Fidelity Hiring 250 For Albuquerque Campus – The Albuquerque Journal
Fidelity Investments said it will hire an additional 250 people for its campus at Mesa del Sol in Albuquerque.
The Albuquerque Journal reports this will bring Fidelity’s workforce to 1,125 people. The company opened its operations in New Mexico in 2008.
The jobs will be in support roles for clients with Fidelity retirement plans and health savings accounts. Salaries will start in the mid-$30,000 range with benefits and tuition reimbursement.
This comes after Fidelity added about 300 jobs in the last two years. Officials praised New Mexico’s quality of life and a talented and diverse labor pool as reasons for expansion.
Donald Trump Breaks With Nation's Only Latina Governor - The Associated Press
It was a stunning rebuke — even by Donald Trump's standards — aimed at the nation's only Latina governor at a political rally in her home state of New Mexico.
At a raucous political rally this week in the nation's most Hispanic state, Trump chastised Republican Gov. Susana Martinez for not doing her job when it came to unemployment, federal food aid and even containing the Syrian refugee crisis.
Martinez says she won't be bullied into endorsing the presumptive GOP presidential nominee, calling accusations as political pot shots.
The public spat has dampened any lingering speculation that Martinez might be picked as vice president to attract more female and minority voters to the Republican ticket. She joins other prominent Republicans who have withstood attacks as Trump tries to consolidate support.
Albuquerque Police Searching For Some Anti-Trump Protesters – Associated Press
Authorities say anti-Donald Trump protesters in Albuquerque threw rocks, urine-filled bottles, molotov cocktail-type devices at officers, and some later fired gunshots.
Albuquerque Mayor Richard Berry said Thursday around 30 people out of 1,000 protesters were responsible for the violence from Tuesday's riot that caused around $10,000 in city damage.
Police Chief Gorden Eden says six officers suffered injuries from rocks and other objects, and one police horse suffered a leg injury.
Police released images of two suspects they say threw objects at officers who were later hurt.
Berry says he is offering up to $10,000 in reward money for the arrest of those involved in the violence.
A peaceful anti-Trump protest turned violent Tuesday after the Republican candidate ended an Albuquerque rally. Four people have been arrested so far.
Officials Say Acoma Shield Was Stolen Years Ago – The Associated Press
U.S. Interior Secretary Sally Jewell is asking French authorities to prevent the auction of a ceremonial shield from a New Mexico Native American community, saying the item was believed to have been stolen decades ago from its rightful owners.
In a letter Friday to the auction house regulator in France, Jewell detailed specific reasons why the Acoma Pueblo shield should be removed from Monday's planned sale in Paris.
The letter included an affidavit from the granddaughter of one of the tribe's traditional leaders who cared for the shield. She testified that the item went missing during the 1970s when the family's home was broken into.
Jewell's correspondence also included documents from the tribe's legal counsel and preservation officer attesting to the importance of the shield and its status under tribal customary law.
French Auction House Defends Upcoming Sale Of Sacred Items – The Associated Press
The Paris auction house criticized for putting up for bid objects held sacred by Native American tribes is defending its upcoming sale.
EVE auction house director Alain Leroy said Friday all the items are of legal trade in both the U.S. and France and that tribes will have an opportunity through the auction process to acquire their past.
Monday's planned auction will feature hundreds of religious items and art pieces from the Americas, Africa and Asia. Included is a ceremonial shield from a Native American tribe in New Mexico.
Acoma Pueblo Gov. Kurt Riley argues it's illegal to trade and sell Native American items considered sacred or used in worship. He has reached out to the French people through an open letter in an effort to halt such auctions.
Immigrant Licenses Jump Before Law Change – The Associated Press
The number of immigrants seeking driver's licenses in New Mexico surged during the first three months of the year.
Data obtained by The Associated Press through a records request showed 3,568 licenses were issued to foreign nationals from January to March.
That's just shy of the 4,026 licenses granted to foreign nationals for all of 2015.
State officials believe the spike came because immigrants in the country illegally wanted to get New Mexico driver's licenses before state lawmakers voted to revise the law.
Officials do not know how many licenses went to such immigrants because applicants aren't required to submit information on immigration status.
In March, Gov. Susana Martinez signed a law that allows immigrants living in the U.S. illegally to only obtain driver's authorization cards.
Feds Seek Proposals For Cleanup At Los Alamos Lab – The Associated Press & The ABQ Journal
Federal regulators are seeking proposals for a contract for environmental cleanup at Los Alamos National Laboratory, where tons of hazardous waste and contamination remains after decades of research.
The Albuquerque Journal reports that the federal government on Thursday issued its draft request for proposals environmental remediation of the radioactive and otherwise hazardous materials at the site.
In 2014 the Department of Energy decided to separate the cleanup from the labs overall operating contract, which has been held by Los Alamos National Security LLC since 2006. The shift came after a drum of radioactive waste leaked at the underground Waste Isolation Pilot Plant at Carlsbad.
The total estimated value of the new cleanup contract is approximately $1.7 billion.
Michelle Obama Tells Native American Grads Told To Live Their Values – Associated Press
Michelle Obama has encouraged Native American high school graduates to take pride in their history and cultures at a time when she says the loudest voices in the national conversation suggest turning away from their tribal values.
The first lady's comments Thursday appeared to touch on political rhetoric that has emerged in the presidential race, and within the GOP, though she did not mention any candidates by name.
Obama, a Democrat, said those voices call for disrespecting others because of who they are, where they come from or how they worship.
Her remarks came during a commencement address at the Santa Fe Indian School.
The school says nearly all of its 2016 graduates have immediate plans for college.
State Police: Traffic Stop On I-25 Leads To A Fatal Shooting – Associated Press
Authorities say a person fatally shot by law enforcement officers during a traffic stop along Interstate 25 appears to be the suspect in an armed carjacking in Albuquerque hours earlier.
New Mexico State Police say the shooting occurred shortly after noon Thursday.
The name of the person killed is being withheld until relatives are notified.
Socorro County sheriff's deputies attempted to stop a vehicle near the San Antonio exit.
State Police say shots were fired during the traffic stop and officers returned fire, striking a person in the vehicle.
They say sheriff's deputies and State Police officers were involved in the shooting, but it's unclear who fired the fatal shots.
Albuquerque police say the person who died is believed to have carjacked a victim at knifepoint around 11 a.m. Thursday.
Federal Grand Jury Indicts Suspect In Navajo Girl's Slaying – Associated Press
A federal grand jury has returned a six-count indictment against a man accused of killing an 11-year-old Navajo girl who was abducted as she and her younger brother played on the way home from school.
Federal prosecutors announced Thursday that the indictment charges Tom Begaye Jr. with murder, aggravated sexual abuse, kidnapping resulting in death and kidnapping of a minor.
The 27-year-old Navajo man has been in federal custody since his arrest May 4. An arraignment is scheduled June 7.
Authorities say Begaye lured Ashlynne Mike and her younger brother into his van after school May 2. The boy later was freed, and dozens of people began searching for the girl.
Ashlynne's body was found the next day on the edge of the nation's largest American Indian reservation.
Judge To Rule On Releasing Wolves – Albuquerque Journal
A federal judge will rule in two weeks on a request from state officials to stop the release of endangered wolves by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
The Albuquerque Journal reports the state sought a preliminary injunction after the federal agency released a pair of captive-born pups into a wild wolf den in southwestern New Mexico last month.
Lawyers for the New Mexico Department of Game and Fish are seeking the removal of the pups arguing the state denied permits to federal officials. They told the court the state wants a comprehensive management plan before more releases take place.
Federal officials argue the releases are too small to cause harm, while the Mexican wolf population is at risk. There are currently 97 wolves in New Mexico, down from 110 in 2014.
Acoma Pueblo Makes Plea To French People – Associated Press
The leader of a Native American community in New Mexico is pleading with the French people to stand with his tribe in its fight to keep Paris auction houses from putting up for bid sacred objects.
Acoma Pueblo released the letter from tribal Gov. Kurt Riley on Thursday.
The letter comes as Paris' EVE auction house prepares to put up for bid hundreds of religious items and art pieces, including a ceremonial shield from the pueblo.
Riley likened the sacred tribal items to objects found in churches, basilicas and other places of worship. He says they're so important that no one individual can own, sell or transfer them.
Riley also offered in the letter a brief history of his people, noting that the sacred items speak to civilizations that existed long before the arrival of the first Europeans in North America.
New Mexico Gets $3.3M For Foreclosure Legal Assistance – Associated Press
State officials say New Mexico has received $3.3 million to help provide legal assistance to homeowners facing foreclosure.
The money is from a 2014 settlement with Bank of America and its subsidiaries over mortgage practices.
Terms of the settlement restrict use of the money to foreclosure prevention legal assistance and community redevelopment.
In New Mexico, the money will be awarded to legal aid groups based on grant applications.
There are about 5,000 open mortgage foreclosure cases in the state.
An independent monitor overseeing the national settlement provides distributions to state-based organizations that help fund non-profit legal aid operations.
The share to each state is based on their poverty population.
A committee will review grant applications and recommend award amounts, which are subject to approval by the New Mexico Supreme Court.
New Mexico Land Boss Weighs Easement Request From Feds – Associated Press
U.S. Customs and Border Protection is seeking rights of way for the next 35 years to repair nearly 30 miles of roads in two counties to help with operations in New Mexico's border region.
Land Commissioner Aubrey Dunn has scheduled a June 2 public meeting in Lordsburg to discuss the request.
Easement fees charged by the State Land Office could total $400,000. But federal officials want the fees to be waived since it plans to repair the roads, many of which are dirt and gravel.
Dunn said Thursday he has a responsibility to generate revenue from state trust lands for the benefit of public schools and other public institutions.
Dunn surveyed several of the roads in question earlier this week and said he wants to hear from the public.