Wednesday’s Top Stories

The five facts of Wednesday

(1) APD prepares for holiday shopping season with retail crime-fighting plan – Lawmakers passed a law in 2023 that helps keep retail criminals behind bars, shoplifters can now face a felony charge instead of a felony for repeat offenses. Since the new legislation went into effect, APD said it has referred 61 of those felony cases to the DA’s office. Starting with Black Friday, APD Chief Harold Media said there will be an increase in patrols in major shopping areas such as Uptown, Coronado Center, Cottonwood Mall and Winrock. He said uniformed and plainclothes officers would be on the lookout for thieves and to keep shoppers safe.

(2) Advocates push NM legislators for stricter regulations on self-driving vehicle testing – In 2021, state lawmakers passed a statute allowing autonomous vehicles to be tested on public roads, but with few requirements. Some companies like Albuquerque-based Torc Robotics are testing semi-automated trucks on I-40 and I-25. Advocates want stronger regulation that would include a person on board to monitor self-driving technology and the transmission of safety data to the state. They also suggested creating a workforce recovery fund that would provide financial support and training opportunities to workers who lose their jobs to driverless vehicles.

(3) Snow/rain in the north, mild weather in southern New Mexico – Afternoon temperatures will be mostly higher than yesterday in southern areas, except for the northern two-thirds of the region due to cold rain activity. As the northward Jet Stream moves south, more clouds with cold rain showers will follow today before Thanksgiving,

(4) Rio Rancho-based Intel gets $500 million to expand facility – Intel in Rio Rancho is getting half a billion dollars from the federal government for a massive expansion, bringing advanced technology, improved facilities and more jobs to the metro area. The $500 million comes from the CHIPS & Science Act. Intel says the money will go toward modernizing operations and opening up more areas for manufacturing within the factory. Intel also said the investment will add 700 manufacturing jobs,

(5) The Albuquerque Luminaria Tour returns for its 59th year – The annual Luminaria Tournament returns for its 59th year. The popular tour takes guests through some of Albuquerque’s most festive neighborhoods, including Old Town and the Albuquerque Country Club. The event consists of five time slots for which guests can purchase tickets. Each tour lasts 45 minutes. Tickets go on sale November 29 at 8:00am. People are encouraged to get their tickets early as the event usually sells out quickly.

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