Kevin Hendricks, Editor, Author at City Desk ABQ

Bernalillo County @ Alvarado Square, Downtown Albuquerque. (Jesse Jones, The Paper.)

Feds charge Maryland man with falsely registering to vote in Bernalillo County

By Kevin Hendricks, The Paper. — A Maryland man faces a federal charge after prosecutors say he claimed to live in New Mexico so he could register to vote here in 2022, one week before New Mexicans head to the polls for the Nov. 3 general election. A federal grand jury indicted the 63-year-old Annapolis […]

Attorney General Raúl Torrez speaks at a press conference Friday after Jurors in state District Court found Friday that Meta Platforms Inc., formerly Facebook Inc., willfully violated New Mexico's Unfair Practices Act 43,899,720 times by misleading users about their data, misinformation, hate speech and more. Each violation carries a penalty of up to $5,000, which puts Meta's maximum exposure at roughly $219.5 billion.

Courts & Justice

‘No corporation is too powerful’: New Mexico wins massive $25B ruling against Meta

by Kevin Hendricks, Editor October 21, 2026October 21, 2026

By Kevin Hendricks, NM Political Report — Meta now has a $25 billion reason to read the fine print. District Judge Francis Mathew ordered Meta Platforms Inc. on Wednesday to pay New Mexico $25 billion for misleading Facebook users about their privacy, misinformation, hate speech and more. The bill grows 15% a year until Meta […]

Albuquerque Housing Authority’s apartments at Broadway and McKnight added 54 affordable units to the city’s housing stock when AHA cut the ribbon on the project in 2023. AHA is accepting pre-applications for its Public Housing program through Oct. 31 and for Section 8 vouchers from Oct. 16 through Nov. 15. (Courtesy of Albuquerque Housing Authority)

Knock, knock: Albuquerque Housing Authority opens doors to Section 8 and public housing applicants

By Kevin Hendricks, The Paper. — Albuquerque-area renters searching for an affordable place to live have a limited window to get in line for federal housing help, and the deadline for one program is already approaching. The Albuquerque Housing Authority opens pre-applications for its Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher program on Friday, Oct. 16, and […]

BernCo candidate defends wearing Confederate flag as symbol of ‘open rebellion’ against the government as he pushes ‘America only’ agenda in campaigns

By Kevin Hendricks, Route 66 Independent & NM Political Report — District 5 Bernalillo County Commission candidate Thomas Riley says he wears a ring bearing the Confederate flag as an act of “open rebellion” against the federal government, and he wants the county’s Sheriff’s Office to cooperate with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, according to […]

Your ballot, your move: Early voting starts Oct. 6

by Kevin Hendricks, Editor October 5, 2026

By Kevin Hendricks, nm.news — New Mexico voters can start casting ballots Oct. 6 for the Nov. 3 general election. There’s no reason to wait in line on Election Day, or to walk into the booth guessing. Early voting opens Oct. 6 at county clerk offices. On Oct. 17 it expands to more locations across […]

Courts, Justice & Safety

Sheriff details Flock shutdown, Axon switch

by Kevin Hendricks, Editor September 8, 2026

By Kevin Hendricks, The Paper. Bernalillo County Sheriff John Allen laid out, in detail Tuesday, how his office is expanding its Axon partnership to replace the Flock Safety camera network it’s dismantling. Allen said in a press release the expanded partnership builds on Axon technology BCSO already uses through body-worn cameras, digital evidence systems and […]

Bernalillo County, Elections & Politics, Local Government

Should voters fund campaigns for county officials? Voters will get to decide this November

by Kevin Hendricks, Editor July 6, 2026July 6, 2026

By Kevin Hendricks, The Paper. — Bernalillo County residents will get to decide in November whether their tax dollars should help fund county campaigns — a move commissioners say is aimed squarely at kneecapping the influence of big donors and corporate PACs. The Board of County Commissioners voted unanimously June 23, to advance a package […]

Parts of the Rio Grande flowing through Albuquerque will go dry again this summer, water managers warned Wednesday — repeating a pattern that has now struck the region multiple times in recent years — unless monsoon conditions improve significantly. (Roberto E. Rosales)

Environment, Conservation & Climate, New Mexico Statewide News

ABQ now pumping 100% groundwater as river sets 30-year drying record

by Kevin Hendricks, Editor May 13, 2026May 13, 2026

Albuquerque stopped drawing water from the Rio Grande on April 24 and processed its last surface water three days later — leaving the water authority running entirely on groundwater reserves months before summer heat peaks, a water authority spokesperson confirmed Wednesday. The early shift marks a significant milestone in what water managers are calling one […]

Tens of thousands of Rio Rancho and Westside commuters who rely on the Unser Boulevard and Paseo del Norte corridor will hear — and feel — the next phase of construction starting Tuesday, as crews begin blasting through the basalt bedrock beneath one of the metro area's most congested intersections. (CABQ)

Rio Rancho, Westside Albuquerque

Boom! The Unser-Paseo widening project is about to enter its loudest phase

by Kevin Hendricks, Editor April 27, 2026April 27, 2026

Tens of thousands of Rio Rancho and Westside commuters who rely on the Unser Boulevard and Paseo del Norte corridor will hear — and feel — the next phase of construction starting Tuesday, as crews begin blasting through the basalt bedrock beneath one of the metro area’s most congested intersections. Controlled blasting is scheduled to […]

Congress & Federal Gov.

New Mexico sees largest gas price jump in Southwest prompting lawmaker demand for federal response

by Kevin Hendricks, Editor March 25, 2026

U.S. Rep. Gabe Vasquez, a Democrat representing southern New Mexico and Albuquerque’s Westside sent a letter to President Donald Trump Wednesday, demanding the administration outline a strategy to combat rising energy prices driven by the ongoing conflict with Iran. A recent report from The New York Times highlights the severity of the crisis in Vasquez’s […]