New Mexico in Focus (A Production of NMPBS)

William Perry Pendley has served the U.S. Bureau of Land Management under President Trump and is now deputy director for policy and programs. He visited New Mexico in September while still acting as head of the BLM, a role thrown out by a federal judge last week. While in the state, he visited Chaco Culture National Historical Park, a hotspot for the agency, which is developing two million acres of oil and gas leases in the area. During his visit, Pendley spoke with NMiF correspondent Laura Paskus about his vision for the agency, which oversees 700 million acres of land in the West.   

New Mexico native and current University of Houston law professor Michael A. Olivas has been digging into the history of the DACA program, which deferred immigration enforcement action for childhood arrivals, and the DREAM Act, which has continued to evolve since first introduced in 2001. Correspondent Russell Contreras speaks with Olivas about how the history of the two initiatives informs the present and the future, with next month’s presidential election.   

Gene Grant and The Line opinion panel look at the rush to get as many New Mexican residents as possible to respond to the 2020 Census. Although the final date to complete the census has been shifting – pushed up from October 31 to September 30 and at this moment October 5 – it’s clear that the deadline looms and is vital for federal funding that New Mexicans be counted. The Line also delves further into what former APD Chief Michael Geier is saying about being forced to retire, and looks at the governor’s dismissal of Mark Shea, the state’s public safety secretary.

New Mexico is dealing with difficult times, from economic struggles, to a worldwide pandemic and civil and political unrest. The COVID-19 outbreak has laid bare many systemic failures here in New Mexico, often revolving around the issue of racial inequality. This week on a New Mexico in Focus special, we lean into these challenges with candid conversations about just one such example, reforming policing.  

Here in Albuquerque, the issue has been front and center for years, as the city entered into a Court Approved Settlement Agreement (CASA) with the department of Justice back in 2014 after a series of high-profile police shootings.  True reform of the Albuquerque Police Department starts with asking the tough questions and being willing to have difficult conversations. That’s what we intend to do this week, by breaking the issue down into four distinct discussions: 

1) DOJ Consent Decree – Where do we stand today? Have we made any progress in the last 6 years?  

2) Black Lives Matter Movement – Recent protests have kept the issue of police brutality in the headlines, but are they enough to move the needle on true reform?  

3) Legal issues – The state has now created a civil right commission to study the issue of qualified immunity, which makes it hard to bring legal action against corrupt officers and their employers. But will it lead to any real changes?  

4) Behavioral Health – Albuquerque Mayor Tim Keller wants to create a new Department of Community Safety, which would shift some emergency calls to behavioral health specialists, homeless advocates and social workers instead of armed officers. But will it work, and does it address the need for culture change in the APD?  

These are by no means the definitive conversations on these issues, but it is a start. We will be following up in future episodes with more voices and more discussions.

This week on New Mexico in Focus: Correspondent and environmental journalist Laura Paskus follows up on a story by Algernon D’Ammassa of the Las Cruces Sun-News that reported people were finding dead migratory birds across the state of New Mexico. Paskus talks to New Mexico State University ornithologist Martha Desmond and Audubon New Mexico’s Jonathan Hayes to find out what might be causing the bird deaths.   

Rev. William Barber II is the co-chair of the Poor People’s Campaign, an economic justice effort first envisioned by Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. during the 1960s. Rev. Barber calls America’s staggering poverty numbers a moral problem worthy of attention in the current presidential campaign, as well as in political contests across the country. Correspondent Russell Contreras spoke with the reverend recently about what’s missing from the conversation about poverty.   

A lot is on the table when it comes to the legalization of recreational cannabis in New Mexico. Legislators are divided, advocates are frustrated, and some are worried legalization would hurt the medical cannabis program. A new podcast from NMPBS and the New Mexico Political Report explores these questions and more. NMIF correspondent Bryce Dix sat down with Growing Forward hosts Andy Lyman and Megan Kamerick to talk about what’s in store for listeners for the podcast that premieres Sept. 29.   

Gene Grant and The Line opinion panel discuss navigating a child’s education during the coronavirus pandemic. While some school districts are sticking with online classes through the end of the semester, others have opted to start a hybrid learning model this week, where students and teachers ease back into in-classroom sessions. Line panelists also debate the fate of controversial statues in Santa Fe and Albuquerque – those that have been removed and those that are still standing.

This week on New Mexico in Focus: Correspondent Gwyneth Doland takes an in-depth look at redistricting as she talks with Lilly Irvin-Vitela of New Mexico First and Rob Black of the New Mexico Association of Commerce and Industry about how a citizen’s task force is working to redraw district maps to shift power into voters’ hands.  This report is part of the Your New Mexico Government Project.    

Our Land correspondent Laura Paskus talks with tribal representatives about infusing Native voices into discussions about water compacts along the Colorado River and Rio Grande. As states in the West grapple with climate change, extended drought and over-appropriated rivers, sovereign nations are pushing for greater inclusion.    

Gene Grant and The Line opinion panel get political this week to talk about voting, debates, and polls. The Albuquerque Journal recently published polls on the presidential, senate, and congressional races here in New Mexico and The Line looks at the results. Panelists also get into a debate about whether political debates provide any new insights to voters, and they examine ways to ensure votes are cast and counted during a pandemic crisis.

Dr. David Scrase, cabinet secretary for the Human Services Department, knows that as the Labor Day weekend approaches, New Mexicans will want to gather and may be tempted to flout public health rules on masking and social distancing. NMiF producer Matt Grubs talks to Scrase about what he and the pandemic response team are doing to prevent a spike in COVID cases.

Our Land producer and NMiF correspondent Laura Paskus, who is also an environmental reporter, has authored a new book. At the Precipice: New Mexico’s Changing Climate looks at the state’s fragile place in a warming natural world.

Gene Grant and The Line opinion panel discuss mounting tension between Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham and the Public Regulation Commission, as the PRC gets evicted from its headquarters in downtown Santa Fe. The Line also looks at the UNM Lobo football team’s reaction to comments made by former Lobo Brian Urlacher regarding the shooting of Jacob Blake, and how attitudes toward race and justice are playing out in New Mexico. The panel also discusses the progress of Operation Legend in Albuquerque, which sent dozens of federal agents into the city to fight violent crime alongside local law enforcement.

Reports of missing mail collection boxes around the country have prompted an Albuquerque-based software designer to help develop an application that uses communities to keep track of where mailboxes are and are not across the United States. NMIF correspondent Megan Kamerick talked to Russ Biggs about how the web app works and how people can help.   

In the mountains above Santa Fe, the Medio Fire has been burning since August 17, threatening the Rio Nambe, Rio Capulin, and Rio en Medio watersheds. Firefighters have made headway on the fire, which is burning outside the normal range of New Mexico’s fire season, at the same time they’re grappling with the need to protect themselves and others from the spread of COVID-19. Correspondent Laura Paskus talks with Buck Wickham, operations section chief for the Southwest Area Incident Management Team, and Terrance Gallegos, deputy fire staff officer for the Santa Fe National Forest.   

Evictions based on a temporary inability to pay rent are in no one’s best interest. During the COVID-19 pandemic, however, many people find themselves unemployed and unable to pay full rent when it’s due. For some, that can lead to an eviction notice, which can lead to worse housing conditions or homelessness. Correspondent Megan Kamerick talks with a property owner/manager and a tenants’ rights advocate about resolving tenant/landlord issues and preventing evictions.   

Gene Grant and The Line opinion panel discuss the Republican and Democratic National Conventions and look at how convention themes influence local campaigns. The Line panelists also look at new public health orders that are sure please restaurant owners across New Mexico.

As the nation celebrates the 100th anniversary of women winning the right to vote, Secretary of State Maggie Toulouse Oliver and Valencia County Peggy Carabajal are working to ensure New Mexicans will have confidence in the November election. NMiF’s senior producer Matt Grubs talks with them about the national controversy over the role the U.S. mail will play in November’s election. It’s part of the Your NM Government Project, a partnership with KUNM Radio and the Santa Fe Reporter newspaper.

Controversial statues, such as those of confederate leaders or, especially here in New Mexico, of Spanish conquistadors, have sparked protests for years - and especially now. In Albuquerque, the issue came to a head back in June after a protest at La Jornada, a sculpture in Old Town that features conquistador Juan de Oñate, turned violent. The city ended up pulling that statue down temporarily in the hope of avoiding more demonstrations.  NMiF correspondent Gwyneth Doland got an update this week on Albuquerque’s new approach and how they are seeking input on what to do with La Jornadagoing forward.

Gene Grant and The Line opinion panel respond to the interview on voting and give their insights and opinions on the expected avalanche of mail-in ballots for the November elections.  They also discuss holding major events, like the State Fair and the burning of Zozobra, virtually. They wrap up their turn at the virtual Line table with a discussion on the benchmarks in the COVID fight here in New Mexico, and what it might mean for reopenings, especially of schools.

In the August installment of Our Land, environmental correspondent Laura Paskus revisits the Gold King Mine spill and the destructive impact of the toxic orange plume that went flowing down the Animas and San Juan rivers five years ago. The waste that was released when crews tried to reopen the abandoned mine killed fish and coated river banks with heavy metals. Paskus reports with help from a grant by The Water Desk, an independent journalism initiative based at the University of Colorado Boulder’s Center for Environmental Journalism.    

Laura Paskus also interviews Lillian Petersen, an extraordinary young woman who just won the Regeneron Science Talent Search prize of a quarter of a million dollars. The Los Alamos High School student’s winning project, which predict harvests early in the growing year for every country in Africa, has also won the attention of the International Food Policy Research Institute.   

COVID-19 has wreaked havoc on the economy across New Mexico, including on tourism and the arts in tribal communities. Many Native artists rely on summer art shows to sell their works, and one of the biggest festivals is Indian Market – going online this summer because of the pandemic. Correspondent Antonia Gonzales talks about how the Native American art world is attracting virtual visitors.   

August 12 was “back to school” – virtually – for APS students. Gene Grant and The Line opinion panel discuss what the start of a new school year looks like during a pandemic, and also examine how an August tourist season plays out during COVID. The Line wraps up their panel discussion with a look at the tussle between the New Mexico GOP and the New Mexico Oil and Gas Association.

Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham has been shepherding New Mexico through the COVID-19 crisis since the first case hit the state in March. NMiF senior producer Matt Grubs talks to her about trying to balance life and livelihood as she deals with the devastating effects of the pandemic on New Mexicans.  

Correspondent Laura Paskus is back with a new installment in her ongoing series of conversations with journalists covering COVID-19 in their communities. This week she welcomes Jessica Onsurez, editor of the Carlsbad Current Argus, to talk about covering the virus in a part of New Mexico where case prevalence continues to rise amid resistance to the governor’s public health orders.  

Gene Grant and The Line opinion panel give their insights and opinions on how the governor has been handling the COVID crisis so far and look at what the future might hold concerning education and the economy. The Line panel also analyzes the recent New Mexico Supreme Court ruling that affirmed the governor’s power to issue sizable fines to enforce public health orders. For the final topic, The Line looks at efforts to do away with qualified immunity. That’s the legal doctrine designed to protect public employees from crippling lawsuits, but some say it comes at a too-high cost of civil rights.

With the school year quickly approaching and coronavirus cases surging, New Mexico schools are going to be fully online until at least September 8th. Correspondent Megan Kamerick talks with single mother Bridget Montoya, who is also a nurse working with COVID-19 patients, about balancing her work schedule with her children’s education and safety.

Host Gene Grant talks to the new face of the Black Lives Matter movement in New Mexico: Young organizers and activists. Organizers and activists from Learning Alliance of New Mexico and Fight For Our Lives discuss the message behind the movement and what specific reforms and changes they are seeking.

Gene Grant and The Line opinion panel look further into pushback against Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham and her administration’s public health orders, particularly from some New Mexico mayors who object to closing indoor dining in restaurants. Eighteen mayors signed a letter protesting the governor’s recent op-ed threatening to remove elected officials if they didn’t comply with mandates.

The Line panel also looks more closely at the purpose of Operation Legend, the initiative that will send 35 federal law enforcement agents to Albuquerque to fight crime. Some state and local leaders are concerned that sending officers to New Mexico is just an attempt by the Trump administration to politicize the issue of public safety, while others welcome the added help. For the final topic, The Line takes on the implications for candidates endorsed by Cowboys for Trump after the racist comments made recently by that group’s leader.