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” Garret Ellison, environment reporter, MLive/Grand Rapids Press Michael Sol Warren, environment reporter, NJ Advance Media

New Mexico in Focus (A Production of NMPBS)

Front of the House, Back of the House & Covering PFAS Contamination | 7.26.21

The Line opinion roundtable offers reactions and insight on the New Mexico Supreme Court’s recent decision that gas stations have a duty to refuse to sell fuel to drunk drivers. Under the ruling, businesses could be held liable if a drunk driver then injures someone. The NM Supreme Court made the decision in the wake of a wrongful death lawsuit filed by the family of a man killed by an intoxicated driver who had run out of gas, walked to a station for a small amount, then returned to fill up before causing the deadly accident. The Line panel also explores the ethics complaint filed against Attorney General Hector Balderas over his handling of a proposed merger for the Public Service Company of New Mexico. Avangrid, the company looking to acquire PNM, hired Marcus Rael, Jr., who is a close friend and frequent contract attorney for Balderas. The Line also looks at the balance of such deals, which are supposed to weigh the costs and benefits to shareholders against those of ratepayers. And, the group discusses the challenges around public financing of political campaigns, as demonstrated in the current Albuquerque mayor’s race, where challenger Manny Gonzales has been denied public money due to forged signatures and other documents. Should the presence of some non-matching signatures disqualify potentially thousands of other valid ones? Line Guests: Inez Russell Gomez, editorial page editor, Santa Fe New Mexican                                                                                                                     Serge Martinez, UNM Law School   Diane Snyder, former state senator

Selling Fuel to Intoxicated Drivers, Ethics Issue in Proposed Merger & Public Financing Challenges | 7.23.21

Gene Grant explores UNM’s return to campus without a vaccination requirement. The administration hopes for 100 percent vaccination, but for now won’t force the issue. UNM Communications and Marketing chief Cinnamon Blair talks about “Bringing Back the Pack.” Political Science Professor Gabe Sanchez also joins the conversation to offer insight on why certain groups aren’t likely to seek the coronavirus vaccine on their own. Senior producer Matt Grubs speaks with Navajo journalist Sunnie Clahchischiligi, whose recent reporting for Searchlight New Mexico’s Heading Home series explores the sometimes jaw-dropping challenges that faced Native students as they tried to navigate distance learning in a part of the state without widespread, reliable broadband service. Guests: Cinnamon Blair, University Communications & Marketing Gabe Sanchez, UNM Center for Social Policy                                                                                                                                                      Sunnie Clahchischiligi, Searchlight New Mexico journalist For More Information: Bringing Back the Pack – University of New Mexico Hitting Home – Searchlight New Mexico How Navajo students overcame the pandemic school year – Searchlight New Mexico

Vaccine Plans and Pitfalls, Navajo Education in the Pandemic | 7.19.21

New Mexico is aflutter with news of the first fully crewed Virgin Galactic flight from Spaceport America. Sir Richard Branson’s high-profile jaunt into weightlessness on July 11 drew massive attention to the purpose-built New Mexico facility. Will it soon also bring money? The Line opinion panel looks at successes and challenges as the state seeks to leverage the Virgin Galactic spotlight. Although the Republican gubernatorial primary is a long way off - and the challenge to Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham even further away – the pool of GOP hopefuls is growing. The Line opinion panel explores Rebecca Dow’s entry into the Republican race for governor. Dow has been seen by some political minds as a frontrunner. The group debates what that means this early in the race. The Line opinion panel looks at the impact of tough-on-crime policy decisions for the state court system. Public defenders from southern New Mexico’s 12thJudicial District say they can’t prepare an effective defense for each of the nearly 300 felony cases scheduled for trial over an upcoming four-week period. Do policymakers need to rethink what it means to be “tough on crime”? Host: Gene Grant Line Guests: Tom Garrity, The Garrity Group PR Julie Ann Grimm, Santa Fe Reporter, editor and publisher Laura Sanchez, attorney 

The Line Opinion Panel on Virgin Galactic, the 2022 Gubernatorial Elections and Our Overwhelmed Courts | 7.16.21

Santa Fe's Rachel Kleinfeld is a Senior Fellow at Carnegie Endowment for International Peace and the founder of The Truman Security Project. She's also a member on the National Task Force on Election Crises. We talked to Kleinfeld last October about her research and work on reducing the possibility of violence surrounding our elections. She also spent a few extra minutes with correspondent Russell Contreras to discuss why nonviolent expression is the most effective type of protest in charged times like these, given the Black Lives Matter movement and upcoming midterm elections in 2022. Vanessa Fonseca-Chávez is a New Mexico native and an assistant professor at Arizona State University. She is also co-editor of the book “Querencia: Reflections on the New Mexico Homeland.” As a Chicana who is critical of monuments to Spanish conquistadors, she has also worked on a decolonial bibliography of controversial conqueror Don Juan de Oñate. She discusses that research and how her upbringing in rural New Mexico helped spur her interest in the topic.

Black Lives Matter and the Power of Peaceful Protests, Echoes of Colonialism & Supporting African American Businesses | 7.12.21

Roberto Rosales is a photographer with the Albuquerque Journal and whether he’s shooting college sports, crime scenes, or dropping reservoir levels, his style is unique and recognizable. For decades, he’s also covered the border, shining a light on the personal stories of people who are crossing into the United States seeking safety and economic opportunity. Correspondent Laura Paskus spoke with Rosales about his work and how and why he captures those images that can help us all better understand the region and its people. Albuquerque Journal photojournalist and photo editor Dean Hanson recently called it a career after 35 years at the paper. Senior producer Matt Grubs talked with Hanson, as the self-described “camera guy” looks back at his experience and shares some of his favorite images. The pair also discuss the challenges COVID-19 created for photojournalism. This month on Our Land, Correspondent Laura Paskus visits the Carson National Forest in northern New Mexico. There she discovered a unique approach to forest management. That model is based on community and is designed and created around historical government models like the acequia system. The Cerro Negro Forest Council celebrates tradition and culture in a way that has paid big dividends for the forest and those who live right close next to it.

Photographing the Border & Protecting Forests Against Wildfires | 7.9.21

William Donahue of St. John’s College in Santa Fe sits down with NMiF senior producer Matt Grubs to talk about receiving the LeRoy Doggett Prize for his work in historical astronomy. The American Astronomical Society recently named Donahue as its winner for his contributions to the field. Donahue talks about why it’s important to study the science of the past, as well as his translations of works by Johannes Kepler and his discovery that some of Kepler’s so-called observations were actually mathematical sleight of hand, working backward from his theory of planetary movement. The Line opinion panel examines the rise in home school enrollment following a forced year of pandemic learning from home. With New Mexico’s funding model based on enrollment, the trend has implications for public school districts across the state, as well as for the state’s response to the Yazzie-Martinez decision, which said New Mexico hadn’t been providing an equitable education to all students. The Line opinion panel also weighs in on the implications of encrypted and destroyed official records at the Children, Youth and Families Department. Searchlight New Mexico reports that fired CYFD whistleblowers Cliff and Debra Gilmore recently filed suit against the state after the pair said they were dismissed for raising concerns about the agency’s practice of using the Signal app to hide communications from the public eye. The group also discusses the governor’s response, or lack of one, to the reporting of Searchlight New Mexico.

Historical Astronomer William Donahue & New Mexico's Homeschool Surge | 7.6.21

This week, New Mexico in Focus continues its in-depth look at the state’s newly legal recreational cannabis industry. While June 29 marked the day the law went into effect, the state says April 2022 is likely when stores will open. As New Mexico considers its rules and regulations, The Line opinion panel discusses the public-facing part of the effort. Growing Forward podcast hosts Megan Kamerick and Andy Lyman also speak with Adam Levin of the Pew Charitable Trusts, who has studied states that roll out legal cannabis industries. Levin points out that unclear or untimely regulations and clogged marketplaces can hamper the tax revenue states get when they legalize recreational cannabis. This week the NCAA also opened the doors to college athletes getting paid for the use of their name and likeness. But, what will that mean for athletes in New Mexico? Albuquerque Journal Reporter Geoff Grammer joined host Gene Grant on Facebook Live to break it all down!

Cannabis Comes to New Mexico & Paying College Athletes | 7.2.21

Former Albuquerque Journal and Washington Post reporter Marie C. Baca has started a newsletter based on New Mexico’s social media scene. Gwyneth Doland chats with her about the new venture. The Line opinion panel discusses New Mexico’s seemingly permanent place near the bottom of an annual child well-being survey. According to the recently released Kids Count report, the state is no longer last in the rankings, moving to 49th place in the nation. Are these baby steps of improvement worth celebrating? Plus, Laura Paskus speaks with New Mexico Environment Secretary James Kenney about the development of new regulations for the oil and gas industry, as the governor focuses on combating climate change.

Living on 'Chile Street' and Child Wellbeing in New Mexico | 6.28.21

Covid-19 restrictions began shutting down our state in March 2020. Now, more than 15 months later, New Mexico is ready to reopen fully. New strains of the virus, including the Delta variant, are still a concern, urging some to call for caution. The Line opinion panel takes on the implications of the state’s full reopening, scheduled for July 1. The Line opinion panelists consider another important date: June 29, when adult-use cannabis becomes legal. There’s a long way to go for New Mexico’s nascent industry and cities like Albuquerque are figuring out important zoning issues. The Line also looks at economic impacts and protections for small and micro businesses as they compete against the larger players in the industry. Growing Forward podcast hosts Megan Kamerick and Andy Lyman talk to Doña Ana County Sheriff Kim Stewart about how her deputies will deal with the new cannabis law. And, we catch up with New Mexico's newest state legislator, Representative Pamelya Herndon, who was appointed this week to fill out Melanie Stansbury's term in the Roundhouse. Stansbury recently won a special election to serve in the U.S. House of Representatives. 

New Mexico Will Soon Be Open For Business, Plus Here Comes Cannabis | 6.25.21

New Mexico's environmental regulators learned from the Air Force in 2018 that it had contaminated local waters with PFAS from fire fighting foams used at Cannon and Holloman Air Force bases. Since that time, the state has been sued by the U.S. Department of Defense for trying to compel the military to clean up that pollution--and in June, the Biden administration's DOD called New Mexico's attempts to compel cleanup under one of the military's permits "arbitrary and capricious." Meanwhile, Kenney is also asking the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for help in setting federal pollution standards for the toxic substances. Meanwhile, the U.S. Air Force announced in June a $16.6 million contract to build a pilot water treatment plant at the southeastern corner of Cannon Air Force Base, to test three different options for removing PFAS from the groundwater. If all goes according to plan, the "pump and treat" plant will begin operations in 2023. Plus, Host Gene Grant speaks with Rep. Melanie Stansbury, whose victory in the special election for New Mexico’s 1st Congressional District was watched closely by politicos in the U.S. and abroad. The congresswoman, who was sworn into office Monday, discusses her policy priorities. Correspondents: Gene Grant Laura Paskus Guests: Chris Gierke, remedial project manager, U.S. Air Force Sec. James Kenney, NM Environment Department Rep. Melanie Stansbury, (D-NM) 1st Congressional District

The Struggle for PFAS Pollution Accountability & Catching up with Congresswoman Melanie Stansbury | 6.21.21

The Line opinion panel takes up a topic on everyone’s sweat-soaked brow this week: the unseasonably hot late-spring temperatures. Climate change and megafires to the west have combined to turn mid-June into a miserable slog for much of the state. With record-setting temperatures and prolonged drought conditions becoming the new normal, the question comes up as July 4th approaches: should fireworks be banned for personal use? The Line panel also talks about upcoming cannabis legalization and potential pitfalls. Conflicts of interest have started cropping up as members of New Mexico’s citizen legislature stand to profit from the cannabis industry.  The group also looks at what progress – if any – has been made by city leaders in Santa Fe and Albuquerque after protests of colonialist statues and monuments last summer. The eyesore left behind by the toppled obelisk in the Santa Fe Plaza is a reminder that a path forward has not yet opened. And in Albuquerque, the fate of the Oñate sculpture removed after last year's protest also remains undecided. Host: Gene Grant The Line Opinion Panel: Dede Feldman, former state senator Inez Russell Gomez, editorial page editor, Santa Fe New Mexican TJ Trout, radio host, KKOB

The Line Dishes on the Heat, Cannabis Conflicts and Controversial Statues (Plus Juneteenth Extras!) | 6.18.21

This month marks the ten-year anniversary of the 2011 Las Conchas Fire, which burned 156,000 acres of the Jemez Mountains. At the time, Las Conchas was the largest fire in New Mexico’s recorded history. Here in New Mexico—and across the West—wildfire season is getting longer. Wildfires, bigger. And these trends will continue in our warming world. Between 1970 and 2020, New Mexico’s average annual temperature has risen by 3.4 degrees Fahrenheit—and forecasts show we’re in for more and more warming into the future. But wildfires aren’t the only problem spurred by rising temperatures and drought, which have even more impacts on our forests, including insect infestations. On this month’s episode of Our Land, we look at how climate change is altering New Mexico’s forests and what the future holds. A 30-year veteran of the battle for affordable housing, Mike Loftin of Homewise talks with senior producer Matt Grubs about the ABQ Home for Life program. The effort by the city to attract new residents was born of work-from-home discoveries about the workforce. Loftin explains why it’s important to think holistically about housing costs. This week, our crew also takes a trip to the Santa Fe Farmers Market to find out how growers are emerging from the pandemic. The shutdown’s impact has forced changes in how some growers do business, including innovations that seem here to stay in a post-pandemic world.

Forests Under Siege, Farmer's Markets Emerge from COVID-19 & the Housing Spectrum | 6.14.21

The Line opinion panel reacts to a unanimous decision this week from the New Mexico Supreme Court denying financial compensation from the state to businesses affected by the COVID-19 public health order. The court’s decision came five months after the first oral arguments were heard in roughly 20 lawsuits by businesses seeking relief. The panel examines the finer legal points of the issue. The group also discusses Sen. Martin Heinrich’s call to have open and honest discussions about unidentified flying objects and the possibility of extraterrestrial life. The Pentagon is expected to release a report later this month on these unexplained phenomena. Will the report reveal long-held secrets or be, as news account predict, inconclusive? The truth is still out there. And finally, the Line panelists take a closer look at the committee charged with bringing fairness to the process of redrawing political boundaries after each Census count. The redistricting panel has all been appointed, but critics say it lacks geographic and cultural diversity – there is only one woman on the committee, and no Native American representation. Host: Gene Grant The Line Opinion Panel: Sophie Martin, attorney Laura Sanchez, attorney H. Diane Snyder, former state senator

The Line Talks Supreme Court Backs Gov. Lujan Grisham, UFOs and Concerns About Redistricting Committee | 6.11.21

Albuquerque Journal photojournalist and photo editor Dean Hanson calls it a career after 35 years at the paper. Senior producer Matt Grubs talks with Hanson as the self-described “camera guy” looks back at his experience and shares some of his favorite images. Looking to leverage what has traditionally been a low cost of living and affordable housing market, the City of Albuquerque is expanding its “Home for Life” program. The effort seeks to lure former residents and remote workers to New Mexico. But a booming housing market means homes are harder to find than ever before. Senior producer Matt Grubs interviews Synthia Jaramillo, director of Albuquerque’s Economic Development Department, about how she’ll measure the program’s success and avoid overcrowding a seller’s real estate market. Correspondent: Matt Grubs, NMiF senior producer Guests: Dean Hanson, photojournalist Synthia Jaramillo, Albuquerque Economic Development Department

A Career in Pictures & Albuquerque's 'Home For Life' Program | 6.7.21

NEW MEXICO IN FOCUS is New Mexico PBS' prime-time news magazine show covering the events, issues, and people that are shaping life in New Mexico and the Southwest. Hosted by Gene Grant, NEW MEXICO IN FOCUS takes a multi-layered look at social, political, economic, health, education and arts issues and explores them in-depth, with a critical eye to give them context beyond the "news of the moment."

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New Mexico in Focus (A Production of NMPBS)

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