• Note: Yesterday, I was one of the thousands of those without power. Luckily, PNM restored power in the early hours of the morning on Thursday, but not in time to have a newsletter out. Apologies for the lack of a Thursday newsletter.
  • The governor spoke about good news in the state’s COVID-19 response, and about how the focus will be on education and ensuring childcare is available. Read more details here.
    • Watch the full press conference here.
  • The state of New Mexico reported 161 additional COVID-19 cases and three additional deaths related to the disease. Read more details here.
  • Searchlight New Mexico wrote about a private prison operator accused of ignoring a COVID-19 outbreak in a correctional facility in New Mexico.
  • Earlier in the day, Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham testified in front of Congress and said states, including New Mexico will need financial aid from the federal government to weather the COVID-19 pandemic storm. Read more here.
  • The Albuquerque Journal also covered the governor’s press conference and congressional testimony.
  • The state said that the New Mexico Military Institute failed to follow the state’s public health order, KRQE-TV reported.
  • A poll for the Albuquerque Journal found that 60 percent of likely voters in New Mexico approve of Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham’s handling of COVID-19, but just 36 percent approve of President Donald Trump’s handling of the pandemic.
    • The same poll found that a massive majority, 78 percent, support the  state’s mask mandate and just 17 percent oppose it.
  • Some school districts say they were approved to start hybrid in-person learning, but then the state said they didn’t meet a new rule related to ventilation of schools, KRQE-TV reported.
  • The Roswell Independent School District board will meet to discuss hybrid schooling options, the Roswell Daily Record reported. Chaves County is not one of the counties eligible to start hybrid learning because of the number of cases in the county.
  • Most teachers in the Española Public School District say they don’t want to go back to in-person schooling in September because they would feel unsafe, the Rio Grande Sun reported.
  • Two students at UNM-Taos tested positive for COVID-19 earlier this month, the Taos News reported.
  • Navajo Nation health officials reported 18 new cases and three more deaths on Thursday night, after reporting 12 new cases on Wednesday night.
  • The Navajo Times reported on $176.4 million in CARES Act funding for the Navajo Nation that still hasn’t been allocated.
  • The Albuquerque Journal covered a petition to allow youth athletes to participate in sports again.
  • The Navajo Times profiled the company that is doing cleanup work for areas with COVID-19 contamination.
  • The El Defensor Chieftan reported on the pandemic relief funds that will head to the city and county of Socorro.
  • The Ruidoso Downs finished its season of races, the Ruidoso News reported.
  • The New Mexico State University Art Museum will reopen next week at limited capacity, the Las Cruces Sun-News reported.
  • The Valencia News-Bulletin reported that churches in the county will hold a protest in an attempt to encourage people to go back to church.