Commentary: In a letter to the President of the United States, U.S. Senators Tom Udall and Martin Heinrich and U.S. Representatives Steve Pearce, Ben Ray Luján and Michelle Lujan Grisham expressed support for Navajo Nation President Russell Begaye’s request for a major disaster declaration in response to August flooding that occurred on the Navajo Nation in Shiprock.

The Latest on plans for a special legislative session in New Mexico (all times local):

6:50 p.m.

New Mexico Gov. Susana Martinez has issued a formal proclamation to convene a special session of the legislature on Friday at noon.

The Democratic majority floor leader of the New Mexico Senate says allied lawmakers are focused on resolving the state's budget crisis and that criminal justice initiatives backed by the state's Republican governor can wait.

Sen. Michael Sanchez of Belen said Thursday that Senate Democrats are hoping to close tax loopholes to increase state revenues and avoid significant cuts to government programs and services during a special legislative session.

State health officials say they're investigating the fourth case of wound botulism so far this year in a 26-year-old woman from Bernalillo County.

According to the New Mexico Department of Health, the unidentified patient is an injection drug user and the suspected source of infection is a soiled skin injection site, contaminated injection devices or contaminated heroin.

The woman currently is hospitalized.

Two of the previous three cases in were residents of Rio Arriba County and one was a resident of Santa Fe County.

Commentary: Today, U.S. Senators Tom Udall and Martin Heinrich praised the Senate’s passage of the Protection of the Right of Tribes to stop the Export of Cultural and Traditional (PROTECT) Patrimony Resolution.

Can kisses help cure cancer? New Mexico State University’s College of Arts and Sciences, the NMSU Health Center, and the Tough Enough To Wear Pink NMSU Committee is letting the campus community’s lips speak for them as part of the university’s ninth annual NMSU Aggies are Tough Enough to Wear Pink campaign.