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 DiVizio

Show Host: Nash Jones

Guests:

Stephanie Rodriguez, Secretary, New Mexico Higher Education Department

Heather Romero, Director of Financial Aid, New Mexico Higher Education Department

Amber 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 DiVizio

Show Host: Nash Jones

Guests:

Ed Williams, Reporter, Searchlight New Mexico

Taylor Velazquez, Reporter, KUNM News

For More Information:

Ed Williams - Searchlight New Mexico

Taylor 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 Jones

Guest: 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 Jones

Guest: Jeff Pope, General Manager, KUNM 

Late last year, Jay Newton-Small stepped in to lead the Albuquerque Journal following the ouster of former editor Patrick Etheridge. Newton-Small has been a journalist for more than two decades, writing for Time Magazine and Bloomberg News. Senior Producer Lou DiVizio asks Newton-Small about her vision for the state's largest newspaper in the years ahead.

Podcast Host: Lou DiVizio

Guest: Jay Newton-Small, Executive Editor, Albuquerque Journal 

This week, show host Nash Jones sit down with Leon Howard, the new executive director of the ACLU of New Mexico to discuss his priorities as he takes the helm of the local chapter of the national civil rights organization. Plus, Howard weighs in on a few specific cases they’re working on.

Multimedia journalist Cailley Chella is the newest reporter to join New Mexico in Focus. Nash interviews Cailley to hear more about her work to this point in her career and what she'll bring to NMiF viewers. 

Podcast Host: Lou DiVizio

Guests:

Leon Howard, executive director, ACLU of New Mexico

Cailley Chella, reporter, NMiF

This week, questions are swirling for Santa Fe's Institute of the American Indian Arts as the school's federal funding is threatened to be cut. Robert Martin, president of the institute, gave Senior Producer Lou DiVizio his perspective on the school's importance to indigenous culture and its uncertain future.

In March, the New Mexico Martin Luther King, Jr. Commission named Dannelle Kirven as its new executive director. This week, Kirven stopped by the studio for a conversation with Lou about her group's work in 2025, at a time when the federal government has explicitly targeted initiatives that focus on diversity, equity and inclusion. Also, she tells us how the organization is moving past a 2018 financial scandal.

Host: Lou DiVizio

Guests:

Dr. Robert Martin, president, Institute for American Indian Arts

Dannelle Kirven, executive director, New Mexico Martin Luther King Jr. Commission

This week, we dig into this year's ongoing fire season.

Since New Mexico's fire season began this spring, about 25 local jurisdictions have imposed some level of fire restriction. In May, Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham declared a state of emergency due to the state's severe drought and increased fire risk. Source New Mexico reporter Patrick Lohmann speaks with State Forester Laura McCarthy about how New Mexico officials are preparing for this year's wildfire season – and the recovery efforts of the future.

NMiF Host Nash Jones sits down with two members of the Santa Fe-based nonprofit Forest Stewards Guild to talk about their use of prescribed burns and rebuilding public trust in that often-controversial forest-management tool.

Podcast Host: Lou DiVizio

Segments:

What NM Officials Expect from the 2025 Fire Season

Correspondent: Patrick Lohmann

Guest: Laura McCarthy, State Forester, New Mexico Forestry Division

Forest Stewards Guild Talks Prescribed Burns and Resiliency in NM

NMiF Host: Nash Jones

Guests:

Eytan Krasilovsky, Deputy Director, Forest Stewards Guild

Maya Hilty, Fireshed Coordinator, Forest Stewards Guild 

City Councilor Nichole Rogers ran for her seat in 2023 in part on a platform of improving policing. Rogers speaks with NMiF Host Nash Jones about how she and her constituents’ relationship with APD stands as the consent-decree era ends.

Podcast Host: Lou DiVizio

Correspondent: Nash Jones

Guest: Nichole Rogers, Albuquerque City Councilor for District 6

Longtime civil rights lawyer Mark Fine has monitored the situation at APD for years. Fine joins Executive Producer Jeff Proctor for a long-view perspective on how effective federal intervention has been in tamping down APD's culture of aggression.  He also talks about some of the under-discussed benefits of the reform effort — with transparency at APD topping that list.

Host: Lou DiVizio

Correspondent: Jeff Proctor

Guest: Mark Fine, Civil Rights Lawyer