A talk about DACA, local journalists talk about the top stories in 2016 on the LINE, We re-air the award-winning ¡COLORES! piece on Pueblo Bonito, Sharon Nir, Native Realities Press creator Lee Francis and comic artist Dale DeForest
Friday December 23rd
This week on New Mexico in Focus, producer Sarah sits down with three students who currently have DACA protection to talk about what may be ahead. DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals), offers temporary protection – but not permanent legal residency – to eligible young people who were brought to the United States as children and grew up without documentation. President Obama signed the DACA order in 2016; it is not clear yet if president-elect Donald Trump will reverse the program once he takes office in January.
Also host Gene Grant and a special Line panel of local journalists begin a countdown of the top stories of 2016. They discuss five of those topics this week, including the impact of putting REAL ID into action and allegations of fraud against state employees who managed the SNAP food benefits program.
Host:
Gene Grant
Correspondent:
Sarah Gustavus
Guests:
Rafael Martinez, UNM Graduate Student
Cindy Nava, UNM Graduate Student
Abdiel Ramirez, UNM student
Line Panelists:
Russell Contreras, Associated Press reporter
Julie Ann Grimm, editor, Santa Fe Reporter
Steve Terrell, political reporter, Santa Fe New Mexican
Marisa Demarco, general assignment reporter, KUNM
Friday December 30th
Next week on New Mexico in Focus, host Gene Grant and a special Line panel of local journalists continue the countdown of the top stories of 2016. This week, they look at the impact of NMiF’s choice of the top five major news events of the year. Topics discussed include the outcomes of the 2016 elections, New Mexico’s budget crisis, Albuquerque Police Department reforms, and high-profile crime.
NMiF also re-airs a notable piece from New Mexico PBS’s arts program, ¡COLORES! Our colleagues won a Rocky Mountain Emmy award in the “Historic Cultural Segment” category for their story on Pueblo Bonito, an important historical site in Chaco Canyon. You can also catch this special program online at PBS Video here, as well as on January 7th at 4pm on ¡COLORES!
Host:
Gene Grant
Line Panelists:
Russell Contreras, Associated Press reporter
Julie Ann Grimm, editor, Santa Fe Reporter
Steve Terrell, political reporter, Santa Fe New Mexican
Marisa Demarco, general assignment reporter, KUNM
Friday January 6th
On the January 6th episode of NEW MEXICO IN FOCUS, producer Sarah Gustavus sits down with Sharon Nir, Albuquerque resident and author of “The Opposite of Comfortable,” to talk about her experience immigrating from Israel and the challenges she’s faced balancing career and family.
Correspondent Megan Kamerick talks with Lee Francis, creator of Native Realities Press, the only exclusively Indigenous press for Native comics artists, and producer of the first Indigenous Comic Con. Joining them is Dale DeForest, author of “Hero Twins” comic books, based on Diné folklore.
NMiF host Gene Grant and the Line opinion panelists debate some of the latest stories in the news.
HOST/COMMENTATOR:
Gene Grant
CORRESPONDENT:
Sarah Gustavus
Megan Kamerick
STUDIO GUESTS:
Sharon Nir, author, “The Opposite of Comfortable”
Dale DeForest, Hero Twins author
Lee Francis, Native Realities Press and Indigenous Comic Con
LINE PANELISTS:
Tom Garrity, The Garrity Group PR
Sophie Martin, attorney and editor of DukeCityFix.com
Christine Sierra, retired UNM political science professor
Mary T. Torres, attorney at Law Offices of Mary T. Torres
…
New Mexico in Focus is New Mexico PBS’ prime-time news magazine show covering the events, issues, and people that are shaping life in New Mexico and the Southwest. Hosted by Gene Grant, New Mexico in Focus takes a multi-layered look at social, political, economic, health, education and arts issues and explores them in-depth, with a critical eye to give them context beyond the “news of the moment.”
New Mexico in Focus regularly airs Fridays at 7 p.m. and repeats Sundays at 7 a.m. on Channel 5.1, and Saturdays at 5 p.m. and Sundays at 3 p.m. on Channel 9.1, except during Pledge Drives.
The Producer of New Mexico in Focus is Sarah Gustavus. Associate Producer is Kathy Wimmer. NM PBS Public Affairs Executive Producer is Kevin McDonald.
Funding for New Mexico in Focus is provided in part by the McCune Charitable Foundation.
Involved, informed, in-depth media: watch New Mexico in Focus again online at www.newmexicopbs.org shortly thereafter.
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