By Julia Goldberg | Editor-in-Chief
Good morning, everyone. It’s Friday, and it’s been another busy week. Residents turned out yesterday evening at the state Capitol in Santa Fe to protest federal immigration arrests in the city, following a news conference with family members of those arrested and elected officials. You can read more about that below. The Frijoles Fire burning in the Pecos wilderness has grown to just over 15,000 acres as of last night, and containment is up to 38%. Yesterday, smoke from the fire brought some air quality issues; monitor conditions at fire.airnow.gov. As for the weather, another hot and potentially stormy weekend awaits. Stay cool. Read some news. We’ve got you covered below and online at sourcenm.com. Thanks for being here.
Madeline Pernillo, 18, spoke during a Thursday news conference regarding the recent federal immigration arrest of her uncle in Santa Fe, one of as many as 16 recent arrests reported in the area. (Photo by Patrick Lohmann/Source NM)
Two relatives of people whom federal immigration agents arrested Wednesday in Santa Fe spoke out at a news conference Thursday, during which New Mexico elected officials decried the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency’s tactics in what they described as a spree of immigration arrests in the city this week. Anti-ICE protesters took to the streets by the state Capitol in the early evening, Source’s Patrick Lohmann reports.
The Middle Rio Grande started drying in April of 2026. This stretch in Albuquerque previously had a robust beaver population and supported fish, songbirds and other wildlife species. (Photo by Laura Paskus)
Aridification is here
In a new column for Source NM’s commentary section, environmental journalist and author Laura Paskus delves into New Mexico’s hot, dry summer and the repercussions for the human and natural world. She also offers her thoughts on how people can respond with hope versus despair.
An undated photo of a female Culex mosquito. Mosquitos can be a serious vector in spreading diseases, such as West Nile virus. (Courtesy of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
New Mexico Department of Health officials on Thursday said residents should prepare for a possible extended mosquito season, and people with weakened immune systems should be particularly cautious about avoiding bites due to West Nile virus.
University of New Mexico Geospatial and Population Studies Director Robert Rhatigan told state lawmakers this week they need to begin preparation for the 2030 U.S. Census. (Photo courtesy of Scott Dalton, U.S. Census Bureau.)
New Mexico should begin planning for the 2030 Census, expert tells state lawmakers
New Mexico was considered the hardest-to-count state in the contiguous U.S. during the 2020 census, an expert told a panel of state lawmakers this week, while encouraging them to begin planning for the 2030 census.
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