Mary Lou Cooper

A death in the family is one of the saddest occasions any of us will ever face. But for con artists, death equals opportunity. Consumer reporter Mary Lou Cooper brings us a report on death and obituary scams. She speaks with Liz Peck, Forbes Magazine contributor and certified financial planner with Frazier Financial consultants.

Now, a report on a topic that’s been around forever—Fake News. But thanks to social media, it’s become more widespread than ever. Witness the fact that Collins Dictionary named Fake News the 2017 word of the year.

KSFR reporter Mary Lou Cooper talks with a local expert to shine a light on Fake News—what is it and how do we recognize it?

For more help on how to spot fake news, check out these sites: 

Fact Checking Sites 

For Science Monday we thought we’d turn to a different sort of chemistry: the chemistry of high-altitude baking. All kudos for story idea — and cake execution — to Mary Lou Cooper. When Mary Lou began sharing what she was going through to refine her homemade dessert repertoire after taking part in a recent community college baking class, I couldn’t help but think of a famous TV scene.

SFR is talking about a topic today that is important to all of us, but most especially to teens and their families.  That topic is cyberbullying.  And it affects one our of every three teens in America.  We kick off this feature with excerpts from the song "Hey Bully" which was co-written and recorded by young country artist Morgan Frazier.  Frazier says that as a kid she was bullied at school.  She joined forces with the organization "Stand for the Silent" to campaign against bullying.  KSFR reporter Mary Lou Cooper brings us the story. 

Consumer reporter Mary Lou Cooper examines the spike in deadly crashes involving teenage drivers that occurs annually in the period between Memorial and Labor Day, according to a AAA study. She spoke with a representative of AAA New Mexico for more.

  When we talk about the health of the economy, we often focus on the availability of employment. But what about the quality of the jobs that are out there?

Here's KSFR's consumer reporter Mary Lou Cooper on the best and worst states for jobs across the country.

Assistance Dogs of the West in Santa Fe trains Courthouse facility dogs to serve judicial districts and child advocacy centers around the country — with the help of veterans returning from wars. Mary Lou Cooper reports.

KSFR's Mary Lou Cooper speaks with analyst Jill Gonzales of the consumer interest site WalletHub to learn which states they quantified as the most and least "fun" in the USA. Listen to find out where New Mexico landed...

May is a big month for young adults as they leave high school or college to begin the next chapter of their lives.  What does the world of work look like for them for 2017 and beyond?  KSFR's consumer reporter Mary Lou Cooper brings us the story.

You can read WalletHub's complete report on the best and worst entry-level jobs here.

The American Automobile Association has just released its 2017 Green Car ratings. So if you’re thinking about buying a new vehicle and want to be kind to the environment, this guide is for you. KSFR's Mary Lou Cooper spoke to AAA New Mexico spokesperson Doug Shupe to find out more.

You can search AAA's Green Car Guide here.

For many people who’ve experienced the process of recognizing that a stay in assisted living is needed or even imminent,  there are probably few thing that seem quite as momentous — or as stressful as deciding where that’s going to be There’s making the decision and  then finding the right facility — and asking the right questions. For help with this, we rely on our consumer affairs reporter, Mary Lou Cooper, who brings us this story.

Depending on where in the US you live, a job hunt can be anything from a breeze to an all-encompassing cloud of frustration. KSFR's Mary Lou Cooper caught up with an analyst from the financial site WalletHub to learn where the jobs are and aren't in America.

Today's story on IRS impersonation is the second in Mary Lou Cooper's series on tax scams by individuals masquerading as IRS agents. Here are some surefire ways to know that you do not actually have an IRS employee on the line. Tax scams in New Mexico amount to more than $100,000 a year. But that's mild compared to California, which clocks in at $11 million in the scams.

Tomorrow is February 1st and that means that tax season is upon us.

We kick it off Mary Lou Cooper’s new consumer affairs series on tax scams and schemes with this story about how to choose a tax preparer and what to look out for.

In Part 2 of this series we’ll take a look at IRS impersonators.

This fall, in the course of reporting on the problem of compulsive gambling in seniors, KSFR learned that some people who have this problem of compulsive gambling may be  adversely affected by drugs used to treat Parkinson’s Disease and Restless Leg Syndrome.

Mary Lou Cooper goes deeper into the story and a proposal to amp up the warnings on the medications and inform consumers.