NEW: A Republican state senator who asked Attorney General Pam Bondi to block a bill prohibiting local governments in New Mexico from contracting with the federal government said Monday the Department of Justice is evaluating its options. sfnm.co/4kwEqkM

OUR VIEW: Once taken for granted, the fairness and security of the 2026 elections are far from certain in the United States. And that’s not because of voter fraud, inept ballot counting or interference from foreign states. It's because of our very own government. sfnm.co/3MkuWfF

Advocates for the reuse of so-called produced water — a group that includes the governor — have been handed a big loss with not much time left in the legislative session. sfnm.co/3O3Pfyp

RINGSIDE SEAT: Never should rich and powerful public employees get to select their own bosses. It happens all the time at New Mexico’s universities. sfnm.co/4rach5o

Check out these Santa Fe-area food service inspections for the week of Jan. 5-11. sfnm.co/4rac8yS

A proposed “truth commission” to investigate possible crimes committed by Jeffrey Epstein at his Santa Fe County ranch could, state lawmakers hope, make New Mexico a leader in seeking accountability. sfnm.co/4qsi9pt

Lindsey Vonn’s defiant bid to win the Winter Olympic downhill at the age of 41, on a rebuilt right knee and a badly injured left knee, ended Sunday in a frightening crash. sfnm.co/3MflDh2

Devon Witherspoon, Derick Hall, Byron Murphy and the rest of Mike Macdonald’s ferocious unit pummeled Drake Maye, and the Seahawks beat the New England Patriots 29-13 on Sunday to win the franchise’s second Super Bowl. sfnm.co/4bDMf5E

FBI officials had “medium confidence” in 2020 the stolen bell could potentially have been housed at Epstein’s Zorro Ranch near Stanley, south of Santa Fe, according to a tactical intelligence report on the subject. sfnm.co/4qJyI0p

How many people are homeless in Albuquerque and across the state? Accurate estimates are hard to come by. But teams of volunteers set out during a four-day period late last month to count those who are perhaps most visible and vulnerable. sfnm.co/4quE53k

In the more than $11 billion state budget laid out in House Bill 2, which the House passed last week, just $1 million in recurring funding is set aside to directly fund services for survivors of sexual assault. sfnm.co/3ZndB8T

Though her 90-day orientation period is still underway, the newest staff member at Solace Sexual Assault Services — a black English Labrador named Betty — has already made an impact. sfnm.co/4a9qpWE

Homeless New Mexicans say they are losing their possessions and being criminally charged as part of tighter enforcement of policies restricting encampments. sfnm.co/3Outfga

The state Senate voted 21-17 Saturday evening to pass SB 17, with two Democrats joining all the Republicans present in opposition.

The state House passed three major education-related measures Friday, two of them unanimously.

Advocates for the reuse of so-called "produced water" — a group that includes the governor — have been handed a big loss with not much time left in the legislative session.

A proposed “truth commission” to investigate possible crimes committed by Jeffrey Epstein at his Santa Fe County ranch could, state lawmakers hope, make New Mexico a leader in seeking accountability in a scandal that has become one of the biggest issues in national politics.

Supporters of virtual education, many wearing shirts reading “Save Our Virtual Schools,” packed a room at the state Capitol on Friday to oppose a bill that would overhaul New Mexico’s online learning regulations for first time in nearly two decades.

The city of Santa Fe aims to convince New Mexico lawmakers to reauthorize $1.7 million in unspent state capital outlay awarded in years past despite proposed legislation to overhaul the system for divvying over $1 billion annually for local projects.

The Blue Griffins had no problem scoring to start their nondistrict game Friday in Prep Gymnasium, but foul trouble stole their thunder in the second half.

With less than two weeks left in the 30-day session, Rep. Christine Chandler, D-Los Alamos, who is a co-sponsor of House Bill 99, emphasized the urgency of getting medical malpractice legislation passed.

It was supposed to be a weekend meant for two Pojoaque Valley wrestlers. By Friday evening, only one was still standing.

Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham’s pledge to make state-subsidized child care free to all may come with an asterisk under a bill designed to implement a copayment structure for New Mexico’s wealthiest families.

The family of a man killed at a home in Tres Piedras last week has rejected witnesses' claims to police that 46-year-old Steven Gutierrez had broken into the residence before the homeowner shot him in the chest.

Hundreds of Santa Fe High School students walked out of their classrooms at 11:30 a.m. Friday to protest the actions of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents across the country.

Legislative roundup: U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich and U.S. Rep. Teresa Leger Fernández were among the speakers at a public lands rally held Friday at the Capitol. On Saturday, advocates on both sides of the gun issue will be at the Roundhouse. sfnm.co/3MpGD4G

A Santa Fe Fire Department crew rescued a hiker Tuesday in the mountains near Ski Santa Fe. The rescue was made with the help of a new drone the agency bought recently for such rescue missions. sfnm.co/4ag4J9Y

A divided Santa Fe Planning Commission has narrowly approved a Cerrillos Road hotel proposal, paving the way for the project to go before the City Council later this year. sfnm.co/3Ziy8eG

At 89, Joan Tewkesbury doesn’t begin her screenwriting workshop with structure or formula. The legendary screenwriter of Robert Altman’s Nashville starts with a trap for the imagination: a scavenger hunt. sfnm.co/3NSCTcv

Delbert Anderson's years-long, one-note-at-a-time performance offers a spiritual contemplation for those who endured The Long Walk. sfnm.co/4ceN6Kd

A New Mexico grand jury has indicted Timothy Busfield on four counts of criminal sexual contact with a child. Bernalillo County District Attorney Sam Bregman announced the indictment Friday in a social media post. sfnm.co/45Re9rd

OUR VIEW: The paper whose slogan is “Democracy dies in darkness” will stumble along, its future uncertain. The loss of 300 reporters and editors weakens journalism, just as the loss of the Gallup Independent leaves New Mexico with less essential news coverage. sfnm.co/3ZlK6Eh

Wellness Wire: House Bill 156 would undo a sunset clause included in Senate Bill 3, passed during an October special session, to authorize the New Mexico Department of Health to set vaccination recommendations independent of the CDC. sfnm.co/3NYlrmR

The New Mexico Public Regulation Commission has taken its enforcement efforts against a small San Juan County water and wastewater utility to court. sfnm.co/46xAQRi

RINGSIDE SEAT: Command officers from police departments across the state were in Santa Fe for a convention. As the top cops discussed how to improve law enforcement, an officer from Clayton was arrogant enough to park at a covered meter. sfnm.co/3Mtmn22

A federal monument to controversial frontiersman Christopher “Kit” Carson that had stood in downtown Santa Fe for more than 140 years was quietly dismantled in recent days. sfnm.co/4a1ZVGr

The bills the governor signed Thursday included a $1.5 billion bonding package to improve New Mexico roads, interstate compacts for doctors and social workers and a prohibition on local governments operating immigration detention centers. sfnm.co/3MtlPJw

The Washington Post sports section died Wednesday. Whether you blame natural causes or more avoidable factors, the loss for the D.C. area and sports readers is immense. sfnm.co/4bY9jML

The aftermath of Wednesday night’s blowout loss to a Utah State team that was, to be perfectly blunt, better in every way, taught us a few things about the New Mexico men’s basketball team. sfnm.co/4tkHPqD

New Mexico was far from meeting the remedial goals laid out last year in the landmark child welfare lawsuit known as "Kevin S." and has continued to expose dozens of children in state custody to serious harm, a recent report says. sfnm.co/4klYhTy

Lawmakers plan to earmark $60 million to increase pay for early childhood workers as part of a wage and career ladder in the current draft of the state budget. Workers and advocates have lauded the proposal. sfnm.co/4qm1WCa

A new report promoted by school leaders and championed by state Rep. G. Andrés Romero, chair of the House Education Committee, and other top education lawmakers argues the “last place” narrative may not tell the full story. sfnm.co/4qkhQwI

New Mexicans packed into an office suite Thursday evening for an opportunity to convince state regulators to reject a takeover of the state's largest electric utility by the biggest private equity firm in the world. sfnm.co/4rsmiL0

Elizabeth Groginsky, secretary of the state Early Childhood Education and Care Department, joins "Around the Roundhouse" to discuss New Mexico's universal child care program, the national recognition its received and challenges ahead. sfnm.co/4qk6eKg

Members of Interfaith Power & Light set out on a more than 300-mile statewide trek, winding from Carlsbad north to Santa Fe. The pilgrimage wasn’t in honor of a religious holiday, but rather an effort to raise awareness of climate change. sfnm.co/4qk9YeQ

Jeffrey Epstein sought the aid of New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson as he pursued clemency from the Florida governor following his guilty plea to child sex charges, U.S. Department of Justice records show. sfnm.co/3NSAq1L

Early childhood workers may soon have a chance at better compensation and career paths under New Mexico's current budget proposal, which was sent to the state Senate on Wednesday and would set aside $60 million to increase pay as part of a wage and career ladder.

The handful of women holding court around a table in Shawna Gonzales' living room in the Valle Vista subdivision were animated by deep anger and frustration — families here were experiencing at least their sixth day without Santa Fe County water service due to a water main break.

As Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham signed the first laws of the year to reach her desk, legislators celebrated the work they've done in the first half of the session and promised more in the coming two weeks.

In mid-January, Desirée Bernard and other members Interfaith Power & Light set out on a more than 300-mile statewide trek, winding from Carlsbad north to Santa Fe. The pilgrimage wasn't in honor of a religious holiday, but rather an effort to raise awareness of climate change.