WASHINGTON (AP) — Crews could start building a private border wall in South Texas within the coming days following a federal judge’s ruling Thursday that lifted a restraining order against the project. U.S. District Judge Randy Crane’s order was the second federal ruling in two days in favor of border barriers. On Wednesday, the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals …

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — Boeing’s new Starliner capsule ended up in the wrong orbit after lifting off on its first test flight Friday, a blow to the company’s effort to launch astronauts for NASA next year. As the company scrambled to understand what happened, NASA canceled the Starliner’s docking with the International Space Station, instead focusing on a hastier …

HERMOSILLO, Mexico (AP) — The heavy-set man swept through a curtain into the reserved area of a nightclub as his bodyguard stood nearby. In the darkness, he agreed to talk about his business: handling the income from smuggling migrants across a 375-mile stretch of the U.S.-Mexico border. “We control all the territory” along the frontier with Arizona, said the cartel …

CARLSBAD, N.M. (AP) — Authorities in a New Mexico region that is rich in oil and gas say they have participated in a recent blitz targeting thefts and burglaries in the oilfields. Eddy County Sheriff Mark Cage said detectives and deputies conducted an operation last week at various oilfields amid concerns over crime, the Carlsbad Current-Argus reports. “With the increase …

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — One of the top priorities for officials who oversee New Mexico’s system of museums and cultural offerings will be forming more partnerships with rural communities and Native American tribes over the next year. State Cultural Affairs Secretary Debra Garcia y Griego testified Thursday before a legislative committee that oversees crafting of the state budget. She told …

SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — State government income is expected to outpace spending obligations by nearly $800 million for the coming fiscal year as New Mexico lawmakers contemplate bigger budgets for public schools, health care and anti-crime initiatives. Economists from three state agencies and the Legislature’s budget office delivered a twice-annual forecast of state revenues to a panel of lawmakers …

CARLSBAD, N.M. (AP) — Democrat front-runners for the party’s presidential nomination have promised to ban oil and gas leasing on federal lands if elected. That has caused some concerns in New Mexico, where the industry is the largest contributor to the state’s economy — whether on federal land managed by the Bureau of Land Management or state trust land. The …

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — New Mexico coach Bob Davie says he’s leaving the Lobos without anything to apologize for. “I put every ounce into this,” Davie said Tuesday. “My family has put every ounce into this.” Davie and athletic director Eddie Nuñez announced a day earlier that the former Notre Dame coach will step down after Saturday’s game against Utah …

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — New Mexico will be investing more money in state-based businesses and startup companies as it attempts to spur development and diversify the economy. The State Investment Council voted Tuesday to adopt recommendations that will target more financial commitments from the state’s private equity program to New Mexico and nationally based venture capital firms that are actively …

SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — New Mexico will consider whether to extend its medical cannabis program to help dogs with epilepsy and people with attention deficit disorder. Five new petitions submitted to the Medical Cannabis Advisory Board seek new qualifying medical conditions for patients in the state’s medical marijuana program. The board meets in December. The Department of Health withheld …