New Mexico People Places and Ideas

On July 16, 1945, the world’s first nuclear bomb was detonated at the Trinity Site near Socorro, New Mexico.  Although the US government claimed the area was uninhabited, census records show that more than 40,000 people lived near-by. No warning was provided to these residents despite high levels of radiation. Sixty years later, Tina Cordova co-founded the Tularosa Basin Downwinders Consortium to seek justice for the survivors and their decedents. To date, however, no one has received medical support or compensation.

New Mexico People, Places and Ideas Fri. 4/6 8a: Albuquerque’s newly elected Mayor Tim Keller has pronounced Albuquerque’s Rapid Transit bus system built to run down the middle of Central a “bit of a lemon.” Why? Well, the electric buses leak, can't hold a proper charge, and don’t align with stations. What's worse, Albuquerque spent $130 million on the system, relying on an $80 million reimbursement from the federal governemtn, but Mayor Keller says that “check is not in the mail." Now what? Stephen Spitz sits down with the mayor to learn more about these problems and where ART is headed.

Fri. 1/5 8a:  New Mexico has one of the highest rates of child abuse and neglect in the Nation. But Children are resilient, aren’t they? No, says Dr. Bruce Perry, a psychiatrist and neuroscientist, who recently headlineda child welfare forum in Albuquerque.  Dr. Perry has researched how a child's environment, particularly those who encounter trauma, affects brain development. Dr. Perry has been featured in a wide range of media including NPR, The Today Show, Good Morning America, Nightline, CNN, MSNBC, NBC, ABC, CBS, and the Oprah Winfrey Show. Learn about Dr.