Indivisible Santa Fe Radio

Indivisible Santa Fe Radio

by Donovan Kolbly and Gary Kowalski
News CommentaryPolitics
Season 1
Protecting the Ballot with the League of Women Voters
More Americans say they don't trust elections, but for very different reasons. Debunked claims of voter fraud continue to circulate. Gerrymandering is rampant. New laws make it harder to cast a ballot. How can we restore faith in the nation's electoral system? For answers, Donovan and Gary speak with Stephanie Schlanger and Kelly Davis of the Santa Fe chapter of the League of Women Voters, a non-partisan but activist organization dedicated to protecting the Constitutionally mandated right to vote.
S1 · E16
Jul 6, 2026
24:20
Christian Nationalism: A New Idolatry?
Did you know that Barry Goldwater's wife was chair of Arizona's Planned Parenthood for many years? (The Republcan Senator and 1964 Presidential candidate was himself a lifelong member of the NAACP.) Times have changed and not always for the better. Christian Nationalism is a white nativist evangelical crusade that makes yesteryear's Moral Majority seem tame, identifying the Kingdom of God with the United States (especially the red states) and idolizing Donald Trump as God's enjoy on earth. Today, Donovan and Gary speak with the Reverend Talitha Arnold, senior minister at the United Church of Santa Fe and a graduate of Yale Divinity School, about the threats this perversion of faith represents to our democratic freedoms and to the foundations of authentic Christianity.
S1 · E15
Jun 29, 2026
22:44
Justice for Epstein's Victims in New Mexico?
For decades, notorious sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein operated a vast hideaway called Zorro Ranch just south of Santa Fe. Until now, no full investigation of the property ever took place. Donovan and Gary talk with Representative Andrea Romero, who chairs the newly formed NM Survivors Truth Commission, empowered to search out whatever crimes may have occurred there. Recently the Commission began issuing subpoenas and hearing testimony from Epstein's victims, including Rachel Benavidez and family members of Virginia Guiffre. Representive Romero is determined to honor their stories of abuse, hold the perpetrators accountable, and make sure such atrocities never happen again.
S1 · E14
Jun 15, 2026
22:39
Up From Last Place: Improving Education in our State with Fred Nathan, Jr. of Think New Mexico
New Mexico spends more on education per pupil than most other states, but ranks near the bottom on student outcomes for math and reading proficiency. Why is that, and what can be done? The answers may surprise. Donovan and Gary talk with Fred Nathan, Jr., the founder and Executive Director of Think New Mexico, which has has been instrumental in reforming state government: successfully pushing to implement all day kindergarten, remove the sales tax on groceries, end predatory lending and most recently pushing legislation to address the acute shortage of doctors and other health care providers in our state. Fred talks about additional steps needed to bring more psychologists, EMTS, and PTs to practice here. But his analysis of our lopsided educational system--heavy on highly paid administrators while short-changing classrooms--is eye opening.
S1 · E13
Jun 8, 2026
22:33
Voting Rights and Wrongs: A Conversation with Gene Grant
Earlier this month the U.S. Supreme Court destroyed what was left of the landmark 1965 Voting Rights Act that for the first time in Amerrican history gave blacks access to the ballot box and a voice in their own government. Already states across old Dixie are redrawing lines to dilute minority representation in Congress. Donovan and Gary discuss the decision and its implications with Gene Grant, Executive Director of the New Mexico Office of African American Affairs, who despite the setback sees glimmers of hope on the horizon.
S1 · E12
May 18, 2026
21:28
Archbishop John Wester on Trump's Immoral War
When if ever is war justified? Donovan and Gary are honored to speak with the Archbishop of Santa Fe John Wester, who reflects on the dubious morality of America's war with Iran in light of Roman Catholic teachings that reach back to Augustine and Aquinas which but remain more relevant than ever. Archbishop Wester shares his vision for a better path to peace.
S1 · E11
May 11, 2026
21:54
Breaking Big Money's Grip on America
Billionaires with deep pockets have an outsized influence on electoral politics, turning government of and by the people into a system that serves the ultra-wealthy and well-connected. Donovan and Gary talk with Bruce Berlin, the author of Breaking Big Money's Grip on America to under stand the scope of the challenge and explore remedies to return power to ordinary citizens.
S1 · E10
May 4, 2026
17:25
Protecting Reproductive Freedom with Faith Roots
Amanda Diaz, Exective Director of Faith Roots Reproductive Action, assists women traveling to New Mexico to receive abortions, offering support with lodging, food and other practical necessities. Where are these women coming from and what conditions force them to seek health care here ? Co-hosts Donovan and Gary talk with Amanda about the effort to protect women's bodily autonomy.
S1 · E9
Apr 20, 2026
19:16
American Midnight Revisited with Adam Hochschild
Hosts Donovan and Gary talk with historian and renowned journalist Adam Hochschild, co-founder of Mother Jones magazine, about his most recent book American Midnight: The Great War, A Violent Peace and America’s Forgotten Crisis.. Hysteria over immigration, attacks on free speech, jailing of "subversives" and political prisoners, a surge in lynching and racial violence, gross disparities of wealth and anxiety over women's liberation (women had just won the vote) characterized America in the years 1917-1921. What can we learn from a dark passage of history so similar to the shadows now hanging over our democracy?
S1 · E8
Apr 6, 2026
20:29
History Under Threat in our National Parks
Who gets to tell and edit the story of our nation's past? Our host Gary speaks with Jerry Rogers, who started out as an historian-ranger in the National Park Service in 1963 and whose career led him to national positions in historic preservation and ultimately to serve as Keeper of the National Register of Historic Places and a decade as National Park Service Associate Director for Cultural Resources. Jerry retired to Santa Fe together with his wife Nancy in 2002.
S1 · E7
Mar 16, 2026
15:57
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