SANTA FE – New Mexico state health officials announced 1,141 additional COVID-19 cases on Nov. 3. Per the state Department of Health, the most recent cases are:

262 new cases in Bernalillo County108 new cases in Chaves County19 new cases in Cibola County2 new cases in Colfax County27 new cases in Curry County270 new cases in Doña Ana County19 new cases in Eddy County6 new cases in Grant County85 new cases in Lea County7 new cases in Lincoln County3 new cases in Los Alamos County36 new cases in Luna County23 new cases in McKinley County11 new cases in Otero County1 new case in Quay County9 new cases in Rio Arriba County19 new cases in Roosevelt County37 new cases in Sandoval County24...

The federal government created protections for tenants and mortgage loan borrowers under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act. Tenants renting units with federally backed mortgages cannot be evicted or charged fines for non-payment of rent for 120 days between March 27 and July 24. After that grace period landlords were able to begin eviction procedures with a 30 day notice.

However, the Supreme Court of the State of New Mexico issued an order halting residential evictions. The order remains in effect until amended or withdrawn by a future order.

Additionally, the Federal Housing Finance Authority and the Federal Housing Administration extended the moratorium on...

Week ending Friday, October 30, 2020


Arctic Losses

Sea ice surrounding the North Pole was at a record low extent for October due to unusually warm Arctic Ocean temperatures, according to Danish researchers. They say the ice has been slow to reform following the past summer’s melt, and coverage was at the lowest of the past 40 years of satellite observations. “It’s a trend we’ve been seeing the past years, with a longer open water season making the sun warm the sea for a longer time, resulting in shorter winters so the ice doesn’t grow as thick as it used to,” said Rasmus Tonboe of the Danish Meteorological Institute.

Measurements show an 8.2% downward trend during the...

New Rule Halts Wolf Recovery in Lower 48 States

WASHINGTON, D.C.— The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service finalized a rule Oct. 29 that removes protection from all gray wolves in the lower 48 states except for a small population of Mexican gray wolves in Arizona and New Mexico. The Service made its decision despite the fact that wolves are still functionally extinct in the vast majority of their former range across the continental U. S.

“This is no ‘Mission Accomplished’ moment for wolf recovery,” Kristen Boyles, an Earthjustice attorney said. “Wolves are only starting to get a toehold in places like Northern California and the Pacific Northwest, and wolves need federal...