Steve Terrell on New Mexico Politics, Our Land: The Border Wall & Wildlife, and SNAP Work Requirements

This week on New Mexico in Focus, senior producer Matt Grubs sits down with Steve Terrell, newly retired from the Santa Fe New Mexican after four decades as a newspaper man. They talk about what’s changed over the years since Terrell first started covering the Legislature and New Mexico politics. In this month’s installment of Our Land, correspondent Laura Paskus and the NMiF crew travel to the border to see firsthand construction of the new wall between the U.S. and Mexico and learn about the its impacts on wildlife and communities. Gene Grant and The Line opinion panel examine a law that went into effect in July. The law lets judges order guns taken away from domestic violence offenders, but as KRQE-TV reports, it’s lightly used and has a big loophole. The Line opinion panelists also debate the consequences of stricter mandates governing SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program). The new rules, approved last week by the Trump administration, could cut food aid to some 37,000 New Mexicans. With its final topic, The Line looks at the 10-day notices the City of Albuquerque gave two convenience stores to get these “nuisance properties” to make improvements for public safety.