We mapped every COVID hot spot in NM so you can find ones near you.

It’s Tuesday, December 22nd, just three days until Christmas and nine days away from ending this dumpster fire of a year. The New Mexico Black Leadership Council is out with its list of the best Black Christmas songs ever. Find them below and cast your vote while you sing along.

Let’s get to the news:

• More than 6,900 New Mexico businesses, public institutions and non-profits have reported a positive test on-site in December alone.
• Odds are, you’ve been to one of them and probably didn’t know it.
• The data list is so large it’s almost impossible to navigate if you are trying to plan your essential shopping trips, so we mapped it all out to let you search for hot spots in your neighborhood. Give it a try in our story link below.
• The State is also launching FREE at-home COVID-19 testing kits for anyone who asks. Get yours here.
• Today is also the last day for low-income seniors to pick up free groceries from Bernalillo County.

In non-COVID-19 news:

• Over 350 new jobs and 7 large planes are coming to Kirtland AFB.
• Candidates to replace Rep. Haaland-NM1 are beginning to surface. Largely an insider game to be orchestrated by the political parties, you may recognize some of the faces considering throwing their hats into the ring.
• Our own Jonathan Sims will have a first look at Haaland’s historic tenure in Congress and a Native perspective on her future in tomorrow’s edition of The Paper. right here in your inbox and on stands.
• Also tomorrow, Carolyn Carlson on the City Hall beat breaks down APD’s use-of-force data — released two years late.

By the way, you’re totally running out of time if you still need to get gifts for your loved ones. Need some help? Check out our local gift guide and #shoplocal.

— Tierna Unruh-Enos,
Associate Publisher and Managing Editor