Heat Wave In New Mexico

Above, yours truly enjoying Jerry's Cafe's air conditioning Friday.

Yesterday, the thermometer in Jamestown, New Mexico reached a high of approximately 81°. This was a far cry from the cold temperatures we were getting the the past several months.

Jamestown wasn't the only place in New Mexico who saw high temperatures.

The Albuquerque Journal reported:

Spring sprang like summer on Friday as heat records were shattered in many parts of New Mexico.

But while some people found ways to enjoy the unseasonably warm weather, state officials are on high alert for heat-related illness among vulnerable populations, elevated wildfire risk in tinder-dry forests and a lack of spring runoff amid record-low snowpack.

Clay Anderson, a forecaster for the National Weather Service in Albuquerque, said the state’s largest city already broke its heat record for the month of March on Thursday with a high of 88 degrees, eclipsing a previous record of 85 degrees, recorded in both 1907 and 1971.

That bar rose again on Friday, to 89 degrees, and is expected to hit 90 Saturday in Albuquerque — which would make it the earliest 90 degree-day recorded in the city. The last such record was set in 1947, when Albuquerque hit 90 on May 3.

Anderson said temperatures in several other areas of the state will also reach record highs in coming days.

To read more, go here. 

Winter Storm of "Biblical Proportions" To Hit This Weekend

Above, after a heavy snowstorm in January 2024. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

A really big storm system (you may call it "Biblical proportions") is heading down into the U.S.

The brunt of it will be from Texas to the east into the deep South. We may get a little bit from this weather pattern, but not like what the South will be getting.

Here's what the National Weather Service forecasts for Jamestown/Gallup, New Mexico:

Today

Sunny, with a high near 52. Calm wind becoming west around 5 mph in the afternoon.

Tonight

Mostly cloudy, with a low around 29. Southwest wind around 5 mph.

Thursday

Partly sunny, with a high near 51. West wind 5 to 10 mph.

Thursday Night

Partly cloudy, with a low around 29. Southwest wind around 5 mph.

Friday

A slight chance of snow showers before 8am, then rain and snow showers likely. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 44. Southwest wind 5 to 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%.

Friday Night

Rain and snow showers. Low around 30. Chance of precipitation is 80%.

Saturday

Rain and snow showers. High near 38. Chance of precipitation is 80%.

Saturday Night

A 40 percent chance of snow showers. Mostly cloudy, then gradually becoming mostly clear, with a low around 13.

It will be hitting the Jamestown/Gallup starting Friday and through Saturday night.  

According to the Albuquerque Journal:

Snow lovers hold your breath.

Areas of northern and central New Mexico could see snowfall of up to 6 inches this weekend thanks to an incoming winter storm. At least a few inches, maybe more, could drop in parts of the Duke City.

A cold front Thursday will turn into precipitation beginning Friday afternoon — a “mix of rain and snow,” according to meteorologist David Craft with the National Weather Service in Albuquerque. The NWS predicts snowfall will start Friday night, reaching its heaviest point around Saturday afternoon.

The Albuquerque area has a 40% chance of more than 3 inches of snow, Craft said. The chance for that much snowfall goes up to around 50% in Rio Rancho and 60% in Santa Fe.

“If anybody's thinking about traveling this weekend, they really need to pay close attention to the weather forecast and any warnings and advisories that we issue, because we could be looking at some road closures and some very treacherous travel,” Craft said.

Actually, we really do need the moisture. It has been a relatively dry winter so far.

To read more, go here. 

New Mexico U.S. Senate Debate Tonight

It looks like I'll have to make another batch of popcorn tonight.

The reason being is that the first televised debate between incumbent U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich and Nella Domenici will take place this evening on KOAT.

According to the Albuquerque Journal:

Senate candidates Martin Heinrich and Nella Domenici will have their first televised debate Monday on KOAT TV. Airing from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. on Channel 7, the debate should touch on some of the most pressing issues facing New Mexicans.

Viewers can also tune in online, where the debate will be available on YouTube.

Republican Domenici and Democratic incumbent Heinrich have spoken about each other in televised attack ads already, but the debate could give voters a chance to see the two political candidates speak to each other and answer direct questions.

To read more, go here. 

Navajo Nation Not Happy With Chaco Canyon Drilling Order

Above, Fajada Butte in Chaco Culture National Historical Park. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

The Department of the Interior has decided capitulate to radical environmentalist groups and spit in the face of the Navajo Nation by ordering a 20-year moratorium on oil and gas drilling in a ten-mile radius around Chaco Canyon.

The Albuquerque Journal reported: 

SANTA FE — After an extended review, U.S. Interior Secretary Deb Haaland issued an order Friday withdrawing federal lands within a 10-mile radius of Chaco Canyon from new oil and natural gas leasing for the next 20 years.

The order was immediately lauded by environmental groups who have pushed for permanent protections in the area, but drew criticism from fossil fuel advocates who described it as arbitrary and potentially harmful to Navajo Nation residents who financially benefit from drilling royalties.

Haaland, a former New Mexico congresswoman who is the nation’s first-ever Native American Cabinet secretary, said many tribal communities have raised concern for decades about the impacts of new oil and gas drilling in the northwest New Mexico national historical site.

However, Navajo Nation President Buu Nygren criticized Haaland’s order, saying it undermined the nation’s sovereignty and self-determination.

“Secretary Haaland’s decision impacts Navajo allottees, but also disregard’s the tribe’s choice to lease lands for economic development,” Nygren also said.

Meanwhile, the congressional delegation announced last month it had reintroduced legislation that would permanently block new oil and gas drilling and leasing on most federal lands within the 10-mile buffer zone. Similar legislation passed the U.S. House in 2019 but fell short of final approval.

To read the full article, go here. 

Aztec, New Mexico: The Other UFO Crash

Almost a year after the Roswell UFO Incident, another purported UFO crash took place near Aztec, New Mexico.

This one allegedly occurred on or about March 25, 1948 on a mesa near the town. Some say this incident was a hoax, while others aren't so sure of that. The crashed UFO was allegedly 100 feet in diameter and contained 16 alien bodies.

From the Albuquerque Journal:

Aztec, New Mexico, with a population of about 6,500, is a tidy community a few miles east of Farmington.

The nearby Aztec Ruins National Monument stands monumentally still. The Aztec Museum and Pioneer Village features such century-ago items as a historic barbershop, antique telephone equipment, various fossils and minerals.

Something else, something much darker, draws tourists to here.

On the night of March 25, 1948, a flying saucer allegedly crash-landed on a lonely mesa in Hart Canyon, four miles distant. There’s a plaque where it put down.

Folks as far away as those who lived in Cedar Hill, 10 miles northeast of Aztec, were said to have heard the crash. But that fact was never verified.

As the above states, there is a plaque at the location of the crash. There is a website with a photo of the crash site and the plaque's text. To access it, go here. 

Back in 2018, I attended the annual Gallup UFO Film Festival and the festival's founder, Chuck Wade, discussed the Aztec incident. To see my blog post on this, go here.

If anyone hasn't heard of the Aztec UFO crash, here's an except from a 1998 Los Angeles Times article:

Turns out that, compared to Aztec, Roswell was small potatoes. Whereas that mother of all crash cover-ups “produced” only a couple of alien bodies, this one involved 16. Aside from that difference, the tale follows the classic pattern of UFO-conspiracy folklore: A disc-shaped craft was recovered intact; security was ratcheted to tourniquet level; debris and corpses were removed by the military and all evidence of the crash eradicated; the bodies were autopsied; a top-secret program was created to study and duplicate the craft’s technology. Sound familiar?

 To read the full Albuquerque Journal article, go here.

Someone's Shooting Up Albuquerque Area Politicans' Homes

Somebody has it in for some Albuquerque-area Democrat politicians.

Apparently, someone with a major grievance shot up the homes (or near their homes) of Democrat politicians. Nobody has been hit by the drive-by shootings.

From the Piñon Post:

In a strange turn of events in Albuquerque, multiple metro-area lawmakers and local officials’ homes and places of business were shot up in drive-by shootings. The shootings mysteriously didn’t hit a single person, which has raised questions.

The politicians who were apparently targeted included outgoing Bernalillo County Commissioner Debbie O’Malley, Commissioner Adriann Barboa, and two legislators. Sen. Linda Lopez and newly appointed Sen. Antonio “Moe” Maestas were apparently targeted, although gunshots were heard near Maestas’ office, not his home.

The Albuquerque Police Department (APD) is still investigating the cause of the shots, but APD Chief Harold Medina said, “The evidence will lead us. … The investigation hopefully will determine what’s related and what’s not related,” Medina said during a news conference Thursday afternoon. “But we want to assure everybody that we are taking this seriously,” according to the Albuquerque Journal.

The first shooting happened on December 4, 2022, at Barboa’s residence around 4:41 p.m., which is strange because it was still light outside when it happened. On December 11, someone fired at O’Malley’s home, while Lopez’s home was shot at around midnight on Tuesday. 

That's all we need is another excuse for Democrats to impose more gun control. I hope they catch the nutjob(s) involved.

To read more, go here.

New Mexico Gun Grabbers Gearing Up For Next Year

Above, hundreds of New Mexico residents at the January 2020 Second
 Amendment rally at the Capitol in Santa Fe. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Democrats in the New Mexico legislature are chafing at the bit to pass "gun safety" legislation during next years legislative session.

From the Albuquerque Journal:

SANTA FE – Over the last three years, New Mexico lawmakers have passed bills expanding background check requirements for firearm purchases and allowing guns to be seized from individuals deemed to pose a threat to themselves or others.

Now, with the reelection of Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham, more gun safety proposals are expected to be brought forward during the 60-day session that starts next month, amid a recent spike in New Mexico firearm-related deaths and after several high-profile school shootings around the nation

The measures likely to be considered include raising the minimum age for purchasing certain assault rifles from 18 to 21, making the failure to safely store firearms out of children’s reach a crime and creating a new office of gun violence prevention within the state Department of Health.

Rep.-elect Reena Szczepanski, D-Santa Fe, who plans to sponsor the legislation that would raise the buying age for purchasing AR-15-style rifles, said New Mexico needs to keep forging ahead on a multi-faceted approach to addressing gun violence.

The last time Democrats in New Mexico went ape-crazy in passing anti-Second Amendment laws, a majority of New Mexico counties enacted "Sanctuary County" resolutions against insane gun control laws. As far as I am aware of, none of them rescinded those resolutions.

Also, a massive pro-Second Amendment rally was held at the Roundhouse in January 2020.

It looks like we have battles ahead of us.

To read more, go here.

New Mexico Northwest State Parks

Above, yours truly at Navajo Lake State Park.

If there's anyone out there who wonders what recreational opportunities are available in the northwestern section of New Mexico, the Albuquerque Journal has posted a list of New Mexico state parks in the quadrant.

So far, I have been to one of them, Navajo Lake State Park.

Above, the San Juan River at Navajo Lake State Park. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

They begin with:

Editor’s note: Second in a series as the Journal looks around the map at New Mexico’s state parks.

New Mexico is comprised of 121,697 square miles.

With more than 300 days of sunshine a year, it’s easy for New Mexicans to get out of the house and visit an area around the state.

Luckily there are 35 state parks, which can be pure fun to explore.

Here’s a list of the parks located in the northwest quadrant of the state.

To read more, go here. 

Albuquerque Journal Endorses Ronchetti

It is debatable these days whether a newspaper's endorsement carries any weight anymore. But, when one is a challenger to an incumbent, any help is important.

Republican candidate for governor Mark Ronchetti has been endorsed by the Albuquerque Journal.

Their endorsement begins with:

New Mexico is at a crossroads.

Violent crime is harming, traumatizing and quite literally killing too many New Mexicans. Property crime, paired with the national economic downturn and pandemic closures, continues to hurt residents and business owners financially. Not enough of the record billion-dollar revenues from oil and gas has been invested in lasting infrastructure that will improve lives for decades to come. And four years into her administration, our governor’s promised “education moonshot” has yet to launch as our children, especially our minority and low-income children, fall further and further behind.

We simply cannot afford four more years of the same.

And so in this gubernatorial campaign the Journal is endorsing Mark Ronchetti, a Republican political neophyte with zero management experience, rather than Democratic incumbent Michelle Lujan Grisham, who has — along with progressive lawmakers — aggressively increased the state’s spending with little accountability. (Libertarian Karen Bedonie has little name recognition, little funding and is not a viable candidate.)

They conclude with:

In what has become an increasingly blue state, Lujan Grisham has the clear advantage in this election. Recently she spoke of common-sense strategies that have not been in her repertoire — pushing for a statewide panhandling law, doubling down on supporting rebuttable presumption to keep the most dangerous defendants behind bars while awaiting trial, and mandating the school year be extended. If elected, we hope she follows through on these potential game changers.

If these had occurred during her first term, this endorsement might look very different. But they didn’t. And so we ask: Are we better off than we were four years ago? Do we want four more years of the same?

We are not and do not. The Journal endorses Republican Mark Ronchetti for governor.

To read the full endorsement, go here. 

Lujan Grisham and Ronchetti Debates Set

Above, Mark Ronchetti will debate Gov.Michelle Lujan Grisham in person in two debates.

New Mexico voters will be able to see the differences in public policy between Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham and Mark Ronchetti in two televised debates.

They will face each other on September 30 (three days away from today) and October 12.

From the Albuquerque Journal:

SANTA FE – Democrat Michelle Lujan Grisham and Republican Mark Ronchetti have agreed to participate in two televised debates in the run-up to Election Day. 

Unlike some recent New Mexico political debates that were pre-recorded and conducted remotely due to the COVID-19 pandemic, both gubernatorial debates will take place in-person and be broadcast live.

The first debate will take place Sept. 30 and will be hosted by KOB-TV. The second hourlong debate is being hosted by KOAT-TV, along with the Journal and KKOB Radio, and is set for Oct. 12.

To read more, go here. 

Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham's Wedding: Oh, The Irony!

Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham.

The irony in this will likely escape a lot of people. But not me.

The Albuquerque Journal reported:

SANTA FE – Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham is finally tying the knot with longtime fiancé Manuel Cordova.

The governor and Cordova will get married May 21 in Washington, D.C., with Vice President Kamala Harris set to officiate the ceremony, a spokesman for the governor said Tuesday.

The couple will then hold a celebration for family and friends in New Mexico in late May.

The irony is that Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham has been under fire for having settled a groping lawsuit by a former male campaign worker with campaign money. It has been reported the she paid around $150,000 to settle. You know the old saying, "Where there's smoke, there's fire." Now, it is reported that Kamala Harris is going to "officiate" Lujan Grisham's May wedding at the vice-presidential residence. 

Nothing like having the groper's wedding officiated by one who has "slept her way to the top." Harris has been referred to as "Heels up Harris" by actor James Woods due to her history. I didn't know vice presidents can officiate weddings like a minister, priest or a ship's captain. 

Ah, well. Birds of a feather flock together, eh?

To read more, go here.

"Bitterly Cold" Storm

Above, aftermath of a storm two years ago. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

New Mexico and, in this case, Albuquerque is bracing for a "bitterly cold" storm that's going to hit tomorrow (actually late tonight). That's provided the forecasts are correct. 

Will it dump as much snow, or more, than the storm of New Year's Day? 

According to the Albuquerque Journal:

Bundle up, Albuquerque: We’re about to weather the coldest temperatures and the most snow we’ve seen all season.

Monday’s above-average temperatures will give way to conditions 20-25 degrees below normal and some “bitterly cold wind chills” by the end of the week, National Weather Service meteorologist Brian Guyer said.

“It looks like winter weather is going to make an impact on the area as we get into Wednesday and Thursday,” Guyer said, adding that it is the result of a low-pressure system pulling cold air southward from Canada.

Snow could begin falling Wednesday morning and continue through the night, forecasts show. The West Side and Rio Rancho may see 3-5 inches, Guyer said, while other parts of the metro get less due to the Albuquerque snow-hole effect.

Well, we could still use the moisture.

To read the full article, go here. 

They Called This Storm Right

Above, the deck and front yard this morning. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

The Albuquerque Journal posted the following on Monday night.

They wrote:

A cold front moving into New Mexico on Tuesday night is expected to send temperatures plummeting and increase snow chances before the state warms up toward the end of the week.

“Colorado is going to be getting the majority of the precipitation (Tuesday), but we will start to see parts of the Four Corners and northern New Mexico get in on that precipitation overnight,” said Scott Overpeck, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service office in Albuquerque.

Tuesday in Albuquerque is expected to reach 54 degrees.

Albuquerque has a 40% chance of precipitation on Tuesday. Rain is possible before 11 p.m., and then could change to a mix of rain and snow.

Wind gusts could reach 35 mph in the city Tuesday night.

Peak snowfall from the storm is expected on Wednesday morning from 2 to 11 a.m.

From what I saw outside this morning, it looks like the Albuquerque Journal got it right.

To read more, go here. 

Bringing Back Tourism To Tribal Lands

Above, Thunder Road Steakhouse & Cantina at Route 66 Casino Hotel. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Last month, a friend and I went to the Route 66 Casino Hotel near Albuquerque, that is owned by the Laguna Pueblo, to have dinner at Thunder Road Steakhouse & Cantina. At the main door, security said that only New Mexico residents are allowed in. I would be able to go in, but my friend (an Arizona resident) could not. So we went into Albuquerque for dinner.

Now, the hotel and casino are open to everyone.

Slowly and cautiously, tribes in New Mexico are reopening their casinos, trading posts, parks and other facilities to visitors.

The Albuquerque Journal posted an article on tribes bringing back tourism. The process hasn't been easy.

A snippet:

Across New Mexico, tribal nations are grappling with similar questions. For many of the 23 tribal nations in New Mexico, tourism, in the form of overnight stays at resorts or visits to cultural sites like Sky City, was an important part of their pre-pandemic local economies. By not allowing visitors during the pandemic, tribal nations incurred significant economic impacts in order to protect vulnerable citizens.

New Mexico lifted its own restrictions at the start of the month, and has seen renewed visitation and tourism activity. But some tribal nations, which are free to set and remove their restrictions as sovereign nations, have done so piecemeal. Acoma, Nambe and Cochiti pueblos remain partially or fully closed to visitors, citing safety concerns, even as casinos on Sandia and Isleta pueblos reopen. The Navajo Nation, where more than 1,300 people died from COVID-19, reopened parks, casinos and other facilities to visitors on July 8.

“After 16 months of this pandemic here on our nation, and our businesses having a difficult time,… I think it was time for us to reopen,” Navajo Nation President Jonathan Nez told the Journal earlier this month.

 To read more, go here.

New Mexico Nearing Goal of 60% Adult Vaccinations

Things are looking up in New Mexico when it comes to vaccinating the population. It is one of the leading states in COVID-19 vaccinations.

The goal is to have at least 60% of the population vaccinated by the end of June.

According to the Albuquerque Journal:

SANTA FE – More than 1 million New Mexicans have now received at least one vaccine dose – a significant milestone as the state pushes to vaccinate 60% of its adults against COVID-19 by the end of June.

It means the state would reach the target if every person who’s already received one shot of the Moderna or Pfizer vaccine returns for their second dose. The third vaccine, Johnson & Johnson, requires only one shot.

I received my two Pfizer shots back in February with no ill effects (except for a sore arm for a few days each time).

To read more, go here. 

"Land of Enchantment" Has A Long History

Above, Church Rock near Gallup. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

The state of New Mexico is called "The Land of Enchantment". Some of us in the state sometimes refer to it instead as "The Land of Potholes" due to the many potholes that permeate the state's highways. But that's a topic for another time.

How did New Mexico become known as "The Land of Enchantment"?

The Albuquerque Journal has a brief history of how that moniker came to be.

They start it out with:

Enchant: to influence by or as if by charms and incantation, bewitch; to attract and move deeply; rouse to ecstatic admiration

These are definitions according to Merriam-Webster but the word has deeper meaning for New Mexicans.

For decades, the country’s 47th state has been known as the Land of Enchantment. It’s sometimes hard to explain the allure of New Mexico to new arrivals and those who have never been here, but alluring it is, despite often finding itself on the bottom of one list or another.

Its laid-back approach to life, its infinite vistas, stunning sunsets, multi-cultural communities who, daily, breathe life into their traditions, and its underlying rebellious spirit have been known to cast a spell on visitors and residents alike. To understand how New Mexico earned this title, we have to travel back more than 100 years to the height of the railroad because it’s the railroad that most likely first coined the phrase.

To read more, go here. 

Lujan Grisham Settles Sexual Misconduct Case With Former Aide

Above, New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham.

The double standard of the media is no secret to anyone, particularly when it comes to sexual misconduct allegations against Republican and Democrat lawmakers.

The latest involves Gov. "Malevolent Michelle" Lujan Grisham of New Mexico. I've long suspected that she's one strange cookie, and the following confirms my suspicions.

From The Daily Wire:

A story that won’t receive as much media attention as one involving a male Republican governor, the female Democratic governor of New Mexico’s 2018 campaign recently reached a settlement with a former male aide who accused her of sexual misconduct.

The Albuquerque Journal reported that Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham (D-NM)’s campaign reached a settlement with James Hallinan, who worked as a spokesperson for her 2018 gubernatorial campaign.

Hallinan claimed in late 2019 — a year after leaving the campaign — that during the campaign, Lujan Grisham had poured a bottle of water on his crotch and then grabbed his crotch through his clothing while laughing. Hallinan claimed other staffers witnessed this event.

Lujan Grisham’s campaign spokesman Jared Leopold said in a statement Monday that the payment to Hallinan — which amounts to at least $62,500 paid out over five months — was part of a settlement that resolved “numerous dubious and disputed potential claims made by Mr. Hallinan arising from his employment in 2018 with the campaign organization and his subsequent search for employment.”

If the incident was as "dubious and disputed" as Lujan Grisham's campaign say it is, I sure has heck wouldn't pay Hallinan a dime, even if the pay-off came from the campaign coffers, and would fight it out in court to clear my name. In this case, where there's smoke, there's fire maybe?

To liberal media outlets, the "real" story is not Lujan Grisham's ball-grabbing, it is the GOP for "pouncing" on the story. 

To read more, go here.

Route 66 Casino Hotel Closed 2 Weeks Due To Coronavirus

Above, The Beast at the Route 66 RV Resport, which remains open. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Whenever I go to Albuquerque, I stay at the Route 66 Casino RV Resort. While there, I usually dine at the Thunder Road Steakhouse and Cantina. I plan on going there within the next two weeks.

Above, Route 66 Casino Hotel. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

However, KRQE reported that the casino hotel has been closed for two weeks due to cases of COVID-19 among employees.

They wrote:

LAGUNA PUEBLO, N.M. (KRQE) – Route 66 Casino Hotel is shutting down for the next two weeks. A spokesman for the casino says officials made the decision to close the casino Sunday at 5:00 p.m. because of a surge in cases among employees.

They say that until this past week, they’ve had less than nine cases since re-opening in late June but their most recent test yielded 13 positive cases in one week. The casino says it will stay closed while they sanitize and utilize contact tracing.

According to the Albuquerque Journal, the RV park and travel center will remain open.

To read more, go here. 

Mark Ronchetti Endorsed By The Albuquerque Journal

Above, Mark Ronchetti.

The Mark Ronchetti campaign received some good news today.

Ronchetti has been endorsed by The Albuquerque Journal.

Ronchetti emailed:

Here are some excerpts from the Journal’s endorsement of my campaign. You can read the full article by clicking here.

“The last time New Mexico had bipartisan representation from its senators was when Domenici and Sen. Jeff Bingaman held the seats. They often disagreed, but they worked together on behalf of their home state. The election of Ronchetti is a chance to bring back that bipartisan team.

And Ronchetti, who exudes energy, comes down on the correct side of a wide range of issues. He fundamentally understands it must be the private sector – not government – that re-energizes the economy and creates wealth as the nation moves through and past the COVID pandemic. He understands we must find ways to live with the virus and mitigate its risks without shutting down the economy.”

I appreciate the Albuquerque Journal’s kind words, and I look forward to being your next United States Senator.

NM Snitches Turning In Violators of Health Orders

The Democrats in control of the New Mexico state government and their toadies in the Department of public health are encouraging people to snitch (tattle) on people and businesses allegedly not complying with the governor's health orders. 

This reeks of Nazi Germany.

According to the Albuquerque Journal:

The secret’s out. 

New Mexicans have turned on their fellow Land of Enchantment residents in recent weeks, reporting those not wearing masks or physically distancing far enough, holding mass get-togethers or selling things on the sly. Thousands have reported businesses and individuals for violating New Mexico public health orders during the pandemic to the Department of Public Safety.  

The state government website has a portal where people can easily report noncompliance with the orders. A state senator was among those outed for making a report.

And now, there’s an effort by some, including a political blog and an Albuquerque radio host, to unmask these tattletales.

This kind of thing is very familiar to those who are students of World War II history. In case you aren't one of them, here's what happened in Nazi Germany.

From The Holocaust Explained:

Informants 

In Nazi Germany, some citizens passed on information about their neighbours, family, and friends to the Gestapo. This was called informing. Nazi propaganda presented the Gestapo as an omnipresent all-seeing, all-knowing group, but in reality there was just one secret police officer for approximately every 10,000 citizens of Nazi Germany. The Gestapo were therefore reliant on a network of thousands of informants. 

The information passed on by informants typically accused someone of breaking the law or of being a criminal in some way. The information provided was not always based on fact and could often be rumour or suspicion. For example, if someone had stereotypical Jewish features they might be informed on to be a potential Jew, and would therefore have to prove that they were not a Jew to the Gestapo or face torture and imprisonment. Informants reported on a number of different undesirable activities, such as anti-Nazi sentiment, communist activity, Jews in hiding, people suspected to be Jews, and much more. 

These are the kinds of people who would have turned in Anne Frank.

To read more about what's going on in New Mexico, go here.