Category Archives: NMPPI Shows

Today’s guest is Michael S. Vigil, a former undercover DEA agent in Mexico, who rose to be the DEA’s Chief of International Operations worldwide. In our March 2023 show, Vigil traced the origin and development of the Mexican drug cartels. This month New Mexico People Place and Ideas’ host Stephen Spitz focuses on how that history affects Mexico today. We start with a cause celeb in Mexico, the 43 missing and presumably murdered college students. The resulting 2014 criminal case has gone nowhere, allegedly because those implicated are the military, the police, politicians, and judges.

What does this say about Mexico’s criminal justice system? Next we look at the cartels’ entry into lawful businesses, with up to 60% revenues now coming from extortion and theft. Finally, the positives.  Mexico is now the US’s #1 trading partner and already is an economic engine for NM. What are the prospects? 

Produced with assistance of Gus Tafoya, and Roman Garcia.

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How does stress affect  brain function and conduct? Can be stress passed on epigenetically ( not experientially)  to succeeding generations? Can the effect of stress on the brain actually be measured and mapped via non-invasive neuroimaging of the brain?

The Mind Research Network at UNM has been doing such brain scans since 1997 to better understand just such questions and provide objective data for patients. Physicist Julia Stephen, Director of Neuroimaging at MRN, has been using brain scans to investigate the effects of stress on brain function in early childhood and adolescents. But how can non-invasive brain scans do this—what does it see, how does it see it, and what do these scans tell us about the effect of childhood stress?

New Mexico People Place and Ideas host Stephen Spitz will put these and related questions to Dr Stephen this Friday at 8:00 am.

Produced with assistance of Gus Tafoya, and Roman Garcia.

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By early Spring New Mexico had already experienced its two largest wildfires in history as well as the McBride fire, which destroyed more than 200 homes in Ruidoso. Is this the new normal? And are controlled burns really the answer given that the disastrous Hermits Peak fire that ended up destroying more than 300 homes and displacing thousands of New Mexicans.

Joining host Stephen Spitz to discuss this is UNM professor and fire ecologist, Dr. Matthew Hurteau. We will explore how fire risks are best managed, why fire suppression still rules the day, and how the Hermits Peak fire went so horribly wrong.

Produced with assistance of Lynn Schibeci, Elias Henley, Tristan Clum, and Roman Garcia.

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From potters to political game changers, women have been shaping New Mexico history for centuries. However while NM’s Historic Roadside Markers program began in 1935, as of 1996 it was unclear how many women had been so recognized. That year Patricia French, after stopping to read a historic marker on the Santa Fe trail, wondered out-loud to her friends Beverly Duran and Alexis Girard, how many women had been mentioned? 

They found out the answer was only 1 woman out of 500 markers and launched an effort to put the record straight. Now the New Mexico Historic Women Marker Initiative highlights the accomplishments of more than 100 women. How exactly does one explain this disparity, what did Patricia French and her colleagues do to change the Program, and who are the women now recognized on State markers? 

New Mexico People Place and Ideas host Stephen Spitz will put those and related questions to Patricia French this Friday at 8:00 am.

Produced with assistance of Gus Tafoya, and Roman Garcia.

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Sunday, May 28 is the 107th running of the Indianapolis 500 mile race. The Unser family, Al, Bobby, and Al Jr., have won the 500 a record nine times. Our guest is racing legend Al Unser, who passed away on December 9, 2021 and who still holds the record for most Indy wins.

New Mexico People Place and Ideas host Stephen Spitz sat down with Al in 2005 at the Unser Museum to talk about the Museum, what its  like to first take the track at speeds over 200 mph, how to win, and racing against your own son. The show explores all this and much more.

Produced with assistance of Gus Tafoya, and Tristan Clum.

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Politics inside New Mexico’s “Roundhouse” are notoriously complex with legislative success dependent on personal connections, intra-party rivalries, the power of lobbyists, and basic deal making. This year saw a change in  House leadership, a different more friendly vibe, and push-back against the Governor’s agenda by fellow Democrats. Meanwhile, there was also record spending and a 30% budget surplus.  Bills regarding paid family leave, paid legislators and staff, crime, and the environment were introduced. What, of significance, occurred?

New Mexico People Place and Ideas host Stephen Spitz will put that to this month’s guest, Joe Monahan, the lead political blogger in New Mexico: he will provide listeners with an inside look at what  passed this Session along with the big misses.

Produced with assistance of Lynn Schibeci, Gus Tafoya, and Tristan Clum.

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This month’s guest is Michael S. Vigil, a former undercover DEA agent in Mexico, who rose to be Chief of International Operations worldwide.  

One of his favorite accolades is a narcocorrido tribute from a famous Mexican musician, Alberto Angel, the ballad elevating his fame to rival those of the international drug lords he pursued. But why choose to be an undercover agent and what is it like living on the knife’s edge of danger? Host Stephen Spitz will explore this along with the escalating violence of the Mexican Cartels, and what can be done to stop them?

Produced with assistance of Lynn Schibeci, Gus Tafoya, and Tristan Clum.

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Albuquerque, like most US cities, has a housing crisis. But, it’s acute here. According to the City, the shortage is 80,000 homes, 30,000 units for those with low and moderate incomes and 50,000 market rate houses and apartments. Those with lowest incomes face the greatest challenges and, of course, this is one cause of homelessness. But the lack of available housing also affects workforce and economic development. In response, the City has announced a “Housing Forward” initiative to spur conversion of old motels and offices and the construction of new market rate housing. 

Joining host Stephen Spitz to discuss this is Albuquerque Mayor Tim Keller. We will explore how Albuquerque got here and how “Housing Forward” could change the housing  landscape.

Produced with assistance of Lynn Schibeci, Gus Tafoya, and Tristan Clum.

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Contrary to pre-election surveys, the Latino electorate did not veer sharply Right and was pivotal in key Senate races in Nevada and Arizona. Was the polling wrong about the importance of the economy and unpopularity of Biden with Latinos? And how does this square with the much-publicized result in Florida, where Latinos did veer sharply Right? 

Joining host Stephen Spitz to discuss this is UNM professor Gabriel Sanchez, who has provided election analysis for Albuquerque TV stations, Latino Decisions, and NPR. We will explore the above questions as well as Latino support for Democrats in New Mexico what Republicans need to do to win state-wide races.

Produced with assistance of Lynn Schibeci, Gus Tafoya, and Tristan Clum.

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Today’s guest is the most famous comedian you have never seen and didn’t even believe existed. His name is Jack Handey (yes that’s his real name), and the name is undoubtedly familiar to fans of Saturday Night Live.

Jack Handey, a long time resident of Santa Fe, is the person responsible for SNL’s consistently hilarious series, “Deep Thoughts”, along with many other sketches. On SNL Deep Thoughts was an interstitial segment between sketches that was introduced by Phil Hartman and read live by Handey (neither actually appeared on screen). Handey’s one-liners proved to be extremely popular. Hartman would intone “And now, Deep Thoughts, by Jack Handey…” and peaceful easy listening music would play while the screen showed soothing pastoral scenes, much like a New Age relaxation video. Handey would then read the Deep Thought as the text scrolled across the screen.

Now Handey has written his first novel, The Stench of Honolulu: A Tropical Adventure. The plot is not complicated, a search for treasure in Hawaii, but the humor will definitely appeal to anyone who enjoyed Deep Thoughts.

Please join host Stephen Spitz and Jack Handey as we learn how Handey got into comedy and what makes comedians and jokes “funny”. Produced with the assistance of Joe Green.

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