New Mexico in Focus (A Production of NMPBS)

Last month, Bernalillo County District Attorney Sam Bregman made waves when he penned a letter to federal immigration authorities, threatening to prosecute ICE agents who detain people without legal justification in his jurisdiction. Alex Uballez, a former U.S. Attorney for the District of New Mexico, sat down with Executive Producer Jeff Proctor to discuss whether Bregman's threat holds any legal weight.Plus, Politics Correspondent Gwyneth Doland asks Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham about the tangible impacts of the recently passed Immigrant Safety Act. Podcast Host: Lou DiVizioExecutive Producer: Jeff ProctorCorrespondent: Gwyneth DolandGuests: Alexander Uballez, Former U.S. Attorney for the District of New MexicoGov. Michelle Lujan Grisham, (D) New Mexico

A new "structured literacy" program has made its way into many classrooms across the state and, according to Senate President Pro Tem Mimi Stewart, is already producing success. Stewart tells Gwyneth why she is pushing a bill that would lean more heavily on the program to teach children to read.   Some teachers in the state are already using a "structured literacy" approach, thanks in large part to Project ECHO — a tele-mentoring program based at the University of New Mexico. Dr. Soraya Gollop leads its education division. She recently chatted with Senior Producer Lou DiVizio about how the teaching program works. Podcast Host: Lou DiVizioCorrespondent: Gwyneth DolandGuests:NM Sen. Mimi Stewart, D-AlbuquerqueDr. Soraya Gollop, Ph.D., Education Team Director, ECHO Institute 

This episode, we wade into the debate over changing the state's medical malpractice laws. House Bill 99 would restrict how much money some people could collect in malpractice lawsuits. The highest-profile supporter of this bill is Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham. In an interview with politics correspondent Gwyneth Doland, the governor makes her case for the bill and tells us what she meant when she told the Albuquerque Journal that she's not leaving office without the change.Karen Bateman's daughter Kelsey died in 2018 as a result of medical malpractice, leaving two young children behind. Hers is one of many voices opposing malpractice reform. NMiF Show Host Nash Jones spoke with Bateman about her concerns: that the proposed changes would lead to less deterrence and accountability for negligent doctors and hospitals.Podcast Host: Lou DiVizioNMiF Show Host: Nash JonesCorrespondent: Gwyneth DolandGuests: Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham, (D), New MexicoDr. G. Michael Lopez, Internal Medicine Doctor, Las Vegas, NMKaren Bateman, Mother of Medical Malpractice Victim 

Last month, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reversed course on decades of institutional knowledge and changed its vaccine recommendations for children. The shift has puzzled medical experts, and it leaves the CDC at odds with a longtime partner: the American Academy of Pediatrics. Senior Producer Lou DiVizio sat down with the state's top doctor, Miranda Durham, to try and unravel the confusion and break down what this all means for families in New Mexico.Podcast Host: Lou DiVizioGuest: Dr. Miranda Durham, Chief Medical Officer, NM Health Department 

Democratic state Sen. Mimi Stewart has been trying for years to codify climate goals set by Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham back in 2017. Stewart tells correspondent Gwyneth Doland why this year's bill, the Clear Horizons Act, might finally make its way to the governor's desk.Among the changes in this year's Clear Horizons bill is a requirement for the Environment Department to consult with potentially effected tribal governments before enacting new policies. Ahtza Dawn Chavez, executive director of NM Native Vote, spoke with Gwyneth about that addition, how it protects tribal sovereignty while still moving the state forward toward reducing emissions.Capital and Main reporter Jerry Redfern returns to the studio to talk with Executive Producer Jeff Proctor about a seismology equipment funding bill that has more to do with the oil and gas industry than meets the eye. Podcast Host: Lou DiVizioCorrespondents: Gwyneth Doland & Jeff ProctorGuests:NM Sen. Mimi Stewart, D-Albuquerque Ahtza Dawn Chavez, Executive Director, NM Native Vote Jerry Redfern, Oil and Gas Reporter, Capital and Main 

The Immigrant Safety Act, introduced by Democratic state Reps. Eleanor Chávez and Angelica Rubio, would ban public entities from contracting with the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency to lock up immigrants. NMiF Show Host Nash Jones spoke with both representatives about the bill, as the legislation that's already passed the House. Later, Nash speaks with Cibola County Manager Kate Fletcher, who offered a nuanced perspective on her government's relationship with ICE and the role prisons play where she lives.Podcast Host: Lou DiVizioNMiF Show Host: Nash JonesGuests: NM Rep. Eleanor Chávez, D-AlbuquerqueNM Rep. Angelica Rubio, D-Las CrucesKate Fletcher, Cibola County Manager 

Republican Sen. Nicole Tobiassen sat on a bipartisan working group that prepared medical compact legislation for the session and is a co-sponsor of a Senate proposal to join the compacts. Tobiassen spoke with Nash about that push, New Mexico's doctor shortage and her first-hand experience failing to find medical treatment for her husband.Podcast Host: Lou DiVizioNMiF Show Host: Nash JonesGuest: Nicole Tobiassen, (R) NM State Senator - District 21 - Albuquerque

Capital and Main reporter Jerry Redfern speaks with Missi Currier, president and CEO of the New Mexico Oil and Gas Association. Currier tells Jerry which bills she's keeping an eye on this year. Also, following years of ill-fated bills that sought tougher regulations on her industry, Jerry asks why during last year's session she said the oil and gas industry was "out of favor" in New Mexico.Podcast Host: Lou DiVizioCorrespondent: Jerry Redfern, Capital & MainGuest: Missi Currier, President & CEO, NM Oil & Gas Association

Democratic Senate Majority Leader Peter Wirth is working to quickly pass several measures during the first week of the session, including a few medical compact bills and a change to the state's civil commitment law. NMiF Show Host Nash Jones spoke with Wirth in his Roundhouse office about the so-called “rocket docket.” Also, Jones asks where Wirth stands on a few high-profile proposals, including Senate Democrats' shift to supporting a ban on ICE contracts for immigrant prisons in our state.Podcast Host: Lou DiVizioNMiF Show Host: Nash JonesGuest: Peter Wirth, (D) NM Senate Majority Leader - District 25 - Santa Fe

For years as a reporter for Capital and Main, Jerry Redfern has documented the short lives of oil and gas reform bills introduced at the Roundhouse. This year, Jerry will continue his coverage with the news site, while also joining In Focus each week to keep viewers updated on his reporting in Santa Fe. Jerry tells Executive Producer Jeff Proctor what he expects to see at this year's session.Podcast Host: Lou DiVizioExecutive Producer: Jeff ProctorGuest: Jerry Redfern, Oil and Gas Reporter, Capital and Main 

Senate Minority Leader William Sharer leads the New Mexico Republican Party's rebuttal to Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham's State of the State address. William Sharer, (R) NM Senate Minority Leader - District 1, FarmingtonPat Woods, (R) NM State Senator - District 7, BroadviewNicole Tobiassen, (R) NM State Senator - District 21, Albuquerque

Earlier today, January 20th, Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham delivered her final State of the State address in Santa Fe. The 2026 legislative session began in earnest once the Governor concluded her speech. 

NMiF Show Host Nash Jones speaks with three seasoned statehouse reporters about the upcoming legislative session. Jones asks the panel how lawmakers plan on balancing the state's $11 billion budget during the short 30-day session. Also, with this being the last regular session for the termed-out Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham, the panel considers how the outgoing governor will push to pass policies before her time in Santa Fe ends.Plus, Lou DiVizio introduces you to all of the potential candidates for Governor later this year.Podcast Host: Lou DiVizioNMiF Show Host: Nash JonesGuests:Julia Goldberg, Editor-in-Chief, Source New MexicoDaniel Chacón, State Government Reporter, Santa Fe New MexicanDan Boyd, Capitol Bureau Chief, Albuquerque Journal  

Democratic state House Speaker Javier Martínez stops by the studio to chat with Host Nash Jones about the next legislative session. Nash asks how state lawmakers plan on balancing the budget as state government wallets across the country continue to tighten. Podcast Host: Lou DiVizioNMiF Show Host: Nash JonesGuest: NM Rep. Javier Martínez, D-Albuquerque; House Speaker 

Bosque Brewing closed the last of its locations in December, after a judge threw out the company's request for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. Albuquerque Journal reporter Natalie Robbins and blogger Chris Jackson recently sat down with Senior Producer Lou DiVizio to talk about the closings and consider the overall health of the state's brewhouse scene.Host: Lou DiVizioGuests: Natalie Robbins, Staff Writer, Albuquerque JournalChris Jackson, Editor and Lead Writer, Dark Side Brew Crew For More Information: Dark Side Brew CrewNatalie Robbins - Albuquerque Journal

We sit down with two former city councilors to explore Tim Keller's successful run for an unprecedented third consecutive term as Albuquerque mayor. NMiF Show Host Nash Jones and the two former councilors — Eric Griego and Greg Payne — also discuss why Darren White's mayoral campaign didn't resonate, and they touch on the council races that landed in runoff elections, too. Podcast Host: Lou DiVizioNMiF Show Host: Nash JonesGuests:Eric Griego, UNM Professor of Practice, Former City CouncilorGreg Payne, Attorney, Former City Councilor 

Last month, reporter Mary Hudetz published a story with nonprofit newsroom ProPublica that unearthed a new system of censorship within the federal Indian Health Service. Hudetz spoke to doctors and other public health experts to try and figure out why the department has essentially gone dark over the past year when it comes to messaging about vaccines. Executive Producer Jeff Proctor sat down with Hudetz to talk about what she found and consider how these new actions might impact Native communities.Correspondent: Jeff ProctorGuest: Mary Hudetz (Apsaalooke/Crow), Investigative Reporter, ProPublica  Correspondent: Jeff Proctor Guest: Mary Hudetz (Apsaalooke/Crow), Investigative Reporter, ProPublica  

Last year, state officials launched a 50-Year Water Action Plan. Executive Producer Jeff Proctor sits down with State Engineer Elizabeth Anderson to explore how that plan aims to conserve water and develop new supplies.Podcast Host: Lou DiVizioCorrespondent: Jeff ProctorGuest: Elizabeth Anderson, New Mexico State Engineer  

New Mexico in Focus Show Host Nash Jones chats with New Mexico Congresswoman Melanie Stansbury from Washington after President Trump signed a bill that reopened the federal government earlier this month. That bill closed the 43-day chapter on the nation's longest-ever shutdown. Stansbury, D-NM, talks about the end of the shutdown and why she voted against the funding bill.Podcast Host: Lou DiVizioNMiF Show Host: Nash JonesGuest: U.S. Rep. Melanie Stansbury, D-NM 

NMiF Show Host Nash Jones sits down with a journalism icon they've long admired: Amy Goodman. The longtime host and executive producer of Democracy Now! talks about the voices often left out of corporate media coverage of world events.Podcast Host: Lou DiVizioNMiF Show Host: Nash Jones Guest: Amy Goodman, Host & Executive Producer, Democracy Now! For More Information: Steal This Story, Please! -Amy Goodman Correspondent: Nash Jones Guest: Amy Goodman, Host & Executive Producer, Democracy Now! 

As the end of Domestic Violence Awareness Month nears, we spotlight the New Mexico Sexual Assault Helpline's first anniversary and hear from two directors about the impact it has had.Podcast Host: Lou DiVizioNMiF Show Host: Nash JonesGuest:Alexandria Taylor, Executive Director, NM Coalition of Sexual Assault ProgramsRachel Cox, Deputy Director of Programs, NM Coalition of Sexual Assault Programs 

Hannah Burling, president of the League of Women Voters of New Mexico, joins us to talk about the customizable voter guide her organization puts together each year.Podcast Host: Lou DiVizioNMiF Show Host: Nash JonesGuest: Hannah Burling, President, League of Women Voters of New MexicoFor More Information:Voter Guide from the League of Women Voters  

Justin Greene is near the end of his first term as a Santa Fe County commissioner; now, he's running for mayor in the capital city. In this interview with NMiF Host Nash Jones, Greene describes his vision and plans for the mayor's office, should he be elected.Podcast Host: Lou DiVizioNMiF Show Host: Nash JonesGuest: Justin Greene Santa Fe County Commissioner & Mayoral Candidate 

City Councilor Michael Garcia has emerged as the likely frontrunner in the race to succeed Santa Fe Mayor Alan Webber, who is not running for reelection to a third term. Garcia explains why he believes he's best positioned for the job in a crowded field of eight.Podcast Host: Lou DiVizioNMiF Show Host: Nash Jones Guest: Michael Garcia, Santa Fe City Councilor & Mayoral Candidate 

In 2021, Joanne Vigil Coppler finished a distant second in the race for Santa Fe mayor behind Alan Webber. This year, the longtime public and elected official is running again. She describes her campaign and her plans for the City Different in this interview with Nash Jones.   Host: Lou DiVizioNMiF Show Host: Nash Jones Guest: Joanne Vigil Coppler, Santa Fe Mayoral Candidate 

Most local government watchers will be familiar with Ron Trujillo, who served several years on the City Council and ran unsuccessfully for mayor in 2018. He's back for another try this year, and NMiF Host Nash Jones digs into why Trujillo thinks he's right for the job.Podcast Host: Lou DiVizioNMiF Show Host: Nash JonesGuest: Ron Trujillo, Santa Fe Mayoral Candidate

This week on the podcast, we feature an exclusive interview with Democratic Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham, who reflects on what state government accomplished — and what it didn't — during the recently concluded special legislative session. Lujan Grisham also looks ahead to the 30-day, regular session that begins in January. It will be the last for the termed-out governor. Podcast Host: Lou DiVizioNMiF Show Host: Nash JonesGuest: Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham, (D) New Mexico

NMiF Show Host Nash Jones examines Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham's proposal to redevelop the current State Fair site and, potentially, move it from its longtime home. Nash gets an update on that plan from Marty Chavez, former mayor of Albuquerque and a special adviser to the governor on this project.Host: Lou DiVizioNMiF Show Host: Nash JonesGuest: Martin Chavez, Former Albuquerque Mayor, Senior Adviser to the Governor 

This week on New Mexico in Focus, we report from the special legislative session at the Roundhouse in Santa Fe, where lawmakers quickly passed a series of funding and other bills meant to shore up health care, public media and COVID vaccine access in the wake of massive cuts and confusion from the Trump administration.  Host: Nash Jones  Segments:  State House Speaker Sums Up Special Session Correspondent: Nash Jones Guest: State House Speaker Javier Martinez, D-Albuquerque  Senate Majority Leader on Urgency of Special Session Correspondent: Nash Jones Guest: State Sen. Peter Wirth, D-Santa Fe  State Senate Minority Floor Leader on Special Session Objections, Political Violence Correspondent: Nash Jones Guest: State Sen. William Sharer, R-Farmington  GOP Opposition to COVID Vaccine Bill Correspondents: Gwyneth Doland Nash Jones Guests: State Sen. Jay Block, R-Rio Rancho State Sen. Linda Lopez, D-Albuquerque  Health Care Authority Secretary Breaks Down Funding for Rural NM Correspondent: Nash Jones Guest: Kari Armijo, Cabinet Secretary, NM Health Care Authority  Funding to Study Interstate Medical Compacts Passes Correspondent: Nash Jones Guest: Marschall Smith, Executive Director, Interstate Medical Licensure Compact Commission   NM Legislature Backfills Some Federal Funding Cuts for Public Media Correspondent: Gwyneth Doland Guests: State Rep. Martha Garcia, D-Pine Hill State Rep. Derrick Lente, D-Sandia Pueblo State Sen. Pat Woods, R-Broadview State Rep. Randall Pettigrew, R-Lovington 

This episode of the podcast, we conclude our interviews with Albuquerque mayoral candidates when political newcomer Mayling Armijo speaks with NMiF Show Host Nash Jones. Nash explores some of the big issues facing the city: homelessness, housing, crime and economic opportunity. Host: Lou DiVizioNMiF Show Host: Nash JonesGuest: Mayling Armijo, Albuquerque Mayoral Candidate 

At the end of National Suicide Prevention Month, NMiF Show Host Nash Jones sit down with a Health Department official and two staffers from the New Mexico Crisis & Access Line to talk about an uptick last year in suicides across the state — and lift up suggestions for community care.Podcast Host: Lou DiVizioNMiF Show Host: Nash JonesGuests:Clarie Miller, NM Health Department, Suicide Prevention CoordinatorClaire Carmony, NM Crisis & Access Line, 988 Program ManagerRosella Sanchez, NM Crisis & Access Line, Director of Community and Stakeholder Relations 

We near the end of our interviews with candidates for Albuquerque Mayor with current city councilor Louie Sanchez. NMiF Show Host Nash Jonesexplores some of the big issues facing the city with Sanchez: homelessness, housing, crime and economic opportunity.Podcast Host: Lou DiVizioNMiF Show Host: Nash JonesGuest: Louie Sanchez, Albuquerque City Councilor, Mayoral Candidate 

Reporter Cailley Chella takes us to Santa Fe, where she spoke with three of the city's eight candidates vying for the mayor's office in the City Different. Letitia Montoya, Jeanne O'Dean and Oscar Rodriguez tell Chella their thoughts on Santa Fe's affordability crisis and the city's recent partnership with Urban Alchemy to work with the rising unhoused population. Podcast Host: Lou DiVizioReporter: Cailley ChellaGuests:Letitia Montoya, Santa Fe Mayoral CandidateOscar Rodriguez, Santa Fe Mayoral CandidateJeanne O'Dean, Santa Fe Mayoral Candidate

We continue our look-ahead to Albuquerque's mayoral election. In an effort to fairly give all seven candidates airtime over the next few weeks, our team set a threshold for who would qualify for a one-on-one interview based on fundraising and petition signatures. Those interviews are forthcoming. Correspondent Cailley Chella sits down with candidates Daniel Chavez and Eddie Varela to get their thoughts on crime, housing and Albuquerque's sanctuary city status. Podcast Host: Lou DiVizioReporter: Cailley ChellaGuests:Eddie Varela, Albuquerque Mayoral CandidateDaniel Chavez, Albuquerque Mayoral Candidate  

We return to Albuquerque's upcoming mayoral election with an interview of one of Mayor Tim Keller's progressive challengers, former New Mexico U.S. Attorney Alexander Uballez. Host Nash Jones asks whether his time as a chief federal law enforcement officer would inform his priorities as mayor.Podcast Host: Lou DiVizioNMiF Show Host: Nash JonesGuest: Alexander Uballez, Candidate for Albuquerque Mayor

This week on New Mexico in Focus, we zero-in on Albuquerque's upcoming mayoral election a one-on-one interview with incumbent Tim Keller. NMiF Show Host Nash Jones asks Keller why voters should elect him for an unprecedented third consecutive term.Podcast Host: Lou DiVizioNMiF Show Host: Nash JonesGuest: Tim Keller, Albuquerque Mayor

It's local election season. In Albuquerque and Santa Fe, mayoral and city council candidates have an opportunity to fund their campaigns with taxpayer money if they qualify for public financing. In Albuquerque, just one candidate for mayor reached the threshold for public dollars: incumbent Mayor Tim Keller. Senior Producer Lou DiVizio met with one of the people who originally crafted Albuquerque's public financing system, former city councilor Eric Griego, to ask him if it's still working. And, Santa Fe County Clerk Katharine Clark stops by our studio to break down how Santa Fe's ranked-choice voting system works. Podcast Host: Lou DiVizioGuest: Dr. Eric Griego, Ph.D., Former Albuquerque City Councilor, UNM Adjunct Professor NMiF Show Host: Nash JonesGuest: Katharine Clark, SF County Clerk

State Environment Secretary James Kenney made a rare appearance at last month's meeting of the Water Quality Control Commission. Kenney advocated for the board to adopt a proposal that would expand the state's use of “produced water” — oil and gas wastewater that's loaded with questionable chemicals. Previous pushes to pass a similar proposal have died in the Legislature, as well as with the water commission. This latest proposal, however, has moved forward, and the board will consider it in November. Jerry Redfern, an oil and gas reporter with Capital and Main, recently stopped by our studio to ask Kenney about his department's sudden embrace of expanded uses for wastewater.Host: Lou DiVizioCorrespondent: Jerry RedfernGuest: James Kenney, Secretary, New Mexico Environment Department 

National headlines on the redrawing of congressional maps have hit our state. NMiF Host Nash Jones spoke with Democratic state Sen. Harold Pope, one of two lawmakers who stepped down from the New Mexico Redistricting Task Force. Pope tells Nash why Republican gerrymandering in other states led him to quit the nonpartisan group that's focused on crafting fair districts. Later, Nash hears from three remaining members of that task force, who respond to those resignations and discuss the work ahead.NM State Senator on Leaving Fair Election Maps Task ForceCorrespondent: Nash JonesGuest: NM State Sen. Harold Pope, D-AlbuquerqueFair Election Maps Task Force Responds to Resignations, Looks AheadCorrespondent: Nash JonesGuests:NM State Rep. Rebecca Dow, R-Truth or ConsequencesNM State Sen. Natalie Figueroa, D-AlbuquerqueRoderick Kennedy, Retired Judge and Chair, New Mexico Redistricting Task Force 

Senior Producer Lou DiVizio sits down for two-part a discussion on Medicaid with Legislative Finance Committee Director Charles Sallee and Democratic former state senator Dede Feldman. Lou asks how Trump's Medicaid cuts will impact New Mexico's rural health care system.Podcast Host: Lou DiVizioGuests:Charles Sallee, Director, Legislative Finance CommitteeDede Feldman, Democratic Former NM State Senator  

Democratic U.S. Rep. Teresa Leger Fernandez is back in New Mexico this month as Congress is on recess throughout the month of August. While here, the congresswoman is updating her constituents on all that's gone down this year in Washington, D.C. NMiF show host Nash Jones speaks with Leger Fernandez about the Trump administration's approach to immigration enforcement and about Trump's multi-billion-dollar cuts to Medicaid.Podcast Host: Lou DiVizioShow Host: Nash JonesGuest: U.S. Rep. Teresa Leger Fernández, D-N.M.      

Investigative journalist and author Mariah Blake has spent years reporting on the ways PFAS, commonly referred to as forever chemicals, have posed a threat to our environment. Senior Producer Lou DiVizio recently sat down with Blake to talk about her new book: "They Poisoned the World: Life and Death in the Age of Forever Chemicals."Podcast Host: Lou DiVizioGuest: Mariah Blake, Author, Investigative Journalist 

Late last month, President Donald Trump's Environmental Protection Agency proposed rescinding the “endangerment finding" — an Obama-era addition to the Federal Clean Air Act of 1963 that recognized the dangers of climate change. Host Nash Jones sits down Camilla Feibelman, director of the local chapter of the Sierra Club, and Ben Shelton, deputy secretary of the state's Energy, Minerals, and Natural Resources Department, to discuss what the EPA's proposal could mean for greenhouse gas regulations in our state. Later, the two discuss the EPA's decision to extend deadlines for states and the oil and gas industry to comply with methane standards set last year by the Biden administration, and how millions of tons of pollutants that would have been capped now won't be.Podcast Host: Lou DiVizioShow Host: Nash JonesGuests:Ben Shelton, Deputy Secretary, NM Energy, Minerals and Natural Resources DepartmentCamilla Feibelman, Director, Sierra Club Rio Grande Chapter    

In collaboration with nonprofit news organization Capital and Main, oil and gas reporter Jerry Redfern stopped by our studio to interview Kyle Tisdel, senior attorney with the Western Environmental Law Center. The two examine Trump's tax and spending bill — and how it fits with Trump's executive orders to roll back federal regulations on the oil and gas industry.Podcast Host: Lou DiVizioCorrespondent: Jerry RedfernGuest: Kyle Tisdel, Attorney and Climate and Energy Program Director, Western Environmental Law Center  

State Sen. Jim Townsend, a Republican from Artesia, sits down for a conversation with Senior Producer Lou DiVizioabout Trump's massive tax and spending bill and how it will impact New Mexicans. Although he praises the bill, Townsend tells Lou that he wants state leaders to help fill funding gaps left in the wake of Trump's cuts.Podcast Host: Lou DiVizioGuest: NM Sen. Jim Townsend, R-Artesia 

Tina Cordova, the president and co-founder of the Tularosa Basin Downwinders, has advocated for decades for those who were exposed to radiation during and after the Trinity Test —  the first-ever detonation of a nuclear bomb. Host Nash Jones speaks with Cordova about her life's work: pushing for reparations for New Mexico victims, and what the newly revived Radiation Exposure Compensation Act includes. Podcast Host: Lou DiVizioNMiF Show Host: Nash JonesGuest: Tina Cordova, Co-founder, Tularosa Basin Downwinders Consortium  

Earlier this month, Congress approved President Trump's request to strip away the next two years of funds previously allocated to the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. As a result, our local public television station and about 1,500 others — along with the national PBS and NPR networks — will no longer receive federal funding starting in October. This week, we invited two local opinion columnists to continue a debate that has been heard in Washington D.C. for years: Should taxpayer dollars fund public broadcasting? Since our funding is caught up in this debate, we put up several firewalls to avoid a conflict of interest. Trip Jennings, executive editor of New Mexico in Depth, hosts this two-part conversation with Santa Fe New Mexican opinion page editor Inez Russell Gomez and Albuquerque Journal editorial contributor Jeff Tucker.Podcast Host: Lou DiVizioCorrespondent: Trip JenningsProducer: Gwyneth DolandGuests:Inez Russell Gomez, Opinion Editor, Santa Fe New MexicanJeff Tucker, Opinion Contributor, Albuquerque Journal 

Higher Education Secretary Stephanie Rodriguez and two program directors at the department, sit down with NMiF Hose Nash Jones to discuss how several new loan forgiveness programs are meant to help more New Mexicans pursue high-paying, high-skill jobs. The three also discuss new scholarship programs aimed at making higher education more affordable for graduate students and people who never finished high school.Podcast Host: Lou DiVizioShow Host: Nash JonesGuests:Stephanie Rodriguez, Secretary, New Mexico Higher Education DepartmentHeather Romero, Director of Financial Aid, New Mexico Higher Education DepartmentAmber Gallup, Director of Adult Education, New Mexico Higher Education Department

For years, reporters Ed Williams of Searchlight New Mexico and Taylor Velazquez of KUNM News have documented the shortcomings and failures of the New Mexico Children, Youth and Families Department. In their conversation with host Nash Jones, the pair discuss the new changes made at the department that aim to address its many issues surrounding child placement and housing. Later, Nash asks how the creation of the Office of the Child Advocate might better support children under CYFD care.Podcast Host: Lou DiVizioShow Host: Nash JonesGuests: Ed Williams, Reporter, Searchlight New MexicoTaylor Velazquez, Reporter, KUNM NewsFor More Information:Ed Williams - Searchlight New MexicoTaylor Velazquez - KUNM News

Ctrl+P Publishing owner Pat Davis has been on each of our 'State of the Local Media' specials for the last three years. Since the former Democratic Albuquerque City Councilor last stopped by our studio, his quickly growing local media company has hit a snag. Nash sits down with Davis to discuss the challenges and changes at his local outlets over the last year.NMiF Show Host: Nash JonesGuest: Pat Davis, Owner, Ctrl+P Publishing 

We continue our look at the state of local public media as Host Nash Jones sits down with the new general manager of KUNM, Jeff Pope. Nash returns to their former workplace to meet the new boss and hear Pope's first impressions and vision for the future. We dive into how KUNM can meet the moment while potentially weathering significant funding cuts.NMiF Show Host: Nash JonesGuest: Jeff Pope, General Manager, KUNM