Two women have filed a lawsuit in U.S. District Court that argues a vaccine mandate for certain health care workers and for attendance at the New Mexico State Fair violates their constitutional rights. The lawsuit seeks to bar the mandate’s enforcement. Meanwhile, the state’s Youth Livestock Board has moved its annual competition to Roswell in an effort to sidestep the vaccine mandate, which impacted children in FFA and 4-H programs who are too young to receive an approved vaccine. The Line opinion panelists look at continued pushback against the governor’s public health orders.

Fleeing Taliban rule, Afghans who were able to leave their homeland are now arriving in the U.S., including to a part of Fort Bliss Army Base that’s in New Mexico. The Line opinion panel offers thoughts on Democratic leaders reaching out to the White House to accept Afghans and what the state can realistically offer.

The Line opinion panel looks at sobering numbers for pedestrian fatalities in New Mexico. Albuquerque has long had a serious problem – leading the nation for pedestrian deaths four years running – but what does the rest of the sprawling state do for people who prefer or have no other choice than to walk?

Host:

Line Guests:

Michael Bird, public health expert

For More Information:

Lawsuit targets expanded NM vaccine mandates – Albuquerque Journal

ICUs full as COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations grow – NM Political Report

U.S. regulators give full approval to Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine – Santa Fe New Mexican

Bad mask info puts prep athletes on edge – Albuquerque Journal

Local churches pushback on re-instated mask mandate – KRQE

First Afghan refugees arrive in New Mexico – KRQE

NM leaders offer to help Afghan refugees – Albuquerque Journal

A call to action as New Mexico leads US in deaths of pedestrians – Albuquerque Journal

Broadcast meteorologist Jorge Torres knows the weather of the American Southwest. He’s worked at television stations in El Paso and Albuquerque, and he’s now at ABC-15 in Phoenix, Arizona. He also understands the climate, and the importance of covering climate change and its impacts for local audiences. Unlike many stations nationwide, at ABC-15 Torres talks about climate change in his forecasts and also works with the station’s news reporters on stories about human-caused climate change. Torres, who previously worked at KOB-4 in Albuquerque, talks about the importance of the climate story and offers advice for other broadcast meteorologists who want to localize this global story.

Gun violence was on the minds of New Mexicans in 2016. Sadly, it has remained in the news since then, especially in light of recent shootings in Albuquerque. In the spring of 2016, former NMiF producer Sarah Gustavus sat down with Dr. Scott Carroll, a child psychiatrist and former director of child psychiatric consultation services at UNM Hospital. They looked at how gun violence can impact children and what parents and other adults can do to help children cope after a traumatic event.

Correspondent:

Guest:                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           Dr. Scott Carroll, MD, child psychiatrist

Correspondent:

Guest:  

Jorge Torres, ABC15 Meteorologist                                                                                                                                                                                

Mask up! The nearly unrestrained rise in COVID-19 cases among unvaccinated people has led to the return of a mask mandate while indoors and which will remain in effect at least until September 15. The governor’s latest public health order also has new vaccine requirements for some people who work in health care and school settings. The Line opinion panel weighs the impact and the political implications.

The Line also discusses the troubling crime trend in the wake of a child-on-child shooting at an Albuquerque middle school and another fatal gun attack at one of the city’s sports bars. The shootings and other crimes have the governor ordering New Mexico State Police officers back to the Duke City to ease the burden on local police agencies. Meanwhile, the police response to a robbery at an Albuquerque coffee shop ended Thursday morning with one officer critically injured, three other officers wounded and at least one suspect shot.

Data released by the U.S. Census shows 20 of New Mexico’s 33 counties lost population between 2010 and 2020 – and that New Mexico’s largest cities show the biggest gains. Will this result in a widening of the urban-rural divide, or is it simply putting numbers to a trend many have recognized for years? The Line panelists examine the implication of the latest numbers from the U.S. Census Bureau. The panel also talks about what rural depopulation means for Republicans and for redistricting.

Line Guests:

Dan Foley, former NM House minority whip

Sophie Martin, attorney

Jessica Onsurez, news director, Carlsbad Current-Argus

Planning for the state’s newest industry, recreational cannabis, is speeding along in New Mexico. This week, we excerpt part of a recent conversation on our “Growing Forward” podcast, with Regulation and Licensing Department Superintendent Linda Trujillo, about the progress of rulemaking for cannabis producers. The Department will begin accepting applications in just a few weeks, but those rules are still being finalized.

Correspondent Megan Kamerick checks in with Albuquerque Journal staff writer Kevin Robinson-Avila who recently pointed out some serious concerns over transparency surrounding Virgin Galactic’s recent historic space launch at the publicly funded Spaceport America.

The Line opinion panel discusses the recent surge in COVID-19 cases, tied mostly to the rapid spread of the Delta variant. The group also explores the ongoing challenges of increasing the state’s vaccination rate. Even though New Mexico is doing better than many states, the overwhelmingly majority of new cases are among the unvaccinated. Timing is also crucial in this equation, as students across the state head back to the classroom.

The group also weighs in on the latest shake-up in Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham’s Administration. Children, Youth and Families Department Secretary Brian Blalock announced his resignation this week under a cloud of controversy and in the face of a whistleblower lawsuit. The Governor announced she is replacing Blalock with newly retired Supreme Court Justice Barbara Vigil. But, the questions remain about the longstanding challenges and mixed results for the embattled CYFD.

Plus, the potential for a major financial crisis in New Mexico. The state’s moratorium on evictions is still in place, but that hasn’t stopped some landlords from filing thousands of notices during the pandemic. And, this week marked the end of the moratorium on utility shut offs for New Mexicans behind on payments. There is COVID relief available for people facing difficult financial decisions, but very little of those funds have been tapped so far and time is running out or the state risks losing those federal dollars.

We also talked to Environmental Correspondent Laura Paskus this week on Facebook Live. She broke down the nitty-gritty of that new IPCC report and what the new science says about the risks to New Mexico. She also discusses how we can all get involved in turning the tide without feeling overwhelmed. 

Kevin Ferrara, a retired U.S. Air Force firefighter, spoke to correspondent Laura Paskus from his home in Pennsylvania. Ferrara trained at Chanute Air Force Base in Illinois in 1991 and was assigned to Cannon Air Force Base in Clovis, N.M. until 1995. During that time, he and other firefighters used Aqueous Film Forming Foam (AFFF), now known to contain toxic chemicals that have contaminated local waters at hundreds of military bases nationwide. Today, Ferrara is an outspoken advocate for the U.S. military and Veterans Affairs to acknowledge the potential health impacts of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) on firefighters.

Congresswoman Teresa Leger Fernandez, home for the August congressional recess, sits down with senior producer Matt Grubs. The pair discuss bipartisan efforts to forge a compromise over nearly $1 trillion in infrastructure projects. They also explore other congressional issues, including comprehensive immigration reform and the growing challenges from the fast-spreading Delta variant of COVID-19. Rep. Leger Fernandez also spent a few minutes with Groundwater War Correspondent Laura Paskus to discuss her efforts to deal with contamination from AFFFs, or firefighting foam used at military installations in New Mexico. 

Correspondents:

Matt Grubs

Laura Paskus

Guests:

Rep. Teresa Leger Fernandez, NM-CD3

Kevin Ferrara, USAF (Retired)

For More Information:

Kevin Ferrara Full Interview

Groundwater War Website

Infrastructure Plan Would Add Hundreds of Billions to Deficit – Washington Post

Biden Signals Support for Unilateral Immigration Reform – New York Times

The ripples of the investigation into now former New Mexico Rep. Sheryl Williams Stapleton continue to expand. This week, The Line opinion panelists discuss her quick decision to resign her seat in the House of Representatives. Stapleton still denies her involvement in an alleged scheme to funnel nearly $1 million from Albuquerque Public Schools to accounts and businesses she controlled. In addition to vacating a legislative seat, her resignation has also resulted in a hole in leadership in the House. APS has suspended nearly a dozen employees as the investigation continues.

After a long year of learning from home, students across New Mexico are heading back to the classroom in droves. Due to a rise in cases of the Delta variant of COVID-19, school supplies will once again include masks. At the same time, colleges like UNM and NMSU have instituted vaccine mandates for people on campus. The panelists discuss the new restrictions as well as the polarized reaction to those safety procedures.

The Line opinion panel also discusses the controversy over Rachel Gudgel, who heads The Legislative Education Study Committee. Her comments about Native students have spurred calls for her ouster and an emotional plea for action from Wilhelmina Yazzie, one of the women who filed (and won) a groundbreaking suit over education equity in New Mexico.

Host:

Line Guests: 

Tom Garrity, The Garrity Group                                                                                                                                                                                                           Laura Sanchez, attorney  

For More Information:

Sheryl Williams Stapleton resigns – NM Political Report

Two APS officials, 8 teachers placed on leave – Albuquerque Journal

Mask guidance divides parents heading into new school year – Santa Fe New Mexican

This time on New Mexico in Focus, extended coverage of the federal government’s effort to document the truth about Native boarding schools. Interior secretary and former New Mexico congresswoman Deb Haaland announced the investigation this summer, on the heels of gruesome discoveries of mass graves at Canadian boarding school sites. Correspondent Antonia Gonzales speaks with two Native leaders about the need for the painful look back as well as the path forward toward healing.

Thirteen of the University of New Mexico Medical School’s 15 recent family and community medicine residents will stay in the state, boosting long-slumping numbers of rural primary care doctors as they fan out to work in communities from Shiprock to Lovington. Producer Matt Grubs speaks with a graduate of the program and two doctors who are trying to ensure continued success.

Plus, we offer a primer on the state's redistricting efforts which are already underway. This year's process will look much different than 10 years ago, as lawmakers last year approved the creation of a new Redistricting Committee to make the process less partisan and reduce the risks of gerrymandering. Public hearings are going on currently, and participants can even suggest their own maps and models to the committee. Find out more information and watch livestreams of the public hearings here. 

Guests:

Joe Garcia, Head Councilman, Ohkay Owingeh

Angel Charley, Executive Director, Coalition to Stop Violence Against Native Women

Deb Haaland, U.S. Interior Dept. Secretary

Dr. Arthur Kaufman, UNM Vice Chancellor for Community Health

Dr. Molly McClain, UNM Family & Community Medicine Residency Director

Dr. Darshan Patel, UNM Family & Community Residency Graduate, Nor-Lea Hospital

Hon. Edward L. Chavez, Redistricting Committee Chair

Lilly Irvin-Vitela, Community Liaison

The Line opinion panel offers reaction to the kickback scandal now enveloping state lawmaker Sheryl Williams Stapleton. Stapleton is the House Majority Floor Leader and has served in the Roundhouse for years. The current scandal, now under investigation by the Attorney General Hector Balderas involves her job with Albuquerque Public Schools. If the accusations are true, it could have wide-ranging impacts in state government. 

The Line panel also talks about the return of masks – even for vaccinated people – in some indoor environments, as well as how schools will handle the CDC’s new recommendation. New Mexico’s Public Education Department has mandated masks in elementary schools. School districts, however, can make their own – and stricter – rules, as has the Albuquerque Public Schools board, which voted 5-1 this week to require masks indoors regardless of vaccination status.

The group also weighs in on a proposed $50 million bond measure to fund a stadium primarily for the New Mexico United soccer team. Mayor Tim Keller is all-in on the idea, but is public financing the right way to go about paying for it? Is it a sweetheart deal for team owners? And can such a project revitalize downtown Albuquerque?

Host:

Line Guests:

Dede Feldman, former state senator                                                                                                                                                                  Dan Foley, former state representative

For More Information:

COVID-19 Response Toolkit for New Mexico’s Public Schools – NM Public Education Dept.

APS board votes 5-1 to require masks indoors regardless of vaccination status – KOB

City releases feasibility study on sites for New Mexico United stadium – KOB

Mayor makes his case for a new soccer stadium – Albuquerque Journal

12 APS employees on leave amid Rep. Williams Stapleton investigation - KRQE

Correspondent Gwyneth Doland sits down with UNM professor and author Eli Revelle Yano Wilson about his newest book “Front of the House, Back of the House.” The book examines how the restaurant industry often reinforces discrimination and societal class systems.

New Mexico isn’t the only state trying to compel the U.S. military to clean up the waters it has polluted with toxic chemicals known as PFAS. Nationwide, the military has contaminated almost 700 communities with the toxic chemicals found in certain types of firefighting foams. As part of our series, Groundwater War, correspondent Laura Paskus talks with reporters Garret Ellison and Michael Sol Warren, to hear what’s happening in the communities they cover in Michigan and New Jersey.

Guests:                                                                                                                                                                                                              Eli Revelle Yano Wilson, UNM Dept. of Sociology, author of “Front of the House, Back of the House: Race and Inequality in the Lives of Restaurant Workers”