The Daily Sun-Up: Recent Episodes
The Colorado Sun
Welcome to The Colorado Sun's daily podcast, The Daily Sun-Up. Every day we’re sharing an in-depth look at one of our top stories, followed by a quick summary of important things happening in our state. For more visit us at https://coloradosun.com/.
Today, Colorado Sun rural reporter Tracy Ross looks into a program in Cortez that is helping area teens learn skills and getting residents on the Navajo Nation and around the Four Corners area running water in their homes and other necessities.
https://coloradosun.com/2026/08/08/navajo-nation-entrepreneurship-kids-cortez-training-jobs/
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Every year, Sun outdoors reporter Jason Blevins tracks winter and summer taxable sales in 18 large and small mountain towns near ski areas. Today, Jason looks at the recently calculated numbers for the November-through-April stretch of the 2025-26 winter and what he found out.
Misery tickets: bit.ly/4plYyZ2
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Introducing our new podcast, Can Colorado Do More With Less Water? Join The Colorado Sun to explore what may or may not be possible in creating water solutions across the state.
Snow storage has been used as a snow management tool in Europe for decades. Aspen is among a growing number of North American resorts embracing the practice.
Learn more: https://coloradosun.com/more-with-less-water-series/
Music: namebackwards.live/
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Author Samuel Marquis sits down with the Sun's Kevin Simpson to discuss his new historical narrative, "Empire and Frontier".
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The Colorado Sun's rural reporter Tracy Ross is talking to Ame Warner, Executive Director of Saguache County Sustainable Environment & Economic Development in the San Luis Valley about the joys and perils of living in a remote area where resources can be scarce but the community more than makes up for it.
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Justin George talks with Colorado Sun reporter Colleen Slevin about ICE’s recent expansion and enforcement activity in Colorado. They also discuss opposition to a proposed detention facility in Glenwood Springs.
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Today, Colorado Sun business reporter Tamara Chuang discusses the $21 million project across the state to digitize public records dating back to the 1800s.
https://coloradosun.com/2025/10/16/colorado-digitize-analog-records-historic/
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Today, outdoors reporter Jason Blevins breaks down the 2025 Colorado tourism report and how despite record numbers of visitors and spending, there are concerns about a slowdown and what a rough 2026 could mean.
https://coloradosun.com/2026/07/30/colorado-sees-record-year-for-tourism/
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Author Heather Hansman sits down with the Sun's Kevin Simpson to discuss her new book about three women who pioneered the outdoors.
Misery Tickets: bit.ly/4plYyZ2
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Today, we have a portion of our Colorado SunFest weather panel conversation with local meteorologists Chris Bianchi, Mike Nelson and Joel Gratz as they talk about being weather geeks, how they relay important and sometimes life-saving information to their audiences and the inexact science of forecasting.
Full Sunfest weather panel:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fIKXAYTuf4E
May 19 Daily Sun-Up on weather forecasting and AI:
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/colorado-weather-forecasting-and-ai/id1529487340?i=1000768526702
Misery Tickets: bit.ly/4plYyZ2
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Justin George, Public Policy Editor at The Colorado Sun, is joined by Jesse Paul, The Colorado Sun’s Elections Editor, to talk about two big Colorado political story lines: How Democrats who backed Michael Bennet are now lining up behind Democratic gubernatorial nominee Phil Weiser, and why Gov. Jared Polis keeps taking aim at socialism — and members of his own party — on national TV.
Misery Tickets: bit.ly/4plYyZ2
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Today, Colorado Sun reporter Tracy Ross explains what the closure of two fishing holes in Southeastern Colorado means to the local economy, especially to one small business that sells fishing supplies.
https://coloradosun.com/2026/07/25/southeastern-colorado-fishing-economy-water-reservoirs-jobs/
Misery Tickets: bit.ly/4plYyZ2
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Today, Sun outdoors reporter Jason Blevins has updates on plans to turn Sweetwater Lake in remote Garfield County into a recreation area in a partnership with the Colorado Parks and Wildlife and the U.S. Forest Service.
https://coloradosun.com/2026/07/24/sweetwater-lake-forest-service-study/
Misery Tickets: bit.ly/4plYyZ2
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G. Brown, director of the Colorado Music Experience, and the Sun's Kevin Simpson discuss the Grammy maker, Studio C and other music topics.
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Today, Colorado Sun rural reporter Tracy Ross breaks down a couple of recent decisions by the Colorado Parks and Wildlife related to the hunting and sale of 17 furbearing animals including coyotes, foxes, bobcats, beavers and martens.
https://coloradosun.com/2026/07/18/colorado-wildlife-commission-reduces-number-of-fur-bearing-animals-trappers-can-kill/
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Today reporters John Ingold and Michael Booth talk about whether Denver water users are cutting back enough, as well as a contempt of court allegation against Children's Hospital Colorado.
https://coloradosun.com/2026/07/20/denver-water-drought-shortage-consumers-not-saving/
https://coloradosun.com/2026/07/20/childrens-hospital-colorado-contempt-gender-affirming-care/
https://coloradosun.com/2026/07/21/2-large-hospital-systems-partner-up-in-colorado/
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Today, Colorado Sun business reporter Tamara Chuang digs into the latest real estate report from the first half of 2026 in the Denver metro area, and talks about why the market continues to be flat across Colorado.
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Today, Sun outdoors reporter Jason Blevins looks into the growing concerns around hikers relieving themselves in the Colorado mountains and how federal cuts to the Forest Service could mean “wag bags” will have an even greater role in keeping the lands clean.
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The Rev. Dr. Nancy Niero, author of "Witness at Sand Creek", sits down with the Sun's Kevin Simpson to discuss her connection to Silas Soule and her book "Witness at Sand Creek".
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Today, Colorado Sun water reporter Shannon Mullane looks at how tiny bubbles in the Colorado River are posing big problems for water officials at the Glen Canyon and Hoover dams.
https://coloradosun.com/2026/07/06/supercharged-bubbles-are-threatening-lake-powells-dam/
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Progressives surprised many in Colorado’s primary elections in late June, including a shocking upset for a democratic socialist candidate who ousted a longtime incumbent in Denver in a race that grabbed national headlines. Did Colorado get hit with an anti-incumbent wave on primary night? Colorado Sun Elections Editor Jesse Paul and Colorado Public Radio Public Affairs reporters Bente Birkeland and Caitlyn Kim discuss what the shakeups say about politics in Colorado in this conversation first broadcast on Purplish. The Purplish podcast is produced by CPR News and the Capitol News Alliance, a collaboration between KUNC News, Colorado Public Radio, Rocky Mountain PBS and The Colorado Sun.
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Colorado continues to have some of the highest homeowners insurance in the country. Today, business reporter Tamara Chuang talks about why that is, the sharp increases in the past five years and how homeowners are coping.
https://coloradosun.com/2026/07/10/wildfires-insurance-homeowners-regulations/
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Today, Sun outdoors reporter Jason Blevins talks about how those who enjoy the outdoors are flexing their collective muscle to have a say in politics related to the trillion-dollar industry, from the local level to D.C.
https://coloradosun.com/2026/07/08/boulder-open-space-limit-mountain-bikes/
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Introducing our new podcast, Can Colorado Do More With Less Water? Join The Colorado Sun to explore what may or may not be possible in creating water solutions across the state.
In this episode we focus on Colorado’s resilient, adaptable farmers who can raise just about anything and use less water doing it. But will enough people buy what they produce?
Learn more: https://coloradosun.com/more-with-less-water-series/
Music: namebackwards.live/
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James Ellroy, legendary crime fiction author, chats with the Sun's Kevin Simpson about his latest novel, the L.A.-centered "Red Sheet".
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Today, Colorado Sun rural reporter Tracy Ross talks about how ranchers are dealing with the wildfires burning across Colorado and what might be in store after they return and survey the damage.
https://coloradosun.com/2026/07/08/colorado-wildfires-ranchers-cattle-livestock-aspen-acres/
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On Today's Sun-Up, John Ingold and Michael Booth offer some air quality tips for an unhealthy wildfire season, and introduce a surprising study of exactly how long moose have roamed Colorado.
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Today, Colorado Sun business reporter Tamara Chuang looks into the expanding role of private AI programs and how a southern Colorado hospital is jumping into the artificial intelligence world to help with billing issues.
https://coloradosun.com/2026/07/06/huerfano-county-health-facility-iterate-ai-trial-recover-insurance-payments/
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Today, Sun outdoors reporter Jason Blevins looks at the record number of people getting out to enjoy nature but has warnings from local officials as wildfires rage in Colorado and fire restrictions are sweeping across the state.
https://coloradosun.com/2026/07/02/recreating-during-drought-wildfires/
https://coloradosun.com/2026/07/01/mesa-county-search-and-rescue-ruby-horsethief/
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Colorado Sun Public Policy Editor Justin George, is joined by political reporter Colleen Slevin to discuss the surprising results of Tuesday’s races.
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Today, we’re checking in on our Colorado 150 series with culture and arts reporter Parker Yamasaki to talk about some of Colorado’s great venues (think Red Rocks) and mining towns (think Crystal Mill). Our series celebrates 150 awesome things about Colorado as we countdown to the Aug. 1 statehood day.
Colorado 150 landing page
https://coloradosun.com/colorado-150/
Reader suggestions
https://coloradosun.com/2026/04/23/what-do-you-love-about-colorado-audience-callout/
June 4 episode
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/colorado-150th-statehood-project-full-steam-ahead/id1529487340?i=1000771127906
May 7 episode
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/colorado-150th-birthday-celebration-underway/id1529487340?i=1000766587825
April 23 episode
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/sun-getting-in-on-colorados-150th-anniversary/id1529487340?i=1000763215424
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Author Rachel Feder sits down with the Sun's Kevin Simpson to discuss the gothic influences on her new novella, "The Turn".
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It’s the holiday week, so today Colorado Sun business reporter Tamara Chuang talks about the prices for this year’s Fourth of July cookout celebrations and how Coloradans plan to celebrate within their budget.
https://coloradosun.com/2026/06/27/fraser-arts-center-economic-development/
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Today, Sun outdoors reporter Jason Blevins breaks down the recent one-day spike in the stock price for Vail Resorts shares and how the company's leader is responding.
https://coloradosun.com/2026/06/26/takeover-reports-vail-resorts-stock/
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Author John Andrews sits down with the Sun's Kevin Simpson to discuss his World War I novel, "An American Nurse in Paris".
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Today, Colorado Sun education reporter Erica Breunlin has updates on the new state law instructing all Colorado districts and charter schools to create a policy that spells out when and how students can use cellphones during the school day.
https://coloradosun.com/2026/06/18/colorado-school-districts-student-cellphone-policy-state-law/
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Today, reporters Michael Booth and John Ingold talk about a new Colorado factory that is 3-D printing homes, as well as a Colorado program trying to import prescription drugs from Canada.
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Today, Colorado Sun business reporter Tamara Chuang looks into the high prices of beef and the challenges for ranchers and the industry right now.
https://coloradosun.com/2026/06/20/beef-hamburgers-prices-inflation-agriculture/
https://coloradosun.com/2026/06/22/ready-for-your-next-steak-these-ranchers-are-battling-drought-to-bring-it-to-you/
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Today, Sun outdoors reporter Jason Blevins looks at the “Rural Is Rad” collective of Colorado outdoor companies working together to promote their rural Colorado roots around the world while staying grounded in their smaller communities.
https://coloradosun.com/2026/06/19/rural-is-rad-collective/
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G. Brown, director of the Colorado Music Experience, and the Sun's Kevin Simpson talk rock music books and other goings on.
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Today Colorado Sun business reporter Tamara Chuang talks about the recent Colorado Sun series looking into the real estate troubles in downtown Denver and how the city and the Downtown Development Authority are trying to revive the heart of Colorado’s biggest city.
What the heck is going on downtown?
https://coloradosun.com/2026/06/14/downtown-denver-commercial-real-estate-market/
Civic Center park revamp
https://coloradosun.com/2026/06/16/the-plan-for-reviving-civic-center-park-denver/
Denver Pavilions new approach
https://coloradosun.com/2026/06/17/denver-pavilions-new-era/
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Today we’re talking to Brian Eason, a Colorado Sun investigative reporter and the assistant editor of our politics and policy team. Last week, the Colorado Sun published a stunning investigation by Brian into huge bonuses worth six figures given to investment managers at Colorado PERA, the largest public pension plan in the state.
Read more: https://coloradosun.com/2026/06/08/colorado-pera-staff-bonuses-shrinking-pension-fund-analysis/
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Today, Colorado Sun business reporter Tamara Chuang looks at the latest inflation numbers in Colorado and the rippled down effect on affordability in a state that’s already one of the most expensive to live in.
https://coloradosun.com/2026/06/10/denver-area-inflation-increases-5-percent-2026/
https://coloradosun.com/2026/06/13/inflation-affordability-denver-colorado-gas-prices/
https://www.federalreserve.gov/releases/z1/dataviz/dfa/distribute/table/
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Today, Sun outdoors reporter Jason Blevins discusses an idea in Boulder County that would limit mountain bike access on some trails around Lyons on certain days and the pushback the idea is bringing.
Read more: https://coloradosun.com/2026/06/12/lyons-mountain-bikers-boulder-county-proposal/
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Author Nina McConigley sits down with the Sun's Kevin Simpson to discuss her debut novel, "How to Commit a Postcolonial Murder".
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Today, Colorado Sun rural reporter Tracy Ross continues to track news from Colorado Parks and Wildlife, including a rancher who says an employee killed a wolf as well as the governor’s latest appointments to the CPW commission.
https://coloradosun.com/2026/06/04/ranch-owner-says-employee-killed-king-mountain-wolf/
https://coloradosun.com/2026/06/10/colorado-parks-and-wildlife-new-commissioners-jared-polis/
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Temperature newsletter wranglers Michael Booth and John Ingold talk about a keystone court case pitting drug companies against the state of Colorado, and a new Sun "solutions" series on where Colorado can save water.
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Today, Colorado Sun business reporter Tamara Chuang looks at how Colorado teens are facing new challenges to landing some of the traditional summertime jobs.
Read more: https://coloradosun.com/2026/06/06/colorado-teenagers-summer-jobs-employers/
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Today, Sun outdoors reporter Jason Blevins has a look at the final and shocking Colorado skier visits data from the rough season and also why Utah’s richest resident is poking Vail Resorts to sell him Park City resort.
https://coloradosun.com/2026/06/04/colorado-skier-visits-collapse-2025-26/
https://coloradosun.com/2026/06/05/matthew-prince-park-city-vail-resorts/
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Author Marianne Rabalais Sulser sits down with the Sun's Kevin Simpson to discuss her first novel, "Like Snow Before Ice".
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Today, Colorado Sun arts and culture Parker Yamasaki highlights the latest installments of our Colorado 150 series celebrating the people, places and things that make Colorado so unique leading up to the 150th anniversary celebration of statehood.
Landing page:
https://coloradosun.com/colorado-150/
May 7 episode:
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/colorado-150th-birthday-celebration-underway/id1529487340?i=1000766587825
April 23 episode:
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/sun-getting-in-on-colorados-150th-anniversary/id1529487340?i=1000763215424
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Today, we're bringing you a conversation on the Colorado gubernatorial race from the Purplish podcast. This week's episode features Colorado Sun Elections Editor Jesse Paul and Colorado Public Radio's Public Affairs Reporter Bente Birkeland and Investigative Reporter Ben Markus. Purplish is produced by CPR News and the Capitol News Alliance, a collaboration between KUNC News, Colorado Public Radio, Rocky Mountain PBS, and The Colorado Sun and shared with Rocky Mountain Community Radio and other news organizations across the state.
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Today, Colorado Sun business reporter Tamara Chuang breaks down layoffs at the state office of IT, the most recent Colorado job numbers and other labor-related news across Colorado.
Read more: https://coloradosun.com/2026/05/27/colorado-overhauls-state-it-office-lays-off-employees/
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Today, Sun outdoors reporter Jason Blevins looks at how a state decision to change the Colorado search and rescue response structure has ruffled feathers in the Colorado Search and Rescue Association.
Read more: https://coloradosun.com/2026/04/10/cpw-search-and-rescue/
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Author Tom Mowle sits down with the Sun's Kevin Simpson and describes his experience in the second Iraq war in "Chaos in the Green Zone"
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Today, Colorado Sun rural reporter Tracy Ross has updates from Fort Morgan and the labor standoff at the Cargill meat packing facility, one of the largest employers in the area, and what it means for the town's coffers and national supply chain.
Read more: https://coloradosun.com/2026/05/27/cargills-lockout-of-workers-sends-ripples-through-supply-chain/
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Today, Sun reporters Michael Booth and John Ingold talk about the threat to ponderosa pine trees in Colorado, as well as a state Supreme Court ruling on gender-affirming care
Read more: https://coloradosun.com/2026/05/25/colorado-pine-beetles-ponderosa-2025-growth/
https://coloradosun.com/2026/05/18/childrens-hospital-colorado-supreme-court/
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Read more: https://coloradosun.com/2026/05/23/colorado-front-range-foreclosures-housing/
Today, Colorado Sun business reporter Tamara Chuang discusses the uptick in foreclosures along the Front Range and the increase in the number of Colorado homebuyers struggling to pay their mortgage and asking for guidance.
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Read more: https://coloradosun.com/2026/05/22/arkansas-river-rafting-low-flows/
Today, Sun outdoors reporter Jason Blevins looks at the outlook for Colorado’s rafting season and how outfitters, especially along the Arkansas River, are adjusting as we come off the worst winter for snow in history.
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G. Brown, director of the Colorado Music Experience, joins the Sun's Kevin Simpson to talk about the best songs of summer.
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Today, Sun water reporter Shannon Mullane speaks to author Zak Podmore about his award-winning book, Life after Dead Pool, the future of the Colorado River, and the case retire one of its major reservoirs, Lake Powell.
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From speed cameras to vaccine policy to ketchup packets, which of the laws passed by the 2026 legislature will impact people’s lives five or 10 years from now? That’s the question Colorado Sun Political Reporter Jesse Paul and other guests of the Purplish podcast tackle today, less than a week after the 2026 Colorado legislative session wrapped up. This podcast is brought to you by the Colorado Capitol News Alliance, a collaboration between KUNC News, Colorado Public Radio, Rocky Mountain PBS, and The Colorado Sun.
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Today, we have a portion of our Colorado SunFest weather panel conversation with local meteorologists Chris Bianchi, Mike Nelson and Joel Gratz as they talk about how technology has changed and how AI is quickly changing forecasting.
Read more!
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Today, Sun outdoors reporter Jason Blevins breaks down a big land acquisition for a Colorado mountain town that millions of people zoom past each year. With barely 200 residents, Silver Plume officials are buying up old mining claims, expanding the town’s mountain park to more than 750 acres.
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Today - Sun publisher Larry Ryckman chats with writer Kevin Simpson about his story on the moral courage of Silas Soule.
Read more: https://coloradosun.com/2026/05/10/silas-soule-sand-creek-massacre-colorado-history/
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Today: The Sun's Tracy Ross talks with Dimity McDowell, a longtime runner who one day couldn't take the pain of it anymore, and began the difficult task of weaning herself from her runner's high -- a legitimate addiction. A former contributing editor at Runners World, McDowell chronicles that journey and more in her new book, The 27th Mile: How to Smooth the Rough Transition Out of Your Running Years, which she'll be reading from and speaking about at the Tattered Cover in Denver tonight. We start our conversation with Dimity explaining what a stress fracture is -- she had several over her running career and they were part of what led her to stop.
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On Today's Temperature newsletter podcast, Michael Booth interviews Sun health writer John Ingold about the notorious hantavirus cruise and what it may or may not have to do with the Colorado version of hantavirus.
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Today, Colorado Sun business reporter Tamara Chuang looks at the bills in the statehouse that will affect businesses and where they stand in the closing days of the Colorado legislature.
https://coloradosun.com/2026/05/09/colorado-legislature-swipe-fees-artificial-intelligence-centurylink-bills-laws/
https://coloradosun.com/2026/05/05/colorado-gas-prices-truckers-ride-sharing-drivers-uber-lyft/
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Today, Sun outdoors reporter Jason Blevins breaks down a few skier data sets from this season, including how the historically dry winter played out in on-mountain visits, and also the number of people who died on the hill.
Read more: https://coloradosun.com/2026/05/05/us-skier-visits-drop-2025-26/
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Mariko Tatsumoto, author of "Blossoms on a Poisoned Sea", sits down with the Sun's Kevin Simpson to discuss her work of historical fiction.
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The Sun is three weeks into our months-long Colorado 150 project celebrating 150 years of statehood. Today, Colorado Sun arts and culture reporter Parker Yamasaki and team editor David Krause talk about the first three top-10 lists and what’s coming in May.
Read more: https://coloradosun.com/colorado-150/
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Today we're featuring a conversation between Colorado Sun Politics and Policy Reporter Taylor Dolven, Colorado Public Radio Public Affairs Reporter Bente Birkland and Denver Post Immigration Reporter Seth Klamann about lawmakers' efforts to hold federal immigration officers accountable when they step outside of the law. Multiple bills are being considered in the Colorado legislature that would raise questions about the limits of state authority when it comes to how federal immigration agents behave within Colorado’s borders. This conversation first appeared on the Purplish podcast from Colorado Public Radio and is being shared with the Colorado Sun through the Colorado Capitol News Alliance.
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Today, Colorado Sun education reporter Erica Breunlin breaks down the recent teachers strike that disrupted Sheridan School District for more than three weeks and what the resolution looks like, thanks to the governor’s office stepping in.
https://coloradosun.com/2026/04/29/colorado-sheridan-school-district-consolidation-teacher-strike/
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Sun outdoors reporter Jason Blevins has been following the legal challenges to skier liability waivers for years, and today he breaks down another case before the Colorado Supreme Court questioning the language in those waivers.
https://coloradosun.com/2026/04/27/ski-pass-waivers/
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/colorado-jury-pushes-back-on-liability-waivers/id1744182140?i=1000725487892
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Author Meg Wingerter joins the Sun's Kevin Simpson to discuss her debut novel, "The Silence that Remains".
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Today, Colorado Sun rural reporter Tracy Ross talks about why two of three people appointed by the governor to the Colorado Parks and Wildlife commission didn’t keep their seats and how the state agency is coming under more and more scrutiny.
https://coloradosun.com/2026/04/24/one-colorado-parks-wildlife-commissioner-confirmed-two-resign/
https://coloradosun.com/2026/04/22/did-polis-stack-cpw-commission-with-anti-hunting-interests/
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Today, Sun reporter Jennifer Brown discusses how a leader of a nonprofit who was being investigated for theft but the attorney general's office got hired as a deputy commissioner for the state’s Behavioral Health Administration.
https://coloradosun.com/2026/04/24/behavioral-health-deputy-commissioner-hiring-theft-scheme/
https://coloradosun.com/2026/04/22/casa-nonprofit-scheme-du-tuition/
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Today, Colorado Sun business reporter Tamara Chuang looks into the continuing drop in average rent in Denver and why it’s trending that way.
Read more: https://coloradosun.com/2026/04/25/denver-renters-market-average-rents/
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Today, Sun outdoors reporter Jason Blevins looks at how a change in Telluride’s affordable housing rules has riled a folks in town. As housing continues to challenge mountain town workers, was it an overcorrect?
https://coloradosun.com/2026/04/19/telluride-rent-regulations-renters-affordability-shandoka-sunnyside-voodoo-apartments/
https://coloradosun.com/2026/03/31/colorado-sunfest-2026-panel-housing-crisis-in-high-country/
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Today, Colorado Sun events specialist Kristina Pritchett previews our fourth annual Colorado SunFest, which is May 1 at the University of Denver, and how it’s evolved from an idea to a day of conversations and ways to make Colorado even better.
https://coloradosun.com/colorado-sunfest/
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\Today, Colorado Sun arts and culture reporter Parker Yamasaki talks about our new Colorado 150 project to commemorate the Colorado 150th statehood celebration this year and what readers and listeners can expect with our series leading up to Aug. 1.
https://coloradosun.com/colorado-150/
https://coloradosun.com/2026/04/22/colorado-150-scenic-drives-and-roadside-attractions/
https://coloradosun.com/2022/08/01/how-colorado-are-you-quiz/
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Ballots for Colorado's June 30 primary are just about set. Colorado Sun political reporter Jesse Paul joined Bente Birkeland and Caitlyn Kim of CPR News on the latest edition of the Purplish podcast to break down who's on it.
Read more: https://coloradosun.com/2026/04/11/scott-bottoms-gop-primary-ballot-colorado-governor/
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Today, Colorado Sun business and tech reporter Tamara Chuang looks at the surprising business filing numbers in Colorado for the first quarter, layoffs coming after the First Bank merger and her Colorado SunFest panel, which will include an AI robot demonstration.
Panel: https://coloradosun.com/2026/04/09/colorado-sunfest-2026-panel-ai-in-our-lives/
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Today, we revisit our Dec. 15 episode when outdoors reporter Jason Blevins reviewed millions of dollars of high country housing projects coming to fruition and how Colorado mountain towns are focusing on short-term and long-term needs. Jason will host a Colorado SunFest conversation May 1 on high country housing solutions starting to take shape.
Read more: https://coloradosun.com/2025/12/15/steamboat-springs-billioniare-housing/
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G. Brown, director of the Colorado Music Experience sits down with the Sun's Kevin Simpson to put the just completed tax season to music.
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Today, we're interviewing Ann Schimke of Chalkbeat Colorado about a public Christian school in Pueblo County that has created a legal battle in the state, one that could escalate to the U.S. Supreme Court.
Photo: Mark Reis, Special to The Colorado Sun
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Lawmakers finish drafting Colorado’s budget with final round of major cuts to address roughly $1.5 billion shortfall. Medicaid took the brunt of the final reductions, include a reimbursement rate cut for providers and a cap on Cover All Coloradans, which provides health care to immigrants who are children or pregnant.
https://coloradosun.com/2026/04/01/colorado-budget-draft-billion-shortfall-2026/
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New York Times editor Dean Baquet will be the keynote speaker at our fourth annual Colorado SunFest, which is May 1st at the University of Denver. He joins Colorado Sun publisher and co-founder Larry Ryckman to preview their SunFest conversation and talk about the state of media in America.
https://coloradosun.com/colorado-sunfest/
https://coloradosun.com/2026/03/13/colorado-sunfest-2026-keynote-speaker-new-york-times-dean-baquet/
Photo: Dean Baquet, former New York Times editor. (Courtesy)
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Today, Sun outdoors reporter Jason Blevins looks at the growing mental health concerns in Colorado’s mountain towns as communities come off the worst snow season in state history and the stresses that come with it.
Drew Petersen 2024 SunFest conversation:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qF-_J3rPWtc
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Former Denver judge Jacqueline St. Joan joins the Sun's Kevin Simpson to discuss her upcoming memoir, Your Verdict, and reflect on a life shaped by the law and personal loss.
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Devaki Murch survived Operation Babylift, when President Gerald Ford transported hundreds of Vietnamese children to America in 1975. This week, she's bringing adoptees, caregivers, veterans, and community members together in Boulder, to explore their shared past and reflect on what it means to be a refugee 50 years later
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Today - our Temperature newsletter reporters Michael Booth and John Ingold talk about a survey on how people are using legal psilocybin, and some shocking numbers showing how bad the Colorado drought really is.
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Finding a job in Colorado is difficult right now for a lot of folks, as employers are hiring but more cautiously. Today, Colorado Sun business reporter Tamara Chuang breaks down the latest job numbers and what those who are hiring and those who are looking for work are saying.
Read more: https://coloradosun.com/2026/04/04/colorado-job-openings/
https://coloradosun.com/2026/04/01/colorado-business-leaders-negative-future-economy/
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Today, Sun outdoors reporter Jason Blevins looks at the ongoing battle between landowners and those who want to wade and float through the land on Colorado waterways. Is the state legislature ready to get involved?
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Author Mark Stevens talks with the Sun's Kevin Simpson about serial killers and his new thriller, "Two Truths and a Lie"
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Today, Colorado Sun arts and culture reporter Parker Yamasaki discusses the big changes coming at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science as they prepare to close the popular gem and mineral hall for a major renovation.
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Medicaid is driving the $1.5 billion state budget shortfall Colorado lawmakers are trying to address this year. Colorado Sun reporter Jesse Paul joined Bente Birkeland of CPR News and Seth Klamann of The Denver Post on the latest episode of Purplish to explore why and what's being done to try to rein in spending on the health care program for low income Coloradans.
Read more: https://coloradosun.com/2025/12/01/colorado-medicaid-spending-state-budget/
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Today we’re checking in with Colorado Sun business reporter Tamara Chuang about Colorado companies are navigating the Supreme Court decision that the Trump administration’s tariffs are illegal.
Read more: https://coloradosun.com/2026/03/30/colorado-importers-tariff-refunds/
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Today, Sun outdoors reporter Jason Blevins puts a bow on a challenging ski season with a check-in on the ever-changing closing dates for Colorado resorts, plus a new lawsuit challenging the Ikon and Epic mega passes.
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Author Derek Lowstuter talks to the Sun's Kevin Simpson about his book "Fiddler on the Roof of Africa", detailing his experience as a Peace Corps volunteer.
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Indigenous people have had serious health issues since forced assimilation onto reservations in the 1800s changed their food sources. Today, Sun rural reporter Tracy Ross talks about a program the Navajo tribe and doctors are using to change eating habits to address those health concerns.
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This Friday, it’s time for a closer look at one of the writers making up Colorado’s literary landscape. SunLit editor Kevin Simpson chats with an author whose poetry and short stories unexpectedly coalesced into a darkly humorous novel.
Denver Health: denverhealth.org/welcome
Colorado Sun's Valentines Day: coloradosun.com/love
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Today, Sun reporter Parker Yamasaki gets us caught up on a brewing Colorado-Nebraska rivalry that has to do with water, land and eminent domain.
Read more on this story: https://coloradosun.com/2025/02/01/eminent-domain-perkins-canal-nebraska/
Denver Health: denverhealth.org/welcome
Colorado Sun's Valentines Day: coloradosun.com/love
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Read our full story: https://coloradosun.com/2025/01/21/colorado-semiautomatic-removable-magazine-gun-ban-explained/
Today we're sharing an except of Purplish, the politics and policy podcast produced by Colorado Public Radio News and the Colorado Capitol News Alliance. The Colorado Sun is a member of the alliance. Colorado Sun political reporter Jesse Paul joined Lucas Brady Woods of KUNC and Bente Birkeland of Colorado Public Radio to discuss Senate Bill 3, which would ban the manufacture and sale of certain semiautomatic rifles, shotguns and handguns that can accept detachable ammunition magazines.
Denver Health: denverhealth.org/welcome
Colorado Sun's Valentines Day: coloradosun.com/love
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Today, Colorado Sun business reporter Tamara Chuang has the latest on King Soopers workers strike, a late Friday federal court filing and how things went over Super Bowl weekend.
Read our full story: https://coloradosun.com/2025/02/08/king-soopers-public-support-unions-grocery-strike/
Denver Health: denverhealth.org/welcome
Colorado Sun's Valentines Day: coloradosun.com/love
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Today, Sun reporter Jennifer Brown talks about riding the rails to Winter Park as a way to get more people off I-70, and state’s efforts to extend the passenger line to and past Steamboat Springs.
Read the full story: https://coloradosun.com/2025/02/03/ski-train-mountain-rail/
Denver Health: denverhealth.org/welcome
Colorado Sun's Valentines Day: coloradosun.com/love
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It’s Friday, once again time for a look at Colorado’s literary landscape. This week Sun writer and editor Kevin Simpson chats with an author whose latest work of historical fiction applies an interesting twist to the death of artist Vincent van Gogh.
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Colorado’s wolf reintroduction has been a long road, shaped by decades of advocacy, science, and controversy. In this episode, The Colorado Sun's Tracy Ross speaks with Rob Edward, a key figure behind Prop 114, and Joanna Lambert, an ecologist and director of the American Canid Project, to unpack the complexities of bringing wolves back to Colorado. They discuss the history of wolf reintroduction efforts, the ecological role of wolves, and the challenges of balancing conservation with the concerns of ranchers.
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Colorado's legislative session is entering its second month, which means bills are starting to advance through the state Capitol. On today's podcast, we're revisiting our conversation last month with Gov. Jared Polis previewing Colorado's 2025 lawmaking term.
Read our full story: https://coloradosun.com/2025/01/20/jared-polis-guns-labor-peace-act-housing/
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Today, Sun business reporter Tamara Chuang does a grocery store run and talks about the pending King Soopers strike and the continued concerns around egg production and prices.
https://coloradosun.com/2025/02/03/king-soopers-workers-to-go-on-14-day-strike-starting-thursday/
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Sun outdoors reporter Jason Blevins discusses a different approach to behavioral health in the Vail Valley and a new center opening soon to help mountain communities.
Download our app: https://coloradosun.com/download-the-colorado-sun-app/
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Join us as we chat about the upcoming Colorado SunFest! We discuss why the festival is moving to spring, how the team curates panels, and what to expect on May 16 at the University of Denver. Plus, a look at Colorado’s Best and how readers shape the Sun’s biggest events. https://coloradosun.com/colorado-sunfest/
Giveaway: cosun.co/podcastgiveaway
Become a member: coloradosun.com/join
Our intro music: https://mattskellenger.bandcamp.com/album/subspace-transmission
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Today, publisher Larry Ryckman talks about The Sun’s role in putting the news coming out of the nation’s capital into context for Colorado and how it affects Coloradans at home.
Giveaway: cosun.co/podcastgiveaway
Become a member: coloradosun.com/join
Our intro music: https://mattskellenger.bandcamp.com/album/subspace-transmission
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Colorado Sun reporters Tamara Chuang and Olivia Prentzel have a conversation about how they reported and wrote the two-part story on the high cost of homeowners insurance in Colorado and the rise in nonrenewals.
Part 1: https://coloradosun.com/2025/01/19/colorado-home-insurance-nonrenewals-crisis/
Part 2: https://coloradosun.com/2025/01/20/fire-mitigation-homeowners-insurance-premiums/
Giveaway: cosun.co/podcastgiveaway
Become a member: coloradosun.com/join
Our intro music: https://mattskellenger.bandcamp.com/album/subspace-transmission
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https://coloradosun.com/2025/01/24/donald-trumps-return-to-office-order-45000-federal-employees-colorado/
Today, Colorado Sun business reporter Tamara Chuang about the executive order that mandates all federal employees return to the office and what that means for Denver and Colorado.
Giveaway: cosun.co/podcastgiveaway
Become a member: coloradosun.com/join
Our intro music: https://mattskellenger.bandcamp.com/album/subspace-transmission
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Sun outdoors reporter Jason Blevins looks back at his years covering the X Games and what Jeremy Bloom, the new boss of the event and one of Colorado’s greatest athletes, plans to do with X Games after it just finished its 24th year in Aspen.
Giveaway: cosun.co/podcastgiveaway
Become a member: coloradosun.com/join
Our intro music: https://mattskellenger.bandcamp.com/album/subspace-transmission
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Today - SunLit editor Kevin Simpson continues our talks with Colorado authors joined by multiple Colorado Book Award winner Carter Wilson.
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Once a supporter of wolf reintroduction in Colorado, fourth-generation rancher Tony Vagneur has since changed his stance, as the release of 15 British Columbia gray wolves into Pitkin and Eagle counties sparked controversy over transparency and livestock protection.
Today – Colorado Sun reporter Tracy Rosssits down with Vagneur to learn more.
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Today - Sun reporters John Ingold and Parker Yamasaki are talking about executive orders issued on the first day of the new Trump administration and how they may impact electric vehicle sales, Medicaid spending and more.
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https://coloradosun.com/2025/01/18/office-vacancy-sublease-downtown-denver/
Today - Sun business reporter Tamara Chuang looks at the updated office vacancy rates in downtown Denver: How we got here and how offices are going to look in the future.
https://friendsofchambermusic.com/
Promo code: FCM30CS
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Today – Sun outdoors reporter Jason Blevins talks about how Wolf Creek ski area in southern Colorado has stayed fiercely independent the past 50 years under the Pitcher family.
https://friendsofchambermusic.com/
Promo code: FCM30CS
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Today - This Friday it’s time to talk music again with Sun writer Kevin Simpson and G. Brown, director of the Colorado Music Experience.
https://friendsofchambermusic.com/
Promo code: FCM30CS
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https://coloradosun.com/2025/01/14/colorado-snowpack-2024-high-temperatures/
Today – Sun water reporter Shannon Mullane and Fresh Water News editor Jerd Smith talk about the current snowpack in Colorado and how we share our water to 19 states.
https://friendsofchambermusic.com/
Promo code: FCM30CS
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https://coloradosun.com/2025/01/09/2025-colorado-state-of-the-state-annotated/
Today - Colorado's 2025 legislative session is underway and our politics team is hard at work chasing down what lawmakers will be doing at the Capitol this year. While they're getting acclimated, we're revisiting the conversation Jesse and Brian recorded in November about the big budget deficit facing the state.
The budget will be one of the biggest issues at the General Assembly in the coming months. And while the deficit may have shrunk slightly since November when their conversation first aired, big cuts are still needed.
https://friendsofchambermusic.com/
Promo code: FCM30CS
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https://coloradosun.com/2025/01/11/colorado-tech-gadgets-ces-2025-haptics-ev/
Today - Sun technology reporter Tamara Chuang talks about Colorado companies showing off their products at the annual CES show in Las Vegas.
https://friendsofchambermusic.com/
Promo code: FCM30CS
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https://coloradosun.com/2025/01/10/park-city-ski-patrol-union-contract-wage-increase/
Today – Sun outdoors reporter Jason Blevins looks at how the resolution to the ski patroller strike in Park City, Utah, could affect patroller unions gaining steam at Colorado resorts.
https://friendsofchambermusic.com/
Promo code: FCM30CS
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Today - once again time for a look at Colorado’s literary landscape. This week Sun writer and editor Kevin Simpson chats with author Cindy Burkart Maynard, whose latest work of historical fiction takes readers back to the 13th century.
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https://coloradosun.com/2025/01/08/colorado-wolf-reintroduction-continues-petition-denied/
Today – Today, Sun rural reporter Tracy Ross checks in from a Colorado Parks and Wildlife commission meeting where wolf reintroduction is a major topic as the second wave of wolves is scheduled to be released soon in the state.
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https://coloradosun.com/2025/01/07/2025-colorado-budget-cuts/
The Colorado legislature's 2025 lawmaking term starts today. Lawmakers will be at the Capitol for 120 days and The Colorado Sun will be there too.
Today – Our politics team breaks down what to watch.
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https://coloradosun.com/2025/01/04/economic-projections-colorado-economy-2025/
Today - Sun business reporter Tamara Chuang reviews how Colorado economists are rethinking the state’s economy for 2025 with a new administration.
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https://coloradosun.com/2025/01/03/utah-ski-patroller-strike/
Today – Sun outdoors reporter Jason Blevins breaks down what Park City ski patroller strike means for Vail Resorts and for Colorado ski patrollers who have unionized.
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Today - once again time for a look at Colorado’s literary landscape. This week Sun writer and editor Kevin Simpson chats with author Jeff Lelek (LEL-ek), whose latest book is a thriller built around an unlikely protagonist.
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Today – Sun reporters John Ingold and Michael Booth look to the year ahead in climate and health news, including some big fights in the upcoming legislative session.
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Today - Sun reporter Tamara Chuang looks back at some of the bigger stories in the tech and business worlds and how some of those stories may change for 2025.
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Today – Sun outdoors reporter Jason Blevins looks back at some of the top stories in the outdoors world and what to expect in 2025 from an industry that topped the $1 trillion mark.
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Today - The Sun’s rural reporter, Tracy Ross, discusses the first year of the wolf reintroduction on the Western Slope and the next steps in the program to bring in more wolves.
https://coloradosun.com/2024/12/10/colorado-promises-better-wolf-release-in-round-2/
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https://coloradosun.com/2023/02/26/wild-ice-skating-safety/
Today – We’re revisiting a conversation from last year with Sun reporter Jennifer Brown about trekking to the base of Longs Peak for a story on skating on wild ice.
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https://coloradosun.com/2023/12/22/norad-santa-tracker-2023/
Today - we're revisiting a conversation about how NORAD in Colorado Springs uses their aerospace technology for a very important holiday mission: tracking Santa Claus.
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https://coloradosun.com/2024/12/22/kneisel-anderson-store-georgetown-sell/
Today – Georgetown’s beloved Kneisel and Anderson grocery store, a family-run institution for over 140 years, is facing a turning point as the last generation of Anderson siblings considers its future. With deep ties to the town’s history and a reputation for Scandinavian specialties, the store’s closure reflects broader challenges for historic businesses in Colorado’s mountain communities.
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Today - it’s time to talk music again with Sun writer Kevin Simpson and G. Brown, director of the Colorado Music Experience.
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https://coloradosun.com/2024/12/18/temperature-20241218/
Today – health care reporter John Ingold talks about why Colorado's Medicaid budget is worrying lawmakers, while environment reporter Michael Booth looks at a proposed new development at Interstate 70's El Rancho exit.
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Today – Colorado's 10 presidential electors cast their ballots Tuesday for Vice President Kamala Harris and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz. They lost to Republican Donald Trump in the 2024 presidential election, but across the country on Tuesday, presidential electors made their voices heard. Colorado Sun political reporter Jesse Paul brings you an audio diary from the state Capitol.
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https://coloradosun.com/2024/12/14/colorado-mandatory-retirement-plan-securesavings/
Today - Colorado Sun business reporter Tamara Chuang looks at how the Colorado SecureSavings rollout has gone the past two years and who is enrolling in the retirement savings program.
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https://coloradosun.com/2024/12/13/vail-resorts-pass-sales/
Today – Sun outdoors reporter Jason Blevins looks into the tale of two ski groups — the grassroots effort to revive Cuchara ski area while Vail Resorts reports nearly $1 billion in accessible money thanks to preseason pass sales.
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Today - SunLit editor Kevin Simpson talks with the author of a mystery trilogy whose first book revolves around illegal adoption and human trafficking.
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Today – Sun reporters Michael Booth and John Ingold talk about efforts to protect a rare fish in Colorado, plus look at the history of fluoride in the water.
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https://coloradosun.com/2024/12/05/colorado-river-officials-future-water-use-barbs-water-conference/
Today – Sun water reporter Shannon Mullane discusses the recent Colorado River conference in Las Vegas as the deadline looms for Western officials to rewrite the water sharing rules.
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https://coloradosun.com/2024/12/08/colorado-bus-rapid-transit-expansion/
Today - we're talking with Sun reporter Michael Booth about major public transportation projects popping up the next few years with bus rapid transit systems along some of metro Denver’s busiest corridors.
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https://coloradosun.com/2024/12/04/gypsum-biomass-energy-plant-closed-wildfire-mitigation/
Today – Sun outdoors reporter Jason Blevins discusses the demise of the biomass plant, which turned forest waste into electricity in Eagle County, after it shut down and filed for bankruptcy.
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Today - SunLit editor Kevin Simpson talks with the author of a new historical novel built around the life of Lucy Maud Montgomery, author of “Anne of Green Gables.”
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Today, Michael Booth and John Ingold talk “Temperature stories”, including a moonshot search for a blindness cure and putting sunshine in batteries and shipping electricity to Denver by rail car.
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Today – Gov. Jared Polis is once again on a collision course with fellow Democrats in the state legislature and the Colorado labor movement. Political reporters Jesse Paul and Brian Eason discuss why the conflict may be about more than just one bill.
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Today - Sun business and tech reporter Tamara Chuang breaks down how retailers have morphed holiday shopping patterns from Black Friday to the creation of Cyber Monday.
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Today – Sun outdoors reporter Jason Blevins breaks down the thinking behind the small town of Nederland wanting to purchase the nearby Eldora Mountain ski area.
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https://www.cmariefuhrman.com/
Today - Today, we're talking with indigenous poet, essayist and professor in the creative writing department at Western State University, CMarie (pronounced See-Marie) Fuhrman, about finding inspiration to write in the wilderness, be it in the physical world or the mind. Later, CMarie will read us "Let's Say Clark's Nutcracker Once More," which is part of her forthcoming eco-poetry anthology, "A Literary Field Guide to the Rocky Mountains".
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Today, we’re revisiting a conversation about holiday cheer, as Sun writer Kevin Simpson chats with the Colorado woman behind thousands of visits with that jolly old elf, Santa Claus.
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Today – Colorado Sun business reporter Tamara Chuang breaks down the drop in the average cost for this year’s Thanksgiving dinner.
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https://coloradosun.com/2024/10/28/colorado-immigration-court-cases-pending/
Today - Sun reporter Jennifer Brown discusses the giant immigration court backlog and her recent three-part series "The Long Road to Asylum" looking at life for migrants once they get to the U.S.
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Today – outdoors reporter Jason Blevins has a preview for the 2024-25 ski season in Colorado, which unofficially kicks off this week with the Thanksgiving holiday.
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Today - SunLit editor Kevin Simpson talks with a former college basketball coach who turned his career toward writing and produced a satire of big-time college athletics set at a fictional Colorado university.
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https://coloradosun.com/2024/11/20/middle-park-colorado-water-rights-transfer/
https://coloradosun.com/2024/11/13/temperature-20241113/
Today, Sun reporter John Ingold looks ahead to Thanksgiving with a story about what happens to pythons when they digest a big meal, and Michael Booth unravels a mystery about Colorado water rights.
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https://coloradosun.com/2024/11/01/colorado-state-budget-2025-26-jared-polis-proposal/
Today – Colorado lawmakers have begun working on the state budget for the next fiscal year — and they have their hands full. There is a projected $1 billion deficit. Colorado Sun politics reporter Brian Eason explains why there's a gap and what state officials are planning to do about it.
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https://coloradosun.com/2024/11/16/denver-housing-prices-sales-concession/
Today - we’re checking in with Sun business reporter Tamara Chuang about how the housing market in Colorado is making the turn to a buyers market, with a few caveats.
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Today – Sun outdoors reporter Jason Blevins talks about what the second Trump administration could mean for outdoor issues in Colorado as part of our “Trump: Past and Future” series.
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Today - This Friday it’s time to talk music again with Sun writer Kevin Simpson and G. Brown, director of the Colorado Music Experience.
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https://coloradosun.com/2024/11/13/uchealth-federal-settlement-false-billing/
https://coloradosun.com/2024/11/13/colorado-greenhouse-gas-emissions/
Today, Sun reporters Michael Booth and John Ingold talk about allegations of false billing by a major hospital system, plus a new accounting for greenhouse gas emissions in the state.
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Today – We're now a week out from the 2024 election and The Colorado Sun politics team is poring over the results. They found the data points that help explain what happened this year, including Yadira Caraveo's loss in the 8th Congressional District, Donald Trump's better showing over his performance four years ago and just how big Proposition 131 failed.
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https://coloradosun.com/2024/11/07/colorado-sierra-space-trash-disposal-recycling-outer-space/
Today - Sun business reporter Tamara Chuang about a Colorado company that is trying to find a more efficient way to get astronauts' trash off the International Space Station.
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Today – outdoors reporter Jason Blevins looks at why voters said no to a ban on mountain lion hunting and what’s next for the groups that support a ban.
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Today - SunLit editor Kevin Simpson chats with a popular mystery writer about her book continuing a series based in Colorado’s high country.
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Today, Michael Booth and John Ingold review the health and environment impacts of Colorado's voting patterns, and tag a major jump in electric vehicle sales.
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https://coloradosun.com/category/news/politics/election-2024/
Today – Sun publisher Larry Ryckman and team editor David Krause give insight and analysis to the early Colorado results from Tuesday night’s election.
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https://coloradosun.com/2024/11/02/qcew-data-jobs-colorado-revision-modernization/
Today - we're talking with Sun business reporter Tamara Chuang about a glitch in Colorado's unemployment data reporting that has state economists and statisticians scratching their heads.
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Today – Sun outdoors reporter Jason Blevins has an update on the Uinta Basin railway proposal as the sides get ready for oral arguments before the U.S. Supreme Court in December.
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Today - the Sun’s Kevin Simpson chats with an author whose book on one critically important aspect of the criminal justice system was a 2024 Colorado Book Award finalist.
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Today, we’ve got a treat for you—we’re joined by Andy Reiner, the mastermind behind the Haunted Stage Stop, a chilling haunted house in Rollinsville. From spooky cabins to creating an entire haunted community experience, Andy knows how to turn eerie spaces into unforgettable scares.
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https://coloradosun.com/2024/05/17/colorado-abortion-ballot-measure-2024-qualifies/
Today – as our politics team is heads down – focusing on the election – we’re revisiting a conversation between reporters Brian Eason and Jesse Paul focused on Amendment 79, which would enshrine abortion access in the state constitution.
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Today - publisher Larry Ryckman talks about a major, three-year grant The Sun received from the American Journalism Project and what it means for the business side of our newsroom.
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Today – Sun outdoors reporter Jason Blevins pulls excerpts from his SunFest conversation with former pro skier Drew Petersen about youth mental health challenges in the mountain towns.
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Today - we're talking with Erin Block, an essayist, poet and hunter whose debut poetry collection How You Walk Alone in the Dark won the 2024 Colorado Book Award.
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Today – Michael Booth and John Ingold talk about a new way to search for hospital prices in Colorado, plus new money for urban parks.
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https://coloradosun.com/colorado-voter-guide-2024-election/
Today – There are less than two weeks until Election Day and many Coloradans are dreading filling out their ballot because of how long and complicated it is. Don't worry. We're here to help. Political reporters Jesse Paul and Brian Eason break down how to get information on the judges on your ballot, as well as what each of the 14 statewide initiatives in Colorado this year would do.
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https://coloradosun.com/2024/10/19/rural-women-work-child-care-jobs/
Today - Sun reporter Tracy Ross takes a look at some of the local ballot measures facing voters in rural parts of Colorado.
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https://coloradosun.com/2024/10/20/leadville-cyclopean-cave-spelunking/
Today – Sun outdoors reporter Jason Blevins untangles the history and lore behind a mythical cavern outside of Leadville that modern-day cavers are hoping to unearth.
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Today - This Friday it’s time to talk music again with Sun writer Kevin Simpson and G. Brown, director of the Colorado Music Experience.
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Today – Sun reporter Michael Booth talks about a listening tour in neighborhoods hardest hit by pollution, while John Ingold explains a Denver ballot measure to support the city's safety-net hospital.
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Today – we're sharing an excerpt from our panel on polling at SunFest last month. Hear from the experts on the views of Colorado voters, as well as what you should watch for when interpreting poll results.
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U9sXfobewd0
Today - we're highlighting the recent SunFest panel on artificial intelligence, which continues to develop in Colorado even as tech companies work with local officials to balance policies that aim to protect consumers yet seem like a threat to innovation.
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https://coloradosun.com/2024/10/10/free-land-holder-forest-service/
Today – Sun outdoors reporter Jason Blevins talks about how a little-known group is trying to claim 1,400 acres of federal land in southwestern Colorado through centuries-old treaties.
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Today - we’ll hear from another Colorado writer as SunLit editor Kevin Simpson interviews the author of “Homestead,” a finalist for the Colorado Book Award.
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Today – Western Slope freelance reporter Nancy Lofholm talks about what it was like inside the courtroom covering the Tina Peters election breach trial and sentencing.
https://coloradosun.com/2024/10/03/tina-peters-election-security-trial-sentenced/
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=03Z3aEBaNlA&ab_channel=JesseAaronPaul
Today – Colorado voters will decide in November whether to move the state to an all-candidate primary system through Proposition 131.
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https://coloradosun.com/2024/10/05/colorado-misery-index-inflation-economy/
Today - Sun business reporter Tamara Chuang breaks down what the Misery Index means and how Coloradans are feeling about inflation and their pocketbook nowadays.
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Today – Sun outdoors reporter Jason Blevins has updates on a disease that is wiping out bats across the Eastern U.S. and encroaching more into Colorado caves.
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Today - Sun events manager Kristina Pritchett chats with writer Kevin Simpson about the recently completed, second annual SunFest.
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Today – we’re back with “The Temperature”! Join us on a virtual tour of a new solar farm with a massive garden underneath at Denver Botanic Garden's sunny Chatfield location.
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https://coloradosun.com/2024/07/18/colorado-affordable-housing-middle-income-tax-credit/
Today – Can Colorado solve its housing crisis? At SunFest 2024 last week, political reporter Brian Eason talked with a panel of housing experts about how we got here and what policies could help address our housing affordability crunch.
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Today - Colorado Sun business reporter Tamara Chuang has updates from opening arguments in the state of Colorado’s case to stop the nearly $25 billion merger of Kroger and Albertsons.
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Today – Sun outdoors reporter Jason Blevins gets us ready for the ski season, talking about changes for seniors' season passes and deals to be had if you plan ahead.
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Today - In our continuing series of podcasts looking at the work of Colorado writers, this week SunLit editor Kevin Simpson chats with an author whose deep examination of artificial intelligence crosses genres from poetry to mythology to science fiction.
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Today – reporters Michael Booth and John Ingold provide previews of their upcoming SunFest panels and also talk about new funding for a maker of innovate batteries for electric vehicles.
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https://coloradosun.com/2024/09/20/proposition-131-polling-colorado-ranked-choice-voting/
Today – Proposition 131 on the November statewide ballot would fundamentally change how elections are conducted in Colorado. Political reporters Brian Eason and Jesse Paul break down what the changes would be and who is supporting and opposing the measure.
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https://coloradosun.com/2024/09/17/colorado-quantum-computers-campus-70-acres/
Today - Sun business and tech reporter Tamara Chuang talks about how the Colorado Tech Hub in the Denver area got a big boost with the purchase of a 70-acre campus near the Colorado School of Mines.
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https://coloradosun.com/2024/09/20/arikaree-peak-grand-county-search-and-rescue/
Today – Sun outdoors reporter Jason Blevins discusses the difficult decision by officials to cancel the recovery of the body of a hiker who died after a fall in the Colorado mountains.
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Today - it's time to talk music again with Sun writer Kevin Simpson and G. Brown, director of the Colorado Music Experience.
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Today – we're inviting you to join us at SunFest for our live “Can I Recycle It” game show, and also bringing good news about extremely rare black-footed ferrets having wild babies in southeastern Colorado.
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https://coloradosun.com/2024/05/17/colorado-abortion-ballot-measure-2024-qualifies/
Today – There will be 14 measures on the statewide ballot in Colorado this year. That means voters will have to make a lot of decisions on a lot of important issues for the state. On today's podcast, politics reporters Brian Eason and Jesse Paul talk about one of the initiatives: Amendment 79, which would enshrine abortion access in the state constitution.
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https://coloradosun.com/2024/09/13/ai-artificial-intelligence-colorado-chatgpt/
\Today - Sun business reporter Tamara Chuang discusses how Colorado companies, the city of Denver and state officials are working to stay up with the fast-moving world of artificial intelligence.
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Today – we're joined by Paddy O'Connell, host of the hilarious online TV series PaddyO Sucks At... now in its second season.
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Today - This Friday it’s once again time for a look at Colorado’s literary scene. This week SunLit editor Kevin Simpson chats with a bestselling author who has a new Denver-based mystery on bookstore shelves.
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Today – On Today's Temperature climate and health episode. Colorado Sun environment reporter, Michael Booth, talks about Denver trying to limit new gas stations in favor of more housing, and how climate change could make your next long hike a thirstier experience.
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https://coloradosun.com/2024/09/09/michelin-star-colorado-restaurants-2024/
Today – Michelin has returned to Colorado to welcome more restaurants to its prestigious guide. Colorado Sun reporters Olivia Prentzel and Tamara Chuang discuss some of the behind-the-scenes of what it takes to get noticed by the Michelin Guide.
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Happy Birthday to The Colorado Sun! What's changed in the past six years? Today, Dana Coffield, now Editor in Chief, talks to Larry Ryckman, now publisher, about local news, changes and the upcoming SunFest event.
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Today – outdoors reporter Jason Blevins talks about how a new insurance policy prompted the return of the famed Gore Fest on one of the toughest sections of the Colorado River.
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Today - we're talking with Colorado author Pam Houston, whose new book Without Exception: Reclaiming Abortion, Personhood, and Freedom takes "the personal is political" to new heights
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Today – Michael Booth and Parker Yamasaki talk about open space from the farthest corner of Colorado to the doorstep of the Front Range, and what wild lands can do for environmental health -- or just mental health.
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https://coloradosun.com/2024/09/03/colorado-ballot-measure-influence-legislature/
Today – As the dust settles from Colorado's special legislative session on property taxes, Democrats at the Capitol are eyeing ways to prevent themselves from being held hostage by ballot measures. Colorado Sun politics reporters Jesse Paul and Brian Eason discuss the dynamics.
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Today – Sun business reporter Tamara Chuang talks about a new state-back program that is getting STEM teachers some real-life experiences through externships with local businesses.
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Today – we’re revisiting a conversation from March between business reporter Tamara Chuang and cultural reporter Parker Yamasaki. They discuss what's really been happening with labor union organizing in Colorado and why some employees, such as Starbucks workers, haven't been able to reach an employment contract while others, like Meow Wolf workers have.
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Today - we're taking a look back at a recent Colorado Sun event and getting information about three exciting events.
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Today – John Ingold and Michael Booth talk about a water cleanup project that's run into a roadblock with tax policy, plus the latest on Colorado's West Nile virus season
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Today – Colorado lawmakers are in the midst of their second property tax special session this year. It's been a bumpy ride so far. Political reporters Jesse Paul and Brian Eason discuss where the disagreements are — and what the future holds.
https://coloradosun.com/2024/08/27/special-session-progressive-property-tax-bills/
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https://coloradosun.com/2024/08/07/colorado-denver-edgewater-boulder-minimum-wages-2025/
Today – Sun business reporter Tamara Chuang digs into why minimum wage is going up in Colorado and Denver and how other municipalities are looking at setting their wages based on inflation.
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https://coloradosun.com/2024/08/22/eldora-mountain-resort-sale-powdr/
Today – outdoors reporter Jason Blevins looks into the ramifications and breaks down possible buyers for Eldora ski area in Boulder County.
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Today - it’s time to talk music again with Sun writer Kevin Simpson and G. Brown, director of the Colorado Music Experience.
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https://coloradosun.com/2024/08/19/burping-steers-are-helping-csu-solve-climate-crisis/
Today – Colorado Sun rural reporter Tracy Ross discusses her recent field trip to Colorado State University to check out a million-dollar study on capturing methane from cows.
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https://coloradosun.com/2024/08/15/colorado-special-session-property-taxes-election-2024/
Today – Colorado lawmakers are returning to the state Capitol for the second time in 10 months for a special session on property taxes. This time around their work will prevent a pair of tax-cutting measures from appearing on the November ballot. Colorado Sun political reporters Jesse Paul and Brian Eason discussed what led to this moment — and what's next.
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https://coloradosun.com/2024/08/17/rohit-chopra-consumer-protection-endless-loops-junk-fees/
Today – we’re catching up on some of the latest inflation numbers and economic news with Colorado Sun business reporter Tamara Chuang.
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Today – Sun outdoors reporter Jason Blevins has the latest on changes for a Steamboat paddle board-maker as well as a Golden bike-maker suing a Denver-based corporation.
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Today - we're talking to award-winning Colorado author Peter Heller, whose new novel BURN, about two lifelong friends who emerge from the woods of rural Maine to a dystopian country, is out this week.
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Today – Sun reporters John Ingold and Michael Booth talk about a new study on melting ice in Antarctica, as well as an update on a case of rabies in a puppy at an adoption event.
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https://coloradosun.com/2024/08/13/colorado-gop-bylaw-amendment-dave-williams/
There are just a few months left before the 2024 election, but the Colorado GOP is embroiled in turmoil because of its chairman, Dave Williams. Colorado Sun political reporters Jesse Paul and Brian Eason break down why some in the party are so mad at Williams and provide an update on the effort to remove him from the party's top leadership post.
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https://coloradosun.com/2024/08/11/denver-top-chefs-restaurants-struggles/
Today – Sun business reporter Tamara Chuang about her recent story looking into the trials and tribulations of the Denver restaurant scene and why chefs put themselves through the ringer.
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Today – Sun outdoors reporter Jason Blevins has the latest on the 2016 plan for an 83-mile bike path to connect Carbondale to Crested Butte over McClure and Kebler passes.
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Today - Once again, it’s time for a look at Colorado’s literary scene. This week SunLit editor Kevin Simpson chats with an author whose psychological thriller was a finalist for the Colorado Book Award.
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Today – Sun reporters John Ingold and Michael Booth talk about the latest in health and climate news, including a big new battery bank helping to support one utility's renewable energy goals.
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https://coloradosun.com/2024/08/05/initiative-50-property-tax-cap-bond-investors-housing/
Today – Municipal bond investors are threatening to leave Colorado if voters approve a proposed cap on property tax growth, putting the state’s largest source of infrastructure funding for new development in jeopardy. Colorado Sun political reporters Jesse Paul and Brian Eason discuss why.
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https://coloradosun.com/2024/08/03/food-insecurity-colorado-farmer-food-denver/
Today – we're talking to Colorado Sun reporter Parker Yamasaki, who checked in with local farmers that have a system to get local food to lower-income Coloradans with limited fresh food options. But the federal funds that got many producers started is now running out.
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Today – Sun outdoors reporter Jason Blevins talks about a plan by the Colorado Association of Ski Towns to ask the state legislatures help in opening avenues for possible new tax and fee streams.
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Today - it’s once again time for a look at Colorado’s literary scene. This week Sun writer and SunLit editor Kevin Simpson chats with the organizer of the Colorado Book Awards, taking a look behind the scenes of the contest that each year recognizes the best works in a variety of categories.
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Today – John Ingold and Michael Booth share tips on how to protect yourself from Colorado awful smoke and ozone, and how high temperatures are also impacting the fight against avian flu in dairy cattle.
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https://coloradosun.com/2024/07/30/colorado-pera-pension-finances-alarm/
Today – New reports show Colorado's public pension system may be in more financial trouble than was previously known. Colorado Sun politics reporters Brian Eason and Jesse Paul talk about what's causing anxiety about the Public Employees Retirement Association.
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https://coloradosun.com/2024/07/22/few-colorado-workers-paid-leave-famli-medical/
Today – Sun reporter Tamara Chuang joins us for a look into Colorado’s top-paying and lowest-paying jobs.
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https://coloradosun.com/2024/07/26/mighty-argo-idaho-springs-gondola/
Today – Sun outdoors reporter Jason Blevins talks about the revival of a major plan delayed by an alleged fraud scheme that took millions of dollars from investors, who have stuck with the project.
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Today - it’s once again time for a look at Colorado’s literary scene. This week Sun writer and SunLit editor Kevin Simpson chats with an author whose new collection of linked short stories is built around the life of a man who makes his living in the waters off the East Coast.
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Today – reporter John Ingold talks with The Sun's water reporter, Shannon Mullane, about how special kinds of viruses could help clean up one byproduct of oil and gas drilling.
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https://coloradosun.com/2024/07/18/colorado-affordable-housing-middle-income-tax-credit/
Today – Colorado has begun subsidizing rental units for middle-income families who make as much as $170,000 instead of what affordable housing dollars used to be exclusively spent on — low-income residents. Colorado Sun politics reporters Jesse Paul and Brian Eason break down why — and who is speaking out against the shift.
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https://coloradosun.com/2024/07/22/few-colorado-workers-paid-leave-famli-medical/
Today – Sun business reporter Tamara Chuang reviews the new Colorado Family and Medical Leave Insurance program and who has applied and is getting fundings to help take care of their families or themselves.
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Today – Sun outdoors reporter Jason Blevins discusses the latest idea of a private, luxury ski resort and golf course around the Stagecoach area south of Steamboat Springs.
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Today - it’s time to talk music again with Sun writer Kevin Simpson and G. Brown, director of the Colorado Music Experience.
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Today – the latest developments in climate and health news, focusing on the avian flu outbreak and its implications for farm workers, as well as an intriguing case of staggering disease found in a mountain lion.
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Today – we’re joined by Carrie Hauser, the 11-year president of Colorado Mountain College and a two-term commission with Colorado Parks and Wildlife. Hauser is now president of the National Trust for Public Land.
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https://coloradosun.com/2024/07/15/colorado-recycling-companies/?utm_source=newsletter&utm_source=The+Colorado+Sun+Newsletters&utm_campaign=Making%20recycling%20feel%20less%20pointless_20240715&utm_medium=email
Today – Sun business reporter Tamara Chuang on the innovation some Colorado companies are coming up with to help the recycling industry and improve our landfill diversion rates.
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Today – Sun outdoors reporter Jason Blevins talks about a landmark agreement that will protect Crested Butte’s Red Lady for any future mining.
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Today - Sun writer Kevin Simpson re-introduces listeners to an award-winning Colorado writer whose latest novel follows a woman who confronts middle age by embarking on a journey of trespassing and adventure through the American West and beyond.
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Today – reporters John Ingold and Michael Booth talk about the Colorado Front Range's ozone troubles, as well as what to know about a human case of plague in Colorado.
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https://coloradosun.com/2024/07/08/colorado-hoa-foreclosure-new-laws/#:~:text=HOA%2Dforeclosed%20homes%20in%20Colorado,sold%20for%20%2460%2C000%20or%20less.
Today – The Colorado legislature this year passed a law aimed at making it harder for homeowner's associations to foreclose on their residents. The bill came in response to reporting last year by The Colorado Sun. Political reporters Jesse Paul and Brian Eason break down how the new law will work.
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Today – education reporter Erica Breunlin joins us for an episode of our Behind the Sun feature where we found out more about the people who make up the Sun.
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Today – Sun outdoors reporter Jason Blevins reviews the numbers from the first year of Colorado's option to get a state parks pass with your car registration. Officials are pleased with the results.
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https://coloradosun.com/events
Today - we're going to hear from Colorado Sun Marketing & Events Specialist Kristina Pritchett about a recent event The Colorado Sun held.
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Today – We’re re-visiting a conversation between the Sun’s Michael Booth and Jennifer Brown about heart transplants for very young patients, and a housing-first model that gets the homeless into secure housing.
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https://coloradosun.com/2024/06/28/unaffiliated-20240628/
Today – The dust has settled from Colorado's primary elections last week and Colorado Sun political reporters Jesse Paul and Brian Eason are here to break down what happened — and why. They're also looking ahead to November and how what happened on June 25 could affect the general election.
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Today – Sun business reporter Tamara Chuang has updates and advice for consumers and businesses on navigating the new Colorado law for online privacy settings and your personal data.
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Ihttps://coloradosun.com/2024/06/28/justice-department-alterra-arapahoe-basin/
https://coloradosun.com/2024/06/17/colorado-ski-areas-visits-spending/
Today – Sun outdoors reporter Jason Blevins has updates from the skiing industry on updates in the Arapahoe Basin sale, skier visits and what resorts are doing with all that money.
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Tracy Ross, the Colorado Sun's Rural Economic Development Reporter, sits down with Kevin Fedarko, the New York Times bestselling author of "The Emerald Mile," to discuss his latest book.
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https://coloradosun.com/2024/06/26/colorado-wind-energy-trump/
Today – Colorado Sun environment reporter Michael Booth looks at wind energy's contribution to the state's electrical grid, while health reporter John Ingold provides the latest update on bird flu.
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https://coloradosun.com/2024/06/19/colorado-racial-equity-study/
Today - Sun reporter Tatiana Flowers discusses the start of a racial equity study in Colorado that became law earlier this year but had to get private funding to start the three-year project.
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https://coloradosun.com/2024/06/22/colorado-employers-workers-job-openings-quit-layoffs/
Today – Sun business reporter Tamara Chuang breaks down the latest job report in Colorado as unemployment inches up and the jobs-to-workers ratio also changes.
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Today – Sun outdoors reporter Jason Blevins breaks down the latest community survey of mountain town residents and their view of quality of life with the influx of people since the pandemic.
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coloradosun.com/events
To submit questions for speakers for the event, please email questions@coloradosun.com
Today - we're talking to Colorado Sun environmental reporter Michael Booth about an upcoming event he's moderating, Climate Change Hits Home.
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Today – Our Temperature reporters Michael Booth and John Ingold talk health and environment issues, including 'How We Died in 2023', whether teens are using marijuana more or less, and some exciting renewable energy news for the Western Slope."
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https://coloradosun.com/2024/06/18/adam-frisch-jeff-hurd-republican-primary-colorado-congressional-race/
Today - With less than a week before primary Election Day in Colorado, money is pouring into the Republican race in the 3rd Congressional District. And you may be surprised by who is responsible for the spending. Colorado Sun political reporters break down where the dollars are coming from — and what the money is aimed at accomplishing.
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https://coloradosun.com/2024/06/14/colorado-ai-bill-revisions/
Today – Sun business reporter Tamara Chuang has more behind-the-scenes insight about the recent AI bill the governor signed into Colorado law and possible changes after pushback from the local tech companies.
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Today – Sun outdoors reporter Jason Blevins has an update from a contentious community meeting about possibly adding another national monument on the Western Slope around the Dolores River.
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Today - it’s time to talk music again with Sun writer Kevin Simpson and G. Brown, director of the Colorado Music Experience.
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Hiking story: https://coloradosun.com/2024/06/11/colorado-outdoors-accessibility-aira-app-state-parks/
Stomping story: https://coloradosun.com/2024/06/10/deer-and-elk-stompings-colorado-estes-park/
Today – reporters John Ingold and Michael Booth talk about a new program to help sight-impaired people enjoy the outdoors in Colorado, plus why it's a good idea to be cautious around deer and elk right now.
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https://coloradosun.com/2024/06/08/colorado-filmmakers-movies-incentives/
Today - Arts and culture reporter Parker Yamasaki breaks down a bill recently signed by the governor that will increase the tax incentive credits for production companies wanting to film in Colorado.
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Today – Colorado Sun water reporter Shannon Mullane gives her take on the recent conference of big players in the Colorado River basin that occurred in Boulder and what’s next in the ongoing negotiations.
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Today – outdoors reporter Jason Blevins talks about a new movie by pro skier Drew Petersen’s that addresses suicide rates in mountain towns and what’s known as the paradise paradox.
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Today - Sun writer and SunLit editor Kevin Simpson chats with an author whose memoir explores the challenges, joys and pain faced by siblings and other family members of people with developmental disabilities.
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Today – For today's Temperature podcast on health and the environment, Michael Booth talks with Jennifer Brown about heart transplants for very young patients, and a housing-first model that gets the homeless into secure housing.
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https://coloradosun.com/2024/05/30/colorado-ranked-choice-voting-legislature-ballot-measure/
Today - In the final days of the legislative session, a bill was amended to create a major hurdle for the implementation of ranked choice voting in Colorado should voters adopt the new system in November. Political reporters Jesse Paul and Brian Eason break down what it would do and the political firestorm that it's causing.
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Today – The unique Hope Springs housing project and how 3D printing will help bring nearly 500 affordable housing units to Greeley.
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Today – outdoors reporter Jason Blevins looks at the potential fallout from the Colorado Supreme Court's recent decision concerning liability waivers and how it might affect the outdoors industry.
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Author Ariana Harner chats with SunLit editor Kevin Simpson about "Children of the Storm: The True Story of the Pleasant Hill School Bus Tragedy."
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Today – The Temperature newsletter reporters Michael Booth and John Ingold talk about preserving million-dollar views from the Uncompahgre Valley, and how Colorado hospitals are trying to squeeze the last federal dollars for Medicaid.
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Today - We're sharing another excerpt from our post-legislative-session event earlier this month at the University of Denver. On today's episode, political reporter Jesse Paul interviews state Senator Jim Smallwood, a Parker Republican, and state Senator Kyle Mullica, a Thornton Democrat, about the 2024 lawmaking term and their broader tenures at the Capitol.
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Today – we're talking with Conor Hall, head of Colorado's Outdoor Recreation Industry Office and Jon Dorn Chief Entertainment Officer at Outside, about the Outside Festival that's going to be held in Civic Center Park in Denver June first and second.
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Today – we revisit the Sun’s Jason Blevins conversation with Pat Milroy, a former professional snowboarder turned incredible artist. In this two part conversation, Pat shares a tale of survival, adventure, and introspection from his journey across the treacherous Red Mountain Pass, offering a vivid account of facing nature's fury head-on.
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Author Luis Benitez chats with Sun writer Kevin Simpson about his book ""Higher Ground: How the Outdoor Recreation Industry Can Save the World"
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https://coloradosun.com/2024/05/21/reformulated-gas-prices-colorado-ozone/
Today, Sun reporters Michael Booth and John Ingold talk about a health care contract dispute that left tens of thousands of Coloradans in limbo and why higher gas prices may be on the way for some.
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https://coloradosun.com/2024/05/09/colorado-legislature-top-bills-2024/
Today - we're sharing a conversation between Colorado Sun politics reporter Jesse Paul and Governor Jared Polis that took place during our post-legislative-session event last week at the University of Denver – sponsored by Aponte and Busam Public Affairs Consultants.
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https://coloradosun.com/2024/05/20/real-estate-agents-colorado-springs-homes-sales/
Today – Sun business reporter Tamara Chuang talks about the larger than average number of real estate agents in the Colorado Springs area and what that means for the market.
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Today – Sun outdoors reporter Jason Blevins talks about how some successful Colorado outdoor companies adjust after getting bought up and relocated and what communities are doing to adapt.
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Today - it’s time to talk music again with Sun writer Kevin Simpson and G. Brown, director of the Colorado Music Experience.
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Today – On our Temperature episode, Sun reporters John Ingold and Michael Booth talk about whether the big Cemex cement factory has a future in Boulder County, and how fast avian flu is spreading into Colorado's dairy cattle herds.
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https://coloradosun.com/2024/05/08/colorado-land-use-bills-legislature-2024/
Today - Colorado Sun political reporters Jesse Paul and Brian Eason discuss the land-use bills passed by Colorado lawmakers and how they may affect housing affordability in the state.
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https://coloradosun.com/category/news/fact-brief/
Today – we're talking to Colorado Sun writer Justin George, who writes the new feature called Fact Brief. He's joined today by his editor Lance Benzel as well as Tamara Chuang, a Colorado Sun business reporter.
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Today – we’re talking with Western Slope journalist Nancy Lofholm about the impacts of the bridge closure on U.S. Highway 50 over Blue Mesa Reservoir.
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Today - It’s Friday, and once again time for a look at Colorado’s literary scene. This week Sun writer and editor Kevin Simpson chats with an author whose new book, a finalist for the prestigious Colorado Book Awards, takes an unconventional look at legendary 19th-century Western frontiersman “Buffalo Bill” Cody.
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Today – Sun reporters Michael Booth and John Ingold recap what happened at this year's legislative session on climate and health issues.
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Today - A closer look at House Bill 1378, the “Consumer Protection in Event Ticket Sales”.
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Today – Sun business reporter Tamara Chuang looks at artificial intelligence developments in Colorado, from businesses to legislation at the state Capitol.
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Today – Sun outdoors reporter Jason Blevins talks about the latest ruling in a decades-long court battle to build a village next to the Wolf Creek ski area in southern Colorado.
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Sign up for our events at https://coloradosun.com/events
Today - we're hearing from Marketing & Events Specialist Kristina Pritchett about a recent event all about passenger trains in Colorado.
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Today – John Ingold and Michael Booth talk about the University of Denver's ambitious solar power plans, and how concerned Colorado consumers need to be about bird flu in dairy cattle.
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Today - There's a week left in Colorado's 2024 legislative session but still hundreds of bills left on the General Assembly's calendar. Colorado Sun politics reporters Jesse Paul and Brian Eason break down what some of the biggest outstanding measures are.
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https://coloradosun.com/2024/04/29/us-50-bridge-closure-gunnison-hospital/
Today – Sun reporters Nancy Lofholm and Olivia Prentzel join us to talk about the Blue Mesa bridge closure and its impact on the Gunnison Valley Hospital, Montrose and surrounding communities.
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https://coloradosun.com/2024/04/24/gray-wolf-pups-colorado-killing-cattle/
Today – Sun reporter Tracy Ross checks in with updates on how the wolf reintroduction in the state has been going and the latest developments in northern Colorado.
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Today - we're talking to historian, author and outdoor enthusiast Rachel S. Gross about her new book, “Shopping All the Way to the Woods: How the Outdoor Industry Sold Nature to America” (Yale University Press, 2024).
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Today – reporters John Ingold and Michael Booth talk about the latest in health and environment news, including a new analysis on how living near airports may affect the amount of lead in the blood of kids.
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https://coloradosun.com/2024/04/23/colorado-property-tax-overhaul-2024/
Today - The long-awaited bill overhauling Colorado’s property tax system is set to be introduced in the legislature in the coming days. Colorado Sun political reporters Jesse Paul and Brian Eason got a sneak preview of what will be in it.c
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https://coloradosun.com/2024/04/18/shares-denver-ibotta-open-ipo/
Today – Colorado Sun business reporter Tamara Chuang discusses the rise of Ibotta from its small Denver offices to going public and what’s next for other Colorado startups.
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Today – Sun outdoors reporter Jason Blevins breaks down his recent conversation with the head of one of the ski industry’s biggest players, Jared Smith of Alterra Mountain Company.
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Today - it’s time to talk music again with Sun writer Kevin Simpson and G. Brown, director of the Colorado Music Experience.
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Today – Reporter Michael Booth talks with fellow Sun reporter John Ingold about the latest in health and climate news.
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https://coloradosun.com/2024/04/14/colorado-assault-weapons-ban-passes-house/
Today - Colorado Sun political reporters Brian Eason and Jesse Paul discuss the so-called assault weapons bill embroiling the Capitol — and the big roadblocks the bill has ahead.
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https://coloradosun.com/2024/04/14/shoshone-power-plant-colorado-river-environmental-water-rights/
Today – Sun water reporter Shannon Mullane talks about what’s at stake for some major water rights on the Colorado River and how it would affect millions of Colorado residents.
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Despite tragic accident, Colorado backcountry mostly safe this seasonhttps://coloradosun.com/2024/04/10/skier-killed-trying-jump-berthoud-pass/
Today – Colorado Sun outdoors reporter Jason Blevins talks about the 21-year-old skier who died trying to jump the highway up Berthoud Pass and has updates on the backcountry deaths this winter.
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Today - Once again, it’s time for a look at Colorado’s literary landscape. This week Sun writer and editor Kevin Simpson chats with an author whose new book references a popular movie and also reminds us about the promise of flying cars.
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https://coloradosun.com/2024/04/10/epa-colorado-forever-chemicals-pfas-limits-funding/
https://coloradosun.com/2024/04/09/suncor-water-permit-appeal-colorado-forever-chemicals/
https://coloradosun.com/2024/04/10/colorado-pesticides-local-control-state-legislature/
https://coloradosun.com/2024/04/10/carbon-dioxide-climate-change-growing-boulder-noaa/
Today – Colorado Sun reporter Michael Booth talks with fellow Sun reporter John Ingold about forever chemicals in drinking water, local regulations on pesticides and a new report on greenhouse gas emissions.
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Today - Sandra Fish talks with Colorado Sun policy reporter Brian Eason about the next steps for the state budget.
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https://coloradosun.com/category/news/business/
Today – Colorado Sun business reporter Tamara Chuang talks about a recently announced data breach of consumer information and is there any end in sight or will they keep occurring?
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Today – Sun outdoors reporter Jason Blevins talks about his yearslong project looking at skier safety, why he’s been following it and what resorts and law enforcement have to say.
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Today - It’s Friday, and once again time for a look at Colorado’s literary landscape. This week Sun writer and editor Kevin Simpson chats with an author whose new book takes readers on a virtual roller coaster ride through Denver history.
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Today – our Temperature episode has Michael Booth and John Ingold talking about medical debt burdens on Coloradans, how much Colorado River water is used to grow alfalfa, and a preview of a Sun panel on expanding train transit.
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https://coloradosun.com/2024/04/01/trisha-calvarese-ken-buck-4th-congressional-district-special-election/
Today - Colorado Sun political reporters Brian Eason and Jesse Paul talk about the latest in the June 25 special election in the 4th Congress District that will determine who serves out the rest of U.S. Rep. Ken Buck's term. Democrats and Republicans have their nominees for the contest. Jesse and Brian talk about who they are and what's ahead.
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Today – Sun business reporter Tamara Chuang breaks down the recent changes in real estate agent commissions and what it means for those selling and buying a home.
https://coloradosun.com/2024/03/30/real-estate-agent-commissions-home-buyers/
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https://coloradosun.com/2024/03/29/leadville-mill-arkansas-river/
Today – Sun outdoors reporter Jason Blevins talks about a controversial milling proposal in Leadville to clean up old mining piles and see if they can extract any gold or silver using cyanide.
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Today - it’s time once again for a look at Colorado’s literary landscape. This week Sun writer and editor Kevin Simpson chats with an author whose latest book takes the psychological thriller to new heights.
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Today – Colorado Sun editor David Krause talks with health reporter John Ingold about an exciting breakthrough for people suffering from severe food allergies — and the Colorado research connections that helped make it happen.
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https://coloradosun.com/2024/03/26/the-unaffiliated-20240326/
Today - Politics reporters Jesse Paul and Brian Eason discuss who will replace Ken Buck in the 4th congressional district.
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https://coloradosun.com/2024/03/24/eagle-rock-ranch-monetize-conservation/
Today – Colorado Sun reporter Tracy Ross gives her insight on a ranching couple in Park County who isn’t looking at their bottom line as much as being stewards of the land and conservation.
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Today – Sun outdoors reporter Jason Blevins talks about housing plans in Steamboat with a vote Tuesday related to a big affordable housing project and also news of a private ski resort coming to the area.
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Today - it’s time to talk music again with Sun writer Kevin Simpson and G. Brown, director of the Colorado Music Experience.
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Today – John Ingold and Michael Booth talk about some eye-opening Great Outdoors Colorado grants, and families winning better treatment from the state Medicaid system.
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Today - Brian Eason talks with Sandra Fish about the state budget and why it's so tight in a strong economy.
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https://coloradosun.com/2024/03/13/states-colorado-river-plans-water-experts-impacts-to-colorado/
Today – Colorado Sun water reporter Shannon Mullane wades through the latest round of negotiations for how the Colorado River water is allocated during dry years.
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https://coloradosun.com/category/news/outdoors
Today – With the ski season at full speed for spring break, Sun outdoors reporter Jason Blevins hits on a number of topics, from snowpack to indoor skiing to skier numbers for this season.
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Today - we're hearing from Colorado Sun Marketing & Events Specialist Kristina Pritchett about the most recent event, Denver's Migrant Crisis.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EzQCnkeZkEk
https://coloradosun.com/events
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Today – Sun reporters John Ingold and Michael Booth talk about Colorado's efforts to import lower-cost prescription drugs, as well as a new study on the most environmentally friendly modes of transportation.
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https://coloradosun.com/2024/03/12/ken-buck-congress-departure-march-22/
Today - Congressman Ken Buck's surprise announcement on Tuesday that he would leave Congress on March 22nd is scrambling the already highly contentious and competitive race to replace him in the 4th Congressional District. Lauren Boebert is at the center of that contest. Political reporters Brian Eason and Jesse Paul break down what happens next.
*Additional audio in this episode comes from CNN.
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Today – business reporter Tamara Chuang breaks down the revisions to the state’s 2023 unemployment rate and what they mean to the Colorado economy.
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https://coloradosun.com/2024/03/08/colorado-parks-wildlife-commission-gary-skiba/
Today – Sun outdoors reporter Jason Blevins talks about the recent challenges by some state senators to the governor’s appointments for three spots on the Colorado Parks and Wildlife commissioners board.
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Today - It’s time for another chat with a Colorado author! This week Sun writer and SunLit editor Kevin Simpson sits down with a couple whose latest book takes a look at the fate of a massive California ski development proposed by Walt Disney in the 1960s, and the environmental movement that mobilized in opposition.
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Today – the Sun's John Ingold talks with environment reporter Michael Booth about new water-quality requirements for a controversial oil refinery.
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https://coloradosun.com/2024/03/04/garcia-school-san-luis-valley-colorado-schoolhouse/
The Rise & Sun journalism camp for high school students:
https://coloradosun.com/2024/03/04/colorado-sun-rise-and-shine-journalim-workshop/
Today - we hear from Erica Breunlin, The Colorado Sun's education reporter who spent time in Southern Colorado to learn more about an old schoolhouse built in the 1860s in the town of Garcia. After being vacant for the past few decades, the old schoolhouse is now getting retooled for school.
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Today – business reporter Tamara Chuang and cultural reporter Parker Yamasaki talk about what's really been happening with labor union organizing in Colorado and why some employees, such as Starbucks workers, haven't been able to reach an employment contract while others, like Meow Wolf workers have.
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https://coloradosun.com/2024/02/23/colorado-lawmakers-amend-recreational-use-statute/
Today – Sun outdoors reporter Jason Blevins talks about the new changes to a state statute that will help private landowners who open up their properties for public recreation.
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Today - Since it’s Friday, it’s time once again for a look at Colorado’s literary landscape. This week Sun writer and editor Kevin Simpson chats with an author whose latest book examines democracy, both in online spaces and beyond.
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Today – Leap into the future with our Temperature episode where we focus on the potential of hydrogen beneath our feet, and why we haven't fulfilled our potential with telehealth.
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http://coloradosun.com/2024/02/12/colorado-presidential-primary-caucuses/
Colorado's presidential primary is Tuesday and Colorado Sun political reporters Jesse Paul and Brian Eason are here to break down how to cast your vote, who's on the ballot and what they'll be watching on Election Day.
*This episode has been edited to correct the list of Republican candidates who have dropped out of the race.
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https://coloradosun.com/2024/02/24/techstars-alumni-boulder-denver-startup-community/
Colorado Sun tech reporter Tamara Chuang about what the changes at Boulder-based Techstars group means to the startup community and the Denver area.
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Today – Sun outdoors reporter Jason Blevins takes us to Silverton Mountain ski area in southwestern Colorado where he caught up with the new owners of the humble operations.
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Today - This Friday it’s time to talk music again with Sun writer Kevin Simpson and G. Brown, director of the Colorado Music Experience.
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https://coloradosun.com/2024/02/19/uchealth-debt-collectors/
Today – The Sun's Michael Booth talks with health reporter John Ingold about a new investigation into how often the state's largest hospital system sues patients.
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https://coloradosun.com/2024/02/20/transit-oriented-communities-bill/
Today - The housing conversation at the Colorado Capitol is heating up and political reporters Brian Eason and Jesse Paul are here to break down what it all means for the state. The latest bill would withhold state dollars from communities that don’t tie housing to transit.
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https://coloradosun.com/2024/02/14/albertsons-kroger-merger-colorado-lawsuit/
Today – Sun business reporter Tamara Chuang updates on the Colorado lawsuit to try to stop the merger between Kroger and Albertsons, which combined have more than 250 stores in the state, and what it means for Colorado communities and the thousands of workers and local suppliers.
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https://coloradosun.com/2024/02/16/colorado-supreme-court-ski-resort-waivers/
Today – Sun outdoors reporter Jason Blevins explains how a liability case before the Colorado Supreme Court could have major effects for the skiing industry and other outdoor recreation companies.
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Today - Sun writer Kevin Simpson chats with an independent journalist in Boulder who has written a book about measures all over the world regarded as solutions to climate-related disasters — but that have sometimes led to unintended consequences.
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Today – John Ingold and Michael Booth talk about the genetic targeting of personalized medicine, and how Colorado is setting up for a huge boost to its recycling efforts.
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https://coloradosun.com/2023/04/28/colorado-governor-signs-four-gun-bills-into-law-erpo-age-red-flag/
Today - Colorado Sun political reporters Brian Eason and Jesse Paul talk about the history of gun control legislation in Colorado and what bills the Democratic majority in the legislature plans to introduce at the Capitol this year to curb gun violence.
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https://coloradosun.com/2024/02/10/colorado-consumer-privacy-personal-data-neural-laws/
Today – Sun business reporter Tamara Chuang talks about how the state is trying to protect consumer data and how we're doing compared to the rest of the country.
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https://coloradosun.com/2024/02/05/arapahoe-basin-acquired-alterra-mountain/
Today – Sun outdoors reporter Jason Blevins breaks down the recent sale of Arapahoe Basin ski area and what it could mean for some of Colorado's other independent ski areas.
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Today - Sun writer Kevin Simpson introduces listeners to an award-winning Colorado writer whose latest novel melds her real-life experience with the state’s largest wildfire with the illuminating power of fiction.
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Today – The Temperature team takes on big public health issues in gun safety and air pollution.
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https://coloradosun.com/2024/02/06/unspent-rental-assistance-colorado/
Today - Colorado Sun political reporters Jesse Paul and Brian Eason discuss Brian's recent reporting on unspent state rental assistance money that could have prevented as many as 1,500 evictions but that went unspent.
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Today – Picking up from where we left off yesterday… Pat Milroy, former professional snowboarder turned artist, shares more of his story of survival from a journey across the treacherous Red Mountain Pass in this conversation with Jason Blevins.
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Today – The Colorado Sun's Jason Blevins sits down with Pat Milroy, a former professional snowboarder turned incredible artist. In this two part conversation, Pat shares a tale of survival, adventure, and introspection from his journey across the treacherous Red Mountain Pass, offering a vivid account of facing nature's fury head-on.
https://coloradosun.com/2024/02/01/outsider-20240201/
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Today - we’ll be taking a look at the western literary landscape as Sun writer Kevin Simpson chats with the author of a new book that delves deep into the American West and the myths that fuel political and social division.
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Today – Michael Booth and John Ingold discuss surprising hospital profits and losses in Colorado, and a revolution in naming birds that's part of a cultural zeitgeist.
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https://coloradosun.com/2024/01/25/lauren-boebert-first-debate-new-district/
Today - Colorado Sun political reporters Sandra Fish and Jesse Paul talk about the first Republican primary debate in the 4th Congressional District, where Lauren Boebert is now running for reelection.
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https://coloradosun.com/2024/01/24/decades-inaction-federal-water-system-shambles-colorado-help/
Today – Sun water writer Shannon Mullane discusses the failing infrastructure issues for the irrigation systems in southwestern Colorado that in part serve the Southern Ute reservation.
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https://coloradosun.com/2024/01/26/renaming-kit-carson-mountain/
Today – Sun outdoors reporter Jason Blevins has an update from the recent meeting of the state advisory board working to rename some of Colorado’s mountains that carry offensive names.
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Today - it’s time to talk music again with Sun writer Kevin Simpson and G. Brown, director of the Colorado Music Experience.
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Today – Sun reporters John Ingold and Michael Booth are talking about efforts to convert more restaurant kitchens to electric cooking, plus a proposed regulation on social media companies in Colorado.
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https://coloradosun.com/2024/01/22/mike-lynch-minority-leader-vote-dui-arrest/
Today - Colorado Sun political reporters Jesse Paul and Brian Eason discuss turmoil in the Colorado House Republican caucus after news broke last week that Minority Leader Mike Lynch had been arrested in September 2022 on suspicion of drunken driving.
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https://coloradosun.com/2024/01/17/rural-colorado-million-broadband-capital-project-fund/
Today – Sun business reporter Tamara Chuang has updates on where the latest round of funding to improve broadband access across Colorado is going.
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https://coloradosun.com/2024/01/19/pikes-peak-recreation-colorado-parks-wildlife/
Today – Sun outdoors reporter Jason Blevins has insight on state-level conversations on managing the millions of visitors to the Pikes Peak region and how it is a microcosm of what’s going on in Colorado.
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Today - we hear from Colorado Sun Events & Marketing Specialist about a recent event.
Learn more:
https://coloradosun.com/high-cost-colorado
https://coloradosun.com/events
https://youtube.com/thecoloradosun
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Today – Michael Booth and John Ingold talk about the lengths small towns go to in filling key hospital positions, and how three new hydrogen filling stations may point toward Colorado's transportation future.
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Today - an interview Colorado Sun political reporters did earlier in the month with Gov. Jared Polis as part of The Sun's 2024 legislative session preview.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wOECHXim2TU&ab_channel=TheColoradoSun
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Colorado Sun business reporter Tamara Chuang breaks down the money the state has offered and given in tax incentives to lure businesses relocate or add jobs.
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Today – Colorado Sun reporter Jason Belvin talks about the conditions in the mountains after the major snowstorm that hit the Colorado high country this weekend.
https://coloradosun.com/2024/01/12/colorado-avalanche-danger-new-snow/
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Today - It’s Friday, and time for another conversation about Colorado’s literary scene. This week Sun writer Kevin Simpson talks with an archeologist and former Denver museum curator who has written a book about one particular aspect of human evolution -- our tendency to accumulate "stuff."
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https://coloradosun.com/2024/01/08/colorado-climate-report-2024-dry-rivers/
Today – Colorado Sun reporters John Ingold and Michael Booth talk about a startling new report on climate change in Colorado, plus more health and environment news.
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2024 legislative preview with The Sun politics teamhttps://coloradosun.com/2024/01/09/colorado-legislative-session-preview-2024/
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Read more: https://coloradosun.com/2024/01/07/sbt-grvl-race-ranchers-clash/
Today – Sun reporter Tracy Ross goes a little deeper on her Sunday story about how recreation and rural living are colliding in Steamboat Springs.
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Today – we check in with Sun outdoors reporter Jason Blevins on the state of the ski season so far and how Colorado avalanche forecasters and search and rescue teams are getting a new influx of money.
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To RSVP for events, visit https://coloradosun.com/events
Michael Booth's email for questions for both events: booth@coloradosun.com
https://coloradosun.com/2023/12/14/colorado-sun-trust-project/
Today - we're talking to Colorado Sun environmental reporter Michael Booth about two upcoming events he is moderating.
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See our Trust Indicators at coloradosun.com/ethics
https://coloradosun.com/2023/12/14/colorado-sun-trust-project/
Today – from The Temperature climate and health newsletter, John Ingold and Michael Booth talk about a big hospital takeover, and the remarkable success of e-bike programs across Colorado.
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https://coloradosun.com/2023/12/27/lauren-boebert-congressional-district-switch-colorado/
Today - politics team leader Jesse Paul talks with Sandra Fish about the biggest political story of 2024 - so far.
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Today – Sun reporter Jason Blevins talks about the man from a prominent New York City family who is buying up thousands of acres of farmland in Colorado, Kansas and New Mexico to try to help farming communities.
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https://coloradosun.com/2023/05/18/dust-on-snow-threatens-colorados-above-average-snowpack/
For the holiday week we are replaying some of our top episodes from 2023. Today, we bring back the discussion about the high country snowpack’s biggest threats: out-of-state dust. Sun reporter Tracy Ross talks about her field trip to the mountain above Silverton to check it out.
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https://coloradosun.com/2023/06/18/sunlit-finn-murphy-rocky-mountain-high/
For the holiday week we are replaying some of our top episodes from 2023. Today, we look back at – our conversation with Colorado author Finn Murphy and his latest book: “Rocky Mountain High” about his attempt to carve out a niche in the hemp industry.
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https://coloradosun.com/2023/06/28/how-to-fight-a-medical-bill-colorado/
For the holiday week we are replaying some of our top episodes from 2023. Today, we look back at – the June 22nd episode when health care reporter John Ingold discussed tips and the help available in Colorado for those who are navigating struggling with overwhelming medical bills.
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https://coloradosun.com/2023/10/04/jared-polis-sunfest-colorado-sun/
For the holiday week we are replaying some of our top episodes from 2023. This year we hosted our inaugural SunFest and one of our dozens of speakers was Governor Jared Polis. The second-term governor hit on a number of issues facing Colorado, from the housing crisis to school funding to the Colorado River.
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https://coloradosun.com/2023/05/05/first-time-buyers-colorado-housing-market/
For the holiday week we are replaying some of our top episodes from 2023. Today, we look back at – how the housing market was a little less frenzied in Colorado and ways first-time homebuyers are getting back into the market.
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https://coloradosun.com/2023/09/05/mountain-town-short-term-rental-crackdown/
For the holiday week we are replaying some of our top episodes from 2023. Today, we look back at – a conversation from September 4th when Sun reporter Jason Blevins talked about the pushback by homeowners in some mountain towns who say they’ve had enough with the fees and taxes being put on their short-term rentals. And some are turning to the courts and suing local governments.
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Today – it’s time to talk music again with Sun writer Kevin Simpson and G. Brown, director of the Colorado Music Experience.
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Cleanup company walks away from Jeffco uranium mine, state takes $7.3 million bond
Today – Sun reporters John Ingold and Michael Booth are talking about the latest in health and environment news, including drama around the cleanup of a uranium mine west of Denver.
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Read more: https://coloradosun.com/2023/12/20/democratic-presidential-primary-ballot-colorado
Today – political reporters Brian Eason and Sandra Fish talk about a surprising choice in the upcoming Democratic presidential primary and more.
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Today – we're learning about how NORAD in Colorado Springs uses their aerospace technology for a very important holiday mission: tracking Santa Claus.
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Today – Sun outdoors reporter Jason Blevins has updates and good news on some high profile public lands issues in Colorado.
For more on this story: https://coloradosun.com/2023/12/15/mount-democrat-transferred-to-forest-service/
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Today – we’re going to talk about holiday cheer, as Sun writer Kevin Simpson chats with the Colorado woman behind thousands of visits with that jolly old elf, Santa Claus.
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Today – health writer John Ingold discusses the biggest questions that have come up during this year's open enrollment for insurance. Later, environment writer Michael Booth will talk about RTD making fares cheaper and simpler to set up for what could be a big 2024.
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Today – Political reporters Sandra Fish and Jesse Paul discussed a new poll of likely 2024 voters in Colorado that reveals the electorate's mood heading into the new year.
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Today – we’re checking in with Sun business reporter Tamara Chuang about the 2024 economic forecast for Colorado adding jobs and trying to avoid a recession.
Read more: Colorado's leading economists release their 2024 outlook
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Read more: https://coloradosun.com/2023/12/08/colorado-state-land-board-parks/
Today – Sun outdoors reporter Jason Blevins breaks down the current debate about what it might mean if the Colorado Land Trust turned over thousands of acres it controls to the state park’s system.
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Today - political reporter Sandra Fish joins us from the U.S. Capitol, where she is catching up with Colorado's congressional delegation as they return from their August recess and re-start negotiations on the federal budget.
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Today – Sun business reporter Tamara Chuang talks about the recent economic forum in Colorado Springs and how the state’s second-largest city is balancing growth.
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Today – Sun reporter Jason Blevins breaks down the latest outdoor recreation participation numbers in Colorado and what is cause for celebration but also concern.
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Today - It’s Friday, and time for another conversation about Colorado’s rich and varied literary scene. This week Sun writer and SunLit editor Kevin Simpson talks with Denver-based writer Pete Carlson.
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Today - Sun reporters John Ingold and Michael Booth talk about the latest in climate and health news, including a proposal on carbon credits that has some community groups skeptical.
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Today - Colorado Sun political editor Jesse Paul talks with reporter Sandra Fish about how the 2024 race in Colorado's 3rd Congressional District is already heating up. Election Day is still more than a year away, but millions of dollars are being spent to try to dislodge Republican Congresswoman Lauren Boebert.
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Today – we’re chatting with Sun business reporter Tamara Chuang to break down the latest wage report – looking at how pay has changed over the past decade in Colorado.
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Today – we’re checking in with Sun reporter Jason Blevins for updates on the short-term rental pushback in the high country and organized homeowners challenging new rules and fees.
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Today - It’s Friday, and time for another conversation with a Colorado author. This week Sun writer Kevin Simpson talks with trial lawyer-turned-mystery-writer Chuck Greaves.
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Today - we’re circling back on our series looking at the Colorado Rockies and talking to Sun reporter John Ingold about how major league players have to approach playing at elevation.
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Today - Elliott Wenzler talks with Jesse Paul about how high-powered judges in Colorado are selected and whether politics play a part in that process.
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Today – we’re following up with Sun business reporter Tamara Chuang about the number of job postings in Colorado and what is the right ratio between job openings and unemployment.
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Today – we talk with Sun outdoors reporter Jason Blevins about recent rulings and reports concerning the recreation and oil and gas industries and also an update on how the rebuilding is going at the Colorado Gator Farm.
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Today - we're talking to Colorado Sun environmental reporter Michael Booth about two panels he's hosting at the upcoming SunFest 2023.
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Today - Sun reporters John Ingold and Michael Booth are talking about the latest in climate and health news, including a new battle between the state and the EPA over pollution regulations.
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Today - we’re catching up with Major League Baseball writer Nick Groke about our series looking at 30 years of Rockies baseball and how fans keep coming back despite the team’s losing history.
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Today – we’re talking with Sun business reporter Tamara Chuang about the Colorado workforce and with so many openings who isn’t working and why.
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Today – we’re checking in with outdoors reporter Jason Blevins about a $19 million proposal for wildlife crossings on Vail Pass as well as some recent problems in Cheesman Canyon after some heavy rains in the area.
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Today - it’s time to talk music again with Sun writer Kevin Simpson and G. Brown, director of the Colorado Music Experience.
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Today - Michael Booth and John Ingold are talking about rulemaking on abortion reversal, and some urgent work on long-burning coal seam fires near Boulder.
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Today - Elliott Wenzler talks to political reporter Jesse Paul about his recently-released investigation into how Colorado homeowners can lose years or even decades of equity when their HOA forecloses for unpaid debts on monthly dues and special assessments. That’s even if people are up to date on their mortgage.
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Today – we’re checking in with Sun business reporter Tamara Chuang about the latest year-over-year inflation numbers and what we’re seeing in Denver and Colorado.
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Today – we’re catching up with Sun outdoors reporter Jason Blevins about uproar in the climbing community concerning a recent claim of the fastest ascent of all of Colorado’s 14,000-foot mountains.
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Today - Sun writer and SunLit editor Kevin Simpson sits down with another Colorado author -- this time, one who specializes in historical fiction.
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Today – Colorado Sun reporter Michael Booth explains why state regulators are looking to large buildings to work on reducing greenhouse gas emissions, while reporter John Ingold talks about efforts to lower the cost of some prescription drugs.
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Today - The Colorado GOP met over the weekend to debate whether to pass an amendment to the party's bylaws making it easier for Republicans to opt out of the state's 2024 primaries. The amendment failed, but not before hours of dramatic debate. Colorado Sun political reporter and editor Jesse Paul was there. He spoke with reporter Sandra Fish about what he saw — and what comes next for the Colorado GOP.
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Today – we’re talking with Sun business reporter Tamara Chuang about some new revenue streams for startup companies in Colorado that are in the very early stages.
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Today – we're catching up with reporter Kevin Simpson as part of our "Behind the Sun" feature to give listeners an insight to the people who make up The Colorado Sun.
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Today, Sun writer and SunLit editor Kevin Simpson sits down with another Colorado author – Christina Holbrook.
Note: In an earlier version of the podcast, the title of Christina Holbrook's surgeon, Dr. Kevin Lillehei, was misstated. He is director of the Neurosurgery Neuro-Oncology laboratory at UCHealth Neurosciences Center - Anschutz Medical Campus.
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Today – Michael Booth and Colorado Sun expand on their weekly Temperature newsletter with conversations about precarious hospital finances in Colorado, and the latest trouble for Suncor refinery.
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Today - Sandra Fish talks with Elliott Wenzler about the state sales tax exemption for diapers and menstrual products and how people still pay local taxes on the items.
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Today – we’re checking in with Sun business reporter Tamara Chuang about Colorado companies that help consumers recycle odd items but also hire those who might struggle to find work.
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Today – we’re catching up with outdoors reporter Jason Blevins about some of Colorado’s tallest peaks reopening to the public as well as an off-road program for disabled adventurers.
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Today - we're talking to Colorado Sun Editor Larry Ryckman about The Colorado Sun's SunFest, the keynote speaker and other panelists.
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Today – Sun reporters John Ingold and Michael Booth talk about the latest in climate and health news, including new data on a rise in abortions in Colorado.
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Today - political reporter Elliott Wenzler speaks with water reporter Shannon Mullane about the negotiations on the Colorado River.
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we’re talking with Sun business reporter Tamara Chuang about the latest survey that shows Denver in the top 10 cities for technology workers.
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we’re catching up with Sun outdoors reporter Jason Blevins about the growing popularity of surf wave features at whitewater parks around Colorado.
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Sun writer and SunLit editor Kevin Simpson sits down with another Colorado author – Will Betke-Brunswick.
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Today – Shannon Mullane and Michael Booth talk about home water use and the Colorado River drought, and how people can make the connection between the two.
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Today - Sun Political reporters Sandra Fish and Elliott Wenzler discuss Denver's new mayor and his plan to address homelessness.
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Today – we’re talking with Sun business reporter Tamara Chuang about signs the labor crisis might be easing in Colorado but also who is not looking for a job right now and why.
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Today – we’re talking to Sun outdoors reporter Jason Blevins about the well-known Leadville racing series that will see changes this year due liability concerns of a landowner whose property is part of the racecourses.
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Today - it’s time to talk music again with Sun writer Kevin Simpson and G. Brown, director of the Colorado Music Experience.
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Today – Colorado Sun reporters John Ingold and Michael Booth talk about the latest in health and climate news, including why you may soon not be able to buy a gas-powered lawn mower on the Front Range.
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Denver Mayor-elect Mike Johnston joined political reporters Jesse Paul and Sandra Fish for a final interview before he's sworn into office on Monday. Johnston talked about how he's preparing for his new job, the pressures he's facing and how the Mile High City's migrant crisis is forcing him to rethink some of his policy plans.
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Today – we’re joined again by freelance writer Ann Marie Awad in the second part of our series on the history and future of Japanese American farms in Colorado.
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Today – we’re talking with freelance writer Ann Marie Awad in the first of a two-episode series on the history of Japanese American farms and farmers in Colorado.
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Today - Sun writer and SunLit editor Kevin Simpson chats with Colorado author Nathanial White, whose debut novel was the Colorado Book Award winner for science fiction and fantasy.
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Today – Sun reporter John Ingold talks with his colleague Jennifer Brown about her recent reporting on the Colorado Mental Health Institute.
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Today - political reporter Elliott Wenzler talks with Sandra Fish about how dark money impacts elections in Colorado.
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For the holiday today we’re re-sharing a previous conversation to introduce the inaugural Sunfest – taking place this September in downtown Denver. Since this May 26th episode, we have confirmed Colorado big-mountain skier and mountaineer Chris Davenport will be our keynote conversation.
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Today – we’re talking with Sun reporter Jason Blevins about the recent psychedelics conference that drew 12,000 people to Denver and what’s next for Colorado.
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Today - we're starting a new feature to meet the people who make up the Colorado Sun. On our first installment of "Behind the Sun" we catch up with our main technology boss and Colorado native Eric Lubbers.
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Today – Colorado Sun reporter Michael Booth and John Ingold are talking about the latest health and environment news in the state, including big news about Xcel Energy's goals to use more renewable power sources.
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Today - political reporters Jesse Paul and Sandra Fish discussed recent Colorado Republican Party drama. The GOP has a new, bombastic leader and the party is struggling to fundraise amid infighting questions about how Republicans can reverse three election cycles of defeat in Colorado.
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Today - we’re talking with Sun business reporter Tamara Chuang about how Colorado Springs has become such a major player in the cybersecurity industry.
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Today – we’re catching up with Sun outdoors reporter Jason Blevins about a new partnership between the ski industry and Colorado Mountain College in Steamboat to quickly train lift mechanics.
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Today - it’s time for the Sun’s monthly music conversation with Sun writer Kevin Simpson and G. Brown of the Colorado Music Experience.
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Today – John Ingold walks through crucial tips on how to get help with overwhelming medical bills, and Michael Booth puts in perspective a new study about potential dangers of benzene from your kitchen stove.
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Today - Political reporter Elliott Wenzler speaks with Sandra Fish about what the voting data from this year's lawmaking session says about Colorado lawmakers
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Today - we’re catching up with Sun business reporter Tamara Chuang about recent economic reports on jobs, housing and inflation as we close in on the end of the fiscal year.
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Today – we’re catching up with our technology and strategy director Eric Lubbers about what it took to get the Sun’s new app online and the reader experience.
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Today - Sun writer and SunLit editor Kevin Simpson talks to Colorado author Finn Murphy, whose new book recounts his misadventures in trying to stake out a place in Colorado’s hemp industry.
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Today – Sun reporters John Ingold and Michael Booth are talking about the latest in climate and health news, including a new study that looks at whether electric pickups are able to do "truck stuff."
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Today - Colorado Sun reporters Jesse Paul and Olivia Prentzel discuss their reporting on the fatal Aurora police shooting earlier this month of 14-year-old Jor'Dell Richardson. Officers who chased Jor'Dell didn't know he had committed a robbery when they started running after him through an Aurora alley. The chase ended in the fatal shooting. Jesse and Olivia explored whether police had a legal basis to begin the chase.
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Today - we’re talking to Sun business reporter Tamara Chuang about the decline in Colorado teens who are working summer jobs.
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Today – we’re talking to Sun outdoors reporter Jason Blevins about a Colorado-based company coming under fire for its Native American inspired mittens.
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Sun writer and SunLit editor Kevin Simpson introduces us to a Colorado author whose latest book recounts how one man’s life in the military segued into a profound influence on the state’s sporting landscape.
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Today – Sun reporters Michael Booth and John Ingold talk about their latest environment and health reporting, including details about a health insurance company that is going out of business.
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Today - we’ll hear from political reporter Elliott Wenzler who went out to a polling location to talk with voters about the Denver mayoral election.
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Today - We’re talking to Sun business reporter Tamara Chuang about a state program helping advanced industry startups with seed money for the past 10 years.
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We’re catching up with Sun outdoors reporter Jason Blevins about a recent federal court ruling concerning corner crossings as well as the latest news on the future of the Seven Peaks music festival.
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Our Friday featured story turns our focus to Colorado authors. And this week, Sun writer and SunLit editor Kevin Simpson chats with Colorado Book Award finalist Harrison Candelaria Fletcher.
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Michael Booth and John Ingold discuss the microplastics in Colorado waterways, and public hearings on high health costs.
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Today - Political correspondent Sandra Fish talked to Colorado Sun political editor Jesse Paul about former U.S. Rep. Liz Cheney's speech Sunday at Colorado College's graduation. Cheney is a CC grad and talked about pushing back on her fellow Republicans regarding Donald Trump and about the deadly January 6th riot at the U.S. Capitol in 2021.
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Today - we’re talking to Sun business reporter Tamara Chuang about recent changes in Colorado laws regarding broadband build out.
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Today – we’re talking to Sun outdoors reporter Jason Blevins about the latest group of ski industry workers in Colorado who want to unionize.
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Today - we're talking to Colorado Sun Editor Larry Ryckman about The Colorado Sun's first SunFest.
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On Thursdays, Sun reporters Michael Booth and John Ingold talk about the latest in climate and health news. Today - they are discussing how federal Medicaid work requirements might impact Colorado, as well as a new law aiming to help make Colorado a hub for clean hydrogen generation.
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Today - Elliott Wenzler talked with fellow political reporter Sandra Fish about the latest happenings with the Colorado Republican party and the mayoral elections in Colorado Springs and Denver.
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Today - we’re talking to Colorado Sun business reporter Tamara Chuang about the latest jobs report in Colorado and what it means that the state’s average hourly wage is nearing $36 per hour.
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Today – we’re talking to Colorado Sun outdoors reporter Jason Blevins about how this year’s river rafting and kayaking season is shaping up to be one of the best in years.
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Today - it’s time for our monthly dive into music, as Sun writer Kevin Simpson chats with longtime Colorado music writer G. Brown.
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Today - Sun reporters John Ingold and Michael Booth talk about the latest in Colorado climate and health news, including a new program to study carbon sequestration in a community known for its industrial heritage.
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Governor Jared Polis and four state lawmakers joined Colorado Sun political editor Jesse Paul last week for an event recapping the 2023 legislative session. The following is an excerpt from Jesse's conversation with Polis, who just began his second four-year term leading the state. You can find a full recording of the event at coloradosun.com.
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Today - we’re talking with Colorado Sun business reporter Tamara Chuang about the rental market in Colorado and whether it’s better to be renting or buying right now.
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Today – we’re talking to Colorado Sun reporter Tracy Ross about research into how the layer of dust that falls on the Colorado high country impacts the snowpack and runoff.
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We're talking with Camille Dungy, a Fort-Collins-based poet, author and professor whose new book SOIL: A Black Grandmother's Garden is garnering attention around the country for its lyrical and insightful look at gardening, inclusivity and the power of slowing down to truly see your surroundings.
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Environment writer Michael Booth talks with new Colorado Sun international journalism fellow Manuel Novik about the biggest environmental issues in Ecuador, with a South American travel tips bonus.
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Colorado Sun political editor Jesse Paul talks to Sun political reporter Elliott Wenzler and KUNC radio political reporter Lucas Brady Woods about their first legislative session. Colorado's 2023 lawmaking term ended Monday night after 120 days. It was a doozy.
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Today - we’re talking to Colorado Sun business reporter Tamara Chuang about what it takes these days to be a first-time homebuyer in this roller coaster housing market.
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Today – We’re talking to Colorado Sun outdoors reporter Jason Blevins about the momentum behind a national monument designation for the Dolores River in southwestern Colorado.
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Sun writer Kevin Simpson sat down with Gen. Laura Richardson, the second woman to earn promotion to four-star general in the Army’s nearly 250-year history, when she returned last week to visit her Colorado roots.
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Sun reporters John Ingold and Michael Booth talk about the latest news on climate and health care in Colorado, including an update on the state's wolf reintroduction plan.
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Housing bills are a focus in the final week of the 2023 legislative session in Colorado. On Monday, Gov. Jared Polis and Democrats revealed their property tax relief proposal. And now the House is trying to revive a housing density policy that was gutted in the Senate. Political reporters Elliott Wenzler and Jesse Paul break down what it all means.
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Today we’re talking to Colorado Sun business reporter Tamara Chuang about the latest numbers that show the pay disparity between women and men in Colorado.
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Today –we’re talking to Colorado Sun outdoors reporter Jason Blevins about a little-known Grand Junction company that’s been making well-respected sleeping bags for nearly 40 years.
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It’s Friday and once again time for something a little different. Today - Sun writer and SunLit editor Kevin Simpson talks to Peter Anderson about his experience editing a new book that takes readers all across the state – through the eyes of a wide variety of writers.
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Environment reporter Michael Booth and health reporter John Ingold talk about Colorado's place in a complex network of legal battles over access to abortion, and whether state regulators are about to take your gas lawn equipment away.
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Political reporters Jesse Paul and Elliot Wenzler discuss how Coloradans property taxes are expected to dramatically increase in 2024 and what the legislature is planning to do about it. This segment was recorded on Tuesday ahead of Wednesday's announcement by county assessors about how much home valuations are rising by.
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A conversation on the CHIPS and Science Act and a recent roundtable discussion in Denver about semiconductor companies looking to make more chips in the U.S.
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We’re catching up with Sun outdoors reporter Jason Blevins about the new plans for the vel-o-drome cycling track in Boulder County and an update on the devastating fire at the Colorado Gator Farm.
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Sun writer and editor Kevin Simpson talks with Colorado writer Robin Schepper, whose book will be the subject of the next SunLit excerpt and author interview.
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Colorado Sun reporters John Ingold and Michael Booth are talking about the latest stories featured in their weekly newsletter The Temperature, which covers health and climate news.
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Today - Colorado Sun political editor Jesse Paul catches up with political reporter Elliott Wenzler about what's going on at the Colorado Capitol as the legislature enters the final stretch of the 2023 lawmaking term. Things are getting heated under the gold dome as Democrats try to manage a large workload and a combative Republican caucus in the House.
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We’re talking to Colorado Sun business reporter Tamara Chuang about the changes in the housing market as we get into the spring buying season.
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Today –we’re talking to Colorado Sun outdoors reporter Jason Blevins about the upcoming elections at GranbyRanch ski and golf community where only four voters will decide the fate of up to $60 billion in debt repayment.
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Today - our monthly conversation about Colorado music with Sun reporter and editor Kevin Simpson and longtime Colorado music writer G. Brown.
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Today - environment reporter Michael Booth and health writer John Ingold talk about the growth in gun violence, and a controversial deal for a new fossil fuel power plant on public land that was quickly withdrawn.
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Today - Political reporters Jesse Paul and Elliott Wenzler are covering the jam-packed end of Colorado's 2023 legislative session. They break down the latest political headlines and what the final month of this year's lawmaking term in Denver will look like, especially when it comes to a controversial land-use bill proposed by Gov. Jared Polis and Democratic state lawmakers.
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Today - we’re talking to Colorado Sun business reporter Tamara Chuang about the lack of venture capital investment going into female-founded startups.
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We’re talking to Colorado Sun outdoors reporter Jason Blevins about the announcement from the founder of Beau Jo’s is selling the pizza empire to his employees.
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Today - Sun writer and editor Kevin Simpson is talking to author Ken Reed, a Colorado native whose book "How We Can Save Sports: A Game Plan" has just been re-released in paperback.
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Today - Sun reporters John Ingold and Michael Booth are talking about the latest in climate and health news in Colorado, including some new advances in trapping carbon emissions.
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Today - Political reporters Jesse Paul and Elliott Wenzler discuss the use of ambiguous language in Colorado state laws.
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Today - we’re talking to Colorado Sun business reporter Tamara Chuang about the confidence levels among Colorado business owners on the economy heading into the second quarter.
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Today –we’re talking to Colorado Sun outdoors reporter Jason Blevins about the most recent fatal avalanche reports and online backcountry safety event Jason is hosting later this month.
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We’re talking to Colorado Sun reporter Olivia Prentzel about the upcoming wildfire season and how officials around the state are already preparing.
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Today - Sun health reporter John Ingold talks with his colleague Jennifer Brown, who recently wrote about an unusual -- and increasingly popular -- kind of adoption agency operating in Colorado.
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Today - Colorado Sun political reporters Elliott Wenzler and Jesse Paul discussed the long — and very tense — weekend of work in the Colorado House where Democrats invoked a little-used rule to stop a Republican filibuster of three gun control bills. The GOP was outraged by the move, setting up more partisan clashes in the second half of the 120-day lawmaking term.
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Today - we’re talking to Colorado Sun business reporter Tamara Chuang about updates to last year's unemployment numbers, and how this year is starting out in Colorado.
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Today –we’re talking to Colorado Sun outdoors reporter Jason Blevins about the electrification of Crested Butte and the model emerging in the mountain town.
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Today - we're talking to Colorado Sun health reporter John Ingold about the upcoming Medicaid event on April 4th.
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Today - reporters John Ingold and Michael Booth talk about the latest in environment and health news -- including a plan by the state of Nebraska to build a canal to take water from Colorado. If you want to learn more about health and climate news, you can sign up for Michael and John's weekly newsletter, The Temperature. Go to ColoradoSun.Com/join to become a Sun premium member.
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Today - political reporters Jesse Paul and Elliott Wenzler discuss the second half of Colorado's 120-day 2023 legislative session and the pressure building on Democrats to advance their big agenda with limited time left and Republicans filibustering in the House. Will they be able to get everything done?
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Sun writer Kevin Simpson talks with photographer and writer Dean Krakel.
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Today –we’re talking to Colorado Sun outdoors reporter Jason Blevins about a federal proposal to ban rock climbers from using fixed metal anchors in wilderness areas.
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Our monthly deep dive into Colorado’s rich musical tradition with Sun writer Kevin Simpson and longtime music reporter G. Brown, whose Colorado Music Experience website maintains a comprehensive collection of information, videos and recordings of live Colorado shows spanning decades. You can find it all at colomusic.org.
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Environment reporters Michael Booth and Jen Brown talk about what you should know about new "forever chemicals" rules, and also about outreach to the unhoused.
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Political reporter Elliott Wenzler joined political editor Jesse Paul to talk about her reporting on how Weld County ignored a state law changing how some Colorado counties redraw county commissioner districts. A lawsuit may be coming in a situation with big consequences for the roughly 350,000 people who live in one of the fastest growing parts of the state.
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We’re talking with Sun business reporter Tamara Chuang about the trends she found in this year’s annual top 10 consumer complaints list via the Colorado Attorney General’s office.
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Today –We’re talking to Colorado Sun outdoors reporter Jason Blevins about how the work of the Colorado Avalanche Information Center has evolved.
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Today - Sun writer and SunLit editor Kevin Simpson talks with Colorado author Bob Seay.
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Reporters John Ingold and Michael Booth are talking about the latest in climate and health news, including a look westward to find the source of some of Colorado's air pollution problems.
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Today - politics reporters Elliott Wenzler and Sandra Fish will talk about the top fundraisers in the Denver mayoral contest - and share their Denver International Airport greetings should they become mayor.
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We’re talking to Colorado Sun’s new water reporter Shannon Mullane about joining the Sun team and her role as a journalist covering water stories around Colorado.
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We’re talking with Colorado Sun outdoors reporter Jason Blevins about how access to some of Colorado’s tallest peaks is being cut off because of fears of lawsuits.
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We're talking to Colorado author Heather Hansman, whose second book, Powder Days: Ski Towns and the Future of Chasing Snow, has been on our list of favorites for a while.
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Reporters John Ingold and Michael Booth talk about hospital facility fees surprising consumers, and how many cities will follow Aurora in early drought restrictions.
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Colorado political reporters Jesse Paul and Elliott Wenzler talk about the curious case of the Capitol sconce that was posted for sale on eBay. They toured the Colorado Capitol to talk about historic relics in the building and how state officials are working to return the sconce to the building it came from.
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Today – we’re talking to Colorado Sun business reporter Tamara Chuang about how the 2019 Colorado wage transparency law is working so far.
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We’re talking to Colorado Sun outdoors reporter Jason Blevins about how a proposed railroad project in Utah could bring waxy crude oil through Colorado on the way to refineries in the southeast.
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We’re talking to Colorado Sun reporter Jennifer Brown about trekking to the base of Longs Peak for a story on skating on wild ice.
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Colorado Sun reporters John Ingold and Michael Booth are talking about the latest in health and climate news, including details about a new bill at the state Capitol to make it easier for homeowners to go electric.
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Today, Colorado Sun political reporter and editor Jesse Paul joined Elliott Wenzler to discuss a forthcoming bill in the legislature that would make it easier for people to sue gun manufacturers and sellers. Right now, Colorado law makes it nearly impossible — and financially perilous — to sue the gun industry. Jesse talked about why this under-the-table proposal may be one of the most important gun regulations changed in Colorado this year.
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We’re talking to Colorado Sun’s new rural reporter Tracy Ross about joining the Sun team and her role as a journalist covering stories around the world.
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Today –we’re talking to Colorado Sun outdoors reporter Jason Blevins about corner crossing and getting access to public lands going through private property without breaking the law.
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It’s time for our monthly deep dive into Colorado’s rich musical tradition with Sun writer Kevin Simpson and longtime music reporter G. Brown, whose Colorado Music Experience website - colomusic.org - maintains a comprehensive collection of information, videos and recordings of live Colorado shows spanning decades.
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Today - Sun reporters John Ingold and Michael Booth talk about a surprising breakup in Colorado's big hospital chains, and complaints that Xcel isn't hooking up home solar panels.
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Colorado Sun political reporter Elliott Wenzler discusses the latest housing bills being debated at the legislature with Lucas Brady Woods, a Capitol reporter for KUNC, the public radio station serving northern Colorado. Housing is a top issue for Democrats in the legislature this year, and for Governor Jared Polis.
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We’re talking to Colorado Sun business reporter Tamara Chuang about a recent summit of Colorado Realtors and how workforce challenges dominated the real estate conversation.
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We’re talking to Colorado Sun outdoor reporter Jason Blevins about the 50th annual National Brotherhood of Skiers summit in Vail and a new lift going in at Silverton Mountain.
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Sun writer and SunLit editor Kevin Simpson talks with bestselling science fiction and fantasy author Todd Fahnestock about a very different kind of book he's written.
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Reporters John Ingold and Michael Booth talk about the latest in Colorado climate and health news, including details on a new fight over a cement plant and a state report on long COVID.
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Colorado Sun political editor and reporter Jesse Paul talks to U.S. Senator John Hickenlooper about his work convening senators from Colorado River Basin states to discuss ways to tackle Western water woes. The informal caucus is meant to help facilitate interstate water conservation negotiations amid critical deficits in the waterway relied upon by 40 million people.
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We’re talking to Colorado Sun business reporter Tamara Chuang about the record number of Colorado businesses that filed to start up in the fourth quarter as well as those that left the economy.
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Today – we’re talking to Colorado Sun outdoor reporter Jason Blevins about housing in the high country and a new affordable housing proposal in Telluride that is getting pushback.
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It’s Friday which means it’s time to step away from the news and head into the weekend with a different sort of conversation. Sun writer Kevin Simpson talked to four Colorado-connected authors about their recent books, in which they leaned on the short story form for their narratives about the West.
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Colorado Sun reporters Michael Booth and John Ingold talk with colleague Jennifer Brown about religious directives ending some important reproductive services for some Colorado patients, and what happens when you study twins' use of marijuana.
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We’re talking to Colorado Sun writer Kevin Simpson about how the illegal killing of wildlife in Colorado continues to keep investigators busy.
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We’re talking to Colorado Sun business reporter Tamara Chuang about possible updates coming to Colorado’s wage transparency laws.
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We’re talking to Colorado Sun outdoor reporter Jason Blevins about how the Colorado ski season is going on with the Epic and Icon passes at about the midway mark.
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Today - we're talking to Colorado Sun marketing & events coordinator Kristina Pritchett and Colorado Sun environmental reporter Michael Booth about the upcoming vertical gardening event.
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Today - Sun health reporter John Ingold and climate reporter Michael Booth sit down to talk about the stories they've been working on, including a piece on the ethics of trying to go green with your home yard equipment.
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Political reporters Sandra Fish and Elliott Wenzler give an update on what's happening at the Colorado Capitol, including a preview of the soon-to-be-introduce bill that would ban the sale of so-called assault weapons.
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Today – we’re talking to Colorado Sun business reporter Tamara Chuang about new age discrimination legislation being discussed at the state capitol.
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Today –we’re talking to Colorado Sun outdoor reporter Jason Blevins about the latest developments in the effort to make Sweetwater Lake in Garfield County Colorado’s next state park.
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Today - it’s time for our monthly deep dive into Colorado’s rich musical tradition with Sun writer Kevin Simpson and longtime music reporter G. Brown, whose Colorado Music Experience website maintains a comprehensive collection of information, videos and recordings of live Colorado shows spanning decades. You can find it all at colomusic.org.
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Today - environmental reporter Michael Booth and health reporter John Ingold discuss an ambitious wastewater recycling program in Aurora and a new COVID variant that could impact Colorado.
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On Tuesday, Governor Jared Polis delivered his fifth State of the State address at the Colorado Capitol. He touched on a broad range of topics, from climate change to affordable housing, water to public safety. The Colorado Sun politics team was there to analyze the whole thing. Political editor Jesse Paul brings you the sounds from the Colorado House Representatives while reporters Elliott Wenzler and Sandra Fish break down the highlights from the speech.
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We’re talking to Colorado Sun business reporter Tamara Chuang about the latest inflation numbers and how consumers are changing their spending habits.
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We’re talking to Colorado Sun outdoors reporter, Jason Blevins, about operators of a nordic skiing and hut system who have gone quiet - not responding to state and customer requests.
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It’s Friday, which means Sun writer Kevin Simpson will point you toward your weekend with something a little different. This week he chats with award-winning Colorado author Mark Stevens.
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Environment writer Michael Booth and health writer John Ingold discuss when you can attribute deaths to COVID, as well as the growing number of billion-dollar climate disasters in the United States.
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We're featuring scenes from Gov. Jared Polis' second inauguration, including a portion of his inaugural address. Our politics team was there for the whole thing. They’ll break down the big lines from the Democrat's speech.
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We’re talking to Colorado Sun business reporter Tamara Chuang about the egg crisis that continues in Colorado as well as the economic forecast for 2023.
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Today –Colorado Sun outdoor reporter Jason Blevins discusses landowners’ concerns of having recreational access on their private property.
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Today - Colorado Sun reporter Tamara Chuang talks to Penn Street with AIN Colorado about how people can listen to Colorado Sun stories read out loud online.
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Reporters Jen Brown and Elliott Wenzler continue to discuss the anniversary of the Marshall Fire, which burned more than 1,000 homes and killed two people in Boulder County one year ago.
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Today - reporters Jen Brown and Elliott Wenzler discuss the anniversary of the Marshall Fire, which burned more than 1,000 homes and killed two people in Boulder County one year ago.
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Colorado Sun editor Larry Ryckman and business reporter Tamara Chuang talk about how The Sun is doing as a business and a big event in the works.
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Today - Sun writer Kevin Simpson talks with award-winning Colorado mystery author Margaret Mizushima, whose work has been spotlighted in the weekly SunLit feature.
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Today - we’re talking to Colorado Sun outdoor reporter Jason Blevins about how the White River National Forest delivers $1.6 billion to local economies and how long unlimited growth can last.
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Today - we’re talking to Colorado Sun environmental reporter Michael Booth about research from the University of Colorado that studied clouds of aerosols emitted when public toilets are flushed, and the airborne pathogens that are dispersed.
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Today – we’re talking to Colorado Sun business reporter Tamara Chuang about how Colorado is challenging 13,000 speed inaccuracies in the new federal broadband map.
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Colorado Sun event and marketing director Kristina Pritchett is discussing the final event of 2022 and what’s on the horizon for the first event of 2023.
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Today - Colorado Sun environmental reporter Michael Booth is back to tell us about how the Colorado School of Mines is pursuing renewable energy with solar panels designed by engineering students.
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Today - we’re talking to Colorado Sun rural reporter Shannon Najmabadi about the continuing events in a sexting case that caught up school administrators in the rural eastern Colorado town of Brush.
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Today - we’re talking to Colorado Sun environmental reporter Michael Booth about how avian flu is moving into the wild bird population.
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Today – we’re joined by Colorado Sun outdoor reporter Jason Blevins to discuss how supply chain struggles slowed the opening of ski chairlifts in Colorado and across the country.
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Today - our monthly deep dive into Colorado’s rich musical tradition with Sun writer Kevin Simpson and longtime music reporter G. Brown, whose Colorado Music Experience website maintains a comprehensive collection of information, videos and recordings of live Colorado shows spanning decades.
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Today - we're talking to Sandra Fish of The Sun's politics team about campaign finance spending in the 2022 midterm elections.
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Today - we're talking to Colorado Sun business reporter Tamara Chuang about unemployment benefits in Colorado. A backlog now has processing of those claims taking up to 16 weeks.
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We're talking to Colorado Sun environmental reporter Michael Booth about a system that is exchanging the heat from sewage into energy to keep buildings warm.
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Today – we're talking to Colorado Sun outdoor reporter Jason Blevins about the plan to introduce up to 50 wolves over a 5-year-period to Colorado's western slope.
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Today - we’re joined by Colorado Sun event and marketing director Kristina Pritchett to discuss a recent event on insurance open enrollment, as well as plans for 2023.
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Today - we're talking to Colorado Sun political reporter Jesse Paul about a bid to make Colorado one of the first Democratic presidential primary states in 2024.
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Today - we're talking with Colorado Sun business reporter Tamara Chuang about a new paid family leave program and how it will roll out in 2023 and 2024.
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Today - we're talking to Colorado Sun outdoor reporter Jason Blevins about a Colorado Parks and Wildlife volunteer who was cleared after a 7-month investigation into a racism claim.
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Today – we're talking to Colorado Sun environmental reporter Michael Booth about both a recent climate conference held in Boulder and solar panels.
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Today - Sun writer and editor Kevin Simpson shifts our attention away from breaking news to the subject of books. In particular, he’s taking a look at an unusual anthology that was the winner of a 2022 Colorado Book Award in that genre.
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Today - we're talking to Colorado Sun equity reporter Tatiana Flowers about the experiences of Iranian students in Colorado while protests are underway in their home country. She also fills us in on an event she's hosting this evening on equity in homeownership.
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Today - we're hearing the second of two episodes with Sun reporters Jen Brown and Olivia Prentzel who, alongside colleagues, reported a series of stories on the challenges of the foster and adoption system in Colorado, and particularly on failed adoptions.
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Today - we’re visiting with Sun reporters Jen Brown and Olivia Prentzel about their multi-part series on the number of failed adoptions in Colorado.
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Today – we're visiting with Colorado Sun outdoor reporter Jason Blevins about his discovery regarding an unusual warning the National Park Service issued about toads. We'll also touch on the record amount of sales tax collected in mountain towns this year.
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Today - we're visiting with Colorado Sun event and marketing director Kristina Pritchett about the final events of 2022.
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Today - an encore Daily Sun-Up that first aired back in early October. We speak with Colorado Sun photographer Olivia Sun. Olivia is assigned to The Sun as a Report for America corps member - like the Peace Corps, only for journalists.
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Today - we're talking to Colorado Sun business reporter Tamara Chuang about how inflationary costs are impacting traditional food items at the Thanksgiving table.
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Today - we talk to Colorado Sun reporter Michael Booth about reporting he and colleagues did on a spike in anti-trans and anti-LGBTQ+ rhetoric, and how it may set the stage for increased violence.
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Hundreds of people filled a Unitarian church in downtown Colorado Springs on Sunday in honor of five people who were killed and 25 others who were wounded in a mass shooting targeting a local LGBTQ club.
Today – Sun Editor Larry Ryckman speaks with colleague Lance Benzel about the shooting and what we know this morning.
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Today - Sun writer Kevin Simpson sits down with legendary music writer and historian G. Brown to talk about Colorado performers and memorable performances at the state’s iconic venues.
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Today - we're talking to Colorado Sun political reporter Jesse Paul about the recent elections and particularly Colorado's third congressional district, which has not been decided. We also touch on what pollsters got right and wrong.
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Today - we have an encore episode with Colorado Sun environmental reporter Michael Booth where he breaks down some recent election topics and fills us in on an upcoming hydroponic project.
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Today - we're visiting with Colorado Sun environmental reporter Michael Booth about a company that is working to make recycling easier for consumers with a bin that does the sorting for them.
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Today - we're visiting with Colorado Sun outdoor reporter Jason Blevins about a surge in the use of outdoor spaces that is fueling momentum for laws supporting recreation.
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Today - we're visiting with Colorado Sun events and marketing director Kristina Pritchett about a variety of upcoming virtual events The Sun is hosting.
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Today - we're speaking with Colorado Sun business reporter Tamara Chuang about Colorado's shrinking population growth and how the state's population gain in 2021 is the lowest since 1990.
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Today - we're talking with Colorado Sun environmental reporter Michael Booth about local nonprofits and neighborhood groups getting big grants from the Environmental Protection Agency to pay for their own air pollution monitoring around oil and gas wells and other sites.
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Today - we're talking to Colorado Sun water reporter Chris Outcalt about findings from an international researcher on how Colorado's underground water is vanishing.
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Today - outdoor reporter Jason Blevins discusses an unexpected turn of events in an energy company's plans for a hydropower project in Unaweep Canyon.
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Today - Reporter Kevin Simpson talks with Author Ted Conover about his new book, “Cheap Land Colorado”: Choosing life off the grid in the San Luis Valley. The two discuss why we need to understand the isolated subculture of the Valley’s “flats” in a time of political extremes.
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Today - we’re talking to Colorado Sun political reporter Jesse Paul. We'll cover the recent sudden death of the Colorado House Minority Leader, what's going on with early ballot returns, and a post-election event that Jesse will moderate.
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Today - a conversation with business reporter Tamara Chuang to discuss how Colorado plans to cover 99 percent of the state with super fast internet funded by approximately one billion dollars.
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Today - reporter Michael Booth discusses how one energy company could be discriminating against Colorado solar panel owners. We also touch on the current ballot issue on Denver recycling.
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Today - we're talking to outdoor reporter Jason Blevins about Colorado communities supporting a lawsuit to block Utah oil trains along the Colorado River, as well as an update on Telluride ski patrollers reaching a contract to thwart a potential strike.
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Today - Sun writer Kevin Simpson chats with an author and documentary filmmaker whose book has been featured in the Sun and whose new film will be screened in Denver on November 10th.
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Today - we're visiting with The Sun's environmental reporter Michael Booth about Denver's e-bike rebate program, health insurance rates, and - of all things - Ultimate frisbee.
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Today - we're talking to business reporter Tamara Chuang about the unemployment rate in Colorado, which is remaining flat.
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Today marks two weeks until election day, and we talk to Sandra Fish from The Sun's politics team on how voters can cast ballots, as well as some of the big money going into the final stretch of midterm campaigns.
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Today - we're visiting with Colorado Sun outdoors reporter Jason Blevins to talk about the risks of remote trail running without proper rescue gear. We also discuss ballot measures that would raise taxes on short-term-rental properties in some mountain communities.
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Today - Sun writer Kevin Simpson sits down for the first of what will be recurring monthly visits with G. Brown to talk about the rich and evolving history of Colorado music, as well as G.’s nonprofit Colorado Music Experience (https://colomusic.org/)
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Today - the Sun's environmental reporter Michael Booth discusses the availability, quality and cost of water supplies in the Denver metro area.
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Today - we're visiting with Colorado Sun business reporter Tamara Chuang to discuss newly-released inflation numbers.
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Today - we are speaking with The Sun's rural affairs reporter Shannon Najmabadi about water quality problems in the small town of Colorado City.
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Today - we're speaking with political reporter Jesse Paul about a visit President Biden made to Colorado last week.
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Today - we’re visiting with Michelle Madrid, a guest journalist who is with The Colorado Sun via the International Center for Journalists.
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Today - we're talking to The Sun's event and marketing director Kristina Pritchett about the two debates we recently hosted, as well as some upcoming events.
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Today - we’re talking with Colorado Sun business reporter Tamara Chuang about the aging workforce in Colorado.
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Today - we're talking to Sun environmental reporter Michael Booth about another municipality getting ready to pass restrictions on landscaping because of the lack of water in Colorado.
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Today - we're talking to Colorado Sun event and marketing director Kristina Pritchett about both recent and upcoming events.
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Today - Reporter Kevin Simpson talks to Drew Litton about his career as an award-winning cartoonist.
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Colorado Gov. Jared Polis is now the top donor in this year’s election season, recently pulling ahead of rival Steve Wells, a Weld County rancher who donated $11 million to Deep Colorado Wells, his super PAC opposing Polis. Wells isn’t even running for office. But Polis is up for reelection. Polis has donated $11.1 million to his own campaign. The Colorado Sun has been following the money and here today is business reporter Tamara Chuang interviews politics reporter Sandra Fish, who tells us more about why our mailboxes are getting stuffed with political postcards.
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Today - we sit down with Colorado Sun editor and co-founder Larry Ryckman and chat about The Sun’s fourth anniversary and vision for year five and beyond.
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Today - we’re speaking with Colorado Sun photographer Olivia Sun who came to The Sun as a Report for America corps member.
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Today - we’re speaking with Linda Shapley, the publisher of Colorado Community Media, about their 26 hyper-local newspapers and their relationship to The Colorado Sun.
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Reporter Kevin Simpson speaks with Colorado author Eric Maikranz about his novel "The Reincarnationist Papers”, which was adapted into the 2021 movie “Infinite” starring Mark Wahlberg.
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Today - Colorado Sun Politics reporters Sandra Fish and Jesse Aaron Pauldiscuss the recent tax revenue forecast and what this means for the 2023 - 24 fiscal budget.
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Today -Colorado Sun reporters Michael Booth and Tamara Chuang discuss their recent coverage of how Coloradans are coping with inflation, what’s happened with housing prices and … fish.
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Keeping with yesterday’s podcast on filling dangerous mine shafts, today we are visiting with freelance photographer and journalist William Woody (williamwoody.us/about/) of Montrose who recently covered a hard-rock mining competition in Ouray.
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Today - we’re talking to The Colorado Sun’s outdoor reporter, Jason Blevins, about officials using foam to fill dangerous abandoned mine shafts in the Colorado Rockies.
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Today - we’re talking to The Colorado Sun’s marketing and events director Kristina Pritchett about recent events and what’s in store for future virtual and in-person events.
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Today - As we get closer to the election, Colorado Sun political reporters Jesse Aaron Paul and Sandra Fish discuss spending - or lack thereof - in the senate race.
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Today - We’re talking to The Colorado Sun’s business reporter Tamara Chuang about Denver Startup Week.
[NEW - running all week] Before we begin, We’d like to thank our sponsors - Xcel Energy. Xcel Energy can help you find ways to keep your home or business running smoothly, while reducing energy use and saving you money. Find everyday tips for using less energy and simple ways to manage your energy budget at X-C-E-L-energy-dot-com."
Now, let’s go back in time with some Colorado History.
More than 1,000 years ago, a culture known as Chacoan dominated the Four Corners region from a cluster of cities in Chaco Canyon in today's northwestern New Mexico. Satellite communities with allegiance to the canyon extended for a hundred miles in every direction. On the northern Chacoan frontier stood a community known today as Chimney Rock, named for one of two stone spires that towered above it, in present-day Archuleta County.
Starting around 900 AD, Chacoans colonized the region, erecting towns in the shadow of Chimney and Companion Rocks. Higher in elevation than any other Ancestral Puebloan settlement, archaeologists believe Chacoans used the Chimney Rock site as an astronomical calendar, with important buildings aligned with both the stones and celestial bodies at important times of the year, including solstices, equinoxes, and phases of the moon. For two and a half centuries, several hundred Chacoans inhabited eight communities clustered below the pinnacles.
For reasons unknown, around 1150 AD the residents burned and abandoned the site, although competition from groups to the west (such as Mesa Verde) might have contributed to its decline.
Archaeological work at Chimney Rock, now located in the San Juan National Forest, occurred sporadically in the twentieth century. Although surveys are still made, American Indian descendants of the community's inhabitants have requested that no further excavations disturb the site. In 1970, Chimney Rock earned a listing in the National Register of Historic Places, spurring further attempts to protect and recognize it. To better preserve and interpret the historic landmark, President Barack Obama used his authority under the Antiquities Act to declare Chimney Rock National Monument in 2012.
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Today - we’re visiting with The Colorado Sun’s environment reporter Michael Booth about greenhouse gas emissions in Colorado not dropping quickly enough and about efforts to change landscaping trends.
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Today - we're talking to Colorado Sun Outdoors Reporter Jason Blevins about virtual fencing technology for cattle on rangeland in the American West.
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Today - we're speaking with The Colorado Sun's water reporter Chris Outcalt, who joined forces with five other news outlets in the southwest United States to report on the dwindling Colorado River that supplies water to seven states, more than 24 Native American tribes, and the country of Mexico.
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Today - we're visiting with Colorado Sun political reporter Jesse Paul about campaign finance trends, as well as about a lawsuit involving the change in political affiliation for a state senator.
[NEW - running all week] Before we begin, We’d like to thank our sponsors - Pinnacol Assurance. Pinnacol Assurance provides workers' comp insurance and was named one of the most community-minded companies in Colorado for the third year in a row. Last year, Pinnacol donated 1.5 million dollars in grants, donations and scholarships to Colorado communities. Learn how Pinnacol puts care to work at Pinnacol dot com.
Now, let’s go back in time with some Colorado History.
On this day in 1879, Colorado’s Historical Society held its first official meeting in Denver. It was established by the General Assembly in the spring of 1879 to protect and preserve the nascent state's story.
Members discussed the military and educational history of their community and heard bombastic remarks by Mayor Richard Sopris about the glory of the state and its capital city over the previous two decades.
The Colorado Historical Society and its ever-larger collection occupied space in hotels, office buildings, and the Arapahoe County Courthouse until 1895, when it moved to the capitol's basement. Visitors marveled at exhibits overflowing with taxidermied animals, geological specimens, pottery from Ancestral Puebloan sites, and the desiccated remains of those who lived in the ancient cities of southwestern Colorado.
The society proved so popular that it soon merited a separate building, a marble museum across Fourteenth Avenue from the state capitol.
Its collections grew in size and scope, from dioramas of historic scenes made by the Works Progress Administration during the Great Depression to "Baby Doe" Tabor's wedding dress. The crowded edifice also proved insufficient, and in 1977 the society moved to the Colorado Heritage Center, a modernistic, sloping structure of brown brick. This structure and the state’s judicial building north of it came down to make way for the Ralph L. Carr Colorado
Judicial Center, and the collection found a new home in 2011.
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Today - Colorado Sun business reporter Tamara Chuang talks about small business hiring practices in the current economy. We'll also revisit the topic of older workers.
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Today - we're talking to The Colorado Sun's environmental reporter Michael Booth about how air pollution damages the gut biome of infants, as well as a movement to place electric vehicle charges in rural Colorado.
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Today - we're talking with Colorado Sun outdoor reporter and co-founder Jason Blevins about a couple different lawsuits. One is between some private developers and the National Forest Service. Another is between Vail Resorts and the city of Vail.
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Today - we’re talking with author Claire Boyles, who not only has terrific writing chops but also has worked as a teacher and even tried her hand at farming.
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We're visiting with Colorado Sun politics reporter Jesse Paul about a flurry of legal filings in the case of indicted Mesa County Clerk Tina Peters, as well as 2022 general election Colorado TV ad spending, and more.
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We're visiting with The Colorado Sun's business reporter Tamara Chuang about how Colorado workers, particularly those in the 55 plus bracket, are returning to the workforce.
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Today - We're visiting with The Colorado Sun's environment reporter, Michael Booth on how prairie dogs are viewed and treated in the various landscapes of our state.
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Today - we're speaking with The Colorado Sun's equity reporter Tatiana Flowers about The Black Legacy Project which is coming to Denver next week.
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Today - Today we're talking to Sanda Fish of The Colorado Sun's politics team. We'll cover an analysis of voting on bills that became law during the last legislative session, a look at a state senator who recently switched political parties, a look at the U.S. senate race, and more.
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Today - We're speaking with Shannon Najmabdi on how two rural Colorado administrators were investigating a sexting case between students, and now the administrators are facing child porn charges.
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Today - Today, we're taking a deeper dive into ozone pollution in Colorado, as well as looking at the recent Air Pollution Control Division's issuance of a long-delayed permit for the Suncor oil refinery.
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Today we're visiting with outdoors reporter Jason Blevins about a proposed power project that would flood a western Colorado canyon, including the homes and land of several residents, if constructed.
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Today - We hold a myriad of events about a variety of Colorado-related topics all year long, and today The Colorado Sun's event and marketing specialists, Kristina Pritchett catches us up on a recent event, and what's on tap.
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We're looking at a couple of environmental topics, including how Colorado is getting worse, not better, in terms of ozone pollution. This is despite making big cuts to greenhouse gasses, mainly by closing coal-fired power plants faster than expected and switching old cars out for new ones. We’re also looking at the state's expanded probe into "forever chemicals" or PFAS (pee-faas) from the metro area showing up in biosolids spread on farmland in rural Colorado.
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Last week, U.S. Department of Treasury officials awarded Colorado up to $104.7 million as part of a program that started 12 years ago. The money will be used to invest in startups and small businesses.
While some of the funding will serve as collateral for small businesses that don’t have enough, most will be invested in the state’s venture capital funds — which expect returns and don’t rely on taxpayers.
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Today - Earlier this month Colorado Secretary of State’s office shared the latest quarterly update on how small businesses in the state are doing. And while job growth remains strong, the number of businesses that are delinquent in filing regular reports or repaying a debt increased.
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Chris Castilian has resigned as executive director of the Lakewood-based National Ski Patrol after one year, citing “vastly different visions for the future of this organization” between himself and the group’s board.
The venerable National Ski Patrol is a mess, and has been for years, with half the members wondering why the group needs to think about diversity, equity and inclusion.
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For the long term, buying an electric vehicle in Colorado just got an enormous boost from the final passage of the Inflation Reduction Act, a landmark bill on climate and health care costs.
But for the next few months, though, the EV market will be a bit of a puzzle, as dealers and regulators work out which subsidies apply to which vehicles, and whether manufacturers can improve lagging inventory.
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Today - After watching the bill fail to advance past the U.S. Senate for years, supporters of the COREs Act (or Colorado Outdoor Recreation Economy Act) are asking President Joe Biden to take executive action to protect the tens of thousands of acres of federal land in Colorado the measure aims to shield.
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Today - The lowest-paid workers in Denver are getting a 9% pay raise on January 1st. When it takes effect, the city’s minimum wage of $17.29 will be one of the highest in the nation.
But what does this mean for employers like restaurant owners who are already struggling to make ends meet?
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Today - Colorado has a new state historian, Jared Orsi of Colorado State University. In his new role, he aims to amplify under-told stories, share his expertise of how Coloradans have shaped public lands - and how they also have been shaped by them.
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We've been following sales tax collections in Colorado's mountain towns during ski season for several years now. And the 2021-2022 winter was the best ever for ski resort operators, with record traffic and peaking profits. In fact, tax collections were up 55 percent.
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The Colorado Sun hosts a multitude of events throughout the year. Most are virtual and free.
Today - Carol Wood talks with The Sun's Marketing and Events Specialist Kristina Pritchett about what's on tap for the rest of the year.
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There’s been a lot of political activity going on in Colorado recently, for starters – State Senator Pete Lee, a Colorado Springs Democrat, has been indicted on a felony charge alleging that he lied about where he lives for the purpose of voting.
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It's difficult to imagine a topic in the West that has more impact than water usage in the Colorado River Basin. And as climate change impacts water flow and water agreements, politicians are looking for funds meant to buy, rent or save water.
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Today We take a closer look at Colorado employers in certain sectors who still are experiencing a labor shortage – even as more jobs are filled in other areas. We’ll discuss the disconnect, and talk about what to expect next.
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We delve into air pollution after a series of stories in The Sun that center on the toxins we might be breathing.
Sun Reporters Michael Booth and Jennifer Brown talk about higher cancer risks in Lakewood and the fact that 10 northern Front Range counties are constantly busting ground-level ozone pollution caps.
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Food trucks splashed with colorful cartoons are roaming throughout Grand Junction this summer, handing out hundreds of lunches a day to kids hungry after playing out under the sun. The food trucks have become a critical part of overcoming food insecurity in Mesa County, where at some schools about 90% of students qualify for free lunches. Freelance writer Nancy Lofholm talks to Erica Breunlin about ongoing efforts to keep kids fed and what federal cutbacks on universal free school lunches will mean for the future of the food trucks.
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About 2,000 wild horses have been captured and removed from Colorado since last summer — including horses rounded up in the latest wild horse gather in Colorado. That gather, which trapped 864 stallions, mares and foals, was the largest in the state’s history and drew sharp criticism from animal advocates, including Gov. Jared Polis and First Gentleman Marlon Reis. Writer Jennifer Brown talks to Erica Breunlin about how the roundup played out and what it means for the state’s attempts to control its wild horse population.
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Colorado lawmakers set aside $28 million so that residents across the state could ride public transit for free this month and in August 2023 and help scale back on pollution. Three million dollars were up for grabs by smaller transportation agencies, but $2 million will go unused with some agencies hurting for bus drivers and unable to accommodate a swell in riders. Reporter Marvis Gutierrez talks to Erica Breunlin about the money left on the table and the tension around trying to shuttle more riders without enough drivers.
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Few people die in Colorado each year from heat-related causes, but heat remains a top concern for medical and public health experts. One major reason: Heat can be particularly dangerous for people who have underlying health conditions, such as cardiovascular disease, and can push them into a medical crisis. And as climate change warms the environment, heat is only posing more of a threat to people’s health. Health care reporter John Ingold talks to Erica Breunlin about how heat could put Coloradans’ wellbeing at greater risk as summers continue to turn
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Drought and irrigation demands will drain two Eastern Plains reservoirs, killing fisheries and the local economy. Colorado Parks and Wildlife has issued emergency fish salvages at Queens and Jumbo reservoirs, which will run dry and lose all fish this summer. Now, local communities are bracing for the loss. Colorado Sun reporter Jason Blevins has the story.
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Problems from the PFAS 'forever chemicals' are cropping up all over Colorado, as they are in the rest of the United States. Now, many local water systems are finding out that what they thought were good test results are now outside the Environmental Protection Agency’s suggested limits. Colorado Sun environment reporter Michael Booth is here today to talk about the latest news from a big community in Adams County.
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Colorado has paid back 87% of the $1 billion it borrowed from the federal government to help give unemployment benefits to out-of-work Coloradans during the pandemic. As of this week, the outstanding balance was just over $133 million. The unemployment loan is on track to be paid off by mid November. Colorado Sun reporter Tamara Chuang has the full story.
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Putting your house up for sale is stressful enough. But, sellers in three major Colorado cities are now finding that they’re having to cut their listing price after the home is already on the market. Two to three times more sellers in Denver, Fort Collins and Colorado Springs reconsidered their list prices and then lowered them in June compared to a year ago, according to new data from Zillow. Cutting the price of a house after it hits the market is normal but it doesn’t come without added stress for the seller. Colorado Sun reporters Tamara Chuang and Marvis Gutierrez have more to share about this story.
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After the fall of Roe vs. Wade, abortion rights advocates are pointing to the story of a 10 year old Ohio girl who had to travel to another state to end her pregnancy after she was raped. And as states continue unraveling access to abortion, Colorado reproductive health care providers are seeing an increase in the number of people coming to the Centennial state to access abortion care. Colorado Sun reporter Jen Brown recently requested state health department data to provide a clearer picture about the ages of kids receiving abortions in Colorado.
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There are at least 150 abandoned homes in the San Luis Valley at a time when Colorado is in a severe housing crunch. Sun reporter Tatiana Flowers visited the valley recently and met with several San Luis Valley organizations trying to find abandoned homes, figure out who owns them, buy them and renovate them to make them habitable again.
The San Luis Valley is vast and sparsely populated, and short about one-thousand-800 housing units, which is where the abandoned home project comes in. In some cases, the homes will be restored for the people who abandoned them when upkeep became too expensive. In others, they will house people who are currently homeless.
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Money matters a lot when it comes to politics, and the Sun’s Sandra Fish is Colorado’s journalism campaign finance guru. She reports that a group aligned with Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York was behind a shadowy 4-million-dollar campaign to encourage voters in Colorado’s Republican primary to vote for a Republican candidate who is an election conspiracist.
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It’s now taking nearly three months for Coloradans who are out of work to get a new unemployment claim processed. So why is it taking so long?
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Today marks the 10 year anniversary of the Aurora theater shooting when a gunman opened fire on a crowd of people. Twelve were killed and many others were injured. So, how have gun laws in Colorado changed?
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A few weeks ago, the Bureau of Reclamation said another 2 to 4 million acre-feet of water would have to be cut next year by Colorado River water users to protect levels in Lake Mead and Lake Powell. To many, this signaled more water was going to be released from reservoirs in Colorado, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming. On Monday, water managers in the four so-called Upper Basin States sent a letter back to the Bureau of Reclamation saying they’ll do what they can to pull back use of the overtaxed river that originates in Colorado. But they also said it's time for Lower Basin states to work just as hard to consume less water. Reporters Jennifer Brown and Chris Outcalt talked about what the implications are for Arizona, California and Nevada, states that together used almost three times the water consumed by the Upper Basin last year.
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For years, Eric DeFonso studied bird recordings, listening to the chirping through his car speakers. His fascination with birds and their unique callings paid off last week in the Monte Vista Wildlife Refuge with a special discovery. The Sun’s Olivia Prentzel talks with environment reporter Michael Booth about what he found.
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Mesa County District Court Judge Matthew David Barrett issued an arrest warrant for Mesa County Clerk Tina Peters, who was indicted back in March. Political reporter Jesse Paul brings us up to speed on the latest in this unraveling case.
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After a Google Maps search showed company Tomcat Tactical based out of a home in a residential area, about a mile home from an elementary school, residents were shocked. This company wasn’t selling jam or crafts, but ammunition and semi-automatic weapon kits. It launched a debate among residents in Greenwood Village over whether guns should be allowed to be sold from homes. After months of discussion, city council members voted this week. Reporter Shannon Najmabadi explains the vote and how the city got there.
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Clean energy plans are underway at three small utility companies, but environmental groups aren’t so pleased. And the EPA is getting sued over its plans to reduce ozone levels because some say they’re not sufficient to drive down the thick haze. The Sun’s environment reporter Michael Booth has the latest on clean energy in Colorado, who’s happy about them and who’s not.
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The drinking water in Frisco is tainted with dangerous levels of PFAS after the EPA drastically lowered its guidance on what levels of the “forever chemicals” are safe to consume. Officials suspect firefighting foam that has run off into nearby creeks is driving up the PFAS levels in the small town’s water supply and more than 100 cities and towns across the state could be facing the same predicament. Reporter Olivia Prentzel talks with Michael Booth about what Frisco officials are calling “a concern, not a crisis” and what the news EPA guidance could mean for residents across Colorado.
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Potato farmers in the San Luis Valley are cheering a Mexican Supreme Court decision that opened the country to Colorado tubers, ending a conflict decades old. Since 2000, American farmers have been able to sell their potatoes in the first few miles of Mexico south of the border. Now the country is open for free potato trade and Colorado is eyeing a new market of 70 million consumers, which could grow the U.S. potato export market in Mexico from about $60 million a year to more than $250 million a year. Colorado Sun reporter Jen Brown visited with San Luis Valley farmers about the promise of a new market in Mexico.
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Colorado’s abortion providers are seeing a surge of patients seeking medical care after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe-v-Wade and a swell of states ban abortions. And the are preparing for even more, with increased hiring, training, mobile clinics and telehealth services for people who can use medication to terminate pregnancies. Colorado Sun reporter Tatiana Flowers spoke with several abortion service providers in Colorado about the expansion of services following the high court’s controversial ruling.
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A U.S. Supreme Court ruling that allows taxpayer dollars in Maine to flow into private schools has given hopes to conservative Colorado lawmakers supporting a program to direct public dollars into all the state’s schools — including private and religious schools — with a so-called voucher program.
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Record-setting real estate prices in the Colorado high country have forced out more locals and workers, triggering a labor crisis across the Western Slope. Mobile home parks remain last-stop respites for thousands of working class residents. State lawmakers have passed laws to protect mobile home parks and residents as new owners take control but at least one park has slipped through the cracks. Colorado Sun freelancer Nancy Lofholm spent time with the residents of Country Meadows mobile home park in Gunnison, which a new owner has rebranded as Ski Town Village and raised rents by 73 percent. The more than 300 residents of the park have sued the owner over maintenance issues and a lack of clean water.
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When interest rates rose in mid-June, the housing market was expected to cool down. But in Colorado, and especially in Denver, housing prices had jumped to new heights during the pandemic, making affordability challenging. And rising rents are an issue too.
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When LaKeshia Hodge and her husband made their way out of homelessness, they wanted to give back. So they started Struggle of Love, which delivers food to older adults and people with disabilities with no access to transportation. But there’s something else that’s special about this Denver nonprofit. The Black-led charity is run by people who have experienced mental health issues, including trauma. It’s also benefiting from the Denver Foundation’s Black Resilience in Colorado, which has granted more than $2 million to 130 organizations in metro Denver.
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Republican primary voters largely rejected the slate of candidates who embraced election conspiracies Tuesday night. But not everything was determined by the end of the night. When we recorded today’s podcast, the race for Colorado’s House District 6 was separated by 38 votes. Here today are Sun politics reporters Jesse Paul, Sandra Fish and Shannon Najmabadi discussing what happened with business reporter Tamara Chuang -- and how Tuesday’s results could impact Colorado’s future.
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As we prepared for the day’s podcast Tuesday night, Colorado Sun reporters were following the primary election so please check our site at Colorado-sun-dot-com for the latest results. Meanwhile, our reporters continue to cover other stories of interest to readers. One popular topic is e-bikes and this story lands on our site today: Denver just announced that 2,000 more e-bike vouchers are on the way.
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On Monday, The Colorado Sun’s Jesse Paul reported that Joe O’Dea’s campaign received $1 million cash infusion. Half of that came from the Denver construction company owner’s own pocket. But O’Dea’s opponent, Ron Hanks, has received much more, with a big chunk coming from Democratic Colorado, a federal super PAC. Jesse joins us today before heading into campaign coverage. Business reporter Tamara Chuang talks to Jesse on what to know on primary day.
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What does a modern cattle ranch look like — in 2022, amid a decades-long drought? Colorado Sun reporter Jennifer Brown offers a look at a newer model that prioritizes diversifying the ways ranches can make a buck rather than relying solely on the unpredictable commodity price of beef. Brown talks with her colleague Chris Outcalt about her experience visiting a few ranches that are using this new model and what the prospects for this type of setup might be in the future.
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The end of this year’s primary election is approaching fast: Tuesday, June 28 is the last day to turn in your ballot. Colorado Sun reporters Chris Outcalt and Jesse Paul talk through what Colorado voters need to know about voting in this year’s primary and discuss a few of the more interesting contests, including the republican primary races for governor and U.S. Senate.
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The U.S. Food and Drug Administration recently granted emergency authorization for both the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines for young children. What are the differences between the two different vaccines? What about any potential side effects? How effective are these vaccines in young kids? Colorado Sun reporters Chris Outcalt and John Ingold talk through these questions and more in the wake of the recent FDA announcement.
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With less than a week to go in this year’s political primary campaigns, the advertising in the run-up to the June 28 vote is getting more heated. Notably, democratic groups have been weighing in on republican races with ads that promote the more conservative candidates. The thinking on the democratic side is that those candidates will be more easily defeated come general election time. Colorado Sun reporters Chris Outcalt and Sandra Fish talk about this strategy and other storylines behind the latest primary election advertising campaigns.
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Chemical compounds known as PFAS have earned the nickname “forever chemicals” for good reason; they're everywhere — from nonstick pans to rainproof hiking gear. These chemicals also show up in sewage biosolids produced at wastewater treatment systems and that some farms then use as fertilizer. Colorado Sun reporters Chris Outcalt and Michael Booth talk about how and why these chemicals show up on farms, what experts say about how much of a concern it might be to use this fertilizer and a new state workgroup that has formed to examine some of the questions surrounding PFAS and biosolid sludge.
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The landscape of Colorado’s Eastern Plains is in the midst of massive change that ultimately will impact the entire state. Xcel Energy’s $1.7 billion Power Pathway project will string transmission lines for nearly 600 miles across farm and ranch lands to transmit power to Front Range cities and suburbs. At the same time, energy companies are competing to create wind and solar installations to generate all that electricity. For landowners on the plains, that can mean lucrative royalties beyond their agricultural business – but it also promises windmills and solar panels that will change the landscape, quite literally. Sun energy reporter Mark Jaffe talked to the folks who have lived on the Eastern Plains for generations to produce an in-depth report on what this all means for the rural way of life. He got together with Sun colleague Kevin Simpson to chat about his story.
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Colorado’s new 8th Congressional District runs from suburbs north of Denver into the heart of the conservative stronghold of Weld County. Democrats already have their candidate, but four Republicans are battling for a place on the ballot in the June 28 primary. Sun reporter Shannon Najmabadi took a close look at the GOP contenders, which range from seasoned political veterans to one newcomer, and the challenges they face in appealing first to their party and then, if successful, to a very diverse electorate that includes many unaffiliated voters. She sat down with Sun colleague Kevin Simpson to talk about what figures to be a closely watched race both locally and nationally.
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Residents and their leaders in Boulder County have a tough decision to make. A cement kiln, which is a major air polluter, and its accompanying rock quarry have made an offer: If the county renews its mining permit for another 15 years, the company will close both the quarry and the kiln in 2037. Plus, it will offer the county 1,800 acres of open space. It’s a tempting offer, as Sun reporter Michael Booth reports, but is the timeline for closure too long? He sat down with Sun colleague Kevin Simpson to talk about the proposed deal’s plusses and minuses, as well as the environmental problems posed by cement kilns.
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The issue of the wild mustangs that roam open rangeland across the West, including Colorado, continues to inspire strong feelings. This week the U.S. Bureau of Land Management will conduct another in an ongoing series of roundups designed to pull many of the horses off the landscape. And once again, the agency is clashing with Colorado Gov. Jared Polis, who has been a vocal opponent of the roundups. Sun reporter Jennifer Brown, who has been following this conflict for years, sat down with colleague Kevin Simpson to talk about the latest developments.
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The popularity of e-bikes has soared recently, in part because of government rebates that can take the sting out of a thousand-dollar-plus price tag. Denver already sold out of one round of highly-sought rebates and is considering a second round. Meanwhile, Colorado’s legislature is also embracing environmentally friendly electric alternatives, and earmarked $12 million to pass out statewide to potential e-bike riders. Sun reporter Michael Booth wrote about the surge in interest and sat down with colleague Kevin Simpson to talk about it.
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New census numbers are giving us a better understanding of the forces shaping Colorado. One of those forces is population growth. But the growth hasn’t been evenly distributed across the state — in fact, several counties have been losing population. Colorado Sun reporters Jennifer Brown and Margaret Fleming recently dove into the data to find the counties on both ends of the spectrum. They spoke with colleague John Ingold about what they learned.
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Recently, state aquatic biologists ventured into the mountains not far west of Colorado Springs to conduct an unusual kind of rescue mission — in a wholly unexpected place. The scientists are on a mission to save Colorado’s state fish, the greenback cutthroat trout. Colorado Sun reporter Kevin Simpson was there to watch the biologists work. He spoke with colleague John Ingold about what he learned and what he saw.
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Colorado is facing a growing teacher shortage, caused in part by a large number of teachers leaving the profession during the pandemic. But the pipeline for creating new teachers is also struggling. In a two-part series this week, Sun reporter Erica Breunlin explored what has gone wrong and what it will take to fix it. She spoke with her colleague John Ingold about what she learned.
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Yesterday, we told you about new recommendations from a state advisory panel on air pollution that environmental groups say fall short. But there’s a lot more to the story. Whistleblower allegations. Alleged violations of EPA regulations. And confusion about the process even from industry representatives. The Colorado Sun’s John Ingold spoke with reporter Michael Booth to learn more about the story and to find out what comes next.
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Ballots are hitting mailboxes all across Colorado this week ahead of the June 28th primary. The election will decide which candidates move on to battle it out in this fall’s general election. And, if you’re new to the state or just need a refresher on how elections work here, we have you covered. Reporter John Ingold spoke with Sun politics experts Sandra Fish and Jesse Paul to find out everything you need to know about this year’s primary — from how to cast your ballot to what are the key races we’re watching.
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20 years ago the Hayman Fire threatened the communities west of Colorado Springs and Denver. It set a record, at the time, for destruction. Sun reporters Michael Booth and Kevin Simpson discuss the lingering damage, and how drought and climate change produced fires that have since eclipsed the once unthinkable Hayman fire.
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Colorado Sun reporters Michael Booth and Jesse Paul discuss the remarkable growth of United Airlines operations in Colorado, including some of the behind the scenes operations that are key to the international giant’s global network.
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Tensions between local land users and officials in western Colorado have grown over new plans for Sweetwater Lake.
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A closer look at how much water disappears from the state’s most important rivers when managers must release millions of gallons downstream to keep Lake Powell full.
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Visiting Colorado’s most popular destinations isn’t as easy as it used to be. Because of growing crowds, reservations are now required to drive to the top of Pikes Peak, hike the Hanging Lake Trail and camp at Conundrum Hot Springs. Reporter Margeret Fleming joined Jesse Paul to talk about the reservation trend sweeping across Colorado and how public lands managers are trying to make the reservation process equitable.
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Colorado’s 2022 legislative session ended earlier this month. To wrap up the 120-day lawmaking term, Gov. Jared Polis and four state lawmakers joined Colorado Sun political editor and reporter for an event last week breaking down what happened. On today’s episode, we’re featuring the segment with Polis, who is running for reelection. The governor talked about rising consumer costs, abortion access and his philosphy on influencing the legislative process.
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Few know the deeply personal effects of a mass shooting like Tom Sullivan, whose son, Alex, was killed in the 2012 Aurora theater shooting. Sullivan began pushing for gun violence prevention and gun control legislation in the wake of Alex’s murder. In 2018, he ran to be a state representative and won, taking his message to the Colorado Capitol each day. He’s now running to be a state senator.
Political reporter Jesse Paul interviewed Sullivan, a Centennial Democrat, on Wednesday about what the families affected by the mass shooting at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas, can expect in the coming weeks and months, as well as the state of the push for more regulations around firearms.
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In virtually every major Republican primary race in Colorado this year voters will have a choice between a candidate or candidates who baselessly believe the outcome of the last presidential election was fraudulent and those who don’t. Polls conducted in recent months strongly indicate that a large portion of the Republican electorate doubts the results of the 2020 presidential election. But do they care enough about the issue to pick a candidate based on where they stand?
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Xcel Energy has proposed a plan to build a hydro power plant in the Unaweep Canyon that will help the company reach its renewable energy goals. But the proposal puts homes and Colorado 141 underwater. Unsurprisingly, conversations between Xcel representatives and residents are already getting heated. Sun reporters Jason Blevins and Jesse Aaron Paulhave more on the story…
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Schools across Colorado have been racing to figure out how to comply with a new state law that prohibits American Indian mascots – something Native American communities have been pushing for for decades. The law has raised a lot of questions for districts and schools and sent many scrambling to adopt new mascots and remove derogatory names and images from campuses or risk facing a monthly $25,000 fine beginning in June. Freelance writer Sue McMillin talks to Erica Breunlin about the meaning mascots hold for schools and their entire communities and efforts to do away with emblems that have long caused pain.
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Colorado’s rafting industry plunged into one of its hardest seasons in 2020 before riding higher than ever in 2021, hosting a record number of rafters. Numbers are still being finalized, but the Colorado River Outfitters Association expects that commercial river trips taken last year total around 625,000. This year, that number is likely to fall, with minimal snowpack and economic pressures affecting water conditions and people’s ability to road trip to rafting sites. Outdoors writer Jason Blevins talks to Erica Breunlin about this summer’s forecast for the rafting industry and the enormous economic impact that outdoor recreation has on Colorado.
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Little attention is given to Indigenous people who go missing or murdered, both in Colorado and across the country. State lawmakers hope to change that after introducing a bill that is expected to be signed by Gov. Jared Polis. It will create a new Office of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Relatives within the Colorado Department of Public Safety at a time when Colorado has more than 50 cases of missing and murdered Indigenous people, according to a task force that helped create the legislation. Equity reporter Tatiana Flowers talks to Erica Breunlin about the state’s new emphasis on trying to locate Indigenous people who remain missing.
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The City of Aurora is proposing some bold restrictions to conserve water at a time climate change has hurt the state’s water supply. The measures include no new golf courses, no grass in medians and no expansive home lawns. Water conservationists say they can make a real difference when it comes to saving water, even as lawns soak up a small fraction of available water. Health and environmental writer Michael Booth talks to reporter Erica Breunlin about local efforts to pare back water usage while the state also prepares to roll out a turf buyback program.
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More than 900 people in Colorado died of fentanyl overdoses in 2021, which amounts to at least four times the number who died three years ago, according to the state health department. As the fentanyl crisis has worsened in the state, new treatment programs are emerging, including a detox center in Littleton where patients in recovery spend up to eight days with plush bedding, a flat-screen TV, meals delivered by UberEats, popcorn and other amenities often found in hotels, all for nearly $2,000 a night. Colorado Sun human services reporter Jen Brown talks to reporter Erica Breunlin about how detox centers and opioid clinics in the state are battling addiction and trying to prevent people from overdosing after they’ve detoxed.
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Colorado has reported its first cases of severe hepatitis in kids. But doctors don’t know the cause of the disease. Olivia Prentzel talks with John Ingold about what doctors know at this point and what still remains in mystery.
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A federal program is giving low-income households between 30 and 75 dollars per month to help pay their internet bills. In Colorado, only a third of eligible households are participating in the Affordable Connectivity Program. When coupled with a new initiative announced this week, some households will get internet access for free. The program is seeing higher enrollment than the earlier Emergency Broadband Benefit, even though so many eligible Coloradans aren’t participating. Journalism Resident Margaret Fleming talks to business writer Tamara Chuang about issues with the program, how it differs from its predecessor and how the reporter came across the story.
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In the fight against climate change, local corn farmers, ranchers and investors are joining forces with Carbon America for the state’s first commercial project to sequester carbon in Colorado. How will they do it? Olivia Prentzel talks with environment reporter Michael Booth about the efforts in northeastern Colorado and how it can help drive down emissions in the years to come.
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Some child advocacy groups say nearly one-third of children in foster care are LGBTQ across the country, and in Colorado, child placement agencies and case workers say they see more LGBTQ kids every year. But does Colorado have enough homes to accept these kids? Reporter Olivia Prentzel talks with Jennifer Brown about what she learned while reporting her latest story.
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A bill that is headed to Gov. Jared Polis’ desk could save a lot of headaches, and potentially money, for Coloradans who use power wheelchairs. Reporter Olivia Prentzel talks with Margaret Fleming about the details and the impact of what could become the nation’s first non-vehicular right-to-repair law.
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Seven inmates have died in the past seven months at the El Paso County jail. Colorado’s largest jail is on track to have its highest number of in-custody deaths in years. The county is taking steps to change its approach to inmate medical care because its for-profit health care contractor has a history of lawsuits over health-related complaints from inmates. Journalism Resident Margaret Fleming talks to general assignment reporter Olivia Prentzel about what’s happening in El Paso County and how its struggles fit into the story of increasing health concerns for jails across the country.
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A new bill with bipartisan support at the Colorado legislature would clarify the amount of money political nonprofits can spend on ballot measures before they must disclose their donors. The bill would make political nonprofits disclose donors only if more than 30% of their total spending over three years goes toward multiple ballot measures. Donors can also stay under wraps if support goes to only one ballot measure and that spending remains below 20% of the group’s total expenditures over three years. Journalism Resident Margaret Fleming talks to data reporter Sandra Fish about these dark-money groups and the bill that cleared the state Senate, but lacks the support of the Secretary of State.
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The Denver startup Nanno took off a few years ago, connecting parents with babysitters and nannies. But due to the industry and the pandemic, Nanno is being absorbed by another female-founded local startup. It’s an interesting case, especially because only 2.2% of all capital invested in the country last year went toward entirely female-founded companies. Journalism Resident Margaret Fleming talks to business reporter Tamara Chuang about what happened to Nanno. Plus, they discuss the startup scene in Colorado and why Denver and Boulder are such a hub for these ventures.
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The Bureau of Reclamation decided on Tuesday that it will take “extraordinary action” to rescue Lake Powell this year. Nearly 500,000 acre-feet of water will remain in the reservoir instead of going into the Lower Basin states of Nevada, Arizona and California. The water level is already low because of this year’s drought and poor spring runoff. Sending the scheduled water to other states could threaten Glen Canyon Dam’s ability to generate power for more than 3 million people. Journalism Resident Margaret Fleming talks to water reporter Chris Outcalt about the short-term changes and how to think about the problem in the longer-term.
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Denver City Council is considering an overhaul of its recycling and waste programs. Residents would be charged for their trash, but they would get recycling and compost picked up every week. Supporters heard concerns about the changes for the first time in a session in front of the City Council. Many residents are worried about loading on new fees when it's already getting more and more expensive to live in Denver. Journalism Resident Margaret Fleming talks to reporter Michael Booth, who covers health, health policy and the environment, about some of the opposition to the proposed program and where it goes from here.
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A grasslands wildfire that tore through a Colorado ranch sanctuary last weekend burned more than 8,500 acres. The people who were there survived, but the damage is deep. May Ranch, near Lamar, has transformed itself into a sustainable, nationally-recognized conservation location that is home to endangered species, fewer row crops, more wetlands and sanctuaries for endangered species. The wildfire threatens much of that gain. Colorado Sun reporter Mike Booth has the story.
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The impacts of climate change have pushed water providers in Eagle County to pursue a new strategic water reserve. Officials said they need the extra water supply in case of an emergency amid fears of increasing water scarcity. Now, two agencies have purchased a 45-acre plot of land that sits at the south end of Minturn to hold the new stash of water. Colorado Sun reporter Chris Outcalt has the story.
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Coloradans conceived with donated eggs or sperm, provided after 2024, would be able to learn the identity of their biological parents when they turn 18, under a bill moving through the legislature. Senate Bill 224 would be the first of its kind nationwide and would require fertility clinics to take steps to ensure that donors can’t be used to establish more than 10 families. But there’s no limit on how many children a donor can create, and no requirement that much of their educational or medical history be verified. Colorado Sun reporter Shannon Najmabadi has the story.
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On Monday, Colorado Democrats and Governor Jared Polis unveiled a plan to advance TABOR refund checks expected during the spring of 2023.
Under the bill Coloradans would receive their tax refunds for the current fiscal year up to eight months early. Individual taxpayers would receive $400 under the plan while families would get $800. Colorado Sun reporter and editor Jesse Paul has the story.
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A community mental health center is quietly administering Ketamine to Coloradans who struggle with severe depression. Now 15 patients are receiving the treatment at the Mental Health Center of Denver. It’s the only such clinic at a community mental health center in the state to offer ketamine as treatment, and it’s one of few in the nation, for people with low incomes. The Federal Drug Administration approved the use of esketamine, a version of the drug ketamine, in 2019. Other clinics have opened around the country, but the treatment is still hard to come by for those who can’t afford to pay or lack private insurance coverage. Colorado Sun reporter Jennifer Brown has the story.
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A Colorado Parks and Wildlife recently released kokanee salmon at the Roaring Judy Fish Hatchery near Gunnison. So what will their journey look like? And what’s the state of kokanee salmon in Colorado?
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Today - The Eagle County School District and Habitat for Humanity are working together to build homes for educators amidst the affordable housing crisis.
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Sun reporters Jen Brown and Mike Booth discuss the fascinating story of airplanes powered by beef fat at the Vail Valley Jet Center.
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Vail Resorts recently announced plans for new housing projects to house the company’s employees. But many locals are concerned about the environmental impacts and one councilman even said that he’s ready to go to war.
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Governor Jared Polis is a huge proponent of reducing greenhouse gas emissions and a proponent of using electric vehicles. So why does he ride to work every day in a gasoline-guzzling suburban?
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In communities where vocal zealots have drowned out the voices of civic-minded moderates, a growing number of voter groups are taking shape to return civility to politics.
In Mesa County, a longtime bastion of conservative politics, the new Restore The Balance group hopes to return decency, respect and manners to Grand Valley politics. Other organizations, like Braver Angels, the Colorado Unify Challenge and Durango’s People, Not Party are taking shape in Colorado as part of a national effort to start conversations between people with opposing political beliefs. Reporter Nancy Lofholm researched the growing movement to encourage less incendiary politics.
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Health experts for years have been saying that mental health treatment should be provided alongside traditional medical care. Finally, some of Colorado’s largest hospital systems are embracing that integrated approach to wellness. Kaiser Permanente is likely the first in Colorado to intertwine medical and mental health care, staffing more offices with behavioral health specialists. And UC Heath is spending $100 million on behavioral health services. Colorado Sun reporter Jen Brown looked into the alignment of medical and mental health at two of the state’s top healthcare providers.
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The two new principal dancers at the Colorado Ballet will perform the elegant but notoriously demanding “Theme and Variations” ballet at the Ellie Caulkins Opera House this month. The modern classic, which has challenged dancers for 75 years, is commonly considered the most difficult ballet to perform.
The Colorado Ballet’s Jennifer Grace and Mario Labrador will dance the grueling “Theme and Variations” to the last movement of Peter Tchaikovsky’s (CHI-kov-ski’s) Orchestral Suite Number 3. It begins with a slow opening followed by fast-paced variations and high energy finale. Colorado Sun freelancer Mark Jaffe calls it a 100-yard dash that lasts for 21 minutes. He caught up with Grace, Labrador and Colorado Ballet artistic director Gil Boggs as they prepared for Friday’s opening.
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On Tuesday, the EPA downgraded Colorado’s Front Range ozone problem from “serious” to “severe,” forcing state officials to pursue more aggressive action to curb air pollution. The reclassification followed months of pressure by environmental advocates calling for more measures to protect Front Range air quality.
The downgrade requires the use of reformulated gasoline in the summer months. It will also require hundreds of companies to get emission permits from a state system that is already backlogged. To be precise, state permits are now required for 473 additional sources of pollution that contribute to ozone.
Colorado Sun reporter Michael Booth spoke with state health officials about the impacts.
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It didn't take long for the election conspiracy theories to take over the weekend’s Republican state assembly. As GOP leaders at the biennial meeting began tapping candidates for contests across the state … the result of the 2020 election became a central theme. From an early call for paper ballots instead of electronic vote counters to the nomination of prominent election conspiracy theorists who claim Donald Trump beat Joe Biden in last November’s presidential election, Saturday’s GOP assembly in Colorado Springs was all about election security and baseless claims about the 2020 election.
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Two conservative groups and a Republican state senator filed a long-promised lawsuit late last week that claims Colorado’s new transportation fees violate the Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights and several other state finance laws and should be invalidated. Colorado sun reporters Chris Outcalt and Jesse Paul talk about these new fees that were enacted last year, what the money was slated for and how this lawsuit could impact future fiscal policy in Colorado.
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It’s no secret that Colorado residents fancy themselves good stewards of the environment — but it turns out we’re pretty horrible at recycling. Our 15% recycling rate in Colorado is abysmal. There is, however, a new effort at the state capital to try to make a dent in correcting this. Colorado sun reporters Chris Outcalt and Michael Booth talk about the framework for a new, interesting recycling program kicking around the state legislature and whether or not the proposal actually has a chance to pass this year.
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Embedded in the complex budget deliberations playing out at the Colorado state capitol is discussion over whether to expand what has been a controversial, relatively new, public guardianship program. The Office of Public Guardianship started as a pilot program in 2017 and began taking wards in 2020. The program, which right now only operates in Denver, is currently caring for 70 people who are unable to care for themselves because of age, disabilities or medical conditions. Colorado sun reporters Chris Outcalt and Jen Brown talk about what prompted the creation of this Office of Public Guardianship and how a rocky start for the program has led to questions over whether it makes sense to expand its reach.
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Business out at Denver International Airport was, of course, hard hit by the global pandemic. But traffic at DIA has been rebounding, and, depending on how exactly you crunch the numbers, the airport appears to be headed toward achieving 2019 passenger levels sometime this year. Colorado Sun reporters Chris Outcalt and Tamara Chaung talk about the latest DIA stats, how those numbers connect to a United Airlines hiring spree and why even though employers are hiring there’s still some hesitation among business leaders about the direction the economy is headed.
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There’s a lot going on in Republican Colorado state politics this week — a rally at the state capitol with the My Pillow guy, an effort to bar unaffiliated voters from casting ballots in republican primary election and the all-important GOP state assembly on Saturday in Colorado Springs. The events this week highlight ongoing tension between those in the party who still claim the election was somehow stolen from Donald Trump and those who do not. Colorado Sun reporters Chris Outcalt and Sandra Fish talk about what to expect from these events and the statehouse activity this week.
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In southwestern Colorado, farmers rely on the waterway that originates high in the San Juan Mountains. But as the drought persists, the natural supply means less water for everyone, especially those with junior rights along the Dolores River. Some farmers have had to cut back on the amount of crops they plant because they just don’t have enough water. And with this year’s forecast still well-below normal conditions, farmers are scrambling to figure how to survive. Water reporter Chris Outcalt discusses his reporting in southwest Colorado with reporter Tamara Chuang.
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30,000 expected at Rainbow Gathering’s 50th anniversary in Colorado, sparking wildfire concerns
The first time the Rainbow Gathering got together was in 1972 and that happened to be in Grand County. The last time they met in Colorado was in 2006, when 10,000 people camped out on public lands in Routt National Forest. This unofficial organization has no official leaders nor an official website. But through word of modern mouth, like Reddit forums, this group of hippy campers appear to be headed to Colorado to celebrate their 50th anniversary this summer. There’s cause for concern though about the impact of such a large group on federal lands. But as Jason Blevins reports, one upside so far is the Forest Service knows it's coming. Tamara Chuang talks to Jason in today’s podcast.
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Colorado’s End-of-Life Options Act was passed by voters in 2016 so we now have five years of data. The numbers show that prescriptions are rising each year. But we don’t really know if patients actually took the medication to end their life. And a new report shows that while a large majority of doctors are willing to talk about the option with patients, fewer than half were willing to participate as the consulting physician. Reporter Jennifer Brown, who has followed the topic since before it became law, talks to reporter Tamara Chuang about what’s happened since.
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If you think it’s difficult juggling a college and a full-time job, try juggling it without any pay. That’s the predicament of many student teachers in Colorado. And it’s especially tough to complete student teaching if they have no other means of support, which leaves a lot of aspiring teachers of color out of contention. A proposed bill in the state legislature is seeking to change that. Sun reporter Tamara Chuang interviews education reporter Erica Breunlin in today’s podcast.
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A move to make daylight saving time permanent is gaining momentum once again as the U.S. Senate passed a measure this month to make it permanent across the country. That’s the spring’s new time schedule, when most of us lose an hour of sleep. But research shows that the abrupt change causes a surge in fatal car accidents, heart attacks and strokes. Health reporter John Ingold discussed why even sleep experts think daylight saving time is a bad idea. Staff reporter Tamara Chuang interviews John about his story in today’s podcast interview.
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As the west grapples with a historic drought, Nebraska officials are turning their eye on Colorado’s water resources, proposing to build a canal into Colorado to retrieve water they could be entitled to under a century-old water compact. Colorado officials are still figuring out their response, and the case could make its way to the Supreme Court. Colorado Sun reporter Michael Booth spoke with David Gilbert about the proposal, the opposition, and the farmers who fall in the middle.
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Griffin McConnell of Golden is on his way to chess stardom. But the 17 year old has had to overcome the impact of multiple brain surgeries to deal with a seizure disorder that have left him without the use of the right side of his body. Despite a recent surgery that removed a portion of his brain, he has persevered, and is back to winning chess tournaments. Reporter Kevin Simpson spoke with David Gilbert about the remarkable young man’s devotion to the game.
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Douglas County Schools’ Board of Education announced a single finalist for superintendent this week: Erin Kane, a charter school principal. The selection comes after months of turmoil in the district, which came to a head earlier this year with the firing of previous superintendent Corey Wise by newly elected board members. The decision landed the board in legal trouble. Can the new superintendent smooth things over? Colorado Community Media reporter David Gilbert spoke with Jessica Gibbs about the controversy.
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Like much of the country, the city of Aurora is dealing with rising rates of youth violence. Now, city leaders are hoping to fund organizations that can interrupt cycles of violence, or prevent it from happening altogether. Experts say solutions are more complex than just putting criminals in jail. Reporter Tatiana Flowers spoke with David Gilbert about what officials hope to accomplish.
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Following a brutal winter during the Delta and Omicron waves of COVID, Colorado’s case numbers are the lowest they’ve been in a long time. But as Omicron subvariant BA2 begins to spread, case numbers have recently started to creep back up. Could Colorado be in for another COVID wave, just as testing and tracking measures are winding down? Colorado Sun reporter John Ingold spoke with David Gilbert about what the data shows.
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The remote town of San Luis was built around a concept of communal living. And their market - the R&R Market embraced that concept fully. But after 8 generations of family ownership… it’s been sold. So what does this mean for the future of this historic market and the San Luis community?
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Nearly 30 educators at New America School’s Lakewood campus demonstrated Wednesday calling for the board of their charter school network to recognize their union. As Colorado Sun education reporter Erica Breunlin reports, teachers at the campus are hoping to become the first of 266 charter schools in the state to unionize. It’s a big deal for schools that have traditionally been free of the influence of unions, part of their appeal for certain parents. Erica talks to reporter Thy Vo about the unionization effort.
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It started with coffee and snacks at one Douglas County woman’s house, and has evolved into a grassroots political machine that helped flip the school board. Now a group of suburban conservative moms, who call themselves the “Liberty Girls,” say they’re organizing to battle critical race theory, oppose abortion and push for more conservative women to run for local elected office. Colorado Sun reporter Jen Brown talks to Thy Vo about what the “Liberty Girls” mean for Colorado politics.
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It’s a dispute that Colorado officials have been trying to settle for more than a decade. And now Colorado lawmakers are once again debating a proposal to compensate family farmers and landowners who held now-defunct conservation easements that resulted in financial losses. But critics say the easements, a tax benefit intended to protect natural spaces in exchange for giving up rights to developing a property, allowed investors to cash in on properties that never would have been developed anyway. Colorado Sun reporter Michael Booth talks to Thy Vo about why lawmakers are bringing the issue up again this year.
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After more than two years of tumultuous pandemic life, many Colorado teens are figuring out how to push past the loneliness and anxiety of pandemic restrictions and go back to school. And as Colorado Sun reporter Erica Breunlin heard, it’s not an easy adjustment, especially for kids whose mental health has suffered because of pandemic isolation. Erica talks to Colorado Sun reporter Thy Vo about a new phone app aimed at helping teens manage their mood and navigate the process of reconnecting with friends and classmates.
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A Denver eating disorder doctor who has helped patients with anorexia nervosa obtain aid-in-dying medication has sparked controversy in the psychiatric community and initiated an emotional, national debate about the ethics of prescribing lethal drugs for people with mental illness. Dr. Jennifer Guadiani recently published a paper in the Journal of Eating Disorders that describes the deaths of three patients, including one who took aid-in-dying drugs and another who died on the day she intended to take aid-in-dying medication. Sun reporter Jennifer Brown talked with colleague Kevin Simpson about the paper that is making waves in the medical community and beyond.
Denver doctor helped patients with severe anorexia obtain aid-in-dying medication, spurring national ethics debate
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Testing for COVID has been a key element in the federal government’s efforts to address the pandemic, and the Postal Service has instituted a massive program to deliver test kits to virtually all Americans who ask for some. Making it all happen takes, among other things, a whole lot of warehouse space and dedicated workers. The Sun’s John Ingold got a behind the scenes look at one of 43 fulfillment centers across the country. It took him a while to find the one in Denver, but later he sat down with Sun colleague Kevin Simpson to talk about what he saw.
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Natural disasters driven by climate change, from floods to wildfires, have in recent years put incredible stress on the communities they’ve devastated. They’ve also taken a toll on the leaders of those communities, who suddenly found themselves deluged with concerns far from the mundane business of filling potholes. Sun reporter Shannon Najmabadi tells the story of the city manager in fire-ravaged Louisville (louis-vill, not louie-vill) who walked into a tumultuous situation his first day on the job – and the stories of other civic leaders who empathized as members of the same, unfortunate club.
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In Colorado, lawmakers and politicians have been creating targets for reducing greenhouse gas emissions for several years now. Then it’s up to rule making agencies to figure out how to implement those standards. The Sun’s Michael Booth reports that in one recent instance, those rules have been put off for a year, even as worldwide concerns about climate change have become more dire. And while public officials claim the delay will enable them to implement even more stringent measures, environmentalists worry that waiting could be costly. Mike sat down with the Sun’s Kevin Simpson to tell us more about what appears to be a concerning pattern in environmental enforcement.
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The pandemic has taken its toll on us in many ways, including by discouraging group activities and keeping us relatively sequestered in our own worlds. But as the COVID threat subsides, some people have seized the moment to reinvent ways for individuals to rally around shared interests. Sun writer David Gilbert joined colleague Kevin Simpson to talk about how some college students with an affinity for the Star Wars universe found that their weekly, almost theatrical battles with lightsabers have inspired classmates not only to enjoy themselves, but to once again find a sense of community.
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The town of Firestone, about 30 miles north of Denver, is one of the fastest-growing places in the state. 20 years ago, It had only about 2,000 people. That number now stands at around 16,000. And town leaders expect the population figure to double in the coming years. But Firestone’s growth was becoming increasingly constrained due to a lack of one natural resource: Water. Colorado Sun reporter Chris Outcalt looked into how Firestone responded to the problem. He spoke with fellow Sun reporter John Ingold about what he learned.
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A new radio station launched this week in Colorado. But it’s not what you typically find coming over the airwaves. The station is called Inside Wire, and it is produced by and for inmates in Colorado prisons. Colorado Sun reporter Olivia Prentzel traveled to Limon Correctional Facility for the station’s launch. She spoke with fellow Sun reporter John Ingold about what she learned.
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Yesterday, we told you about a bill at the state Capitol trying to address implicit or unintentional racial bias in jury selection for criminal trials. The bill is stalled due to opposition from prosecutors. But this is not the first time Colorado has tried to address the issue. And Colorado is not the only state where this debate is taking place. Colorado Sun reporter Thy Vo has been following the story. Here she talks with fellow Sun reporter John Ingold about what she’s learned.
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Recreational cannabis stores have been operating legally in Colorado for more than eight years now. In that time, the industry has come to be dominated by chains backed by wealthy and well-connected businesspeople. Now, there is a growing movement to ensure a place in the cannabis industry for those left behind and harmed by the drug war -- especially people of color and from low-income areas. But Colorado Sun reporter Tatiana Flowers discovered that’s much easier promised than accomplished. Here she talks with her colleague John Ingold about what she’s learned in her reporting.
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The United States and other nations have hit Russia with a flurry of sanctions and restrictions following that country’s invasion of Ukraine. Now the reverberations have drawn in a former Colorado governor. Bill Owens this week resigned from his position on the board of one of Russia’s largest banks. Colorado Sun reporter Jesse Paul has been following the story. Here he talks with colleague John Ingold about what’s happened.
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A major project is underway to fix a half century of traffic challenges at Floyd Hill in central Colorado, where Front Range residents try to reach mountain getaways, truckers try to deliver the nation’s goods, and local residents just want to get home after a hard day’s work. Michael Booth explains a massive rethinking of Floyd Hill, and asks some political guests for their own experiences on the eight miles of steep descents and sharp curves.
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Colorado Sun reporter Thy Vo is giving us an update on a potential change in the legal status of psilocybin. Advocates for the benefits of the drug are pushing for legalization across the country and in Colorado, and Thy tells Michael Booth you’re likely to hear a lot more about it in the coming months.
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For today’s podcast we grabbed Jason Blevins from the road to hear more about the hugely ambitious Idaho Springs gondola resort project. Local residents were among those putting in millions of dollars to launch the major attraction at the Argo mine, and now that first money is gone. Michael Booth talks with Jason about where the Argo project money went, whether it’s ever coming back, and whether Idaho Springs can move ahead anyway.
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There’s an enormous gap in services and facilities for Colorado children suffering from deep crises in their lives, and whether the state is ready to fulfill a plan at building enough safe beds to help a larger number of kids.
The Colorado Sun’s ongoing coverage of children’s mental health needs brings us to a clear tally of what could be spent to provide beds for all of the most vulnerable children in the state, and whether lawmakers will actually spend it. Michael Booth talks with Jennifer Brown about effective treatment for kids and families facing serious problems.
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The Colorado Sun’s ongoing coverage of the Marshall Fire in Boulder County keeps uncovering more and more gaps in public safety systems. So what turned the Marshall Fire into one of the most damaging and costliest in Colorado history, and what can be done to warn residents about future disasters.
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Joining us today is Jason Blevins, The Colorado Sun’s outdoor industry reporter. He wrote last week about the Peak 7 avalanche at Breckenridge, which killed four young men on Feb. 18, 1987 and changed Colorado’s ski industry forever.
The deadly slide triggered an extreme-terrain arms race in Colorado as well as a 35-year debate over ski area boundaries, personal responsibility and what constitutes an acceptable risk.
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Joining us today is Tamara Chuang, a business reporter at The Colorado Sun. She wrote this week about how the pandemic has dramatically changed the office culture in the Denver area. A survey by commercial real estate broker CBRE found that 87% of office clients in Colorado intend to allow a hybrid in-person, work-from-home approach, which means fewer people in the office each week and, possibly, less office space.
But the office isn’t going away, despite how many companies abandoned their leases in the pandemic — or at least tried to by offering their space for sublease.
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The Colorado Sun’s new water reporter, Christ Outcalt, spoke about his new beat with political editor and reporter Jesse Paul. Chris is based in Carbondale and will focus on issues affecting the Colorado River Basin, which millions of people in the southwest rely on for drinking water and their livelihoods. He reported this week that the hot and dry conditions that have gripped the southwestern United States since 2000 account for the driest 22-year period on record stretching back 1,200 years, according to a study published Monday in the journal Nature Climate Change.
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Colorado Gov. Jared Polis joins us today for an interview as he kicks off his 2022 reelection campaign. The Democrat spoke to political editor and reporter Jesse Paul about his first term, what his policy plans are if he is reelected in November and what challenges the state faces in the coming years.
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Colorado’s high alpine tundra is a delicate environment, where small wildflowers, mosses and lichen are adapted to thin air and cold weather. So the thistle plant, which can grow three feet high, often stands out in what can seem to be a barren landscape. Colorado Sun reporter Thy Vo talks to reporter David Gilbert about how researchers are working to identify the different varieties of thistle that grow in Colorado – including the so-called “funky thistle.” Their work could bring us some new findings about the effects of climate change.
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Thousands of Black skiers and snowboarders descended upon Snowmass Aspen Ski Resort for ski racing, parties, happy hours, game challenges and tours last week. The athletes belong to the National Brotherhood of Skiers, a nearly 50-year-old group that opens people of color up to outdoor winter sports and that has an annual summit for skiers and snowboarders. It’s one way to draw more people of color into an industry that has historically been dominated by white and male participants. Education writer Erica Breunlin talked to inequality writer Tatiana Flowers after she headed to Aspen to experience the camaraderie and even get some runs in, herself.
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As much of Colorado winds down COVID restrictions, tribal communities in southwestern Colorado are reviving many of their health and safety protocols, with infections ravaging both the Ute Mountain Ute and Southern Ute Indian Tribes. Case numbers have jumped to the highest point since the pandemic began in 2020, largely driven by the highly transmissible omicron variant. Education writer Erica Breunlin talks to rural affairs and economy writer Shannon Najmabadi about the surge and concerns that kids attending off-reservation schools, where masks are not required, could fuel more cases.
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Colorado is one of 15 states where kids as young as 10 can be prosecuted and sent to juvenile detention. A coalition of child advocates wants to raise that age to 13. Being handcuffed and thrown in detention, no matter how long the stay, is traumatizing and increases the likelihood that a child will return to detention or adult prison, they say. But the issue is full of nuance. Today reporters Jennifer Brown and Erica Breunlin talk about the implications of that proposed rule change – including the possibility that very young, troubled kids might miss access to certain mental health services.
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With a decades-long drought drying up the Colorado River Basin and parched ground soaking up much of the state’s snowmelt, lawmakers are looking to save water any way they can – including by eliminating as much grass turf as possible. Bluegrass turf, found on lawns, along road medians and in highway ditches among other places, is an especially thirsty kind of grass that soaks up much of Colorado’s precious water. Education writer Erica Breunlin talks to health and environmental writer Michael Booth about a bipartisan bill that aims to put as much as $4 million into the hands of homeowners, businesses, nonprofits and landlords to replace nonnative grasses and save water.
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Campaign contributions and spending in Colorado gubernatorial races can quickly soar into million dollar figures. This year, GOP candidate Heidi Ganahl pledged to limit her campaign spending to $3.4 million — a rare move among politicians — in hopes of focusing the election on issues rather than campaign dollars. But Ganahl recently reversed that pledge, paving the way for her to collect as much money as she can, just with smaller donations from individual donors. Education writer Erica Breunlin talks to politics contributor Sandra Fish about what campaign totals are looking like so far — and whether they’ll surpass amounts contributed in past elections.
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Through a new program, some Denver high school students are training to become EMTs amid a statewide shortage. Denver South High School and Denver Health teamed up to expose students to careers in emergency medicine and give them a head start toward an EMT certification.
Education reporter Erica Breunlin talked to students about the program and how they hope it will help them with their aspirations to work in the medical field.
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A surge in recreational camping around Buena Vista and Salida is wreaking havoc on natural areas and spurring Chaffee County authorities to consider closing dozens of dispersed campsites. In the county that’s 82% public land and home to a fifth of the state’s fourteeners, wildlife populations are plunging as habitats disappear, poorly tended campfires are raising wildfire fears and trash and human waste are overwhelming public lands workers.
Reporter David Gilbert talks with Olivia Prentzel about some of the solutions land managers are looking to adopt in order to preserve the land, but still provide opportunities for campers.
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The Colorado School of Public Health set up weekly COVID testing at an Aurora middle school and asked students to wear masks with COVID test strips to study what they are exhaling. Reporter Jennifer Brown shares her reporting today with Olivia Prentzel and explains what scientists hope these students can help them learn.
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As 100-mile-per hour winds carried embers across thousands of acres, the Marshall fire not only became the most destructive wildfire in state’s history, but also the costliest, in terms of insurance claims. But what if you rented your home and didn’t have renters’ insurance? Equity reporter Tatiana Flowers talks with Olivia Prentzel about a single mother of two who said she didn’t have renters’ insurance before ash filled her home – leaving her to figure out how to pay thousands of dollars in repairs out of pocket.
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Sales of clean electric vehicles and plug-in electric hybrids are ramping up fast statewide and experts say the state is on track to get 940,000 EVs on the road by 2030. Meanwhile, gas-hogging SUVs continue to grow in popularity. How will the state keep up its momentum to get more Coloradans buying clean cars? Health and environmental reporter Michael Booth talks with fellow reporter Olivia Prentzel about the current EV sales and the road ahead.
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COVID vaccines don’t work for some people, and for them, the pandemic remains terrifying. A study from National Jewish Health helped identify the types of patients who are at risk of not developing antibodies after a coronavirus shot. Colorado Sun Reporter Tatiana Flowers interviews Sun Health Reporter John Ingold, who has the story.
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Plenty of workers could make Crowley County their home – The southern Colorado county has state and private prisons, schools and a growing cannabis cultivation industry. But there aren’t enough places for them to live. And as the supply of houses and apartments has declined in the rural county east of Pueblo, few developers are interested in building there. Now, federal stimulus money will help to add 127 homes there. Colorado Sun Reporter Tatiana Flowers is interviewing fellow Sun Reporter Thy Vo, who has the story.
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Questions about the effectiveness of Boulder County’s alert system are arising after new data was released to the Colorado Sun this week. As few as 1 in 5 people who were sent warnings to flee the fast-moving Marshall fire confirmed they actually received them. And as few as 1 in 10 people in the path of the blaze actually received personal alerts through the county’s emergency notification system, according to the data. Officials said they sent Boulder County sheriff’s deputies and firefighters door to door urging evacuations on Dec. 30, the day of the historic fire. Authorities are now saying, by spring, they hope to have a new alert system in place. Colorado Sun Equity Reporter Tatiana Flowers is here interviewing fellow Sun reporters Shannon Najmabadi and Olivia Prentzel, who told this story.
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Children’s Hospital Colorado, where the emergency department is filled on a daily basis with suicidal kids and leaders declared a mental health state of emergency last spring, and has hired its first-ever mental health chief. Dr. K. Ron-Li Liaw (Lee-Ow), a child psychiatrist with a background in trauma and resiliency, will lead the hospital system as it pivots its focus to mental health. Liaw plans to spend the next few months creating a plan to tackle the crisis, from early intervention by pediatricians and school-based counselors, to additional hospital beds for kids in crisis. Liaw wants every child to get regular mental health checkups and has plans for Children’s Hospital Colorado to partner with school districts. She talked to The Colorado Sun about the state of kids’ mental health, the potential for Colorado to catch up to eastern states that have invested more in treatment options, and her five-year goals.
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After the Marshall fire destroyed more than 1,000 homes in Boulder County on Dec. 30, the number of students without stable housing in one school district swelled from about 300 to more than 1,100. Ensuring that kids could get the help they need became a priority for the Boulder County School District. School has become one constant these children can count on.
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A ranch in North Park near the Wyoming border has become a flashpoint in the debate over how to handle wolves in Colorado. Though a voter-approved deadline to reintroduce wolves is still nearly two years away, a pack of wolves that migrated into the state have been killing cattle on the Gittleson ranch. Locals say they need the legal ability to shoot wolves that go after livestock, a practice banned under state law. Reporters Jen Brown and David Gilbert discuss what they uncovered about the thorny topic.
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Coloradans who have lost homes to wildfires or floods can face long and complicated battles to recover the value of their homes and belongings from insurance companies. Now, two state lawmakers are proposing a bill that would make it easier for survivors of natural disasters to make good on insurance claims. Reporter Tatiana Flowers spoke to David Gilbert about the proposal.
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Colorado's public schools saw enrollment plunge in the first year of the pandemic, shedding more than 30,000 students in 2020. Many switched to private schools or homeschooling. Colorado education officials hoped the trend would reverse this school year, but new data shows the state lost another 1,200 public school students this fall. That could have big implications for local districts, where funding is largely based on enrollment numbers. Reporter Erica Breunlin spoke with David Gilbert about the data and what it means for schools.
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The owners of the Cross and Caribou gold mine in the mountains west of Boulder have warned town officials in the nearby town of Nederland to stop criticizing the company, after water quality inspectors found the mine leaking heavy metals into a mountain stream. The company’s complaints center on a poster going up around Boulder County accusing the mine of poisoning the watershed, but town officials say they had nothing to do with it. Reporter Michael Booth spoke with David Gilbert about the war of words over what’s in the water.
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Thousands of people lined East Colfax Avenue in Denver on Monday for the 37th annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr Marade. The annual walk from City Park to Civic Center honoring the slain civil rights leader was on hiatus last year because of coronavirus concerns. The procession – called the marade because it is the combination of a march and a parade – began with a wreath placed at the I Have A Dream monument in City Park.
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Colorado policymakers are set to examine what’s known as the 72-hour hold law. The title refers to the length of time a person in a mental health crisis can be held for treatment involuntarily. The Legislation in the works aims to give people more protections when they’re placed on an involuntary hold. It also aims to make sure that people have access to ongoing treatment instead of being released with no follow-up plan.
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Governor Jared Polis delivered the last State of the State address of his four-year term yesterday. He emphasized plans to combat rising crime and fix gaps in children’s mental health care. He also mentioned the environment and climate change as top priorities.
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Thousands of Denver-area King Soopers workers began walking off their jobs at 5 o’clock in the morning yesterday. The three-week strike over hourly wages is affecting 77 stores from Boulder to Parker. Workers at an additional 10 stores in Colorado Springs are expected to join the strike at a later date. The strike comes after the workers’ union rejected the grocery chain’s final offer on Tuesday night.
Reporter Jennifer Brown talked to Reporter Tamara Chuang about the grocery store strike.
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The number of ICU beds at Colorado hospitals is shrinking while the coronavirus is once again surging. A year ago, Colorado had 1,787 intensive care beds. But this week, it has just 1,468, a low point during the coronavirus pandemic.
Colorado Sun reporter Jennifer Brown talked to reporter John Ingold about what’s going on.
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It’s been 12 days since the most destructive fire in Colorado history tore through Boulder County and destroyed more than 1,000 homes, businesses and other structures. Residents of Superior and Louisville are only at the beginning of a long journey to recovery.
To figure out what will happen next in terms of rebuilding, reporter Tamara Chuang went back to 2012, to the Waldo Canyon fire that devastated neighborhoods west of Colorado Springs and destroyed 347 homes. She talked to people who lived in the Mountain Shadow subdivision to find out how they recovered from the fire – and a decade later – what their lives are like now.
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Historical markers are peppered across Colorado. Heralding the solemn, the quirky and the grand moments in Colorado history, some markers are hidden in plain sight while others boldly trumpet the state’s most important memories.
There are some 1,400 historical markers across Colorado, some commemorating important cultural occasions while others note the personal, absurd and colorful stories and characters that enliven every corner of the state. Colorado Sun reporter Kevin Simpson looked into the history of Colorado’s historical markers.
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A review of early dispatch calls and interviews with more than a dozen survivors of the Marshall fire reveals hectic confusion as hurricane-force winds whipped a small grass fire into the most devastating wildfire in the history of Colorado.
Colorado Sun reporters Jennifer Brown Brown and Jesse Paul’s story detailing the early minutes of the Marshall fire is a distressing look into how both first responders and residents scrambled to escape racing flames that destroyed more than 900 homes in Boulder County on Dec. 30.
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Colorado Division of Insurance regulators held an online town hall Tuesday night and more than 800 residents of Boulder County tuned in, seeking advice on how to begin the long process of rebuilding homes lost or damaged in the Marshall fire.
The meeting was scheduled for one hour but lasted more than three hours as state insurance officials patiently answered dozens of questions from residents under incredible duress. Colorado Sun reporters Michael Booth and Tamara Chuang have compiled a list of questions and answers that can help as a resource for more than 900 residents who lost their homes last week.
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Farming is always a bit of a gamble in Colorado. But the state’s farmers are able to hedge their bets on weather with science that includes herbicides, pesticides and genetically engineered crops. A new policy in Boulder County allows farmers leasing county open space to use chemicals and altered seeds so they can grow crops they can sell. That’s not sitting well with advocates who have spent the last decade pushing local leaders to ban pesticides and genetically adjusted crops. Colorado Sun reporter Michael Booth visited with Boulder County’s farmers, leaders and advocates to reveal an agricultural conundrum playing out on a national scale.
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A year after voters in Colorado’s urban counties approved wolf reintroduction, state wildlife officials are working on a plan to bring gray wolves back to the Western Slope by the end of 2023. But the wolves are not waiting.
A North Park rancher last month found one of his heifers killed by wolves, marking the first wolf predation of livestock in more than 70 years. Colorado Sun reporter David Gilbert spoke with that rancher, whose concerns closely mirrored those seen during the election and in early surveys by wildlife managers.
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The Colorado Sun doubled its staff, added several newsletters and became the owner of another local news company. Some was planned, but others were part of The Colorado Sun’s mission to make sure local news is alive and remains sustainable. Editor Larry Ryckman and reporter Tamara Chuang discuss what happened and what’s to come for The Sun, its members and the Colorado community.
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The fast-moving wildfires that burned parts of Boulder County including hundreds of houses in Superior and Louisville created havoc yesterday as residents rushed to get out of the area. By 6 p.m. last night, the Marshall fire was still burning, evacuation centers were filling up and Colorado Sun reporter Thy Vo was on site. Sun staffer Tamara Chuang caught Thy after she had reached a safer location.
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County coroners have the tough job of contacting families and telling them their loved one is dead – a job that can be even more challenging when the cause of death is an overdose, suicide or accident. When there’s no crime involved, families don’t have a police agency to help them navigate the system or access to the grief counseling that’s available to families of crime victims. Reporter John Ingold talks to Thy Vo about a new program by the Denver Coroner’s Office to help families after a death.
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Colorado’s residential centers for kids in foster care or with severe mental health issues have faced scrutiny after The Colorado Sun and 9News reported problems at the facilities that resulted in the death of two runaway boys. Now advocates, including the state’s watchdog for child protection and a lawmaker, say they’ll push for an overhaul of the centers next year. Reporter Jen Brown talks to Thy Vo about what advocates have planned.
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Coloradans have been flocking outdoors during the coronavirus pandemic, and many open spaces and parks are contending with the effects of overuse. Scientists recently analyzed an increase in nitrogen at Loch Vale at the Rocky Mountain National Park – one of the culprits for harmful algae growth in the lake – and were able to trace human urine as one of the sources. Reporter Michael Booth talks to Thy Vo about why scientists think that’s a trend worth worrying about, and what people can do to enjoy the outdoors responsibly.
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Between ordering gifts online, shopping, gift wrap and holiday parties, households produce a lot more waste around the winter holidays. And a lot of it is not recyclable. Reporter Michael Booth talked with some Colorado recycling experts about how you can cut some of the trash you’re generating over the holidays and find ways to spread some cheer without adding to a landfill.
To read more, go to coloradosun.com
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What began as a tilapia farm in 1977 is now one of the San Luis Valley’s major tourist attractions. The Colorado Gator Reptile Park is full of exotic, unwanted pets who are visited by about 40,000 visitors a year. It’s also become one of the nation’s only alligator refugees outside of the South and Texas. But how did an alligator refuge end up in Colorado? Reporter Jason Blevins has the story. Sun staffer Tamara Chuang interviewed Jason for today’s podcast.
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A 20-mile stretch on the way to the hospital near Crested Butte is a communication deadzone that prevents medical crews from alerting the local hospital of an incoming patient whose condition is deteriorating. There isn’t even cellular service. Multi-billion-dollar efforts have been underway by AT&T to build the much-needed communication service and the new federal infrastructure bill could add up to another billion dollars to improve Colorado’s rural broadband coverage. But it’s not just money that’s preventing reliable broadband service in rural communities. Shannon Najmabadi took a look at what the core issues are for a new story. Sun staffer Tamara Chuang interviews Shannon in today’s podcast.
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A new website that rates businesses on their inclusiveness -- or lack of it -- is now in full operation in an effort to build data-driven economic incentives that push businesses toward understanding what it takes to be welcoming to all customers. Inclusive Journeys was started by two Colorado women who identify as Black, who wanted to create a consumer guide to businesses that are safe to all races, sexualities, disabilities and genders -- a sort of modern-day Green Book. Tatiana Flowers reported on this Yelp-like review site. Tatiana’s interviewed by Sun staffer Tamara Chuang.
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For today’s winter solstice, we hear from reporter David Gilbert, who wrote about the mysterious Sun Temple in Mesa Verde National Park, which is in the southwestern region of Colorado. Sun Temple is among the ancient structures in the park and has mesmerized archeologists and researchers for over a century because it seems to have been built with the sun, moon and stars in mind. Constructed sometime in the 13th century, it’s considered astronomically significant because the period had no known writing or numerical system -- or computers. But figuring out how Sun Temple was used has been made more difficult by the troubled history between archaeologists and the Pueblo and Hopi people, the descendants of Sun Temple’s architects. Sun staffer Tamara Chuang interviews David in today’s podcast.
Learn more at ColoradoSun.com
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There’s a new heavyweight investor buying up properties on Crested Butte’s historic Elk Avenue: Jeff Hermanson, a renowned restaurateur who shepherded Larimer Square from squalor to one of Denver’s top attractions, and who has lived in Crested Butte for 48 years. Hermanson’s recent purchase of three Elk Avenue properties comes as deep-pocketed buyers — individuals and investment firms — have expanded beyond their typical purview in dense urban settings and begun parking money in rural resort communities. Earlier this year, Mark Walter, the Chicago-based owner of the L.A. Dodgers who has had a vacation home in Crested Butte since 2009, also started buying historic buildings on Elk Avenue. Reporter Jason Blevins tells us more.
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When Colorado cities and state agencies plan big road projects, they must now design them to cut greenhouse gas emissions and provide alternative transportation modes for the public. It’s part of a historic change of mission passed Thursday by Colorado Department of Transportation commissioners. The expected 10 to 1 vote has been hailed by conservation groups and some local officials as a key acknowledgement of auto transportation’s role in pollution. But other counties and some business groups fear it will starve safety and capacity projects for popular roadways. Reporter Mike Booth tells us more.
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Colorado’s unemployment insurance trust fund pays benefits to laid-off workers. Employers typically replenish the trust fund through unemployment insurance premiums, and a surcharge that kicks in when the fund falls below a certain level. During the pandemic, the trust fund ran through its $1.1 billion reserve. This caused the state to borrow $1 billion from the federal government — and sparked worry among employers that they could face sizable premium increases. But while unemployment insurance costs are going up in January they will probably be far less than one would expect in an economic recovery that needs $3 billion. Tamara Chuang tells us more.
Read more at coloradosun.com.
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Governor Jared Polis has set aside $450 million in federal coronavirus relief aid to improve behavioral health care in the state. But that money can’t fix a broken system unless there are enough workers. After decades of low pay, Colorado’s 17 regional community health centers have 1,092 job vacancies, a dire shortage that has left therapists overburdened with patients — and patients waiting weeks or even months for appointments. A task force responsible for recommending ways to spend the $450 million has focused much of its time on the workforce crisis. Reporter Jennifer Brown explains the shortage.
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Water speculation purely for profit is already illegal in Colorado. But water users and some lawmakers are worried about a new potential threat: investors and out-of-state private equity buying up water rights to wait for an opportune time to sell. Attempts by two private companies to buy up water rights in Grand Valley and the San Luis Valley have prompted lawmakers to look at tightening up laws against water profiteering. They’ve drafted legislation to do so, but nobody — not even the bill’s sponsors — are wholeheartedly behind the measure. a
Reporter Michael Booth explains the water speculation fight that’s being teed up for the 2022 legislative session.
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Victims of crimes in Colorado receive a vastly different level of services depending on race, a new report by the Colorado Criminal Justice Reform Coalition found. Colorado Sun equity reporter Tatiana Flowers dug into the report this week and spoke with crime victims to learn more.
Flowers speaks with fellow Sun reporter Daniel Ducassi about the details.
Learn more at ColoradoSun.com
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Douglas County is asking for ideas on how to spend $68 million in federal money, leading to nearly $250 million in requests for water diversion projects. Colorado Sun reporter Michael Booth recently drilled into the details of the requests and their possible environmental implications.
Booth speaks with fellow Sun reporter Daniel Ducassi about what he found.
To learn more visit us at coloradosun.com
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As teachers returned to the classroom this year, determined to help catch kids up on academics, they were met with another challenge: students with more severe behavior problems than many had seen before.
Colorado Sun education reporter Erica Breunlin speaks with fellow Sun reporter Daniel Ducassi about what teachers are seeing.
Read more at coloradosun.com.
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Portions of a major Xcel Energy power project could be routed close to the Sand Creek Massacre National Historic Site. Colorado Sun reporter Kevin Simpson spoke recently with tribal leaders and other park advocates who say that the proximity of towers and transmission lines could spoil the cultural and aesthetic character of the site. Simpson speaks with fellow Sun reporter Daniel Ducassi about the details.
Learn more at coloradosun.com
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A Colorado family tried to save their cattle ranch by creating habitat for wildlife on their land. The bet paid off as rare birds flocked to the property with ornithologists in tow. Colorado Sun reporter Michael Booth spoke with the family and conservationists to hear their story, providing a peek into what the future of ranching may look like in the state. Booth speaks with fellow Sun reporter Daniel Ducassi about what he learned.
Learn more at coloradosun.com
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A long line of out-of-state interests have fallen in love with Cuchara, the scenic mountain enclave in southern Colorado, over the years. They saw a chance to build a ski getaway and make a score with attached real estate. But unreliable snow and blustery winds doomed them to failure. Decades later, another out-of-state interest arrived with another vision for the area. But a very different kind of vision. The Sun’s Jason Blevins joined colleague Kevin Simpson to talk about Cuchara’s disappointing past -- and why locals nonetheless have high hopes for success this time around.
Learn more at coloradosun.com
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Like many rural areas, the San Luis Valley in southern Colorado has a conundrum when it comes to keeping talented technical minds close to home. Lacking the educational opportunities to pursue degrees in engineering, young people often must leave to find the right college programs. At the same time, companies that need technical workers with an engineering background struggle to fill good-paying jobs. But a new joint program between Adams State University, the post-secondary education hub in the valley, and Colorado State University aims to change that dynamic. Sun reporter David Gilbert sat down with colleague Kevin Simpson to talk about his reporting on a way for talented, science-minded young people to remain in the close-knit community.
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The Navajo Rangers were created in 1957 as a combination of law enforcement and cultural interpreters on the vast Navajo Nation in Arizona, which spills into neighboring states, including Colorado. But as their numbers have dwindled to just 9, the need for the Rangers’ watchful eyes has only increased as more and more people visit in search of outdoor recreation -- and sometimes to illegally excavate ancient artifacts. Sun correspondent Elizabeth Miller touched base with Kevin Simpson to talk about her reporting on the Rangers and how tribal lands must deal with rising numbers of recreational users.
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New development can be a tricky thing to manage under any circumstances. But in the foothills west of Denver, a proposed housing complex has sparked a different kind of conflict, rooted in two things that have taken on ever-increasing importance amid climate change in the already arid West: water, and the looming fear of wildfire. Sun writer Shannon Najmabadi joined Kevin Simpson to talk about how the mountain town of Conifer, population 8,000, has been roiled by plans to build 188 new units.
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Two years ago, Colorado took steps to address the increasing frequency of overdoses of the synthetic opioid fentanyl. A new program aimed to make the antidote -- called naloxone, under the brand name Narcan -- available to police, universities, recreation centers and schools. But as Sun reporter Jennifer Brown discovered, only two school districts in the entire state have taken advantage of the program. She sat down with colleague Kevin Simpson to talk about the program, the tepid response by schools and how one woman's experience helped bring the issue to light.
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Colorado tried out a brand-new redistricting process this year overseen by two independent citizens commissions, an effort to take politics out of a process previously controlled by the state Legislature and political parties. But in addition to figuring that out for the first time, the commissions and their staff also had to deal with the coronavirus pandemic and long delays in getting U.S. census data. What went right and what went wrong? Reporter Thy Vo talked to two of the legislative staffers who have worked behind-the-scenes in Colorado redistricting for years, Jeremiah Barry and Jessika Shipley, and who helped commissioners navigate the brand new process.
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To meet its climate change goals, Colorado is facing a massive challenge. The state has pledged to cut C-O-2 emissions by 50% by 2030. That means getting roughly 70 million tons of C-O-2 out of the air annually. Closing gas- and coal-fired power plants will only get the state so far. So, too, will trading more gas-guzzling vehicles for electric ones. So Colorado has begun to look at something bold: carbon sequestration. Reporter Michael Booth recently dug into the state’s planning around the concept. He spoke with fellow Sun reporter John Ingold about what he has learned.
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If you’re like a lot of folks, today you might sit down to a Thanksgiving feast and afterward migrate to the living room couch to watch some pro football. But this year there’s an added twist, both locally and nationally. Sun writer John Ingold talked to colleague Kevin Simpson about this development and about how there’s another offering on the menu.
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Adults age 55 and older are one of the groups with the biggest number of workers leaving the labor force during the pandemic. The reasons for that are many. But older workers often find it difficult when trying to re-enter the workforce or to change jobs. That’s a problem that existed before the pandemic, too. Now, as Colorado Sun reporter Tamara Chuang learned, the state and a number of organizations are working to fix the problem. And employers are beginning to see a benefit to hiring older workers. She spoke with fellow Sun reporter John Ingold about the issue.
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The former residents of the Summit View Inn, in Aurora, say they lived for months in horrible conditions. Mice. Cockroaches. Bedbugs. But now they are suing their landlord over what they say is an even worse indignity. The residents say they were kicked out of their homes by armed guards who didn’t follow the law for eviction proceedings. Colorado Sun reporter Tatiana Flowers is following the story. She spoke with fellow Sun reporter John Ingold about what she’s found.
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After making big cuts to greenhouse gases from electric utilities and oil and gas producers, Colorado is now asking the next big cuts to come from the agency that has spent 100 years making it easier for cars, not harder. But the Colorado Department of Transportation says it is up to the task. The department is now writing rules requiring that any local agency planning a big road project must also plan to lower emissions overall through expanding rapid transit, or building bike lanes, or demanding that office buildings get built closer to where people live. Today’s Colorado Sun podcast is a conversation between reporters Michael Booth and Kevin Simpson, who reached out across the state to see how people are reacting to the highway agency’s bold new role in protecting the environment.
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On any given day in a sweat-stained gym in Boulder, 70 and 80 year old athletes with Parkinson’s disease are strapping on the boxing gloves and learning some new moves. The debilitating disease can cause tremors and body stiffness, among other challenges, and these older Coloradans are trying new ways to keep limber and keep their minds sharp. Kevin Simpson takes us into a world where former boxers are teaming up with some unlikely clients to go a few rounds with their body demons. And in the process they are opening the eyes of other athletes. Michael Booth talks with Kevin about the Boulder gym, and the coaches and older athletes who make it a lively place.
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The number of people hospitalized with COVID in Colorado took another worrying jump on Wednesday, to more than 1,500 patients. This disturbing spike has public health officials concerned, especially because when combined with patients in the hospital for other reasons, there are now only about 75 intensive care beds available statewide. Health reporter John Ingold has been tracking the trend and the response to it. He talked with Michael Booth about what’s going on with the disease and attempts to manage it in Colorado.
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American culture has always revered the agricultural way of life. But we haven’t always treated Colorado’s field workers and ranch hands as if we revered them. Advocates for farm workers set out to change that in the past legislature, passing laws meant to improve overtime pay and other working conditions. They also left some of the more specific rules up to the executive branch to work out, and the Colorado Sun’s Thy Vo has been following the new agriculture worker protections through the process. Michael Booth talks with Thy about the new look of agriculture jobs, and what’s left to be decided.
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Colorado residents and recent transplants looking for an affordable home may be surprised that for the past year, they’ve often been bidding against Zillow. The popular home shopping site has gotten into buying homes for itself in a big way, Colorado Sun reporter Jason Blevins tells us. And now they may be getting right back out again after a major failure in strategy. Jason talks with Michael Booth about what went wrong for Zillow and what it means for the rest of us looking for a good roof over our heads.
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There has been a string of fentanyl-related overdoses in Boulder County in recent months. More than a dozen people have died, ranging in age from 18 to 68. Two 18-year-olds died less than three days apart. Two young men, including a University of Colorado student, died separately on the same day in June.
Reporters Jen Brown and Olivia Prentzel dug into what’s happening. They spoke with Jesse Paul about what they found.
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Colorado is projected to have 1.2 million residents over age 65 by 2030, up 50% from 2018 — making it one of the fastest aging states in the nation. But advocates for the home health care industry say home-based services are difficult to keep afloat in rural areas -- which Colorado has plenty of.
Reporter Shannon Najmabadi traveled to Grand County to see the problem first hand. She spoke to Jesse Paul about what she found.
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When Colorado air pollution regulators started writing rules to cut 20% of the greenhouse gas emissions by heavy industry, the first thing they had to do was exempt the four largest polluters.
That’s because a law passed by Colorado lawmakers this year says that cement plants and steel plants, which in Colorado are currently emitting up to a million tons a year of planet-warming carbon dioxide, only have to cut emissions 5% if they are using the “best available technology.” The exception applied to four places in the state, but others are seeking an exemption in a situation that shows just how complicated reducing greenhouse gas emissions will be in coming years.
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Governor Jared Polis has made reducing homelessness in Colorado a key focus of his budget for next fiscal year. One of the proposals he wants to see passed would spend $45 million transforming a former youth behavioral treatment center into a facility that could house hundreds of people who are homeless and living on the streets or in shelters across the state.
Polis envisions an all-encompassing recovery center with temporary housing, drug treatment and job-training programs.
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Colorado’s coronavirus situation is worsening by the day and it’s unclear why the state is seeing such a surge in hospitalizations and cases as the rest of the country trends in the opposite direction. As of Monday afternoon, 1,394 people were hospitalized with COVID-19 in Colorado, the highest level since December 2020.
Health reporter John Ingold joins us today to talk about what we know about the surge and why we no longer can rely on herd immunity to end the pandemic in Colorado and beyond.
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The colleges on the Auraria Campus in Denver just announced a big update to its scholarship program — but these aren’t your typical scholarships. They’re ones that were promised to the largely Latino residents of the old Auraria neighborhood before it was razed in the 1970s to build the campus. The scholarships first started in the 90s, but the program had problems. Last week, the three colleges on the campus announced a big change to fix that. Social editor Danika Worthington talks to report David Gilbert about the change.
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Foreclosures rates have been on the rise across the country this year, though Colorado is faring much better than most other states. To help Colorado homeowners struggling to cover their mortgages amid the pandemic, the state recently rolled out a pilot program that will give them money to cover at least three months of payments. The Emergency Mortgage Assistance Program is funded through the American Rescue Plan and will offer homeowners money for past-due or future payments. But as technology, business and economy writer tells education writer Erica Breunlin, the program may have arrived too late for Coloradans.
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Colorado is in the midst of its second highest COVID surge. That’s not great news, of course. It’s even worse when considering the pressures on hospitals right now to treat not only COVID patients but also patients who have delayed care for other medical needs amid the pandemic. The coming flu season coupled with burnt out frontline workers only complicates the state’s ability to cope with the current surge. Education writer Erica Breunlin talks to health writer John Ingold about a new strategy the state has activated to help hospitals overcome “monumental strain.”
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A new poll from a Democratic firm found that Democrats overwhelmingly took a hit in favorability among Coloradans. President Joe Biden’s numbers took the biggest hit, now 10% lower to a favorability of just 45%. Polis had a 49% favorability among voters while Bennet had 40% favorability. Social editor Danika Worthington talks with reporter Jesse Paul about what this means for next year’s elections.
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In Bailey, there’s a unique set of trees that are twisted, curved, hollowed and spiraled. How is this so? Well, that’s a point of contention. Some argue they’re examples of trees that have been culturally-modified by Indigenous people. Others say there’s no evidence among oral traditions nor science, and instead the trees are naturally made. What’s at risk depends on your view. Either historical trees may be chopped down, or valuable resources could be diverted away from legitimate cultural resources. Social editor Danika Worthington talks with reporter Olivia Prentzel about the controversy.
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Some medical professionals say bringing more Spanish speakers into Colorado hospital rooms has only become more critical in the last 19 months as the pandemic has disproportionately affected the state’s population of more than 1.25 million Latino residents. Colorado Sun reporter Erica Breunlin talked to experts about a Children’s Hospital Colorado program that aims to bring more students of color and low-income students in the Denver metro area into the state’s health care industry. Reporter Olivia Prentzel talks with Erica more about the program and about some of the defining experiences students said they had while participating.
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After testing positive for COVID-19, some people are receiving infusions of monoclonal antibodies, a treatment that mimics the antibodies that your immune system would produce if you had been vaccinated. It can be hard to come by because of supply squeezes, limited appointment availability and the narrow window of time to receive it after symptoms appear. Health reporter John Ingold talked to experts about the treatment and shares more of the details with fellow reporter Olivia Prentzel.
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Priests Joseph P. Machebeuf and John B. Raverdy arrived in Denver
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More than 6,000 people in the Denver metro area are experiencing homelessness and the crisis isn’t waning. But after spending months interviewing formerly homeless people and the leaders of the organizations that serve them, researchers from a private think tank and CU Denver recently offered some ideas to help. Reporter Olivia Prentzel chats with The Sun’s equity reporter, Tatiana Flowers about the main takeaways of the report.
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The new Colorado House and Senate maps could shift legislative battlegrounds to some new parts of the state. The fiercest fights for control of the General Assembly used to be mostly in the Denver area, but that could change if the legislative maps are upheld by the state Supreme Court. Today, Colorado Sun reporter Olivia Prentzel talks with politics reporter Jesse Paul about the four most competitive House districts and four most competitive Senate districts.
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What smells like a fossil fuel, works like a fossil fuel, but isn’t a fossil fuel? Introducing renewable natural gas that’s been recovered from biodegrading material in landfills, sewage treatment plants or manure ponds. Using renewable gas helps reduce emission of methane, a damaging greenhouse gas. Colorado Sun reporter Michael Booth shares his reporting on the Colorado stations that pump a gas with less than zero emissions and about the fleets that use it.
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The Colorado Geographical Naming Advisory Board has met 11 times since it formed in the summer of 2020. The 15-member board has a clear mission: Change the names of Colorado’s geographic features that are offensive. But the board isn’t making much progress. Tatiana Flowers, the Colorado Sun’s Equity Reporter is interviewing fellows Reporter Jason Blevins this morning. Blevins has the story.
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Many students showed up to class in pajamas at George Washington High School in Denver on Tuesday to reflect their school pride as part of homecoming week. But pajama day and their school spirit was cut short, as students and teachers turned their focus to healing from a weekend of vandalism that left swastikas and hate speech sprawled across parts of the campus. Education reporter Erica Breunlin (BRUHN-LIN) is joining Equity Reporter Tatiana Flowers to talk more about the story.
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State officials are starting to reckon with racial bias in child welfare, where Black kids are way overrepresented in Colorado’s foster care system. The trend is also occurring in child welfare systems across the nation. The inequity came under scrutiny again last spring while Americans were protesting the murder of George Floyd. Now, Colorado officials are re-examining decades-old policies to keep race from influencing initial investigations of abuse and neglect complaints. They’re also working to ensure children in the system maintain connections to their families. Colorado Sun Equity Reporter Tatiana Flowers is interviewing fellow Reporter Jennifer Brown about her story.
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Colorado’s Independent Legislative Redistricting Commission capped a months-long process when it sent its final state House and Senate maps to the state Supreme Court. Now it will be up to the Colorado Supreme Court to decide whether the maps submitted pass constitutional muster. Parties have until noon on Friday to submit comments for or against the legislative maps. That court hears oral arguments on Oct. 25, and has until Nov. 15 to approve the three maps, or send them back to the legislative commission for changes. Tatiana Flowers, the Colorado Sun’s new equity reporter talks to Politics Team Reporters, Sandra Fish and Thy Vo (TEE-VOH) about the process and the next steps.
Also, today, we take you back to October 20th, 1787 when The Spanish governor of New Mexico reported a remarkable endeavor under way in present-day Colorado. It was a town being built to bring together former enemies to live in a place of peace.
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As news organizations around the country are continually forced to shrink their staff, the Colorado Sun has found a way to grow. The Sun welcomed two new staff reporters in late September, one to cover equity issues, and the other to cover rural issues. This morning’s podcast will feature David Gilbert, a new Sun reporter covering general assignments with a focus on rural issues. In this segment, he shares about what he hopes to achieve while covering Colorado’s rural communities.
Also, today, we take you back to October 19th, 1998 when residents of Vail awoke to smoke rising from the ridge high above town. They saw firsthand the willingness of some environmental activists to fight with fire.
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Today - to mask or not to mask? The Douglas County School District south of Denver has been at the center of debate over whether students should wear masks in schools. The county recently formed its own health department after withdrawing from a regional department over issues of local control. The board of health’s first decision? To override a mask mandate in the school district by allowing exemptions with a parent’s note. Reporter Jessica Gibbs from Colorado Community Media, the Colorado Sun’s sister organization, spoke with David Gilbert about the decision.
Also, today we’re going back to October 18th, 1988 when the Wynkoop Brewing Company opened its doors.
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Today - State officials are backing down from plans to loosen vaccine mandates for health care workers, now saying they’ll wait for federal guidance. Faced with concerns from rural hospitals about staff shortages, the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment briefly considered allowing religious exemptions to count toward a facility’s compliance rate. Colorado Sun reporter John Ingold spoke with David Gilbert, and unraveled the will-they-or-won’t-they questions surrounding the mandate.
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Today - When restaurants faced indoor dining restrictions early in the pandemic, many cities allowed them to expand seating areas onto sidewalks and streets. The so-called parklets have proven so popular that many towns are hoping to keep them. Urban planners say they can be a great way to revitalize downtowns, but some experts say they eat up public space to the benefit of private companies. Colorado Sun reporter Shannon Najmabadi spoke with David Gilbert about the future of al fresco dining on Colorado’s main streets.
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With the return of snow to the mountains comes the return of another Colorado winter tradition: gridlocked traffic on I-70, as weekend warriors make their way to ski areas in the high country. But how much of that gridlock is composed of people driving solo? Colorado Sun outdoors reporter Jason Blevins found some enterprising Coloradans are hoping to boost the practice of carpooling to the slopes with a slate of new apps. But getting them up and rolling has proved to be a bumpy ride.
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Today - News stories don’t happen in a vacuum. Every story exists within a larger framework of the systems and structures of society. New Colorado Sun reporter Tatiana Flowers will cover the news with a focus on inequality, taking a look at how power imbalances come to bear in the lives of individuals. Tatiana spoke with reporter David Gilbert about the deeper understanding she hopes to bring to the news.
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Today - Ella Nayabir lives in Colorado, but many of her family members were in Afghanistan during the US’s tumultuous exit. And three of them were killed during the bombing at Kabul airport in August. Now, Nayabir and her family are doing everything they can to help those that still haven’t been able to leave.
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In November, Colorado voters will get a chance to raise taxes on recreational marijuana and divert as much as $87 million a year to support education programs outside the classroom for low-income students.
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Good Morning, Colorado, you’re listening to the Daily Sun-Up with the Colorado Sun. It’s Thursday October 7th.
Today - In the latest drafts of Colorado’s new legislative districts Democrats will likely maintain control of the House and Senate, but there’s a chance the maps will end up in the hands of the Colorado Supreme Court first.
But before we begin, let’s go back in time with some Colorado history adapted from historian Derek R Everett’s book “Colorado Day by Day”:
Today, we’re going back to October 7th, 1863 when prominent Utes signed a treaty in Conejos County - one that intended to prevent conflict before it started by renouncing Ute claims to Colorado Territory east of the Continental Divide. To some Utes, the notion of ceding their easternmost claims to protect the Rocky Mountains’ western slope seemed sensible.
Now, our feature story.
The latest drafts of maps dividing Colorado’s legislative districts favors leaving Democrats in control of both the Colorado House and Senate, but if the Independent Legislative Redistricting Commission cannot reach agreement on the proposed redistricting, the maps will head to the Colorado Supreme Court.
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Colorado is fighting to keep teachers in the classroom as job stress builds in the face of outbreaks, quarantines and mask mandates. And the longer the pandemic drags on, the more state and school district officials worry about retaining young teachers.
A new Colorado water year began October first and while drought conditions are slightly better than last time last year, there’s a lot riding on this winter to pull the state and really the entire West away from the precipice of extreme drought. Colorado is starting the winter with exceptionally dry soils and reservoirs well below normal, and the La Nina weather pattern taking shape increases chances for more snow in Colorado’s northern mountains but tilts toward less snow in the south.
A surge of complaints filed with the U.S. Department of Education argues that twenty-nine Colorado charter schools could be violating federal law by asking prospective students in the application process about their special education needs. Advocates who filed the complaints say those screening questions could be the reason behind lower enrollment of students with disabilities at Colorado’s charter schools.
The federal Emergency Broadband Benefit Program offers low-income Americans 50-dollar credits on their monthly internet bill as a way to help folks who are struggling through the pandemic. But five months after the $3.2 billion program launched, only 63,000 households in Colorado have taken advantage of the credit, a fraction of the number who are eligible.
For more information on all of these stories, visit our website, www.coloradosun.com. And don’t forget to tune in again tomorrow for a special holiday episode. Now, a quick message from our editor.
The Colorado Sun is non-partisan and completely independent. We're always dedicated to telling the in-depth stories we need today more than ever. And The Sun is supported by readers and listeners like you.
Right now you can head to ColoradoSun.com and become a member starting at $5 per month and if you bump it up to $20 per month you'll get access to our politics newsletter, 'The Unaffiliated,' as well as our outdoors newsletter, 'The Outsider,' and our new health and environment newsletter 'The Temperature,' -- All three exclusive newsletters delivered to your inbox every week.
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Good Morning, Colorado, you’re listening to the Daily Sun-Up with the Colorado Sun. It’s Wednesday October 6th
Today - A wildfire mitigation project taking place at the top of Monarch Pass looks like it’ll be a model for timber harvesting in steep terrain - which is often extremely challenging.
But before we begin, let’s go back in time with some Colorado history adapted from historian Derek R Everett’s book “Colorado Day by Day”:
Today, we take you back to October 6th, 1838, during the height of the fur trade. On this day one of the trade’s casualties, Fort Jackson, met its end when its largest competitor bought it out, removed its goods, and closed it down. The company, Fort Jackson, had been named after the recently retired President Andrew Jackson.
Now, our feature story.
When foresters and loggers harvest beetle kill in Colorado, they tend to stick to the flatlands. The steep stuff, which Colorado has a lot of, can be tricky … usually involving lots of on-the-ground manpower and helicopters. A wildfire mitigation project at the top of Monarch Pass is proving to be a model for timber harvesting in steep terrain and it’s also a model for local, regional and federal support for wildfire mitigation across an entire watershed.
And Before we go, here are a few stories that you should know about today:
Denver voters approved a green building ordinance -- the so-called “green roofs” law in 2017 -- but the Mile High City has not seen a sweeping renaissance of green construction. Builders say COVID-19 adaptations and rising construction costs have forced owners to delay renovations that could trigger the environmentally friendly construction regulation.
The University of Colorado health system has fired one hundred and nineteen employees for not getting a COVID-19 vaccine. UCHealth employees had until October first to be vaccinated or apply for a medical or religious exemption. Those fired employees can re-apply for positions once they receive their vaccination.
A class action lawsuit filed in Denver District Court says one of Colorado’s largest landlords has failed to fix serious issues at its five-hundred and sixty one -unit Mint Urban Infinity apartment complex. The class-action lawsuit argues Cardinal Group Management has ignored many l tenant complaints that include broken air conditioning, no hot water, insect infestations and sewage backing up into units. The Denver-based Cardinal Group, which manages 20,000 units in 28 apartment complexes in Colorado, received a federal Paycheck Protection Program loan for its 319 employees and had that three-point-seven million dollar loan forgiven earlier this summer.
For more information on all of these stories, visit our website, www.coloradosun.com.
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Good Morning, Colorado, you’re listening to the Daily Sun-Up with the Colorado Sun. It’s Tuesday October 5th,
Today - State health officials are proposing changes to the recent COVID-19 vaccine mandate for health care workers.
But before we begin, let’s go back in time with some Colorado history adapted from historian Derek R Everett’s book “Colorado Day by Day”:
Today, we take you back to October 5th, 1879 when a bugle call pierced the sky along Milk Creek in today’s Rio Blanco County. It was a welcome signal to a party of besieged soldiers that help had arrived. The conflict, which was between the White River Agency and the Utes. eventually led to Ute removal from most of western Colorado.
Now, our feature story.
Colorado health officials are proposing changes to the recent mandate that requires all health care workers to be vaccinated against the coronavirus. Reporter John Ingold spoke with health care administrators about the proposed adjustment to the vaccine mandate.
CLIP
To read John’s story use the link in our show notes.
And Before we go, here are a few stories that you should know about today:
Colorado voters in November could reduce property tax rates for apartment complexes and lodging properties. Supporters of Proposition 120 argue the property tax reduction could reduce rents and encourage investment in multi-family housing, which could ease the state’s housing shortage. Opponents, however, fear the reduced tax revenue could hurt local governments, schools and fire departments that depend on property taxes.
Xcel Energy is studying new power-generation technologies like molten salt, biomass and hydrogen to replace coal-burning at the company’s soon-to-close power plant in Hayden. Coal-fired power plants are shuttering across the state as utilities cut greenhouse gas emissions and the proposed technology at Xcel plant in Hayden could be a model for communities transitioning from coal-dependent jobs.
Another measure on the November ballot asks Colorado voters to adjust how the state spends money from the federal government and other outside sources. Supporters say Amendment 78 would provide better transparency for state spending while opponents argue the measure is a partisan ploy to slow spending by a Democratic administration.
For more information on all of these stories, visit our website, www.coloradosun.com. And don’t forget to tune in again tomorrow.
The Colorado Sun is non-partisan and completely independent. We're always dedicated to telling the in-depth stories we need today more than ever. And The Sun is supported by readers and listeners like you.
Right now, you can head to ColoradoSun.com and become a member. Starting at $5 per month for a basic membership and if you bump it up to $20 per month, you’ll get access to our exclusive politics and outdoors newsletters. Thanks for starting your morning with us and don’t forget to tune in again tomorrow.
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Good Morning, Colorado, you’re listening to the Daily Sun-Up with the Colorado Sun. It’s Monday October 4th,
Today - Countrywide many industries have been faced with worker shortages throughout the pandemic. Now, as federal unemployment benefits fade, Colorado employers are hoping to see an uptick in applicants for open roles.
Before we begin, let’s go back in time with some Colorado history adapted from historian Derek R Everett’s book “Colorado Day by Day”:
Today we’re going back to October 4th, 1982 when an estimated 200,000 people - roughly 40% of Denver’s population at the time - showed up along sixteenth street at lunchtime. They were there to celebrate the transformation of the former commercial hub - and the dedication of the Sixteenth Street Mall. The Sixteenth Street Mall offered the hope of real urban renewal.
Now, our feature story.
Colorado’s employers are locked in a battle for workers, with the service industry struggling to hire the same workers eyed by giants like Amazon, which needs one thousand more employees at its two-point-four million square-foot warehouse in Thornton and another twenty-two hundred workers at its Colorado Springs’ facility. As federal unemployment benefits fade, employers across the state are hoping to see more applicants.
And Before we go, here are a few stories that you should know about today:
The legal wrangling over Colorado’s new district-tweaking congressional map has begun. After months of contentious debate, the Colorado Independent Congressional Redistricting Commission has sent its new congressional map to the Colorado Supreme Court, where a host of political candidates, political parties and advocacy groups will challenge the proposed redistricting.
San Juan County in southwest Colorado boasts an impressive ninety-nine point nine percent vaccination rate, yet the one-town county is struggling with the spread of COVID-19 and the highly contagious delta variant. The recent death of a resident -- and the hospitalization of others -- has caused the county to backtrack with new regulations that limit indoor events and require masks indoors.
When search and rescue teams must delay recovery of a fallen adventurer, sometimes friends step-in. In the last year, when two skiers, a hiker and a kayaker did not returned home from the mountains, their friends have conducted ad hoc, and often complicated, recovery efforts. Colorado’s search and rescue teams rarely condone civilian rescues or recovery missions, but sometimes the lost or fallen’s friends are uniquely skilled and qualified to step up when others are unable.
For more information on all of these stories, visit our website, www.coloradosun.com. Now, a quick message from our editor.
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Good Morning, Colorado, you’re listening to the Daily Sun-Up with the Colorado Sun. It’s Friday, October 1st.
Today - Last year, Denver voters approved funding for a Climate Protection Fund. So what does the director of Denver’s new climate action office have to say about how they’re supporting climate-friendly projects and programs?
But before we begin, let’s go back in time with some Colorado history adapted from historian Derek R Everett’s book “Colorado Day by Day”:
Today, we take you back to October 1st, 1991 when thousands of people flocked to Gilpin and Teller Counties lured by more than a dozen casinos that opened that day - all in hopes of reinvigorating former mining towns.
Now, our feature story.
Denver voters last November approved funding for a Climate Protection Fund, making the Mile High City the second in the nation to direct taxpayer dollars toward climate action work. Colorado Sun reporter Michael Booth sat down with the director of Denver’s new climate action office and gives us the details of how the office is supporting a variety of climate-friendly projects and programs.
Read more from Michael’s visit with Grace Rink at coloradosun.com
And Before we go, here are a few stories that you should know about today:
The typical fall explosion of color in Colorado’s high country is not lasting as long as usual. That’s yet another effect of climate change, with unsettled weather and a dry summer hastening the shift from green to yellow, red and orange.
A doctor and medical student have sued the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus over the center’s requirement for all employees and students to be vaccinated against COVID-19. The lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court challenges the medical center’s denial of their requests for religious exemptions from the vaccine mandate and marks the latest clash over the growing number of public and private vaccine mandates.
The Bureau of Land Management awarded oil and gas leases on public land in northwest Colorado without adequately considering impacts to air and wilderness, a federal judge has ruled. But U.S. District Court Judge Marcia Krieger -- MAR-sha KREE-ger -- stopped sort of voiding the leases in her response to a lawsuit filed by environmental groups hoping to block oil and gas drilling on 58,000 acres of public land around Dinosaur National Monument.
For more information on all of these stories, visit our website, www.coloradosun.com. And don’t forget to tune in again on Monday. Now, a quick message from our editor.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Good Morning, Colorado, you’re listening to the Daily Sun-Up with the Colorado Sun. It’s Thursday September 30th.
Today - Even as the state and federal government works to limit the environmental impacts of coal mining, Colorado has just allowed six coal mining companies to reduce their payments for access to public land.
But before we begin, let’s go back in time with some Colorado history adapted from historian Derek R Everett’s book “Colorado Day by Day”:
Today, we’re going back to September 30th, 1873 when a remarkable visitor achieved her goal of reaching the summit of Longs Peak, one of the most challenging mountains in Colorado. Isabella Bird, a globetrotting Briton, exhausted her vocabulary in lavishing praise on Estes Park and present-day Rocky Mountain National Park.
Now, our feature story.
Colorado is allowing all six companies mining coal in the state to reduce the payments they make to the federal and state government in exchange for access to public land. The annual reduction of royalty payments recently approved by Colorado means coal mining companies are paying less every year, even as both the state and federal government work to limit the impacts of coal mining.
Colorado Sun reporter Michael Booth looked into why state officials approved these smaller payments from coal mining companies.
Read Michael’s story at coloradosun dot com.
And Before we go, here are a few stories that you should know about today:
Colorado’s Independent Congressional Redistricting Commission late Tuesday approved a new eight-district congressional map. Some Democrats are not pleased, even though incumbents remain in their districts under the proposed map, which now must be approved by the Supreme Court by Nov. 1 or sent back to the commission for revisions.
Telluride’s Original Thinkers festival kicks off today, with an array of artists, activists, musicians and movie-makers exploring the world’s triumphs and challenges in the last year.
The ACLU team that helped pass a recent slate of sweeping criminal justice reforms in Colorado resigned this month. The nonpartisan civil rights nonprofit is accused of being too aggressive in wielding its new status as one of the most influential groups in the state. Supporters say the ACLU’s hard push for the end of the death penalty and police reform led to important change.
Colorado’s rental assistance program offering up to 15 months of free rent to residents struggling during the pandemic has paid out only 15% of its available funds. The Emergency Rental Assistance Program is now distributing about $6 million a week and has helped about 18,000 Coloradans. But there are still thousands more applicants waiting to be approved for help with their rent payments.
For more information on all of these stories, visit our website, www.coloradosun.com. And don’t forget to tune in again tomorrow for a special holiday episode. Now, a quick message from our editor.
The Colorado Sun is non-partisan and completely independent. We're always dedicated to telling the in-depth stories we need today more than ever. And The Sun is supported by readers and listeners like you.
Right now you can head to ColoradoSun.com and become a member starting at $5 per month and if you bump it up to $20 per month you'll get access to our politics newsletter, 'The Unaffiliated,' as well as our outdoors newsletter, 'The Outsider,' and our new health and environment newsletter 'The Temperature,' -- All three exclusive newsletters delivered to your inbox every week.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Good Morning, Colorado, you’re listening to the Daily Sun-Up with the Colorado Sun. It’s Wednesday September 29th.
Today - As the state’s behavioral health system continues to show signs of strain, new laws require the Department of Human Services to provide shelter beds for kids in crisis. But there just aren’t enough beds, so some kids are spending nights on the floors of justice centers or even the back of police cruisers.
But before we begin, let’s go back in time with some Colorado history adapted from historian Derek R Everett’s book “Colorado Day by Day”:
Today, we take you back to September 29th, 1879 when Ute bands in western Colorado who had been resisting the encroachment of interlopers for decades were finally faced with no alternative. They surrendered and listened to the promises of federal agents who pledged to improve their lives by transforming them into farmers. Their communal frustration and despair found an outlet on September 29th, 1879 when members of the Yamparika faction killed agent Nathan Meeker who was known as the founder of Greeley Colorado’s most prosperous farming community.
Now, our feature story.
Colorado’s beleaguered behavioral health system continues to show signs of strain. New state and federal laws require the Department of Human Services to provide shelter beds for kids in crisis. But there are not enough beds for youths in the state so many juveniles who’ve been accused of less-serious crimes are spending nights on the floors of justice centers or the back of police cruisers. Nearly every District Attorney in the state has signed a letter to the head of Colorado’s Department of Human Service urging the state to quickly create shelter beds for kids. “The safety of our children and communities cannot wait,” reads the letter.
Colorado Sun reporter Jen Brown obtained the letter from 21 of the state’s 22 District Attorneys asking the state to create more shelter beds for kids in trouble.
Read Jen Brown’s story at coloradosun dot com
And Before we go, here are a few stories that you should know about today:
Hundreds of homeowners have fled the Ptarmigan (TARM-again) Fire east of Silverthorne after fire officials described, quote “unprecedented fire behavior” Monday night. The wildfire in the White River National Forest had grown to about 60 acres by Tuesday afternoon.
President Joe Biden has tapped Cole Finnegan to be Colorado’s next U.S. Attorney. Finnegan is a well-known Democrat supporter and a Denver attorney who served as former chief-of-staff for then-Mayor John Hickenlooper and chief legal counsel for then-Gov. Roy Romer.
School board members across Colorado are facing a wave of criticisms and disagreements as school districts deploy mask mandates and other COVID crackdowns. The shouting matches and social media blasts are now turning into recall efforts as angry parents seek to oust their local representatives on school boards. More Colorado school board members are finding themselves at a distressing crossroads as they listen to both parents, teachers and public health officials.
For more information on all of these stories, visit our website, www.coloradosun.com. And don’t forget to tune in again tomorrow for a special holiday episode. Now, a quick message from our editor.
The Colorado Sun is non-partisan and completely independent. We're always dedicated to telling the in-depth stories we need today more than ever. And The Sun is supported by readers and listeners like you.
Right now you can head to ColoradoSun.com and become a member starting at $5 per month and if you bump it up to $20 per month you'll get access to our politics newsletter, 'The Unaffiliated,' as well as our outdoors newsletter, 'The Outsider,' and our new health and environment newsletter 'The Temperature,' -- All three exclusive newsletters delivered to your inbox every week.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Good Morning, Colorado, you’re listening to the Daily Sun-Up with the Colorado Sun. It’s Tuesday September 28th,
Today - Glenwood Springs has had a challenging year … between the Grizzly Creek Fire, and mudslides. But businesses have largely stayed afloat thanks to federal aid. And now, they have access to federal disaster loans.
But before we begin, let’s go back in time with some Colorado history adapted from historian Derek R Everett’s book “Colorado Day by Day”:
Today, we take you back to September 28th, 1719, when a massive expedition of Spaniards, Puebloans, and Apaches endured an early winter storm and feared for whether they had enough food. It’s little wonder that this beleaguered company at its camp near present day Trinidad Colorado, referred to a nearby river as the River of Lost Souls in Purgatory.
Now, our feature story.
Glenwood Springs has had a rough year … the Grizzly Creek Fire in August 2020 forced a two-week shutdown of Interstate 70 in Glenwood Canyon, just as the tourist destination was emerging from COVID lockdown …. in August this year the hot-springed resort town again endured a two-week closure of the canyon as mudslides buried the interstate below the burn scar … Glenwood businesses have been able to stay afloat for most of 2021 thanks to COVID relief from the federal government … and now those businesses have access to low interest federal disaster loans approved earlier this month.
Colorado Sun reporter David Gilbert looked into what he called Glenwood’s “cavalcade of hardships,” and how this new round of federal assistance is helping the town’s economy …
To read more of David’s reporting on Glenwood Springs, go to coloradosun.com
And Before we go, here are a few stories that you should know about today:
Nonprofit river conservation group American Whitewater is exploring a plan to adjust Colorado water law so communities can protect recreational river flows without building whitewater parks. The proposed changes to Colorado’s Recreational In-Channel Diversion water rights regulations faces stiff opposition from Western Slope water users.
The Denver Public Schools board has expanded its conflict-of-interest policy to ban employees of independent charter schools and innovation zones from serving on the board. The district’s policy already barred school district employees from serving on the seven-member school board. Last week the board unanimously approved the new rules without public discussion. The board’s next election is set for Nov. 2.
Fewer than 5,000 students — that’s less than 1% of Colorado’s K-through-12 students — have signed up for a weekly coronavirus testing program. That is not enough kids, says Colorado Governor Jared Polis, who launched the testing plan as a way to track cases and prevent outbreaks.
Schools need to test at least one in five students to make a difference, the governor says. The testing program, which is backed by $173 million in federal funding, is testing about one-in-25 kids at 200 Colorado schools. And Colorado students are catching COVID, with the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment last week tracking 156 active coronavirus outbreaks in K-12 schools.
For more information on all of these stories, visit our website, www.coloradosun.com. And don’t forget to tune in again tomorrow.
The Colorado Sun is non-partisan and completely independent. We're always dedicated to telling the in-depth stories we need today more than ever. And The Sun is supported by readers and listeners like you.
Right now, you can head to ColoradoSun.com and become a member. Starting at $5 per month for a basic membership and if you bump it up to $20 per month, you’ll get access to our exclusive politics and outdoors newsletters. Thanks for starting your morning with us and don’t forget to tune in again tomorrow.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Today - The latest draft of Colorado’s congressional map may turn out to be the final version. And if that’s the case, a new district would become the state’s most competitive — and its most Hispanic.
Before we begin, let’s go back in time with some Colorado history adapted from historian Derek R Everett’s book “Colorado Day by Day”:
Today we’re going back to September 27th, 1865 when a military post near Julesburg earned a new title - Fort Sedgwick. It was renamed in honor of a general killed in Virginia. The post faced challenges in the wake of the Sand Creek Massacre, and proved vital to restoring peace through force. But by the decade’s end, conflict in eastern Colorado had diminished. And in 1871 the army ordered For Sedgwick abandoned. Today, a flagpole marks the location where the fort once stood.
The latest draft of Colorado’s congressional map could become the final version. If it’s adopted, a new U.S. House District will become the state’s most competitive — and its most Hispanic. The map would avoid setting up contests between any of Colorado’s seven incumbent representatives. Beyond that, its implications are up for debate. Reporter Thy Vo has the rest.
For more on Colorado’s congressional redistricting process go to coloradosun.com
And Before we go, here are a few stories that you should know about today:
For 150 years members of the San Francisco Morada have completed the a Good Friday ritual of carrying a crucifix up the hill behind their San Luis Valley community. But the next time the ritual is performed it will be much different because a 10-foot-tall fence has been erected across their path by the owner of Cielo Vista Ranch. For decades there has been conflict between the wealthy owners of this huge ranch and descendants of the Sangre de Christo Land Grant who have birthright to access the land for certain activities. Members of the morada say the fence is unrelated to that conflict, but also say that they can’t help but feel that it is part of the long battle over property rights that continues Monday in court in Alamosa.
A man police say shot and wounded a Littleton police officer was arrested Friday in Brighton after a long standoff. Rigoberto Dominguez is is accused of shooting at police officers responded to a report of gunfire early Tuesday morning. Police say he fired at the officers, hitting David Snook in his arm, leg and torso and as of Friday was still being treated in an intensive care unit.
The Small Business Administration says 267 venues in Colorado received more than $172 million from the federal government’s Shuttered Venue Operators grant program. While SBA isn’t accepting new applications for the pandemic-relief program, those concert halls, theaters and museums can apply for a supplemental grant valued at 50 percent of what they’ve already received. Those applications opened on Friday.
The Littleton Immigrant Resources Center is likely to lose about $150,000 in annual funding provided by the city. While the formal vote won’t come until October, the Littleton city council in a budget meeting earlier this month voted to cut the line item. The center is Littleton's only affordable resource center for immigrants seeking citizenship, providing low-cost civics and English lessons, test preparation and help filling out forms.
For more information on all of these stories, visit our website, www.coloradosun.com. Now, a quick message from our editor.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Good Morning, Colorado, you’re listening to the Daily Sun-Up with the Colorado Sun. It’s Friday, September 24th.
Today - In coming to terms with the changing conditions brought on by climate change, some begin to struggle with climate anxiety.
But before we begin, let’s go back in time with some Colorado history adapted from historian Derek R Everett’s book “Colorado Day by Day”:
Today, we take you back to September 24th, 1955 when President Eisenhower suffered a heart attack in his wife’s family home on Lafayette Street in Denver. The physician called to Eisenhower’s bedside mistook the heart attack for a digestive complaint, and he did not end up going in for treatment for another twelve hours. Following the incident doctors limited Eisenhower's trips to Colorado, forbidding him from golfing or fishing in the state.
Now, our feature story.
Colorado resident Jonah Siefer is a policy analyst, recreational woodworker and year-round skier. He’s also a citizen scientist whose regular trips into the Rocky Mountains yield worrisome anecdotal evidence about climate change. He sees it in disappearing snowpacks, rocky ski runs and shrinking glaciers. In coming to grips with the changing conditions, Siefer has been thrust into dark emotional territory, too, with his battles against climate anxiety. Sofia Stuart-Rasi has more on his story.
To read more about climate change, go to coloradosun.com.
And Before we go, here are a few stories that you should know about today:
A liberal Denver policy group and a Summit County commissioner are trying to keep ballots cast for one of three questions on the statewide ballot this fall from being counted. The Bell Policy Center and Commissioner Tamara Pogue on Thursday sued, claiming Colorado’s Title Board erred when it OK’d Amendment 78, which would add more legislative oversight to the way money that does not come from state tax dollars is spent. They say only questions related to the Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights can appear in year-elections and this one doesn’t deal with that tax-limiting measure. Amendment 78, which would amend the state constitution to add oversight to how money from legal settlements and the federal government is spent, arose after some COVID recovery money was distributed without Republican input.
A Loveland nurse practitioner who touted alleged cures for the coronavirus has been fined $40,000 because he did not stop marketing treatments such as an anti-parasite drug often used for farm animals after he was hit last year with a cease and desist order. The owner of Loveland Medical Clinic could have the fine cut in half if he complies with the order to stop making misleading posts about the effectiveness of treatments including Ivermectin.
Colorado’s school-aged children are experiencing the highest rates of coronavirus infection among any age group in the state right now. But state health officials Thursday presented new data showing that requiring kids to wear masks while in school is associated with lower rates of COVID-19. The data back up guidance from the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment recommending that all schools implement universal masking policies for students, staff and visitors, regardless of vaccination status.
Former Colorado Republican Party chair Ryan Call will be disbarred after acknowledging he took nearly $280,000 from a super PAC supporting former President Donald Trump while Call served as the political action committee’s treasurer. The state Supreme Court’s presiding disciplinary judge issued the decision after Call reached a settlement. In it, Call admitted to entering the Rebuilding America Now PAC into a secret contract to pay himself $5,000 a month for “political strategy and fundraising support” and that he misled members of his former Denver-based law firm about his activities with the committee.
For more information on all of these stories, visit our website, www.coloradosun.com. And don’t forget to tune in again on Monday. Now, a quick message from our editor.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.