New Mexico News Insiders

With just around 48-hours left on the clock in this year’s 30-day legislative session, what will New Mexico lawmakers leave on the table? One of KRQE News 13's legislative beat reporters, Curtis Segarra joins Chris & Gabby to in part discuss Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham’s public safety agenda, along with her environmental, and educational priorities. Will Democratic control help her pass co...

This spring marks two years since the Hermit's Peak Calf Canyon wildfire tore through northern New Mexico. Since that record-breaking wildfire, the federal government has appropriated nearly $4 billion to respond to the government-sparked disaster. How is the process of repaying wildfire victims in New Mexico going so far? Several lawsuits filed against FEMA suggest that the claims process is movi...

This week marks the final stretch to pick a new leader for New Mexico’s largest school district. As APS Board of Education President Danielle Gonzales believes, “Where APS goes, so goes the state.” Gonzales is calling for community input during Tuesday’s scheduled town halls for students, teachers, employees, and members of the public to ask questions of the two finalists vying for the job of APS...

The Albuquerque Police Department is nearing a decade of reform efforts under a settlement agreement with the Department of Justice. The DOJ released findings of its investigation into APD in 2014, the same year the department came under intense scrutiny for police use of force and officer-involved shootings. This week on the podcast, Chris & Gabby discuss the years-long reform efforts with AP...

Researchers just announced a new Tyrannosaurus species based on a fossil found in New Mexico’s Elephant Butte Reservoir in 1983. What’s now known as the Tyrannosaurus mcraeensis is believed to be at least 5 million years older than his cousin, the T. Rex as we know it. The scientific discovery reshapes the historical understanding of the most famous dinosaur ever to walk the earth. Could the Tyran...

There are a lot of questions surrounding Jeffrey Epstein’s actions in New Mexico, and this week we’re getting more answers. From mysterious land deeds, & a state investigation, to a release of names in federal court documents, KRQE investigators Curtis Segarra & Gabrielle Burkhart share what they’ve learned over years of digging into details about Epstein’s ‘Zorro Ranch' property & his...

Happy New Year from your favorite podcast hosts! In keeping with tradition, Chris & Gabby give a full wrap-up of the big stories to watch out for in New Mexico through 2024. A condensed, budged-focused legislative session is about to begin. What sort of crime or gun bills will lawmakers take up? Should New Mexicans expect another gas rebate check since the state is once again flush with oil &a...

Gabrielle Burkhart and Ann Pierret from the KRQE Investigates team peel back the curtain on some of the biggest investigations they published in 2023. Ann obtained police videos that reveal how law enforcement is discovering more stash houses in the metro . She also shares about her trip to the border to see first-hand how smugglers get migrants across. Gabby sheds light on a traffic stop that res...

Get to know KRQE’s prime-time anchor team: Dean Staley & Jessica Garate. The duo joins Chris & Gabby to discuss how their roles have changed in newsrooms over the years, what brought them to New Mexico in the first place, and what they’re passionate about. How do they handle election coverage in a tense political climate? What keeps them going outside of work? And more importantly, what do...

The City of Albuquerque is closer to getting a professional soccer stadium built, and seeing progress on big projects like the Rail Yards and Gateway Center. But there are still major challenges surrounding crime, homelessness, and the fentanyl epidemic. This week, Albuquerque Mayor Tim Keller joins Chris & Gabby for an in-depth discussion about the successes and challenges of 2023. Mayor Kell...

Cybersecurity can sound like an intangible threat, but a cyber or ransomware attack can have rippling effects. New Mexicans have seen some of those attacks play out over the last few months at some major facilities, most recently with Lovelace Healthcare and its parent company. This week, Chris & Gabby host Raphael Warren, a retired Brigadier General with more than 25 years of military and civ...

Substance abuse, trauma, and homelessness can contribute to a person's complicated journey through the criminal justice system. Especially when the system isn’t always leading a person to get help or treatment. So what happens when someone with apparent mental health issues commits a crime? This week, Chris and Gabby host KC Quirk, the Social Work Unit Director at the Law Offices of the Public Def...

The Albuquerque Police Department has come a long way since 2014. That year, the U.S. Department of Justice announced findings of its investigation that claimed APD engaged in “A pattern or practice of use of excessive force, including deadly force, in violation of the Fourth Amendment.” This week, Chris & Gabby host Damon Martinez, New Mexico’s U.S. Attorney during that time. Martinez discuss...

Millions of people travel through the Albuquerque International Sunport every year, and lately, there's been a lot of changes taking place at the 'Gateway' of New Mexico. Through a massive remodel, Sunport officials are working to keep its southwestern charm; from the chairs to the cultural décor in the ceiling. This week, Chris and Gabby host Leah Black, Outreach & Marketing Manager of the Su...

How do you describe Albuquerque to a friend who's never been here? There are a lot of beautiful things about this place: the food, the landscape, the culture, the balloons...(we could go on), but there are also some not-so-nice realities New Mexicans face when it comes to crime, drugs, and gun violence. Prosecutors in Bernalillo County have extensive caseloads. When Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham...

New Mexico's largest county jail in Albuquerque has been historically understaffed, overcrowded, and marred by inmate deaths during detox. In 1995, a federal lawsuit cited overcrowding as a factor in violating inmates' rights, while also accusing Bernalillo County of providing inadequate medical and mental health care at the the facility. Today, the Metropolitan Detention Center is decades into na...

New Mexico has had a 900 lb. celebrity roaming around the northern part of the state for nearly a year now. ‘Marty’ the Bull Moose has garnered lots of local attention and a massive online fanbase. Social media feeds are filled with photos of the Moose wading in the river, and lately, hanging around near Española, despite a recent attempt from Game & Fish officers to relocate him back north. S...

New Mexicans seem to be grappling with how to choose to display or not to display parts of history. There have been two shootings in New Mexico a little over three years apart - at protests related to statues of the controversial Spanish Conquistador, Juan de Oñate. This week, Chris and Gabby host Moises Gonzales , Associate Professor of Urban Design at UNM, with a focus on Historic Preservation o...

Albuquerque is closer than ever to getting its first pro-level soccer stadium. Plans were recently announced that New Mexico United will lease about seven acres from the City of Albuquerque to build a stadium on land at Balloon Fiesta Park, with promises not to interfere with ballooning in the area. Team owner Peter Trevisani , and Director of Communications and Fan Experience, David Weise Carl, j...

Managing water from New Mexico’s rivers is a big task and it’s a job that takes a lot of engineering and planning. This week, Chris and Gabby host returning podcast guest, Jason Casuga, from the Middle Rio Grande Conservancy District. Casuga shares some of the history of the Rio Grande, concerns from farmers with looming threats of the river running dry, and plans for the future. Existing infrastr...

Albuquerque Police have identified 17 murder suspects this year who are ages 19 and under. Nine of them are considered ‘juveniles,’ meaning age 17 and under. This week, Chris and Gabby discuss the topic of youth involved in violent crime with Albuquerque Police Chief Harold Medina. How much do drugs and social media play a factor? What are the driving forces behind gun violence among teens? And wh...

There are thousands of homeless students enrolled in the state’s largest school district. Some are awaiting foster care placement, others are living in motels, shelters, or vehicles. APS’ McKinney Vento Program aims to identify those students, assist their families, and ultimately, help those students succeed. Chris & Gabby host Program Director, Cristal Wilson, who shares the challenges &...

Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham recently declared gun violence a public health emergency, and issued a Public Health Order temporarily banning open and concealed carry of firearms in Albuquerque and Bernalillo County. The executive order sparked backlash, questions about enforcement, and federal lawsuits challenging whether it is unconstitutional. KRQE Political Analyst & UNM Political Science...

It's been a "summer of Oppenheimer" in New Mexico. With the recent release of Christopher Nolan's bio-pic, interest in the historical figure has surged in the Land of Enchantment and lead to a renewed discussion about the "Father of the Atomic Bomb." This week, Chris and Gabby discuss the dynamic legacy of J. Robert Oppenheimer with guests from Los Alamos National Laboratory. The lab’s lead histor...

On August 8th, an out-of-control wildfire in Maui became one of the deadliest in our country’s history in a century. More than 100 people were killed, hundreds are still unaccounted for, and thousands of homes burned in the fire. Chris and Gabby host Jess Orr, an Albuquerque woman who lived in Lahaina for three years during the pandemic. She shares personal stories of friends who lost everything,...