New Mexico News Insiders

Will Alec Baldwin Face A Trial In New Mexico?

More than a year after the fatal shooting on the film set of ‘Rust’ near Santa Fe, actor-producer Alec Baldwin and film armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed face criminal charges in a New Mexico court. Each is facing one count of involuntary manslaughter for the shooting that led to cinematographer Halyna Hutchins’ death. This week, Gabby and Chris outline the details of what investigators claim went wrong. Will this case go to trial? What does this mean for Baldwin? Longtime New Mexico criminal defense attorney Ahmad Assed offers his legal perspective on what this case means for the industry, and what’s to come. 

This is the second time we've covered the "Rust" shooting on the podcast. You can listen to the first episode on this podcast's feed. Look for the episode titled: "‘Rust‘ Shooting Fallout & The Use of Guns On Movie Sets."

Got a question, comment, or story idea? Contact us at chris.mckee@krqe.com or gabrielle.burkhart@krqe.com. We welcome your episode ideas and feedback. Also, find us on social media, including Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram at @ChrisMcKeeTV and @gburkNM. For more on this episode and all of our prior episodes, visit our podcast website: KRQE.com/podcasts.

Are ABQ’s mental health & violence interventions working?

Since 2019, the City of Albuquerque has leaned hard into some alternative efforts toward addressing the complexities behind two major issues plaguing the city: violent crime and mental/behavioral health. In November 2019, city leaders announced the launch of the "Violence Intervention Program," or VIP for short. The program connects streetwise social workers to victims of gun violence in an effort to stop the cycle of retaliation.

About six months later, in June 2020, Albuquerque announced the launch of the "Albuquerque Community Safety Department," or ACS. The agency uses unarmed social workers to respond to mental health crises and other non-emergency calls where police and firefighters aren't needed, or could be seen as possibly escalating the situation.

While each program started independent of each other, they now work in tandem to broadly address trauma and hardship outside of the law enforcement mechanism. The VIP program has also since moved under the umbrella of ACS.

This week on the podcast, Chris and Gabrielle are asking if Albuquerque's intervention efforts are working. Two city workers, Walter Adams and Angel Garcia join the podcast this week to discuss the programs efforts. Adams is a Behavioral Health Responder Supervisor with ACS, while Garcia is a Social Services Manager with Albuquerque's VIP effort.

How many people are being helped by ACS and VIP? Are these programs preventing violence or saving lives? What's ahead in 2023? And how do these programs work? These questions and more get answered in this week's episode.

As mentioned early in the episode, Gabby interviewed Walter Adams in 2022 about ACS. Here's a link to her investigative story.

Please leave us a rating or a review on whatever podcast app you use to listen to the NMNP. We'd also love to hear from you! Email Chris and Gabby at chris.mckee@krqe.com or gabrielle.burkhart@krqe.com. You can also find us on social media, including Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram at @ChrisMcKeeTV and @gburkNM. For more on this episode and all of our prior episodes, visit our podcast website: KRQE.com/podcasts.

Understanding The Targeted Shootings At New Mexico Lawmakers’ Homes

It is a remarkable story in New Mexico politics and something that made national headlines multiple times over the last few weeks. A former Republican candidate for the New Mexico House is accused of plotting shootings at the homes of four Democratic lawmakers in Albuquerque. Solomon Peña, who was arrested on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, now faces fifteen counts for allegedly being a "mastermind" in the case.

How did Albuquerque Police connect the dots and make an arrest? Chris and Gabby host KRQE News 13 Investigative Reporter Ann Pierret in the first part of this week's episode. Ann discusses how the criminal case unfolded, what we know about Peña's history and details behind the motive of the case.

In the second part of the episode, KRQE News 13 Political Analyst and UNM Political Science Professor Gabe Sanchez weighs in on what Peña's case says about the state of politics today. Sanchez also discusses how he thinks this case will impact New Mexico moving forward. 

Here is a link to KRQE.com's comprehensive coverage of the Solomon Peña case.

Tell us what you think about this week's episode. Leave a review on Apple Podcasts and contact us at chris.mckee@krqe.com or gabrielle.burkhart@krqe.com. We welcome your episode ideas and feedback. Also, find us on social media, including Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram at @ChrisMcKeeTV and @gburkNM. For more on this episode and all of our prior episodes, visit our podcast website: KRQE.com/podcasts.

2023: More Money, More Lawmaking...More Solutions?

Starting today (Jan. 17, 2023) - New Mexico's elected representatives are back in the Capitol for another legislative session. This time they're in for 60 days of lawmaking at the Roundhouse in Santa Fe, and once again, the agenda seems packed.

This week, Chris and Gabby are diving into the 2023 session. The state's continued record oil revenues are expected to fuel a lot of debate on what could be a spending spree for the state. Could it pay for another round of potential tax rebates? New crime fighting initiatives? Raises for state employee and educators? Those topics and more are on the docket on this year.

KRQE News 13's Digital Investigative Data Reporter Curtis Segarra returns to the podcast this week with a breakdown of four topics. We'll highlight how much money the state has, Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham's spending ideas, Albuquerque city officials spending wish list and a slew of pre-filed bills lawmakers are considering.

You can follow along this session on KRQE.com/legislature. Also, look for links to Curtis’ daily "Roundhouse Roundup" politics posts on his KRQE.com bio page. We also mentioned more coverage of one specific story in this episode. Here's a link to Curtis' piece on the longstanding proposal of paying New Mexico lawmakers a salary.

**A special note: On Monday night, Albuquerque Police arrested a lead suspect in the case of shootings at the homes of several Albuquerque elected officials. A former House candidate, Solomon Peña was arrested at a condominium complex in downtown Albuquerque. Here is a link to the story with more details on KRQE.com. We talked about the case in this week's episode before we knew of Peña's arrest, so some of the details we discussed midway through the show have since changed.

We want to hear from you! Contact us at chris.mckee@krqe.com or gabrielle.burkhart@krqe.com with story ideas or feedback. Also, find us on social media, including Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram at @ChrisMcKeeTV and @gburkNM. For more on this episode and all of our prior episodes, visit our podcast website, KRQE.com/podcasts.

Lobo Fever Returns

For the Lobos, you could say "its been a minute." It's been roughly eight seasons since the Lobo men's basketball team has made waves for their play on the court. Now on their fourth coach in the last decade, the team has opened its 2022-23 season with some remarkable success. Starting with 14 straight wins, the team remained undefeated until a close loss at Fresno State on January 3. 

Despite the loss, the team has proved its hungry to win under second-year coach Richard Pitino. And with that, fans have responded by packing The Pit, one of the country's most revered (and loud) basketball arenas. This week on the podcast, Chris and Gabby sit down with KRQE Sports' Van Tate and Jared Chester to talk about the "return of Lobo fever" and what this season might mean for the Lobos, Albuquerque and New Mexico.

(Note: We recorded this episode before the Lobos played on Jan. 7 against UNLV and Jan. 9 against Oral Roberts.)

Who would you want to hear interviewed on the New Mexico News Podcast in 2023? Let us know. Email the hosts at chris.mckee@krqe.com or gabrielle.burkhart@krqe.com with your story ideas or feedback. Also, find us on social media, including Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram at @ChrisMcKeeTV and @gburkNM. For more on this episode and all of our prior episodes, visit our website: KRQE.com/podcasts.

The Big News Stories Ahead In 2023

Happy New Year from the New Mexico News Podcast! And with that, we can't think of a better way to ring in 2023 than by bringing back the proverbial "Magic 8 Ball" of news.

This week on the podcast, Chris & Gabby are back with their predictions as to what will be the biggest news stories to watch out for in 2023. This year's list includes a handful of high-profile criminal trials; a deeper look at the "state political shuffle" taking place after the 2022 election; and a breakdown of some of the bigger events ahead in the world of sports and entertainment among other topics.

By the end of the episode, we're going to revisit our 2022 projections. Did our guesses about 2022's big news stories pan out? We've also brought back our "share your New Year's resolutions" segment with the KRQE News 13 staff, including Grant Tosterud, Jessica Garate, Dean Staley and several reporters.

We're patiently waiting for your feedback! Who would you like us to interview on the podcast this year? Let us know. Email the hosts at chris.mckee@krqe.com or gabrielle.burkhart@krqe.com with your story ideas or feedback. Also, find us on social media, including Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram at @ChrisMcKeeTV and @gburkNM. For more on this episode and all of our prior episodes, visit our website: KRQE.com/podcasts.

A Conversation With Our KRQE Investigates Team

Investigative journalism is a core piece of the work inside the KRQE News 13 newsroom. Across 2022, our KRQE Investigates team, including Gabrielle Burkhart and Ann Pierret, published more than 30 investigations for broadcast. Some of their most impactful work is featured this month in an hour-long, year-end KRQE Investigates news special.

This week on the podcast, Ann and Gabby offer a closer look inside a few of the stories featured in the special. Ann discusses a deputy who contracted COVID on the job and the fight his family's had to receive line-of-duty related benefits. Gabby discusses her two-part, deep-dive into the confessions of Paul Apodaca, a man who has confessed to committing three Albuquerque murders decades ago. 

Here are links to each story:

• "Insurance: New Mexico deputy’s COVID-19 death not line of duty"
• Video: Suspected serial killer’s chilling confession (Part 1)
• Accused killer reveals he was questioned by officers (Part 2)
• And, here's a link to watch the entire "Best of KRQE Investigates 2022" news special on KRQE.com

Stick around for the end of the episode for an extended conversation about why Gabby and Ann decided to become investigative reporters and more. Also, to check out all of Gabby and Ann's work, visit the KRQE Investigates landing page on krqe.com/investigations.

The Best of KRQE Investigates 2022 news special also airs on TV across the KRQE Media Group family of station multiple times through the end of 2022. Here are some of the air times for the show:

• KRQE CBS 13: Thursday, Dec. 29 @ 4 p.m.
• FOX New Mexico: Friday, Dec. 23 @ 6 p.m.; Dec. 30 @ 3 a.m & 9 p.m.; Jan 1 @ 9 p.m.
• New Mexico's CW: Friday, Dec. 23 @ 7 a.m.; Thursday, Dec. 29 @ 4 p.m.
• My50TV: Dec. 30 @ 3 a.m. & 9 p.m.; Jan. 1 @ 3 a.m. & 9 p.m.

Who would you like to hear interviewed on the New Mexico News Podcast? Let us know. Email the hosts at chris.mckee@krqe.com or gabrielle.burkhart@krqe.com with your story ideas or feedback. Also, find us on social media, including Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram at @ChrisMcKeeTV and @gburkNM. For more on this episode and all of our prior episodes, visit our website: KRQE.com/podcasts.

Reflecting On Some Good News In 2022

To close out 2022, KRQE News 13 is back recounting some of the most feel good stories of the year. 18 different stories are featured in this year's hour-long "Best Good News of 2022" news special, which begins airing on the KRQE Media Group family of stations this week.

With a closer look at the work behind those stories, this week, Chris and Gabby sit down with News 13 anchor/reporters Brittany Bade and Annalisa Pardo to discuss their contributions toward covering "good news" in 2022.

Here’s a link to Brittany’s story about the housing donation for wildland firefighters. 

And here’s a link to Annalisa’s story about the heartwarming surprise for Albuquerque's own "Mr. Christmas". 

You can now also check out the full "Best of Good News 

Stick around for the end of the episode for a special "rapid-fire" question/answer segment with Brittany and Annalisa. Also, as promised, here's a list of several of the air times for KRQE's Best Good News of 2022 news special:

• KRQE CBS 13: Sunday, Dec. 25 @ 9 p.m. and Monday, Dec. 26 @ 4 p.m.
• FOX New Mexico: Friday, Dec. 30 @ 6 p.m.
• New Mexico's CW: Monday, Dec. 26 @ 4 p.m. - Dec. 23 & 30 @ 8 a.m.
• My50TV: Dec. 23 & 25 @ 3 a.m. & 9 p.m. - Jan. 1 @ 1 p.m. 
• The entire "Good News" special is now available to watch online, on KRQE.com

Who would you like to hear interviewed on the New Mexico News Podcast? Let us know. Email the hosts at chris.mckee@krqe.com or gabrielle.burkhart@krqe.com with your story ideas or feedback. Also, find us on social media, including Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram at @ChrisMcKeeTV and @gburkNM. For more on this episode and all of our prior episodes, visit our website: KRQE.com/podcasts.

Albuquerque Police Are Solving More Murders in 2022

Just like 2021, 2022 has been another record-setting year for homicides in Albuquerque. As of December 9, 115 people have been killed across 108 different homicide cases. But that's just part of the story. Albuquerque Police detectives are also solving more murders in 2022 than they have in several recent years. As 2022 wraps up, APD says its homicide clearance rate is above 90%. 

How is that possible? And is there any relief in sight to violent crime in the city? This week on the podcast, Chris and Gabby sit down with one of the leaders spearheading efforts to improve investigations within the state's largest police force: Deputy Commander Kyle Hartsock. Leading the department's Criminal Investigations Division, Hartsock explains some new strategies the department is using to solve violent crimes.

As mentioned in the show, this is the second time Hartsock has been a guest on the New Mexico News Podcast. In July, he details the creation of the department's new "Digital Intelligence Team," or DIT. You can find that episode published on July 12 at this link to the specific episode on KRQE.com/podcasts, or, just scroll back in your feed.

There's a brief mention of gun ownership in this episode. Last December, KRQE's Curtis Segarra explored the question of how many guns are in New Mexico with a deeper look into the data. In May, Curtis also reported on the surge in gun sales that began with the pandemic.

Who would you like to hear from interviewed on the New Mexico News Podcast? Let us know. Email the hosts at chris.mckee@krqe.com or gabrielle.burkhart@krqe.com with your story ideas or feedback. Also, find us on social media, including Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram at @ChrisMcKeeTV and @gburkNM. For more on this episode and all of our prior episodes, visit our website: KRQE.com/podcasts.

New Mexico’s Ski Season Forecast

Whether you ski or snowboard, or don’t hit the slopes at all – the ski season is important to New Mexico. The industry brings in tens of thousands of out-of-state visitors each year who help boost the economy in many communities across New Mexico. But as several resorts open up for the season, many are still facing challenges, including staffing.

This week on the podcast, Gabby and Chris speak with George Brooks, Executive Director of Ski New Mexico (a trade organization working to promote the state's ski industry inside and out of the state.) Brooks shares more on his forecast for New Mexico's resorts, including the challenges and excitement ahead this season. 

Tell us what you think about the podcast! You can also email the hosts at chris.mckee@krqe.com or gabrielle.burkhart@krqe.com with your story ideas or feedback. Also, find us on social media, including Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram at @ChrisMcKeeTV and @gburkNM. For more on this episode and all of our prior episodes, visit our website: KRQE.com/podcasts.