Colorado River Water Cuts: The Interior Department finalized 2027–2028 operating rules, ordering major reductions for California, Nevada and Arizona (1.25 million acre-feet annually, plus 700,000 acre-feet in voluntary conservation), while upper-basin states including New Mexico avoid mandatory cuts for now as Lake Powell and Lake Mead hit record lows. Local Water Impacts: A New Mexico column highlights Elephant Butte Lake’s collapse to about 2% of conservation capacity and the knock-on effects for ramps, farmers and tourism. Meta Child-Safety Trial: In Oakland, a landmark multistate case against Meta opened with claims that Facebook/Instagram were built to “hook, hold, harvest and hide” data on kids, with up to $1.4 trillion at stake. Geothermal for AI Power: Ormat Technologies is pivoting to AI-driven enhanced geothermal systems (EGS), using oilfield-style techniques and signing power deals aimed at supplying data centers. Autonomous Trucks in NM/TX: Atlas and Kodiak plan to scale driverless oilfield fleets from 28 to 100 trucks, with public-road operations targeted for early 2027. STEM Policy Push: States including Tennessee are expanding advanced math pathways, while New Mexico universities are reviewing a federal higher-education letter tied to admissions, research and free speech. Tech & Privacy at Home: Taos residents join a national effort to resist Flock automated license plate readers after the town ended its contract.