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NMSU study: cloth face masks alone are not enough to stop COVID-19

5 Comments / New Mexico, News / By

Researchers at New Mexico State University in Las Cruces published their research in the scientific journal, “Physics of Fluids” finding that cloth face masks are not enough to stop the spread of COVID-19. It should be noted, however, that according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), COVID-positive patients who get coronavirus have a greater than 99.5% survival rate up to the age of 70, and that number dips to 94.6% for patients over the age of 70. 

The researchers studied five types of face coverings, which included N-95 masks, surgical masks, cloth masks, and cloth masks wetted with water. According to the study, “Droplet flow visualization experiments of a simulated face-to-face interaction with a mask in place were conducted using the particle image velocimetry setup.” 

The study is the first of its kind to “quantitatively verify” if wearing a mask while having closer than six-feet interactions with others is safe. 

According to one source, “Studies have shown that the average infection threshold for COVID-19 is 1,000 virus particles, inhaled either all at once or on separate occasions,” while a single sneeze has the ability to carry up to two million virus particles. 

Therefore, “the cloth mask let through more than 1,000 sneeze droplets, each of which could have millions of virus particles.” 

Findings from the study concluded that while all masks blocked approximately 95% of droplets originating from coughs and sneezes, a risk still remained of the virus being passed on. However, “[if] the relevant social distancing guidelines are compromised,” then “foreign airborne sneeze and cough droplets could pass through all the masks tested.” 

“When the leakage percentages of these airborne droplets were expressed in terms of the number of virus particles, it was found that masks would not offer complete protection to a susceptible person from a viral infection in close (e.g., <6 ft) face-to-face or frontal human interactions,” says the study. 

The researchers give multiple suggestions for avoiding the spread of the mostly non-deadly virus, including “wearing multiple layers of masks could offer increased protection,” using wet or N-95 masks, “or turning the face away from the sneeze or cough.” 

‘March for Trump’ bus passes through New Mexico

1 Comment / New Mexico, News, Politics / By

On Tuesday, Amy Kremer, Chair of Women for America First, posted a video of her organization’s bus stopping through New Mexico.

The group’s “March for Trump” bus looks to have stopped through the state on the way to its first stop in Nevada, according to Kremer’s post and the roadmap posted on TrumpMarch.com. The bus looks to have passed through I-40, meaning it passed through Albuquerque toward Gallup and Grants.

Women for America First organized the massive “Stop the Steal” and “Million MAGA March” rallies in Washington, D.C. and across the country against Democrat voter fraud. At the last rally, President Trump flew over the crowd in Marine One to greet the countless attendees. The bus tour is funded by Mike Lindell, founder of MyPillow, along with Right Side Broadcasting and other partners.

“Good morning #NewMexico! The #MarchForTrump is headed to #Nevada today. If you see us, give us a big 👍,” wrote Kremer in her Twitter post.

If Piñon Post readers see the bus on its way to Nevada, please send them to us so we can update our story! 

MLG’s comms. director says resistance to Governor just exists in ‘angsty corners of social media’

18 Comments / New Mexico, News, Politics / By

On Monday, the Santa Fe New Mexican released an interview with one-term Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham, which included an interview trying to downplay her COVID-19 response, which has decimated countless New Mexico businesses and livelihoods.

During the interview, Lujan Grisham admitted how her strict mandates would hurt her at the polls, with the New Mexican writing that “there will be parents of school-age children who may never vote for her again because of classroom closures.” 

“ ‘Be mad at the pandemic,’ is what I tell everyone,” said Lujan Grisham, adding that “it’s not political.” 

She reflected on her decisions during the pandemic and said, “The very first important decision on March 11 is that we’re going to ask businesses to shutter and people to stay home, and we’re going to get ready to close schools.” 

However, her only regret she said is that she wasn’t able to influence Republican members in the National Governor’s Association to shut down their states as she did. “That’s something I really pride myself on, that I can bring people of different parties and different perspectives together, and I couldn’t do it at the federal level,” she added.

She also bemoaned her inability to convince Tribal governments to also follow her economy-killing mandates, saying “And I still have, you know, moments where I just feel poorly that I was unable to get other policymakers on the same page.”

Tripp Stelnicki, the Governor’s communications director who has repeatedly been an enemy of the common New Mexican, said that he feels confident about the “internal polling” done on the governor’s performance, saying she gets “high marks” from New Mexicans.

“That might run counter to the perception you get from angsty corners of social media, but I think New Mexicans overwhelmingly recognize that a crisis calls for decisive leadership and a willingness to make tough and sometimes unpopular decisions,” he said. He added, “You can’t make assumptions in politics, but we feel pretty good about public support.” 

It appears the Governor’s spokesman has just downplayed the countless New Mexicans who have been decimated by the Governor’s lockdown as simply living in “angsty corners of social media.” He previously downplayed the hours-long breadlines at stores due to the Governor’s lockdown as a “minor inconvenience” while claiming Republicans who oppose Lujan Grisham’s dictates are members of a “death cult.” He also belittled a local television news reporter for asking basic questions.

Now, the Governor is trying to gin up support as the state remains in lockdown, comparing the state’s current position to that of the Great Recession of 2008. Lujan Grisham said, “I don’t want anyone … to assume that we are in the same productive economic position that we were in at the end of ’19. But I think New Mexicans should not expect New Mexico to languish like we did in the last recession.” 

However, the Governor’s disdain for New Mexicans during her weekly press conferences doesn’t appear to merely be stemming from “angsty corners of social media.” Here are some of her worst:

Gov. Lujan Grisham mask shames Españolans at press conference: “by I didn’t see a single mask, not one. Not in a parking lot, not in a grocery store that we passed, not at a convenience store, not at a gas station, not by someone in a car, not hanging on a rearview mirror…”
.@GovMLG presser reel 2/3: MLG claims she supports “independence and authority of judges” despite having NM Supreme Court overrule local judge MLG claims State Police will cite Sheriffs and local Law Enforcers MLG says militant mask enforcement increases mask-wearing
.@GovMLG presser reel 3/3: MLG goes on a rant against New Mexicans leaving the state, citing her tracking of peoples’ phones to know where they are coming from and going to.
.⁦@GovMLG
⁩ shames New Mexicans for attending a loved one’s funeral, tells them to say goodbye to them over FaceTime

VIDEO: ABQ Walmart still has long lines days after Gov. MLG relaxes store capacity restrictions

2 Comments / New Mexico, News, Politics / By

On Friday, outside of the Walmart at 2701 Carlisle Blvd. NE in Albuquerque, there were long lines reported in the late afternoon, despite Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham relaxing her public health orders from 75 people total in each grocery and big-box store to 25% capacity.

The video shows New Mexicans still waiting outside in the cold, including the elderly, disabled, and those medically fragile.

Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, the Governor has mandated harsh lockdowns, which have shuttered countless businesses — many for good. They have also forced children to switch to distance learning, which excludes children who cannot afford internet access or education. 

Then, just ahead of Thanksgiving, Lujan Grisham mandated the strict 75-person capacity for groceries, resulting in hours-long breadlines, which may have inadvertently exposed more people to the COVID-19 pandemic. Now, after the Governor is no longer being considered for a position in former Vice President Joe Biden’s fictitious presidential cabinet, she began loosening the tight leash she has on the people of New Mexico.  

After she relaxed the health order, Lujan Grisham said, “With colder weather here, we want to ensure that people aren’t gathering in lines for an unsafe length of time, especially in communities where there are fewer retail options for essential needs. We are grateful to the numerous companies and stores across New Mexico that have made every effort to keep their customers, employees and communities safe.” 

But despite the bread crumbs from the Governor’s office, the breadlines continue, and as the year ends, temperatures are continuing to drop. The Governor’s office has not provided scientific evidence to warrant her lockdowns. However, as long as New Mexicans submit to her edicts, the suffering will continue. 

If readers see long lines at grocery stores in their area, please email them to us at News@PinonPost.com

Dems already plotting who they will replace Haaland with if she goes to Biden’s fictitious cabinet

Leave a Comment / New Mexico, News, Politics / By

On Thursday, after reports of Rep. Deb Haaland being tapped by Joe Biden for Secretary of the Interior in his fictitious presidential cabinet, the vultures in the media already began circling Haaland’s congressional district, with Democrats looking to hold onto the Albuquerque-area seat.

According to the Santa Fe New Mexican, state Sen. Antoinette Sedillo Lopez (D-Albuquerque), who is an ally of Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham, unsuccessfully ran against Haaland in the 2018 Democrat primary for the seat. 

“I’m definitely thinking about it. … But right now I’m focused on everything that we need to get done during the legislative session,” said Sedillo Lopez. 

The Republican frontrunner for the seat appears to be former candidates Jared Vander Dussen, who ran for the 1st District seat, and Mark Ronchetti, who ran against Ben Ray Luján for New Mexico’s open U.S. Senate seat being vacated by retiring Sen. Tom Udall.

The Republican Party would not comment to the Santa Fe New Mexican about who is in contention to reclaim the District, but Mike Curtis, a spokesman for the Party told them, “We do have people who are interested, but that’s all I can tell you at this point.” 

Secretary of State Maggie Toulouse Oliver’s office did not give any pertinent information on a special election if Haaland were indeed successful in being a member of Joe Biden’s cabinet. 

The New Mexican reports:

The New Mexico secretary of state will call for a special election after the vacancy occurs, “which will presumably be when [Haaland is] confirmed by the Senate and vacates her House seat,” said Alex Curtas, a spokesman for the Secretary of State’s Office.

In rare move, mainstream media finally reports on sick, disabled waiting in MLG’s freezing breadlines

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On Wednesday, in a rare move, New Mexico’s liberal mainstream media finally reported on New Mexicans waiting in freezing temperatures outside of grocery stores and big-box stores to retrieve food and other basic needs.  

The move by KOAT 7 News came after the governor finally lifted the arbitrary 75-person-per-store limit, which inflicted pain upon New Mexicans for months, as temperatures dropped and the holidays arrived. Now, the order allows for 25% occupancy, which may still result in long lines, however, possibly shortened. 

KOAT & reported, “Even with some of those restrictions lifted, a lot of you have contacted KOAT saying older people and those with physical disabilities are often waiting in long lines for food and other supplies, in freezing temperatures.” 

The news station interviewed a doctor, Dr. Tracie Collins, who told them, “That is a concern with the cold weather, and, you know, honestly, we need to identify solutions where maybe we can have groceries delivered during this deep freeze that we’re in currently, which won’t last forever but we need to provide some other option for the elderly and those who are at risk.” 

Instead of apologizing for the health order which has compromised the population, especially the elderly, disabled, and those medically fragile, Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham’s office told the news station, “High-risk New Mexicans are encouraged to take every precaution by utilizing grocery pick-up services. The state is continually exploring additional options to support New Mexicans as we continue to get through the pandemic together.”

After the Piñon Post’s multiple reports on the hours-long breadlines, national news, including the Washington Examiner covered the story. Following our report on protests that were scheduled to take place this Saturday in opposition to the Governor’s strict public health orders, Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham finally lifted the strict mandates. 

The Governor’s press office repeatedly downplayed New Mexicans’ suffering due to her edict, with the Governor’s communications director claiming the breadlines were simply a “minor inconvenience,” while another statement from her office said the breadlines were just a “Republican talking point.”

MLG relaxes grocery store orders after report of statewide ‘breadline’ protests goes viral

3 Comments / New Mexico, News, Politics / By

On Wednesday, after the Piñon Post exclusively reported on a statewide protest against Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham’s breadlines at grocery stores due to a 75-person capacity limit, the Governor has loosened the restriction to 25% capacity at grocery stores and big-box stores.

Thousands of New Mexicans shared the Piñon Post’s story about the protest which was planned for this Saturday, December 19th at 11:00 a.m. in Albuquerque, Las Cruces, Clovis, Santa Fe, Portales, Edgewood, Roswell, Farmington, Alamogordo, Ruidoso, Grants, and Carlsbad. It appears all that noise from Piñon Post viewers led the Governor to let up on her restrictions. The mainstream media refused to cover the planned protests by multiple groups across the state.

The new orders by the New Mexico Department of Health read as follows:

The state’s emergency public health order on Wednesday was amended to accommodate slightly increased capacity inside essential retail spaces, such as grocery stores and certain other large “big box” retailers that generate a percentage of their revenue from consumable food and drink products, as cold weather grips most of New Mexico.

In accordance with the state’s graduated red-to-green system of measuring the risk of viral spread in specific counties, the changes establish that essential retail spaces:

May operate at 50 percent of maximum occupancy at the Green Level

May operate at 33 percent of maximum occupancy at the Yellow Level

May operate at 25 percent of maximum occupancy at the Red Level

Previously, essential retail spaces could operate with either a limit on maximum occupancy or a specific number of customers at one time, whichever was smaller. The change eliminates the latter provision.

Lujan Grisham said, “With colder weather here, we want to ensure that people aren’t gathering in lines for an unsafe length of time, especially in communities where there are fewer retail options for essential needs. We are grateful to the numerous companies and stores across New Mexico that have made every effort to keep their customers, employees and communities safe.” 

However, when the strict grocery store limits originally took effect, the weather was well into the 40s and on some days below freezing. The Piñon Post reported on many people, including elders and those with pre-existing conditions waiting in the cold lines to retrieve basic goods such as bread, eggs, milk, and toilet paper. 

The Governor’s press office repeatedly downplayed New Mexicans’ suffering due to her edict, with the Governor’s communications director claiming the breadlines were simply a “minor inconvenience,” while another statement from her office said the breadlines were just a “Republican talking point.”

Documents show Gov. Lujan Grisham is defying her own ‘Green New Deal’

2 Comments / New Mexico, News, Politics / By

On Wednesday, the pro-energy group Power The Future released Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham’s power bill, which revealed that the Governor has not been living by the “Green New Deal” standards she had enacted through her “Energy Transition Act” signed in 2019. 

“New Mexico’s Energy Transition Act requires utilities to provide no less than 20 percent renewable electricity to customers and set a deadline of nearly one year ago,” according to Power the Future.

The September energy bill provided by Power the Future shows that the Governor’s residence at 58 Mansion Drive in Santa Fe only uses 13.7% renewable energy, falling far short of the 20% mandated in her bill, yet “taxpayers are still paying more to keep her lights on,” says the group. 

The documents they obtained show the Governor’s electric bill for August 2020 was $2519.02 compared to August 2019 when it was $1766.63. The jump in price for New Mexico taxpayers is over 42%. 

“The Governor isn’t living by the standards she sets for New Mexico’sfamilies. Even worse, those same families not only have to pay for the Governor’s skyrocketing electric bill, but also their own,” said Larry Behrens, Western States Director for Power The Future. “Keep in mind, the Governor’s hypocrisy takes place at the same time New Mexico ranks among the worst in the nation for unemployment.”

During her Democrat National Convention speech, Lujan Grisham’s pre-recorded remarks were shot behind a field of solar panels, where she claimed “time is running out to save our planet” and that Americans must “embrace the clean energy revolution our country, our young people are crying out for, and the leadership the rest of the world is waiting for.” 

Lujan Grisham was previously snubbed for the U.S. Department of Health in former Vice President Joe Biden’s fictitious cabinet, leading her to announce her intention to run for re-election in 2022. She is likely to enact more sweeping anti-oil and gas proposals if she remains the Governor. 

The Governor’s energy bills for August and September are linked here.

Deb Haaland reportedly Biden’s ‘top choice’ for Interior Secretary in fictitious cabinet

1 Comment / New Mexico, News, Politics / By

On Tuesday, it was first reported by Reuters that Democrat U.S. Rep. Deb Haaland (NM-01) is former Vice President Joe Biden’s “top choice” to lead the Department of Homeland Security in his fictitious cabinet. 

The promotion, if confirmed by the U.S. Senate, would give her reign to oversee 70,000 DOI employees across the country and over 20% of federal land. 

Haaland has signed onto the socialist “Green New Deal” proposed by New York Socialist U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, which would entirely wipe out U.S. oil production to a “net zero” by 2050 and completely ban fracking. If Haaland were to lead the Department, she would oversee one fifth U.S. oil production, which comes from federal leases.

“Two of the sources said that Biden’s team is close to finalizing the decision on Haaland, but are weighing concerns about the loss of a Democratic member of the U.S. House of Representatives, where Democrats are hanging on to a slim majority,” reported Reuters.

During a televised candidate debate in October, Haaland repeatedly lied about her radical record. Haaland has no relevant experience qualifying her for the Department of the Interior, and the choice is apparently a ploy by Biden to once again claim to “make history.”

In latest power-grab, Speaker Egolf floats cutting off how many bills each rep. can introduce

Leave a Comment / New Mexico, News, Politics / By

On Monday, it was reported that Democrat New Mexico House of Representatives Speaker Brian Egolf looks to further punish the Republican minority by cutting off how many bills each state representative can propose each legislative session, while on a call to plan for the upcoming 60-day proceedings in January. 

Egolf floated “cutting back on the amount of time and staffing needed to process legislation by limiting each of the House’s 70 members to just five bills,” according to the report. 

House Republican Leader Jim Townsend chided the idea, saying it puts the “majority at quite an advantage.” 

Even far-left Democrat Sen. Daniel Ivey-Soto, who has been fierce opposition to Republican causes, raised concerns with the idea, as Egolf planned to exempt bills supported by Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham from the five-bill limit.

Ivey-Soto said, “If you are going to have a limitation, do not exempt anything that the executive wants from that limitation or it allows one set of government to set the agenda for [the] other set of government.” Ivey-Soto also proposed the start date of the legislative session be pushed back, citing COVID-19. 

According to the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL), a majority of states have no limits to the number of bills a legislator can pre-file before the start of each legislative session, however, some states have limits to how many bills can be proposed after a certain day following the start of each session. Chambers in 13 states impose a limit on bill introductions.

Also noted by NCSL, “Bill limits might interfere with lawmakers’ abilities to respond to emergencies or the problems of changing times,” and “Limits also may lead to the introduction of bills that are more general in nature and scope, resulting in “Christmas tree” bills rather than ones targeted to specific problems.” 

Egolf is notorious for trying to yank as much power as possible away from the minority, and he has repeatedly broken House rules to ram through his partisan agenda, with such things as spending bills and gun bans.

To write Egolf to share your concerns about his latest proposal, he can be reached via email here: brian.egolf@nmlegis.gov. To contact your legislator, visit the “Find My Legislator” function on the NMLegis.gov website.

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