New Mexico News Insiders

First the pandemic, then massive wildfires, dangerous flooding – and now a dwindling water supply. Residents in northern New Mexico haven’t had much time between crises to recover. Ranchers have cut down on herds due to fire damage and water shortages, while homeowners and local businesses are doing what they can to conserve. Adding salt to the wound, the area is seeing one of the best monsoon sea...

You may have heard about the City of Albuquerque’s unarmed civilian response team. Albuquerque Community Safety, or ACS, has a team of behavioral health responders who respond to mental health crises, homelessness calls, and wellness checks across the city. Nearly a year into the program now, is ACS making a difference? Chris and Gabby talk to ACS Executive Director, Mariela Ruiz Angel about the d...

After making a promise in late July, Albuquerque city officials finally closed arguably the most infamous city park. Right next to Third Street in the shadow of I-40, Coronado Park used to be a typical city park with a dog park and a skate park, too. But in recent years, the park turned into a homeless camp and an increasingly violent place, where drugs were rampant and as many as five homicides t...

Albuquerque was thrust into the national spotlight nearly two weeks ago when police officials announced a suspected connection in the murders of three Muslim men . A little more than 24 hours after that announcement, a fourth Muslim man was shot to death.   By August 9, a suspect was in custody. Muhammed Syed has been charged with the July 26 murder of Aftab Hussein, 41 and the August 1 murder of...

After three weeks of testimony and just a few hours of deliberation, a jury found Fabian Gonzales, 37, guilty of all nine counts in the only trial tied to the 2016 murder of 10-year-old Victoria Martens. Gonzales, who barely knew Victoria and her mom Michelle now faces decades in prison for one of New Mexico's most notorious murder cases. To be clear: Gonzales was not on trial for murder. He was c...

We spent months across spring and summer talking about the impact of wildfires in New Mexico. After record breaking blazes, many of the state's rural communities are now dealing with what they've feared: massive flooding in areas with burn scars. New Mexico's largest fire on record, the Hermits Peak-Calf Canyon Fire has left many people wondering where flood damage will emerge. In late July, we go...

You've probably already noticed a "dip" at the pump, as gas prices have been coming down in New Mexico over the last few weeks. But still, with fuel hovering around $4 a gallon, higher food costs, shifting interest rates, and more, just about everything seems to be costing more these days. When might we see a change for the better? Is this the time to re-think your commute, or ask for a raise from...

**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. It’s been six years since one of the most heinous crimes in Albuquerque. But finally now in 2022, a jury is hearing arguments in the case against the only person to go to trial for the death of 10-year-old Victoria Martens. This...

It's no secret that communication has moved online. So too has crime. But perhaps to your surprise, it has taken the police a long time to figure out how best to address that connection. Within the last year, Albuquerque Police launched a new digital investigative unit, formally called the Digital Intelligence Team. With just three full-time, civilian investigators (as opposed to sworn police offi...

Since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe V. Wade, states across the country have responded in different ways. Abortion remains legal in New Mexico, but the Supreme Court decision may have opened the door to a lot of new legal challenges in the state. Are employers protected if they help women travel for an abortion? How might this impact health care access in New Mexico? Could states start suin...

Nearly three months after the flames sparked, the Hermits Peak-Calf Canyon wildfire is still burning. A recent federal report outlined how the prescribed burn, started by the U.S. Forest Service, became New Mexico’s largest wildfire. Meanwhile, President Joe Biden has promised that homeowners who lost everything will be compensated fully by the federal government for what they've lost. So what hap...

Downtown Albuquerque is the subject of a lot of hot takes. We're pretty sure every NMNP listener has one. Whether you love cruisin' Central or avoid it altogether, the government and private developers see downtown as an important part of Albuquerque. And with that in mind, plenty of groups are spending big money on projects there. What are some of those projects, you ask? Glad you did, because th...

Voters just picked their candidates for the upcoming midterm election... but don't expect any kind of respite from elections. The latest round of political advertising has already begun on TV and radio, so it's a good time to brush up on the campaigns ahead. This week, Chris and Gabby are talking about the November races that are already shaping up, including the race for the offices of the New Me...

Tuesday, June 7th is Primary Election Day in New Mexico, and voters are heading to the polls to choose which candidates they want to represent their political party. Some big decisions could shake things up in the state, particularly in the race for Governor and the state’s Attorney General’s Office. Who will win supremacy within their party? Why has there been so much in-party sniping on the camp...

If you've shopped in the Albuquerque-metro area anytime in the last few years, you've probably noticed at least a few security changes at most big box stores. Whether its more security guards, police officers or even camera trailers with flashing blue and red lights, a lot of New Mexico's supermarkets, pharmacies and other stores have increasingly been targets for brazen shoplifting. In the summer...

The Hermits Peak-Calf Canyon Fire is officially the largest in New Mexico’s history, burning more than 300,000 acres and destroying hundreds of homes. Among those forced to evacuate were some of the state’s ranching community. How did they get horses and livestock to safety? What does this fire mean for the state’s agricultural industry? This week on the podcast, Chris and Gabby hear from a fourth...

Diana Horak is determined. Born and raised in Ukraine and now living in Albuquerque, Diana helped evacuate her 82-year-old mother from the war-torn country in March. During that trip to Ukraine, she also took suitcases full of supplies to help other refugees and front-line soldiers. After sharing her story with KRQE's Jessica Garate , Diana started getting support from New Mexicans all over. That...

Hundreds of New Mexicans are dealing with the reality of losing their home to wildfire this season. Dry air, high temperatures, and continued winds through April and the start of May have already led to the destruction of more than 360 homes in communities all over the state. Families in Ruidoso and communities including Las Vegas, Jemez Springs, and Ocate are feeling the impacts, to name a few. W...

When a wildfire sparks, our news station usually gives people a birds-eye view of what’s happening in the community via our Sky News 13 helicopter. But what's it like for the men and women who are facing the fire on the ground, chopping down trees and working to stop the flames from spreading? It takes a lot to be a wildland firefighter. This week, Chris and Gabby hear from a longtime Santa Fe Hot...

Perhaps it sounds too good to be true: "free college for New Mexico." But the fact is, a freshly expanded state program is ensuring just that. What started in 2020, the state's "Opportunity Scholarship" is now bigger than ever. If you didn't finish college and are seeking your first degree or training in a high-need trade, the state is willing to pick up the cost of your higher education. So how d...

Plenty of people will argue "there's no end to wildfire season these days in New Mexico." But historically, April is not a typically busy wildfire month for the state. Usually, it's another month before New Mexico's wildfire season peaks. So far in April 2022, destructive wildfires have made their mark near Las Vegas, Belen and Ruidoso. At least two people have died in the wind-whipped McBride Fir...

New Mexico is dry. No kidding, right? But have you ever asked yourself how dry is too dry? Or why that actually matters? This week, we're hearing from two people who keep a close watch on the water and the weather in New Mexico. John Fleck is a professor at the University of New Mexico and the Director of Water Resources in the university's Economics Department. John breaks down why it matters whe...

It is back to Santa Fe, again, for New Mexico's lawmakers. Another special session has been called by Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham. This time it's all about money. Lawmakers are considering sending checks to most New Mexicans to help pay for rising costs brought about by high gas prices and inflation across the U.S. This week on the podcast, Gabby and Chris talk to two prominent lawmakers, one...

Recreational cannabis sales go live in New Mexico on April 1, 2022, a little more than a year since the state passed the law that your parents maybe never thought had a prayer of passing decades ago. Times have changed. So, what can people across the state expect on day one? How many stores will open up and where will they be concentrated? Are any tiny towns getting in on the action? What are some...

The quote in the title of this week's episode comes from a New Mexico doctor who dropped everything in recent weeks to head to Ukraine and offer help. Dr. Matthew Wilks is the Chief Medical Officer at UNM Sandoval Regional Medical Center, and part of a disaster relief medical volunteer group called Team Rubicon. Wilks shares why he traveled across the globe to help, what he's seen, and also descri...