WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump spent a decade unsuccessfully pursuing projects in China, operating an office there during his first run for president and forging a partnership with a major government-controlled company. That's according to a report in The New York Times Tuesday. China is one of only three foreign nations — the others are Britain and Ireland — where Trump maintains a bank account, according to a Times analysis of the president’s tax records. The foreign accounts do not show up on Trump’s public financial disclosures, where he must list personal assets, because they are held under corporate names.

  ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — State environmental regulators are reviewing an application from the federal government to renew its permit to operate the nation's only underground nuclear waste repository in southern New Mexico. It will be next year before a final decision made, but watchdog groups raised concerns with state lawmakers during a meeting Wednesday. They say the U.S. Energy Department wants to make operations at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant open-ended, removing any reference in the permit to 2024 as the date when closure and decommissioning were supposed to start. They say allowing the change will mark another step toward solidifying New Mexico as the nation's dumping ground for nuclear waste.

  A voting rights group says that caravans of flag-waving President Donald Trump supporters appeared to obstruct and intimidate voters at two polling location in predominantly ethnic-minority neighborhoods last weekend in the Albuquerque area. Common Cause New Mexico Director Heather Ferguson said Wednesday that the incidents took place on the first day of balloting at voter convenience centers in the South Valley area and the western reaches of Central Avenue. The areas are heavily Latino. She estimates that dozens of potential voters in each location left without voting as a result of the incidents. Local prosecutors say they are investigating.

In response to concerns related to the surge of Coronavirus (COVID-19) cases, Workforce Solutions Borderplex (WSB) announces that all job centers will be closing effective immediately.  All centers will be closed to the public and resource rooms will no longer be available for internet, printing and computer access.   WSB is still eager to assist with case management and job assistance, but all support will be handled virtually. 

For updates, please visit the WSB resource website at www.borderplexjobs.com/covid-19 or email WSB at callcenter@borderplexjobs.com.  The general WSB website, www.borderplexjobs.com, also serves clients through its chatbot feature on the bottom right corner of the page.

SANTA FE – New Mexico state health officials on Wednesday announced 827 additional COVID-19 cases and 8 deaths.

As of today, there are 202 individuals hospitalized in New Mexico for COVID-19. This number may include individuals who tested positive for COVID-19 out of state but are currently hospitalized in New Mexico. This number does not include New Mexicans who tested positive for COVID-19 and may have been transferred to a hospital out of state.

Sierra County, NM - On Tuesday at approximately 10:45 p.m., New Mexico State Police officers were requested by the United States Border Patrol for assistance in apprehending a male subject driving a black passenger car that had fled from the U.S Border Patrol checkpoint located on Interstate 25 near milepost 26 north of Las Cruces, NM.

In an attempt to safely stop the fleeing vehicle, a New Mexico State Police officer and a Sierra County Sheriff’s deputy deployed tire deflation devices near milepost 68 on Interstate 25. The suspect drove the vehicle over the tire deflation devices but continued to flee north on Interstate 25.

  SANTA FE – New Mexico has been awarded two federal grants: $6 million from the Department of Justice to support those impacted by illicit opioids, stimulants and other drugs of abuse and, $3.6 million from the Federal Emergency Management Agency to address the growing behavioral health needs of the homeless and justice-involved population impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, the New Mexico Human Services Department announced today.

“These two grants will help the state and local providers respond to the pressing behavioral health needs of so many New Mexicans who are facing difficult challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Dr. Neal Bowen director for the Behavioral Health Services Division.

Consistent with the latest public health recommendations from the Governor’s office, the Las Cruces Museums has opted to close to the public effective October 23 through November 14, 2020.
 
The Branigan Cultural Center, Las Cruces Museum of Art, Museum of Nature & Science, and Railroad Museum are closing to on-site visitation temporarily in our ongoing effort to minimize the risk of community spread of the COVID-19 virus. We continue to offer free programs and experiences online via our Facebook and Instagram @LCMuseums. You can also find activities on our website at museums.las-cruces.org.