AmeriCorps Axed; NM Republican's Government Efficiency Effort

Lou DiVizio opens the show with news from around the state. Then, we turn our attention to federal cuts made to AmeriCorps, the government agency that's trained generations of Americans to help others. Until recently, AmeriCorps employed thousands to help others statewide — from Taos to Ruidoso, and in cities and pueblos in between. Now, the federal agency is a shadow of what it once was, as most of its staff have been fired and millions of dollars in federal grants have been axed. Host Nash Jones speaks with U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich, D-N.M., to discuss President Trump's gutting of AmeriCorps, and what he and the state are doing about it.The Albuquerque Sign Language Academy is one of several local programs hit hard by the AmeriCorps cuts. Jones recently sat down with Rafe Martinez, the academy's director, as well as former AmeriCorps board member Alvin Warren to discuss the federal cuts and their impact in communities across the state.State Sen. Jay Block, R-Rio Rancho, introduced a bill during this year's legislative session to create a program similar to the Department of Government Efficiency. Unlike DOGE, Block tells senior producer Lou DiVizio that his proposed program will not shrink the government workforce, nor target what the Trump administration calls “woke propaganda.” Host: Lou DiVizioSegments:U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich on Major Cuts to AmeriCorpsHost: Nash JonesGuest: U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich, D-N.M.AmeriCorps Cuts Disrupt NM ProgramsHost: Nash JonesGuests:Alvin Warren, Former AmeriCorps Board MemberRafe Martinez, Director, Albuquerque Sign Language AcademyNM Sen. Jay Block on Creating State Program Similar to DOGECorrespondent: Lou DiVizioGuest: NM Sen. Jay Block, R-Rio RanchoFor More Information: Records: New Mexico governor has OK’d more than $2M for National Guard deployment to Albuquerque - Source New Mexico