New Mexico News Insiders

What Goes On At Kirtland Air Force Base?

Kirtland Air Force Base in Albuquerque is the fifth largest base in the United States Air Force, and one of the 'crown jewels' of national security. This week, two guests from KAFB join Chris and Gabby to explain some of the critical missions happening on base, the economic impact the 52,000-acre base has in New Mexico, and the upcoming chance the public will have to get up close and personal to the aircraft. Kirtland AFB will host its first air show in six years in May. What should people expect to see? And what makes Albuquerque such a unique training environment for pilots? 

We appreciate our listeners. Send your feedback or story ideas to hosts chris.mckee@krqe.com or gabrielle.burkhart@krqe.com. We're also on X (Twitter), Facebook, & Instagram at @ChrisMcKeeTV and @gburkNM. For more on this episode and all of our prior episodes, visit our podcast website: KRQE.com/podcasts. Also, check out the video version of the podcast on our YouTube channel. Our show also airs on television! Tune into Fox New Mexico on Wednesdays at 10:35 p.m. MST. 

What Will Voters Do With $1.5 Million?

If you had $1.5 million to build something for your community, what would you spend it on? Voters in Albuquerque will decide just that with the ‘set aside’ fund from Council District 6, thanks to the idea of ‘Participatory Budgeting.’ What does that mean exactly? City Councilor Nichole Rogers is spearheading the movement in her district for the first time. She joins Chris and Gabby this week to explain why she’s doing it, how people are getting involved with plans, and the projects currently on the table. Could this set a trend? 

Voting for the community-inspired projects is open through April 19th, 2025. Learn more about them and how to vote here. 

We appreciate our listeners. Send your feedback or story ideas to hosts chris.mckee@krqe.com or gabrielle.burkhart@krqe.com. We're also on X (Twitter), Facebook, & Instagram at @ChrisMcKeeTV and @gburkNM. For more on this episode and all of our prior episodes, visit our podcast website: KRQE.com/podcasts. Also, check out the video version of the podcast on our YouTube channel. Our show also airs on television! Tune into Fox New Mexico on Wednesdays at 10:35 p.m. MST.

Gene Hackman’s Legendary Career & Mysterious Death

Two-time Oscar winner and prolific actor Gene Hackman spent his later years in New Mexico with his wife, Betsy Arakawa. And when news of their mysterious death surfaced, a media frenzy ensued. This week on the New Mexico News Insiders Podcast, Chris and Gabby are joined by KRQE Anchor-Reporters Chad Brummett and Annalisa Pardo to discuss Hackman's legacy in the film industry, his time in New Mexico, and the investigation and reporting that followed. Our reporting takes you behind the scenes of the initial 911 call response, and reveals details about what Hackman's neighbors told law enforcement. 

• Watch Annalisa's report on the body camera footage 

We appreciate our listeners. Send your feedback or story ideas to hosts chris.mckee@krqe.com or gabrielle.burkhart@krqe.com. We're also on X (Twitter), Facebook, & Instagram at @ChrisMcKeeTV and @gburkNM. For more on this episode and all of our prior episodes, visit our podcast website: KRQE.com/podcasts. Also, check out the video version of the podcast on our YouTube channel. Our show also airs on television! Tune into Fox New Mexico on Wednesdays at 10:35 p.m. MST. 

Albuquerque’s Civilian Response Team Marks 100K Calls

Three-and-a-half years into service, Albuquerque's civilian emergency response team just marked its 100,000th call. Albuquerque Community Safety (ACS) launched in 2021 as part of the city's effort to provide a more specialized approach to behavioral health, homelessness, and non-violent related 911 emergencies. Walter Adams was one of the first five responders, now serving as ACS's Deputy Director of Field Operations. He joins Chris and Gabby to explain how the department is measuring its success, and the rapid growth they've experienced. Is ACS making a dent in homelessness? Does having this third option help relieve police and fire crews?  

• 2022 ride-along with ACS shortly after launch 

We appreciate our listeners. Send your feedback or story ideas to hosts chris.mckee@krqe.com or gabrielle.burkhart@krqe.com. We're also on X (Twitter), Facebook, & Instagram at @ChrisMcKeeTV and @gburkNM. For more on this episode and all of our prior episodes, visit our podcast website: KRQE.com/podcasts. Also, check out the video version of the podcast on our YouTube channel. Our show also airs on television! Tune into Fox New Mexico on Wednesdays at 10:35 p.m. MST.

City Councilors Quash Fire Chief’s Staffing Plans

Albuquerque Fire Rescue Chief Emily Jaramillo is the first woman to serve as Fire Chief in the department's 123-year history. As a former teacher, Jaramillo was compelled to switch careers when she had a recruiter come talk to her class. She joins Chris and Gabby this week to discuss the challenges and fulfilling parts of the job. She also discusses a contentious City Council meeting that had her in the hot seat defending a controversial staffing change she believes will improve response times in the city and ultimately help save lives in an emergency. Why did city councilors quash her staffing plan? Is Chief Jaramillo going against the so-called 'gold standard?' Those topics and more are explained in the full interview. 

• March 3rd Albuquerque City Council Meeting

We appreciate our listeners. Send your feedback or story ideas to hosts chris.mckee@krqe.com or gabrielle.burkhart@krqe.com. We're also on X (Twitter), Facebook, & Instagram at @ChrisMcKeeTV and @gburkNM. For more on this episode and all of our prior episodes, visit our podcast website: KRQE.com/podcasts. Also, check out the video version of the podcast on our YouTube channel. Our show also airs on television! Tune into Fox New Mexico on Wednesdays at 10:35 p.m. MST. 

'High Levels' Of Microplastics Found In Human Brains

Researchers from the University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center found 'alarmingly high levels' of microplastics in human brains. The amount appears to be a higher concentration of plastic than found in other organs, and scientists say the accumulation is growing over time. So, how did plastic get there in the first place? And what, if anything, should people do about this issue? Dr. Marcus Garcia joins Chris and Gabby to explain the methods used in the study, what researchers learned, and the questions they're still working to answer. He also shares what scientists believe to be the catalyst for plastic entering our food chain. 

• Nature Medicine Article 
• UNM Health Sciences Center Research 

We appreciate our listeners. Send your feedback or story ideas to hosts chris.mckee@krqe.com or gabrielle.burkhart@krqe.com. We're also on X (Twitter), Facebook, & Instagram at @ChrisMcKeeTV and @gburkNM. For more on this episode and all of our prior episodes, visit our podcast website: KRQE.com/podcasts. Also, check out the video version of the podcast on our YouTube channel. Our show also airs on television! Tune into Fox New Mexico on Wednesdays at 10:35 p.m. MST. 

New Mexico’s Human Trafficking Problem

A New Mexico refugee student trafficked by her sponsor family. Young women with no family support, taken advantage of on the streets of Albuquerque. It was personal stories like those and unforeseen encounters with human trafficking victims that led Shelley Repp to an unexpected calling - now leading the New Mexico Dream Center, a nonprofit in Albuquerque focused on outreach, services, and prevention for trafficking victims. Repp was recently recognized for Nexstar Media Group's 2025 'Remarkable Women' contest. She joins Chris and Gabby this week to discuss what led her to this work and how prevalent the issue of human trafficking in New Mexico is. She also offers insight into a part of society online that she claims parents need to know about.

We appreciate our listeners. Send your feedback or story ideas to hosts chris.mckee@krqe.com or gabrielle.burkhart@krqe.com. We're also on X (Twitter), Facebook, & Instagram at @ChrisMcKeeTV and @gburkNM. For more on this episode and all of our prior episodes, visit our podcast website: KRQE.com/podcasts. Also, check out the video version of the podcast on our YouTube channel. Our show also airs on television! Tune into Fox New Mexico on Wednesdays at 10:35 p.m. MST. 

New Mexico's Legal Actions Against The Trump Administration

It has been a busy start to the year for New Mexico's Attorney General, Raúl Torrez. He's embroiled in a legal battle brewing at a New Mexico university, proposing changes in state law during the legislative session, and now tackling national politics in court. AG Torrez joins Chris and Gabby to explain legal actions he's filed to push back against some of the work efforted by President Donald Trump's Administration. Torrez also details what he believes lawmakers should prioritize this session. How do some of New Mexico's federally funded programs stand to change under DOGE and Trump? What are some of the main bills Torrez is backing this legislative session? Is a rehaul of CYFD in the state's future? 

We appreciate our listeners. Send your feedback or story ideas to hosts chris.mckee@krqe.com or gabrielle.burkhart@krqe.com. We're also on X (Twitter), Facebook, & Instagram at @ChrisMcKeeTV and @gburkNM. For more on this episode and all of our prior episodes, visit our podcast website: KRQE.com/podcasts. Also, check out the video version of the podcast on our YouTube channel. Our show also airs on television! Tune into Fox New Mexico on Wednesdays at 10:35 p.m. MST. 

Are There ICE Raids Happening In New Mexico?

President Donald Trump has made it no secret that he plans to shake up the status quo on how the United States operates when it comes to immigration, promising mass deportation efforts. So how are those efforts going so far in New Mexico? This week, Sophia Genovese, Asylum and Detention Managing Attorney with the New Mexico Immigrant Law Center joins Chris and Gabby to provide context and answer some of the main questions and concerns the NMILC is getting from the public. Genovese says their office has been flooded with phone calls under the new presidential administration. Have there been any confirmed ICE raids in New Mexico? What might that look like? And what should someone do if they're approached about their legal status in the country? 

We appreciate our listeners. Send your feedback or story ideas to hosts chris.mckee@krqe.com or gabrielle.burkhart@krqe.com. We're also on X (Twitter), Facebook, & Instagram at @ChrisMcKeeTV and @gburkNM. For more on this episode and all of our prior episodes, visit our podcast website: KRQE.com/podcasts. Also, check out the video version of the podcast on our YouTube channel. Our show also airs on television! Tune into Fox New Mexico on Wednesdays at 10:35 p.m. MST.

DWI Advocate Reacts To Corruption Scheme

It's one of the biggest public corruption scandals in New Mexico, involving money, a defense attorney's office, and drunk driving cases. We've now seen some of the key players in the 'DWI Enterprise' take federal plea deals, admitting the scheme to profit off of DWI dismissals goes back decades. This week, Linda Atkinson, Executive Director of the DWI Resource Center, joins Chris and Gabby to discuss the initial plea deals, and share why she's paid such close attention to DWI court cases over the years. How big of an issue is drunk driving in New Mexico? How does this corruption scandal impact faith in the state's judicial system? 

• Click here for KRQE's continuing coverage of the DWI dismissal scandal 

We appreciate our listeners. Send your feedback or story ideas to hosts chris.mckee@krqe.com or gabrielle.burkhart@krqe.com. We're also on X (Twitter), Facebook, & Instagram at @ChrisMcKeeTV and @gburkNM. For more on this episode and all of our prior episodes, visit our podcast website: KRQE.com/podcasts. Also, check out the video version of the podcast on our YouTube channel. Our show also airs on television! Tune into Fox New Mexico on Wednesdays at 10:35 p.m. MST.