PFAS Discovered, Musicians Struggle and Lawmakers Meet During Pandemic | 1.22.21

This week on New Mexico in Focus… PFAS, toxic man-made chemicals, are showing up in New Mexico’s waters, according to a state study.  Scientists have found these PFAS chemicals – associated with products like firefighting foams, nonstick cookware and fire-retardant fabrics – in waters across the state, from pretty remote reaches of the Gila River to right here in Albuquerque’s stretch of the Rio Grande. Correspondent Laura Paskus speaks with the New Mexico Environment Department’s Rebecca Roose to find more about the state study and what it means. Correspondent Megan Kamerick talks with band manager Sydney Counce about the pandemic’s impact on live music in New Mexico. Counce, who works with local act Dust City Opera, was about to hit the road on tour with the group when COVID-19 struck. Since then, musicians have struggled to make ends meet and often ended up missing out on assistance programs. Gene Grant and The Line opinion panel discuss the first week of the New Mexico Legislature’s 60-day session.  Because of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, this gathering of lawmakers will be very different from those of previous years. The Line discuss whether government transparency – and public buy-in – is possible. The Line panelists also debate the effects of President Biden’s immigration plan on our border state and look at national conservative politics through a New Mexico lens.