Meta Ruling on Youth Safety: A New Mexico judge ordered Meta (Facebook/Instagram) to pay $567 million into a teen mental health abatement fund and ordered major safeguards for minors, adding to a prior $375 million jury award for a total near $942 million; the court also required account changes for kids under 13 and limits like reduced minor usage and tighter chatbot rules, with Meta saying it will appeal. State Tech Policy Push: New Mexico lawmakers are already signaling follow-on bills for the January session, including age verification and tighter rules around AI/chatbots and consumer protections after the ruling. Education & AI Consent Fight: Parents in Santa Fe and other districts are seeking to opt out of New Mexico’s AI reading assessment (Amira), while critics argue families aren’t getting real alternatives and that voice-recording consent isn’t meaningful. Water & Climate Pressure: Lake Mead hit a new record low, underscoring worsening Colorado River strain for drinking water and agriculture across the Southwest. Public Health Careers: U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich and Sen. Ron Wyden reintroduced legislation to expand pathways into healthcare jobs to address New Mexico’s provider shortages. Wildlife & Biosecurity: Texas added a new screwworm infested zone in Terrell County after detections, tightening movement rules for warm-blooded animals. UNM STEM Growth: UNM plans a new bachelor’s degree in bioengineering, aiming to expand workforce and research capacity. Paleontology: A New Mexico fossil find helped identify a new troodontid dinosaur genus, adding to the state’s growing dinosaur research footprint.