Working Remotely in Rural New Mexico, Record Low Snowpack, The Line

This week, New Mexico in Focus looks at why some rural communities are encouraging remote work that doesn’t require a commute. But there are challenges, including learning how to manage customers by phone and getting the right internet connection to meet employer requirements. NMiF producer Sarah Gustavus visits the SoloWorks program in Cibola County to learn more about a new job training program for remote workers. This story is part of the “State of Change” project, a collaboration with the Solutions Journalism Network and media partners across New Mexico.

New Mexico in Focus has been covering record-low snowpack this year on Our Land, our monthly environmental series on environmental issues. This week, correspondent Laura Paskus looks at what’s happening now that snowmelt is not refilling the river—and what new research tells us about where we are headed.

NMiF host Gene Grant and the Line opinion panelists debate President Trump’s call for a greater military presence at the border with Mexico, and Governor Martinez’s decision to send New Mexico National Guard troops to support the U.S. Border Patrol. They also discuss 2018 political campaigns and contribution limits, and look at more controversy around a new UNM regent and a year-old athletic buyout.

Host: Gene Grant

Correspondents: Sarah Gustavus & Laura Paskus

Line Panelists:
Dan Foley, former House minority whip
Sophie Martin, attorney
Dan McKay, reporter for the Albuquerque Journal
Laura Sanchez-Rivét, attorney at Cuddy & McCarthy, LLP