This week on New Mexico in Focus, the Line Opinion Panel weighs in on a new survey that shows 70% of Albuquerque citizens are unhappy with the city’s response to homelessness. The panel also talks through the historic ruling earlier this week that removes Couy Griffin from his position as Otero County Commissioner, and bars him from holding future public office.

Plus, our panelists react to data from a new investigation that shows New Mexico has used its red flag law just eight times since 2020, a time period when 600 New Mexicans died from gun violence.  

MLG on set 4

Our Land Senior Producer Laura Paskus sits down with Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham for an exclusive interview covering the critical environmental concerns impacting New Mexico. The Governor responds to the plan to store the country’s spent nuclear waste here in New Mexico, and she gives some clarity on the state’s long-term plan for water.  

Gene Grant speaks with two leaders at an Albuquerque nonprofit, dedicated to giving unhoused people life-saving resources. The representatives from the New Mexico Harm Reduction Collaborative share their perspectives on the root causes of homelessness and the recent debate around homeless encampments.  

New Mexico in Focus airs on NMPBS 5.1 (KNME HD) Friday, Sept. 9 at 7 p.m. and Sunday, Sept. 11 at 7 a.m., and streaming on the PBS video app.  

NMiF Segments

NM Governor Addresses Environmental Concerns 
Correspondent

Laura Paskus
 

Guest
Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham, D – New Mexico
 

Addressing Homelessness Through Harm Reduction 
Correspondent
 

Gene Grant
 

Guests 
Ash Charzuk, executive director, New Mexico Harm Reduction Collaborative
 

Steph Charzuk, operations manager, New Mexico Harm Reduction Collaborative

The Line opinion panel 
Michael Bird, public health consultant 
 

Tom Garrity, Garrity Group Public Relations
 

Cathryn McGill, founder, director, NM Black Leadership Council
 

Host
Gene Grant
 

New Mexico in Focus is the New Mexico PBS prime-time news magazine show covering the events, issues, and people that are shaping life in New Mexico and the Southwest. NMiF takes a multi-layered look at social, political, economic health, education, and art issues, and explores them in-depth with a critical eye to give them context beyond the "news of the moment." 

New Mexico in Focus Senior Producer for Public Affairs is Lou DiVizio. "Our Land" Senior Producer is Laura Paskus. Co-producer of New Mexico in Focus is Kathy Wimmer. 

Funding for New Mexico in Focus is provided by the McCune Charitable Foundation and Viewers Like You. Funding for the Your New Mexico Government Project comes from the Thornburg Foundation and New Mexico Local News Fund.

Funding for Our Land: New Mexico’s Environmental Past, Present & Future, is provided in part by the Neeper Natural History Programming Fund for KNME-TV. 

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