NEW MEXICO (KRQE) – New Mexico is joining a federal lawsuit targeting a popular company that sells concert tickets. The lawsuit claimed Live Nation created a monopoly requiring concertgoers to go through Ticketmaster when buying their tickets which led to high prices by reducing competition.

Albuquerque City Council contemplates United stadium plans

The suit described Live Nation’s practices as a “self-enforcing flywheel” that generates big profits. Live Nation owns Isleta Amphitheater, one of the state’s largest concert venues. The New Mexico Department of Justice said thousands of New Mexicans have already been affected. “When there is no competition, there is no freedom of choice and that is what is harming New Mexicans fundamentally,” said Assistant Attorney General Jeff Dan Herrera.

New Mexico is one of 39 states, plus Washington D.C., to join the lawsuit.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KRQE NEWS 13 – Breaking News, Albuquerque News, New Mexico News, Weather, and Videos.

CHICAGO — The energy is much different heading into the Democratic National Convention than when I traveled to the Republican version in Wisconsin a month ago. 

So much has changed in a month — like the top of the Democratic ticket.

The platform Vice President Kamala Harris and Gov. Tim Walz will present to voters is still unclear. 

What’s clear is my news assignment.

How would Native Americans fare during four years of a Harris/Walz administration?

The views that came out from the RNC in Wisconsin (from those who could give sovereignty more than one sentence), offered on-the-record support for the foundational approach to tribal governance. The Native voices at that convention consistently said that they will work toward a path to achieve progress with whatever federal United States government is in power, but ask that it stay fair and respectful to the directions tribes want to move in.

That is still on the agenda in Chicago for Democrats.

This week in Chicago, I’ll be looking for good conversations and solid answers from politicians and potential U.S. leaders on topics like health care, the environment, sovereignty, cultural recognition, schools and anything else that would serve Native American people in the next four years. (And probably for a good tavern-crust pizza, too.)

The Republican National Convention showed us a party still set to restart what stopped when former President Donald Trump lost the election in 2020. Republicans at the convention in Wisconsin last month championed the same policies directed by the GOP in Congress in opposition to the last four years under President Joe Biden. 

Republicans made the argument that this election is a choice between running it back with a Democratic agenda that could further Biden-era initiatives, or rewinding U.S. politics back to the time of Trump.

We’ve seen both of these movies.

So when it comes to how this all shakes out for Native people, we can start at the Interior Department. 

The Interior gives us an obvious jumping-off point for asking about the impact on Native people if Harris and Walz take the White House in January.

Interior Department Secretary Deb Haaland supports the ticket, and if she stays in her post, she could see efforts through and manage more long-term the billions in White House investments directed under Biden for tribal governments.

What will those investments look like under a new administration? Would Harris approach the Interior differently in any way? Would Haaland’s role grow under a new yet familiar president?

This dynamic then filters down to everyone that works with Haaland — her staff and the hundreds of tribal nations that work with the Interior daily. 

It’s worth noting, too, that at the Republican National Convention, I talked with U.S. Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-Colorado), who said she would like to replace Haaland should Trump win. Boebert said she would reverse Haaland-led efforts, like expanding Bears Ears National Monument, and would expand drilling projects.

Beyond the Interior Department, we should also take into account what it means for the White Earth Nation citizen and Minnesota Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan if her boss Tim Walz is elected U.S. vice president.

Flanagan would step into the governor’s role and lead Minnesota into 2025. If Harris and Walz win in November, Flanagan would become the first Native American woman governor in U.S. history.

Native Media at the DNC

For our news coverage, it all starts where we left off at the RNC — sovereignty and specifically how will the United States meet its treaty obligations to Native American people that live in this country.

Milwaukee presented insight into how that relationship works and could move forward with a Republican administration. Native Americans spoke to issues like public safety, economy — anything that makes it easier to function alongside the U.S. government. 

Our coverage gave projections on national GOP leaders, people in line with the Trump administration policies, ready to move them forward if he were to win office.

The questions are the same for Democrats.

We’ll be broadcasting across the country Monday through Friday. In New Mexico, you can tune in at 11 a.m. Sean Spruce will lead the coverage, hosting our shows for Native America Calling. Antonia Gonzales will report on air with us for National Native News, and Pauly Denetclaw will report on the ground at the convention for ICTNews. 

On Thursday evening, we will have a live show from inside the United Center leading up to the nomination speech by Harris. 

States Newsroom will also have coverage from the overall convention all week long, and provide insight into how Democrats hope to shape the platform in the final weeks leading up to the general election.

SANTA FE – Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham has secured an extension for FEMA assistance, giving residents affected by the South Fork, Salt fires, and ongoing flooding in several counties, including the Mescalero Apache Tribe, until October 19, 2024, to apply for aid. 

 “We appreciate our federal partners’ work to help us support New Mexicans who were impacted,” said Gov. Lujan Grisham. “Even after the fires tore through these communities, they continue to be affected by the flooding, making it imperative that we give them more time to apply for the help they need to rebuild.” 

 This extension provides an additional 60 days for residents to apply for both FEMA Individual Assistance and Small Business loans from the Small Business Administration.  

 Residents of Lincoln, Otero, San Juan, and Rio Arriba counties, including the Mescalero Apache Tribe, affected by the South Fork and Salt fires or flooding can apply for FEMA assistance in the following ways: 

• Visit a Disaster Resource and Recovery Center Monday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Locations for those centers are listed at fema.gov/drc. 

• Call the FEMA application phone number at 1-800-621-3362 (TTY: 800-462-7585). Calls are accepted every day from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. Mountain time. Help is available in most languages. If you use a relay service, such as video relay (VRS), captioned telephone or other service, give FEMA the number for that service. 

The state of New Mexico continues to offer full-service debris removal from private property at no cost to residents. There is no deadline to sign up for state private property debris removal. Residents can get more information on the program and how to sign up on the New Mexico Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management website.