Conversations Different with Inez Russell Gomez

In a time of political division in our country, one Santa Fe man has made it his mission to bridge the divide through humanitarian work and sharing stories. His firsthand accounts with migrants, residents and federal agents, who all claim allegiance along the U.S.-Mexico borderlands, ...

In the latest episode of “Conversations Different,” host Inez Russell Gomez welcomes Zia Singers artistic director  John Tiranno  and singer and composer  Susan Anders , on the podcast to preview the group’s upcoming January concert.   The concert is titled “Voices of Life, V...

In the latest episode of “Conversations Different,” host Inez Russell Gomez chats with former TV meteorologist Jay Faught about everyone’s favorite subject — the weather. The two discuss Faught’s transition from camera life into private life and how his never-ending passion for meteorology inspired him to start posting his...

Author and storyteller  Joe Hayes  has been traveling the country for more than 40 years to share the stories of the Southwest. As an established author, he has published over 25 books and was also a resident storyteller at the Wheelwright Museum of the American Indian in Santa Fe for 39 years.   In the latest episode of “Conversations D...

Legendary New Mexican sculptor Michael Naranjo is the face of a new documentary that highlights what it means to go through life’s struggles and still come out on top. His story is an inspiration to all because Naranjo, who lost his eyesight in battle during the Vietnam War, has had to adapt while learning his craft. His injuries didn’t&nbsp...

New Mexico is known for many things, but its public lands are unmatched if you ask some of the avid outdoors enthusiasts of our state and the ordinary people who have lived here for generations. Whether you're hiking the mountaintops of Santa Fe Baldy or basking in the white gypsum dunes at White Sands National Pa...

When looking back at the history of the atomic bomb and its origins in New Mexico, the narrative often centers on American innovation and the United States as the first nation to create such a deadly weapon. There’s another essential perspective — that of the Japanese people. They endured the devastating consequences of the 1945 Hiroshima bombing...

Confidence, discipline and resilience are all essential traits for living a fulfilling life, especially for kids searching for their place in the real world. In Santa Fe, Tony Potter is helping the next generation, and their families, build these qualities through the power of martial arts.  As president of It All Matters I...

Not every student learns and comprehends the same. It's a shared reality among parents and educators struggling to get a student the instructional support that they need to stay on target with their education. And it’s a belief that Amy Miller, a former teacher, has known too well throughout her years in the classroom.   Miller, a founder and director of the May Center for Learning...

How to hold to account criminals found to be incompetent in New Mexico is a divisive issue, especially to those who have been a victim of a crime.    The state courts are jumping into that debate and hope to alleviate some of those concerns by implementing a new compete...

A new digital repository and database dedicated to preserving the history of enslaved Indigenous people across the United States launches this month. Dr. Estevan Rael-Gálvez, a native New Mexican and former state historian, is in charge of the project and says one of the goals is to bridge the past with the present &mdash...

On a visit to J. Robert Oppenheimer’s Los Alamos house earlier this year, U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright referred to the development of artificial intelligence as a “second Manhattan Project race” that the U.S. needs to win. With Los Alamos National Laboratory’s supercomputers, scientific workforce and collaborations with companies including OpenAI and NVIDIA, lab offic...

Contigo Immigrant Justice, formerly known as the Santa Fe Dreamers Project, is an organization that has long served the community of Santa Fe and New Mexico by providing immigration advocacy and services for undocumented people.   Over the last year, the nonprofit has celebrated numerous milestones from its 10-year anniversary in 2024 to selecting a new executive director. Another huge m...

A new documentary featuring the legacy of long-time editorial cartoonist Pat Oliphant showcases the significance of commentary and discourse in our democratic systems and why political art is a medium that should be preserved.   Oliphant’s life story is the focus of the documentary titled A Savage Art: The Life & Cartoons of Pat Oliphant, produced by Santa Fe resident Bill Bano...

Amid federal funding challenges for tribal colleges and universities, the Institute of American Indian Arts also has had to adapt in recent months to new institutional leadership with the retirement of one president and the ushering in of another.   In the latest episode of “Conversations Different,” host Inez Russell Gomez talks with Dr. Shelly C. Lowe about her transition i...

In New Mexico, we often get a bad rap for being at the bottom of many ranking lists, and education happens to be one of those issues. However, not everyone believes numerical judgements are justified especially New Mexico Lt. Gov. Howie Morales.   In the latest episode of “Conversations Different,” host Inez Russell Gomez talks with Lt. Gov. Morales about efforts being made t...

For desert states like New Mexico, water is a valuable resource that powers our agricultural industry, our acequia culture and our taps in our homes. As a result, deciding how to best allocate this scarce resource is a challenge due to the various stakeholders all vying for its usage.   That’s where the New Mexico Interstate Water Commission, part of the Office of the State Enginee...

During the month of September, suicide prevention and awareness is being highlighted all throughout the country especially here in New Mexico where the numbers show us a bleak picture — suicide cases are on the rise.   In the latest episode of “Conversations Different,” lead Suicide Prevention Coordinator Clarie Miller from the New Mexico Department of Health talks abou...

In the latest episode of “Conversations Different,” Santa Fe Poet Laureate Tommy Archuleta discusses the launch of new poetry workshops aimed at giving an outlet and sense of community to Santa Fe’s homeless population. It’s called The Voice Project.   Funded by a $50,000 fellowship grant from the Academy of American Poets, the project follows the academy’s...

For many struggling New Mexicans trying to make ends meet, healthcare is one issue that has increasingly become a luxury. Rising costs have pushed people to the brink because life-saving medications, doctor's appointments or eye exams are unattainable due to financial and geographic circumstances. That’s the understanding of Villa Therese Catholic Clinic, based in Santa Fe, which has provide...

Fiesta de Santa Fe has long been a tradition for generations of New Mexicans. Every year, people gather downtown for food, live music and company, but the festivities go beyond that and have a historical significance to them as well.   Founded in 1712, Fiesta first started through a proclamation created to commemorate the resettlement of Santa Fe after the 1680 Pueblo Revolt. The proclam...

He is known well to fans of the indie, folk and alternative music spheres here in the Land of Enchantment and across the country. A native of Northern New Mexico who was raised in Taos, Max Gomez is a folk and Americana artist who has worked with some of the industry’s notable singer-songwriters like Michael Martin Murphey and Ray Wylie Hubbard. His passion for making music, which started fr...

Santa Fe’s emergency shelter, formally known as the Interfaith Community Shelter at Pete’s Place, has been in the headlines the past few months after city councilors voted to end a month-to-month contract with the nonprofit, which had provided an array of services to area homeless people for decades.  In that same decision, councilors approved a new contract with San Francisco-bas...

Santa Fe Public Schools’ months-long search for a superintendent ended in May with the school board choosing Christine Griffin, a previous educational leader in Arizona, to hold the district’s top job. She assumed the role in June and has officially been making the rounds for more than a month now, connecting with parents, students and state and local leaders ahead of the start of a ne...

Congresswoman Teresa Leger Fernández, U.S. representative for New Mexico’s 3rd district, joins “Conversations Different” to discuss what went down during the passage of congressional Republicans’ Big Beautiful Bill and how it will impact New Mexicans now that the bill is law.   Leger Fernández expressed deep concern over the bill’s cuts to Medi...