News
Rise in newborn syphilis cases prompts DOH intervention
More babies in the U.S. are being born with syphilis than at any time in the last 20 years, and CDC research indicates that the trend is growing exponentially worse. The latest data show New Mexico has the second-highest rate in the country. The infection is curable. And it’s alarming rise led the New Mexico […]
At-home COVID tests to be covered by insurance—but details still to come
WASHINGTON — State health officials on Thursday welcomed the Biden administration’s plan to require private health insurers to reimburse Americans for the cost of rapid, at-home COVID-19 tests—though the officials also raised questions about whether the process will be burdensome. Making those tests more accessible will allow Americans to get results quickly and in the privacy […]
Biden’s oil and gas policy falls short on climate goals, House Democrats say
WASHINGTON — Democrats on the U.S. House Natural Resources Committee on Thursday encouraged President Joe Biden to take stronger action to limit oil and gas production, while Republicans said reducing domestic production would only increase global emissions from overseas suppliers. In a hearing less than a week after the U.S. Interior Department released a report […]
Governor packs $1 billion in spending into special redistricting session
Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham is tasking legislators with agreeing on how to spend more than $1 billion of badly needed stimulus money, while also re-drawing the state’s political districts, in time for the winter holidays. The governor made the announcement Thursday morning as part of her proclamation calling to order a special session of the […]
NM Planned Parenthood sees uptick in patients from out of state
The impact of restrictive abortion laws in other states is already showing up for reproductive health care providers in New Mexico who operate without those legal constraints. Vicki Cowart can tell you the exact number of days since Texas passed a law banning all abortions after 6-weeks. “It went into effect Sept. 1, and immediately, […]
State asks for public’s help finding large venues for booster shots
As New Mexico health officials roll out booster shots of the COVID-19 vaccine, they’re facing a critical shortage of large facilities where they can quickly administer many shots in one place. Much of the state was still shut down when vaccines were first being administered, but since then, large buildings have reopened with regular business […]
Biden to unveil plan to blunt potential COVID surge this winter
WASHINGTON — Reimbursements for at-home rapid COVID-19 tests. Tougher testing requirements for international travelers. More emergency response teams to aid states combating infection spikes. And another big push to get Americans vaccinated. Those are the latest steps to fight COVID-19 that President Joe Biden will be announcing today, according to senior administration officials who briefed reporters […]
Protesters rally at Supreme Court as justices hear landmark abortion case
WASHINGTON — Lucia Ruta remembers a time when abortions were illegal. A native of Washington, D.C., she says she received an abortion in a back alley when she was 16, in the 1960s. “The doctor told me that if I made as so much a whimper, he was going to stop and kick me out,” […]
U.S. Supreme Court considers new limits on abortions in Mississippi case
WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court is weighing potentially sweeping changes to the right to an abortion, after two hours of arguments Wednesday morning on a Mississippi law that bans most abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy. The court’s conservatives, who hold a 6-3 majority, appeared through their questions to be sympathetic to Mississippi’s arguments that its […]
Abortion is not restricted in NM. But is it protected?
It’s not time to panic. But stay vigilant. That’s the advice for abortion rights supporters from Jessica Serrano, an attorney with the Southwest Women’s Law Center, for anyone in New Mexico following the Supreme Court hearing Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization. Oral arguments were presented yesterday on the case, the outcome of which could […]
Getting vaxxed could add 14 years to your life, NM stats show
New Mexico residents could add 14 years to their life if they get the COVID-19 vaccine and still end up hospitalized for the disease, the state’s top health official said Wednesday, Dec. 1. Unvaccinated people die 14 years younger and at much higher rates than the vaccinated, according to data compiled by the N.M. Department […]
After sharp increase in earthquakes, NM announces new requirements for oil and gas drillers
A New Mexico agency overseeing oil extraction in the southern part of the state has issued a new protocol to deal with earthquakes caused by oil and gas production. State data showed an increase in the number of earthquakes in the Permian Basin, according to a report by Capital and Main. The number of magnitude […]