Crooked Bough News Round-up

— NM Humanities Council will have to close its doors following latest Trump cuts, director says

 

at 4/3/25 3:32pm

A child wearing a top hat advertises registration for New Mexico National History Day Contest, an event supported by the New Mexico Humanities Council. The council learned late Wednesday that it would have to close due to cuts at the National Endowment for the Humanities. (Photo Courtesy NMHC website)An organization that provides small grants to uplift and explain New Mexico culture and history will have to close its doors, following deep cuts to the National Endowment for the Humanities and local humanities councils across the country. The New Mexico Humanities Council has been around since 1972 and has provided schools, tribes, colleges, cultural centers, libraries and others grants to engage “New Mexicans with history, culture and humanities topics.”  Recent events that credit the council include a Taos exhibition honoring Hispanic stories of northern New Mexico; a youth history competition; and virtual learning experiences at the New Mexico Farm & Ranch Heritage Museum in Las Cruces. “Those will essentially go away,” said Brandon Johnson, executive director of the humanities council, in a phone interview Thursday with Source New Mexico.  Johnson received two letters around 11 p.m. Wednesday from Michael McDonald, the acting director of the National Endowment for the Humanities, related to two NEH grants the council received. About $500,000 had not been awarded to the council, Johnson said, from what online records show were initially $11.3 million contracts. “NEH has reasonable cause to terminate your grant in light of the fact that the NEH is repurposing its funding allocations in a new direction in furtherance of the President’s agenda,” McDonald wrote in the letter dated April 2, citing a February Trump executive order seeking to reduce the federal bureaucracy.  Federal government to preserve history of Indian boarding schools “Your grant’s immediate termination is necessary to safeguard the interests of the federal government, including its fiscal priorities. The termination of your grant represents an urgent priority for the administration,” McDonald wrote. The letter goes on to note that an audit may still occur, even though the grants were terminated, and provides a Microsoft email address to contact “with only urgent questions.” An unnamed official told NPR that McDonald recently told senior staff of the so-called “Department of Government Efficiency” team that he wants to “claw back” $175 million in grant money that has not been disbursed. A large number of NEH employees will soon be fired, as well, according to the New York Times.  Johnson said the news came as a shock and called the cuts “very disappointing,” though he acknowledged he’d withheld much stronger words he wanted to say about the abrupt cancellation of the program. He noted that the NEH has enjoyed bipartisan support for decades and that the council here has done great work across the state.  Social Security commissioner nominee advances to U.S. Senate floor amid DOGE questions “Thats money that wont go to our New Mexico communities,” he said.  A statement from the National Alliance for the Humanities, an advocacy group, called on members of the public to fight back against the cuts, noting that the spending was already approved by Congress.  “We condemn these actions in the strongest possible terms,” the alliance wrote. “We support the mission of the National Endowment for the Humanities and the agency staff who make that mission possible, and we call upon Members of Congress to ensure that this crucial government agency fulfills the mandate set by Congress.”

[Category: Gov & Politics]

— U.S. Senate confirms Dr. Oz to lead Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services

 

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Dr. Mehmet Oz speaks during a confirmation hearing with the Senate Finance Committee in the Dirksen Senate Office Building on March 14, 2025, in Washington, D.C. Oz has been confirmed as President Donald Trump’s nominee to be administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. (Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)WASHINGTON — The U.S. Senate on Thursday confirmed former television personality and onetime Pennsylvania political candidate Mehmet Oz as director of the Centers for Medicare Medicaid Services. The 53-45 party-line vote places Oz at the helm of the federal agency responsible for administering health care programs relied on by 1 in 4 Americans, including children, seniors and lower-income people. His confirmation comes as Republicans in Congress look to Medicaid, a state-federal partnership that covers medical expenses for some low-income and older Americans, as a source for hundreds of billions in spending cuts to help pay for extending the 2017 GOP tax law. Oz testified during his confirmation hearing in mid-March that there are several “painful truths” confronting federal programs within CMS. “Health care expenditures are growing 2 to 3% faster than our economy; not sustainable. The Medicare trust fund will be insolvent within a decade, that’s the 2.9% taken out of your paycheck,” Oz said. “Medicaid is the number one expense item in most states, consuming 30% of those state budgets, and that’s crowding out essential services like schools and public safety that many of you spent your careers trying to develop. Our health care cost per person in this country is twice that of other developed nations.” Oz said that chronic disease, which he argued is “linked to poor lifestyle choices,” drives much of the federal spending on health care. He singled out obesity as a central issue. Oz testified he intended to “empower beneficiaries with better tools and more transparency,” “incentivize health care providers to optimize care with real-time information” in part by using artificial intelligence to “liberate doctors and nurses from paperwork,” and modernize efforts that track waste, fraud and abuse. ‘Ludicrous wellness grifting’ Finance Committee ranking member Ron Wyden, D-Ore., said during the hearing that Oz’s comments during a failed Senate campaign about privatizing Medicare were unacceptable. Wyden also criticized Oz for promoting products on this daytime television show that had no scientific research supporting their claims of improving people’s health or preventing disease.   “Dr. Oz has used his program to promote some of the most ludicrous wellness grifting that I’ve heard about to date,” Wyden said. Idaho Republican Sen. Mike Crapo, chairman of the committee, said during a floor speech Thursday that Oz was well qualified to run CMS. “At his hearing, Dr. Oz spoke strongly about his desire to modernize the CMS and encourage a healthy lifestyle for all Americans,” Crapo said. “His vision for treating the underlying causes of chronic disease and equipping providers with innovative technologies to serve patients will also be a much- needed sea change at CMS.” CMS scope The agency manages several federal health programs, including Medicare, Medicaid, the Children’s Health Insurance Program and the health insurance marketplaces established by the Affordable Care Act. The agency spent more than $1.5 trillion during the last full fiscal year, about 22% of all federal spending. The more than 6,000 people who work at CMS as well as contractors “process over one billion Medicare claims annually, monitor quality of care, provide the states with matching funds for Medicaid benefits, and develop policies and procedures designed to give the best possible service to beneficiaries,” according to the latest financial report. CMS is one of many agencies housed in the Department of Health and Human Services that is subject to restructuring plans from Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Oz background Oz received his undergraduate degree from Harvard University before earning a joint M.D. and MBA from the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine and Wharton Business School. He starred in the daytime show “Dr. Oz,” which ran from 2009 until 2022. He won the Republican primary in the 2022 Pennsylvania U.S. Senate race but was defeated during the general election by Democratic Sen. John Fetterman. When President Donald Trump announced in November he intended to nominate Oz to lead CMS, he wrote that Oz would “cut waste and fraud within our Country’s most expensive Government Agency, which is a third of our Nation’s Healthcare spend, and a quarter of our entire National Budget.”

[Category: DC Bureau, Gov & Politics, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Dr. Oz, Mehmet Oz, U.S. Senate]

— New Mexico AG Torrez files suit against Las Cruces business allegedly defrauding veterans

 

at 4/3/25 2:47pm

Attorney General Raúl Torrez announces a lawsuit against a Las Cruces-based consulting business allegedly defrauding veterans on Thursday, April 3, 2025. (Photo by Leah Romero / Source NM)Attorney General Raúl Torrez is seeking restitution for veterans he alleges were defrauded by a consulting company based in Las Cruces. Torrez filed a civil suit against Disabled Veterans Consultants, Inc. Thursday claiming the company violated the Unfair Practices Act by using unfair and deceptive trade practices and unconscionable trade practices. During a press conference in Las Cruces, Torrez said the company offers consulting services to veterans to help access their benefits. However, the company is not accredited with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs as they are required to be to charge for services. And such services are provided to veterans for free through various agencies, including Veterans of Foreign Wars, American Legion and Disabled American Veterans. Torrez described the company as a “claimshark,” or “organizations who prey upon our veterans in their moment of need when they’re trying to access the disability benefits that they’re entitled to as a result of their service to our country.” He said such companies often offer to process claims on behalf of veterans for large fees or percentages of the person’s benefits. “Sadly, this country has not invested enough in supporting our veterans. This country, indeed, this state, has not invested enough in supporting our veterans,” Torrez said. “We have men and women who have honorably served this country who have disabilities as a result of their service who don’t realize or may not have access to free services to help.” Court documents also state that payments the company received from veterans were not made to the company itself, but to Zeplin Global Group, LLC; MJJL Holdings, LLC; and GTM Bookkeeping, LLC – codefendants in the suit and all based out of Chula Vista, California.  Torrez is asking the court to grant an injunction to prohibit the company from continuing to operate in such a manner. According to court documents, Torrez is asking that the company issue full refunds to the impacted veterans, cancel all contracts and pay fines of up to $5,000 per violation. “The action that we have taken today is intended to send a very clear signal to claimsharks, both in this community in Las Cruces, but around the state, that this kind of conduct will not be tolerated by my office,” Torrez said. “We will be aggressively investigating anyone who is engaged in this conduct.” Brian Ravak, state commander of the Veterans of Foreign Wars, told members of the media during Thursday’s press conference that state and federal legislation should be passed to further protect veterans from bad actors. “The VFW, along with the American Legion and [Disabled American Veterans], have actively urged Congress to pass legislation that would prohibit the exploitation of veterans and survivors of unscrupulous claimsharks and strengthen the accreditation system,” Ravak said. “Each of our organizations have accredited veteran service officers who file VA claims for free – not one dime of a veterans benefits goes to a veteran service organization.” He also mentioned House Bill 245, legislation introduced during the recent session that died in the House Judiciary Committee, which would have prohibited companies or individuals from asking for payment for helping a veteran obtain their benefits, unless they were permitted to ask for compensation under federal law. Ravak said he will “demand” the bill be reintroduced in a future legislative session. At least three states have passed such legislation, while Louisiana passed a law last year that would allow consulting companies to charge veterans up to $12,500 in fees for benefit services. Torrez said the case against the Las Cruces company is still in the early stages and it is unclear at this point how many veterans may have been taken advantage of.  “I can tell you that while this is the first action that weve taken against a claimshark in this space, it almost certainly won’t be the last,” he said.  He added that the state and federal government have expanded eligibility for benefit claims, but have not increased capacity for processing the higher number of claims, creating an “opportunity for businesses like this, and unethical and unscrupulous people, to step into that space and take advantage of folks.” Torrez said veterans are encouraged to reach out to his office if they have a complaint about how their benefits were processed, particularly if they were asked to sign over a portion of their benefits to a consultant. GET THE MORNING HEADLINES. SUBSCRIBE

[Category: Gov & Politics, 2025 New Mexico Legislature, American Legion, Attorney General Raúl Torrez, claimsharks, Department of Veterans Affairs, Disabled American Veterans, New Mexico Department of Justice, veteran benefits, veterans, Veterans of Foreign Wars]

— New Mexico milk tests for bird flu reveal scientific mystery

 

at 4/3/25 2:07pm

Quality control expert inspecting milk in the laboratory. (Getty Images) Veterinary experts nationwide have a variety of hypotheses for new and puzzling test results from cow milk being analyzed for avian influenza — including in New Mexico. March marked one year since officials first reported Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza — H5N1 — among dairy cattle. Since then, bird flu has infected 996 herds across the country, including 19 cases in the last month in California and Idaho. New Mexico reported nine dairy herds in Curry County tested positive last April, and began milk testing its cattle in February following the rollout of a federal program. The most recent results from milk-testing programs revealed that while more than 95% of the 93 cow herds in the state tested negative, a small set of inconsistent positives — all from three Curry County herds infected last year — remain, according to New Mexico State Veterinarian Samantha Holeck. Enter the mystery: The cows themselves do not test positive, nor do they demonstrate the symptoms documented in the earlier avian flu outbreak, she said, such as huge drops in milk production. “It’s been a real challenge to try to understand how it continues to circulate in some of these herds,” Holeck said. New Mexico is partnering up with veterinarians in the U.S. Department of Agriculture to research the viral fragments found in the milk and sent samples to the federal National Veterinary Services Laboratories in Ames, Iowa. I know were a year into this situation now,” Holeck said, “but it seems like theres still just so much to try to understand.” New Mexico isn’t alone in experiencing the viral fragments, said Michael Payne, a food animal veterinarian at University of California, Davis, who noted there have been reports of similar persistent positives in quarantined herds there. “I wouldn’t diminish the importance of it being small,” Payne said. “Yes, were talking about low levels of virus and yes, were talking about cows not getting sick, but it’s important that we’re not exactly sure where it’s coming from, and that in and of itself merits examination.” He said more than $2 million dollars of research is being conducted in California on avian flu transmission across a dozen projects; including examining if its transmitted by flies; blowing in from dust storms; or carried by birds outside of waterfowl. “It will be critical that we figure out how the disease is moving and how its changing,” Payne said. ‘Science is still very much in its infancy’ While scientists need to perform more research, Payne posited some possibilities for the detection of viral fragments: they could signify a different and less potent version of the virus; cooler weather might allow more viral fragments to survive in the bulk tanks, compared to the triple-digit temperatures in the fall; cows may have developed “herd immunity” against the virus. “It could be that much smaller numbers of cattle are being exposed and are becoming infected, which has resulted in a much, much lower level of virus thats being detected inside the bulk tanks,” Payne said. “It’s an area of active research.” Veterinarian Andrew Bowman, a molecular epidemiologist at Ohio State University, said laboratory tests’ sensitivity could also be a factor: They may be picking up positives from environmental contamination in the tanks or on the farms. “It doesn’t take much; we’re talking a few copies of the viral genome to be present in a sample to send it positive,” Bowman said. “We can pick up a positive that’s likely not a viable virus.” Since the development of HPAI in cows is so new, as is the method of transmission — where the virus replicates in the mammary glands that produce milk — he said the basic questions of the interactions between the virus, the host and the environment still need answers. “Science is still very much in the infancy of what we know about avian influenza in cattle,” Bowman said. Offering reassurances While scientists say it’s important to unravel the mystery of the viral fragments to better understand how the virus might change or spread in dairy cows, they also emphasize that risk to the public from avian influenza remains low. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports transmission of avian flu can occur from contact with milk from infected cows; eating, drinking or inhaling droplets contaminated with live virus; touching the live or dead bodies of infected animals. Thus far, the CDC has no documented human-to-human transmission. As of April 1, 70 people had contracted H5N1, mostly California farmworkers. Most milk sold in the U.S. is heated to a temperature to kill bacteria and viruses, called pasteurization. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration tested milk products in 17 states and, finding no live viruses, reported that “pasteurization is effective at inactivating H5N1, and that the commercial, pasteurized milk supply is safe.” Federal officials, however, warn that unpasteurized milk, also called raw milk, is unsafe to drink. Research from the National Institutes of Health in June using infected raw milk from New Mexico found that the H5N1 virus had survived for at least five weeks in refrigerated conditions. Further, mice that consumed the raw milk showed signs of illness, which  researchers suggest indicates drinking raw milk can transmit the virus to other organisms. Holeck emphasized that New Mexico milk is safe. “For dairies, it’s standard routine if they have sick cows for any reason, not just [avian flu], that milk is always diverted out from the milk supply, it doesn’t enter commerce,” she said. GET THE MORNING HEADLINES. SUBSCRIBE

[Category: Health, avian flu, avian influenza, bird flu, Curry County, dairy cows, Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza]

— Pentagon watchdog will probe ‘Signalgate,’ in response to senators

 

at 4/3/25 1:44pm

Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth speaks during his Senate Armed Services Committee confirmation hearing on Capitol Hill on Jan. 14, 2025, in Washington, D.C. (Photo by Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)WASHINGTON — The Defense Department’s Office of the Inspector General announced Thursday it has opened an investigation into Secretary Pete Hegseth’s highly criticized use of the Signal messaging app to communicate about plans to bomb Yemen. The evaluation stems from a letter the chairman and ranking member of the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee, Republican Roger Wicker of Mississippi and Democrat Jack Reed of Rhode Island, sent last week, asking the watchdog agency to look into the matter.  Acting Defense Department Inspector General Steven A. Stebbins wrote in a memo announcing the investigation that the Inspector General Act of 1978 “authorizes us to have access to personnel and materials as we determine necessary to perform our oversight in a timely manner.” The purpose of the evaluation, he wrote, “is to determine the extent to which the Secretary of Defense and other DoD personnel complied with DoD policies and procedures for the use of a commercial messaging application for official business. Additionally, we will review compliance with classification and records retention requirements.” The investigation will take place in Washington, D.C., as well as U.S. Central Command Headquarters in Tampa, Florida. Concerns about the use of Signal, an encrypted messaging app available commercially, began after The Atlantic published an article detailing how its editor-in-chief, Jeffrey Goldberg, was inadvertently added to a group chat exchanging messages about national security plans. The ensuing controversy has been dubbed “Signalgate.” Vice President J.D. Vance, Hegseth, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, CIA Director John Ratcliffe, National Security Advisor Michael Waltz and others were all in the group. They were discussing plans for U.S. troops to bomb Houthi rebels in Yemen, which has raised significant concerns about how senior Trump administration officials are communicating and handling classified information. 

[Category: DC Bureau, Gov & Politics, Defense Department, investigation, pete hegseth, Signalgate, yemen]

— New Mexico incentivizes attorneys, doctors to take on workplace injury cases

 

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A workers' compensation lawyer and bill expert told lawmakers there is a shortage of doctors in New Mexico who want to treat injured workers in part because they “are not paid commensurate with doctors who do private insurance or are paid in other ways to treat workers.” (Photo via Getty Images)Starting on June 20, a new state law may help workers in New Mexico who are hurt on the job have an easier time finding a lawyer to handle their workers’ compensation claims. State law previously capped the fees an attorney could collect for representing a worker making an accidental injury claim at $22,500. New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham on March 21 signed into law House Bill 66, which raised the cap on attorney’s fees in workers’ compensation cases to $30,000, and will raise it again to $32,000 in 2027, and then $34,000 in 2029. Ben Sherman, a workers’ compensation attorney and an expert witness on HB66, told the House Labor, Veterans and Military Affairs Committee on Jan. 28 that many workers don’t have attorneys and litigate their cases on their own. Sherman said there is a “huge shortage” of lawyers practicing workers’ compensation in New Mexico, especially in rural areas. “It can be almost impossible — if you’re not in Albuquerque or Santa Fe — to find an attorney to represent you if you’re injured on the job,” he said. The new law also allows insurance companies to advance a greater share of the injured worker’s legal costs for discovery, which is the process of gathering evidence in a case and could include testimony from the doctor who treated the injured worker. Previously, the law capped this advance at $3,000. Workers only get the money back if they win, Sherman said. HB66 increased the discovery cost advances to $3,500 and will raise it again to $4,000 in 2027, and then $4,500 in 2029. Workers’ Compensation Administration rules allow doctors and other health care providers to charge up to $400 for the first hour of being deposed; up to $360 per hour for the second and subsequent hours; up to $200 per hour for the first hour of preparing to be deposed and up to $120 per hour for the second hour of preparation and subsequent hours. Sherman told the committee there is a shortage of doctors in New Mexico who want to treat injured workers in part because they “are not paid commensurate with doctors who do private insurance or are paid in other ways to treat workers.” He said some pending rules from the WCA would increase how much doctors can charge for their time preparing for and participating in depositions. Stephanie Welch, workers’ rights director with the New Mexico Center on Law and Poverty, told the committee that her organization supported the bill because workers’ compensation offers a vital safety net that protects workers from the economic hardships created by medical bills and lost wages after they experience a workplace injury. Welch said many workers who suffer workplace injuries, and who paid into the workers’ compensation system, never obtain the benefits in part because of the lack of incentive for private attorneys to take their cases. “This bill helps level the playing field between workers and employers, and offsets some of the advantage that employers often have because they have more financial resources,” Welch said. “This bill is good for New Mexico’s workers and ensures a more equitable workers compensation system.” Lawmakers in 2023 asked the state Workers’ Compensation Administration to create a task force to study attorney’s fee caps. Rep. Pamelya Herndon (D-Albuquerque) sponsored HB66 and the 2023 memorial that created the task force. Source NM left a voicemail for Herndon on Thursday seeking comment on the bill’s enactment but had not heard back as of publication time. Sherman, a member of the New Mexico Trial Lawyers Association and of the task force, told the committee that lawmakers last set the attorney fee cap at $22,500 in 2013. He said if the cap had followed inflation, it would be $32,750 today. The new law also directs the Advisory Council on Workers’ Compensation and Occupational Disease Disablement to review the caps and make recommendations to the Legislature in 2029. GET THE MORNING HEADLINES. SUBSCRIBE

[Category: Economy, Gov & Politics, Health, labor, workers compensation, workplace accidents, workplace injury]

— States ordered by U.S. Education Department to certify school DEI ban or lose funds

 

at 4/3/25 12:43pm

This story was updated at 1:47 p.m. EDT. WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Education demanded in a letter to state education leaders on Thursday that they certify all K-12 schools in their states are complying with an earlier Dear Colleague letter banning diversity, equity and inclusion practices if they want to keep receiving federal financial assistance. The department’s sweeping order gives K-12 state education agencies 10 days to collect the certifications of compliance from local school governing bodies, and then sign them and return them to the federal department. The new demand stems from a February letter threatening to rescind federal funds for schools that use DEI, or race-conscious practices, in admissions, programming, training, hiring, scholarships and other aspects of student life. Craig Trainor, the department’s acting assistant secretary for civil rights, said “federal financial assistance is a privilege, not a right,” in a statement Thursday. “When state education commissioners accept federal funds, they agree to abide by federal antidiscrimination requirements,” Trainor said. He added that “unfortunately, we have seen too many schools flout or outright violate these obligations, including by using (diversity, equity and inclusion) programs to discriminate against one group of Americans to favor another based on identity characteristics in clear violation of Title VI.” He did not cite examples in the statement. Trainor said the department “is taking an important step toward ensuring that states understand — and comply with — their existing obligations under civil rights laws and Students v. Harvard.” In the February letter, Trainor offered a wide-ranging interpretation of a U.S. Supreme Court ruling in 2023 involving Harvard University and the University of North Carolina. The nation’s highest court struck down the use of affirmative action in college admissions. Trainor wrote that though the ruling “addressed admissions decisions, the Supreme Court’s holding applies more broadly.” The four-page letter raised a slew of questions for schools — from pre-K through college — over what exactly falls within the requirements.  The department later released a Frequently Asked Questions document on the letter in an attempt to provide more guidance. In the document, the department noted that it’s prohibited from “exercising control over the content of school curricula” and “nothing in Title VI, its implementing regulations, or the Dear Colleague Letter requires or authorizes a school to restrict any rights otherwise protected by the First Amendment.” The agency also clarified that “programs focused on interests in particular cultures, heritages, and areas of the world” are allowed as long as “they are open to all students regardless of race.” Meanwhile, legal challenges are already underway against the Dear Colleague letter, including one spearheaded by the American Federation of Teachers and another from the National Education Association. 

[Category: Dear Colleague, DEI, diversity, U.S. Department of Education]

— Social Security commissioner nominee advances to U.S. Senate floor amid DOGE questions

 

at 4/3/25 9:02am

Frank Bisignano, Social Security commissioner nominee, at his Senate Finance Committee confirmation hearing on March 25, 2025. (Senate webcast)WASHINGTON — A Senate panel voted Wednesday to send Frank Bisignano’s nomination as Social Security commissioner to the floor, despite allegations from Democrats that he was dishonest in his testimony before the committee about his relationship with Elon Musk’s DOGE cost-cutting operation. The 14-13 party-line vote took place one day later than originally scheduled in an ornate room just steps from the Senate floor, instead of the committee hearing room. Finance Committee Chairman Mike Crapo, R-Idaho, said Tuesday morning that he supported Bisignano’s commitment to improve customer service and reduce improper payments. Crapo also committed to looking into an anonymous whistleblower letter that was sent to the committee’s Democrats, though he declined to delay the panel’s vote until after that process concluded. “Even though the timing of the anonymous letter suggests a political effort to delay the committee vote on this nominee, my staff have told Sen. Wyden’s staff — and we have discussed this just now — we are open to meeting with the author of the letter and keeping the individual anonymous,” Crapo said. “However, any information provided by the individual must be thoroughly vetted, including allowing the nominee the opportunity to respond.” Oregon Democratic Sen. Ron Wyden, ranking member on the panel, urged Crapo to delay the vote until after a committee investigation, alleging Bisignano was untruthful during his testimony.   “This nominee lied multiple times to every member of this committee, including the bipartisan Finance staff and the nominee’s actions and communications with DOGE remain very much at the heart of my objection here,” Wyden said. “My office received an account from a whistleblower about the ways the nominee was deeply involved in and aware of DOGE’s activities at the agency.” Wyden said that Bisignano, though not confirmed and with no official role yet at the agency, intervened at the Social Security Administration to ensure that staff from U.S. DOGE Services had “immediate access to Social Security systems.” DOGE, or Department of Government Efficiency, is a temporary Trump administration entity aimed at slashing the federal workforce and spending. Wyden also argued that Bisignano’s history in corporate America wasn’t a good fit for running the Social Security Administration, saying he “has made a career of swooping in, firing workers, selling off pieces of the company and merging with a competitor.” “These practices may be good for shareholders, but they hurt American families,” Wyden said. “So we, Senate Democrats, are not going to stand by idly while Trump’s cronies take a sledgehammer to Social Security and deprive seniors of their earned benefits under the false manner of fighting fraud.” Bisignano hearing Bisignano, of New Jersey, testified before the committee for nearly three hours in late March, fielding questions on several issues, including overpayments and customer service. He pledged to reduce the 1% overpayment rate significantly and said he could bring down the average wait time for customer service phone calls from about 20 minutes to less than one minute. “If you look at the Social Security website, and you look at the statistics, taking 20-plus minutes to answer the phone is not really acceptable,” Bisignano said during his confirmation hearing. “And that’s the reason why only 46% of the phone calls get answered, because people get discouraged and hang up.” Bisignano promised senators he would ensure Americans’ personal information would be kept secure. If confirmed by the full Senate, Bisignano testified he would “ensure that every beneficiary receives their payments on time, that disability claims are processed in the manner they should be.” “So my first actions are going to be to get organized around delivering the services,” Bisignano said. “And I’ve only been given one order, which is to run the agency in the right fashion.” He also rejected the possibility of privatizing Social Security. “I’ve never thought about privatizing. It’s not a word that anybody’s ever talked to me about,” Bisignano said. “And I don’t see this institution as anything other than a government agency that gets run to the benefit of the American public.” Bisignano works as chairman of the board and chief executive officer at Fiserv, Inc., which “enables money movement for thousands of financial institutions and millions of people and businesses,” according to its website. The company is based in Wisconsin. He previously worked as co-chief operating officer and chief executive officer of Mortgage Banking at JPMorgan Chase Co.

[Category: DC Bureau, Gov & Politics, democrats, DOGE, Elon Musk, Frank Bisignano, social security, U.S. Senate]

— New Mexico to join other states to share best practices in mental health care

 

at 4/2/25 4:46pm

Only 34.8% of people in New Mexico with private insurance were able to get mental health care in 2021, along with about half of people on Medicaid, according to a review of data collected by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. (Stock illustration by stellalevi via Getty Images)New Mexico’s health care and safety net agency on Wednesday announced that the federal government had selected it along with seven other state agencies to take part in a “national learning collaborative” to share the best ways to do community-led behavioral health care. The New Mexico Health Care Authority said in a news release the collaborative is “designed to improve mental health services, reduce disparities and strengthen access to behavioral health across communities.” Lessons learned from the initiative by New Mexico officials will “help promote and support community engagement, identify and address barriers preventing meaningful participation.” State lawmakers put a focus on behavioral health treatment during the first half of New Mexico’s legislative session that ended March 22, and Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham signed two pieces of legislation into law that will create a “behavioral health executive committee” to coordinate treatment statewide by assessing local needs and make it easier for providers to pay for treatment using Medicaid. Under the new law, the HCA is responsible for administering the funding that will pay for behavioral health programs. Source NM has a pending inquiry to the HCA if the new collaborative will connect with the agency’s responsibilities under the new law.  The collaborative is being organized by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, the federal agency devoted to addressing addiction and mental health issues which oversees the 988 Lifeline and conducts the annual National Survey on Drug Use and Health. Only 34.8% of people in New Mexico with private insurance were able to get mental health care in 2021, along with about half of people on Medicaid, according to a review of data collected by SAMHSA. SAMHSA is among the federal agencies that is facing mass layoffs and cutting grants to states as part of the Trump administration’s “realigning” of the federal Department of Health and Human Services. Nick Boukas, director of Health Care Authority’s Behavioral Health Services Division, said in the news release that improving behavioral health systems starts with listening to communities. “By engaging our staff in opportunities like this, we create solutions that are not only effective but rooted in the realities and needs of the people we serve,” Boukas said in a statement. GET THE MORNING HEADLINES. SUBSCRIBE

[Category: Gov & Politics, Health, behavioral health, mental health]

— U.S. House Dems say NOAA cuts will harm weather forecasting, fisheries, Navy operations

 

at 4/2/25 4:41pm

A NOAA NO-XP radar antenna prior to operations in VORTEX 2 in Norman, Oklahoma, on Oct. 5, 2010.  (Photo credit NOAA)Democrats on the U.S. House Natural Resources Committee and a panel of experts on Wednesday blasted the Trump administration’s reduction to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s budget and workforce, citing consequences for everyday weather data, national security and affected industries. Virtually every American interacts with NOAA’s weather data, which supplies forecasting services across the country. The agency’s climate and oceanic research supports the U.S. Navy’s operations and even the commercial fishing industry – described during the forum as having “a love-hate relationship” with the agency – depends on NOAA to open and close fisheries, the lawmakers and experts said. But those missions were imperiled in February by the firings of 7% of NOAA’s staff of scientists and others overseeing federal research and monitoring of weather and oceans, the group of Democrats said. “These critical functions are being dismantled by the sweeping, indiscriminate layoffs of nonpartisan public servants and facility closures,” U.S. Rep. Seth Magaziner, a Rhode Island Democrat who led the forum, said. The reductions in force at NOAA, which houses agencies including the National Weather Service, National Ocean Service, National Marine Fisheries Service, National Environmental Satellite, Data, and Information Service and the Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research, were part of across-the-board cuts to the federal workforce sought by President Donald Trump and billionaire White House adviser Elon Musk. The group of Democrats, who met without involvement of the committee’s Republican majority, said the cuts would hurt a wide range of Americans who depend on the agency’s data collection and rulemaking. Data collection and dissemination One of NOAA’s core missions is collecting and publishing weather data across the country used in forecasting apps and other common sources of weather information. “There is no weather forecast that’s produced in this country that isn’t dependent on NOAA, none” Mary Glackin, a former deputy under secretary for operations at the agency under presidents of both parties, said. The availability of federal data made possible the creation of companies like Accuweather, which started by collecting data in a garage, Glackin said. U.S. Navy Rear Admiral Jon White told the panel NOAA’s extensive forecasting data was also critical to naval operations, saying reductions in that data would hurt the military’s readiness, both shipping out of domestic stations and in potential conflict zones. “Hurricane forecasting and typhoon forecasting rely on the data from NOAA, whether it’s satellite data,” White said. “Reductions in that data and that information provide critical threats to our military infrastructure. Ships that (start) out of Norfolk and San Diego rely on that information about upcoming storms, especially hurricanes on the East Coast. … It’s not just billions of dollars of ship damage: It’s lives that are at stake.” Industry needs NOAA Magaziner was the one who called the commercial fishing industry’s connection with NOAA “a love-hate relationship,” but he and witnesses noted that the agency oversees the most basic functions the industry needs to operate. Sarah Schumann, a fisherman with operations in Rhode Island and Alaska, criticized President Joe Biden’s administration for allying too strongly with offshore wind developers, but said the new administration’s actions were also detrimental to the industry. “These cuts will bog down the agency’s ability to serve the public for fishermen,” Schumann said. “Because of climate change, we desperately need faster, more nimble and more collaborative data collection and decision-making, and there is a very slim chance we’re going to get that with this.” Trump’s slowdown of regulations – requiring federal agencies to withdraw 10 regulations for every one new regulation put into place – has also hampered commercial fishing operations. Opening and closing fisheries for a season are done through NOAA rulemaking, environmental attorney Lizzie Lewis told the panel. Bluefin tuna fisheries were not closed on time and were overfished by 125% and fisheries in New England are unlikely to open on time, she said. Efficiency? The cuts, part of Musk’s initiative to make government more efficient, are not having their intended effect in streamlining government, Magaziner and others on the panel, including New Mexico’s Melanie Stansbury, said. “The assertion that mass layoffs will somehow improve efficiency is not only misleading, it is outright dangerous,” Magaziner said. “Real people, real jobs and real lives are on the line. Without NOAA’s real-time data,  emergency responders are left without the critical information they need to respond to impending disasters like wildfires, hurricanes, floods and severe storms putting millions at risk.” The layoffs also decimated morale at the agency and made attracting qualified young people to its public service mission more difficult, Lewis told the panel. “We are losing an entire generation of scientists and leaders who can help this country,” Lewis said. “We can keep its people safe and can grow its economy. And that to me is the devastating human cost.”

[Category: DC Bureau, Gov & Politics, forecast, NOAA, Trump, weather]

— Senate GOP budget resolution sets stage for raising debt limit by as much as $5 trillion

 

at 4/2/25 4:38pm

The U.S. Capitol. (Photo by Jennifer Shutt/States Newsroom)WASHINGTON — U.S. Senate Republicans released an updated budget resolution Wednesday that sets a May 9 deadline for more than a dozen committees to approve their slice of the massive package that will permanently extend the GOP tax cuts and make significant reductions in spending. The 70-page budget resolution, however, includes different guidelines for the House and Senate committees, allowing GOP leaders to sidestep their differences on policy for the moment, but not the long haul. The budget resolution also sets the stage for the House to raise the debt limit by $4 trillion and the Senate to lift it by not more than $5 trillion in the reconciliation package. Senate Budget Committee Chairman Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., wrote in a statement that final approval of the budget resolution would “unlock the ability for the appropriate Senate committees to fully fund our border needs for four years, provide much-needed financial relief to our military at a time of great danger, make the 2017 tax cuts permanent to energize the economy, and do what has been promised for decades: go through every line item of the budget to cut wasteful and unnecessary spending — hopefully by the trillions.” Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., released a statement of his own, saying the “parliamentarian has reviewed the Budget Committee’s substitute amendment and deemed it appropriate for consideration under the Budget Act.” “It is now time for the Senate to move forward with this budget resolution in order to further advance our shared Republican agenda in Congress,” Thune wrote. The Senate parliamentarian is the nonpartisan scorekeeper who ensures everything included in a reconciliation bill meets the chamber’s strict rules. Here comes the vote-a-rama The complicated reconciliation process will allow the GOP to approve its core policy goals without needing support from Democrats in the Senate, where 60 votes are usually needed to advance legislation. Reconciliation does, however, come with several hoops to jump through. One of those hurdles will come later this week when the Senate endures the dreaded vote-a-rama; a marathon amendment voting session that typically lasts overnight. After that, senators will be able to send the budget resolution to the House for final approval. The tax-and-spending blueprint released Wednesday will send a dozen House committees instructions on how to draft their pieces of the package, while 10 Senate committees will write bills. Typically, the committee instructions, which just include a budget target, are similar, if not identical, for the House and Senate. But differences of opinion between Republican leaders about how much to cut federal spending, as well as other disagreements, led to differing instructions. The House has a significantly higher threshold for cutting government spending than the Senate. The Agriculture Committee needs to slice at least $230 billion; Education and Workforce must reduce spending by a minimum of $330 billion; Energy and Commerce needs to cut no less than $880 billion; Financial Services must find at least $1 billion in savings; Natural Resources has a minimum of $1 billion; Oversight and Government Reform has a floor of $50 billion; and the Transportation Committee needs to reduce deficits by $10 billion or more. House committees that can increase the federal deficit include the Armed Services Committee with a cap of $100 billion in new spending, Homeland Security with a $90 billion ceiling for new funding for programs it oversees, Judiciary with a maximum of $110 billion and Ways and Means, which can increase deficits up to $4.5 trillion for tax cuts. Spending cuts in Senate Senators set a much lower bar for themselves in terms of spending cuts, though the way the reconciliation instructions are written, as a floor and not a ceiling, will give leeway for those committees to cut much more. Four Senate committees — Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry; Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs; Energy and Natural Resources; and Health, Education, Labor and Pensions, or HELP — must each find at least $1 billion in spending cuts over the 10-year budget window. Senate committees also got instructions for increasing the deficit, which will allow them to spend up to the dollar amount outlined in the budget resolution. Those committees include Armed Services at $150 billion; Commerce, Science and Transportation with $20 billion; Environment and Public Works at $1 billion; Finance with $1.5 trillion in new deficits, likely for tax cuts; Homeland Security at $175 billion and Judiciary with $175 billion. Once the House and Senate both vote to adopt the same budget resolution, the committees can formally begin drafting and marking up their bills. Those bills, according to the instructions, must be sent to the Budget committees before May 9. That panel will then bundle all of the various pieces together into one reconciliation package and send it to the floor. The House and Senate must vote to approve the same reconciliation package before it can go to President Donald Trump for his signature and become law. Republicans have a paper-thin majority in the House and will need to ensure that lawmakers from across the party support all of the elements going into the reconciliation package. Even a few defectors in that chamber could block the bill from moving forward. Senate GOP leaders have a bit more wiggle room, but cannot lose more than three of their members and pass a reconciliation bill. 

[Category: DC Bureau, Gov & Politics, budget, Republicans]

— Western NM University regents tasked with addressing previous allegations of financial malfeasance

 

at 4/2/25 4:03pm

Western New Mexico University campus pictured in Silver City, New Mexico. (Photo courtesy Western New Mexico University)Western New Mexico University’s new board of regents will meet for the first time next week, taking the first steps in getting the university “back on track” following claims of misuse of funds and violation of fiduciary responsibilities. The state Senate confirmed four regents for the Silver City university during the recent 60-day session, including former state Sen. Steven Neville, attorney John Wertheim, WNMU alumnus J. Dean Reed and student regent Keana Huerta. The fifth regent seat remains empty. A spokesperson for Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham told Source NM that they did not have any updates about when the governor might announce a fifth regent nomination. The terms of two members of the previous board of regents expired at the end of December and the other three regents submitted their resignations in January, about a year after the New Mexico Office of the State Auditor reported finding university leadership had misused hundreds of thousands of public funds on lavish trips and other spending.  The board voted in December to terminate former university President Joseph Shepard’s contract and then authorized a $1.9 million severance package. Attorney General Raúl Torrez filed a civil suit against Shepard and the board in January, alleging they had violated fiduciary duties, New Mexico’s anti-donation clause, the Open Meetings Act and laws pertaining to unjust enrichment, not fulfilling contractual obligations and acting on an unenforceable contract. Shepard filed a motion in March to dismiss the case against him, which Torrez opposes. A hearing on the motion is scheduled for June 16, according to court records. Huerta told Source NM in a statement that the new board intends to keep the university’s students at the forefront of “our discussions and work diligently to ensure that any issues are addressed appropriately.” Keana Huerta, a Western New Mexico University student, joins the schools board of regents. (Photo courtesy Keana Huerta) “We as the board are committed to doing the right thing in this situation,” Huerta told Source in a written statement. “Ensuring transparency and accountability while upholding the integrity of the institution are our priorities.” Huerta is originally from the Silver City area and a third-year student at WNMU, which she said makes her uniquely qualified to “understand the needs and challenges of our local students, faculty, and staff,” she said. Neville, a former state senator who represented Senate District 2 in San Juan County, told Source he does not want to make a judgement on the ongoing investigation and litigation until he has more facts and that he will leave the legal action to the attorney general and the state auditor.  Steven Neville, a former state senator representing parts of San Juan County, joins the Western New Mexico University board of regents. (Photo courtesy Steven Neville) “My job is to try to get us a new president, try to get things back on track, make sure that the books are balanced and go from there,” he said, noting that ensuring students’ experiences remain positive and quality education is provided are a priority. “Western’s a very good university so we want to make sure that that focus continues.” Neville added that he has spoken to his fellow regents and said they are all working on gaining more knowledge of the university’s situation and are thinking along similar lines in regard to their next steps. Legislators introduced four pieces of legislation addressing the role of university regents and how they are chosen during the recent 60-day session, but only one bill passed and awaits the governor’s signature. Senate Bill 19 would require new regents to complete 10 hours of training within six months of being appointed.  House Joint Resolution 12, supported by the attorney general, died in a Senate committee, and proposed asking voters to approve a constitutional amendment codifying regents’ fiduciary duties, moving proceedings to remove regents from the state Supreme Court to district courts and allow the attorney general or majority of the board to initiate removal of a regent. Senate Joint Resolution 7 also died in a Senate committee. The resolution proposed an amendment to the state Constitution requiring the governor to select regents from a vetted list provided by a nominating committee.  Senate Bill 266 would have required regents to submit certain employment contracts to the State Board of Finance for approval, adding a level of oversight to boards of regents. GET THE MORNING HEADLINES. SUBSCRIBE

[Category: Education, Gov & Politics, 2025 New Mexico Legislature, Attorney General Raúl Torrez, board of regents, fiduciary duties, financial malfeasance, Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham, New Mexico Office of the State Auditor, Silver City, Steven Neville, western new mexico university]

— Vexed by judicial restraints on Trump, U.S. Senate GOP floats bill to undercut courts

 

at 4/2/25 3:54pm

Opponents of President Donald Trump’s executive order indefinitely halting refugee resettlement in the U.S. rally on the steps of the federal courthouse in Seattle on Feb. 25, 2025, after a judge issued a ruling blocking the president’s order. (Photo by Jake Goldstein-Street/Washington State Standard)WASHINGTON — Amid dozens of injunctions placed against the Trump administration, Republicans on the U.S. Senate Committee on the Judiciary discussed a bill Wednesday to curb the nationwide effects of those orders from federal judges. The bill, sponsored by GOP Iowa Sen. Chuck Grassley, who leads the committee, would prohibit district court judges from issuing injunctions that have nationwide effects. “We all have to agree to give up the universal injunction as a weapon against policies we disagree with,” Grassley said. “The damage it causes to the judicial system and to our democracy is too great.” As of Friday, 39 judges who were appointed across “five different presidents and sitting in 11 different district courts across seven circuits” have ruled against the Trump administration, said one of the witnesses, Stephen Vladeck of Georgetown University Law Center. President Donald Trump and Republican allies in Congress have complained that such injunctions give judges in single districts too much power to stymie the administration’s agenda. Trump has also taken to social media to attack the judges, especially one who temporarily barred use of the Alien Enemies Act of 1798 to quickly deport Venezuelan nationals. Senate Majority Leader John Thune of South Dakota said Tuesday that Republicans are considering Grassley’s bill, but did not commit to bringing it to the floor for a vote. House Republicans have introduced a similar bill. Senate Democrats criticized the hearing and argued that the reason there are so many injunctions against the president’s executive orders is because they are unconstitutional. The top Democrat on the committee, Sen. Dick Durbin of Illinois, pointed to the several nationwide injunctions against Trump’s executive order to end the constitutional right to birthright citizenship, which the administration has asked the U.S. Supreme Court in an emergency request to reverse. Republicans see abuse Republicans characterized the flurry of injunctions against administration actions as judicial activism. Republican Sen. Josh Hawley of Missouri said the injunctions were unprecedented. Hawley called the rulings from district courts a “pattern of abuse.” He added that it’s not only being done with nationwide injunctions, but with temporary restraining orders. Florida Sen. Ashley Moody also took issue with temporary restraining orders, which generally are not appealable. “There is keen interest in making sure our judiciary system remains impartial and that it is making rulings only in terms of relief to the parties before it and that we are encouraging expeditious resolution of these extraordinary important matters,” Moody said. Criticism sparks threats, Dems say Sens. Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota and Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island raised concerns about the increased threats of violence aimed at judges. Whitehouse said the reaction from Republicans about preliminary injunctions against the Trump administration puts those judges and their families at risk. “The discomfort to fury…about decisions against the Trump administration may actually have a lot to do with the unprecedented lawlessness and lawbreaking of the Trump administration rather than a weird cabal of judges trying to intrude,” Whitehouse said. Klobuchar said that Trump has attacked judges on social media and has posted images of himself wearing a crown. “We do not live in a kingdom,” she said. “It is important that we not lose sight of the underlying cause of these injunctions. It is not that these judges are ‘crooked’ or ‘lunatics’ or ‘evil.’ Those are words used by the president, it is because the administration is violating the constitution.    Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts on March 18 issued a rare statement, pushing back against Trump’s suggestion that a judge who issued an injunction against an administration order face impeachment. “For more than two centuries, it has been established that impeachment is not an appropriate response to disagreement concerning a judicial decision,” Roberts said. “The normal appellate review process exists for that purpose.” Jennifer Shutt contributed to this story. 

[Category: DC Bureau, Gov & Politics, Congress, injunctions, Republicans, Trump]

— Trump to impose 10% base tariff on international imports, higher levies on some nations

 

at 4/2/25 3:06pm

U.S. President Donald Trump holds up a chart while speaking during a “Make America Wealthy Again” trade announcement event in the Rose Garden at the White House on April 2, 2025 in Washington, D.C.  (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)This story was updated at 6:16 p.m. EDT. WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump rolled out sweeping “reciprocal” tariffs Wednesday on trading partners and allies across the globe. Declaring that foreign trade practices have created a “national emergency,” the president unveiled a baseline 10% levy on all international imports, plus what he described as additional “kind” and “discounted” tariff rates that will increase but not match the rates other countries apply to American imports. The levies will hit U.S. industries from agriculture to manufacturing to fashion. The 10% universal tariffs become effective April 5, with higher levies set for April 9, according to Trump’s executive order. Trump’s remarks Wednesday about the start dates varied from the order’s language. Trump is the first president to enact tariffs under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act — something he already did in March when slapping levies on China, Canada and Mexico over the production and smuggling of illicit fentanyl. According to a table distributed at Trump’s speech, U.S. tariffs will reach 34% on imports from China, 46% on products from Vietnam and 20% on European Union imports, among other increases. Countries that levy a 10% tax on American goods — including Brazil and the United Kingdom — will only see a 10% match. The increased levies come as 25% tariffs on foreign cars kick in at midnight. It’s unclear whether the tariffs will stack.   Business owners who purchase goods from outside the U.S. will have to pay the increased duty rates to bring the products over the border, unless Trump carves out exceptions for certain industries. The president did not mention carve-outs in his remarks. Trump introduced the taxes on imports with fanfare Wednesday in the White House Rose Garden, where he said, “This is Liberation Day.” “April 2, 2025, will forever be remembered as the day American industry was reborn,” Trump said. “For decades, our country has been looted, pillaged, raped and plundered by nations near and far, both friend and foe alike,” Trump said. Republican lawmakers, including House Speaker Mike Johnson of Louisiana and Georgia U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, attended the event alongside several of Trump’s Cabinet members and representatives from the United Auto Workers. Not all Republicans have signaled support for tariffs. Senate Majority Leader John Thune said at an event in his home state of South Dakota in August 2024 that Trump’s trade policy is a “recipe for increased inflation.” The White House has circulated figures claiming the U.S. will raise up to $600 billion in revenue per year as a result of the tariffs. The figure was met with skepticism by economists because the amount of imports will likely change under higher levies. The U.S. is the largest importer of goods in the world, according to the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative. The country’s top suppliers in 2022 included China, Mexico, Canada, Japan and Germany. Economists: Americans will pay Since Trump began campaigning on tariffs, economists have warned that increased costs for businesses will be passed onto consumers. Rising prices under Trump’s “reciprocal” tariff scenario are likely to cost an extra $2,400 to $3,400 per family, according to the Yale Budget Lab, with most of the financial burden falling on the lowest-income households. An analysis from the Peterson Institute on International Economics estimated the typical American household would lose over $1,200, just from the 25% tariffs already imposed on China, Canada and Mexico. Several small business owners told States Newsroom Tuesday they’re worried about increasing production costs and whether higher prices will chase away customer demand. Erica York, of the center-right Tax Foundation that advocates for lower taxes, said in an interview with States Newsroom Tuesday that the levies will be “the largest peacetime tax increase we’ve seen in history.” State officials worry over impact Democratic state officials sounded the alarm Wednesday over losses for key industries that drive their local economies. New Mexico State Treasurer Laura Montoya said her state’s energy and agriculture sectors would be victims in a trade war. “New Mexico is a key player in this conversation, because the non-negotiable reality is that New Mexico is, like the United States as a whole, dependent on trade with our international partners particularly Mexico,” Montoya said on a virtual press briefing hosted by the state economic advocacy group Americans for Responsible Growth. Montoya said oil and gas production accounts for 35% of the state’s budget and that the industry relies on machinery imported from Mexico. Additionally, New Mexico, a largely rural state, relies heavily on agricultural trade. It processes a third of the cattle coming across the southwest border, and Montoya said farmers and ranchers will “face blows as tariffs on cattle and produce will result in slow food production.” Washington state, a top U.S. agricultural exporter, sources 90% of its fertilizer from Canada. Treasurer Mike Pellicciotti said the state would be “completely squeezed” by “reckless economic decisions.” “He is crushing the free exchange of goods, and making it much more difficult and much more burdensome on working families. So of course, he needs to call it ‘Liberation Day,’ because he knows hes doing the complete opposite, and he is trying to frame it in a way that is completely the opposite of what is being accomplished today,” Pellicciotti said. Dems predict consumer stress Democrats on Capitol Hill seized on Trump’s new trade policy as a way to push their message that the president is abandoning middle and working class households. Sen. Angela Alsobrooks of Maryland said the White House is “tone-deaf” in dubbing the tariff announcement as “Liberation Day.” Trump has said in media interviews, “‘You know, theres going to be a little pain, some minor pain and disruption.’ But the people that I represent dont regard increasing costs of groceries, increasing costs of owning a home, increasing costs of owning an automobile, as a minor disruption,” Alsobrooks said. In back-to-back Democratic press conferences Wednesday, Sen. Tim Kaine of Virginia slammed Trump’s use of emergency powers in March to justify a 10% duty on Canadian energy and 25% on all other imports. Kaine warned about the effect on his state’s sizable shipbuilding industry. Approximately 35% of steel and aluminum used to build U.S. ships and submarines comes from Canada, he said. Senators were poised to force a vote Wednesday evening on a bill, sponsored by Kaine, that would undo Trump’s tariffs on Canadian imports triggered by an emergency declaration targeting illicit fentanyl coming over the northern border. Trump’s action under the International Emergency Economics Power Act marked the first time a president ever used the law to impose tariffs. Kaine pointed to a report Wednesday in Canadian news outlet The Globe and Mail that found the White House grossly overstated the amount of fentanyl smuggled through the northern border. “Canada stood with us on 9/11, Canada has stood side-by-side with U.S. troops in every war we have been in. They have fought with our troops. Theyve bled with our troops. Theyve died with our troops in every war since the war of 1812, and yet were going to treat them like an enemy,” Kaine said. Kaine’s bill, co-signed by eight Democratic and independent senators, drew one Republican co-sponsor, Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky. The bill has gained statements of support from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and former Vice President Mike Pence’s advocacy group Advancing American Freedom, among numerous organizations across the political spectrum. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries criticized Trump’s anticipated tariff announcement Wednesday morning at his weekly press conference. “We were told that grocery costs were going to go down on day one of the Trump presidency. Costs aren’t going down in America. They’re going up, and the Trump tariffs are going to make things more costly,” Jeffries, of New York, said.

[Category: DC Bureau, Gov & Politics, tariffs, Trump]

— Surprise guest shows up as U.S. House Dems slam education cuts: the Education secretary

 

at 4/2/25 3:02pm

From left, U.S. Reps. Frederica Wilson of Florida and Gwen Moore of Wisconsin, U.S. Education Secretary Linda McMahon and U.S. Rep. Mark Takano of California, at a press conference outside the U.S. Department of Education organized by House Democrats. (Photo by Shauneen Miranda/States Newsroom)WASHINGTON — A press conference by a dozen U.S. House Democrats outside the U.S. Department of Education took an unusual turn on Wednesday when the subject of their criticism — Education Secretary Linda McMahon —  unexpectedly joined them. The Democrats had met with the Trump administration appointee a few minutes earlier to press her about the sweeping shifts at the U.S. Department of Education, where she and President Donald Trump are seeking to dismantle the agency.  The lawmakers told reporters that at the scheduled meeting, they questioned McMahon on how the department could carry out its primary responsibilities when the agency continues to see dramatic changes. That includes mass layoffs that hit core units and an executive order from Trump calling on the secretary to “take all necessary steps to facilitate the closure” of the department to the maximum extent she legally can. Only Congress, which established the 45-year-old department, has the power to abolish it. The Democrats said they were grateful that McMahon met with them but dissatisfied with and even alarmed by the secretary’s responses, especially on a timeline for closing the agency. “It’s very apparent that the secretary is treating this as a corporate restructuring, and we want to be clear that the education of our children is not a corporate enterprise — it is how we move this country forward,” Rep. Melanie Stansbury of New Mexico said. “It’s very clear that the (reduction in force), the firing of probationary staff, the so-called restructuring that’s happening — when we asked for a plan multiple times in this meeting, we were told there is not a plan yet,” she added. The secretary arrives, and leaves As the Democrats spoke, McMahon emerged from the building, accompanied by aides, and joined them at their lectern emblazoned with a U.S. House of Representatives logo. She reiterated that “funding from the United States government will continue through the programs that have already been established” and said she looked forward to continuing to work with members of Congress on both sides of the aisle.  After her remarks, Rep. Mark Takano pressed McMahon on when she would close the department. “Well, we’ve had our discussions already, so thank you all very, very much for coming,” McMahon replied, proceeding to walk back into the building. “You see, she’s not answering the question when she’s going to shut down the department,” Takano, of California, said as the secretary walked away. Barred from building Wednesday’s meeting came after Takano and other Democratic lawmakers were blocked from entering the building in February while trying to meet with Denise Carter, acting Education secretary at the time, over Trump’s plans to dismantle the agency. The California Democrat had led dozens of others in writing a letter to Carter and requesting a meeting over those efforts. A day after Trump signed the executive order surrounding the department, he announced that special education services would be transferred to the Department of Health and Human Services and that the Small Business Administration would be handling the student loan portfolio. The department has not taken any steps to move either — both of which would require acts of Congress and raise a slew of logistical questions. U.S. Rep. Mark Takano, a California Democrat, speaks at a press conference outside the U.S. Department of Education headquarters on Wednesday, April 2, 2025, in Washington, D.C. (Photo by Shauneen Miranda/States Newsroom) Rep. Jamie Raskin of Maryland said “the idea of dismembering the department and then parceling it out to other agencies and departments does not give us a lot of confidence or hope in what’s happening.” The lawmakers said McMahon repeatedly stressed during the meeting that she plans to abide by federal law and would look carefully at what she’s legally allowed to do before moving any functions of the department. Yet Rep. Greg Casar of Texas said he and the group “became more and more alarmed as the meeting went on,” noting that “current law won by so many Americans in this democracy, is that all kids deserve a decent education, that the money goes to your kid if they’re in need, the money goes to your kid no matter their race or their background or their neighborhood, and they want to change that.” The lawmakers who met with McMahon included: U.S. Reps. Terri Sewell of Alabama; Takano; Frederica Wilson of Florida; Raskin and Sarah Elfreth of Maryland; Maggie Goodlander of New Hampshire; Stansbury; Casar, Julie Johnson and Veronica Escobar of Texas; Don Beyer of Virginia; and Gwen Moore of Wisconsin.

[Category: DC Bureau, Gov & Politics, education, Linda McMahon, Melanie Stansbury, Trump, U.S. Department of Education]

— Dems celebrate a Wisconsin rejection of Musk, while GOP keeps 2 House seats in Florida

 

at 4/2/25 1:49pm

Demonstrators protest outside the KI Convention Center before the start of a town hall meeting with Elon Musk on March 30, 2025 in Green Bay, Wisconsin. (Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images)WASHINGTON — Democrats and Republicans both claimed victory and the support of voters nationwide following closely watched elections on Tuesday in Wisconsin and two Florida congressional districts. Dane County Judge Susan Crawford securing a seat on Wisconsin’s highest court over a challenger backed by billionaire Elon Musk was broadly cheered by Democrats as a clear sign voters have rejected GOP policies just months after that party secured control of Congress and the White House. Republicans, meanwhile, pointed to their candidates’ wins in special elections in two Florida U.S. House seats as proof Americans back the party’s policy goals and leaders. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said during a floor speech Wednesday the Wisconsin Supreme Court results were a signal from the American people that they are not happy with how President Donald Trump and other Republicans are running the country. “Yesterday was a sign Democrats’ message is resonating,” Schumer said. “When Democrats shine a light on the fact that Republicans are taking vital programs away from the middle class simply to cut taxes for the ultrarich, the public doesn’t like it. When we shine a light on Republican attacks on Medicaid, on Social Security, on veterans’ health care, simply to cut taxes for the rich, Americans listen and they’re aghast of what they see. “That is one of the main reasons that the results in Wisconsin came in as resoundingly as they did.” Schumer didn’t mention Republicans winning two U.S. House special elections in Florida. Ticket splitting in Wisconsin Wisconsin voters have a history of ticket splitting, including during November’s presidential election, when the state favored Trump, but also voted to send Democratic Sen. Tammy Baldwin back to Washington. Trump won the state by less than 30,000 votes out of more than 3.3 million cast. Baldwin secured another six-year term by roughly the same margin. Crawford received 55% of the vote in this election, winning by about 238,000 votes out of nearly 2.4 million votes cast, according to data from The Associated Press. GOP Sen. Rick Scott of Florida told reporters Tuesday evening shortly after the results came in that he’s not reading too much into the narrower margin of victory for the two newly elected Republicans in his home state and he doesn’t believe it tells lawmakers anything about what might happen in the 2026 midterm elections. “Remember, they’re special elections. It’s hard, you know … when there’s a presidential race, everybody knows to vote, even a governor’s race,” Scott said inside the U.S. Capitol. “But when there’s a special election, it’s hard for people to go out and vote.” Former Florida Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis defeated the Democratic candidate in the state’s 1st Congressional District after receiving 56.9% of the vote, according to the Board of Elections’ unofficial results. The GOP lawmaker who won that district in November did so with 66% of the vote. In the 6th Congressional District, former state Sen. Randy Fine secured election with 56.6% of the vote, a smaller margin of victory than the 66.5% the former Republican congressman who occupied the seat received in November. Trump focuses on Florida Trump hailed the GOP wins in Florida in a social media post, but didn’t mention Wisconsin, where special government employee and close political ally Musk campaigned late last month. “BOTH FLORIDA HOUSE SEATS HAVE BEEN WON, BIG, BY THE REPUBLICAN CANDIDATE,” Trump wrote. “THE TRUMP ENDORSEMENT, AS ALWAYS, PROVED FAR GREATER THAN THE DEMOCRATS FORCES OF EVIL. CONGRATULATIONS TO AMERICA!!!” DNC Chair Ken Martin wrote in a statement the Wisconsin Supreme Court election results show voters in the state “squarely rejected the influence of Elon Musk, Donald Trump, and billionaire special interests.” “Democrats are overperforming, winning races, and building momentum,” Martin wrote. “We’re working hard to continue the trend in the Virginia, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey elections this year and then — with the people on our side — to take back the House in 2026.” Martin, similar to Schumer, didn’t mention the Florida congressional district races won by GOP politicians. National Republican Congressional Committee spokesman Mike Marinella released a statement pointing to Florida as solid evidence the party is on the right track. “Florida’s resounding Republican victories send a clear message: Americans are fired up to elect leaders who will fight for President Trump’s agenda and reject the Democrats’ failed policies,” Marinella wrote. “While Democrats set their cash ablaze, House Republicans will keep hammering them for being out of touch — and we’ll crush them again in 2026.” Jeffries targets 60 districts U.S. House Democrats’ campaign arm, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, didn’t release any statements on the Florida election results. But House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., said during a press conference Wednesday that the Democratic candidates in the Sunshine State “dramatically overperformed” how Trump did in those areas in November. “There are 60 House Republicans who hold districts right now that Donald Trump won by 15 points or less in November. Every single one of those Republicans should be concerned,” Jeffries said. “The American people have rejected their extreme brand and their do-nothing agenda and they’re going to be held accountable next November.”

[Category: DC Bureau, Gov & Politics, Churck Schumer, democrats, Florida, Republicans, Susan Crawford, Trump, Wisconsin]

— NM wildfire outlook above normal for most of state

 

at 4/2/25 11:43am

Crews work to secure containment lines on the Mogote Hill Fire near Wagon Mound in mid-March. Wildfire potential will be above normal in most of the state this month, according to a new outlook. (Photo courtesy NM Forestry)National fire weather forecasters warn that most of New Mexico will face above-normal fire potential this month, and those conditions will worsen until at least until the monsoon season begins in July. The National Interagency Fire Center issued its April wildfire outlook Tuesday, presenting a series of maps showing New Mexico with snow pack far below normal, along with severe drought and above normal average temperatures expected throughout the summer.  Those factors combine to make the state, particularly the western two-thirds, at high risk of wildfires beginning in May, according to forecasters.  ‘It’s bad’: How drought, lack of snowpack and federal cuts could spell wildfire disaster in NM So far in New Mexico this year, 222 wildfires have started, affecting 31,675 acres. Humans caused the vast majority of those fires, according to the Southwest Coordination Center. The Mogote Hill Fire near Wagon Mound, which burned an estimated 15,000 acres, ranks as the biggest New Mexico fire so far this year.  Last week, New Mexico State Forestry released daily wildfire awareness tips, including how and when to safely burn debris.  The above-normal wildfire potential occurs amid federal cuts to the United States Forest Service, including probationary employees who often had wildfire suppression training. Proposed federal lease terminations also include two New Mexico wildfire dispatch centers covering one-third of the state, though U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich’s office recently told Source New Mexico that he had received “assurances” that the dispatch centers would stay open.  A Heinrich spokesperson noted, however, that his office was still awaiting  official confirmation about the dispatch centers from the General Services Administration. The Heinrich spokesperson did not respond to a request for comment Tuesday as to whether that official confirmation had yet arrived.  !function(){"use strict";window.addEventListener("message",(function(a){if(void 0!==a.data["datawrapper-height"]){var e=document.querySelectorAll("iframe");for(var t in a.data["datawrapper-height"])for(var r,i=0;r=e[i];i++)if(r.contentWindow===a.source){var d=a.data["datawrapper-height"][t]+"px";r.style.height=d}}}))}();  

[Category: Environment & Climate Change, forecast, heinrich, Mogote Hill Fire, New Mexico, new mexico forestry, wildfire]

— New Mexico reports childhood obesity improvements

 

at 4/2/25 11:07am

The New Mexico Health Department released its most recent report on childhood obesity on April 2, 2025The New Mexico health department on Wednesday said obesity rates for third graders decreased for the fourth consecutive year. The report from NMDOH’s Obesity, Nutrition and Physical Activity Program uses data from 40 schools across 21 counties, and assessed close to 2,950 students, according to a news release, which also noted that participation in the data collection is voluntary. a decline in the past year in obesity rates for kindergarten students from 18.2% to 17.3% a decline in obesity rates for third graders in the same time period from 27.5% to 24.1% Boys’ obesity rates were 6.5% higher than girls. Ongoing highest obesity prevalence among American Indian students at 27.6% of students “We collect and analyze obesity data so we can invest our resources in areas that lack infrastructure for safe physical activity and opportunities to buy affordable healthy food,” Health Secretary Gina DeBlassie said in a statement. “Obesity in children highlights inequities in our community infrastructure and access to resources.” According to the report, departments childhood obesity surveillance program — established in 2010 — uses body mass index (BMI) percentile and a standardized measurement protocol to monitor childhood obesity over time, identify at-risk groups, guide state and local prevention efforts, and inform appropriate resource allocation. Despite the improvements, the report notes that obesity remains a significant problem in New Mexico, particularly for children, with obesity increasing significantly between kindergarten and third grade. Childhood obesity is a complex issue that is influenced by weight bias, socioeconomic status, food insecurity and community infrastructure, the report said, noting that in 2023, close to one-in-four (24.7%) school-aged children in New Mexico lived in poverty, compared to nearly one-in-six (15.7%) nationally in 2023. That makes New Mexican children more at risk for obesity than children in other states, the report said, and children with obesity are more likely to develop: high cholesterol, type 2 diabetes, hypertension, heart disease, stroke, fatty liver disease, sleep apnea and depression. The health department program says part of its strategy to combat childhood obesity includes programs in seven counties and one Tribal community to expand activities such as farm-to-school food programs, exercise activities and nutrition programs. The New Mexico Health Department released its most recent report on childhood obesity on April 2, 2025

[Category: Health, childhood obesity, new mexico health department, obesity]

— Judge orders fired federal probationary workers reinstated in 19 states, D.C.

 

at 4/2/25 10:23am

Democratic U.S. Sen. Chris Van Hollen of Maryland speaks at a rally in support of federal workers outside the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services in Washington, D.C., on Feb. 19, 2025. (Photo by Ashley Murray/States Newsroom)WASHINGTON — A federal judge in Maryland late Tuesday ordered federal agencies across 19 states and the District of Columbia to reinstate thousands of probationary workers who were fired as part of White House adviser Elon Musk’s government-slashing agenda. U.S. Judge James Bredar for the District of Maryland issued the preliminary injunction mandating 20 federal departments and agencies rehire the new or recently promoted employees whose duty stations or residences prior to termination were in the following states: Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Hawaii, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont and Wisconsin. The lawsuit is among dozens brought against President Donald Trump’s second administration over deep cuts to the federal workforce and funding, sweeping arrests and deportations of immigrants, Musk’s access to Americans’ sensitive data, and press access in the White House. Trump and Musk have repeatedly criticized federal judges who have ruled unfavorably, even calling for their impeachment. Republicans have assumed the mantle on the issue, criticizing wide-reaching injunctions from U.S. district courts. “Although our Founders saw an important role for the judiciary, they didn’t design a system that made judges national policymakers,” Iowa Sen. Chuck Grassley, chair of the Senate Committee on the Judiciary, said in his opening statement at a hearing Wednesday. The Democratic attorneys general who brought the lawsuit against the federal agencies had requested a nationwide injunction, arguing the mass firings were illegal and harmed states financially, but Bredar only applied the order to the plaintiffs’ jurisdictions. Bredar has previously issued a temporary emergency order mandating agencies reinstate employment for all 24,418 fired probationary workers, according to government figures, but expressed reluctance at a March 26 hearing to extend his order nationwide. The breakdown of fired probationary employees by state is unclear and the total number could be from the states involved in the lawsuit or other states or both. Departments and agencies named as defendants in the lawsuit must now return the probationary workers’ jobs to status quo by 2 p.m. Eastern on April 8, Bredar ordered. The agencies also “shall not conduct any future reductions in force (“RIFs”) — whether formally labeled as such or not” involving the affected probationary employees unless the process follows the law, Bredar wrote. The enjoined defendants include: The departments of Agriculture, Commerce, Defense (civilian employees only), Education, Energy, Health and Human Services, Homeland Security, Housing and Urban Development, Interior, Labor, Transportation, Treasury and Veterans Affairs, as well as the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, Environmental Protection Agency, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, General Services Administration, Office of Personnel Management, Small Business Administration and the U.S. Agency for International Development. The order will remain in place while the case is pending. The states allege the mass firings led by Trump and Musk harmed them because the federal government did not provide the legally required advance notice that gives states time to prepare “rapid response activities” — including unemployment and social services — ahead of an influx of unemployed residents. Bredar highlighted in a memorandum opinion accompanying his order Tuesday that 31 states did not join the lawsuit, writing that nationwide injunctions are required in “rare” instances, and that “this case is not one of them.” “The Court’s injunction is not national in scope because it is possible to substantially stop the harms inflicted on the states that did sue without extending judicial authority over those that didn’t,” Bredar wrote. 

[Category: DC Bureau, Gov & Politics, DOGE, fired workers, Trump]

— Trump administration targets Planned Parenthood’s family-planning grants

 

at 4/2/25 10:22am

Federal health officials temporarily froze Title X family-planning funds for some Planned Parenthood clinics, which provide reproductive health services ranging from birth control to STI testing, across the nation this week. (Photo by Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images) More than 1 million people seeking care such as contraception or testing for sexually transmitted diseases and cancer could be affected by the Trump administration withholding more than $27 million in Title X funding to Planned Parenthood clinics nationwide, according to estimates from the Guttmacher Institute. Planned Parenthood state affiliates said they were notified that the funding they receive under the Title X family-planning program would be temporarily frozen, Politico first reported Monday night. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, which is responsible for managing and distributing Title X funds, told States Newsroom via email that it is reviewing all Title X grant recipients to make sure they comply with federal law and President Donald Trump’s executive orders. The department is concerned about “the compliance of several awardees” that together receive $27.5 million, according to an HHS spokesperson, who added, “HHS expects all recipients of federal funding to comply with federal law.” Letters received by some affiliates detailed possible violations of federal civil rights laws and executive orders recently issued by Trump, including the administration’s efforts to prohibit diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives and provide care regardless of a person’s immigration status. “It is difficult to overstate how ridiculous it is that the administration is premising this funding freeze on a ‘DEI review,’” said Amy Friedrich-Karnik, Guttmacher’s director of federal policy, in a statement. “The entire point of the Title X program is to address disparities in access to contraception and other sexual and reproductive health care, including serving people with low incomes and those from other historically underserved communities. We need to see this for what it is — a direct attack on health equity.” The Title X program was established in 1970 to provide reproductive health care for anyone who needs it. Federal law prohibits use of federal funds for abortion. Planned Parenthood clinics offer a broad range of non-abortion services. No final decisions have been made regarding Title X funding for Planned Parenthood. Affiliates in Alaska, California, Idaho, Hawaii, Maine, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Utah and others reported receiving the notification, representing thousands of people served at each clinic every year and millions in funds. Guttmacher’s data shows that 83% of people who visited Title X-funded clinics in 2023 had family incomes at or below 250% of the federal poverty level. In Missouri and Oklahoma alone, Title X funding totals nearly $8.5 million, according to a news release from Missouri Family Health Council. “Withholding these critical funds, even temporarily, threatens the essential sexual and reproductive health care communities depend on,” said Michelle Trupiano, executive director of the council. Kat Mavengere, spokesperson for Maine Family Planning, said the agency also received notice of a freeze affecting $1.92 million in funds. Planned Parenthood of Northern New England is a sub-grantee of Maine Family Planning. Mavengere told States Newsroom the notice from HHS identified two items on their website “related to documents that detail our commitment to health equity” as reasons for the funding review. Nicole Clegg, CEO of the Northern New England Planned Parenthood affiliate, said it receives about $900,000 in funds between Maine and New Hampshire from the family-planning organization. If people can’t seek basic reproductive health services at no cost, including wellness exams, Clegg said they go without. “We’ve seen that. When Planned Parenthoods leave communities, the data just speaks to increases in STI transmission, increases in unintended pregnancy … there are very real consequences to a community when we’re no longer there,” Clegg said.  A recent poll conducted by Perry Undem showed 77% of respondents were opposed to the idea of the Trump administration cutting funding for services like birth control for people with low incomes. During his first term, Trump also cut Title X funds to clinics that provided abortions or referred people for abortions in 2019, causing one-third of participating providers to leave the program, according to KFF. The Biden administration reversed the policy two years later. The U.S. Supreme Court is scheduled to hear arguments Wednesday in a case that will determine whether South Carolina government officials can remove Planned Parenthood clinics from the state’s Medicaid program because the organization provides abortions. If the court rules in South Carolina’s favor, other states that have tried to drain the organization’s funding for decades may follow suit. Anti-abortion organizations celebrated the news of the Title X freeze for some Planned Parenthood clinics on Tuesday, including Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America, which has been pushing efforts to “defund” Planned Parenthood in recent weeks in its fundraising emails. SBA was also involved in the drafting of the Heritage Foundation’s blueprint for the next conservative presidency, Project 2025, and identified this action as a priority. “This is a big step in the right direction,” President Marjorie Dannenfelser told States Newsroom in a statement. “We thank President Trump for this bold action and urge further steps to eliminate all taxpayer funding for Planned Parenthood.”

[Category: Abortion Policy, Planned Parenthood, Trump]

— Outlook for Mexican gray wolf still positive, despite recent death

 

at 4/2/25 9:02am

A male Mexican gray wolf tries to elude capture inside an enclosure at Sevilleta National Wildlife Refuge in New Mexico, Wednesday, November 8, 2017. The wolf was to be transported to the Endangered Wolf Center in Eureka, Missouri, for breeding purposes. (Photo courtesy U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service)Conservation efforts targeted at the Mexican gray wolf have shown positive results, according to recent studies, but last weekend’s death of a female wolf has been called “tragic” by experts and advocates. The death of wandering wolf “Ella” was reported over the weekend by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service after she was spotted last week near Mount Taylor, close to Grants above Interstate 40. She had wandered outside of the Marquez Wildlife Area —  a protected area that covers about 15,000 acres in McKinley and Sandoval counties and where wolves are encouraged to remain. Interstate 40 is the northern boundary. The area is part of the Mexican Wolf Experimental Population Area that encompasses parts of New Mexico and Arizona and where wolves are released into the wild to repopulate. The wildlife service reported that her body was found on Sunday and told Source NM that her death is under investigation, as is protocol for every known deceased wolf. Due to the investigation, a spokesperson for the wildlife service said they are not releasing details about the wolf’s cause of death or the exact location she was found. Ella was a member of the Sawtooth pack in New Mexico, according to Aislinn Maestas, public affairs specialist for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, who added that “every Mexican wolf in the wild contributed to recovery of the subspecies,” further emphasizing the disappointment conservationists have voiced over Ella’s death. She was one of about 160 Mexican gray wolves living in the wild in New Mexico, according to a recent census. “Ella’s death is a profound loss—not just for her species, but for all of us who saw in her journey a glimpse of what recovery could look like,” Claire Musser, executive director of the Grand Canyon Wolf Recovery Project, said in a statement. “She was young, instinct-driven, and full of possibility. By venturing north, she was reclaiming space that wolves once called home. Her story deserves more than mourning—it demands action to ensure other wolves have the freedom to thrive where she could not.” Sally Paez, staff attorney for New Mexico Wild, told Source NM that she understood Ella was relatively young and around the age where she would be looking for a mate to establish her own pack, adding to the impact of her death. She said Ella was particularly interesting because she wandered outside of the Marquez Wildlife Area. “Research has shown, and just common sense and experience — traveling around other parts of New Mexico and then Northern Arizona and Southern Colorado — there’s other places that are really suitable wolf habitat where we don’t currently have wolf populations,” Paez told Source NM. “This is a wolf who, I think, was traveling through areas that could provide good wildlife corridors.” Paez said the Mount Taylor area provides a good area for wolves because of its “wild ecosystem,” elk herds and restoration work. “I think it was really exciting that she was already drawn to a place that we know is good habitat and where we’d like to see wolf populations thrive,” Paez said.  According to a December 2024 report from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, a five-year evaluation of the Mexican wolf population showed growth surpassing experts’ targets. Maestas added that the Mexican wolf population has had nine years of growth and there is an estimated minimum 286 wolves in the wild, including New Mexico and surrounding states.  “Genetic management efforts are showing results,” Maestas told Source in an email. “These achievements are cause for celebration and give hope that recovery of the Mexican wolf is not only possible, but on the horizon.” GET THE MORNING HEADLINES. SUBSCRIBE

[Category: Environment & Climate Change, conservation, endangered species, gray wolf, Marquez Wildlife Area, Mexican gray wolf, Mexican Wolf Experimental Population Area, New Mexico Wild, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service]

As of 4/3/25 3:49pm. Last new 4/3/25 3:49pm.