In this week’s episode, we’re talking about the local economy as a number of interesting factors collide. On one hand, the nation’s economy is shrinking as inflation and other factors drive up gas prices — creating a pinch at the pump and at the supermarket. Las Cruces certainly isn’t immune to these large-scale factors — but, according to one economist we spoke to, we may be a little better insulated. 

We’ll talk to Las Cruces Sun-News reporter Algernon D’Ammassa, who has followed several facets of this story quite closely. We’ll talk about the state’s recent legalization of the sale of recreational cannabis, the nationwide nursing shortage and other factors.

And, finally, we’ll talk to Meg Potter — the newest addition to our newsroom. Meg is a photojournalist — or, a visual journalist — who just started last week. We’ll talk about her experience, her motivation, and settling into life in a new city in the desert southwest.

This podcast was originally published by the Las Cruces Sun-News.