Who and what's been making news from New Mexico this past month, as measured by mentions in Google News (news.google.com), which tracks 4,500 worldwide news sources (trends noted are vs. last month's total hits; * indicates new to the list). Number in parenthesis indicates last month's Top 10 rank. The space race blasts New Mexico into the headlines, with "Virgin Galactic" CEO Richard Branson and Gov. Bill Richardson aboard!
1. (#2 last month) Gov. Bill Richardson—961 hits (down)
2. (1) Sen. Pete Domenici—749 hits (down)
3. (6) New Mexico illegal immigration—585 hits (up)
4. (-) Virgin Galactic—481 hits *
5. (-) New Mexico spaceport—381 hits*
6. (-) Richard Branson + New Mexico—379 hits *
7. (3) Sen. Jeff Bingaman—348 hits (down)
8. (5) Gov. Bill Richardson + 2008—302 hits (up)
9. (-) Gov. Bill Richardson + baseball draft (he wasn't)—142 hits *
10. (8) X Prize—128 hits (up)
Read more Tumbleweeds this month:
Death Becomes Her
True West Town
Tumbleweeds in Brief
January 2006