Taylor Velazquez

The U.S. has the highest rate of maternal mortality among wealthy nations. Even worse, New Mexico has nearly double the national rate of pregnancy-related deaths. Experts stress they are overwhelmingly preventable, but the numbers are going up.

The United States has the highest rate of maternal mortality among wealthy nations. And New Mexico has nearly double the national rate of pregnancy-related mortality. Experts told lawmakers this week that this is an urgent issue.

The Transportation Security Administration has announced the 2023 holiday season will be the busiest travel season ever, expecting to screen 30 million passengers nationwide. TSA is projecting that this coming Sunday, November 26th, will be the busiest travel day. A program at the Albuquerque International Sunport aims to ease travelers' stress and anxiety amid the hustle and bustle.

The Attendance for Success Act signed in 2019 required schools to track and report to the state as well as work on implementing supportive interventions. This week, the Legislative Education Study Committee reported that while the law is strong on paper, there are concerns about schools' capacity to implement those interventions.

When it comes to prescription medicine, Americans pay 2-3 times more than people in other wealthy countries. This inequity is even worse in Black and Latino communities. But the 2022 Inflation Reduction Acthas begun to close the gaps in the Latino community accessing affordable healthcare.

New Mexico schools have been hit hard by chronic absenteeism with about 39% of our students missing 10% or more of school days. On the next Let’s Talk New Mexico, we’ll discuss resources available to address chronic absenteeism and the gaps still needing to be filled.

It’s election time and several candidates will be vying for three seats on the Albuquerque Public Schools Board. On the next Let’s Talk New Mexico, we’ll be asking the candidates their thoughts on the current state of education and what their contributions to the board would be.

New Mexico’s students are facing challenges both inside and outside the classroom that make learning difficult. A community school model that connects families with resources like healthy meals or mental health counseling is touted as a potential solution. On the next Let’s Talk New Mexico, we’ll discuss how community schools might help our floundering education system.

New Mexico is experiencing a statewide doctor shortage, losing about 30% of our primary care physicians in the last four years. Resident physicians at the University of New Mexico represented by the Committee of Interns and Residents (CIRSEIU) are seeing the impact and will be holding a “unity break” event Wednesday to demand better pay and benefits after five months of negotiations that have gone nowhere.

Social media has become a common way for people to communicate and share ideas. However, the U.S. Surgeon General issued an advisory earlier this year about the effects of social media use on young people and their mental health after use of platforms has become nearly universal.