New Mexico News Insiders

The New Mexico Supreme Court ruled: people have a constitutional right to be on public water flowing over privately owned land. But just because the high court says so, doesn’t mean every landowner is removing fences and ‘no trespass’ signs. Why is this topic seemingly so divisive? Will there be more lawsuits filed over river access? Chris and Gabby host Jesse Deubel , Executive Director for the N...

Opioids and Fentanyl are impacting people in ways like we’ve never seen before. In a new initiative to stop overdoses “upon first contact with the criminal justice system,” Bernalillo County’s Metropolitan Court just announced the Overdose Prevention Treatment and Intervention - or “OPT-in” court . Chris and Gabby host Judge Claire McDaniel and Behavioral Health Division Director, Stacey Boone, wh...

This year’s back-to-school looks a lot different for many New Mexico families. Some of this school year’s changes include free meals for all due to new state law, a new bell schedule for Albuquerque Public Schools, an extended school year calendar, and more time in the classroom. Chris and Gabby sit down with APS Superintendent Scott Elder to break down some of the key changes and how the state’s...

There’s a new Sheriff in New Mexico’s biggest county. Bernalillo County Sheriff John Allen won the election with 54% of the vote. Halfway into his first year, the Democratic Sheriff gets candid with Chris and Gabby about what it’s been like “leading the ship” so far. It’s a role he says he doesn’t take lightly, given the crime and drug problems plaguing the area. And he's already making changes to...

Lots of people quit their day jobs to go all in with New Mexico’s recreational cannabis industry. More than a year into legalization, cannabis shops already outnumber liquor stores in Albuquerque. Is the grass greener for all these new businesses?   Chris and Gabby sit down with Pat Davis, Co-Founder of Weeds Cannabis Consulting firm and Albuquerque City Councilor for District 6. Davis explains so...

We are close to breaking a record for the longest-running heatwave in New Mexico. Depending on where you live in the state, there have been some dangerously hot conditions to keep an eye on. This week, Chris and Gabby host an expert from the National Weather Service to discuss the significance of this summer’s temperatures, and when people can expect some relief.  Should people re-think swamp cool...

New Mexico State University’s men’s basketball team is coming off of what some would call a tragic season. Between the end of 2022 and early 2023, two different stories garnered national attention. First, a deadly November shooting in Albuquerque that left one teammate injured and a University of New Mexico student dead. Then in February, allegations of hazing and sexual assault lead to the suspen...

It's been nearly four years since voters approved a $14-million bond for Albuquerque's long-promised "Gateway Center" homeless shelter, a project with the goal of creating a facility offering comprehensive, wrap-around services for the homeless. By late 2020, the city entered into negotiations to purchase the former Lovelace Hospital on Gibson Boulevard. At the time, Mayor Tim Keller envisioned th...

Remember 2022’s historic wildfire season in New Mexico? Concern can quickly shift from wildfire to flooding, depending on where you live in New Mexico. This week, Chris and Gabby host experts from the U.S. Forest Service to talk about what the changing weather pattern this year has meant for fresh burn scars, and the summer efforts crews are making to protect people and properties.  How are contro...

A little more than two decades ago, most people didn't know what "Tent Rocks" were in New Mexico. But after the Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks National Monument was put on the map in 2001, the site became one of the most popular hiking and outdoor recreation spots in the state - a major tourism draw. Three years after the COVID-19 pandemic started, the Tent Rocks monument still remains closed. The BLM ha...

This time last year, New Mexico's Hermits Peak Calf Canyon wildfire was dominating local headlines. The wildfire eventually became the state's largest in recorded history, sparked by two different government operations that eventually merged. One year after the fire charred more than 342-thousand acres, the federal government is attempting to make good on its promise to help New Mexicans recover f...

"I'm tired of living with my lie.” Fourteen years after a New Mexico man went missing, Tony Ray Peralta said he was tired of living with guilt. Peralta borrowed someone’s cell phone at a Roswell Allsup's gas station, then called 911 to confess to the murder of his landlord. Peralta eventually led local police officers to the home where he said he’d buried William Blodgett's body in 2008. Now, he's...

Two weeks ago, Farmington in northwest New Mexico faced a mass shooting. Three people were killed and six others were wounded before police shot and killed the shooter, an 18-year-old high school student. Chris and Gabby sit down with Farmington Police Chief Steve Hebbe in an extended conversation about the loss within the community, how officers responded to the active shooter, and how people are...

Pete Kassetas has a decades-long career in law enforcement, but for a little more than five years, he was one of the most visible people in New Mexico criminal justice. The former Chief led New Mexico State Police from 2013 to 2018 and along the way, he had a voice in some of the state's biggest news stories. In a rare and candid sit-down with Chris and Gabby, Kassetas shares stories behind his up...

"ChatGPT" is a big deal on the internet today. Released in November, the publicly available, AI-driven chatbot is trained to understand and answer text-based questions in an unprecedented way. Its answers can be so convincing that you may feel like you're talking to a real person, not a computer. If you haven't tried it yet, here's a link. There's a lot of excitement about how people might use the...

Gone are the days of officers dropping off hand-written documents and police reports into a bin for prosecutors to sort through. New Mexico’s biggest city is adopting the use of a new homegrown database software called ‘Case Catcher.’ The program is aimed at helping investigators build better cases and stay organized.  How organized an investigation is - matters a lot, especially in a high-stakes...

New Mexico prosecutors recently dropped an involuntary manslaughter charge against Alec Baldwin in relation to the fatal 2021 "Rust" movie set shooting near Santa Fe. Attorneys cited 'new facts' that demand further investigation in their case dismissal. While prosecutors can still refile charges, the sudden shift comes after months of reports about procedural challenges to the prosecution. The San...

In 2023, student safety is among the biggest concerns that school administrators have about their campuses. Each school year, we continue to hear stories about students bringing guns and other weapons on to school campuses. Not every incident leads to someone getting hurt, but regardless, the issue always raises concerns about what more can be done to stop violent situations from unfolding. At lea...

It’s been a burning question since 2021 when voters turned down a $50 million bond to build a soccer stadium near downtown Albuquerque. Where else might New Mexico United build a venue for their young and popular team? In recent weeks, United's owner Peter Trevisani leaked a big hint : the stadium could go in a place that rhymes with ‘Lagoon Siesta Park.’ So how should we take this news? Will the...

We're now about one month removed from the end of the latest New Mexico legislative session. Despite it being 60 days long (double the length of last year's session), it seems like this was a "fast and furious" legislative session (see what we did there?) This week on the podcast, Chris and Gabby host KRQE.com's Digital Data Investigative Reporter Curtis Segarra for a deeper break down of the big...

Perhaps you've filed your taxes already? Or maybe you're waiting until the last minute? Regardless of your choice, the fact remains that you probably have to file something with the government. This week on the podcast, we're taking a closer look at the process behind tax law enforcement with the IRS. A special agent and public information officer for the IRS' Criminal Investigation Division, Bria...

Every year, New Mexicans may see a different sight of the Rio Grande River, depending on how much rain or snow the state gets. And every year, water shortages, restrictions, and conservation efforts occur in the background. Will the river run dry? How much water does New Mexico owe to Texas under the Rio Grande Compact? How have the state's water woes impacted farmers and ranchers?  Whether you're...

The teacher shortage is a perennial topic when it comes to education in New Mexico. Over the years, lawmakers and other officials have put stock in loads of different efforts aimed at addressing the shortage, from increasing pay to starting new recruiting programs. But what makes a good teacher? And why do some teachers leave the profession so quickly? Can something be done differently to fix that...

New Mexico has a new Attorney General. In November, voters picked Democrat Raúl Torrez to lead the state's top prosecutorial office. Now in his third month on the job, Torrez recently sat down with Chris and Gabby to talk about how he plans to reshape the New Mexico AG’s office. His plans include adding staff and new divisions, including a Civil Rights Division for the state. Torrez explains what...

More than one year since Russia invaded Ukraine, the war continues to impact New Mexicans. From evacuating her mother from a war-torn country and making several trips back to help, this week Chris and Gabby check in with Diana Horak. She’s a Ukrainian-born, Albuquerque mother of two who’s been involved with helping her home country since day one. And one year since her elderly mother was evacuated...