the state grapples with economic instability and community well-being, it’s clear that more work is needed to address the factors contributing to its low position in the happiness index.

WalletHub’s report also points to Utah’s high volunteer rate, which is 2.6 times higher than Florida’s, showing the importance of community involvement in boosting happiness. 

Conversely, New Mexico’s ranking highlights the need for greater attention to improving both emotional and physical well-being across its communities.

For more details on New Mexico’s ranking and the full report, visit WalletHub’s analysis here: WalletHub’s Happiest States.

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Multi-million dollar NM ad buys blister Heinrich, ‘woke’ Harris over failures

14 Comments / New Mexico, News, Politics / By

New multi-million-dollar ad buys from the group Election Freedom, Inc. blister New Mexico Sen. Martin Heinrich and Kamala Harris, the Democrats’ nominee for president, over their actions that increased inflation for everyday New Mexicans and created a crisis at the southern border.

The two ads ad, featuring both of the far-left politicians, don’t pull any punches with the Democrats’ attack on the working New Mexican.

The first ad declares, “Vice President Kamala Harris and Senator Martin Heinrich made inflation worse.”

“Harris and Heinrich voted for the reckless spending that drove up prices. They spent more. Now, we’re paying more. Thanks to Harris and Heinrich, housing prices and mortgage rates are soaring. Energy and gas prices have jumped, and grocery prices continue to rise.” 

The other ad primarily digs into Kamala Harris, who declared that the wide-open border that covers at least 50.3 miles in New Mexico is “secure” despite the largest flow of illegal immigration in the nation’s history under the Biden-Harris administration.

The ad also hits Harris on her work to defund the police, asking New Mexicans to call her office and tell her that “woke doesn’t work for New Mexico. We need more police and lower prices.”

The ads are to air at saturation level in the New Mexico market, along with a digital spot to educate New Mexicans on the failed policies of the two Democrats’ reckless policies that have resulted in residents feeling unsafe and poorer under their watch. 

According to a senior advisor for the organization, the group’s total investment in the state is well over seven figures, demonstrating that New Mexico is beginning to receive target treatment.

Emily Moreno Miller of the Trump 2020 Victory political team said regarding the ad placement, “This is the largest investment in New Mexico that we’ve seen in recent years. The resources being pumped into the state right now will put it on the map and grant this state national attention, something the left cannot ignore. This will move the needle in New Mexico, and expand the map in 2024. A message to the liberal media – do not ignore New Mexico.”

Recent polls have shown 45th President Donald Trump and U.S. Senate challenger Nella Domenici within single digits of their opponents in the Land of Enchantment.

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Republicans out in full force at Navajo Nation parade

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During the 76th Annual Navajo Nation Fair, taking place in Window Rock, Arizona, Republicans came out in full force to support 45th President Donald Trump, New Mexico’s U.S. Senate candidate Nella Domenici, who is challenging Martin Heinrich, and other Republicans with a float and signs at the parade.

Many Republicans walked in the parade, showing vast support from Navajo voters. The Navajo Nation occupies land in northeastern Arizona, northwestern New Mexico, and southeastern Utah. 

Attendees of the parade carried Trump signs and even “Never Surrender” signs with the 45th President’s mugshot amid the sham criminal trials being pursued by far-left Democrat prosecutors abusing their authority.

Some attendees and their kids wore shoes that read, “Trump 2024,” showcasing the momentum Trump and the Republican Party as a whole have on the Navajo Nation as national polls show Democrat Kamala Harris trailing Trump. 

The most recent poll from the New York Times/Siena College released Sunday shows Trump leading Harris nationwide, suggesting a major win in swing states and possibly the popular vote.

In 2020, Donald Trump, Jr. campaigned for his father in the Navajo Nation, including being a guest on KNDN 960 AM, where he said, “The Navajos and the Native Americans as a whole are the original conservationists,” adding, “I know I am the son of a New York billionaire, but I don’t spend my time in the cocktail party circuit. I spend it in the great outdoors.”

“No Navajo child should have to leave the Navajo Nation to pursue the American dream,” said Don Jr. He also said the Trump Victory team and his team will have “staff on the ground throughout the campaign,” something many Republican candidates have not done in the Navajo Nation.

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Maxeon Solar’s collapse threatens Lujan Grisham’s solar energy dream

26 Comments / New Mexico, News, Politics / By

Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham’s expensive $600 million taxpayer-backed solar project continues to face growing concerns as Maxeon Solar, the company behind the initiative, announced disappointing financial projections for the third quarter of 2024. 

Maxeon, which was chosen to build a new solar manufacturing facility in Albuquerque, revealed it expects a “significant decline” in sales, and its stock has plummeted to just 9 cents per share. This development comes more than a year after Governor Lujan Grisham proudly touted Maxeon’s investment as a major win for New Mexico’s renewable energy sector.

In August 2023, the Governor celebrated Maxeon’s plans to establish a manufacturing hub, promising that the project would break ground by the first quarter of 2024. 

However, more than halfway through the year, construction on the facility has yet to begin, casting doubt on the viability of the project and the prudence of the state’s substantial financial backing of the initiative.

Critics argue that the Governor’s administration rushed through the approval process without adequately vetting the financial stability of Maxeon Solar. 

Larry Behrens, Communications Director for the pro-energy group Power The Future, expressed frustration at the lack of oversight. “New Mexico’s taxpayers should not be spending a single penny, which is about all Maxeon is worth these days, on this boondoggle,” Behrens stated. 

“It’s now even more clear that the Governor and her cronies who rushed this project through the approval process were so blinded by their agenda that they applied zero scrutiny. New Mexicans deserve better leaders than those who make bad deals and offer false promises.”

Power The Future, a nonprofit dedicated to supporting American energy workers, has been a vocal critic of the Governor’s renewable energy policies, arguing that they prioritize political optics over sound economic judgment. In addition to Governor Lujan Grisham, the project was initially celebrated by prominent New Mexico politicians including Senator Martin Heinrich, Congressman Gabe Vasquez, and Congresswoman Melanie Stansbury.

As Maxeon Solar struggles to meet its targets and deliver on its promises, New Mexico taxpayers are left questioning whether their investment in this project will yield any of the economic or environmental benefits that were originally promised.

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Lujan Grisham breaking ground on $10M taxpayer-funded abortion center

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Far-left Democrat Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham will be traveling to Las Cruces to mark the groundbreaking of a new taxpayer-funded abortion center, made possible by $10 million in taxpayer money rushed through the Legislature in 2023. 

The facility, located in Doña Ana County, is a key part of her administration’s response to the rising demand for abortion services following the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade. 

Since that ruling, states like Texas have enacted strict bans on abortion, pushing many out-of-state residents to seek services in New Mexico, where the procedure remains legal.

The $10 million allocated for the clinic was included in the 2023 capital outlay bill, which became a source of contention during the legislative session. 

The funding was rammed through the process, forcing bipartisan legislators to vote against the broader bill due to the inclusion of this particular expenditure. 

Many see the move as unnecessarily divisive, pointing to the fact that New Mexico already had several abortion facilities serving the area​, and the abortion mill will merely be Texas’ back-alley abortion facility. 

While Governor Lujan Grisham has positioned the new clinic as part of her broader commitment to “protecting women’s health,” which doesn’t actually do anything but end children’s lives, many New Mexicans see it as a misallocation of taxpayer dollars that will exacerbate tensions over abortion access in the region, while Texas has life-affirming laws in place. 

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After abandoning, denying border crisis, MLG now touts her actions

23 Comments / New Mexico / By

Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham is facing renewed criticism for her approach to the border crisis, as she remains the only border state governor who has refused to allocate state resources to help alleviate the ongoing issues at the U.S.-Mexico border. Despite the significant challenges posed by illegal immigration and human trafficking, Lujan Grisham continues to avoid addressing the root causes of the crisis, as evidenced by her recent Operation Disruption press release, where not once did she mention the word “border” in her press release.

While Operation Disruption, which took place over 12 days in August, reportedly led to the identification of 33 stash houses and the rescue of 91 migrants, critics argue that Lujan Grisham’s selective focus on human trafficking operations fails to address the broader border security concerns that plague New Mexico. 

The governor lauded the operation as a “coordinated effort to combat human trafficking and organized crime in southern New Mexico,” but her unwillingness to commit state resources to assist in border control has left many questioning the sincerity of her commitment.

She previously claimed, “I reject the federal contention that there exists an overwhelming national security crisis at the Southern border,” calling addressing the crisis a “charade of border fear-mongering.”

In stark contrast to her counterparts in Texas and Arizona, who have proactively deployed state resources to manage the influx of migrants and assist federal authorities, or California, which is expending resources to alleviate the flow of deadly fentanyl, Lujan Grisham continues to distance her administration from any comprehensive border security efforts. Despite acknowledging the severity of human trafficking and organized crime, she remains silent on the broader border issues fueling these crimes, including open-border policies of the Lujan Grisham and Biden-Harris regimes.

Critics also highlight that while the governor boasts about the results of Operation Disruption—735 traffic stops, 16 arrests, and the rescue of a woman found in life-threatening conditions—her refusal to engage with border security more broadly leaves New Mexico vulnerable to further exploitation by criminal networks. The governor’s press release made no mention of the word “border,” reflecting her ongoing reluctance to confront the deeper issues at play.

Lujan Grisham’s stance has led to frustration among border communities and law enforcement officials who are struggling to manage the consequences of her inaction. While other border state governors have made concerted efforts to strengthen border security, Lujan Grisham’s refusal to act not only leaves New Mexico exposed but also places a heavier burden on local authorities to deal with the fallout from unchecked illegal immigration and trafficking.

The governor’s recent re-establishment of the Governor’s Organized Crime Commission in May 2023, while touted as a step forward, has done little to satisfy critics who see it as a symbolic gesture during election season rather than a serious commitment to addressing the ongoing border crisis. She has not addressed the issue since her initial inaugaraiton in 2019. Until Lujan Grisham acknowledges the role the border plays in New Mexico’s security issues, her efforts will likely be viewed as insufficient and out of touch with the reality facing her state.

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Judge rules NM officials, including SOS, discriminated against GOP group

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A federal judge ruled that the Democrat New Mexico election officials and prosecutors discriminated against a Republican-aligned group by denying them access to voter registration data. 

The Friday decision prevents the state from withholding voter data from the Voter Reference Foundation, a group that aims to create a free database of registered voters to allow individuals and organizations to investigate potential irregularities or fraud.

New Mexico state prosecutors intend to appeal the decision, according to Lauren Rodriguez, spokesperson for the New Mexico Department of Justice.

Following the ruling, the VoteRef.com website, managed by the Voter Reference Foundation, reinstated New Mexico’s voter information to its database. The searchable database includes details such as street addresses, party affiliations, and voting participation. This has raised concerns among election officials and privacy advocates, who argue that such access could lead to voter intimidation or disenfranchisement, as people may choose to remove their registration to protect their private information.

However, U.S. District Court Judge James Browning found that New Mexico’s refusal to provide the data constituted discrimination based on viewpoint and a violation of free speech rights. He criticized the state for involving prosecutors in what should have been a straightforward public information matter.

The VoteRef.com database spans more than 32 states and the District of Columbia and is run by Gina Swoboda, chair of the Arizona Republican Party and a former organizer for Donald Trump’s 2020 reelection campaign in Arizona.

Judge Browning had previously ruled that New Mexico officials violated the National Voter Registration Act by not sharing voter rolls, despite a state law that limits the use of such data. The VoteRef.com site maintains confidentiality on whom individuals voted for and offers protections for victims of domestic violence or stalking. Additionally, more than 100 elected or appointed officials in New Mexico, both Democrats and Republicans, have their addresses shielded under a safety program created after a series of drive-by shootings targeting lawmakers’ homes in late 2022 and early 2023.

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Keller drops big hint about his political future

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Albuquerque Mayor Tim Keller, a far-left Democrat, has made it clear that he’s eyeing another term in office, stating his intention to remain in power to see through various projects. “It’s no secret I am planning on another term, but it’s to see this through,” Keller remarked on Thursday. 

He added, “I always say, like, 2027 is going to be a great year because all these projects I’ve been working on are going to be done, but I got to make sure I’m there to see it, so that’s what I’m thinking right now.”

Keller emphasized ongoing efforts to improve public safety and quality of life in Albuquerque, acknowledging that much remains to be done. However, critics might question whether these efforts have been as effective as Keller suggests, especially given the persistent issues the city faces.

The mayor also highlighted homelessness as a significant concern, pointing to initiatives like the Gateway Center, which currently shelters 900 people daily, as examples of supposed “progress. 

KOAT Political Expert Brian Sanderoff expressed little surprise at Keller’s announcement, noting that it’s common for politicians eyeing another term to stay fully engaged. “Oftentimes when a person decides he’s not going to run again, they start acting a little differently or be less engaged in the like or start thinking about other offices they might be considering,” Sanderoff observed.

Should Keller proceed with his plans, he would join a small group of Albuquerque mayors who have sought a third consecutive term. However, some residents may wonder if his prolonged far-left leadership is what the city truly needs or if fresh ideas and approaches are overdue.

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Biden-Harris court fail a victory for women’s rights in many NM schools

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The recent court rulings regarding Title IX have significant implications for New Mexico schools, particularly in light of the Biden-Harris administration’s controversial rules. These rules, which sought to expand supposed protections against “sex discrimination” to include “gender identity,” have faced righteous opposition from conservative groups who argue that they infringe upon parental rights and compromise the safety of women and girls.

In response, 26 Republican-led states, including several schools in New Mexico, have successfully challenged the implementation of these radical rules. Thanks to these court challenges, six schools in New Mexico—three colleges and three K-12 institutions—are now exempt from enforcing the new Title IX regulations. This number is expected to grow as more schools join the legal battle.

The Biden administration’s Title IX rules, which went into effect on August 1, have been particularly contentious due to their requirement that schools allow “transgender” students to use bathrooms and locker rooms that align with their “gender identity” and to participate in sports teams that match said chosen identity. 

Those who protect women’s rights argue that these policies jeopardize the privacy and safety of female students and create an unfair playing field in women’s sports, as evidenced in many sporting events, such as the Olympics, where women have been beaten to a pulp by biological men, in many cases, forcing them to forfeit.

Riley Gaines, a prominent women’s rights leader and former 12-time NCAA All-American athlete who was unfairly beaten by a biological man, visited New Mexico earlier this year to advocate for women’s rights.

The court’s decision to block the implementation of these rules at certain New Mexico schools is seen as a victory for those who believe that Title IX should protect the rights of women and girls as it was originally intended.

 The rulings mean that schools like New Mexico State University, Eastern New Mexico University’s Roswell campus, and Central New Mexico Community College will continue to operate under the 2020 Title IX rules established during the Trump administration, which did not include the expanded protections for “gender identity.”

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Amid Heinrich’s lies, Domenici puts him on notice

17 Comments / New Mexico, News, Politics / By

In a bold move against dishonest campaign tactics, Republican U.S. Senate candidate Nella Domenici has issued a cease and desist letter via her attorneys to her Democrat opponent, Sen. Martin Heinrich, accusing his campaign of disseminating false and defamatory information. The letter, sent on Friday, takes aim at a television advertisement produced by Heinrich’s campaign, which falsely asserts that Domenici supports a national abortion ban—an accusation Domenici vehemently denies.

The letter, addressed to Heinrich’s campaign manager, Brad Elkins, outlines the clear and consistent position Domenici has taken on the issue of abortion. According to the cease and desist letter, Domenici’s stance is widely publicized that she does not support a national abortion ban. This stance, prominently featured on her campaign website, is backed by her appearances in television commercials, public speeches, radio interviews, and articles in reputable news outlets.

Domenici’s legal team, led by attorney Anna Mackin, argues that Heinrich’s advertisement is not only false but also deliberately misleading, intended to deceive New Mexico voters as the November 2024 election approaches. “By disseminating false statements about Ms. Domenici’s position, Heinrich is misleading New Mexico voters and is contributing to the public’s skepticism about truth in the media,” Mackin wrote. The letter highlights that even Heinrich’s own campaign materials acknowledge Domenici’s opposition to a federal abortion ban, making the ad’s claims particularly egregious.

The letter also calls for Heinrich to cease airing the ad and any other misleading materials immediately and to issue a public apology to Domenici for what her campaign describes as an “intentional, malicious misrepresentation” of her views. Failure to comply, the letter warns, could result in legal action against Heinrich’s campaign for knowingly spreading false and defamatory information.

This is not the first time Heinrich’s campaign has been accused of employing dishonest tactics. Domenici’s letter references a previous incident where Heinrich was caught disseminating false information about her positions, drawing criticism from local media outlets. This latest incident, however, marks a significant escalation, with Domenici’s legal team formally challenging Heinrich’s campaign in a public and legal forum.

The letter underscores the importance of honesty and transparency in political advertising, especially on sensitive issues like abortion. Domenici’s campaign contends that such falsehoods not only damage the integrity of the electoral process but also contribute to voter cynicism and distrust. “New Mexico voters deserve the freedom to make informed decisions on Election Day,” Mackin stated, emphasizing that Heinrich’s shady tactics undermine this fundamental democratic principle.

As the November 2024 election draws nearer, the stakes are high for both candidates. Domenici, who has built her campaign on a platform of integrity and service, views Heinrich’s actions as a direct threat to the democratic process. Her response signals a willingness to fight back against what she perceives as underhanded tactics, setting the stage for a potentially contentious legal battle if Heinrich does not retract the ad.

Recent polls show Heinrich neck-and-neck with Domenici, likely triggering his campaign’s string of untrue, patently false ads against Domenici.

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