New Mexico in Focus (A Production of NMPBS)

This week on New Mexico in Focus, correspondent Megan Kamerick talks with artist and quilter Gwen Triay Samuels who had to take a break from helping people experiencing homelessness to battle the coronavirus. Now, as she recovers, she is making face masks for those in need as a way of showing thanks for surviving COVID-19.

Host Gene Grant talks to members of Paint for Peace, an art initiative to turn boarded-up Central Avenue storefronts in Albuquerque’s downtown into murals. After vandals broke windows following peaceful protests early last month, shop owners used boards to replace glass and protect against future damage. Artists turned them into canvases to display artwork promoting peace and transforming the area.

The Rio Grande is experiencing one of its all-time lows this year. Correspondent Laura Paskus talks with officials about a surprise agreement between New Mexico, Texas and Colorado to release water from the El Vado Reservoir to help farmers along the Middle Rio Grande Conservancy District. That as the states sue each other in federal court over long-term management of the same water.

Gene Grant and The Line opinion panel look at President Trump and Attorney General William Barr’s announcement that they intend to send 35 federal agents to Albuquerque under “Operation Legend,” designed to put federal law enforcers into America’s most violent cities to fight crime. Supporters welcome the assistance, while others worry it will result in a surge in violence similar to that in Portland, Oregon.

The panel also looks at the restaurant open/close shuffle that started with a lawsuit against Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham’s administration filed by the New Mexico Restaurant Association and several restaurants from around the state. The governor had reinstated the ban on indoor dining after a rise in COVID-19 infections. That ban, blocked by a Carlsbad state judge on Monday, was reimposed the same day by the New Mexico Supreme Court.

This week on New Mexico in Focus, senior producer Matt Grubs talks to former U.S. Rep. Steve Pearce, who now chairs the New Mexico Republican Party. The GOP has accused Governor Lujan Grisham of being too restrictive in her efforts to slow the growth of COVID-19.

Correspondent Megan Kamerick interviews Dr. Steven Bradfute, research assistant professor of UNM’s Center for Global Health and Department of Internal Medicine, on the long-term impacts of COVID-19 for survivors and the idea of “herd immunity.”

After decades of Native American advocates fighting the racial slur in the name of the Washington, DC, football team, the NFL team announced it will retire the name and logo and end its use of the R-word. The Black Lives Matter movement is credited for raising awareness of Indian mascots in the wake of racial justice rallies brought on by the police killing of George Floyd. Correspondent Antonia Gonzales hears from Native writers and advocates who say work on the issue is not over.

Gene Grant and The Line opinion panel look at new restrictions put into place this week as a result of the rise in COVID-19 cases, including a return to shutting down indoor dining in restaurants throughout New Mexico. And what will public schooling really look like this fall?

The Line also looks at District Attorney Raul Torrez’ recent decision to refile charges against Steven Baca, the man accused of shooting protester Scott Williams at a protest over an Oñate statue near downtown Albuquerque last month.

This week on New Mexico in Focus, host Gene Grant celebrates the third anniversary of the show’s monthly series Our Land with environmental journalist Laura Paskus, who talks about the state’s outlook and attitudes toward the environment. Paskus also presents a new Our Land segment that looks at the apparent death of the Gila River diversion plans.

Correspondent Gwyneth Doland gets an update from UNM professor of political science Gabe Sanchez on new research about issues with the June primary election and how we fix it for November.

A mandatory mask order means New Mexicans who don’t wear face coverings in public risk a fine and a misdemeanor criminal charge. With many law enforcement agencies saying they likely won’t write tickets, retail employees are left to enforce the law by reminding customers to mask-up in order to shop at their business – which can cause potentially violent situations with those who refuse. Correspondent Megan Kamerick talked with retail worker Cody Westfall about his experience with a customer and psychologist Dr. Samuel Roll about this phenomenon.

Gene Grant and The Line opinion panel discuss the rise in COVID-19 cases and look at new public health orders that include face mask enforcements and an indefinite suspension of Phase 2 of re-openings. The Line also looks at legislation signed by Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham that makes low-interest loans available to help small businesses hurt by the coronavirus pandemic — and how it fits alongside controversial federal loan programs.

New Mexico in Focus begins its 14th season with a look back at the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic since it first hit the state in March, and a look forward from the time women won the right to vote 100 years ago.

As part of an online preview screening this week of the PBS program “American Experience: The Vote,” correspondent Megan Kamerick led a conversation about the history of women’s suffrage in New Mexico. Kamerick is hosting a new podcast series on the topic. NMiF excerpts a portion of that discussion. More information on both the national program (airing July 6 and 7 on NMPBS) and the local podcast can be found here.

For the rest of the show, NMiF highlights noteworthy segments from the past four months, including a May 8 conversation with Sec. Kathyleen Kunkel of the Department of Health on the state’s efforts to ramp up and maintain COVID-19 testing. Two months later, similar questions remain about whom to test and how often.

Throughout the pandemic, correspondent Laura Paskus has been interviewing journalists around the state as they cover COVID-19 in their communities. On May 22, she spoke with two veteran border journalists, Bob Moore of the website El Paso Matters and Lauren Villagran of the El Paso Times, about the impact of the virus in El Paso, which is in the midst of a major outbreak just across New Mexico’s southern border.

Correspondent Antonia Gonzales has been examining the pandemic’s effect on Native communities, which have been among the hardest hit by the virus. On May 15, she spoke with journalist Sunnie Clahchischiligi and Lewis Joe, a Navajo COVID-19 survivor.

Gene Grant and The Line opinion panelists have been discussing and debating public health reactions to the pandemic crisis since the first case hit the state in March. Key excerpts from panel conversations on March 13 and March 27 are shown.

This week on New Mexico in Focus, correspondent Russell Contreras talks with Elizabeth Groginsky, the first secretary of New Mexico’s newly minted Early Childhood Education and Care Department, which will launch next week. Groginsky talks about her plans for creating a cohesive and aligned pre-natal-to-five early childhood system in New Mexico.   

Protests against racism and debates over monuments have captivated Santa Fe, where vandals defaced a Civil War obelisk referring to Native Americans as “savage” and the city removed a statue of Don Diego de Vargas from Cathedral Park. Gwyneth Doland talks with Santa Fe Mayor Alan Webber about his approach to the conflicts.   

Correspondent Laura Paskus continues her conversations with journalists about their coverage of the COVID-19 pandemic as she checks in with Andrew Oxford, formerly with the Santa Fe New Mexican and now reporting for The Arizona Republic.  Unlike New Mexico, Arizona took a less strict approach to dealing with the pandemic and has seen the number of cases rise. Oxford talks about the Arizona state government’s approach to the pandemic, the state’s economy and President Trump’s visit this week.   

Gene Grant and The Line opinion panel analyze the outcomes of the special legislative session that spanned five days – including a weekend – and debate whether lawmakers accomplished all they set out to do. The Line also takes on the ever-present COVID pandemic with updates on how it’s affecting New Mexico.

Protests this week centered on a statue of Juan de Oñate in Albuquerque. The conquistador's violent role in New Mexican history has been controversial since his own times, and protestors tried to yank down his likeness as a self-appointed group of armed guards riled the crowd. As he was chased from the scene after apparently assaulting several demonstrators, one of the men shot a protestor and has since been charged with several crimes. NMiF discusses the incident and its larger implications both on The Line opinion panel and with Albuquerque Mayor Tim Keller, who talks about the response of both city leaders and the police.   

New Mexico’s special legislative session gets underway Thursday. Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham has outlined an ambitious agenda for lawmakers, as debate continues about whether they should focus exclusively on a predicted $2 billion budget shortfall for the financial year that starts next month. The governor included tax relief measures, as well as election and police reform laws. The Line once again tackles the analytical side of the session, and correspondent Russell Contreras speaks with children’s advocate Mark Kennedy Shriver about New Mexico’s efforts to boost child welfare amid a stark budget outlook.   

Laura Paskus continues her series of interviews with journalists who have been covering the COVID-19 pandemic. A longtime photojournalist with the Albuquerque Journal, Roberto Rosales recounts the personal stories he has told through his lens as New Mexico grapples with the novel coronavirus.

This week on New Mexico in Focus, as lawmakers and the governor ready for a June 18 special session, The Line opinion panel welcomes Albuquerque Journal Capitol Bureau Chief Dan Boyd. He and other journalists are busy tracking revenue estimates and budget recommendations as the state looks to fill a nearly $2 billion hole in next year’s spending package. The panel includes Line regulars Dede Feldman and Diane Snyder, both of whom served in the New Mexico Senate. The group will also discuss local responses to the Black Lives Matter movement with host Gene Grant.   

Correspondent Laura Paskus continues her series of talks with journalists covering COVID-19 by welcoming back New Mexico in Focus alumnus David Alire Garcia. Now a Mexico City-based correspondent for Reuters, Alire Garcia speaks about how Mexico has handled the pandemic. The pair also explores the economic impact of the novel coronavirus.   

Native American pueblos and reservations continue to battle back from COVID-19. This week, correspondent Antonia Gonzales talks with three Native wellness activists about the health issues facing their communities, and about ways they’ve found to motivate themselves to get up and move during what can be a frightening time of lockdowns and quarantine.   

Our Land returns for June, as correspondent Laura Paskus visits the dry bed of the Rio Grande south of Socorro and speaks with biologist Thomas Archdeacon about why the drying occurs, how it affects endangered fish, and why this year’s recovery of rare silvery minnows was complicated by COVID-19.

This week on New Mexico in Focus, host Gene Grant talks with Albuquerque’s Mayor Tim Keller and Chief Administrative Officer Sarita Nair about the recent vandalism and violence that occurred after peaceful Black Lives Matter protests, and why the city has decided not to issue a curfew and resisted calls to ask for help from the National Guard.

Correspondent Megan Kamerick talks with a protest organizer, an educator, and a city leader about the struggle of Black Lives Matter organizers to separate their message from broader anger and especially from violence. The group also discusses what successful systemic change looks like to the Black community.

Not long ago, the nation watched as Native Americans protested the Dakota Access Pipeline. As the country turns its eye toward the Black Lives Matter movement, correspondent Antonia Gonzales talks with three Native Americans about their perspectives on recent protests.

Correspondent Laura Paskus continues her conversations with journalists around the state and their coverage of the COVID-19 pandemic.  This week she talks with Geoffrey Plant. He’s a news reporter with the Silver City Daily Press.

New Mexico’s primary election saw a staggering number of absentee ballots and a strong overall turnout. Struggling to find election workers during the pandemic, some county clerks were overwhelmed and results delayed by days. Correspondent Gwyneth Doland talks with Secretary of State Maggie Toulouse Oliver about the vote count and lessons learned for November.

Gene Grant and The Line opinion panel analyze some of the notable wins and losses in the New Mexico Republican, Democratic, and Libertarian primaries held this week. The Line also looks at COVID-19 updates for this week.

This week on New Mexico in Focus, producer Matt Grubs talks with Christina Campos and Brian Moore, who co-chair the governor's new Economic Recovery Council. The group has been tasked with setting up guidelines, suggestions and best practices for reopening the state's businesses and economy.   

Correspondent Laura Paskus looks at ways New Mexico carries on the tradition of honoring San Ysidro, patron saint of acequias, during the current COVID-19 pandemic. Paskus talks with Paula Garcia, executive director of the New Mexico Acequia Association, about adjusting to the new normal and bringing more awareness to local food systems.   

Ahead of next week’s primary elections, correspondent Gwyneth Doland talks with Gabe Sanchez, a professor in UNM’s Political Science Department, and Heather Ferguson of Common Cause New Mexico. The state has set a record for absentee votes in a primary election. Still, there are 167 fewer polling sites on Election Day and concerns about access to the polls amid the pandemic.   

Gene Grant and The Line opinion panel discuss the state’s reaction to the governor’s public health order updates, including how New Mexicans navigated the health policies over the Memorial Day weekend. The Line also looks at key contested legislative races in light of next week primary elections.

This week on New Mexico in Focus, correspondent Laura Paskus continues her series of interviews with journalists around the state as they cover COVID-19 in their communities. Although it’s in Texas, El Paso’s proximity to our state and the border with Mexico makes it an important part of the pandemic’s equation. Paskus talks with two veteran border journalists, Bob Moore of El Paso Matters and Lauren Villagran, immigration reporter with the El Paso Times.

Senior producer Matt Grubs looks at testing for the novel coronavirus – both for those infected and for those who may have had the virus with only mild or no symptoms. Grubs talks with Dr. David Grenache, who is the chief scientific officer of TriCore Reference Laboratories, the largest independent laboratory in the state.

In an interview recorded earlier this year, correspondent Russell Contreras sat down with Cynthia Kennedy for a deeply personal tribute to her grandfather: author, educator and civil rights leader George I. Sanchez. His book “Forgotten People: A Study of New Mexicans,” first published in 1940, looked at the status of education among Mexican Americans and Native Americans. It was a pioneering work, as it was the first book of its kind written by someone who was himself a person of color. His granddaughter, herself an educator, speaks of her determination not to let his legacy be forgotten.

Gene Grant and The Line opinion panel discuss the state’s reaction to the governor’s COVID-19 updates, which included opening more retail businesses but not opening restaurants to dine-in service. The new public health order also requires, with few exceptions, wearing face masks in public – a mandate that is not sitting well with everyone. And with the state’s primary close upon us, The Line also looks at contested federal races.