New Mexico News Insiders

As a humanitarian crisis unfolds with Russia’s continued invasion of Ukraine, here at home, New Mexico is feeling some effects of the continued conflict. The rising cost of gas is easily one of the most noticeable changes, but where else might some of the economic effects of the war emerge? Could New Mexico's military industry feel an impact in the negative or positive? How bad could the economic...

This week, we're continuing our two-part series on Albuquerque's notorious West Mesa murders. It's now been 13 years since the remains of 11 missing women and an unborn child were discovered on an undeveloped plot of land in the southwest part of the city. Since then, police have never formally named a suspect in the case and the search for answers continues. In the second and final episode of the...

It’s one of the largest crime scenes ever found in the United States, on the west mesa of Albuquerque. 13 years ago, the first bodies were found in the the West Mesa Murder case, kicking off an investigation into the deaths of 11 missing women, one of whom was pregnant. Today, the case remains unsolved. Is the serial killer or killers already dead? Will new technology help crack the cold case? In...

New Mexicans got the surprise green light from the Governor last Thursday that it's OK to shed your face mask if you're indoors. It's a major shift in the state's policy, one that Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham announced without warning during a news conference at the end of the legislative session last Thursday. Just a week earlier, the state's top doctor and Acting Health Secretary Dr. David Sc...

It could be a major shift in the rules surrounding who and how people can vote in New Mexico. Just days away from the end of the legislative session in Santa Fe, lawmakers are weighing the future of the New Mexico Voting Rights Act. The bill could carry some monumental changes surrounding things like absentee voting, felons' voting rights and more. But some opponents are worried about a handful of...

At best, COVID made for a tough 2020-21 school year for nearly all New Mexico kids. By summer 2021, state and school leaders were adamant: kids needed to be back in the classroom. While that message continues into 2022, keeping schools open has been a major challenge. High case counts have helped expose major issues in New Mexico schools with having enough teachers and support staff to keep the bu...

By now, there’s a good chance you’ve either seen or felt the impact COVID-19 has had on businesses, schools and government just to name a few. But for anyone wrapped up in legal issues, the pandemic has been monumentally disruptive. From criminal trials to civil cases, defendants have seen their court hearings suddenly postponed or seemingly delayed indefinitely. This week on the podcast, Chris &...

They're back at it again. New Mexico's 112-person volunteer legislature has returned to Santa Fe for another legislative session. This time, it's just a short 30 days to address lots of issues that have clearly been on the minds of most New Mexicans. Crime, education, taxes, health care investments, environmental issues and more. What have lawmakers accomplished so far? What's the outlook? And how...

If one thing’s constant in this pandemic, it’s that things are constantly changing. It’s hard to keep up with quarantine requirements, school schedules, work-life, and public health updates. Now, with the omicron variant, COVID-19 is spreading like never before. This week on the podcast, New Mexico’s top doctor once again joins Chris and Gabby to answer questions about the state of the pandemic. D...

**Content warning: This week's episode contains discussion of a graphic crime that may be unsuitable for certain ages or hard to listen to. Listener discretion is advised. On August 24, 2016, 10-year old Victoria Martens was murdered in her Albuquerque apartment. That night, three people were arrested in connection with the crime, including the girl's mother Michelle Martens, a woman named Jessica...

Happy New Year! So...what's ahead for 2022? This week, Chris & Gabby are forecasting what they expect will be a few of the biggest news stories over the next year. Recreational cannabis is months away from public sales. Tim Keller is sticking around as Albuquerque's mayor, but he faces a new council that could have a different say in the city's agenda. The Midterm Election is also coming in hot, b...

For most of 2020 and on into the first half of 2021, it was a quiet time for most of New Mexico's music scene. Amid the pre-vaccine era of the pandemic, public health orders kept mass gatherings and live shows from happening. The state went more than a year without live music in all major venues and most small venues. That put a massive strain on not just local businesses, but also musicians who m...

We could all use some good news stories, and as 2021 comes to a close, that’s what we’re focusing on in this week's episode of the New Mexico News Podcast. Two of KRQE News 13's veteran reporters, Brittany Bade and Jami Seymore join Chris and Gabby to talk about some of the most memorable and positive moments they got to cover this year and the people involved in those stories. Their stories featu...

2021 has been a year unlike any other for homicides in Albuquerque. In August, the city broke the record for the most homicides logged in a single year, which used to be 81. By December 1st, 104 people have died of homicide in Albuquerque in 2021. What's fueling this year's surge in violent crime? Are criminals being held accountable? This week, Gabby and Chris have an extended conservation with A...

We're wrapping up our four-part series on New Mexico's new recreational cannabis law with a discussion on enforcement this week. New Mexico Sheriff's Association board member and San Juan County Sheriff Shane Ferrari joins the discussion, sharing his questions and concerns about recreational cannabis. How will officers and deputies tell the difference between what’s legal and what’s not allowed? S...

Over the last month, at least six New Mexico hospitals have declared "crisis standards of care" (CSC) for their facilities amid a continued high number of COVID-19 cases and sick patients more than a year into the pandemic. New Mexico reported 9,892 COVID cases between 11-16 and 11-22, and an additional 4,991 cases over the Thanksgiving holiday weekend. CSC is a rare and serious designation, allow...

More than 2,000 people have already started the process of trying to become recreational cannabis producers in New Mexico. What does it take to become a cannabis producer? Who are the people applying for licenses? What motivates some of them? Chris and Gabby breakdown the numbers and demographics behind who's applying with the help of KRQE's Investigative Data Reporter Curtis Segarra. Also, hear f...

With recreational cannabis legalization in New Mexico and retail sales on the horizon, KRQE News 13 recently looked to our neighbors in Colorado for perspective on some of the challenges that state has dealt with since its legalization effort. Anchor/reporter Dean Staley traveled to Colorado to interview a prosecutor, sheriff, and educator - and shares what they've seen in their communities in the...

The tragic shooting on the film set of ‘Rust’ in Santa Fe sparked lots of discussion about the use of real weapons in movie productions. Investigators say actor Alec Baldwin fired a long colt revolver while rehearsing a scene at Bonanza Creek Ranch, killing cinematographer Halyna Hutchins, and injuring the film’s director, Joel Souza. How did a real bullet get on set and go unnoticed? Should film...

It's Election Day in New Mexico and the November ballot is stacked with issues that could alter the direction of the state's biggest city. Chris and Gabby dive into the heated mayoral race in Albuquerque, a $50 million soccer stadium bond, and city council races. Plus, no incumbents are running to keep their seat on APS' Board of Education (the school board) after the pandemic fueled contentious d...

New Mexico state leaders first started talking about decriminalizing marijuana in 1999. Then-Republican Governor Gary Johnson  suggested the "war on drugs" was a failure, and that lawmakers should have a conversation about the penalties surrounding drug possession. More than two decades later, the state is now poised to open a recreational cannabis marketplace by April 2022. How does New Mexico's...

He's been New Mexico's guiding voice in dealing with the pandemic for 19 months. Dr. David Scrase joins the New Mexico News Podcast this week to talk about a wide range of COVID topics, including how the state is doing with booster shots, and the impending push to vaccinate younger kids ages 5 to 11. Dr. Scrase gets candid about how he talks to vaccine-hesitant patients, and his own family about v...

New Mexico's voting boundaries are going through a revamp. For the first time ever, an independent group is tinkering with the state's "political map," hashing out where they think the state should redraw the borders for U.S. Congressional districts, state Senate, and House districts. The process could result in a major shift in which lawmakers represent different areas of New Mexico. What is a po...

Can you believe it's been two years since Balloon Fiesta took to Albuquerque's skies? After the COVID-19 pandemic shutdown most events in New Mexico through 2020, The Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta is back from an unprecedented "postponement." Chris and Gabby chat with two titans in the Albuquerque balloon scene. Longtime Fiesta spokesman Tom Garrity and well-known balloon pilot, Scott A...

The New Mexico News Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by Gabrielle Burkhart and Chris McKee of KRQE News 13 in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Look out for episodes publishing every Tuesday, starting October 5, 2021. If you have an idea of something you'd like to hear us cover, email us at gabrielle.burkhart (at) KRQE.com or chris.mckee (at) KRQE.com. More online at KRQE.com/podcasts