Albuquerque will choose a new mayor in a runoff election on December 9 after no single candidate received more than 50% of the vote in November’s election. KUNM’s Daniel Montano spoke with incumbent Mayor Tim Keller about the runoff election. So far he has raised nearly $378,000 for his campaign.

New Mexico has long struggled with education outcomes. The Yazzie/Martinez education equity case, settled in 2018, was meant to close gaps for the state’s most at-risk students. But a court recently found the Public Education Department still wasn’t meeting the requirements, prompting the agency to file a new action plan.

It’s that time of year again where respiratory diseases like COVID-19, the flu, and RSV are spreading. The New Mexico Department of Health is urging folks to get shots in arms in order to prevent the most serious and dangerous symptoms of these three seasonal respiratory diseases.

A small affordable housing complex in Albuquerque’s International District is getting a renovation and revitalization through partnerships with local companies and lawmakers. The project’s administrators say they can leverage those partnerships to keep costs low for tenants.

The University of New Mexico Hospital opened its Critical Care Tower after nearly a decade of planning and building. This project is intended to lessen the impacts of overcrowding and hospital officials say they’re already seeing good results.

New Mexico lawmakers approved $162 million in state funding to ensure food assistance for citizens until January 20. The bill passed both chambers with minimal pushback, although it did come with an amendment to look into how the program is run.

A new report says 80% of disabled state workers have considered quitting because of difficulties receiving accommodations. The list of grievances including extreme wait times of more than a year, denials without engaging in the process, and inappropriate and discriminatory comments by supervisors.

U.S. Rep. Melanie Stansbury paid a visit to the University of New Mexico’s Lobo Food Pantry Thursday afternoon, as part of a larger tour of food banks around her district. She’s been speaking with staff, touring facilities and finding out what they most need. According to the latest basic needs assessment, 58% of UNM students experience some sort of food insecurity.

This week on Let’s Talk New Mexico we’re discussing all things food insecurity in New Mexico, including the overarching causes and necessary changes.

New Mexico’s federal lawmakers are pushing bills aimed at bankrolling food assistance, which is set to stop Saturday amidst the ongoing government shutdown. U.S. Sen. Ben Ray Lujan and U.S. Rep. Melanie Stansbury, both Democrats, are sponsoring bills aimed at stopping that, and said both the money and the votes are there.