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New Mexico ‘downwinders’ fight for aid after Manhattan Project amid community’s cancer concerns

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New Mexico ‘downwinders’ fight for aid after Manhattan Project amid community’s cancer concerns


The Trinity Test, the detonation of the first atomic bomb in 1945, was a technical success — the gadget, as it was codenamed, generated 18 kilotons of force, and the explosion set off the nuclear age. But many New Mexico residents consider it the beginning of a decades-long disaster.

Families near the test site have complained for generations about unusually high occurrences of cancer.

“I always tell people, ‘This isn’t normal cancer histories. This isn’t normal health histories,’” said Tina Cordova, the head of the Tularosa Basin Downwinders Consortium, a group advocating for the communities around the test site.

The first ever detonation of a nuclear device takes place at the Trinity nuclear test site at Alamogordo, N.M., July 16, 1945.

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Corbis via Getty Images

Cordova founded the group back in 2005 and says that the original mission was to educate people on the potential health risks from nuclear fallout. They would hold town halls and presentations all over New Mexico. That’s where, six years ago, Paul Pino learned that he and his family could have been affected.

“My brother died of stomach cancer, my mom died of bone cancer. One of my sisters is surviving brain tumors and the other one is surviving thyroid cancer. All four that were alive at that time were affected,” Pino tells “Nightline.” “And during those two hours of that presentation, I thought everything just fit together all of a sudden, you know?”

“Nightline” rode along with Pino and a group of local farmers as they dropped off fresh produce and informational flyers at senior centers and churches in the area.

“‘There were families living as close as 12 miles to the test. The bomb was plutonium-based. Plutonium has a half-life of more than 24,000 years. In 1945, most if not all of the villages had no running water,’” Pino read from one of the flyers.

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“‘We drank rainwater…that was contaminated. 1945, there were no grocery stores in the small villages.’ There’s still not a grocery store here. That’s why there’s people here, you know, at sunrise to get fresh produce.”

Cancer is the second leading cause of death in the United States and although radiation exposure is a known risk, it may be impossible to know how much radiation exposure in this community may or may not have influenced a person’s chances of getting cancer.

PHOTO: A monument marks the spot in the New Mexico desert where the first atomic bomb test took place.

A monument marks the spot in the New Mexico desert where the first atomic bomb test took place.

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The Trinity Test site was chosen by the military and Manhattan Project leadership due to its relative isolation, and because it was in the middle of a massive swath of land being used as a bombing range. However, census data shows that around half a million people lived within a 150-mile radius of the test.

The scientists were aware radiation could be harmful, but at the time the link to cancer had yet to be established. They were also not sure how the fallout from the blast would travel.

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Dr. Joseph Shonka, a health physicist who spent years working on the Los Alamos Historical Document Retrieval and Assessment (LAHDRA) project, explained: “They had a very large test called the 100 Ton Test. It had a little more than 100 tons of high explosives. And they put a radioactive source in the middle of it.”

“And at the time, they believed both that test and the Trinity test would have a fireball…so large it would rapidly rise to the stratosphere and disperse harmlessly around the earth. They were very surprised to find out it did not do that. When you’re close to the Earth, you pull a lot of dirt up into the fireball. So the fireball doesn’t rise as rapidly or as high.”

Despite those test results, the plans for the Trinity Test continued at the same pace. While they knew there could be substantial fallout, the scientists believed it would ultimately be harmless to the general public. Still, extensive preparations were made to evacuate the entire state of New Mexico if anything went wrong.

On the day of the test, the explosion went off largely as planned. However, of the 13 pounds of plutonium in the bomb’s core — only three points were combusted. The other 10 pounds were dispersed into the atmosphere.

PHOTO: The soil near the site of the 1945 Trinity atomic bomb test was transformed into trinitite, a glass like substance, after the detonation.

The soil near the site of the 1945 Trinity atomic bomb test was transformed into trinitite, a glass like substance, after the detonation.

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Scientists who followed the plume and took measurements underneath were shocked to see the actual radiation was many multiples higher than previously expected. Despite that information, no evacuations were done.

“After the Trinity Test, they had a cover story. They repeatedly have said Trinity was a test conducted on unoccupied government lands,” Dr. Shonka told “Nightline. “But Trinity was also an accident…It greatly exceeded Chernobyl, Fukushima, and Three Mile Island. It was the first nuclear accident in history and the worst nuclear accident in history.”

It was later established that a family who lived on a ranch near the test site was as highly exposed to radiation as the most exposed survivors of Hiroshima or Nagasaki. But still, no one was informed of any risks, or even of the exposure itself.

After the Trinity Test, Manhattan Project leadership determined that any future above ground testing of nuclear weapons needed to take place further than 150 miles from the closest urban setting.

PHOTO:'Gadget', the first atomic bomb explodes in Alamogordo, N.M., July 16, 1945.

‘Gadget’, the first atomic bomb explodes in Alamogordo, N.M., July 16, 1945.

Corbis via Getty Images

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They continued testing bombs in the Nevada desert until 1963. Years later, communities that lived downwind of those test sites started experiencing high rates of cancer.

In 1990, lawmakers passed the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act, or RECA. The government established that 19 different cancers can be associated with high-dose exposure to radiation, or radiogenic.

Through RECA, people who have had, or are related to people who have had, radiogenic cancers and can tie it to nuclear testing can apply for lump sums of money. It covers residents of downwinder communities in Nevada, along with Utah and Arizona.

PHOTO: The scorch marks of the blast wave on the desert floor where the 'Gadget' nuclear bomb was detonated at the Trinity atomic test site in Alamogordo, N.M., July 16, 1945.

The scorch marks of the blast wave on the desert floor where the ‘Gadget’ nuclear bomb was detonated at the Trinity atomic test site in Alamogordo, N.M., July 16, 1945.

Corbis via Getty Images

The bill also covers people who worked in uranium mines before 1971, when the US government stopped being the major purchaser of uranium. But it doesn’t include New Mexico.

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“Imagine our shock when we found out that there had been this fund set up,” Cordova told “Nightline.” “We were the first people exposed to radiation any place in the world as a result of an atomic bomb. And we’re left out?…I thought ‘This has to be purposeful.’”

ABC News reached out to the U.S. Justice Department’s Civil Division, who is in charge of the RECA program, for comment and did not receive a response.

Cordova and the New Mexico Downwinders have spent over 10 years lobbying to be included in RECA. This summer, they finally had some momentum.

An expansion that would include New Mexico in the act — authored by senators Josh Hawley (R-MO), Mike Crapo (R-ID), and Ben Ray Lujan (D- NM) — was passed with bipartisan support in the Senate. The expansion, attached as an amendment to the Defense spending bill, would allow New Mexico residents to apply for a $150,000 one-time payment of restitution, and acknowledge the government’s actions in the state.

However, months later, it has not even been proposed in the House.

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Sen. Hawley wrote “Nightline,” “I’ve been proud to partner with Senator Luján to get justice for individuals from Missouri to New Mexico who have been poisoned by their government’s negligence. The Senate passed an expansion of RECA with strong bipartisan support, now the House must send this bill to the President’s desk. It’s been long enough.”

PHOTO: Tina Cordova, who has been battling thyroid cancer, has been raising awareness about the high cancer rates near the New Mexico atomic bomb testing site.

Tina Cordova, who has been battling thyroid cancer, has been raising awareness about the high cancer rates near the New Mexico atomic bomb testing site.

ABC News

“I’ve been doing this work for 18 years. Do you know how many times I’ve been up and then down? But I’m telling you right now, there’s no doubt in my mind, I’ve invested this much time. There’s no going back,” Cordova told “Nightline. “I will do this work until the day we find success or until the day they put me in the ground. And all of us feel that way.”



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Early voting kicks off in Indiana, New Mexico, Ohio, Wyoming

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Early voting kicks off in Indiana, New Mexico, Ohio, Wyoming


Four more states began their early voting processes on Tuesday: Indiana, New Mexico, Wyoming and the major swing state of Ohio.

Here is everything you need to know about casting a ballot in each of the states.

All eyes on the Senate race in Ohio

Ohio is home to one of the most competitive Senate races on the map.

Democrat Sen. Sherrod Brown has won the Midwestern state three times, but with Trump pushing White working-class voters toward the GOP and record spending from both parties, this is set to be a tight race. Brown faces Republican businessman Bernie Moreno.

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Republicans have made inroads in the northeastern and heavily industrial areas bordering Pennsylvania. Trumbull County flipped to the GOP in 2016, and Trump increased his margin to 10 points in 2020; Mahoning County flipped in 2020 by almost two points. These counties played a key role in Trump’s statewide wins.

Democrats are performing better than ever in the “three C’s”: Cleveland, Columbus and Cincinnati. These areas have the highest percentages of college-educated voters. President Biden won the counties home to these cities by double-digit margins in 2020, with roughly 30-point wins in Franklin (Columbus) and Cuyahoga (Cleveland).

Unlike in other competitive states, Republicans still hold up in Ohio’s suburban and exurban areas, particularly those surrounding Cincinnati.

Ohio’s Senate race is a toss-up and the presidential race is ranked Likely R on the Fox News Power Rankings.

Vice President Harris and former President Trump are neck and neck in the polls. (Getty Images)

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Meanwhile, New Mexico is also in the “likely” column, both at the presidential and senate level. The state delivered Biden an 11-point win in 2020, but Latino or Hispanic voters made up 35% of the state’s electorate in the 2020 election, and those voters’ support for the Democrat ticket has wavered in recent polls.

Republicans would need to run up their margins with these voters all across the state and keep Harris at bay in places like Doña Ana County, home to Albuquerque and which last voted for Biden by 18 points, to pull off a victory.

Key downballot races in today’s early voting states

Voting also begins today in four House districts ranked Lean or Toss Up on the Fox News Power Rankings. For a full list of competitive races, see the latest Senate and House rankings.

  • Indiana’s 1st District: Democrat Rep. Frank Mrvan has held this northwest Indiana district since the last presidential election; he won it by 5.6 points in the midterms. This year, he faces Republican Lake County Councilman Randy Niemeyer. It’s Lean D in the Power Rankings.
  • New Mexico’s 2nd District: New Mexico’s 2nd District occupies most of the southwest land area of the state. It includes Las Cruces and parts of Albuquerque, but it also has a chunk of the rural vote. Democrat Rep. Gabe Vasquez won the district by just 1,350 votes in the midterms; this year, he faces the seat’s former Republican occupant, Yvette Herrell. This is a Power Rankings Toss Up.
  • Ohio’s 9th District: This northwestern Ohio seat has been held by populist Democrat Rep. Marcy Kaptur since 1983, but her margins have shrunk as Ohio has drifted right. She faces conservative Republican state Rep. Derek Merrin on the ballot this year; it’s another Power Rankings Toss Up.
  • Ohio’s 13th District: Finally, the northeastern 13th District includes Youngstown and parts of Akron; it has been represented by Democrat Rep. Emilia Sykes since 2023. Sykes faces Republican former state Sen. Kevin Coughlin this year. It’s also a Toss Up.

How to vote in Indiana

This is a guide to registration and early voting. For comprehensive and up-to-date information on voter eligibility, processes and deadlines, please go to Vote.gov and the election website for Indiana.

Voting by mail

Indiana began absentee voting on Tuesday. Residents do not need to provide an excuse in order to receive a ballot. State officials must receive a ballot request by Oct. 24, and that ballot must be delivered to state officials by Nov. 5.

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Early in-person voting

Indiana offers early in-person voting beginning Oct. 8 and running through Nov. 4.

Voter registration

Indiana residents must have registered to vote by Oct. 7.

Polling place in 2009

A voter arrives at a polling location. Indiana began absentee voting on Tuesday.  (REUTERS/Joel Page)

How to vote in New Mexico

This is a guide to registration and early voting. For comprehensive and up-to-date information on voter eligibility, processes and deadlines, please go to Vote.gov and the election website for New Mexico.

Voting by mail

New Mexico began absentee voting on Tuesday. Residents do not need to provide an excuse in order to receive a ballot. State officials must receive a ballot request by Oct. 22, and that ballot must be delivered to state officials by Nov. 5.

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Early in-person voting

New Mexico offers early in-person voting beginning Oct. 8 and running through Nov. 2.

Voter registration

New Mexico residents must register to vote by the end of Tuesday.

How to vote in Ohio

This is a guide to registration and early voting. For comprehensive and up-to-date information on voter eligibility, processes and deadlines, please go to Vote.gov and the election website for Ohio.

Voting by mail

Ohio began absentee voting on Tuesday. Residents do not need to provide an excuse in order to receive a ballot. State officials must receive a ballot request by Oct. 29, and that ballot must be delivered to state officials by Nov. 5.

Early in-person voting

Ohio offers early in-person voting beginning Oct. 8 and running through Nov. 3.

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Voter registration

Ohio residents must have registered to vote by Oct. 7.

Election 2024 Trump

Republican presidential nominee former President Trump returns to speak at a campaign rally at the site of his July 21 attempted assassination in Butler, Pa. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

How to vote in Wyoming

This is a guide to registration and early voting. For comprehensive and up-to-date information on voter eligibility, processes and deadlines, please go to Vote.gov and the election website for Wyoming.

Voting by mail

Wyoming began absentee voting on Tuesday. Residents do not need to provide an excuse in order to receive a ballot. State officials must receive a ballot request by Nov. 4, and that ballot must be delivered to state officials by Nov. 5.

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Early in-person voting

Wyoming offers early in-person voting beginning Oct. 8 and running through Nov. 4.

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Voter registration

Wyoming residents must register to vote by mail by Oct. 21. They can register to vote in person at any time during early voting or on election day.



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New Mexico man who shot Native American protesting statue takes plea deal

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New Mexico man who shot Native American protesting statue takes plea deal


A New Mexico man has accepted a plea deal in the 2023 shooting of a Native American activist protesting a conquistador statue, lawyers said on Monday, in a case that highlighted rising political violence in the United States.

Ryan Martinez pleaded no contest to aggravated battery with a deadly weapon and aggravated assault for shooting activist Jacob Johns and pointing his handgun at Malaya Peixinho, another demonstrator, according to his lawyer Nicole Moss. He will serve four years in state prison.

“He is still maintaining that he acted in self-defense,” Moss said, adding that Martinez would likely serve under three years in prison by accruing good time, followed by five years probation.

Mariel Nanasi, a lawyer representing Johns and Peixinho, called the shooting “a racially motivated hate crime by a MAGA-proud gun-toting crazed man who came to a peaceful prayer ceremony with a fully loaded live gun.”

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Martinez was at the protest wearing a red cap with the Donald Trump slogan “Make America Great Again.” He was originally charged with attempted murder, which carries up to 15 years in prison.

“This is a continuation of colonial violence. Unfortunately, this criminal process is reflective of the systemic white supremacy that indigenous people face,” Johns said in a statement, adding that as a Native American he would have been sentenced to life imprisonment for shooting someone at a MAGA rally or a Christian prayer service.

New Mexico First Judicial District Attorney Mary Carmack Altwies offered the plea deal to Martinez.

“The resolution is in the best interests of justice and the community,” she said in a statement.

Johns, a global climate activist and artist, was shot as he tried to prevent Martinez from pushing his way into the vigil in Espanola, New Mexico, opposing reinstallation of the statue of a 16th century Spanish colonial ruler.

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The Juan de Onate bronze was removed in 2020 from a site just north of Espanola during nationwide anti-racism protests and was to be reinstated at a county complex in the town.

Peixinho called the plea deal inappropriately light.

“However it shows our desire for conflict resolution,” Peixinho said in a statement.

The shooting marked the latest violence around Onate statues put up in the 1990s to commemorate the 400th anniversary of the arrival of Spaniards to New Mexico.

The monuments have long outraged Native Americans and others who decry his brutal 1598 colonization. Onate is known for the 1599 massacre of a Pueblo tribe, leading a group of Spanish settlers into what is now New Mexico.

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Some descendants of Spanish colonial settlers, known as Hispanos, say Onate should be celebrated as part of New Mexico’s Hispanic heritage.



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Poll: Vasquez leads Herrell in New Mexico's 2nd Congressional District race

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Poll: Vasquez leads Herrell in New Mexico's 2nd Congressional District race


ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — A new KOB 4/SurveyUSA poll shows that incumbent Democratic U.S. Rep. Gabe Vasquez has a solid lead over Republican challenger Yvette Herrell.

We asked voters in New Mexico’s Second Congressional District, “If the election was held today, who would you vote for?” Here were the results:

  • Gabe Vasquez: 51%
  • Yvette Herrell: 42%
  • Undecided: 8%

582 likely voters surveyed. Credibility interval of +/- 4.5 percentage points

This race is a rematch of two years ago when Vasquez beat Herrell when she was the incumbent. Vasquez has served CD-2 since winning in 2022, representing much of southern New Mexico, including communities like Alamogordo, Carlsbad, Silver City and Las Cruces, and parts of the Albuquerque metro like the West Side and the South Valley.

We asked voters, “What is your opinion on Gabe Vasquez?”

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  • 45% have a favorable opinion of him
  • 31% have an unfavorable opinion
  • 18% are neutral
  • 5% have no opinion

582 likely voters surveyed. Credibility interval of +/- 4.5 percentage points

We also asked voters about their opinion on Yvette Herrell:

  • 34% have a favorable opinion
  • 41% have an unfavorable opinion
  • 20% are neutral
  • 6% have no opinion

582 likely voters surveyed. Credibility interval of +/- 4.5 percentage points

There are many issues that are playing into elections across the board so we asked CD-2 voters, “Which of these issues will have the most influence on your vote for the U.S. House of Representatives?”

  • Immigration and border: 28%
  • Abortion: 17%
  • Inflation: 16%
  • Crime: 12%

582 likely voters surveyed. Credibility interval of +/- 4.5 percentage points

Jumping off of that question, we also asked about how much of a deciding issue immigration and the border is:

  • Conservatives: 48%
  • Moderates: 22%
  • Liberals: 5%

And about how much of a deciding issue abortion is:

  • Conservatives: 5%
  • Moderates: 15%
  • Liberals: 42%



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