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NM Supreme Court consider’s Gov’s gun orders
Following oral arguments yesterday morning, the state Supreme Court is considering whether to let Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham’s executive orders declaring drugs and guns public health emergencies stand. A lawsuit brought by all members of the Republican caucuses in the state House and Senate, the National Rifle Association, the state Libertarian Party, along with numerous residents, including the former president of the Del Norte Gun Club, challenges those orders. The hearing began with confusion on the part of the justices regarding whether the health orders even remained in place, as they were not—at the time—posted anywhere on the governor’s website (a conundrum this newsletter writer also faced yesterday morning). “Where can we find that?” Chief Justice Shannon Bacon said at the outset of the hearing upon being told the governor had renewed the health orders Dec. 29, “because I think many of our chambers have looked and looked and looked and looked and looked and looked and we can’t even find a copy of the current health order.”
Once it was determined both emergency health orders had in fact been renewed for another 30 days, the justices grappled with whether gun violence and drug abuse constitute emergency situations. No, the plaintiffs’ lawyer, Jessica Hernandez argued, public health emergencies, as invoked under the state’s Public Health Emergency Response Act (used during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic), “needs to be something out of the ordinary. It can’t be our constant state of being. It cannot be the public safety issues that we face each and every day, and that the Legislature legislate on every single session.” Holly Agajanian, Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham’s chief counsel, who is representing the governor and Health Secretary Patrick Allen, however, noted that the “policy expert” in the declaration of a public health emergency—Allen—had agreed that guns and drugs constitute public health emergencies in the state. But the question remains, Bacon said, how does one distinguish between chronic and imminent threats? “How do you know when the water is boiling as opposed to hot?” As of press time, the court had not released a decision. The governor first enacted the public health emergencies Sept. 7, following the shooting death of an 11-year-old boy in Albuquerque. She curtailed the orders’ original ban on firearms in Albuquerque and Bernalillo County following legal challenges and pushback.
City opens applications for downtown parking program
The City of Santa Fe will begin accepting applications today for a one-year pilot program, approved via resolution by the Santa Fe City Council, to help increase parking access for downtown employees. Under the pilot, businesses within the Paseo de Peralta perimeter have the option to buy up to 10 parking permits at a cost of $25 per month for their employees who earn less than $21.71 per hour (including tips). The city has 150 passes for spots at its three downtown parking garages (the Railyard, Community Convention Center and on Sandoval Street), which will be distributed on a first-come, first-served basis. Details and the application for the program are available here. According to a news release, the city “has prioritized the development of multimodal transportation network that will offer alternatives to access downtown and the Railyard. The parking program pilot offers an opportunity for employers to participate in a potential solution to the current need and will allow the city to collect additional data on downtown parking demand and access. The data will inform next steps with the pilot or future program.”
SFNF: Prescribed pile burns could start this week
The Santa Fe National Forest announced yesterday that fire managers have scheduled potential prescribed pile burns in both the Jemez and Española ranger districts as early as this week. According to a news release, “operations will involve pile burn projects intended to reduce hazardous fuels, enhance wildlife habitat, and improve forest health. The decision to proceed with each pile burn will depend on multiple factors, including persistent snowpack, air quality, ventilation, and resource availability. Once ignited, the pile burns are patrolled regularly and infrared detection devices such as a handheld thermal camera and an Uncrewed Aerial System (UAS drone) will help fire personnel determine when the pile burns are called out. A prescribed fire is determined to be out when vegetation is no longer burning within the area.” The announcement follows ongoing impacts from last year’s catastrophic Hermits Peak/Calf Canyon fires, the latter of which began as a result of unextinguished pile burns. In October, US Rep. Teresa Leger Fernández, D-NM, sent a letter to US Forest Service Chief Randy Moore urging him to use infrared drones for all prescribed burns in the state. The forthcoming burns include 642 acres located off Hyde Park Road. SFNF will hold a public meeting to discuss the upcoming burns at 5:30 pm tomorrow, Jan. 10 at the Randall Davey Audubon Center and Sanctuary (1800 Upper Canyon Road).
Sen. Heinrich wants $10 mil for AI research
In a letter sent recently to the US Senate Appropriations Committee, US Sen. Martin Heinrich, D-NM, and US Sen. Todd Young, R-IN, make the argument that the committee should allocate $10 million to establish the National Institute of Standards and Technology’s (NIST) U.S. Artificial Intelligence Safety Institute (USAISI. “The rapid advancement of AI innovation has brought forth immense possibilities and opportunities,” the letter reads. “However, with these advancements come potential challenges and risks that must be addressed in a safe manner. The USAISI aims to provide a dedicated platform for research, collaboration, and implementation of safety measures in AI development. This is not only a matter of technical necessity, but also a strategic imperative to ensure that AI technologies are developed in a manner that reflects our shared democratic values and supports American industry.” Heinrich made comparable points during an October forum in Santa Fe organized by his office (and moderated by SFR), featuring George RR Martin and Santa Fe Institute/University of New Mexico professor Melanie Moses, focused on AI’s potential impact on the creative industries.
Listen up
Yesterday, we announced a call for 2024 micro-playlists (five songs from any time and any genre) to share with other readers this month and into the future, which have begun to arrive. Please keep ‘em coming and look for them in this spot going forward (not every day, but as part of the mix). Our first offering comes from SFR Culture Editor Alex De Vore, who writes: “I love music more than most things and it was REALLY hard to narrow down to five songs.” Here’s De Vore’s list and selected comments (abbreviated for space):
1. “WILL U STILL U” by Jeff Rosenstock: “A poppy punk banger that weaves through a bit of ‘I don’t deserve you’ contemplation…that’s ultimately all about forgiveness.”
2. “You Don’t Want To Mess With Me” by Teens in Trouble: “It’s a love song, but one that reads to me like it’s about boundaries.”
3. “Collective Conscious” by Outstanding Citizens Collective ft. Def-i: “Kind of like Santa Fe’s Wu Tang, this ever-evolving local supergroup released a sort of retrospective compendium featuring songs they’d been sitting on after the death of co-founding member Benito Martinez III (aka Benzo)….this particular jam also features Diné MC Def-i, and despite its hard-hitting nature, reminds me to want better.”
4. “From the Start” by Laufey: “No deep meaning to this one—it’s a sad love song about unrequited feelings—but it’s a bossa nova BANGER that I just happened to hear on NPR and have been bumping since.”
5. “Mindful Solutionism” by Aesop Rock: “This song DOMINATED my brain for weeks as both a sendup and takedown and explanation of tech history that both mentions the good and bad.”
Time to play tourist
International news magazine The Week offers up a travel guide to Santa Fe. “The City Different is an apt nickname for Santa Fe,” Catherine Garcia writes. “This Southwestern gem stands out, and not just because of its distinctive Pueblo Revival architecture and hundreds of art galleries. Santa Fe also fully embraces its heritage and the blend of cultures that shaped it into the city it is today.” The guide includes stops for art, music, history and, obviously, food. Amongst the many global cuisines featured in area restaurants, chiles are universal, Garcia observes, incorporated into “most menus.” Sazón, The Shed and Jambo receive specific notice. “These flavors hit,” the story writes of Jambo’s offerings, “from the jerk chicken wings to the Banana Leaf Wrapped Island Spice Mahi Mahi.” Kakawa Chocolate House also deserves a visit, the story notes, as its “handmade elixirs are more than just drinking chocolates—they’re also a history lesson, with the different varieties based on recipes from pre-Colombian America and Europe in the 16th and 18th centuries.” The Week recommends Inn of the Turquoise Bear and Inn of The Five Graces for visitors, the latter, “a feast for the eyes, with its hand-laid tile mosaics, luxe tapestries and hand-blown glass chandeliers. For the ultimate splurge, book the three-bedroom, three-bath Luminaria Villa, complete with a lapis inlaid ceiling, ornate tile work and chef’s kitchen with hand-carved cabinetry.”
Mysteries of the sky
The Wall Street Journal examines the rising profile and growing ranks of groups and people who believe in UFOs. The story begins not in New Mexico, as one might imagine, but in Connecticut where, WSJ writes, “for many years, the Connecticut chapter of America’s largest UFO research group investigated alien life on Earth from the shadows” because so few people came to its meetings. Those times are changing and the meetings are no longer held in 88-year-old Dyke Spear Jr.’s basement. He’s believed in UFOs since 1947 “when he heard about a crashed ‘flying disk’ in Roswell, N.M. on the radio.” Spear claims he saw one himself in 1984, but did not feel comfortable speaking about it. “Back when I was in court a lot, I tried to share my ideas about UFOs with other lawyers and professionals, but people weren’t receptive,” Spear tells WSJ. “Today though, you can talk to pretty much anyone about UFOs.” Indeed, the story continues: “There’s probably never been a better time to believe in aliens than right now,” given that federal officials have issued reports and held hearings on them. Speaking of UFOs, 24/7 Wall Street just released its list of the 40 US cities with the most reported UFO sightings. Many are in the West, but only one is in New Mexico: Taos (not exactly a city, but on the list nonetheless) came in at #36, with 37 sightings.
Stay warm, stay put
Following yesterday’s snow and last night’s frigid temperatures (not to mention the wind, which reportedly hit 90 mph in Raton), Santa Fe Public Schools, the City of Santa Fe, Santa Fe Community College and presumably other institutions, all are on delays, with the city and SFCC opening at 10 am and SFPS running two hours behind schedule. As for today, the National Weather Service forecasts sunny skies, with a high temperature near 29 degrees and wind chill values as low as -12 via north wind 10 to 20 mph. We may see more winter weather starting tomorrow night.
Thanks for reading! The Word is tempted to read How We Age by geneticist Coleen Murphy, based on this review in Nature, although the old rat/young rat experiment reminds her of Peter Thiel’s bizarre blood infusion plan.