COVID Stress and Mental Health, Rep. Deb Haaland, and Albuquerque's Bosque | 12.11.20

This week on New Mexico in Focus… U.S. Rep. Deb Haaland talks with correspondent Laura Paskus about the possibility of joining the Cabinet for President Joe Biden as secretary of the Department of the Interior. The 1st Congressional District Democrat is on the short list for the job, and talks about the post, what the agenda should be for the administration, and the importance of consulting Native tribes.   Correspondent Megan Kamerick looks at dealing with mental health challenges during the COVID pandemic. Long underserved by physicians, the New Mexico also has a difficult time finding mental health professionals; a problem compounded when former Gov. Susana Martinez dismantled much of the state’s behavioral health system. She talks to a psychologist and a man who’s seeking counseling for the first time.   In this month’s episode of Our Land, correspondent Laura Paskus travels close to home—Albuquerque’s bosque. In the fall and winter, it’s an ideal location to spot not just sandhill cranes and migratory birds, but porcupines, beavers and more.    Gene Grant and The Line opinion panelists debate the roller coaster ride over appointments in President-elect Joe Biden’s cabinet and how Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham lost out on a Health and Human Services position. The Line also looks at the looming shift into crisis mode for New Mexico hospitals due to multiplying cases of COVID. The panelists then talk about how lawmakers might address budgets and bills when the legislative session starts in January.