Colorado Edition: Recent Episodes
KUNC
KUNC's Colorado Edition is a daily look at the stories, news, people and issues important to you. It's a window to the communities along the Colorado Rocky Mountains. The show explores the big stories of the day, bringing context and insight to issues that matter. And because life in Northern Colorado is a balance of work and play, we explore the lighter side of news, highlighting what makes this state such an incredible place to live. New episodes available Monday - Thursday.
In September 2013, a large storm parked itself over the mountains and foothills of Northern Colorado – where it lingered for days, dropping a lot of rain that eventually made its way down into a number of Front Range communities, washing out roads, bridges, and dams - and forcing thousands to evacuate.
The KUNC newsroom is marking the anniversary of those devastating floods in a special series, Ten Years Later: The Flood that Changed the Front Range. In today's episode, we talk with Luke Runyon, who was here covering the floods in 2013, and is following up on recovery efforts that, in some communities, are still ongoing.
And if you're looking for more of KUNC's past coverage of the flooding, Erin spoke with Pinewood Springs resident Kerry Grimes in 2013, just after he, his wife, and his dog had to be evacuated from their home via helicopter. We also checked in with him five years later to see how the recovery process was going for the tight-knit community near Estes Park.
Coloradans recently approved the legalization of certain plant-based psychedelic substances, including psilocybin and psylocin found in so-called magic mushrooms – paving the way for licensed healing centers where people can legally obtain these plant medicines in the coming years. Indigenous people have long been the historical facilitators of this kind of medicine, leading ceremonies in lesser-known locations. As this movement sprouts above ground, some Indigenous healers and activists say they should be at the forefront. In today's episode, we talk with Kuthoomi Castro, a Boulder-based clinical mental health counselor, and one of those calling for greater representation.
Voting is underway in Colorado, and ballots are due on Election Day by 7 pm. As a reminder, Election Day is Nov. 8, which is less than two weeks away.
Proposition FF: If approved, Proposition FF would raise the money needed to provide free school lunches at all public schools in Colorado.
Phil Weiser, Colorado Attorney General Incumbent: Colorado voters are deciding this election whether to keep incumbent candidate Phil Weisner in the State Attorney General seat or bring in challenger John Kellner. KUNC's Beau Baker spoke with Weiser about what he's been doing on the job. Their conversation begins with how the state is distributing opioid settlement funds to help stem a major drug crisis.
John Kellner, Colorado Attorney General Challenger: KUNC reached out to Republican candidate John Jellner several times but did not hear back.
Kellner currently serves as a district attorney for the 8th judicial district, which includes Arapahoe, Douglas Elbert and Lincoln Counties. His platform centers largely around public safety and cracking down on crime. If he's elected, he wants to use the Attorney General; 's office to deal with high rates of fentanyl misuse, violent crime and cart theft.
Kellner supports the SCOTUS decision to overturn Roe v. Wade. He is in favor of abortion being dictated by states, as opposed to the federal government. In Colorado, he said he will uphold abortion access because it's codified in state law ad does not support a federal abortion ban.
Kellner has also rejected claims that the 2020 presidential election was fraudulent and has said that former President Donald Trump holds some responsibility for the violence at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.
Our theme music was composed by Colorado musicians Briana Harris and Johnny Burroughs. Other music in the show by Blue Dot Sessions.
Colorado Edition is hosted by Yoselin Meza Miranda and produced by the KUNC newsroom, led by news director Sean Corcoran. Web was edited by digital editor Megan Manata.
The mission of Colorado Edition is to deepen understanding of life in Northern Colorado through authentic conversation and storytelling. It's available as a podcast on iTunes, Spotify, Google Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.
Colorado Edition is made possible with support from our KUNC members. Thank you!
What to expect on your ballots: Ballots for the November election are hitting mailboxes this week, and there’s a lot at stake. Not only will Coloradans decide who will represent them in Congress and at the state House, but there are also 11 statewide questions that could affect everything from how much people pay in taxes to where they can buy wine.
Colorado’s gubernatorial race — Heidi Ganahl: Colorado’s governor ticket is expected to be one of the most heated races on the ballot. Republican Heidi Ganahl is hoping to replace incumbent Jared Polis in the governor’s mansion. She said Polis is not doing enough to move the state forward. Here’s what she said she would do differently.
Colorado’s gubernatorial race — Jared Polis: Gov. Polis has been busy crisscrossing the statem toting his record over the last for years — namely his administration’s delivery of free full-day kindergarten and his leadership through the coronavirus pandemic. Here’s what he said about his vision for a second term.
Colorado Edition is hosted by Yoselin Meza Miranda and produced by the KUNC newsroom, led by news director Sean Corcoran. Web was edited by Digital Editor Megan Manata. The mission of Colorado Edition is to deepen understanding of life in Northern Colorado through authentic conversation and storytelling. It's available as a podcast on iTunes, Spotify, Google Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.
Colorado Edition is made possible with support from our KUNC members. Thank you!
Our theme music was composed by Colorado musicians Briana Harris and Johnny Burroughs. Other music in the show by Blue Dot Sessions.
On this Colorado Edition election special, we speak with the U.S. Senate candidates Joe O’Dea and incumbent Michael Bennet. Then we head to Yuma to hear about a charismatic music teacher uniting his community through music.
Featured Segments
Interview with Joe O’Dea: State capitol reporter Lucas Brady Woods spoke with Republican Senate candidate Joe O’Dea about his platform, which includes shrinking government and limited access to abortion. He also says he would vote to codify same-sex marriage.
Interview with Sen. Michael Bennet: Woods also spoke with the incumbent candidate, Sen. Michael Bennet. His platform includes expanding tax benefits for parents, increasing transparency in healthcare and getting special interests out of American politics.
Yuma County Music Teacher: In the midst of endless cornfields in Yuma, high school music teacher Robert Zahller has carved out a special place in the Yuma High School music program. Small and rural communities reporter Rae Solomon tells the story.
This story is part of the “America Amplified” initiative. America Amplified is a national public media collaboration focused on community engagement reporting.
Credits
Colorado Edition is hosted by Lucas Brady Woods and produced by the KUNC newsroom, led by news director Sean Corcoran. Web was edited by digital operations manager Ashley Jefcoat.
The mission of Colorado Edition is to deepen understanding of life in Northern Colorado through authentic conversation and storytelling. It's available as a podcast on iTunes, Spotify, Google Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.
Colorado Edition is made possible with support from our KUNC members. Thank you!
Our theme music was composed by Colorado musicians Briana Harris and Johnny Burroughs. Other music in the show by Blue Dot Sessions.
On this episode of Colorado Edition, we listen to KUNC's three-part series "Fire Risk", which examines how the Marshall Fire prompted changes in building homes and how people are evacuated. Also, how can homeowners protect their existing homes? We meet a first-generation college student helping others like her through social media. Finally, John Denver's iconic "Rocky Mountain High" turns 50.
Featured Segments
Evacuating in an emergency: As the threat of wildfire grows in Colorado, so does the likelihood of mass evacuations. Perhaps no one knows this better than the survivors of last year’s Marshall Fire. In the first part of KUNC’s new series Fire Risk, Brittany Cronin reports on how the Marshall Fire has prompted changes to how these communities evacuate.
Building fire-resistant homes: Homeowners in Boulder County are finally starting to rebuild, nine months after the Marshall Fire devastated the area. Many residents are constructing their new homes using fire-resistant techniques. In the second installment of our three-part series, Fire Risk, which focuses on how Northern Colorado communities are adapting to the threat, KUNC’s Leigh Paterson reports on the effort to build fire-safe homes.
Making existing homes less fire-prone: While some fire-impacted communities in Northern Colorado rebuild their homes, other residents are thinking about how they can make their existing homes more fire resistant. In the final installment of our series Fire Risk, Leigh Paterson joins KUNC’s Desmond O’Boyle to talk about low-cost improvements.
Helping first-generation college students: Being a first-generation college student can be challenging. For a lot of them, the main concerns are not having enough money for tuition, lack of support and even language barriers. Yahaira Hernandez, a senior at the University of Colorado Denver, is a first-generation student who is using social media to help other students like her succeed.
John Denver's Rocky Mountain anthem: It started as a song about the beauty of the mountains – and became an anthem for our region. John Denver’s “Rocky Mountain High” turns 50 years old in October. KUNC’s Emma VandenEinde explains the legacy of his life and his music.
Many organizations are holding tributes to Denver, as it is also 25 years since he passed away. A John Denver Celebration will be held in Aspen from October 5-12.
Credits
Colorado Edition is hosted by Yoselin Meza Miranda and produced by the KUNC newsroom, led by news director Sean Corcoran. Web was edited by digital editor Jenn de la Fuente.
The mission of Colorado Edition is to deepen understanding of life in Northern Colorado through authentic conversation and storytelling. It's available as a podcast on iTunes, Spotify, Google Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.
Colorado Edition is made possible with support from our KUNC members. Thank you!
If there's a story you'd like to hear, send us an email at coloradoedition@kunc.org.
Our theme music was composed by Colorado musicians Briana Harris and Johnny Burroughs. Other music in the show by Blue Dot Sessions.
Climate change and the economy: Climate change and the economy are becoming more and more inseparable. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, climate-related disasters have caused an average of $3 billion in damage in Colorado over the last several years.
Some view transitioning to a greener economy as meeting climate priorities and saving money. KUNC’s Beau Baker spoke with Bob Keefe, executive director of the advocacy group, Environmental Entrepreneurs and author of Climatenomics: Washington, Wall Street and the Economic Battle to Save Our Planet.
Norovirus outbreak in the Grand Canyon: Norovirus is a nasty stomach bug usually associated with cruise shops and restaurants. It can sicken people for days with nausea and vomiting. As KUNC’s Luke Runyon reports, the virus is so contagious that outbreaks can pop up in unexpected places — like the Grand Canyon.
This story is part of ongoing coverage of the Colorado River, produced by KUNC and supported by the Walton Family Foundation.
The Colorado Sun Roundup: We touched base this week with our colleagues at the Colorado Sun to learn more about the news they’re covering. Reporter Michael Booth spoke with KUNC’s Beau Baker about State Representative Tracey Bernett facing questions about her residency, universal pre-school and updates on the state fish.
Our theme music was composed by Colorado musicians Briana Harris and Johnny Burroughs. Other music in the show by Blue Dot Sessions.
Credits
Colorado Edition is hosted by Yoselin Meza Miranda and produced by the KUNC newsroom, led by news director Sean Corcoran. Web was edited by digital editor Megan Manata.
The mission of Colorado Edition is to deepen understanding of life in Northern Colorado through authentic conversation and storytelling. It's available as a podcast on iTunes, Spotify, Google Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.
Colorado Edition is made possible with support from our KUNC members. Thank you!
Climate change and the economy: Climate change and the economy are becoming more and more inseparable. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, climate-related disasters have caused an average of $3 billion in damage in Colorado over the last several years.
Some view transitioning to a greener economy as meeting climate priorities and saving money. KUNC’s Beau Baker spoke with Bob Keefe, executive director of the advocacy group, Environmental Entrepreneurs and author of Climatenomics: Washington, Wall Street and the Economic Battle to Save Our Planet.
Norovirus outbreak in the Grand Canyon: Norovirus is a nasty stomach bug usually associated with cruise shops and restaurants. It can sicken people for days with nausea and vomiting. As KUNC’s Luke Runyon reports, the virus is so contagious that outbreaks can pop up in unexpected places — like the Grand Canyon.
This story is part of ongoing coverage of the Colorado River, produced by KUNC and supported by the Walton Family Foundation.
The Colorado Sun Roundup: We touched base this week with our colleagues at the Colorado Sun to learn more about the news they’re covering. Reporter Michael Booth spoke with KUNC’s Beau Baker about State Representative Tracey Bernett facing questions about her residency, universal pre-school and updates on the state fish.
Our theme music was composed by Colorado musicians Briana Harris and Johnny Burroughs. Other music in the show by Blue Dot Sessions.
Credits
Colorado Edition is hosted by Yoselin Meza Miranda and produced by the KUNC newsroom, led by news director Sean Corcoran. Web was edited by digital editor Megan Manata.
The mission of Colorado Edition is to deepen understanding of life in Northern Colorado through authentic conversation and storytelling. It's available as a podcast on iTunes, Spotify, Google Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.
Colorado Edition is made possible with support from our KUNC members. Thank you!
On this week’s Colorado Edition, we hear updates on the police shooting of a young man in Clear Creek County. Then, we travel to Nevada to hear how water scarcity is affecting one ranching community in a real way. Finally, we check in with the Colorado Sun and discuss what news they’re following.
Featured Segments
Updates on Clear Creek County police shooting: The parents of a young man shot and killed by police in Clear Creek County in June are demanding answers and accountability. Boulder resident Christian Glass, a 22-year-old white man, died near Silver Plume after calling 911 when his car got stuck on the side of the road. A warning for listeners, this story contains descriptions of violence and audio that may be disturbing. KUNC Reporter Leigh Paterson spoke with KUNC host Beau Baker about the latest developments.
Water scarcity in Nevada: Few things are more valuable to a farmer in the West than water. And when there’s not enough to go around, figuring out whose use matters the most can lead to heated arguments. In rural Nevada, a shrinking aquifer forced one ranching community to grapple with water scarcity in a real way. The Mountain West News Bureau’s Kaleb Roedel has more on what they decided to do.
This story is part of ongoing coverage of water in the West, produced by the Mountain West News Bureau and supported by the Walton Family Foundation.
Checking in with the Colorado Sun: We caught up with our colleagues at the Colorado Sun this week to find out what stories are crossing their reporting desks. Sun editor Larry Rickman joined KUNC's Beau Baker to talk through some of the news they're following.
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Credits
Colorado Edition is hosted by Yoselin Meza Miranda and produced by the KUNC newsroom, led by news director Sean Corcoran. Web was edited by digital operations manager Ashley Jefcoat.
The mission of Colorado Edition is to deepen understanding of life in Northern Colorado through authentic conversation and storytelling. It's available as a podcast on iTunes, Spotify, Google Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.
Colorado Edition is made possible with support from our KUNC members. Thank you!
Our theme music was composed by Colorado musicians Briana Harris and Johnny Burroughs. Other music in the show by Blue Dot Sessions.
On this episode of Colorado Edition, we check out a group of citizen scientists who are passionate about studying mushrooms in the mountains and find new species. We examine how cities in the West are trying to reuse water as the Colorado River dries up. We hear about concerns that elected officials, law enforcement officers, and military members are on the Oath Keepers roster. Finally, a recap of the Telluride Film Festival and its respect for both old and new films.
Featured Segments
Mushroom science: Despite ongoing drought in parts of Colorado, it was a wet August in the mountains, and heavy rains brought an abundance of wild mushrooms — including some new to science. As KUNC’s Rae Solomon reports, novel mushroom species are more common than you might think. And a lot of them are found by citizen scientists.
Creatively re-using water: The Colorado River is drying up, and major cities in the West that depend on it are scrambling to boost their water supplies and keep taps flowing. Climate change is already cutting into the amount the river gets from Mother Nature, which means some cities need to reuse the water they already have. KUNC’s Alex Hager has more.
Oath Keepers members: Last week, the Anti-Defamation League released a report identifying law enforcement and elected officials on a leaked list of members of the Oath Keepers. The ADL identified nearly two dozen Colorado elected officials, law enforcement officers and military members on the list. The report has raised concerns about the presence of law enforcement and military in extremist anti-government groups. Joining us to talk about this is Jessica Reaves, the Editorial Director with the ADL’s Center on Extremism.
Telluride Film Festival recap: The Telluride Film Festival, which takes place each year over Labor Day weekend is unusual in several ways – its remote location, its downplaying of celebrity and its short length. KUNC film critic Howie Movshovitz teaches film at CU-Denver. He says Telluride gives equal respect to films of the past and the present.
You can hear Howie on Friday afternoons on KUNC, or check out more of his reviews on our website.
CreditsColorado Edition is hosted by Yoselin Meza Miranda and produced by the KUNC newsroom, led by news director Sean Corcoran. Web was edited by digital editor Jenn de la Fuente.
The mission of Colorado Edition is to deepen understanding of life in Northern Colorado through authentic conversation and storytelling. It's available as a podcast on iTunes, Spotify, Google Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.
Colorado Edition is made possible with support from our KUNC members. Thank you!
Our theme music was composed by Colorado musicians Briana Harris and Johnny Burroughs. Other music in the show by Blue Dot Sessions.
On this episode of Colorado Edition, we check out a group of citizen scientists who are passionate about studying mushrooms in the mountains and find new species. We examine how cities in the West are trying to reuse water as the Colorado River dries up. We hear about concerns that elected officials, law enforcement officers, and military members are on the Oath Keepers roster. Finally, a recap of the Telluride Film Festival and its respect for both old and new films.
Featured Segments
Mushroom science: Despite ongoing drought in parts of Colorado, it was a wet August in the mountains, and heavy rains brought an abundance of wild mushrooms — including some new to science. As KUNC’s Rae Solomon reports, novel mushroom species are more common than you might think. And a lot of them are found by citizen scientists.
Creatively re-using water: The Colorado River is drying up, and major cities in the West that depend on it are scrambling to boost their water supplies and keep taps flowing. Climate change is already cutting into the amount the river gets from Mother Nature, which means some cities need to reuse the water they already have. KUNC’s Alex Hager has more.
Oath Keepers members: Last week, the Anti-Defamation League released a report identifying law enforcement and elected officials on a leaked list of members of the Oath Keepers. The ADL identified nearly two dozen Colorado elected officials, law enforcement officers and military members on the list. The report has raised concerns about the presence of law enforcement and military in extremist anti-government groups. Joining us to talk about this is Jessica Reaves, the Editorial Director with the ADL’s Center on Extremism.
Telluride Film Festival recap: The Telluride Film Festival, which takes place each year over Labor Day weekend is unusual in several ways – its remote location, its downplaying of celebrity and its short length. KUNC film critic Howie Movshovitz teaches film at CU-Denver. He says Telluride gives equal respect to films of the past and the present.
You can hear Howie on Friday afternoons on KUNC, or check out more of his reviews on our website.
CreditsColorado Edition is hosted by Yoselin Meza Miranda and produced by the KUNC newsroom, led by news director Sean Corcoran. Web was edited by digital editor Jenn de la Fuente.
The mission of Colorado Edition is to deepen understanding of life in Northern Colorado through authentic conversation and storytelling. It's available as a podcast on iTunes, Spotify, Google Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.
Colorado Edition is made possible with support from our KUNC members. Thank you!
Our theme music was composed by Colorado musicians Briana Harris and Johnny Burroughs. Other music in the show by Blue Dot Sessions.
On this special episode of Colorado Edition, we highlight the new season of The Colorado Dream podcast called “Newcomers Welcome.” The series explores the Black immigrant experience in Colorado as told through the eyes of one African immigrant and Aurora, as the city - and its residents - strive to become an inclusive home for all.
Featured Segment - Episode five of The Colorado Dream: Newcomers Welcome.
Aurora is home to immigrants and refugees from around the world. To help them succeed, the city created an integration plan, one of the first local governments in the country to do so. Aurora has made a conscious decision to welcome foriegn-born residents but should the city get all the credit for embracing newcomers?
“I think it just happens to be the city that people were relocated to,” said Mathew Mengesha, a policy advocate who works on city and state level policies that support the successful integration of immigrant and refugee communities. “Like it more so had to do with the affordability of Aurora, in my opinion, than it had to do with Aurora wanting immigrants and refugees in their city.”
The Colorado Dream: Newcomers Welcome episode five explores what stands in the way of Aurora being a welcoming home for all immigrants. Also, Salwa Mourtada Bamba achieves one more big milestone.
Credits
Colorado Edition is hosted by Yoselin Meza Miranda and produced by the KUNC newsroom, led by news director Sean Corcoran. Web was edited by digital operations manager Ashley Jefcoat.
The mission of Colorado Edition is to deepen understanding of life in Northern Colorado through authentic conversation and storytelling. It's available as a podcast on iTunes, Spotify, Google Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.
Colorado Edition is made possible with support from our KUNC members. Thank you!
Our theme music was composed by Colorado musicians Briana Harris and Johnny Burroughs. Other music in the show by Blue Dot Sessions.
On this special episode of Colorado Edition, we highlight the new season of The Colorado Dream podcast called “Newcomers Welcome.” The series explores the Black immigrant experience in Colorado as told through the eyes of one African immigrant and Aurora, as the city - and its residents - strive to become an inclusive home for all.
Featured Segment - Episode five of The Colorado Dream: Newcomers Welcome.
Aurora is home to immigrants and refugees from around the world. To help them succeed, the city created an integration plan, one of the first local governments in the country to do so. Aurora has made a conscious decision to welcome foriegn-born residents but should the city get all the credit for embracing newcomers?
“I think it just happens to be the city that people were relocated to,” said Mathew Mengesha, a policy advocate who works on city and state level policies that support the successful integration of immigrant and refugee communities. “Like it more so had to do with the affordability of Aurora, in my opinion, than it had to do with Aurora wanting immigrants and refugees in their city.”
The Colorado Dream: Newcomers Welcome episode five explores what stands in the way of Aurora being a welcoming home for all immigrants. Also, Salwa Mourtada Bamba achieves one more big milestone.
Credits
Colorado Edition is hosted by Yoselin Meza Miranda and produced by the KUNC newsroom, led by news director Sean Corcoran. Web was edited by digital operations manager Ashley Jefcoat.
The mission of Colorado Edition is to deepen understanding of life in Northern Colorado through authentic conversation and storytelling. It's available as a podcast on iTunes, Spotify, Google Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.
Colorado Edition is made possible with support from our KUNC members. Thank you!
Our theme music was composed by Colorado musicians Briana Harris and Johnny Burroughs. Other music in the show by Blue Dot Sessions.
On this episode of Colorado Edition, we check out how a river guide is turning information about the Colorado River drought into digestible TikToks. We speak with the new president of the University of Colorado. From Chalkbeat Colorado, we hear how one school district is trying to get students back in the classroom. Finally, we hear about this year’s Telluride Film Festival and what keeps the festival great.
Featured Segments
TikToking through the Colorado River drought: A 25-year-old river guide from Colorado is racking up hundreds of thousands of views on TikTok explaining the megadrought in the Colorado River basin. The reasons for the drought, and potential solutions, can be hard to wrap one’s head around, but as KUNC’s Luke Runyon reports, Western Water Girl makes it snarky and fun.
New CU President: Todd Saliman was officially selected as the 24th president of the University of Colorado system this year. He has served as interim president since July 20-21. Todd grew up in Colorado and graduated from CU Boulder. KUNC’s Beau Baker spoke with him recently to find out what he’s working toward for the CU system.
Tackling truancy in Colorado: When a student starts missing school, things can go sideways. It can be hard for them to keep up with coursework, pass classes, and even to graduate. In Colorado, about 26 percent of students are chronically absent, missing ten percent or more of school days. Ann Schimke, a senior reporter at Chalkbeat Colorado, recently reported on how one Colorado school district is trying to get students back into the classroom. She spoke with KUNC's Beau Baker.
Telluride Film Festival brings the goods: The 49th Telluride Film Festival took place last weekend. The four-day celebration of movies began in 1974 in what was then a run-down old mining town. Today, the festival is an international destination. For KUNC film critic Howie Movshovitz, who teaches film at CU Denver, what counts is that the festival still champions some of the finest films of the present and the past.
You can hear Howie on Friday afternoons on KUNC, or check out more of his reviews on our website.
Credits
Colorado Edition is hosted by Yoselin Meza Miranda and produced by the KUNC newsroom, led by news director Sean Corcoran. Web was edited by digital operations manager Ashley Jefcoat.
The mission of Colorado Edition is to deepen understanding of life in Northern Colorado through authentic conversation and storytelling. It's available as a podcast on iTunes, Spotify, Google Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.
Colorado Edition is made possible with support from our KUNC members. Thank you!
Our theme music was composed by Colorado musicians Briana Harris and Johnny Burroughs. Other music in the show by Blue Dot Sessions.
On this episode of Colorado Edition, we check out how a river guide is turning information about the Colorado River drought into digestible TikToks. We speak with the new president of the University of Colorado. From Chalkbeat Colorado, we hear how one school district is trying to get students back in the classroom. Finally, we hear about this year’s Telluride Film Festival and what keeps the festival great.
Featured Segments
TikToking through the Colorado River drought: A 25-year-old river guide from Colorado is racking up hundreds of thousands of views on TikTok explaining the megadrought in the Colorado River basin. The reasons for the drought, and potential solutions, can be hard to wrap one’s head around, but as KUNC’s Luke Runyon reports, Western Water Girl makes it snarky and fun.
New CU President: Todd Saliman was officially selected as the 24th president of the University of Colorado system this year. He has served as interim president since July 20-21. Todd grew up in Colorado and graduated from CU Boulder. KUNC’s Beau Baker spoke with him recently to find out what he’s working toward for the CU system.
Tackling truancy in Colorado: When a student starts missing school, things can go sideways. It can be hard for them to keep up with coursework, pass classes, and even to graduate. In Colorado, about 26 percent of students are chronically absent, missing ten percent or more of school days. Ann Schimke, a senior reporter at Chalkbeat Colorado, recently reported on how one Colorado school district is trying to get students back into the classroom. She spoke with KUNC's Beau Baker.
Telluride Film Festival brings the goods: The 49th Telluride Film Festival took place last weekend. The four-day celebration of movies began in 1974 in what was then a run-down old mining town. Today, the festival is an international destination. For KUNC film critic Howie Movshovitz, who teaches film at CU Denver, what counts is that the festival still champions some of the finest films of the present and the past.
You can hear Howie on Friday afternoons on KUNC, or check out more of his reviews on our website.
Credits
Colorado Edition is hosted by Yoselin Meza Miranda and produced by the KUNC newsroom, led by news director Sean Corcoran. Web was edited by digital operations manager Ashley Jefcoat.
The mission of Colorado Edition is to deepen understanding of life in Northern Colorado through authentic conversation and storytelling. It's available as a podcast on iTunes, Spotify, Google Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.
Colorado Edition is made possible with support from our KUNC members. Thank you!
Our theme music was composed by Colorado musicians Briana Harris and Johnny Burroughs. Other music in the show by Blue Dot Sessions.
Featured Segment - Episode four of The Colorado Dream: Newcomers Welcome.Episode Four - Newcomers Welcome: Identity
The Black immigrant population in Colorado is growing faster than anywhere else in the U.S. They come from Africa, the Caribbean and beyond and many settle in Aurora, where about one in five residents is foreign born. What does it mean for these immigrants, and their kids, to be Black in America?
“There's a tension between the African immigrant and the Black community. Why? Because of misconception and assumption from both (parties).” said Papa Dai, founder and president of African Leadership Group. “So for me, coming together, being united as Black, as African immigrant, as African in the Diaspora, however you want to identify yourself, it's a must and it's time.”
The Colorado Dream: Newcomers Welcome episode four examines the relationship between Black African immigrants and African Americans. It also shares how Salwa Mourtada Bamba and other Black immigrants in Aurora identify themselves.
“I am Black and proud,” Bamba said. “Yes, it's undeniable.”
Credits
Colorado Edition is hosted by Yoselin Meza Miranda and produced by the KUNC newsroom, led by news director Sean Corcoran. Web was edited by digital operations manager Ashley Jefcoat.
The mission of Colorado Edition is to deepen understanding of life in Northern Colorado through authentic conversation and storytelling. It's available as a podcast on iTunes, Spotify, Google Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.
Colorado Edition is made possible with support from our KUNC members. Thank you!
Our theme music was composed by Colorado musicians Briana Harris and Johnny Burroughs. Other music in the show by Blue Dot Sessions.
Featured Segment - Episode four of The Colorado Dream: Newcomers Welcome.Episode Four - Newcomers Welcome: Identity
The Black immigrant population in Colorado is growing faster than anywhere else in the U.S. They come from Africa, the Caribbean and beyond and many settle in Aurora, where about one in five residents is foreign born. What does it mean for these immigrants, and their kids, to be Black in America?
“There's a tension between the African immigrant and the Black community. Why? Because of misconception and assumption from both (parties).” said Papa Dai, founder and president of African Leadership Group. “So for me, coming together, being united as Black, as African immigrant, as African in the Diaspora, however you want to identify yourself, it's a must and it's time.”
The Colorado Dream: Newcomers Welcome episode four examines the relationship between Black African immigrants and African Americans. It also shares how Salwa Mourtada Bamba and other Black immigrants in Aurora identify themselves.
“I am Black and proud,” Bamba said. “Yes, it's undeniable.”
Credits
Colorado Edition is hosted by Yoselin Meza Miranda and produced by the KUNC newsroom, led by news director Sean Corcoran. Web was edited by digital operations manager Ashley Jefcoat.
The mission of Colorado Edition is to deepen understanding of life in Northern Colorado through authentic conversation and storytelling. It's available as a podcast on iTunes, Spotify, Google Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.
Colorado Edition is made possible with support from our KUNC members. Thank you!
Our theme music was composed by Colorado musicians Briana Harris and Johnny Burroughs. Other music in the show by Blue Dot Sessions.
On this week’s Colorado Edition, we learn about a new mobile outreach unit to connect veterans experiencing homelessness with resources. As bear encounters get more common, we hear how one community is looking to reduce bear-human interactions. We get a breakdown of how the student loan forgiveness plan will affect Coloradans. Finally, we learn about Ethiopian coffee ceremonies happening in Aurora.
Featured Segments
This week, the Veterans Community Project of Longmont launched a brand new mobile outreach unit. The van will connect veterans experiencing homelessness in rural parts of northern Colorado with resources like transportation and temporary housing. KUNC’s Beau Beaker spoke to the project's executive director, Jennifer Seybold, about the mobile unit and efforts to aid unhoused veterans in our region.
Around here, it’s not unusual for a bear to wander into a neighborhood, especially as we head into fall. That can be dangerous – for the residents and bears. The Mountain West News Bureau’s Will Walkey reports on a community looking to reduce these encounters.
Last week President Joe Biden announced a sweeping student loan forgiveness plan that would erase up to $20,000 of debt for many borrowers. To learn more about how this debt forgiveness plan will impact Coloradans, we spoke with Jason Gonzales from Chalkbeat Colorado. He reports on higher education and has been covering the student debt crisis.
The Colorado Dream podcast from KUNC shares the stories of Coloradans who are overcoming obstacles to create a better life for themselves and their families in an effort to achieve the American Dream. Hosted by Stephanie Daniel, the latest season, called “Newcomers Welcome”, explores the Black immigrant experience in Colorado as told through the eyes of one African immigrant and Aurora, as the city - and its residents - strive to become an inclusive home for all.
In this bonus episode, Stephanie profiles an Ethiopian immigrant who loves to share a piece of her culture with others.
Credits
Colorado Edition is hosted by Yoselin Meza Miranda and produced by the KUNC newsroom, led by news director Sean Corcoran. Web was edited by digital operations manager Ashley Jefcoat.
The mission of Colorado Edition is to deepen understanding of life in Northern Colorado through authentic conversation and storytelling.
Colorado Edition is made possible with support from our KUNC members. Thank you!
Our theme music was composed by Colorado musicians Briana Harris and Johnny Burroughs. Other music in the show by Blue Dot Sessions.
On this week’s Colorado Edition, we learn about a new mobile outreach unit to connect veterans experiencing homelessness with resources. As bear encounters get more common, we hear how one community is looking to reduce bear-human interactions. We get a breakdown of how the student loan forgiveness plan will affect Coloradans. Finally, we learn about Ethiopian coffee ceremonies happening in Aurora.
Featured Segments
This week, the Veterans Community Project of Longmont launched a brand new mobile outreach unit. The van will connect veterans experiencing homelessness in rural parts of northern Colorado with resources like transportation and temporary housing. KUNC’s Beau Beaker spoke to the project's executive director, Jennifer Seybold, about the mobile unit and efforts to aid unhoused veterans in our region.
Around here, it’s not unusual for a bear to wander into a neighborhood, especially as we head into fall. That can be dangerous – for the residents and bears. The Mountain West News Bureau’s Will Walkey reports on a community looking to reduce these encounters.
Last week President Joe Biden announced a sweeping student loan forgiveness plan that would erase up to $20,000 of debt for many borrowers. To learn more about how this debt forgiveness plan will impact Coloradans, we spoke with Jason Gonzales from Chalkbeat Colorado. He reports on higher education and has been covering the student debt crisis.
The Colorado Dream podcast from KUNC shares the stories of Coloradans who are overcoming obstacles to create a better life for themselves and their families in an effort to achieve the American Dream. Hosted by Stephanie Daniel, the latest season, called “Newcomers Welcome”, explores the Black immigrant experience in Colorado as told through the eyes of one African immigrant and Aurora, as the city - and its residents - strive to become an inclusive home for all.
In this bonus episode, Stephanie profiles an Ethiopian immigrant who loves to share a piece of her culture with others.
Credits
Colorado Edition is hosted by Yoselin Meza Miranda and produced by the KUNC newsroom, led by news director Sean Corcoran. Web was edited by digital operations manager Ashley Jefcoat.
The mission of Colorado Edition is to deepen understanding of life in Northern Colorado through authentic conversation and storytelling.
Colorado Edition is made possible with support from our KUNC members. Thank you!
Our theme music was composed by Colorado musicians Briana Harris and Johnny Burroughs. Other music in the show by Blue Dot Sessions.
On this special episode of Colorado Edition, we highlight the new season of The Colorado Dream podcast called “Newcomers Welcome.” The series explores the Black immigrant experience in Colorado as told through the eyes of one African immigrant and Aurora, as the city - and its residents - strive to become an inclusive home for all.
Featured Segment - Episode three of The Colorado Dream: Newcomers Welcome
Episode Three - Newcomers Welcome: Education
English is the “language of opportunity.” That’s a line from Aurora’s 10-year Immigrant Integration Plan. Before creating this plan, the city conducted focus groups in 2019 with community members and found the two top priorities for immigrants and refugees were learning English and finding employment.
Research shows that immigrants who are proficient in English have higher paying jobs. Not only can they better support their families but the city of Aurora benefits too. The more money residents make, the more they can spend, and the more the city prospers.
To help foreign-born residents succeed, Aurora’s integration plan emphasizes education. How well are schools serving Aurora’s immigrant families?
The Colorado Dream: Newcomers Welcome episode three looks at efforts by two educational institutions and some of the unique challenges facing first and second-generation African students.
“A first generation African kid, my child can tell you, that goes to school acting like an American and then comes home and has to act like an African kid,” said Anne Keke, an immigrant from Côte d'Ivoire and Aurora Public Schools Board of Education Director.
Credits
Colorado Edition is hosted by Yoselin Meza Miranda and produced by the KUNC newsroom, led by news director Sean Corcoran. Web was edited by digital operations manager Ashley Jefcoat.
The mission of Colorado Edition is to deepen understanding of life in Northern Colorado through authentic conversation and storytelling.
Colorado Edition is made possible with support from our KUNC members. Thank you!
Our theme music was composed by Colorado musicians Briana Harris and Johnny Burroughs. Other music in the show by Blue Dot Sessions.
On this special episode of Colorado Edition, we highlight the new season of The Colorado Dream podcast called “Newcomers Welcome.” The series explores the Black immigrant experience in Colorado as told through the eyes of one African immigrant and Aurora, as the city - and its residents - strive to become an inclusive home for all.
Featured Segment - Episode three of The Colorado Dream: Newcomers Welcome
Episode Three - Newcomers Welcome: Education
English is the “language of opportunity.” That’s a line from Aurora’s 10-year Immigrant Integration Plan. Before creating this plan, the city conducted focus groups in 2019 with community members and found the two top priorities for immigrants and refugees were learning English and finding employment.
Research shows that immigrants who are proficient in English have higher paying jobs. Not only can they better support their families but the city of Aurora benefits too. The more money residents make, the more they can spend, and the more the city prospers.
To help foreign-born residents succeed, Aurora’s integration plan emphasizes education. How well are schools serving Aurora’s immigrant families?
The Colorado Dream: Newcomers Welcome episode three looks at efforts by two educational institutions and some of the unique challenges facing first and second-generation African students.
“A first generation African kid, my child can tell you, that goes to school acting like an American and then comes home and has to act like an African kid,” said Anne Keke, an immigrant from Côte d'Ivoire and Aurora Public Schools Board of Education Director.
Credits
Colorado Edition is hosted by Yoselin Meza Miranda and produced by the KUNC newsroom, led by news director Sean Corcoran. Web was edited by digital operations manager Ashley Jefcoat.
The mission of Colorado Edition is to deepen understanding of life in Northern Colorado through authentic conversation and storytelling.
Colorado Edition is made possible with support from our KUNC members. Thank you!
Our theme music was composed by Colorado musicians Briana Harris and Johnny Burroughs. Other music in the show by Blue Dot Sessions.
On this week’s Colorado Edition, we hear about efforts to elevate indigenous approaches to water management to conserve Colorado River water. We set out into the brush to learn more about rattlesnakes. We also check in with our colleagues at the Colorado Sun, and hear a review for Spin Me Round from our resident critic.
Featured Segments
The seven western states in the Colorado River Basin are still looking for a way to conserve an unprecedented amount of water after failing to meet a federal deadline for a plan. The river’s two largest reservoirs are approaching critically low levels.
Native people have lived in the Southwest for thousands of years and have traditional ways to manage water that worked for them. When settlers arrived, they up-ended that system. Now, with so much pressure to find a solution, tribes in the Colorado River Basin are trying to elevate indigenous approaches to water management. Megan Myscofski from Arizona Public Media reports on how one tribe is doing that.
This story is part of ongoing coverage of the Colorado River, produced by Arizona Public Media, and supported by the Walton Family Foundation. You can hear more about this story and other Southwestern water issues on the AZMP podcast Tapped.
People have always feared the unknown. That fear transforms some animals into monsters in our minds, like sharks in the ocean — or rattlesnakes in the West. But just how evil can an animal be? The Mountain West News Bureau’s Madelyn Beck set out to learn more about those villain-ized snakes.
If you are bitten by a rattlesnake, you can call the Poison Helpline at 1-800-222-1222 or visit poisonhelp.org. This story is part of the Mountain West News Bureau, a regional reporting collaboration, of which KUNC is a member.
Every week, KUNC gets an update from our colleagues at the Colorado Sun to see what stories they’re covering. This week KUNC’s Beau Baker spoke with Colorado Sun editor and co-founder Larry Ryckman about forever chemicals, wild mushrooms, and more.
The new movie Spin Me Round tells a story about a young restaurant manager sent to Italy by her company, only to find something other than food education. For KUNC film critic Howie Movshovitz, the picture lies somewhere between comedy and horror, but not even the filmmakers seem to know where.
Credits
Colorado Edition is hosted by Yoselin Meza Miranda and produced by the KUNC newsroom, led by news director Sean Corcoran. Web was edited by digital operations manager Ashley Jefcoat.
The mission of Colorado Edition is to deepen understanding of life in Northern Colorado through authentic conversation and storytelling. Colorado Edition is made possible with support from our KUNC members. Thank you!
Our theme music was composed by Colorado musicians Briana Harris and Johnny Burroughs. Other music in the show by Blue Dot Sessions.
On this week’s Colorado Edition, we hear about efforts to elevate indigenous approaches to water management to conserve Colorado River water. We set out into the brush to learn more about rattlesnakes. We also check in with our colleagues at the Colorado Sun, and hear a review for Spin Me Round from our resident critic.
Featured Segments
The seven western states in the Colorado River Basin are still looking for a way to conserve an unprecedented amount of water after failing to meet a federal deadline for a plan. The river’s two largest reservoirs are approaching critically low levels.
Native people have lived in the Southwest for thousands of years and have traditional ways to manage water that worked for them. When settlers arrived, they up-ended that system. Now, with so much pressure to find a solution, tribes in the Colorado River Basin are trying to elevate indigenous approaches to water management. Megan Myscofski from Arizona Public Media reports on how one tribe is doing that.
This story is part of ongoing coverage of the Colorado River, produced by Arizona Public Media, and supported by the Walton Family Foundation. You can hear more about this story and other Southwestern water issues on the AZMP podcast Tapped.
People have always feared the unknown. That fear transforms some animals into monsters in our minds, like sharks in the ocean — or rattlesnakes in the West. But just how evil can an animal be? The Mountain West News Bureau’s Madelyn Beck set out to learn more about those villain-ized snakes.
If you are bitten by a rattlesnake, you can call the Poison Helpline at 1-800-222-1222 or visit poisonhelp.org. This story is part of the Mountain West News Bureau, a regional reporting collaboration, of which KUNC is a member.
Every week, KUNC gets an update from our colleagues at the Colorado Sun to see what stories they’re covering. This week KUNC’s Beau Baker spoke with Colorado Sun editor and co-founder Larry Ryckman about forever chemicals, wild mushrooms, and more.
The new movie Spin Me Round tells a story about a young restaurant manager sent to Italy by her company, only to find something other than food education. For KUNC film critic Howie Movshovitz, the picture lies somewhere between comedy and horror, but not even the filmmakers seem to know where.
Credits
Colorado Edition is hosted by Yoselin Meza Miranda and produced by the KUNC newsroom, led by news director Sean Corcoran. Web was edited by digital operations manager Ashley Jefcoat.
The mission of Colorado Edition is to deepen understanding of life in Northern Colorado through authentic conversation and storytelling. Colorado Edition is made possible with support from our KUNC members. Thank you!
Our theme music was composed by Colorado musicians Briana Harris and Johnny Burroughs. Other music in the show by Blue Dot Sessions.
On this special episode of Colorado Edition, we highlight the new season of The Colorado Dream podcast called “Newcomers Welcome.” The series explores the Black immigrant experience in Colorado as told through the eyes of one African immigrant and Aurora, as the city - and its residents - strive to become an inclusive home for all.
Featured Segment - Episode two of The Colorado Dream: Newcomers Welcome.
Episode Two - Newcomers Welcome: Integration
Aurora is one of the most diverse cities in Colorado. In fact, about one in five residents is foreign born. Over half came from the Americas, mainly Mexico. After that the largest groups hail from Ethiopia, Vietnam, Korea, El Salvador and India. To help immigrants and refugees succeed, the city created an integration plan. It was among the first in the country to do so.
“Our city leaders at the time, intentionally they (made) a very important decision,” said Ricardo Gambetta, manager of Aurora’s Office of International and Immigrant Affairs. “They realize that in the last 20 years, we have a new face of the city.”
To implement the integration plan, Aurora partners with dozens of organizations including Village Exchange Center. The non-profit supports immigrant and refugee communities with a range of services including the Natural Helpers Program which is staffed by volunteers who are immigrants themselves.
“The natural helpers are like this bridge between their country and here,” said José Gómez , who manages the Natural Helpers Program. “ I feel that one of the biggest things that has kept our immigrant or refugee community, you can say down, is the lack of knowledge.”
The Colorado Dream: Newcomers Welcome episode two examines the city’s immigrant integration plan. Meanwhile, more than 15 years earlier, Salwa Mourtada Bamba gets a job and enrolls at the local community college as she settles into her new life in Aurora.
Credits
Colorado Edition is hosted by Yoselin Meza Miranda and produced by the KUNC newsroom, led by news director Sean Corcoran. Web was edited by digital operations manager Ashley Jefcoat.
The mission of Colorado Edition is to deepen understanding of life in Northern Colorado through authentic conversation and storytelling. It's available as a podcast on iTunes, Spotify, Google Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.
Colorado Edition is made possible with support from our KUNC members. Thank you!
Our theme music was composed by Colorado musicians Briana Harris and Johnny Burroughs. Other music in the show by Blue Dot Sessions.
On this special episode of Colorado Edition, we highlight the new season of The Colorado Dream podcast called “Newcomers Welcome.” The series explores the Black immigrant experience in Colorado as told through the eyes of one African immigrant and Aurora, as the city - and its residents - strive to become an inclusive home for all.
Featured Segment - Episode two of The Colorado Dream: Newcomers Welcome.
Episode Two - Newcomers Welcome: Integration
Aurora is one of the most diverse cities in Colorado. In fact, about one in five residents is foreign born. Over half came from the Americas, mainly Mexico. After that the largest groups hail from Ethiopia, Vietnam, Korea, El Salvador and India. To help immigrants and refugees succeed, the city created an integration plan. It was among the first in the country to do so.
“Our city leaders at the time, intentionally they (made) a very important decision,” said Ricardo Gambetta, manager of Aurora’s Office of International and Immigrant Affairs. “They realize that in the last 20 years, we have a new face of the city.”
To implement the integration plan, Aurora partners with dozens of organizations including Village Exchange Center. The non-profit supports immigrant and refugee communities with a range of services including the Natural Helpers Program which is staffed by volunteers who are immigrants themselves.
“The natural helpers are like this bridge between their country and here,” said José Gómez , who manages the Natural Helpers Program. “ I feel that one of the biggest things that has kept our immigrant or refugee community, you can say down, is the lack of knowledge.”
The Colorado Dream: Newcomers Welcome episode two examines the city’s immigrant integration plan. Meanwhile, more than 15 years earlier, Salwa Mourtada Bamba gets a job and enrolls at the local community college as she settles into her new life in Aurora.
Credits
Colorado Edition is hosted by Yoselin Meza Miranda and produced by the KUNC newsroom, led by news director Sean Corcoran. Web was edited by digital operations manager Ashley Jefcoat.
The mission of Colorado Edition is to deepen understanding of life in Northern Colorado through authentic conversation and storytelling. It's available as a podcast on iTunes, Spotify, Google Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.
Colorado Edition is made possible with support from our KUNC members. Thank you!
Our theme music was composed by Colorado musicians Briana Harris and Johnny Burroughs. Other music in the show by Blue Dot Sessions.
On this week’s Colorado Edition, we learn about grants aimed at helping people of color feel more comfortable in Colorado’s outdoors. Also, the Colorado River has hit an important deadline and cuts are impending. We hear more about the future of water in the states affected. Finally, we learn more about evictions in Colorado and what some are doing to protect people from them.
Featured Segments
Colorado’s trails, campgrounds and parks are getting more crowded, but surveys show the droves of visitors are overwhelmingly white and wealthy. A new initiative launching this summer hopes to change that. As KUNC’s Scott Franz reports, the state’s new outdoor equity grants are helping people of color feel comfortable in nature.
Water cuts are coming to some users along the Colorado River next year. They’re not enough to keep the river’s largest reservoirs from declining though. The federal government promises to take action to keep water flowing to 40 million people in the southwest, but as KUNC’s Alex Hager reports, without firm agreements to conserve among the states that rely on it, what comes next for the river remains unclear.
Earlier this month, the White House gathered stakeholders from around the country to discuss evictions in the U.S. The goal of the summit was to build on resources created during the pandemic to protect people from eviction. An organization from Colorado was invited to contribute to the conversation. Zach Neumann is the co-founder and executive director of the COVID-19 Eviction Defense Project. KUNC's Beau Baker spoke with Neumann this week about the project and the state of evictions in Colorado.
Credits
Colorado Edition is hosted by Yoselin Meza Miranda and produced by the KUNC newsroom, led by news director Sean Corcoran. Web was edited by digital operations manager Ashley Jefcoat.
The mission of Colorado Edition is to deepen understanding of life in Northern Colorado through authentic conversation and storytelling. Colorado Edition is made possible with support from our KUNC members. Thank you!
Our theme music was composed by Colorado musicians Briana Harris and Johnny Burroughs. Other music in the show by Blue Dot Sessions.
On this week’s Colorado Edition, we learn about grants aimed at helping people of color feel more comfortable in Colorado’s outdoors. Also, the Colorado River has hit an important deadline and cuts are impending. We hear more about the future of water in the states affected. Finally, we learn more about evictions in Colorado and what some are doing to protect people from them.
Featured Segments
Colorado’s trails, campgrounds and parks are getting more crowded, but surveys show the droves of visitors are overwhelmingly white and wealthy. A new initiative launching this summer hopes to change that. As KUNC’s Scott Franz reports, the state’s new outdoor equity grants are helping people of color feel comfortable in nature.
Water cuts are coming to some users along the Colorado River next year. They’re not enough to keep the river’s largest reservoirs from declining though. The federal government promises to take action to keep water flowing to 40 million people in the southwest, but as KUNC’s Alex Hager reports, without firm agreements to conserve among the states that rely on it, what comes next for the river remains unclear.
Earlier this month, the White House gathered stakeholders from around the country to discuss evictions in the U.S. The goal of the summit was to build on resources created during the pandemic to protect people from eviction. An organization from Colorado was invited to contribute to the conversation. Zach Neumann is the co-founder and executive director of the COVID-19 Eviction Defense Project. KUNC's Beau Baker spoke with Neumann this week about the project and the state of evictions in Colorado.
Credits
Colorado Edition is hosted by Yoselin Meza Miranda and produced by the KUNC newsroom, led by news director Sean Corcoran. Web was edited by digital operations manager Ashley Jefcoat.
The mission of Colorado Edition is to deepen understanding of life in Northern Colorado through authentic conversation and storytelling. Colorado Edition is made possible with support from our KUNC members. Thank you!
Our theme music was composed by Colorado musicians Briana Harris and Johnny Burroughs. Other music in the show by Blue Dot Sessions.
On this special episode of Colorado Edition, we highlight the new season of The Colorado Dream podcast called “Newcomers Welcome.” The series explores the Black immigrant experience in Colorado as told through the eyes of one African immigrant and Aurora, as the city - and its residents - strive to become an inclusive home for all.
Featured Segment - Episode one of The Colorado Dream: Newcomers Welcome.
The Black immigrant population in Colorado is growing faster than anywhere else in the U.S. They come from Africa, the Caribbean and beyond, and many settle in Aurora, where about one in five residents is foreign born. A lot of them have overcome great challenges to emigrate here, including Salwa Mourtada Bamba.
Episode One - Newcomers Welcome: Arrival
Salwa was born in Liberia, West Africa and endured the country’s brutal civil war. She was displaced, her sister was murdered and she literally fled for her life, moving to Ghana for four years. But during moments of relative calm she would daydream about coming to the United States.
“To me, the American dream was just being afforded the opportunity to come here and attain the highest level of education that I possibly could,” she said. “It was always touted on television to be this place where you can be and grow and and gain the best at anything and at any dream you wanted to.”
Her dreams became a reality in 1998 when she arrived alone at JFK International Airport in New York City. A year later she was settled in Aurora, Colorado, ready to take on her new world.
Credits
Our theme music was composed by Colorado musicians Briana Harris and Johnny Burroughs. Other music in the show by Blue Dot Sessions.
Colorado Edition is hosted by Yoselin Meza Miranda and produced by the KUNC newsroom, led by news director Sean Corcoran. Web was edited by digital operations manager Ashley Jefcoat.
The mission of Colorado Edition is to deepen understanding of life in Northern Colorado through authentic conversation and storytelling. It's available as a podcast on iTunes, Spotify, Google Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.
Colorado Edition is made possible with support from our KUNC members. Thank you!
On this special episode of Colorado Edition, we highlight the new season of The Colorado Dream podcast called “Newcomers Welcome.” The series explores the Black immigrant experience in Colorado as told through the eyes of one African immigrant and Aurora, as the city - and its residents - strive to become an inclusive home for all.
Featured Segment - Episode one of The Colorado Dream: Newcomers Welcome.
The Black immigrant population in Colorado is growing faster than anywhere else in the U.S. They come from Africa, the Caribbean and beyond, and many settle in Aurora, where about one in five residents is foreign born. A lot of them have overcome great challenges to emigrate here, including Salwa Mourtada Bamba.
Episode One - Newcomers Welcome: Arrival
Salwa was born in Liberia, West Africa and endured the country’s brutal civil war. She was displaced, her sister was murdered and she literally fled for her life, moving to Ghana for four years. But during moments of relative calm she would daydream about coming to the United States.
“To me, the American dream was just being afforded the opportunity to come here and attain the highest level of education that I possibly could,” she said. “It was always touted on television to be this place where you can be and grow and and gain the best at anything and at any dream you wanted to.”
Her dreams became a reality in 1998 when she arrived alone at JFK International Airport in New York City. A year later she was settled in Aurora, Colorado, ready to take on her new world.
Credits
Our theme music was composed by Colorado musicians Briana Harris and Johnny Burroughs. Other music in the show by Blue Dot Sessions.
Colorado Edition is hosted by Yoselin Meza Miranda and produced by the KUNC newsroom, led by news director Sean Corcoran. Web was edited by digital operations manager Ashley Jefcoat.
The mission of Colorado Edition is to deepen understanding of life in Northern Colorado through authentic conversation and storytelling. It's available as a podcast on iTunes, Spotify, Google Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.
Colorado Edition is made possible with support from our KUNC members. Thank you!
On this week’s Colorado Edition, we look into the potential of turning the ocean into drinking water for the ever-drying West. We also visit the Yuma County Fair and what it’s doing to promote farms and farmers. We also hear from our colleagues at the Colorado Sun, and get a look at the latest episode of The Colorado Dream.
Featured Segments
For users of the Colorado River, all signs are pointing to a future where they get less water. But cutting back is hard work. That makes finding a new source for the regions, cities and farms a seductive proposition — even if it is expensive and energy-intensive. From KUNC, Alex Hager has more on the tradeoffs that come with turning the ocean into drinking water. This story is part of ongoing coverage of the Colorado River, produced and distributed by KUNC and supported by the Walton Family Foundation.
It’s county fair season, and things are getting back to normal this third summer of the pandemic. In the coming weeks Lincoln and Routt counties, among others, will have their fairs, and it all builds up to the state fair at the end of this month in Pueblo. KUNC’s rural and small communities reporter Rae Solomon went to the Yuma County Fair, where the focus is on the farm and future farmers.
Credits
Colorado Edition is hosted by Yoselin Meza Miranda and produced by the KUNC newsroom, led by news director Sean Corcoran. Web was edited by digital operations manager Ashley Jefcoat.
The mission of Colorado Edition is to deepen understanding of life in Northern Colorado through authentic conversation and storytelling. Colorado Edition is made possible with support from our KUNC members. Thank you!
Our theme music was composed by Colorado musicians Briana Harris and Johnny Burroughs. Other music in the show by Blue Dot Sessions.
On this week’s Colorado Edition, we look into the potential of turning the ocean into drinking water for the ever-drying West. We also visit the Yuma County Fair and what it’s doing to promote farms and farmers. We also hear from our colleagues at the Colorado Sun, and get a look at the latest episode of The Colorado Dream.
Featured Segments
For users of the Colorado River, all signs are pointing to a future where they get less water. But cutting back is hard work. That makes finding a new source for the regions, cities and farms a seductive proposition — even if it is expensive and energy-intensive. From KUNC, Alex Hager has more on the tradeoffs that come with turning the ocean into drinking water. This story is part of ongoing coverage of the Colorado River, produced and distributed by KUNC and supported by the Walton Family Foundation.
It’s county fair season, and things are getting back to normal this third summer of the pandemic. In the coming weeks Lincoln and Routt counties, among others, will have their fairs, and it all builds up to the state fair at the end of this month in Pueblo. KUNC’s rural and small communities reporter Rae Solomon went to the Yuma County Fair, where the focus is on the farm and future farmers.
Credits
Colorado Edition is hosted by Yoselin Meza Miranda and produced by the KUNC newsroom, led by news director Sean Corcoran. Web was edited by digital operations manager Ashley Jefcoat.
The mission of Colorado Edition is to deepen understanding of life in Northern Colorado through authentic conversation and storytelling. Colorado Edition is made possible with support from our KUNC members. Thank you!
Our theme music was composed by Colorado musicians Briana Harris and Johnny Burroughs. Other music in the show by Blue Dot Sessions.
Sports are often divided by gender: women or girls on one team, men or boys on another. Trans people face barriers to joining the team that matches their gender, and there are few options for people that aren’t one of the binary genders. This year, the FireKracker 5K in Fort Collins decided to do things differently. They offered participants the options to sign up as male, female, or nonbinary. KUNC’s Yoselin Meza Miranda spoke with FireKracker 5K’s first nonbinary winner, Steph Campbell.
For decades the Colorado River filled Glen Canyon to the brim. That’s where Lake Powell is, the second-largest reservoir in the country. But climate change and overuse are causing the reservoir to decline to a new record low, leaving the water supply for tens of millions in the Southwest uncertain. To show us what Lake Powell looks like at this historic moment, KUNC’s Luke Runyon took a boat trip with longtime river runners. This story is part of ongoing coverage of the Colorado River, produced by KUNC and supported by the Walton Family Foundation.
Last fall, Colorado farmers planted more than 2 million acres of winter wheat for the 2022 harvest. But persistent drought is hurting Colorado’s crop. As KUNC’s Rae Solomon reports, a small, native bug has found a new home for its larva in that wheat, and that has become a huge problem for local growers.
A few years ago, as anti-immigrant rhetoric was rising across much of the country, the community of Aurora decided to go the other way. Officials there decided to do whatever they could to attract new immigrants to the city — and to support immigrants once they arrived. That effort began in 2015. Now we want to know: Is it working? What’s been the result? KUNC reporter and editor Stephanie Daniel has talked with immigrants about their experiences in Aurora — looking at what kinds of support community leaders put in place. And it’s all in the second season of her podcast, The Colorado Dream. KUNC’s Christina Shockley spoke to Stephanie, to learn more.
Colorado Edition is hosted by Yoselin Meza Miranda and produced by the KUNC newsroom, led by news director Sean Corcoran. Web was edited by digital operations manager Ashley Jefcoat.
The mission of Colorado Edition is to deepen understanding of life in Northern Colorado through authentic conversation and storytelling. Colorado Edition is made possible with support from our KUNC members. Thank you!
Our theme music was composed by Colorado musicians Briana Harris and Johnny Burroughs. Other music in the show by Blue Dot Sessions.
Sports are often divided by gender: women or girls on one team, men or boys on another. Trans people face barriers to joining the team that matches their gender, and there are few options for people that aren’t one of the binary genders. This year, the FireKracker 5K in Fort Collins decided to do things differently. They offered participants the options to sign up as male, female, or nonbinary. KUNC’s Yoselin Meza Miranda spoke with FireKracker 5K’s first nonbinary winner, Steph Campbell.
For decades the Colorado River filled Glen Canyon to the brim. That’s where Lake Powell is, the second-largest reservoir in the country. But climate change and overuse are causing the reservoir to decline to a new record low, leaving the water supply for tens of millions in the Southwest uncertain. To show us what Lake Powell looks like at this historic moment, KUNC’s Luke Runyon took a boat trip with longtime river runners. This story is part of ongoing coverage of the Colorado River, produced by KUNC and supported by the Walton Family Foundation.
Last fall, Colorado farmers planted more than 2 million acres of winter wheat for the 2022 harvest. But persistent drought is hurting Colorado’s crop. As KUNC’s Rae Solomon reports, a small, native bug has found a new home for its larva in that wheat, and that has become a huge problem for local growers.
A few years ago, as anti-immigrant rhetoric was rising across much of the country, the community of Aurora decided to go the other way. Officials there decided to do whatever they could to attract new immigrants to the city — and to support immigrants once they arrived. That effort began in 2015. Now we want to know: Is it working? What’s been the result? KUNC reporter and editor Stephanie Daniel has talked with immigrants about their experiences in Aurora — looking at what kinds of support community leaders put in place. And it’s all in the second season of her podcast, The Colorado Dream. KUNC’s Christina Shockley spoke to Stephanie, to learn more.
Colorado Edition is hosted by Yoselin Meza Miranda and produced by the KUNC newsroom, led by news director Sean Corcoran. Web was edited by digital operations manager Ashley Jefcoat.
The mission of Colorado Edition is to deepen understanding of life in Northern Colorado through authentic conversation and storytelling. Colorado Edition is made possible with support from our KUNC members. Thank you!
Our theme music was composed by Colorado musicians Briana Harris and Johnny Burroughs. Other music in the show by Blue Dot Sessions.
One month ago, the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, ending the constitutional right to an abortion.Some in Colorado are working to expand access, while others are trying to push back. KUNC’s Beau Baker spoke to reporter Leigh Paterson about efforts and attitudes in Weld County.
A wildfire tore through Superior in December, destroying hundreds of homes before the fires were extinguished the next day. But the fire left its fingerprints on homes all over town. Months later, residents whose homes were unscathed by the fire had a smoky taste and smell in their water. As KUNC’s Alex Hager reports, that required an expensive fix, the likes of which could be more common for towns and cities across the West.
The Northern Colorado Queer Memory Project was founded in 2021 to share the stories of LGBTQ+ people and the impact they’ve had on the region. KUNC’s Samantha Coetzee spoke with the project’s founder, Tom Dunn. He’s been studying queer history since 2005.
Colorado Edition is hosted by Yoselin Meza Miranda and produced by the KUNC newsroom, led by news director Sean Corcoran. Web was edited by digital operations manager Ashley Jefcoat.
The mission of Colorado Edition is to deepen understanding of life in Northern Colorado through authentic conversation and storytelling.
Colorado Edition is made possible with support from our KUNC members. Thank you!
Our theme music was composed by Colorado musicians Briana Harris and Johnny Burroughs. Other music in the show by Blue Dot Sessions.
One month ago, the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, ending the constitutional right to an abortion.Some in Colorado are working to expand access, while others are trying to push back. KUNC’s Beau Baker spoke to reporter Leigh Paterson about efforts and attitudes in Weld County.
A wildfire tore through Superior in December, destroying hundreds of homes before the fires were extinguished the next day. But the fire left its fingerprints on homes all over town. Months later, residents whose homes were unscathed by the fire had a smoky taste and smell in their water. As KUNC’s Alex Hager reports, that required an expensive fix, the likes of which could be more common for towns and cities across the West.
The Northern Colorado Queer Memory Project was founded in 2021 to share the stories of LGBTQ+ people and the impact they’ve had on the region. KUNC’s Samantha Coetzee spoke with the project’s founder, Tom Dunn. He’s been studying queer history since 2005.
Colorado Edition is hosted by Yoselin Meza Miranda and produced by the KUNC newsroom, led by news director Sean Corcoran. Web was edited by digital operations manager Ashley Jefcoat.
The mission of Colorado Edition is to deepen understanding of life in Northern Colorado through authentic conversation and storytelling.
Colorado Edition is made possible with support from our KUNC members. Thank you!
Our theme music was composed by Colorado musicians Briana Harris and Johnny Burroughs. Other music in the show by Blue Dot Sessions.
Many in Colorado are working to protect reproductive rights in a post Roe America. Providers in Mountain West states are juggling a sharp rise in demand from out-of-state patients. KUNC’s Robyn Vincent reports some are facing desperate circumstances.
The seven Colorado River basin states have until mid-August to drastically cut their water use. Federal officials say it’s necessary to keep the river’s giant reservoirs from going empty. If state leaders fail to come up with a plan, they could be facing a federal crackdown. KUNC’s Luke Runyon has more on what that might look like.
This story is part of ongoing coverage of the Colorado River, produced by KUNC, and supported by the Walton Family Foundation.
Creating safe spaces for LGBTQ+ teens to express themselves is more important now than ever. Organizations in Colorado are working to create more of these spaces — including Longmont’s Firehouse Art Center and the Boulder Public Library. They created Slay the Runway in 2021, a design program for LGBTQ+ teens. KUNC’s Samantha Cootzeea spoke with co-creator Steven Frost.
Colorado Edition is hosted by Yoselin Meza Miranda and produced by the KUNC newsroom, led by news director Sean Corcoran. Web was edited by digital operations manager Ashley Jefcoat.
The mission of Colorado Edition is to deepen understanding of life in Northern Colorado through authentic conversation and storytelling.
Colorado Edition is made possible with support from our KUNC members. Thank you!
Our theme music was composed by Colorado musicians Briana Harris and Johnny Burroughs. Other music in the show by Blue Dot Sessions.
Many in Colorado are working to protect reproductive rights in a post Roe America. Providers in Mountain West states are juggling a sharp rise in demand from out-of-state patients. KUNC’s Robyn Vincent reports some are facing desperate circumstances.
The seven Colorado River basin states have until mid-August to drastically cut their water use. Federal officials say it’s necessary to keep the river’s giant reservoirs from going empty. If state leaders fail to come up with a plan, they could be facing a federal crackdown. KUNC’s Luke Runyon has more on what that might look like.
This story is part of ongoing coverage of the Colorado River, produced by KUNC, and supported by the Walton Family Foundation.
Creating safe spaces for LGBTQ+ teens to express themselves is more important now than ever. Organizations in Colorado are working to create more of these spaces — including Longmont’s Firehouse Art Center and the Boulder Public Library. They created Slay the Runway in 2021, a design program for LGBTQ+ teens. KUNC’s Samantha Cootzeea spoke with co-creator Steven Frost.
Colorado Edition is hosted by Yoselin Meza Miranda and produced by the KUNC newsroom, led by news director Sean Corcoran. Web was edited by digital operations manager Ashley Jefcoat.
The mission of Colorado Edition is to deepen understanding of life in Northern Colorado through authentic conversation and storytelling.
Colorado Edition is made possible with support from our KUNC members. Thank you!
Our theme music was composed by Colorado musicians Briana Harris and Johnny Burroughs. Other music in the show by Blue Dot Sessions.
Thousands gathered in Boulder on Saturday to protest the Supreme Court’s decision overturning Roe v. Wade. Moments of sadness, anger and hope filled Boulder’s Pearl Street Mall. KUNC’s Robyn Vincent was there.
Colorado has recorded 9 monkeypox cases over the last three months, but health officials are worried the virus could spread fast if unchecked. To learn more, KUNC’s Beau Baker spoke with Dr. Michelle Barron. Barron is the senior medical director of infection prevention and control with UC Health. You can find vaccine clinics, resources and the latest information from the state on monkeypox at the Colorado Department of Health and Environment website.
Every Tuesday, KUNC's Samantha Coetzee speaks with our colleagues over at the Colorado Sun about the local stories they're following. Earlier this week, she spoke with editor Larry Ryckman about the Uinta Railroad, Denver Public Schools, and potatoes.
A non-police response program in Denver is expanding with more funding and staffing. This comes as many local communities are trying to figure out how to better handle mental health-related emergencies. A new study focusing on the impact of Denver’s STAR program suggests it has reduced crime in the city. KUNC’s Beau Beaker spoke with reporter Leigh Paterson to learn more.
Colorado Edition is hosted by Yoselin Meza Miranda and produced by the KUNC newsroom, led by news director Sean Corcoran. Web was edited by digital operations manager Ashley Jefcoat.
The mission of Colorado Edition is to deepen understanding of life in Northern Colorado through authentic conversation and storytelling.
Colorado Edition is made possible with support from our KUNC members. Thank you!
Our theme music was composed by Colorado musicians Briana Harris and Johnny Burroughs. Other music in the show by Blue Dot Sessions.
Thousands gathered in Boulder on Saturday to protest the Supreme Court’s decision overturning Roe v. Wade. Moments of sadness, anger and hope filled Boulder’s Pearl Street Mall. KUNC’s Robyn Vincent was there.
Colorado has recorded 9 monkeypox cases over the last three months, but health officials are worried the virus could spread fast if unchecked. To learn more, KUNC’s Beau Baker spoke with Dr. Michelle Barron. Barron is the senior medical director of infection prevention and control with UC Health. You can find vaccine clinics, resources and the latest information from the state on monkeypox at the Colorado Department of Health and Environment website.
Every Tuesday, KUNC's Samantha Coetzee speaks with our colleagues over at the Colorado Sun about the local stories they're following. Earlier this week, she spoke with editor Larry Ryckman about the Uinta Railroad, Denver Public Schools, and potatoes.
A non-police response program in Denver is expanding with more funding and staffing. This comes as many local communities are trying to figure out how to better handle mental health-related emergencies. A new study focusing on the impact of Denver’s STAR program suggests it has reduced crime in the city. KUNC’s Beau Beaker spoke with reporter Leigh Paterson to learn more.
Colorado Edition is hosted by Yoselin Meza Miranda and produced by the KUNC newsroom, led by news director Sean Corcoran. Web was edited by digital operations manager Ashley Jefcoat.
The mission of Colorado Edition is to deepen understanding of life in Northern Colorado through authentic conversation and storytelling.
Colorado Edition is made possible with support from our KUNC members. Thank you!
Our theme music was composed by Colorado musicians Briana Harris and Johnny Burroughs. Other music in the show by Blue Dot Sessions.
When the Marshall Fire burned over 1,000 homes in Boulder County in December, it also destroyed possessions: couches, children’s toys and family heirlooms. Since then, many fire victims have dug through the rubble to find anything that might be salvageable. In the final part of our series From The Ashes, Leigh Paterson brings us a story about salvaged objects that contain memories.
Hundreds of people summit Mount Everest each year. But before this year, fewer than 10 of them were Black. In May, the first all-Black team of climbers successfully reached the summit as part of the Full Circle Everest Expedition. To learn more about the expedition, KUNC's Samantha Coetzee spoke to Eddie Taylor. He's a member of the Full Circle Everest Team and a chemistry teacher from Boulder.
A new report looks at the emergency response during the first 36 hours of the most destructive fire in Colorado History. The Marshall Fire is responsible for an estimated $1 billion in damages. Two people died in the blaze. KUNC's Beau Baker spoke with colleague Leigh Paterson to learn more about this report.
Colorado Edition is hosted by Yoselin Meza Miranda and produced bythe KUNC newsroom, led by news director Sean Corcoran. Web was edited by digital operations manager Ashley Jefcoat.
The mission of Colorado Edition is to deepen understanding of life in Northern Colorado through authentic conversation and storytelling. It's available as a podcast on iTunes, Spotify, Google Play, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts.
Colorado Edition is made possible with support from our KUNC members. Thank you!
Our theme music was composed by Colorado musicians Briana Harris and Johnny Burroughs. Other music in the show by Blue Dot Sessions.
When the Marshall Fire burned over 1,000 homes in Boulder County in December, it also destroyed possessions: couches, children’s toys and family heirlooms. Since then, many fire victims have dug through the rubble to find anything that might be salvageable. In the final part of our series From The Ashes, Leigh Paterson brings us a story about salvaged objects that contain memories.
Hundreds of people summit Mount Everest each year. But before this year, fewer than 10 of them were Black. In May, the first all-Black team of climbers successfully reached the summit as part of the Full Circle Everest Expedition. To learn more about the expedition, KUNC's Samantha Coetzee spoke to Eddie Taylor. He's a member of the Full Circle Everest Team and a chemistry teacher from Boulder.
A new report looks at the emergency response during the first 36 hours of the most destructive fire in Colorado History. The Marshall Fire is responsible for an estimated $1 billion in damages. Two people died in the blaze. KUNC's Beau Baker spoke with colleague Leigh Paterson to learn more about this report.
Colorado Edition is hosted by Yoselin Meza Miranda and produced bythe KUNC newsroom, led by news director Sean Corcoran. Web was edited by digital operations manager Ashley Jefcoat.
The mission of Colorado Edition is to deepen understanding of life in Northern Colorado through authentic conversation and storytelling. It's available as a podcast on iTunes, Spotify, Google Play, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts.
Colorado Edition is made possible with support from our KUNC members. Thank you!
Our theme music was composed by Colorado musicians Briana Harris and Johnny Burroughs. Other music in the show by Blue Dot Sessions.
Coloradans are still processing the Supreme Court’s historic decision to end federal abortion rights. Some residents are joining together to protest, while others are making plans to protect — or challenge — access to abortion here. KUNC’s Scott Franz has more on the early reactions to the ruling, and what it might mean going forward.
KUNC's Beau Baker spoke to Dr. Warren Hern, director of the Boulder Abortion Clinic. He's been providing access to care since 1975, and says that the decision to overturn Roe v. Wade could impact abortion services in Colorado.
In the months after the Marshall Fire devastated parts of Boulder County, many families returned to sift through the debris. KUNC’s Leigh Paterson brings us a story about the memories contained in salvaged objects.
The Greeley Stampede returned this year for the first time since COVID.. The summer rodeo festival celebrated its 100th year with rides, children activities, and food vendors at the Island Grove Regional Park. KUNC's Yoselin Meza Miranda was there, along with lots of families enjoying live music, kid’s sheep races, and, of course, a multitude of different food trucks.
Colorado Edition is hosted by Yoselin Meza Miranda and produced by the KUNC newsroom, led by news director Sean Corcoran. Web was edited by digital operations manager Ashley Jefcoat. Additional production support was provided by Stephanie Daniel. The mission of Colorado Edition is to deepen understanding of life in Northern Colorado through authentic conversation and storytelling.
Colorado Edition is made possible with support from our KUNC members. Thank you!
Our theme music was composed by Colorado musicians Briana Harris and Johnny Burroughs. Other music in the show by Blue Dot Sessions.
Coloradans are still processing the Supreme Court’s historic decision to end federal abortion rights. Some residents are joining together to protest, while others are making plans to protect — or challenge — access to abortion here. KUNC’s Scott Franz has more on the early reactions to the ruling, and what it might mean going forward.
KUNC's Beau Baker spoke to Dr. Warren Hern, director of the Boulder Abortion Clinic. He's been providing access to care since 1975, and says that the decision to overturn Roe v. Wade could impact abortion services in Colorado.
In the months after the Marshall Fire devastated parts of Boulder County, many families returned to sift through the debris. KUNC’s Leigh Paterson brings us a story about the memories contained in salvaged objects.
The Greeley Stampede returned this year for the first time since COVID.. The summer rodeo festival celebrated its 100th year with rides, children activities, and food vendors at the Island Grove Regional Park. KUNC's Yoselin Meza Miranda was there, along with lots of families enjoying live music, kid’s sheep races, and, of course, a multitude of different food trucks.
Colorado Edition is hosted by Yoselin Meza Miranda and produced by the KUNC newsroom, led by news director Sean Corcoran. Web was edited by digital operations manager Ashley Jefcoat. Additional production support was provided by Stephanie Daniel. The mission of Colorado Edition is to deepen understanding of life in Northern Colorado through authentic conversation and storytelling.
Colorado Edition is made possible with support from our KUNC members. Thank you!
Our theme music was composed by Colorado musicians Briana Harris and Johnny Burroughs. Other music in the show by Blue Dot Sessions.
The Marshall Fire ripped through Boulder County at the end of last year. Many fire victims took almost nothing with them that day. But they went back to sift through the debris in the months that followed. In the KUNC series From The Ashes, Leigh Paterson brings us the stories of how they salvaged objects to help families process what they lost.
Climate change is reshaping the natural world, but one animal is doing its part to fight back. A new study lays out all the ways that beavers are helping reshape rivers and streams. As Alex Hager reports, they’re creating healthy waterways that are more resistant — and resilient — to the worst effects of climate change.
Last week marked the 10th anniversary of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program. There are over 14,000 DACA recipients living in Colorado. The federal program has allowed undocumented people to take advantage of many opportunities — including being able to work and go to college.Luis Antezana is the founder and CEO of Juntos 2 College. The organization awards 10 grants a month to DACA recipients to pay for DACA renewals and legal services. He spoke with Yoselin Meza Miranda about his organization and 10 years of DACA.
Colorado Edition is hosted by Yoselin Meza Miranda and produced by the KUNC newsroom, led by news director Sean Corcoran. Web was edited by digital operations manager Ashley Jefcoat. The mission of Colorado Edition is to deepen understanding of life in Northern Colorado through authentic conversation and storytelling.
Colorado Edition is made possible with support from our KUNC members. Thank you!
Our theme music was composed by Colorado musicians Briana Harris and Johnny Burroughs. Other music in the show by Blue Dot Sessions.
The Marshall Fire ripped through Boulder County at the end of last year. Many fire victims took almost nothing with them that day. But they went back to sift through the debris in the months that followed. In the KUNC series From The Ashes, Leigh Paterson brings us the stories of how they salvaged objects to help families process what they lost.
Climate change is reshaping the natural world, but one animal is doing its part to fight back. A new study lays out all the ways that beavers are helping reshape rivers and streams. As Alex Hager reports, they’re creating healthy waterways that are more resistant — and resilient — to the worst effects of climate change.
Last week marked the 10th anniversary of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program. There are over 14,000 DACA recipients living in Colorado. The federal program has allowed undocumented people to take advantage of many opportunities — including being able to work and go to college.Luis Antezana is the founder and CEO of Juntos 2 College. The organization awards 10 grants a month to DACA recipients to pay for DACA renewals and legal services. He spoke with Yoselin Meza Miranda about his organization and 10 years of DACA.
Colorado Edition is hosted by Yoselin Meza Miranda and produced by the KUNC newsroom, led by news director Sean Corcoran. Web was edited by digital operations manager Ashley Jefcoat. The mission of Colorado Edition is to deepen understanding of life in Northern Colorado through authentic conversation and storytelling.
Colorado Edition is made possible with support from our KUNC members. Thank you!
Our theme music was composed by Colorado musicians Briana Harris and Johnny Burroughs. Other music in the show by Blue Dot Sessions.
In the months since Russian forces invaded Ukraine, millions of Ukrainians have fled the country -- many of them refusing to leave without their beloved family pets. Seeing those images prompted Dr. Jon Geller to hop on a plane and head overseas to the Ukrainian border to help. Once there, the Fort Collins-based emergency veterinarian helped set up a clinic providing necessary care to ensure families' pets are cleared to travel with them to other European countries.
In 2015, Geller founded the Street Dog Coalition, a nonprofit based in northern Colorado that helps people experiencing homelessness get free vet care for their companion animals. He quickly discovered that his mission assisting Ukrainian refugees wasn’t all that different from helping unsheltered people care for their pets here in the U.S. He spoke with Colorado Edition on April 1, shortly after he’d returned home from the Ukrainian border.
There’s a long history in the U.S. of people creating guides to help others find safe, inclusive spaces. In the 19th century, safe houses along the Underground Railroad displayed quilts with coded messages to help people who escaped slavery find safe passage. In the 20th century, Black travelers used the Green Book to navigate as safely as they could.
Now, in the 21st century, two Colorado women have created a website that aims to do something similar. The Inclusive Guide, allows users to rate their experiences at businesses and other spaces. Those ratings give insight to users about how others with a similar identity have been treated, and whether they will be welcomed at a given business. Crystal Egli and Parker McMullen Bushman are the co-founders of Inclusive Journeys, a tech startup that created Inclusive Guide. They spoke with Colorado Edition in January.
One Monday morning in August of 2020, host Erin O’Toole started getting a flood of new Twitter mentions and followers – from Canada. A quick search of the news revealed there is another Erin O'Toole, north of the border, who was just elected leader of the Conservative Party in Canada. Lots of social media merriment ensued, and when news of the mix-up reached the offices of the Canadian Erin O’Toole, the Conservative Party politician was kind enough to join his newfound American doppelganger to discuss their unlikely connection.
Legendary ski map artist James Niehues recently announced his retirement from hand-painting ski trail maps. Niehues, who lives in Parker, Colorado, has painted more than 200 ski trail maps in multiple countries over his 30-year career. Those resorts include Vail, Breckenridge and Winter Park here in Colorado. Some of his work has been published in a coffee table book called The Man Behind the Maps. Colorado Edition first spoke with Niehues in 2019.
Colorado Edition is hosted and produced by Erin O'Toole (@ErinOtoole1). Web was edited by digital operations manager Ashley Jefcoat. The mission of Colorado Edition is to deepen understanding of life in Northern Colorado through authentic conversation and storytelling. It's available as a podcast on iTunes, Spotify, Google Play, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts.
Colorado Edition is made possible with support from our KUNC members. Thank you!
Our theme music was composed by Colorado musicians Briana Harris and Johnny Burroughs. Other music in the show by Blue Dot Sessions.
In the months since Russian forces invaded Ukraine, millions of Ukrainians have fled the country -- many of them refusing to leave without their beloved family pets. Seeing those images prompted Dr. Jon Geller to hop on a plane and head overseas to the Ukrainian border to help. Once there, the Fort Collins-based emergency veterinarian helped set up a clinic providing necessary care to ensure families' pets are cleared to travel with them to other European countries.
In 2015, Geller founded the Street Dog Coalition, a nonprofit based in northern Colorado that helps people experiencing homelessness get free vet care for their companion animals. He quickly discovered that his mission assisting Ukrainian refugees wasn’t all that different from helping unsheltered people care for their pets here in the U.S. He spoke with Colorado Edition on April 1, shortly after he’d returned home from the Ukrainian border.
There’s a long history in the U.S. of people creating guides to help others find safe, inclusive spaces. In the 19th century, safe houses along the Underground Railroad displayed quilts with coded messages to help people who escaped slavery find safe passage. In the 20th century, Black travelers used the Green Book to navigate as safely as they could.
Now, in the 21st century, two Colorado women have created a website that aims to do something similar. The Inclusive Guide, allows users to rate their experiences at businesses and other spaces. Those ratings give insight to users about how others with a similar identity have been treated, and whether they will be welcomed at a given business. Crystal Egli and Parker McMullen Bushman are the co-founders of Inclusive Journeys, a tech startup that created Inclusive Guide. They spoke with Colorado Edition in January.
One Monday morning in August of 2020, host Erin O’Toole started getting a flood of new Twitter mentions and followers – from Canada. A quick search of the news revealed there is another Erin O'Toole, north of the border, who was just elected leader of the Conservative Party in Canada. Lots of social media merriment ensued, and when news of the mix-up reached the offices of the Canadian Erin O’Toole, the Conservative Party politician was kind enough to join his newfound American doppelganger to discuss their unlikely connection.
Legendary ski map artist James Niehues recently announced his retirement from hand-painting ski trail maps. Niehues, who lives in Parker, Colorado, has painted more than 200 ski trail maps in multiple countries over his 30-year career. Those resorts include Vail, Breckenridge and Winter Park here in Colorado. Some of his work has been published in a coffee table book called The Man Behind the Maps. Colorado Edition first spoke with Niehues in 2019.
Colorado Edition is hosted and produced by Erin O'Toole (@ErinOtoole1). Web was edited by digital operations manager Ashley Jefcoat. The mission of Colorado Edition is to deepen understanding of life in Northern Colorado through authentic conversation and storytelling. It's available as a podcast on iTunes, Spotify, Google Play, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts.
Colorado Edition is made possible with support from our KUNC members. Thank you!
Our theme music was composed by Colorado musicians Briana Harris and Johnny Burroughs. Other music in the show by Blue Dot Sessions.
The COVID-19 pandemic forced many Colorado businesses to shut down storefronts. Many are still dealing with supply chain issues and inflation. Despite the financial squeeze, new business filings in the state have skyrocketed during the last three years, hitting a ten-year peak. And, as KUNC'S Adam Rayes reports, this economic development is happening in urban and rural communities alike.
Colorado’s 2022 primary elections are on June 28. They’ll determine which candidates appear on the November ballot for U.S. Senate and House, Governor and Lt. Governor, Secretary of State, and other offices. One big change for this year is that Colorado picked up a new seat in the U.S. House, so many voters will find they’re in a new Congressional district this year. Colorado Edition spoke with Bob Murphy, AARP Colorado’s state director, for advice on how to make sure your voter registration is current, and about the issues that are most important to voters 50 and up this year.
Colorado Edition is hosted and produced by Erin O'Toole (@ErinOtoole1). Web was edited by Ashley Jefcoat.
The mission of Colorado Edition is to deepen understanding of life in Northern Colorado through authentic conversation and storytelling. It's available as a podcast on iTunes, Spotify, Google Play, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts.
Colorado Edition is made possible with support from our KUNC members. Thank you!
Our theme music was composed by Colorado musicians Briana Harris and Johnny Burroughs. Other music in the show by Blue Dot Sessions.
The COVID-19 pandemic forced many Colorado businesses to shut down storefronts. Many are still dealing with supply chain issues and inflation. Despite the financial squeeze, new business filings in the state have skyrocketed during the last three years, hitting a ten-year peak. And, as KUNC'S Adam Rayes reports, this economic development is happening in urban and rural communities alike.
Colorado’s 2022 primary elections are on June 28. They’ll determine which candidates appear on the November ballot for U.S. Senate and House, Governor and Lt. Governor, Secretary of State, and other offices. One big change for this year is that Colorado picked up a new seat in the U.S. House, so many voters will find they’re in a new Congressional district this year. Colorado Edition spoke with Bob Murphy, AARP Colorado’s state director, for advice on how to make sure your voter registration is current, and about the issues that are most important to voters 50 and up this year.
Colorado Edition is hosted and produced by Erin O'Toole (@ErinOtoole1). Web was edited by Ashley Jefcoat.
The mission of Colorado Edition is to deepen understanding of life in Northern Colorado through authentic conversation and storytelling. It's available as a podcast on iTunes, Spotify, Google Play, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts.
Colorado Edition is made possible with support from our KUNC members. Thank you!
Our theme music was composed by Colorado musicians Briana Harris and Johnny Burroughs. Other music in the show by Blue Dot Sessions.
For many Coloradans, Memorial Day weekend marks the ‘official’ start of barbecue season. Not that we’re afraid to fire up the grill in the middle of winter, of course -- but there’s just something about this holiday weekend that inspires the outdoor cook to clean off the grill or the smoker and get dinner fired up.
Barbecue is hands-down one of the most popular cuisines in the country right now. But where did it come from? And why is it that the contributions of African Americans who helped establish this cooking style are left out of the current conversation around barbecue?
Colorado Edition spoke with Adrian Miller last September to get some of those answers. Miller is a soul food scholar, food historian and certified barbecue judge. He’s also the recipient of a James Beard Foundation Book Award. His most recent book, Black Smoke: African Americans and the United States of Barbecue, is intended to celebrate African American barbecue culture and to restore the voices of Black Americans to barbecue storytelling.
Colorado Edition is hosted and produced by Erin O'Toole (@ErinOtoole1). Web was edited by Ashley Jefcoat.
The mission of Colorado Edition is to deepen understanding of life in Northern Colorado through authentic conversation and storytelling. It's available as a podcast on iTunes, Spotify, Google Play, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts.
Colorado Edition is made possible with support from our KUNC members. Thank you!
Our theme music was composed by Colorado musicians Briana Harris and Johnny Burroughs. Other music in the show by Blue Dot Sessions.
For many Coloradans, Memorial Day weekend marks the ‘official’ start of barbecue season. Not that we’re afraid to fire up the grill in the middle of winter, of course -- but there’s just something about this holiday weekend that inspires the outdoor cook to clean off the grill or the smoker and get dinner fired up.
Barbecue is hands-down one of the most popular cuisines in the country right now. But where did it come from? And why is it that the contributions of African Americans who helped establish this cooking style are left out of the current conversation around barbecue?
Colorado Edition spoke with Adrian Miller last September to get some of those answers. Miller is a soul food scholar, food historian and certified barbecue judge. He’s also the recipient of a James Beard Foundation Book Award. His most recent book, Black Smoke: African Americans and the United States of Barbecue, is intended to celebrate African American barbecue culture and to restore the voices of Black Americans to barbecue storytelling.
Colorado Edition is hosted and produced by Erin O'Toole (@ErinOtoole1). Web was edited by Ashley Jefcoat.
The mission of Colorado Edition is to deepen understanding of life in Northern Colorado through authentic conversation and storytelling. It's available as a podcast on iTunes, Spotify, Google Play, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts.
Colorado Edition is made possible with support from our KUNC members. Thank you!
Our theme music was composed by Colorado musicians Briana Harris and Johnny Burroughs. Other music in the show by Blue Dot Sessions.
Colorado is poised to take an unusual step in granting state lawmakers paid parental leave. The move highlights a legacy of female political representation in the West. KUNC’s Robyn Vincent has the story.
In April, voters in the front range town of Erie, Colorado, elected Justin Brooks as mayor. He’s lived in Erie for 13 years and in that time, helped found a grassroots organization called Being Better Neighbors, aimed at making Erie a more welcoming and inclusive place. That group was instrumental in creating Erie's first Juneteenth celebration last year, just before it was declared a federal holiday.Brooks is the town’s first Black mayor in its history. He joined Colorado Edition to talk about the significance of the moment, and to outline some of his priorities for the next two years of his term.
Interview HighlightsThese interview highlights have been lightly edited for length and clarity.
Erin O’Toole: For those who aren't familiar, what’s it like living in Erie?
Justin Brooks: People are flocking to the area like mad. Houses are on the market for a day, it seems -- not much different than the rest of the Front Range, but the growth is extremely rapid. People settle here in Erie because it kind of gives you the best of both worlds. You get to be in a suburban landscape near open space, and it's quiet. Just this morning two hot air balloons went over my house, and I stood on the back deck watching them go over. So you have those unique pieces of solace that you get in in a town like Erie. But if you want to go to a major league sports game, it's really close to be able to get downtown through some mode of transportation and participate in it. So that's why I think Erie has been growing so quickly; and people come from all over. We have folks who are migrating here from every corner of the country, it seems. It's creating a little bit of a melting pot, and it's really changing the demographics and the dynamics of this area, and enriching it.
You've been part of the Being Better Neighbors organization that helped create that first Juneteenth celebration; I imagine you're already planning for this year's! What prompted the creation of the organization?
At the beginning of COVID, right at the very beginning of everything [being shut down] in our country, there were some instances of racial injustice where the concerns of Black people about being hunted in our neighborhoods by people who are fearful of our presence, or being unfairly mistreated by law enforcement when encountered. Those were very deep concerns. The town approached me and others in town about having some open dialogue about it. And so I and a few other residents participated in these talks. There was a virtual town hall talk on racism and about race relations. And that was the beginning of this community conversation that really has ensued over the last couple of years.
You know, the town police department and the town government have been really mindful about finding ways to break down those barriers between people, to get people talking about the tough conversations with a goal of improving relations among community members. The Black people who live here don't want a community where we are perceived as outsiders, or that we are visitors to this area. We, too, want to be treated as residents and neighbors, just like everyone else. The town wants a community that is welcoming, that is open, that is accepting of all people. And if people are feeling as if they are unwelcome, unwanted in Erie, then we are failing as a community.
What are some of your early priorities as you begin your term as mayor?
One of the key issues that I am tackling in my administration is the trend of housing affordability. The area, as beautiful as it is and as wonderful as it is and as much as I love living here, I recognize that it is becoming out of reach for so many people. Young families are having a tougher and tougher time being able to live here. Young families are being priced out of our community. The average listing price in areas around $750,000. Now, our average household income is about 116,000. And so those numbers don't close. It means that the average person here could not purchase their own home were it not for the equity that they've accrued. That creates a problem for our workforce in a sense that our small businesses in town have a really hard time recruiting and retaining workers. This is a cocktail for crisis.
I'm working diligently to partner with local and regional organizations and entities to try to curb that trend so that we can have Erie to continue to be a welcoming place. Over the time I've been here, it's largely been a community centered around families. It would be a shame if, as children are graduating from college and getting their first jobs, that they have to move away from this region because they just cannot afford to be here. So, I hope to have an impact there.
I'm very passionate about ensuring that inclusion and equity are a part of the fabric of our town. I see that trend growing and I and I'm proud to be a part of it. So I want to further that.
I am planning to utilize this summer to draw people out into in-person events. I hope the COVID numbers cooperate with this desire. Erie, when I first moved here, was known for all of our community events. I want to get people out and I want to see people in the community. We have a farmer's market on Thursdays. We have a huge Pride event that Being Better Neighbors is putting on on June 5th. I want to see people come out to that and show support. And so this first summer, while I'm trying to figure out how we tackle housing, in the forefront I'm going to be out in the community trying to meet as many people as I can and make sure that they're talking to one another and engaging, because I think that opportunity to meet and greet really helps bolster community.
Erie is a town of about 27,000 people; and according to census data, its population is not very diverse. You are the first African American mayor in the town's 140-year-plus history. How significant is this?
I think that my winning the election represents a voting base that has chosen to select a candidate based on the issues and platform that matter as opposed to just identity think. So, while it is extremely significant that I was elected as the first Black mayor, that wasn't necessarily my platform. It represents that people really listened to what was being said and what was being represented, and they took stock of what was important to them and what they felt needed to be represented in office. And they chose. Erie, demographically, I think it's 0.19% African American. And we are a family of six, so we're a pretty large portion [of that]. It's not lost on me that there are not numerically a lot of Black people in this area.
I think it's a sense of progress that says I, for example, represent a different walk of life. I have a different cultural experience than a lot of my neighbors and for the 13 years that I've been here, I've had numerous frank and deep conversations to enlighten others and be enlightened myself about various issues. And that varying perspective, a different life experience and just the expertise that I bring to the area I think makes a difference in my ability to serve. The people who live in this community all have the success of this community in mind. My quest for making housing more affordable is not just about the BIPOC or minority population that is seeking to be a part of here. It's about everyone. And I think that anyone who works should be able to live and they should be able to feed themselves. These are bread-and-butter types of concepts that that we need to make sure that we are providing to one another as Americans. I have an appreciation for this community. I love being a part of it, and I want others to feel the same way.
Colorado Edition is hosted and produced by Erin O'Toole (@ErinOtoole1). Web was edited by Jackie Hai.
The mission of Colorado Edition is to deepen understanding of life in Northern Colorado through authentic conversation and storytelling. It's available as a podcast on iTunes, Spotify, Google Play, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts.
Colorado Edition is made possible with support from our KUNC members. Thank you!
Our theme music was composed by Colorado musicians Briana Harris and Johnny Burroughs. Other music in the show by Blue Dot Sessions.
Colorado is poised to take an unusual step in granting state lawmakers paid parental leave. The move highlights a legacy of female political representation in the West. KUNC’s Robyn Vincent has the story.
In April, voters in the front range town of Erie, Colorado, elected Justin Brooks as mayor. He’s lived in Erie for 13 years and in that time, helped found a grassroots organization called Being Better Neighbors, aimed at making Erie a more welcoming and inclusive place. That group was instrumental in creating Erie's first Juneteenth celebration last year, just before it was declared a federal holiday.Brooks is the town’s first Black mayor in its history. He joined Colorado Edition to talk about the significance of the moment, and to outline some of his priorities for the next two years of his term.
Interview HighlightsThese interview highlights have been lightly edited for length and clarity.
Erin O’Toole: For those who aren't familiar, what’s it like living in Erie?
Justin Brooks: People are flocking to the area like mad. Houses are on the market for a day, it seems -- not much different than the rest of the Front Range, but the growth is extremely rapid. People settle here in Erie because it kind of gives you the best of both worlds. You get to be in a suburban landscape near open space, and it's quiet. Just this morning two hot air balloons went over my house, and I stood on the back deck watching them go over. So you have those unique pieces of solace that you get in in a town like Erie. But if you want to go to a major league sports game, it's really close to be able to get downtown through some mode of transportation and participate in it. So that's why I think Erie has been growing so quickly; and people come from all over. We have folks who are migrating here from every corner of the country, it seems. It's creating a little bit of a melting pot, and it's really changing the demographics and the dynamics of this area, and enriching it.
You've been part of the Being Better Neighbors organization that helped create that first Juneteenth celebration; I imagine you're already planning for this year's! What prompted the creation of the organization?
At the beginning of COVID, right at the very beginning of everything [being shut down] in our country, there were some instances of racial injustice where the concerns of Black people about being hunted in our neighborhoods by people who are fearful of our presence, or being unfairly mistreated by law enforcement when encountered. Those were very deep concerns. The town approached me and others in town about having some open dialogue about it. And so I and a few other residents participated in these talks. There was a virtual town hall talk on racism and about race relations. And that was the beginning of this community conversation that really has ensued over the last couple of years.
You know, the town police department and the town government have been really mindful about finding ways to break down those barriers between people, to get people talking about the tough conversations with a goal of improving relations among community members. The Black people who live here don't want a community where we are perceived as outsiders, or that we are visitors to this area. We, too, want to be treated as residents and neighbors, just like everyone else. The town wants a community that is welcoming, that is open, that is accepting of all people. And if people are feeling as if they are unwelcome, unwanted in Erie, then we are failing as a community.
What are some of your early priorities as you begin your term as mayor?
One of the key issues that I am tackling in my administration is the trend of housing affordability. The area, as beautiful as it is and as wonderful as it is and as much as I love living here, I recognize that it is becoming out of reach for so many people. Young families are having a tougher and tougher time being able to live here. Young families are being priced out of our community. The average listing price in areas around $750,000. Now, our average household income is about 116,000. And so those numbers don't close. It means that the average person here could not purchase their own home were it not for the equity that they've accrued. That creates a problem for our workforce in a sense that our small businesses in town have a really hard time recruiting and retaining workers. This is a cocktail for crisis.
I'm working diligently to partner with local and regional organizations and entities to try to curb that trend so that we can have Erie to continue to be a welcoming place. Over the time I've been here, it's largely been a community centered around families. It would be a shame if, as children are graduating from college and getting their first jobs, that they have to move away from this region because they just cannot afford to be here. So, I hope to have an impact there.
I'm very passionate about ensuring that inclusion and equity are a part of the fabric of our town. I see that trend growing and I and I'm proud to be a part of it. So I want to further that.
I am planning to utilize this summer to draw people out into in-person events. I hope the COVID numbers cooperate with this desire. Erie, when I first moved here, was known for all of our community events. I want to get people out and I want to see people in the community. We have a farmer's market on Thursdays. We have a huge Pride event that Being Better Neighbors is putting on on June 5th. I want to see people come out to that and show support. And so this first summer, while I'm trying to figure out how we tackle housing, in the forefront I'm going to be out in the community trying to meet as many people as I can and make sure that they're talking to one another and engaging, because I think that opportunity to meet and greet really helps bolster community.
Erie is a town of about 27,000 people; and according to census data, its population is not very diverse. You are the first African American mayor in the town's 140-year-plus history. How significant is this?
I think that my winning the election represents a voting base that has chosen to select a candidate based on the issues and platform that matter as opposed to just identity think. So, while it is extremely significant that I was elected as the first Black mayor, that wasn't necessarily my platform. It represents that people really listened to what was being said and what was being represented, and they took stock of what was important to them and what they felt needed to be represented in office. And they chose. Erie, demographically, I think it's 0.19% African American. And we are a family of six, so we're a pretty large portion [of that]. It's not lost on me that there are not numerically a lot of Black people in this area.
I think it's a sense of progress that says I, for example, represent a different walk of life. I have a different cultural experience than a lot of my neighbors and for the 13 years that I've been here, I've had numerous frank and deep conversations to enlighten others and be enlightened myself about various issues. And that varying perspective, a different life experience and just the expertise that I bring to the area I think makes a difference in my ability to serve. The people who live in this community all have the success of this community in mind. My quest for making housing more affordable is not just about the BIPOC or minority population that is seeking to be a part of here. It's about everyone. And I think that anyone who works should be able to live and they should be able to feed themselves. These are bread-and-butter types of concepts that that we need to make sure that we are providing to one another as Americans. I have an appreciation for this community. I love being a part of it, and I want others to feel the same way.
Colorado Edition is hosted and produced by Erin O'Toole (@ErinOtoole1). Web was edited by Jackie Hai.
The mission of Colorado Edition is to deepen understanding of life in Northern Colorado through authentic conversation and storytelling. It's available as a podcast on iTunes, Spotify, Google Play, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts.
Colorado Edition is made possible with support from our KUNC members. Thank you!
Our theme music was composed by Colorado musicians Briana Harris and Johnny Burroughs. Other music in the show by Blue Dot Sessions.
A landmark of the northern Colorado art scene is turning 102 years old this year. The historic Rialto Theater in Loveland originally planned to celebrate its true centennial in 2020, when it would have turned 100. Because of the pandemic, though, those festivities had to be postponed – until now.
Visitors from all over Colorado flocked to the Rialto this week to share memories and to marvel at the lovingly restored building. Guests enjoyed silent film screenings and special behind-the-scenes tours that took them through winding, cramped passageways below the stage and into the bright, newly designed community spaces.
KUNC’s Erin O’Toole and Yoselin Meza Miranda tagged along on one of those tours, joining about a dozen guests who gathered in front of the main stage with small bags of fresh popcorn. Rialto theater manager Steve Lemmon and events coordinator Heather Rubald spoke about the work that's been done to update and expand the space. Most of the theater’s aesthetic has been preserved. The seats are new, but have a vintage look, and the stylized flower murals on the walls have either been restored or painted to look almost exactly like the original.
Rubald remembers when she used to go to the Rialto to watch movies.
“It was a rather run-down movie theater, so we had mutated the name from Rialto to 'Rathole,'" she said with a laugh.
Built in 1920, the Rialto was designed as a silent movie theater. In the late 1960’s they tried to attract more visitors by installing a large movie screen and a snack bar. The building went through many changes over the years, and for a time it housed a shopping mall and office space. It was so rundown that it came perilously close to being torn down.
In 1988 it was placed on the National Register of Historic Places. And after the Downtown Development Authority purchased the building, the process of restoring the Rialto to its original glory began. Some of that work included expanding dressing rooms and adding a modern Green Room for performers.
Donna Evans was one of those touring the theater. Years ago, she performed a few times at the Rialto as part of a choral group. There were only two tiny dressing rooms below the stage, and she remembers a Tae Kwon Do studio across the alley that would allow performers to change costumes there.
“We had to go out through those back doors, run across all the parking and stuff, get in there [with] no privacy, change your costumes, run back across the thing, get back up on the stage again," Evans recalled. "It’s much better now. It’s beautiful.”
Theater manager Steve Lemmon says much of the renovation was done by a group of volunteers who would come in Saturday mornings to work. “Slowly but surely they brought it back to life, and that’s the only reason this theater’s still open today,” he said.
Of course any building that is over 100 years old has secrets.
“We have a couple of ghosts that live here in the theater,” said Rialto technical coordinator Phil Baugh.
One of those spirits haunting the theater is Clarence, a projectionist who worked from the 1940s and 50s. Baugh says Clarence messes with sound and light every now and then.
There’s also the infamous “woman in white," a performer from the vaudeville era who has allegedly been seen floating on the stage. She even has her favorite seat – J-16.
“She was in the middle of a performance and passed away in the dressing rooms,” said Baugh. “If you feel a little bit of a cold breeze, it just might be the woman in white.”
For those interested in paranormal activities, the Rialto offers ghost tours in October, just in time for Halloween.
But for this week, the focus is entirely on celebrating the here and now of this longtime cornerstone of the Loveland arts community.
“A lot of people who grew up here remember it in its heyday; they remember the tough times it went through; they remember the redemption story of all the community members who brought it back to life," said theater manager Steve Lemmon. "People feel like it’s their theater, and that’s really what a community theater should be.”
The Rialto's centennial celebration wraps up Saturday, May 21. Due to inclement weather, many of the events will be held inside the theater. Find more information and a full event schedule here.
Colorado Edition is hosted and produced by Erin O'Toole (@ErinOtoole1). Web was edited by Jackie Hai.
The mission of Colorado Edition is to deepen understanding of life in Northern Colorado through authentic conversation and storytelling. It's available as a podcast on iTunes, Spotify, Google Play, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts.
Colorado Edition is made possible with support from our KUNC members. Thank you!
Our theme music was composed by Colorado musicians Briana Harris and Johnny Burroughs. Other music in the show by Blue Dot Sessions.
A landmark of the northern Colorado art scene is turning 102 years old this year. The historic Rialto Theater in Loveland originally planned to celebrate its true centennial in 2020, when it would have turned 100. Because of the pandemic, though, those festivities had to be postponed – until now.
Visitors from all over Colorado flocked to the Rialto this week to share memories and to marvel at the lovingly restored building. Guests enjoyed silent film screenings and special behind-the-scenes tours that took them through winding, cramped passageways below the stage and into the bright, newly designed community spaces.
KUNC’s Erin O’Toole and Yoselin Meza Miranda tagged along on one of those tours, joining about a dozen guests who gathered in front of the main stage with small bags of fresh popcorn. Rialto theater manager Steve Lemmon and events coordinator Heather Rubald spoke about the work that's been done to update and expand the space. Most of the theater’s aesthetic has been preserved. The seats are new, but have a vintage look, and the stylized flower murals on the walls have either been restored or painted to look almost exactly like the original.
Rubald remembers when she used to go to the Rialto to watch movies.
“It was a rather run-down movie theater, so we had mutated the name from Rialto to 'Rathole,'" she said with a laugh.
Built in 1920, the Rialto was designed as a silent movie theater. In the late 1960’s they tried to attract more visitors by installing a large movie screen and a snack bar. The building went through many changes over the years, and for a time it housed a shopping mall and office space. It was so rundown that it came perilously close to being torn down.
In 1988 it was placed on the National Register of Historic Places. And after the Downtown Development Authority purchased the building, the process of restoring the Rialto to its original glory began. Some of that work included expanding dressing rooms and adding a modern Green Room for performers.
Donna Evans was one of those touring the theater. Years ago, she performed a few times at the Rialto as part of a choral group. There were only two tiny dressing rooms below the stage, and she remembers a Tae Kwon Do studio across the alley that would allow performers to change costumes there.
“We had to go out through those back doors, run across all the parking and stuff, get in there [with] no privacy, change your costumes, run back across the thing, get back up on the stage again," Evans recalled. "It’s much better now. It’s beautiful.”
Theater manager Steve Lemmon says much of the renovation was done by a group of volunteers who would come in Saturday mornings to work. “Slowly but surely they brought it back to life, and that’s the only reason this theater’s still open today,” he said.
Of course any building that is over 100 years old has secrets.
“We have a couple of ghosts that live here in the theater,” said Rialto technical coordinator Phil Baugh.
One of those spirits haunting the theater is Clarence, a projectionist who worked from the 1940s and 50s. Baugh says Clarence messes with sound and light every now and then.
There’s also the infamous “woman in white," a performer from the vaudeville era who has allegedly been seen floating on the stage. She even has her favorite seat – J-16.
“She was in the middle of a performance and passed away in the dressing rooms,” said Baugh. “If you feel a little bit of a cold breeze, it just might be the woman in white.”
For those interested in paranormal activities, the Rialto offers ghost tours in October, just in time for Halloween.
But for this week, the focus is entirely on celebrating the here and now of this longtime cornerstone of the Loveland arts community.
“A lot of people who grew up here remember it in its heyday; they remember the tough times it went through; they remember the redemption story of all the community members who brought it back to life," said theater manager Steve Lemmon. "People feel like it’s their theater, and that’s really what a community theater should be.”
The Rialto's centennial celebration wraps up Saturday, May 21. Due to inclement weather, many of the events will be held inside the theater. Find more information and a full event schedule here.
Colorado Edition is hosted and produced by Erin O'Toole (@ErinOtoole1). Web was edited by Jackie Hai.
The mission of Colorado Edition is to deepen understanding of life in Northern Colorado through authentic conversation and storytelling. It's available as a podcast on iTunes, Spotify, Google Play, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts.
Colorado Edition is made possible with support from our KUNC members. Thank you!
Our theme music was composed by Colorado musicians Briana Harris and Johnny Burroughs. Other music in the show by Blue Dot Sessions.
Warmer days are here, and the snow that supplies most of the water to the Colorado River is melting. Certainly, our drought-stricken region needs all the water it can get. With just a few weeks left in spring, KUNC’s Alex Hager tells us what we can expect for water this summer in the Colorado River basin.
The COVID-19 pandemic revealed a lot of uncomfortable truths about ourselves and our society. One of those things was just how undervalued many essential workers are, especially those in lower-paid service-industry jobs. According to an analysis from the Bell Policy Center, around 20% of Colorado’s workforce are considered essential workers — in fields ranging from healthcare to transportation to stocking the shelves of grocery stores.
Whether they considered themselves "essential" or not — there was no option for remote work in their fields. Many have said they felt unsafe working through the pandemic, and have said companies didn't do enough to protect frontline workers — from the virus itself, or from angry customers who were unhappy with mask requirements or stores running out of particular items. Some of that experience is behind a recent wave of unionization votes across the country, including at several Starbucks locations here in Colorado.
Denver-based writer Adam Kaat had a unique vantage point to understand just what that was like. He happened to be working in a busy grocery store right as the pandemic hit. He then chronicled that experience in the form of a novel, Life on the Grocery Line: A Frontline Experience in a Global Pandemic. He spoke with Colorado Edition in March about the book, and what life is really like for essential frontline workers.
Colorado Edition is hosted and produced by Erin O'Toole (@ErinOtoole1). Web was edited by digital operations manager Ashley Jefcoat. The mission of Colorado Edition is to deepen understanding of life in Northern Colorado through authentic conversation and storytelling. It's available as a podcast on iTunes, Spotify, Google Play, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts.
Colorado Edition is made possible with support from our KUNC members. Thank you!
Our theme music was composed by Colorado musicians Briana Harris and Johnny Burroughs. Other music in the show by Blue Dot Sessions.
Warmer days are here, and the snow that supplies most of the water to the Colorado River is melting. Certainly, our drought-stricken region needs all the water it can get. With just a few weeks left in spring, KUNC’s Alex Hager tells us what we can expect for water this summer in the Colorado River basin.
The COVID-19 pandemic revealed a lot of uncomfortable truths about ourselves and our society. One of those things was just how undervalued many essential workers are, especially those in lower-paid service-industry jobs. According to an analysis from the Bell Policy Center, around 20% of Colorado’s workforce are considered essential workers — in fields ranging from healthcare to transportation to stocking the shelves of grocery stores.
Whether they considered themselves "essential" or not — there was no option for remote work in their fields. Many have said they felt unsafe working through the pandemic, and have said companies didn't do enough to protect frontline workers — from the virus itself, or from angry customers who were unhappy with mask requirements or stores running out of particular items. Some of that experience is behind a recent wave of unionization votes across the country, including at several Starbucks locations here in Colorado.
Denver-based writer Adam Kaat had a unique vantage point to understand just what that was like. He happened to be working in a busy grocery store right as the pandemic hit. He then chronicled that experience in the form of a novel, Life on the Grocery Line: A Frontline Experience in a Global Pandemic. He spoke with Colorado Edition in March about the book, and what life is really like for essential frontline workers.
Colorado Edition is hosted and produced by Erin O'Toole (@ErinOtoole1). Web was edited by digital operations manager Ashley Jefcoat. The mission of Colorado Edition is to deepen understanding of life in Northern Colorado through authentic conversation and storytelling. It's available as a podcast on iTunes, Spotify, Google Play, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts.
Colorado Edition is made possible with support from our KUNC members. Thank you!
Our theme music was composed by Colorado musicians Briana Harris and Johnny Burroughs. Other music in the show by Blue Dot Sessions.
Today – on KUNC’s Colorado Edition. https://colostate.az1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_1AE0AAFmNOWWjcy
Anyone with an internet connection these days can create false or misleading content that spreads like wildfire to reach millions of people. The rising flood of inflammatory rhetoric and false information is so concerning that the Department of Homeland Security recently announced the creation of a Disinformation Governance Board to combat it — a move that quickly prompted backlash from many Republicans, who compare it to the “Ministry of Truth” from George Orwell’s novel “1984.”
It’s an insidious issue that communities and local newsrooms in Northern Colorado are wrestling with, especially with the midterm elections less than six months away. Dominik Stecula studies the intersection of political communication and media. He’s an assistant professor of political science at Colorado State University. He’s part of a virtual panel discussing misinformation Thursday, May 12, 3:00pm to 5:00pm, hosted by the CSU Center for Public Deliberation, in partnership with the NoCo Deliberative Journalism Project. It’s free and open to the public.
Interview HighlightsThese interview highlights have been lightly edited for length and clarity.
Erin O'Toole: What is the impact of misinformation or disinformation on people's perceptions of topics like science or vaccines, to use a recent example? Is this persuasive? I mean, does it change people's minds?
Dominik Stecula: The reality is more complex than it frequently gets portrayed. We tend to have this belief that just because a piece of information exists out there, then it somehow has a super powerful effect on people out there. Actually, scholars have a name for it. It's called the "third person effect," and it's this idea that you yourself might not think that you would be persuaded by something, but other people are much more gullible than you, and they're definitely going to be persuaded. So I think it's a useful idea to understand when we think about the effects of these things, much like any other form of information, misinformation, disinformation matters. It plays a role in terms of shaping our attitudes, shaping our beliefs, and even shaping our actions, like whether to take the COVID vaccine, for example. But just because one is exposed to one particular false story or just because they listened to one questionable interview that somebody did with, like, Joe Rogan on his podcast, doesn't mean that persuaded them.
So, we need to remember that there's a kind of supply and demand there. Some people want this kind of things, want this kind of content because they're predisposed to believe it — in the context of a pandemic, especially. The pandemic was, and still is, scary. And especially if you put yourself back in early 2020, February, March, when we were just trying to learn what's going on, exactly how it was going to impact us. Nobody really had all the answers, even the experts. Some people have a very strong psychological need to have simple answers, and they don't trust the kind of more complex, nuanced explanations. So, they're just more drawn to a particular set of answers that in that context tend to be the more harmful things.
So when we talk about misinformation and disinformation and its effect, we have to understand it through the prism of all of these different considerations, all of the different predispositions, that every user of the information environment brings to the table. And also the fact that, you know, sometimes just because you see one story, it's not going to do it. You need repeated exposure, just like with everything else. That doesn't necessarily happen with misinformation, right? You might see like a viral meme or tweet or whatever, that is a piece of disinformation. If that just a one-off thing, then it's unlikely to have made a huge impact on you. But if you're kind of bombarded with the same kind of theme of misinformation on a specific topic, then it's going to be much more likely to influence you because you just consumed a lot more. It's more of a top-of-mind consideration for you, and it's more likely to kind of make an impact on you.
I'm wondering how we can, as a community, address the impacts of misinformation while at the same time balancing freedom of speech, because that's also important.
I think that's a very difficult and obviously contentious issue to grapple with. I think the first thing that is worth remembering is that the fact that we have misinformation on these platforms is not necessarily a thing that leads to our democracy and our politics being more toxic, but the other way around. When we think back to 2016 and we think back to Russian interference in the election and what the trolls from Russia were doing, they didn't create these divisions. They just poured gasoline on a fire.
So I think it's worth remembering that as we think about solutions, because there's certain steps we can take to address some of the concerns surrounding information disorder, but to really get to the bottom of the issue requires fixing our politics, which is a much more complex task. Some of the things we can do — there's different layers. The first layer is what platforms can do, and platforms can design social media to slow us down so that we don't get into our partisan urges of sharing the most hyper partisan content. So little problems that pop up like, “Are you sure you want to share this before reading the article?” These things have been demonstrated to have an effect in randomized controlled trials. These things work. We have data to back it up and platforms are implementing them.
I think I'm skeptical of the government and post-moderation policies. I think even the most well-intentioned laws — like in Germany, there's a fake news law that passed in 2017. It had the best intentions of trying to eliminate misinformation and disinformation from platforms like Facebook. And essentially if platforms don’t remove certain things in a timely fashion, they face fines. But these laws essentially have been very heavily criticized by the human rights groups, by freedom of speech groups that highlight how they definitely stifle speech. And they have been used as a blueprint by authoritarian regimes who essentially passed similar laws that are de-facto aimed at censoring pro-democracy voices in countries like Russia or Philippines.
I think that leaves us with what can we do as a citizens? And I think we are not helpless. I think the information environment is much more complex than it used to be. I study media and politics and I frequently see sources I've never seen before. There's definitely a lot of information out there. We're drowning in information. Some of it is good. Some of it is bad. There are tools that we can use to help us guide us towards better sources; there are browser plug-ins, like Newsguard.
I think it's good to be aware of your own biases, knowing that we all come to the table with a certain set of beliefs. Getting outside of our comfort zone, having a balanced diet and when something seems kind of crazy or too good to be true, then it probably is. So triangulating, making sure you research something if something's particularly controversial or it strikes you as unlikely, it probably is.
A lot of our politics are toxic because they focus on national culture wars. But local news is still trusted and they still give you good information about your community. And using local news is just a good way to avoid the national level, polarizing things and focusing on things in your community that really matter to your life as well. Not to say that national politics doesn't matter -- obviously it does. But really focusing and going out of your way to consume reliable local news, it's a good first step.
Colorado Edition is hosted and produced by Erin O'Toole (@ErinOtoole1). Web was edited by digital operations manager Ashley Jefcoat.
The mission of Colorado Edition is to deepen understanding of life in Northern Colorado through authentic conversation and storytelling. It's available as a podcast on iTunes, Spotify, Google Play, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts.
Colorado Edition is made possible with support from our KUNC members. Thank you!
Our theme music was composed by Colorado musicians Briana Harris and Johnny Burroughs. Other music in the show by Blue Dot Sessions.
Today – on KUNC’s Colorado Edition. https://colostate.az1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_1AE0AAFmNOWWjcy
Anyone with an internet connection these days can create false or misleading content that spreads like wildfire to reach millions of people. The rising flood of inflammatory rhetoric and false information is so concerning that the Department of Homeland Security recently announced the creation of a Disinformation Governance Board to combat it — a move that quickly prompted backlash from many Republicans, who compare it to the “Ministry of Truth” from George Orwell’s novel “1984.”
It’s an insidious issue that communities and local newsrooms in Northern Colorado are wrestling with, especially with the midterm elections less than six months away. Dominik Stecula studies the intersection of political communication and media. He’s an assistant professor of political science at Colorado State University. He’s part of a virtual panel discussing misinformation Thursday, May 12, 3:00pm to 5:00pm, hosted by the CSU Center for Public Deliberation, in partnership with the NoCo Deliberative Journalism Project. It’s free and open to the public.
Interview HighlightsThese interview highlights have been lightly edited for length and clarity.
Erin O'Toole: What is the impact of misinformation or disinformation on people's perceptions of topics like science or vaccines, to use a recent example? Is this persuasive? I mean, does it change people's minds?
Dominik Stecula: The reality is more complex than it frequently gets portrayed. We tend to have this belief that just because a piece of information exists out there, then it somehow has a super powerful effect on people out there. Actually, scholars have a name for it. It's called the "third person effect," and it's this idea that you yourself might not think that you would be persuaded by something, but other people are much more gullible than you, and they're definitely going to be persuaded. So I think it's a useful idea to understand when we think about the effects of these things, much like any other form of information, misinformation, disinformation matters. It plays a role in terms of shaping our attitudes, shaping our beliefs, and even shaping our actions, like whether to take the COVID vaccine, for example. But just because one is exposed to one particular false story or just because they listened to one questionable interview that somebody did with, like, Joe Rogan on his podcast, doesn't mean that persuaded them.
So, we need to remember that there's a kind of supply and demand there. Some people want this kind of things, want this kind of content because they're predisposed to believe it — in the context of a pandemic, especially. The pandemic was, and still is, scary. And especially if you put yourself back in early 2020, February, March, when we were just trying to learn what's going on, exactly how it was going to impact us. Nobody really had all the answers, even the experts. Some people have a very strong psychological need to have simple answers, and they don't trust the kind of more complex, nuanced explanations. So, they're just more drawn to a particular set of answers that in that context tend to be the more harmful things.
So when we talk about misinformation and disinformation and its effect, we have to understand it through the prism of all of these different considerations, all of the different predispositions, that every user of the information environment brings to the table. And also the fact that, you know, sometimes just because you see one story, it's not going to do it. You need repeated exposure, just like with everything else. That doesn't necessarily happen with misinformation, right? You might see like a viral meme or tweet or whatever, that is a piece of disinformation. If that just a one-off thing, then it's unlikely to have made a huge impact on you. But if you're kind of bombarded with the same kind of theme of misinformation on a specific topic, then it's going to be much more likely to influence you because you just consumed a lot more. It's more of a top-of-mind consideration for you, and it's more likely to kind of make an impact on you.
I'm wondering how we can, as a community, address the impacts of misinformation while at the same time balancing freedom of speech, because that's also important.
I think that's a very difficult and obviously contentious issue to grapple with. I think the first thing that is worth remembering is that the fact that we have misinformation on these platforms is not necessarily a thing that leads to our democracy and our politics being more toxic, but the other way around. When we think back to 2016 and we think back to Russian interference in the election and what the trolls from Russia were doing, they didn't create these divisions. They just poured gasoline on a fire.
So I think it's worth remembering that as we think about solutions, because there's certain steps we can take to address some of the concerns surrounding information disorder, but to really get to the bottom of the issue requires fixing our politics, which is a much more complex task. Some of the things we can do — there's different layers. The first layer is what platforms can do, and platforms can design social media to slow us down so that we don't get into our partisan urges of sharing the most hyper partisan content. So little problems that pop up like, “Are you sure you want to share this before reading the article?” These things have been demonstrated to have an effect in randomized controlled trials. These things work. We have data to back it up and platforms are implementing them.
I think I'm skeptical of the government and post-moderation policies. I think even the most well-intentioned laws — like in Germany, there's a fake news law that passed in 2017. It had the best intentions of trying to eliminate misinformation and disinformation from platforms like Facebook. And essentially if platforms don’t remove certain things in a timely fashion, they face fines. But these laws essentially have been very heavily criticized by the human rights groups, by freedom of speech groups that highlight how they definitely stifle speech. And they have been used as a blueprint by authoritarian regimes who essentially passed similar laws that are de-facto aimed at censoring pro-democracy voices in countries like Russia or Philippines.
I think that leaves us with what can we do as a citizens? And I think we are not helpless. I think the information environment is much more complex than it used to be. I study media and politics and I frequently see sources I've never seen before. There's definitely a lot of information out there. We're drowning in information. Some of it is good. Some of it is bad. There are tools that we can use to help us guide us towards better sources; there are browser plug-ins, like Newsguard.
I think it's good to be aware of your own biases, knowing that we all come to the table with a certain set of beliefs. Getting outside of our comfort zone, having a balanced diet and when something seems kind of crazy or too good to be true, then it probably is. So triangulating, making sure you research something if something's particularly controversial or it strikes you as unlikely, it probably is.
A lot of our politics are toxic because they focus on national culture wars. But local news is still trusted and they still give you good information about your community. And using local news is just a good way to avoid the national level, polarizing things and focusing on things in your community that really matter to your life as well. Not to say that national politics doesn't matter -- obviously it does. But really focusing and going out of your way to consume reliable local news, it's a good first step.
Colorado Edition is hosted and produced by Erin O'Toole (@ErinOtoole1). Web was edited by digital operations manager Ashley Jefcoat.
The mission of Colorado Edition is to deepen understanding of life in Northern Colorado through authentic conversation and storytelling. It's available as a podcast on iTunes, Spotify, Google Play, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts.
Colorado Edition is made possible with support from our KUNC members. Thank you!
Our theme music was composed by Colorado musicians Briana Harris and Johnny Burroughs. Other music in the show by Blue Dot Sessions.
This coming Tuesday, employees at the Starbucks on Colfax Avenue in Denver will learn if they’ve voted to unionize. Their effort is part of a recent and historic uptick in worker activism across the country, driven partly by the impact of working conditions during the COVID pandemic. There are more than fifty Starbucks locations in the U.S. that have recently voted to unionize, including one in the town of Superior – the first in Colorado to do so.
But pro-union employees at this particular Denver store say their efforts have resulted in backlash from the company. Nick Bowlin is a freelance journalist based in Colorado. He wrote about what’s been happening in an excellent, in-depth piece that was published this week in The Guardian.
Interview HighlightsThese interview highlights have been lightly edited for length and clarity.
Erin O’Toole: Can you start with just a bit of a background about why employees at Starbucks might want to unionize? Not everyone is familiar with unions. I know there are a lot of myths and misconceptions about what it means to have union representation.
Nick Bowlin: The workers that I talked to at the Starbucks in Denver had a couple main points. Starbucks has been historically known for having good benefits and good wages for service industry, front-of-house sort of gig. But they [the employees] say that wages have not kept up with inflation in recent years. They also are definitely motivated by some of the difficulties for service workers that resulted from the pandemic. They felt that the company wasn't protecting them when it came to keeping them safe from the virus and also from belligerent customers. Several had horror stories about customers getting angry — and at times violent — about mask mandates and about shortages in the store.
They also cited a policy where Starbucks has just been raking in enormous profits in recent years. And they think that more of that should go to the people who make the coffee. They cited a policy that was proposed at the first Starbucks to unionize ever, which was December 20, 2021 in Buffalo, New York, where if a worker misses a shift, the wages from that worker will be distributed to the other baristas who are working at the time or on a short staff shift, rather than going back into their, you know, corporate profits.
Many of the workers who I talked to who weren't aware of unions before, when they realized what the collective bargaining process entailed and the ability to really push for the benefits and the protections that they want, that aspect of autonomy; many of them brought that up as something that brought them around to supporting the labor organizing.
You started following the effort to unionize at this Denver Starbucks several months ago. Tell us a bit about this particular store, which is on Colfax Avenue. It's known as the Barn. What is it like for employees working there?
Well, first of all, it looks like a barn.
The Denver Starbucks community says work there is very fast-paced. Inexperienced baristas tend not to start there. Compared to some of the suburban locations, it can be a little bit more rough and tumble. Starbucks workers at other locations tend not to pick up shifts at the Barn because it has something of a reputation. One of the baristas I talked to was punched in the face by an angry customer who was mad about the mask policy. There was this other incident where one of the baristas was pepper sprayed because they were out of frappuccinos one day.
These are things that could happen at any Starbucks. But the Barn has a little bit of a reputation which gets back to the issue of workplace protections and maybe why the workers at the point were especially inclined to announce a union drive pretty early on.
I have to say, one thing that really jumped out at me is that Starbucks for a long time has had this public reputation as one of the few companies that actually does care about its employees. They offer health benefits; they pay for college tuition. It's kind of hard to square this perception of a benevolent company with what's happening now to employees who want to unionize.
And I think that perception is pretty common. And there's evidence of that. Like I said earlier, that's why baristas have sought out Starbucks, because they offer health benefits when not all coffee shop jobs necessarily do. They have a very robust tuition aid program. And they also have this kind of corporate culture that encourages this kind of friendly atmosphere. Every employee from management executives on down to the lowest paid barista are referred to internally in the company as partners. And this of goes along with the, you know, company culture they try to foster.
But the workers say a couple of things. Just because there are benefits doesn't mean they're always the best — and they want them to be better. And they also say that if they have a union, it will be up to them to push for the benefits they want rather than, you know, the benefits coming down from on high from the company.
You know, I think about one of the baristas at the Denver store named Vanessa Castro, who I spoke to and has worked for Starbucks for four years at multiple stores around the country. She's getting a college degree from Arizona State with tuition aid from Starbucks. And she said, if you start to empower employees by giving them benefits, options, resources to get to access, you don't get to choose when to stop.
What happens next? You mentioned the votes for the Denver story will be announced on Tuesday. What are people expecting the results to be?
That's right. The NLRB will announce the results on May 10th. All my reporting suggests that the workers are pretty confident that they have a wide margin of majority support. And then once that happens, I mean, that's a big win. But it's also just the beginning, because then they have to enter the collective bargaining agreement process. All expectations are that Starbucks is going to be very hard nosed with the bargaining. You know, the fact that they're trying to pit unionized workers against non-unionized workers with the benefit increase for the non-labor stores, I think, is evidence of how they intend to operate going forward.
The National Starbucks Union is associated with one of the largest service-worker unions in the country. They have good lawyers. So they're certainly going to, you know, push back. And I definitely get the sense from the workers in Denver that they are both excited to just have the vote happen and get this, you know, this uncertain limbo period done with.
Colorado Edition is hosted and produced by Erin O'Toole (@ErinOtoole1). Web was edited by digital operations manager Ashley Jefcoat.
The mission of Colorado Edition is to deepen understanding of life in Northern Colorado through authentic conversation and storytelling. It's available as a podcast on iTunes, Spotify, Google Play, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts.
Colorado Edition is made possible with support from our KUNC members. Thank you!
Our theme music was composed by Colorado musicians Briana Harris and Johnny Burroughs. Other music in the show by Blue Dot Sessions.
This coming Tuesday, employees at the Starbucks on Colfax Avenue in Denver will learn if they’ve voted to unionize. Their effort is part of a recent and historic uptick in worker activism across the country, driven partly by the impact of working conditions during the COVID pandemic. There are more than fifty Starbucks locations in the U.S. that have recently voted to unionize, including one in the town of Superior – the first in Colorado to do so.
But pro-union employees at this particular Denver store say their efforts have resulted in backlash from the company. Nick Bowlin is a freelance journalist based in Colorado. He wrote about what’s been happening in an excellent, in-depth piece that was published this week in The Guardian.
Interview HighlightsThese interview highlights have been lightly edited for length and clarity.
Erin O’Toole: Can you start with just a bit of a background about why employees at Starbucks might want to unionize? Not everyone is familiar with unions. I know there are a lot of myths and misconceptions about what it means to have union representation.
Nick Bowlin: The workers that I talked to at the Starbucks in Denver had a couple main points. Starbucks has been historically known for having good benefits and good wages for service industry, front-of-house sort of gig. But they [the employees] say that wages have not kept up with inflation in recent years. They also are definitely motivated by some of the difficulties for service workers that resulted from the pandemic. They felt that the company wasn't protecting them when it came to keeping them safe from the virus and also from belligerent customers. Several had horror stories about customers getting angry — and at times violent — about mask mandates and about shortages in the store.
They also cited a policy where Starbucks has just been raking in enormous profits in recent years. And they think that more of that should go to the people who make the coffee. They cited a policy that was proposed at the first Starbucks to unionize ever, which was December 20, 2021 in Buffalo, New York, where if a worker misses a shift, the wages from that worker will be distributed to the other baristas who are working at the time or on a short staff shift, rather than going back into their, you know, corporate profits.
Many of the workers who I talked to who weren't aware of unions before, when they realized what the collective bargaining process entailed and the ability to really push for the benefits and the protections that they want, that aspect of autonomy; many of them brought that up as something that brought them around to supporting the labor organizing.
You started following the effort to unionize at this Denver Starbucks several months ago. Tell us a bit about this particular store, which is on Colfax Avenue. It's known as the Barn. What is it like for employees working there?
Well, first of all, it looks like a barn.
The Denver Starbucks community says work there is very fast-paced. Inexperienced baristas tend not to start there. Compared to some of the suburban locations, it can be a little bit more rough and tumble. Starbucks workers at other locations tend not to pick up shifts at the Barn because it has something of a reputation. One of the baristas I talked to was punched in the face by an angry customer who was mad about the mask policy. There was this other incident where one of the baristas was pepper sprayed because they were out of frappuccinos one day.
These are things that could happen at any Starbucks. But the Barn has a little bit of a reputation which gets back to the issue of workplace protections and maybe why the workers at the point were especially inclined to announce a union drive pretty early on.
I have to say, one thing that really jumped out at me is that Starbucks for a long time has had this public reputation as one of the few companies that actually does care about its employees. They offer health benefits; they pay for college tuition. It's kind of hard to square this perception of a benevolent company with what's happening now to employees who want to unionize.
And I think that perception is pretty common. And there's evidence of that. Like I said earlier, that's why baristas have sought out Starbucks, because they offer health benefits when not all coffee shop jobs necessarily do. They have a very robust tuition aid program. And they also have this kind of corporate culture that encourages this kind of friendly atmosphere. Every employee from management executives on down to the lowest paid barista are referred to internally in the company as partners. And this of goes along with the, you know, company culture they try to foster.
But the workers say a couple of things. Just because there are benefits doesn't mean they're always the best — and they want them to be better. And they also say that if they have a union, it will be up to them to push for the benefits they want rather than, you know, the benefits coming down from on high from the company.
You know, I think about one of the baristas at the Denver store named Vanessa Castro, who I spoke to and has worked for Starbucks for four years at multiple stores around the country. She's getting a college degree from Arizona State with tuition aid from Starbucks. And she said, if you start to empower employees by giving them benefits, options, resources to get to access, you don't get to choose when to stop.
What happens next? You mentioned the votes for the Denver story will be announced on Tuesday. What are people expecting the results to be?
That's right. The NLRB will announce the results on May 10th. All my reporting suggests that the workers are pretty confident that they have a wide margin of majority support. And then once that happens, I mean, that's a big win. But it's also just the beginning, because then they have to enter the collective bargaining agreement process. All expectations are that Starbucks is going to be very hard nosed with the bargaining. You know, the fact that they're trying to pit unionized workers against non-unionized workers with the benefit increase for the non-labor stores, I think, is evidence of how they intend to operate going forward.
The National Starbucks Union is associated with one of the largest service-worker unions in the country. They have good lawyers. So they're certainly going to, you know, push back. And I definitely get the sense from the workers in Denver that they are both excited to just have the vote happen and get this, you know, this uncertain limbo period done with.
Colorado Edition is hosted and produced by Erin O'Toole (@ErinOtoole1). Web was edited by digital operations manager Ashley Jefcoat.
The mission of Colorado Edition is to deepen understanding of life in Northern Colorado through authentic conversation and storytelling. It's available as a podcast on iTunes, Spotify, Google Play, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts.
Colorado Edition is made possible with support from our KUNC members. Thank you!
Our theme music was composed by Colorado musicians Briana Harris and Johnny Burroughs. Other music in the show by Blue Dot Sessions.
If you’re a Colorado high schooler who lives in a middle- to high-income household you’re most likely going on to college. A recent report from the state’s Department of Education shows 67% of those students enroll in a bachelor’s degree program. But those numbers are much lower for low-income students and students of color, in particular.
Last year, state lawmakers took several steps toward making access to higher education more equitable. Gov. Jared Polis signed two bills – one banning the use of so-called “legacy admissions” by public colleges and universities, making Colorado the first state to do away with that practice. He also signed a bill to remove a requirement that public colleges consider SAT or ACT scores for freshmen; instead having them rely on high school performance indicators such as grade point average, class rank and the overall academic rigor of a student’s course work. The new law still allows students to submit those test scores if they wish.
Nearly a year after those bills were signed into law, it’s not clear yet what the impact will be. Dr. Pius Kamau believes much more needs to be done to encourage and support children from underrepresented groups in the pursuit of higher education – especially in STEM fields. Dr. Kamau was born and raised in Kenya and spent three decades as a surgeon in Colorado. He spoke with Colorado Edition about how higher education institutions can do more to help students.
During an ongoing mental health crisis, many Coloradans with serious mental illnesses end up cycling in and out of the emergency department... or jail. Without easily accessible long-term treatment, this cycle leaves some with nowhere to go. KUNC’s Leigh Paterson reports on a $65 million piece of legislation that aims to create more places where people can get help.
Lastly -- May 4th is known to fans around the world as Star Wars Day And Colorado fans can show off their light- or dark- side fandom by grabbing one of a handful of custom license plates being auctioned by the state. Configurations include ANAKIN, KYLOREN, MANDO, YODAIAM, and JEDI. The proceeds raised go into a fund to benefit Coloradans living with disabilities. This auction continues through Sunday. May the Fourth be with you!
Colorado Edition is hosted and produced by Erin O'Toole (@ErinOtoole1). Web was edited by digital operations manager Ashley Jefcoat. The mission of Colorado Edition is to deepen understanding of life in Northern Colorado through authentic conversation and storytelling. It's available as a podcast on iTunes, Spotify, Google Play, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts.
Colorado Edition is made possible with support from our KUNC members. Thank you!
Our theme music was composed by Colorado musicians Briana Harris and Johnny Burroughs. Other music in the show by Blue Dot Sessions.
If you’re a Colorado high schooler who lives in a middle- to high-income household you’re most likely going on to college. A recent report from the state’s Department of Education shows 67% of those students enroll in a bachelor’s degree program. But those numbers are much lower for low-income students and students of color, in particular.
Last year, state lawmakers took several steps toward making access to higher education more equitable. Gov. Jared Polis signed two bills – one banning the use of so-called “legacy admissions” by public colleges and universities, making Colorado the first state to do away with that practice. He also signed a bill to remove a requirement that public colleges consider SAT or ACT scores for freshmen; instead having them rely on high school performance indicators such as grade point average, class rank and the overall academic rigor of a student’s course work. The new law still allows students to submit those test scores if they wish.
Nearly a year after those bills were signed into law, it’s not clear yet what the impact will be. Dr. Pius Kamau believes much more needs to be done to encourage and support children from underrepresented groups in the pursuit of higher education – especially in STEM fields. Dr. Kamau was born and raised in Kenya and spent three decades as a surgeon in Colorado. He spoke with Colorado Edition about how higher education institutions can do more to help students.
During an ongoing mental health crisis, many Coloradans with serious mental illnesses end up cycling in and out of the emergency department... or jail. Without easily accessible long-term treatment, this cycle leaves some with nowhere to go. KUNC’s Leigh Paterson reports on a $65 million piece of legislation that aims to create more places where people can get help.
Lastly -- May 4th is known to fans around the world as Star Wars Day And Colorado fans can show off their light- or dark- side fandom by grabbing one of a handful of custom license plates being auctioned by the state. Configurations include ANAKIN, KYLOREN, MANDO, YODAIAM, and JEDI. The proceeds raised go into a fund to benefit Coloradans living with disabilities. This auction continues through Sunday. May the Fourth be with you!
Colorado Edition is hosted and produced by Erin O'Toole (@ErinOtoole1). Web was edited by digital operations manager Ashley Jefcoat. The mission of Colorado Edition is to deepen understanding of life in Northern Colorado through authentic conversation and storytelling. It's available as a podcast on iTunes, Spotify, Google Play, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts.
Colorado Edition is made possible with support from our KUNC members. Thank you!
Our theme music was composed by Colorado musicians Briana Harris and Johnny Burroughs. Other music in the show by Blue Dot Sessions.
The first commercially imported alpacas were brought to the U.S. from South America in 1984. Alpacas are famous for their soft, luxurious fleece – as well as for their reputation as perhaps the most adorable creatures on the planet, with their sweet, goofy smiles, calm dispositions, and impossibly long eyelashes.
The U.S. alpaca industry took off exponentially in the early 2000s, but prices collapsed a few years later during the Great Recession, and by 2014 the so-called alpaca bubble had burst. Since then, however, the industry has been slowly coming back – and there’s plenty of love for alpacas here in Colorado. Ranchers raise them and sell their fiber for use in comfy sweaters, socks, even bedding.
You can visit with them up close this weekend at the Great Western Alpaca Show at the National Western complex in Denver. The show is free and open to the public, and runs through Sun. May 1. Fans can watch halter and performance competitions, costume contests, and peruse vendor booths with handcrafted alpaca fashions. And you can commemorate the weekend by hopping into a dedicated alpaca selfie photo booth.
To get a better idea of what the buzz over these fuzzy, gentle creatures is all about, Colorado Edition spoke with Jennifer Hack, the owner and founder of Triple H Ranch in Sedalia, where she’s been raising suri alpaca since 2013.
Later in the episode, KUNC's statehouse reporter Scott Franz takes us to a town on the frontlines of the affordable housing crisis, Steamboat Springs, to get a look at how state lawmakers are trying to help.
The first commercially imported alpacas were brought to the U.S. from South America in 1984. Alpacas are famous for their soft, luxurious fleece – as well as for their reputation as perhaps the most adorable creatures on the planet, with their sweet, goofy smiles, calm dispositions, and impossibly long eyelashes.
The U.S. alpaca industry took off exponentially in the early 2000s, but prices collapsed a few years later during the Great Recession, and by 2014 the so-called alpaca bubble had burst. Since then, however, the industry has been slowly coming back – and there’s plenty of love for alpacas here in Colorado. Ranchers raise them and sell their fiber for use in comfy sweaters, socks, even bedding.
You can visit with them up close this weekend at the Great Western Alpaca Show at the National Western complex in Denver. The show is free and open to the public, and runs through Sun. May 1. Fans can watch halter and performance competitions, costume contests, and peruse vendor booths with handcrafted alpaca fashions. And you can commemorate the weekend by hopping into a dedicated alpaca selfie photo booth.
To get a better idea of what the buzz over these fuzzy, gentle creatures is all about, Colorado Edition spoke with Jennifer Hack, the owner and founder of Triple H Ranch in Sedalia, where she’s been raising suri alpaca since 2013.
Later in the episode, KUNC's statehouse reporter Scott Franz takes us to a town on the frontlines of the affordable housing crisis, Steamboat Springs, to get a look at how state lawmakers are trying to help.
It’s been about six weeks since Russian forces invaded Ukraine. In that time, millions of Ukrainians have fled the country -- many of them refusing to leave without their beloved family pets. That flood of images of refugees with children in tow, and dogs or cats in carriers or in their arms, made Dr. Jon Geller want to do something to help. So, in March, the Fort Collins-based emergency veterinarian hopped on a plane and headed overseas. Once there, he set up a clinic providing the necessary care to ensure families' pets are cleared to travel to other European countries.
In 2015, Geller founded the Street Dog Coalition, a nonprofit based in northern Colorado that helps people experiencing homelessness get free vet care for their companion animals. He quickly discovered that his mission assisting Ukrainian refugees wasn’t all that different from helping unsheltered people care for their pets here in the U.S.
Colorado Edition had the opportunity to talk with Dr. Geller on April 1, shortly after he’d returned home from the Ukrainian border.
Colorado Edition is hosted and produced by Erin O'Toole (@ErinOtoole1). Web was edited by digital operations manager Ashley Jefcoat. The mission of Colorado Edition is to deepen understanding of life in Northern Colorado through authentic conversation and storytelling. It's available as a podcast on iTunes, Spotify, Google Play, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts.
Colorado Edition is made possible with support from our KUNC members. Thank you!
Our theme music was composed by Colorado musicians Briana Harris and Johnny Burroughs. Other music in the show by Blue Dot Sessions.
It’s been about six weeks since Russian forces invaded Ukraine. In that time, millions of Ukrainians have fled the country -- many of them refusing to leave without their beloved family pets. That flood of images of refugees with children in tow, and dogs or cats in carriers or in their arms, made Dr. Jon Geller want to do something to help. So, in March, the Fort Collins-based emergency veterinarian hopped on a plane and headed overseas. Once there, he set up a clinic providing the necessary care to ensure families' pets are cleared to travel to other European countries.
In 2015, Geller founded the Street Dog Coalition, a nonprofit based in northern Colorado that helps people experiencing homelessness get free vet care for their companion animals. He quickly discovered that his mission assisting Ukrainian refugees wasn’t all that different from helping unsheltered people care for their pets here in the U.S.
Colorado Edition had the opportunity to talk with Dr. Geller on April 1, shortly after he’d returned home from the Ukrainian border.
Colorado Edition is hosted and produced by Erin O'Toole (@ErinOtoole1). Web was edited by digital operations manager Ashley Jefcoat. The mission of Colorado Edition is to deepen understanding of life in Northern Colorado through authentic conversation and storytelling. It's available as a podcast on iTunes, Spotify, Google Play, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts.
Colorado Edition is made possible with support from our KUNC members. Thank you!
Our theme music was composed by Colorado musicians Briana Harris and Johnny Burroughs. Other music in the show by Blue Dot Sessions.
Have you ever felt uncomfortable, threatened, or simply like you didn't belong while trying to enjoy live music at a concert or festival? Traditional venues for music, theater and the arts aren’t always the safest and most welcoming places – especially for women, people of color and individuals from marginalized communities. It can be difficult to enjoy what’s happening on stage when you’re feeling uncomfortable, or worried about being inappropriately groped or harassed.
Amy Karp and Ileana Rivera met as college students at the University of Colorado Boulder. They racked up a lot of hours in the local music and arts scene, and witnessed too many examples of problematic behavior including physical and sexual harassment. To acknowledge and address these issues, they co-founded the Text Me When You’re Home collective -- which organizes events across the Front Range and seeks to make the overall arts scene in Colorado safer, more inclusive and more uplifting. We spoke with them in November about their work.
As the Russian invasion of Ukraine continues, the U.S. and allied countries are set to announce additional sanctions Wednesday that will target government officials and their families, and Russian-owned financial institutions. This is partly in response to the killings of civilians revealed recently in Ukraine, which President Biden has called “war crimes.”
The Ukrainian community in Colorado has been standing in solidarity with their families and friends back home. In late February, I visited a Ukrainian church in northwest Denver to hear from some of the people there.
Colorado Edition is hosted and produced by Erin O'Toole (@ErinOtoole1). Web was edited by digital operations manager Ashley Jefcoat. The mission of Colorado Edition is to deepen understanding of life in Northern Colorado through authentic conversation and storytelling. It's available as a podcast on iTunes, Spotify, Google Play, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts.
Colorado Edition is made possible with support from our KUNC members. Thank you!
Our theme music was composed by Colorado musicians Briana Harris and Johnny Burroughs. Other music used in the show by Blue Dot Sessions.
Have you ever felt uncomfortable, threatened, or simply like you didn't belong while trying to enjoy live music at a concert or festival? Traditional venues for music, theater and the arts aren’t always the safest and most welcoming places – especially for women, people of color and individuals from marginalized communities. It can be difficult to enjoy what’s happening on stage when you’re feeling uncomfortable, or worried about being inappropriately groped or harassed.
Amy Karp and Ileana Rivera met as college students at the University of Colorado Boulder. They racked up a lot of hours in the local music and arts scene, and witnessed too many examples of problematic behavior including physical and sexual harassment. To acknowledge and address these issues, they co-founded the Text Me When You’re Home collective -- which organizes events across the Front Range and seeks to make the overall arts scene in Colorado safer, more inclusive and more uplifting. We spoke with them in November about their work.
As the Russian invasion of Ukraine continues, the U.S. and allied countries are set to announce additional sanctions Wednesday that will target government officials and their families, and Russian-owned financial institutions. This is partly in response to the killings of civilians revealed recently in Ukraine, which President Biden has called “war crimes.”
The Ukrainian community in Colorado has been standing in solidarity with their families and friends back home. In late February, I visited a Ukrainian church in northwest Denver to hear from some of the people there.
Colorado Edition is hosted and produced by Erin O'Toole (@ErinOtoole1). Web was edited by digital operations manager Ashley Jefcoat. The mission of Colorado Edition is to deepen understanding of life in Northern Colorado through authentic conversation and storytelling. It's available as a podcast on iTunes, Spotify, Google Play, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts.
Colorado Edition is made possible with support from our KUNC members. Thank you!
Our theme music was composed by Colorado musicians Briana Harris and Johnny Burroughs. Other music used in the show by Blue Dot Sessions.
In many parts of the country, sources of local journalism are in decline. A recent report from the Center for Information, Technology and Public Life notes that more than a fourth of the country’s newspapers have disappeared, and residents in thousands of communities now live in a news desert. This matters, because local news outlets play an essential role in keeping the community informed about elections, public safety, and what their local representatives are up to. Local journalism also help to inform common values that create a sense of shared purpose within a community.
With that in mind, a collaborative made up of area newsrooms, public libraries, working journalists and media scholars launched in the fall. The aim of the Northern Colorado Deliberative Journalism Project is to strengthen local journalism by reimagining the current information ecosystem and elevating our ability to tackle shared problems in a more thoughtful, constructive way. Martín Carcasson is the founder and director of CSU’s Center for Public Deliberation, or CPD, which is part of the project’s core team. He joined us to share more about the project, and how the public can be involved.
Note: The core team’s meeting will be open to the public once a quarter, beginning Monday, April 4 at 2:00 p.m. You can sign up to participate here.
Rural northeast Colorado has fewer employed artists than any other region in the state, according to a 2020 report. While musicians, dancers and fashion designers may sell a lot less out there, they are still creating. KUNC’s Adam Rayes recently went to Yuma County to hear two musicians from different generations discuss their craft.
Colorado Edition is hosted and produced by Erin O'Toole (@ErinOtoole1). Web was edited by digital editor Jackie Hai. The mission of Colorado Edition is to deepen understanding of life in Northern Colorado through authentic conversation and storytelling. It's available as a podcast on iTunes, Spotify, Google Play, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts.
Colorado Edition is made possible with support from our KUNC members. Thank you!
Our theme music was composed by Colorado musicians Briana Harris and Johnny Burroughs. Other music in the show by Blue Dot Sessions.
In many parts of the country, sources of local journalism are in decline. A recent report from the Center for Information, Technology and Public Life notes that more than a fourth of the country’s newspapers have disappeared, and residents in thousands of communities now live in a news desert. This matters, because local news outlets play an essential role in keeping the community informed about elections, public safety, and what their local representatives are up to. Local journalism also help to inform common values that create a sense of shared purpose within a community.
With that in mind, a collaborative made up of area newsrooms, public libraries, working journalists and media scholars launched in the fall. The aim of the Northern Colorado Deliberative Journalism Project is to strengthen local journalism by reimagining the current information ecosystem and elevating our ability to tackle shared problems in a more thoughtful, constructive way. Martín Carcasson is the founder and director of CSU’s Center for Public Deliberation, or CPD, which is part of the project’s core team. He joined us to share more about the project, and how the public can be involved.
Note: The core team’s meeting will be open to the public once a quarter, beginning Monday, April 4 at 2:00 p.m. You can sign up to participate here.
Rural northeast Colorado has fewer employed artists than any other region in the state, according to a 2020 report. While musicians, dancers and fashion designers may sell a lot less out there, they are still creating. KUNC’s Adam Rayes recently went to Yuma County to hear two musicians from different generations discuss their craft.
Colorado Edition is hosted and produced by Erin O'Toole (@ErinOtoole1). Web was edited by digital editor Jackie Hai. The mission of Colorado Edition is to deepen understanding of life in Northern Colorado through authentic conversation and storytelling. It's available as a podcast on iTunes, Spotify, Google Play, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts.
Colorado Edition is made possible with support from our KUNC members. Thank you!
Our theme music was composed by Colorado musicians Briana Harris and Johnny Burroughs. Other music in the show by Blue Dot Sessions.
It’s been about a week since the NCAR Fire ignited in Boulder County, near the National Center for Atmospheric Research. Boulder fire officials announced today that the fire is now completely contained at 190 acres. That blaze came just three months after Colorado’s most destructive wildfire, the Marshall Fire, which destroyed more than 1,000 homes in the communities of Superior and Louisville. And many weary residents are wondering if a year-round fire season is now the ‘new normal.’
Jezy Gray was one of about 19,000 people evacuated at the peak of the NCAR fire Saturday. He’s also the managing editor of the nonprofit Boulder Reporting Lab – and he joined us to discuss the emotional impact these frequent fires are having on residents.
There were loud calls for gun reform in Colorado after a mass shooting at a Boulder supermarket last year. Lawmakers delivered on some of those requests, but other new laws are still in the works a year after the shooting. KUNC’s Scott Franz looked at the city’s ongoing recovery from the tragedy, as well as some new efforts launching this year to tackle gun violence.
And - a couple of events happening around the Front Range this weekend: It’s Guitar Night Friday, April 1 at the King Center at CU Denver. Professor Sean McGowan will play, along with world-renowned guitarist Pierre Bensusan.
And in Fort Collins, the ACT Human Rights Film Festival will feature thought-provoking documentary films and discussions throughout the weekend, with events at The Lyric and at CSU’s Lory Student Center.
Colorado Edition is hosted and produced by Erin O'Toole (@ErinOtoole1). Web was edited by digital editor Jackie Hai. The mission of Colorado Edition is to deepen understanding of life in Northern Colorado through authentic conversation and storytelling. It's available as a podcast on iTunes, Spotify, Google Play, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts.
Colorado Edition is made possible with support from our KUNC members. Thank you!
Our theme music was composed by Colorado musicians Briana Harris and Johnny Burroughs. Other music in the show by Blue Dot Sessions.
It’s been about a week since the NCAR Fire ignited in Boulder County, near the National Center for Atmospheric Research. Boulder fire officials announced today that the fire is now completely contained at 190 acres. That blaze came just three months after Colorado’s most destructive wildfire, the Marshall Fire, which destroyed more than 1,000 homes in the communities of Superior and Louisville. And many weary residents are wondering if a year-round fire season is now the ‘new normal.’
Jezy Gray was one of about 19,000 people evacuated at the peak of the NCAR fire Saturday. He’s also the managing editor of the nonprofit Boulder Reporting Lab – and he joined us to discuss the emotional impact these frequent fires are having on residents.
There were loud calls for gun reform in Colorado after a mass shooting at a Boulder supermarket last year. Lawmakers delivered on some of those requests, but other new laws are still in the works a year after the shooting. KUNC’s Scott Franz looked at the city’s ongoing recovery from the tragedy, as well as some new efforts launching this year to tackle gun violence.
And - a couple of events happening around the Front Range this weekend: It’s Guitar Night Friday, April 1 at the King Center at CU Denver. Professor Sean McGowan will play, along with world-renowned guitarist Pierre Bensusan.
And in Fort Collins, the ACT Human Rights Film Festival will feature thought-provoking documentary films and discussions throughout the weekend, with events at The Lyric and at CSU’s Lory Student Center.
Colorado Edition is hosted and produced by Erin O'Toole (@ErinOtoole1). Web was edited by digital editor Jackie Hai. The mission of Colorado Edition is to deepen understanding of life in Northern Colorado through authentic conversation and storytelling. It's available as a podcast on iTunes, Spotify, Google Play, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts.
Colorado Edition is made possible with support from our KUNC members. Thank you!
Our theme music was composed by Colorado musicians Briana Harris and Johnny Burroughs. Other music in the show by Blue Dot Sessions.
The focus of today’s episode: settlements for allegations of police misconduct that are centered around reforms to policing. The 11 largest cities in Northern Colorado have paid out $50 million over the past decade to settle 205 allegations of police brutality and other abuses of power. Many of these cases have slipped under the radar. Years before the death of 23-year-old Elijah McClain, two families attempted to reform the Aurora police department through legal settlements.
But despite past promises to improve procedures and diversity within the department, a KUNC investigation into the data reveals there hasn’t been much progress toward these goals. Investigative reporter Michael de Yoanna shares what he uncovered in the process, including efforts to increase diversity among Aurora’s police. We hear the second in de Yoanna's two-part series on settlements, and speak with him about his reporting.
Colorado Edition is hosted and produced by Erin O'Toole (@ErinOtoole1). Web was edited by digital operations manager Ashley Jefcoat. The mission of Colorado Edition is to deepen understanding of life in Northern Colorado through authentic conversation and storytelling. It's available as a podcast on iTunes, Spotify, Google Play, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts.
Colorado Edition is made possible with support from our KUNC members. Thank you!
Our theme music was composed by Colorado musicians Briana Harris and Johnny Burroughs. Other music in the show by Blue Dot Sessions.
The focus of today’s episode: settlements for allegations of police misconduct that are centered around reforms to policing. The 11 largest cities in Northern Colorado have paid out $50 million over the past decade to settle 205 allegations of police brutality and other abuses of power. Many of these cases have slipped under the radar. Years before the death of 23-year-old Elijah McClain, two families attempted to reform the Aurora police department through legal settlements.
But despite past promises to improve procedures and diversity within the department, a KUNC investigation into the data reveals there hasn’t been much progress toward these goals. Investigative reporter Michael de Yoanna shares what he uncovered in the process, including efforts to increase diversity among Aurora’s police. We hear the second in de Yoanna's two-part series on settlements, and speak with him about his reporting.
Colorado Edition is hosted and produced by Erin O'Toole (@ErinOtoole1). Web was edited by digital operations manager Ashley Jefcoat. The mission of Colorado Edition is to deepen understanding of life in Northern Colorado through authentic conversation and storytelling. It's available as a podcast on iTunes, Spotify, Google Play, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts.
Colorado Edition is made possible with support from our KUNC members. Thank you!
Our theme music was composed by Colorado musicians Briana Harris and Johnny Burroughs. Other music in the show by Blue Dot Sessions.
First up, an update on the NCAR Fire. About 150 firefighters have been working to contain the fire, which erupted Saturday in the foothills of Boulder County and prompted the evacuation of nearly 20,000 people. The fire hasn't led to injuries or damage to structures. All evacuation orders were lifted Sunday, although hiking trails in the area remain closed. Incident commander Brian Oliver said in a press briefing Tuesday that they expect it will smolder for weeks.
The focus of today's episode: payouts and settlements for allegations of police misconduct. People in Northern Colorado have agreed to drop allegations that police mistreated them and settle for cash payouts. It’s happened more than 200 times in the past decade, for allegations ranging from false arrest to wrongful death. And while some cases receive significant publicity, others slip under the radar. In the first of a two-part series, KUNC investigative reporter Michael de Yoanna uncovered hundreds of settlements -- and an ongoing pattern where allegations of police misconduct disappear in exchange for cash payouts.
Colorado Edition is hosted and produced by Erin O'Toole (@ErinOtoole1). Web was edited by digital operations manager Ashley Jefcoat. The mission of Colorado Edition is to deepen understanding of life in Northern Colorado through authentic conversation and storytelling. It's available as a podcast on iTunes, Spotify, Google Play, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts.
Colorado Edition is made possible with support from our KUNC members. Thank you!
Our theme music was composed by Colorado musicians Briana Harris and Johnny Burroughs. Other music in the show by Blue Dot Sessions.
First up, an update on the NCAR Fire. About 150 firefighters have been working to contain the fire, which erupted Saturday in the foothills of Boulder County and prompted the evacuation of nearly 20,000 people. The fire hasn't led to injuries or damage to structures. All evacuation orders were lifted Sunday, although hiking trails in the area remain closed. Incident commander Brian Oliver said in a press briefing Tuesday that they expect it will smolder for weeks.
The focus of today's episode: payouts and settlements for allegations of police misconduct. People in Northern Colorado have agreed to drop allegations that police mistreated them and settle for cash payouts. It’s happened more than 200 times in the past decade, for allegations ranging from false arrest to wrongful death. And while some cases receive significant publicity, others slip under the radar. In the first of a two-part series, KUNC investigative reporter Michael de Yoanna uncovered hundreds of settlements -- and an ongoing pattern where allegations of police misconduct disappear in exchange for cash payouts.
Colorado Edition is hosted and produced by Erin O'Toole (@ErinOtoole1). Web was edited by digital operations manager Ashley Jefcoat. The mission of Colorado Edition is to deepen understanding of life in Northern Colorado through authentic conversation and storytelling. It's available as a podcast on iTunes, Spotify, Google Play, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts.
Colorado Edition is made possible with support from our KUNC members. Thank you!
Our theme music was composed by Colorado musicians Briana Harris and Johnny Burroughs. Other music in the show by Blue Dot Sessions.
A group of Colorado journalists and community members of color called The Voices Initiative have been working to understand and correct racism in traditional local media. On today's Colorado Edition we talk about the racist past of newspapers and the findings of the initiative so far.
Today on Colorado Edition, we talk with Camille Dungy, a poet and professor in Colorado State University’s English program, about her contribution to an anthology of writings at the intersection of the climate movement and feminist thought. And we talk with Apollo Rodriquez, a high school student in a small Colorado town who documented coming out as transgender in a photo essay.
The new podcast “Women’s Work” from independent audio producer Ashley Ahearn follows women ranchers who are changing the ways we manage land and livestock across the West.
Today on Colorado Edition, we get an update from KUNC’s state capitol reporter about where lawmakers are at the midway point in the 2022 legislative session. And we hear about a new nonprofit launching in Colorado to provide support to the state’s music scene.
On today’s Colorado Edition, we hear about a new bill that would cover the cost of college tuition for thousands of foster youth in the state. And we listen back to a conversation with Dr. K. Ron-Li Liaw, the new chief of mental health at Children’s Hospital Colorado, about the ongoing challenge to provide resources and support for young people struggling with mental health issues.
Water feeds Northeast Colorado’s corn and wheat fields, creating a booming agricultural economy. But that water is disappearing from the tributaries that feed the Republican River, flowing 450 miles from the cropland of Yuma County through Kansas and Nebraska. In this special episode of Colorado Edition from KUNC, reporter Adam Rayes takes us on a journey to explore the water crisis in Colorado’s Republican River basin.
Today on Colorado Edition, we head up to Loveland to watch how a new reservoir project takes shape, and we hear how a volunteer for a nonprofit that helps people navigate insurance after disaster is working with Marshall Fire survivors.
Among many things the pandemic revealed was just how undervalued many essential workers are, especially those who work in lower-paid service-industry jobs. Denver-based author and blogger Adam Kaat chronicles his experience working in a busy grocery store during the height of the pandemic, in a novel called Life on the Grocery Line: A Frontline Experience in a Global Pandemic.
Many rural towns across the mountain West are experiencing a moment of crisis — water scarcity and the threat of wildfire, as well as extreme income inequality and a shortage of workers, in part, because the cost of living is often incredibly high. We speak with veteran ski journalist Heather Hansman, who covers these issues in her new book. And we hear about efforts to ban a common but potentially unsafe series of chemicals known as PFAS from ski wax products.
Today on Colorado Edition, we explore local and statewide efforts to prevent overdose deaths and reduce harm. We also hear about a report commissioned by the Interior Department that outlines serious problems at tribal jails.
On today’s show, we hear from two Colorado scientists who recently discovered one of the oldest female infant burial sites in a cave in Europe. We’ll hear their analysis, and what they think life may have been like for the child and her family.
Today on Colorado Edition, we hear about Marshall Fire survivors who are struggling with a challenging housing market and a strong desire to stay put. We also listen back to a conversation with journalist Lisa Napoli about four women who were foundational to the early days of NPR.
Colorado State University held its annual International Symposium last month. As part of that, Colorado Edition’s Erin O’Toole moderated a keynote discussion on politics, polarization and the state of journalism, here and abroad, with former NPR journalist and Weekend Edition Sunday host Lulu Garcia-Navarro.
Today on Colorado Edition, we hear why Colorado kindergarten enrollment is increasing after plummeting due to the pandemic last year. We also learn why the way we understand the impact of snow totals on drought is changing. And, we listen back to a conversation with Wilma Webb, the first Black first lady of Denver, as her husband and former mayor Wellington Webb is set to be honored with a sculpture.
Today on Colorado Edition: We hear from members of Colorado’s Ukrainian community who gathered for a church service over the weekend. We also examine Colorado’s move to add a public option insurance program and what lessons we can take away from Washington’s public option rollout; and we revisit a conversation about the history and future of Black cowboys in the American west.
On today’s Colorado Edition: There’s a long history of people creating guides to help others find inclusive spaces. In the 20th century, Black travelers used The Green Book to navigate safely. Now, two Colorado women have created a new tech startup that aims to do something similar.
Today on Colorado Edition: We hear how Coloradans working in our elections system are grappling with misinformation and threats to their safety. And we explore the ongoing youth mental health crisis with the head of mental health at Children’s Hospital Colorado.
Today on Colorado Edition: we explore the history of racist media coverage in Colorado, and the racism still present in media today, with a group of journalists and community members who have been working to understand and correct systemic harm of traditional local media.
Today on Colorado Edition: We check in on several wildfire related bills lawmakers are working on this legislative session. We’ll also hear about the reopening of the Table Mesa King Soopers in Boulder, and we’ll speak with the disaster recovery manager for the city of Louisville.
Today on Colorado Edition: Experts have suggested that eyewitness accounts to identify potential suspects are often inaccurate, given the trauma of seeing a crime take place. Stephanie Daniel explores how the misidentification and wrongful arrest of a Black teen led to a grassroots effort in Colorado to change the practice of using showups.
Nelson Holland, known on social media as fatblackandgettinit, is uniting the majesty of Colorado's outdoors with his own sense of humor and uplifting nature in his channel. He joins Colorado Edition to talk about his journeys and social media fame.
Today on the show, we’ll hear about encampments being assembled to provide temporary shelter for people experiencing homelessness, and we explore the work of John Johnson, an early 20th century photographer, who documented the lives of African Americans living in the Great Plains.
Today on Colorado Edition, we hear why schools across the state are starting to loosen COVID safety protocols. We also hear how advocates are looking to address chronic homelessness as donations have poured in for those who lost homes in the Marshall Fire. And, we listen back to a conversation about the history of Denver’s Blair Caldwell African American Research Library.
On today’s show, we hear from two Colorado scientists who recently discovered one of the oldest female infant burial sites in a cave in Europe. We’ll hear their analysis, and what they think life may have been like for the child and her family.
Today on Colorado Edition, we hear about an effort by state lawmakers to allow patients at least one visitor even during a pandemic. We also talk with David Sirota, the Denver-based co-creator of the Academy Award-nominated film “Don’t Look Up”.
Today on Colorado Edition, we speak to Deborah Winking about her new book, Capable: A Story of Triumph for Children the World has Judged as 'Different,' a deeply personal account of raising a child born with a rare genetic syndrome.
Today on Colorado Edition, we get an update on the current state legislative session. We also hear how new technology might help agriculture producers use less water. We listen back to a conversation on the history of lynchings in Colorado. And, we preview the upcoming annual Denver Jewish Film Festival.
Today on Colorado Edition: We check in with KUNC’s Leigh Paterson, who has been speaking with survivors and experts on the ground in the recovery of the Marshall Fire. And we catch up with two teachers to hear how differences in COVID policies in Colorado schools are impacting both rural and urban students.
Today on Colorado Edition, we learn about the growing number of recovery homes, where residents live in a substance-free environment. We also cover the hurdles tribal communities face accessing clean water in their homes. Plus, we hear how Arizona is responding to major federal water cutbacks. And, we talk with a member of the Little Rock Nine.
Today on Colorado Edition, we hear how a volunteer for a nonprofit that helps people navigate insurance after disaster is working with Marshall Fire survivors. We also listen back to a conversation about the history of avocados.
Today on Colorado Edition, we listen back to our favorite stories about two Fort Collins homes with important historical legacies. One is the home of Virgil Thomas, the first known African American to graduate from a Fort Collins high school. The other is an adobe-style home that belongs to the Cordova family, who have lived in Fort Collins for 100 years.
Today on Colorado Edition, we see what recovery is looking like for a Louisville family one month after their home became severely damaged and rendered uninhabitable in the Marshall Fire. We also hear about an organization in Colorado that’s working to fund girls and women of color, a group that’s critically under-funded when it comes to charitable giving, even in an era of unprecedented donations. And we continue our series on the Republican River with a look back at the history of how it got its name.
Today on Colorado Edition, we see what recovery is looking like for a Superior family one month after losing their home in the Marshall Fire. We also hear how some survivors are struggling through insurance inventories of everything they lost in the fire. And, we listen back to a story about Barney Ford, who helped with the Underground Railroad and lobbied for African American rights in Colorado.
Today on Colorado Edition, we explore the unlikely intersection of our state’s natural wonder and beauty with the online environment of TikTok.
Today on Colorado Edition, we hear why Nebraska is staking a claim to more water from the South Platte River. We also learn why some methods to test drugs for fentanyl in the West are illegal. And, we talk about a new apprenticeship program for restaurants in Colorado.
Throughout the last year, we had more than 350 conversations with Coloradans across the Front Range and beyond. Producers Henry Zimmerman and Tess Novotny joined host Erin O’Toole to talk about some of our favorite segments of 2021.
Today on Colorado Edition, we get an update on the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s recovery efforts for Marshall Fire survivors in Boulder County. We also hear about a $40 million plan to save a fork in the Republican River. And, we talk about the effects of a freeze on new building permits in Severance.
Today on Colorado Edition, we speak to Deborah Winking about her new book, Capable: A Story of Triumph for Children the World has Judged as 'Different,' a deeply personal account of raising a child born with a rare genetic syndrome.
Today on Colorado Edition, we hear how omicron is impacting students and teachers in classrooms across the state. We also travel to the fields of central Arizona, where farmers are grappling with federal water cutbacks. And, we talk with the Bureau of Reclamation's new deputy regional director for the lower basin.
Today on Colorado Edition: In 2020, the Almeda Fire became Oregon’s most destructive wildfire, destroying nearly 2,600 homes and claiming three lives. We hear how the affected town of Phoenix has progressed through its recovery, and how it could inform recovery in Louisville and Superior. And with extensive legal battles threatening abortion access nationally, state lawmakers may consider a bill this session that would help secure reproductive rights. We’ll learn more about what’s in the prospective bill and the state of abortion access in Colorado.
There is a long history of people creating guides to help others find inclusive spaces. In the 20th century, Black travelers used The Green Book to navigate safely. Now, two Colorado women have created a website that aims to do something similar
With water flow declining in the Republican River, fresh ideas are cropping up to save it from depletion. We explore the pivot some farmers are making to alternative growing methods and crops less dependent on water. And, the art of drag performance has grown in visibility and popularity over the last few years, opening the door for a series of local classes on drag for teens and tweens. We hear more about the class and how attitudes about drag have changed over time.
Risk factors for domestic violence are complex and varied, but some research suggests that incidents increase in the wake of natural disasters, including pandemics and wildfires. We explore the connection between the two here in Colorado. And as we head into the third year of the pandemic, college and university students are heading back to classes. We hear how COVID is impacting the day-to-day at the University of Northern Colorado.
Today on Colorado Edition: We hear about a final push underway in the U.S. to destroy stockpiles of chemical weapons at two Army bases, including at the Army’s Chemical Depot in Pueblo. We also hear from a mother and daughter who created the Shining Beautiful series about living with disabilities. And, we revisit an exhibit at the Greeley History Museum on the power of voting.
Today on Colorado Edition, we speak to Jenny Shank about her book, Mixed Company, that celebrates diverse voices and perspectives in the city of Denver.
Today on Colorado Edition: Experts have suggested that eyewitness accounts to identify potential suspects are often inaccurate, given the trauma of seeing a crime take place. We hear how the misidentification and wrongful arrest of a Black teen led to a grassroots effort in Colorado to change the practice of using showups.
Today on Colorado Edition: We speak with the head of public health in Boulder County about surging COVID-19 cases and recovery from the Marshall Fire. We also hear how the closure of a Louisville hospital is impacting community health care. Plus, we explore how current strikes in the West could impact workers rights in the future. And, we head back in time to the early days of the Republican River’s water management to understand how managers today are grappling with dropping river flows.
There is a long history of people creating guides to help others find inclusive spaces. In the 20th century, Black travelers used The Green Book to navigate safely. Now, two Colorado women have created a website that aims to do something similar.
Today on Colorado Edition, we preview what state lawmakers are planning to pursue in the new legislative session that kicks on tomorrow. We also learn about the possibility of new technology to help farms use less water. And, we hear why higher populated communities are becoming more vulnerable to wildfire.
Today on Colorado Edition: We examine the connection between devastating wildfires in our region and the climate crisis happening on a global scale. We also hear from a Marshall Fire survivor about how her family is navigating recovery with a home that’s still standing, but uninhabitable due to smoke and soot damage.
The latest official estimates of the Marshall Fire’s toll put the number of structures destroyed at 1084. Today on Colorado Edition, we talk with four people who evacuated and lost homes in the fire.
Today on Colorado Edition: We check in with the mayor of Superior to hear how the community is processing the aftermath of the Marshall Fire. And, we hear how water shortages in the Republican River are affecting agricultural producers in eastern Colorado and downstream.
Today on Colorado Edition, we hear how residents in northwestern Colorado are reacting to their new congressional district. We also hear why some Arizonans are relying on water stored underground amid federally mandated water usage cutbacks. Plus, we get an update on surging COVID cases in the high country. And, we learn about a new Facebook group to facilitate housing for Marshall Fire survivors.
Today on Colorado Edition, we hear how a disaster assistance center opened in Boulder County this week is helping people displaced by the Marshall Fire. And, we check in with Boulder Valley School District’s superintendent on plans to return to school this week.
Today on Colorado Edition, we hear how extreme climate conditions and drought set the stage for last week’s devastating winter wildfires. And, we listen back to a story on a campaign to stop stigma against opioid addiction treatment.
Throughout the last year, we had more than 350 conversations with Coloradans across the Front Range and beyond. Producers Henry Zimmerman and Tess Novotny joined host Erin O’Toole to talk about some of our favorite segments of the year.
Today on Colorado Edition, we hear what issues Latino voters in the state’s new 8th Congressional District are thinking about. We also listen back to a conversation with teachers helping young students adjust to in-person school. And, we learn how long-term residents of mountain towns across the West are being priced out of their communities as home prices soar.
Today on Colorado Edition: We hear how higher education institutions that displaced communities for the development of Denver’s Auraria campus are expanding their promise of scholarships for affected families. We also explore how financial aid can impact degree attainment for Hispanic women in Weld County. And, we hear how upcoming mandatory water cutbacks could impact farmers across the West.
Today on Colorado Edition: We speak with a Fort Collins-based writer and poet about her work in an anthology of writings at the intersection of the climate movement and feminist thought, and we explore the work of a trans photographer in Paonia who documented the early days of his transition in a recent photo essay.
Today on Colorado Edition: Every month, the RiNo Mural Program in Denver’s River North Art District pays local artists to create community installations. In celebration of Native American Heritage month, three Indigenous artists in Colorado have painted works exploring cultural representation and identity. We speak with the artists about their murals, and the connection between artistic expression and social change.
Today on Colorado Edition, we explore the impact of college attainment disparities for Hispanic men. We also dig into the definition of drought. And, we listen back to the story of a World War II-era bomber crashing into one of the Colorado River’s biggest reservoirs in 1948.
Today on Colorado Edition: We hear how a slow start to the winter season is intensifying climate concerns about the future in our region. We also get an update on ongoing discussions over the allocation of water from the Colorado River. Plus, we talk with a respiratory therapist about how her life changed during the pandemic, and after receiving a COVID-19 vaccine.
Today on Colorado Edition: Colorado is getting a new congressional seat for the first time in years. We hear how it could dramatically change public policy here and around the country. We also speak with one of Northern Colorado’s leading public health officials about the impact of the COVID-19 vaccine and the path of the pandemic over the last year. And we get a look at a new state effort to prepare more Coloradans for employment in STEM fields.
Today on Colorado Edition: The COVID-19 vaccine first became available in Colorado nearly one year ago. Since then, millions of Coloradans have gotten vaccinated. But despite that progress, the virus and its variants are still spreading. We explore the state of the pandemic a year after the vaccine became available, and how efforts to make vaccine access more equitable have fared.
Today on Colorado Edition, we dig into the results of the most recent Colorado Political Climate Survey, produced by the American Politics Research Lab at the University of Colorado Boulder. And we revisit a discussion with two researchers studying the beneficial health impacts of listening to natural sounds.
Today on Colorado Edition: We hear what’s next for Douglas County schools following a recent vote by the school board to drop a mask requirement. We’ll also preview a water conference next week where officials will make decisions that affect millions of people. And, we revisit our conversation with famed ski map illustrator James Niehues, and the Montana-based artist he’s passing the torch to, Rad Smith.
Today on Colorado Edition, we hear why many tribal communities in the Colorado River basin do not have access to clean drinking water. We also get tips from an arborist on keeping trees healthy during this dry fall and winter. Plus, we get the latest on pandemic-related disruptions making it harder for Latinos to access health care in Western states. And, we listen back to a conversation about migratory patterns of birds in Colorado.
Today on Colorado Edition, we learn what’s behind the warm and dry weather so far this winter on the Front Range, and what impact the lack of snow could have next spring. We also hear about an emerging technology that could prevent oil and gas producers from abandoning unprofitable wells. Plus, we explore the end-of-life cycle for these wells and who typically pays to clean them up when producers walk away.
Despite overall increases in Latino college enrollment over the years, large gaps in attainment still persist. One group in Weld County is organizing funds to help women pay for classes and earn their degrees.
Today on Colorado Edition, we hear why a panel of medical experts concluded that a common justification used by paramedics to sedate people has racist implications. We also learn how climate change is impacting fruit-growing across the Western Slope. And, we get the latest on a lawsuit challenging a federal workplace vaccination mandate.
Today on Colorado Edition, we listen back to our favorite stories about two Fort Collins homes with important historical legacies. One is the home of Virgil Thomas, the first known African American to graduate from a Fort Collins high school. The other is an adobe-style home that belongs to the Cordova family, who have lived in Fort Collins for 100 years.
Today on Colorado Edition, we learn about the expiration of federal pandemic-related paid time off, leaving employees feeling pressured to show up at work. We also hear how the federal infrastructure bill aims to stem the tide of firefighters leaving the field due to low pay and benefits. And we talk about a group that aims to make hiking inclusive for people with all body types.
Today on Colorado Edition, we talk to early childhood educators about how they’ve been impacted by the ongoing pandemic. And we learn how the end of wildfire season can impact the mental health of firefighters.
Today on Colorado Edition, we learn about the four main numbers scientists are using to measure drought. We also hear how Coloradans rallied to save one of the oldest synagogues in the Mountain West, and we learn about the growing industry of green technology.
Today on Colorado Edition, we explore the history of Sundown Towns across the Mountain West, and learn how racism and discrimination in the past still impacts residents of color who live there today.
Today on Colorado Edition, we learn about efforts to combat the stigma of opioid addiction. And we hear about a lawsuit challenging Colorado’s ban on Native American school mascots.
Today on Colorado Edition, we hear about upcoming changes to the police and fire departments in Aurora. We also learn about the first nuclear plant that will use Natrium technology, and hear what happens to oil and gas wells when their producers go bankrupt.
Every month, the RiNo Mural Program in Denver’s River North Arts District pays local artists to create community installations. In celebration of Native American Heritage month, three Indigenous artists in Colorado have painted works exploring cultural representation and identity.
Colorado Edition spoke with the artists about their murals, and the connection between artistic expression and social change.
Today on Colorado Edition, we learn why one species of fish native to the Colorado River is no longer on the endangered list. We also learn about a new set of policy recommendations aimed at protecting Colorado’ big game populations, and hear why many Western cities are recording some of the worst air quality levels on the planet.
Today on Colorado Edition, we learn why an increasing number of Colorado universities are becoming Hispanic-serving institutions. And, we hear about efforts to rename natural landmarks that bear offensive titles.
Today on Colorado Edition, we hear why some Coloradans are returning to the small farming communities they planned to leave behind. And, we learn about a new initiative to increase the hiring rates for formerly incarcerated individuals.
Today on Colorado Edition, we speak to Jenny Shank about her new book, Mixed Company, that celebrates diverse voices and perspectives in the city of Denver.
Today on Colorado Edition, we hear what Northern Colorado veterans from the War on Terror are thinking about the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan. Then we hear about two WWII veterans who were recently given the recognition they deserve.
Today on Colorado Edition, we get an update on COVID-19 safety measures in Northern Colorado. We also learn why Denver is vying to be a host city for the 2026 Men’s FIFA World Cup.
Today on Colorado Edition, we learn how Colorado hospitals are grappling with the latest surge of COVID-19. We also hear how schools are dealing with staffing shortages, and the drastic measures some are now forced to take.
Today on Colorado Edition, we learn how public schools in the Greeley-Evans district are grappling with the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. And we learn about a new collective that seeks to make entertainment events safer and more uplifting.
Today on Colorado Edition, we learn how Gov. Jared Polis plans to spend the state’s recently unveiled budget proposal. And we learn how some oil and gas companies in Colorado are able to skirt methane emission rules.
Today on Colorado Edition, we get an update on the spread COVID-19 cases in Northern Colorado. Then, we learn how schools are acknowledging the role trauma can play in students' lives. And we speak to a rural transgender high school student about documenting his experiences in a photo essay.
Today on Colorado Edition, we talk to three guests about the results from Colorado’s recent election and why the three statewide ballot measures ultimately failed. And, we speak to an environmental poet about the intersection of literature and climate action.
Today on Colorado Edition, we get an update on Colorado’s new, final congressional map approved by the state Supreme Court. We also hear about the Denver Art Museum's new expansion and commitment to inclusion. And, we listen back to a story about a beloved long-time usher at Coors Field.
Today on Colorado Edition, we learn how renters are impacted by an increase in housing unaffordability over the last year. We also hear about a controversial proposal to address the affordable housing crisis. And, we check out a new exhibit on the history of women’s voting rights in Weld County.
Today on Colorado Edition, we get an update on a campaign to bring a refugee from Afghanistan to Fort Collins. And, we talk with a kindergarten teacher in Denver and a second-grade teacher in Fort Lupton about how their young students are adjusting to a classroom setting.
Today on Colorado Edition, we hear from two doctors about the increasing number of COVID-19 cases in hospitals. We also learn about new programs in Larimer and Jackson counties meant to divert adults from the criminal justice system.
On today’s episode of Colorado Edition, we hear about a ballot measure meant to weaken the power of the state's executive branch. We also learn how the newest historic landmark in Fort Collins is groundbreaking in its preservation of the city’s Black history.
On today’s episode of Colorado Edition, we learn why school board races across the country are becoming increasingly contentious ahead of the November election. We also look at a ballot proposal that would fund new tutoring programs for students. And, we hear how Fort Collins venues are navigating the latest COVID-19 guidelines.
On today’s episode of Colorado Edition, we learn about the winter weather Coloradans are expecting to see this winter after a hot, dry summer. We also look at one of the three statewide ballot questions voters are facing this November, and learn about the recent benefit increase for SNAP participants.
On today’s episode of Colorado Edition, we learn about a new research center out of Colorado State University that will study the benefits of cannabinoids. We also hear how a collaborative in Northern Colorado is weaving spooky stories into an upcoming event series. Plus we speak with legendary ski map artist James Niehues as he retires from painting trails and passes his torch forward.
On today’s episode of Colorado Edition, we get the latest metrics on the spread of the coronavirus in schools. We also learn what voters will be deciding on this election cycle, and hear about disruptions in the food supply chain for Colorado schools.
Today on Colorado Edition: We hear how a shortage of school bus drivers is impacting the Poudre School District. Plus, we talk with an athlete who was recently inducted into Colorado’s Special Olympics hall of fame.
On today’s episode of Colorado Edition, we hear the latest on water supply issues in the West. We also get an update on Larimer County’s new mask requirements, and learn about the growing industry of green technology.
On today’s episode of Colorado Edition, we hear about the city of Aurora’s new crisis intervention program. We also learn about new efforts to help plants and wildlife thrive in western Colorado’s wetlands, and we talk to a member of a hiking group that advocates for body diversity in the outdoors.
On today’s episode of Colorado Edition, we learn about the development of new technology that aims to keeps residents safe from wildfires. We also hear about new spending packages meant to address climate change and speak to the winner of a pageant for women and girls with disabilities.
On today’s episode of Colorado Edition, we hear some updates on Weld County’s favorite dinosaur. We also learn how rising temperatures are impacting species like the American pika and get insight into recovering and healing after leaving a cult.
On today’s episode of Colorado Edition, we revisit some of our favorite stories. We hear how wildfire smoke is impacting air quality and learn about recently unearthed documents at a former tuberculosis treatment center in Colorado Springs. We also check in with activist Buck Adams to learn about his artistic approach in calling for prison reform.
On today’s episode of Colorado Edition, we hear about the new congressional map that was recently approved by the state’s independent redistricting commission. We also talk to a Fort Collins resident about her century’s worth of family history in Northern Colorado.
On today’s episode of Colorado Edition, we revisit some of our favorite stories from the last few months. We hear how this summer’s Olympic games highlighted mental health struggles of professional athletes, and learn about the formative voices that helped shape NPR.
On today’s episode of Colorado Edition, we revisit some of our favorite stories from the last few months. We learn about efforts to make outdoor spaces more accessible for people with disabilities, and hear how one Colorado community is recovering after a devastating wildfire. We also speak with the first Asian American food editor at 5280 Magazine.
On today’s episode of Colorado Edition, we learn about an upcoming ballot proposal to cap property taxes. We also speak with the longest-serving usher at Coors Field Baseball Stadium. Plus, we hear how wildfire smoke is making its way into school classrooms. And, we dive into the impacts of racism in Loveland.
On today’s episode of Colorado Edition, we hear how a Colorado town that is almost entirely vaccinated is still being impacted by the spread of COVID-19. We also learn about a new ballot proposal to fund educational programs, and talk to a Community College instructor about the lack of benefits for adjunct faculty.
On today’s episode of Colorado Edition, we hear from janitors who went on strike at the Denver International Airport. We also learn about a new amendment proposal on the November ballot. Plus, we hear about the role of harm reduction techniques in addiction recovery services.
On today’s episode of Colorado Edition, we learn about the rollout of COVID-19 booster shots in Colorado. We also wrap up our series on sundown towns in the Mountain West with a look at discrimination in Loveland and a conversation with some of the journalists who worked on the project.
On today’s episode of Colorado Edition, we learn about the new congressional map recently approved by the state's independent redistricting community. We also hear about sundown towns that discriminated against Indigenous people in Nevada, and learn about the impact of wildfire smoke on air quality.
On today’s episode of Colorado Edition, we hear how an Idaho town’s history of racism in the early 1900s still impacts the lives of people of color in the community today. We also learn about the annual elk mating season in our region. And, we hear how local restaurants are handling staffing shortages.
Today on Colorado Edition: we learn about the legacy of sundown towns in the West that once discriminated against or pushed out people of color. We also learn about allegations of wrongdoing at the state's Air Pollution Control Division.
On today’s episode of Colorado Edition, we hear about efforts to increase Hispanic and Latinx participation and representation in the outdoors. We also learn how the work of beavers helped to spare some watershed areas from wildfire damage.
Today on Colorado Edition: We learn about efforts to rebuild land damaged from last year’s Cameron Peak wildfire. We also talk to an author about restoring voices of Black Americans in barbecue culture.
Today on Colorado Edition: We learn about the University of Northern Colorado’s pursuit to become a Hispanic-serving institution. We hear how Colorado State University is incorporating Indigenous perspectives into the classroom. And we talk to the first executive director of equity and inclusion at Front Range Community College.
Today on Colorado Edition: We discuss the Colorado Republican Party’s vote on a proposal to pull out of the 2022 primary elections. We also hear about new laws to mitigate some of the financial burden of college for undocumented students. And, we learn what the renovation of a Colorado Springs building is revealing about the state's history.
On today’s episode of Colorado Edition, we hear about a recent investigation on police and paramedics in Aurora, and learn the latest on carbon policies in Colorado.
On this episode of Colorado Edition, we learn reforms to policing in Boulder, due in large part to pushes for reform from the community.
Today on Colorado Edition: we learn what's being done to address the skyrocketing demand for COVID-19 testing, and get details on the state's plans for a booster shot rollout. We also hear about a public health initiative in Boulder that gives people experiencing homelessness a place to recover from COVID-19. And we learn how a formerly incarcerated individual is advocating for prison reform through artwork.
Today on Colorado Edition: Texans are already traveling to Colorado and other Western states for abortions. We hear how local clinics are handling the wave of new patients. And, a Lakewood Paralympian silver medalist talks about his athletic journey.
Today on Colorado Edition: we learn more about the science behind booster shots for the COVID-19 vaccine. We also hear how fentanyl testing might reduce the risks of overdosing on the deadly opioid, and look back at KUNC’s early coverage of some of the first 9/11 anniversaries.
Today on Colorado Edition: we look at the emerging market for law enforcement liability insurance in our state, hear how the legal system is responding to the growing use of the deadly opioid fentanyl, and learn about an annual event to honor the firefighters who lost their lives on 9/11.
Today on Colorado Edition: We look at the end of unemployment aid, learn about an increase in fentanyl use in the Mountain West, look back at past coverage of the 9/11 attacks, and get some updates on a mobile home park in Fort Collins.
Today on Colorado Edition: Bees are dying worldwide from disease, pesticide use, and habitat loss. We hear about an organization that’s managing hives and tracking honey to help bees form healthier colonies. We also hear about a resolution the town board of Nederland passed to recognize the rights of the nearby Boulder Creek watershed. And in light of the Rosh Hashana holiday, we look back at an early chapter of Colorado’s Jewish history.
Today on Colorado Edition: As the 20-year war in Afghanistan came to a close this week, American troops weren’t the only ones leaving the nation from the Kabul airport. We hear about evacuations for Afghans who are escaping the ever-growing Taliban presence – specifically the effort to bring one Colorado State University graduate back to the US. Then, we hear about the excess of patients filing into Colorado hospitals, and how doctors are navigating the Delta variant surge.
Today on Colorado Edition: We learn about the recent indictment of Aurora police officers and paramedics involved in the 2019 death of Elijah McClain, an unarmed Black man who was placed in a chokehold and injected with ketamine. Then, we hear how students, teachers and administrators are adjusting to the latest COVID-19 protocols as they embark on the new school year. And, we wrap up our series on policing with a look at why so many officers are leaving the force, and what the Boulder Police Department is trying to do about it.
Today on Colorado Edition: We learn about the push for changes in policing — everything from sweeping reforms to the system, new ways officers can address their mental health, and steps residents are taking to feel safer in their communities. Then, we hear how Colorado renters and landlords are preparing for the first month in almost a year without a federal moratorium on evictions. Plus, we learn how the regional Anti-Defamation League is addressing an increase in hate crimes across the state.
Today on Colorado Edition: We take a look at the mental health struggles often faced by law enforcement officers in Boulder County, and learn how the pandemic has exacerbated these problems. Then, we hear from Larimer County’s public heath director about the latest push to encourage residents to get vaccinated in light of a recent resurgence in COVID-19 cases.
Today on Colorado Edition: After a months-long delay, Colorado finally has the local Census population data needed to draw electoral districts. We’ll dive into what the new data means for the redistricting process. We’ll also hear about a recent push to name a Colorado Veterans Affairs clinic after an anti-racist trailblazer. Plus, we hear about a slate of new laws that aim to address issues of discrimination and accessibility for Coloradans with disabilities. And, we explore how methane leaks impact our changing climate and the multiple efforts underway to locate and fix them.
Today on Colorado Edition: In the wake of a newly released United Nations report on climate change, we explore how technology and policy can help turn climate challenges into opportunities. We learn about efforts to solve lingering racial disparities in postsecondary education attainment, and the long-term impact those disparities can have on students’ economic future. We hear about how the loss of caregivers to COVID-19, including parents and grandparents, is impacting Colorado children. And, with athlete mental health at the forefront now that the 2020 Olympics have wrapped up, we talk with a sports psychologist about the unique pressures and challenges that come with competition.
Today on Colorado Edition: A report from the United Nations out this week catalogues the physical science behind human-driven changes to our climate and paints a grim picture of what could lie ahead if significant changes aren’t made. We’ll explore the report’s findings, and how our changing climate could shape the inhabitability of the Front Range. We’ll also hear from artists who have used time away from performing to examine the safety and equity of their art. And, we speak with teachers from different school districts about how their schools are approaching the return to in-person classes this month.
Today on Colorado Edition: We learn how the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission is taking action against a Weld County company accused of oil spills and gas leaks. Then, we shift our gaze towards the sky and learn about the annual Perseid meteor shower. Next, a climate reporter tells us what she’s learned from two different journeys down a dam just upstream of the Grand Canyon, 30 years apart. Plus, we hear how hiking 14ers can sometimes harm the very trails we rely on — and what one group is doing to mitigate the damage.
Today on Colorado Edition: As the concert scene heats back up, some Front Range clubs will require concertgoers to show proof of vaccination. We’ll explore what that will entail and how venues hope it will help them recover from last year’s pandemic slump. We talk with an Olympic gymnast from Colorado about his road to Tokyo, and how COVID-19 has impacted the games. We hear how the rafting industry has made a comeback, despite this summer’s mudslides and wildfires. And, we meet bumblebee-sniffing dog Darwin, trained to work with conservation experts to help increase our understanding of bees and other pollinators.
Today on Colorado Edition: We explore the latest COVID-19 health and safety guidance and its influence on how school districts are envisioning the year ahead. We also hear about a team of homebuilders in Northern Colorado that's exploring shipping containers as an affordable housing solution. We’ll visit a class in Denver that’s teaching children about a newly popular, cutting-edge technology. And we investigate the consequences of how crime is reported, both by police departments and news organizations.
Today on Colorado Edition: We get the latest on rising cases of COVID-19 and learn how Colorado officials are trying to mitigate the spread. Then, we hear from a runner who is blind and his sighted guide as they embark on their longest trail race to date -- and learn what message they are trying to send with the ambitious feat. Plus, we hear about a “pulse flow” that reconnected the Colorado River to the Pacific Ocean as we say a temporary farewell to KUNC’s resident water reporter, Luke Runyon.
Today on Colorado Edition: After a federal moratorium on evictions expired over the weekend, we get an update on what will happen next with Colorado renters and landlords. We also hear about the Olympic debut of sport climbing, and the Colorado climbers who will be competing. Plus, we learn how the Americans with Disabilities Act has shaped outdoor places in the last 31 years. And, we visit the Wilderness on Wheels camp in Park County that has focused on accessibility in nature since the mid-1980s.
Today on Colorado Edition: We look back on the history of Black cowboys in the American West and how they helped shape what our state would become. And, we travel back to a time before Colorado was a state to hear the story of a man who successfully lobbied to delay statehood until African Americans received the right to vote. We’ll also revisit our conversation with the artist behind the trail maps found at ski resorts across the state. And KUNC’s film critic reviews a movie about the intelligence and emotions of trees.
Today on Colorado Edition: we learn about the uptick in health organizations requiring their employees to get the COVID-19 vaccine, and why these mandates are coming months after the onset of widespread vaccine availability. Then, we check in with Colorado local Flora Duffy, who recently won the first Olympic gold medal for her home country of Bermuda. Plus, with Colorado Day on the horizon, we meet the newest state historian and learn about her goals for the year ahead.
Today on Colorado Edition: We hear how the pandemic has changed some students' college paths. We ride along with a co-responder team in Summit County to learn how they’re changing the way they respond to people in mental health crises. We talk with the head of the state’s new environmental justice unit about the work they’ll be doing. And, we hear how the wedding business is bouncing back in America’s wedding capital, Las Vegas.
Today on Colorado Edition: We hear how monsoon patterns and thunderstorms contribute to flash floods, like the ones last week in Glenwood and Poudre Canyon. We also get an update on unidentified aerial phenomena spotted in Eastern Colorado last year. Plus, we explore how Colorado mountain towns are weathering a “perfect storm” of a housing crisis, worker shortages and waves of tourists. And, we learn the results of a study on a Denver program that gave people experiencing homelessness a permanent place to live and access to extensive social services.
Today on Colorado Edition: We learn how ozone pollution and wildfire smoke are impacting air quality throughout the state. We also hear about a recent report that examines how Colorado has changed since legalizing recreational marijuana. And we revisit a conversation with Dr. Melba Patillo Beals, a former journalist, author and one of the Little Rock Nine.
Today on Colorado Edition: We examine the connection between floods and landslides and burn scars left by previous wildfires, and we hear how the Poudre Canyon community is dealing with recent flooding. Then, we head up to Grand Lake to hear how residents are recovering from last year's wildfires. Plus, we hear about a recent assault on a journalist at our state Capitol, and how it fits into a trend of increasing violence toward journalists. Lastly, we learn more about a voluntary state program designed to increase carpooling and reduce air pollution.
Today on Colorado Edition: As parents, students, and staff get ready for the upcoming school year, some COVID-19 guidance for classrooms is yet to be determined. We hear the latest, and we explore how getting back to our favorite pre-pandemic activities is more difficult for those who are immunocompromised. We hear about the rise in non-police crisis response teams across the state, including in Denver, which just approved more funding for their program. And, we discuss the response to a new state law which bans the use of American Indian imagery in school mascots.
Today on Colorado Edition: We hear how drought is pressuring the massive plumbing systems that divert water from the Colorado River to faraway communities. We also explore the results of a recent survey that asked 150 people experiencing homelessness in Denver to share their lived experiences and recommendations for more helpful policies. Plus, we learn how inflation across the country is impacting Coloradans, and we revisit a conversation with a record-breaking professional mountaineer.
Today on Colorado Edition: We hear what new research reveals about the path for Colorado’s goal of 100% renewable energy by 2040. We also look back on the legacy of a public television music video showcase that first aired in Colorado in the 1980s. And, we learn how a Nederland town board agreement to recognize the rights of a body of water could allow for fewer legal battles, and more neighbor-to-neighbor conversations.
Today on Colorado Edition: We explore how drought conditions in the West are affecting hydropower production at the county’s biggest dams – and how it could lead to increased electric bills. We also hear more about a Colorado program that’s screening babies for a rare and deadly genetic disease. We learn about Colorado Rockies star player Trevor Story, whose time with the team may be drawing to a close. And, we hear tips from Colorado business executives for finding the perfect camping site.
Today on Colorado Edition: We head to the mountains for a look at tensions over housing in Steamboat Springs, where a temporary halt on short-term rentals is causing friction between business owners and those who want to free up housing to locals. We also speak with Boulder’s first independent police monitor about how his role in police oversight works. And, we explore how Denver Public Schools is reinvesting funds after cancelling its contract with Denver Police for school resource officers.
Today on Colorado Edition: We explore the political spending of some of Colorado’s professional sports leaders and the connection between sports and politics. Plus, we hear how climate change is impacting the high mountain habitat of the American pika. We also speak with a woman living in Walden, Colorado where residents are banding together to pick up medications, and with a reporter covering the decline of rural pharmacies. And we hear about the return of a silent film series at Boulder’s Chautauqua Auditorium.
On today’s Colorado Edition: We talk with a public health expert about the current state of the COVID-19 pandemic and the threat of the delta variant. We hear about the impacts of a new bill aiming to rein in paramedics’ ability to sedate people using ketamine. We learn about two upcoming NASA missions to Venus, and the Colorado scientists involved. And, as baseball fans descend on Denver ahead of the All-Star Game on Tuesday, we explore the economic impact expected from hosting the event.
Today on Colorado Edition: We explore the impact of the prolonged warming and drying trend across the Southwest that has left the nation’s two largest reservoirs at record lows. We hear about a foreclosure auction for a large outdoor retail center that drew no bidders. Then, we learn about a new effort at the Denver Zoo to vaccinate many of its animals against COVID-19. And finally, we discuss how Colorado’s historic wildfires last year are impacting water quality this year.
Today on Colorado Edition: We learn about the work of a new coalition of early childhood stakeholders that’s forming to help educators earn their degrees. Plus, we hear about the comeback of a silent film festival here in Colorado, and we’ll visit the Shambhala Mountain Center, one of a growing number of places trying to shore up their defenses against future fire. We’ll also hear a listener essay about preserving the area between Denver and Colorado Springs.
Today on Colorado Edition: We learn about a tool that can predict how lawmakers will vote on certain bills - and find out how a friendly wager between two reporters turned out. Then, we hear about a surge of Colorado entrepreneurs who started businesses during the pandemic. And, we learn about the global history of the avocado.
Today on Colorado Edition: We head to the Greeley Stampede to get an inside look at the Miss Rodeo Colorado pageant. We also hear the story of recent eagle drama at Standley Lake that brought global attention to the park last year. Plus, we explore a course at Colorado State University that’s weaving Indigenous perspectives into natural resource management, and we speak with the food editor of 5280 Magazine.
Today on Colorado Edition: We learn why vaccination rates in rural communities are lagging behind more populated areas. Plus, we hear the latest on an effort by Colorado State University and the NASA SnowEx campaign to figure out how much water comes from mountain snowpack. We also get an inside scoop on how the sale of the Boulder chocolate company Lily’s fits into a larger trend in the candy industry. And, we talk with residents of Hickory Village, a Fort Collins mobile home community, who are trying to gain ownership of their park.
Today on Colorado Edition: We hear about a recently passed bill that will do away with most court fees and costs in the state’s juvenile court system. We also explore the work of the state board tasked with reviewing requests to change geographic place names. Plus, we get the latest on two ongoing investigations into the decision to move U.S. Space Command headquarters to Alabama from Colorado, and we hear a review of the Macedonian film God Exists, Her Name Is Petrunya.
On today’s episode of Colorado Edition, we learn how a changing climate and other natural hazards can make buildings susceptible to damage. Then, we discover how small towns on the Front Range are trying to conserve water supply to support their booming communities. We hear why a state law is unintentionally making it harder for Coloradans to find remote work. And, we learn how arguments over critical race theory made their way to a Colorado school board meeting.
On today’s episode of Colorado Edition, we hear more about the recent wave of wildfires burning though the northwestern part of the state, including the Sylvan Fire near Eagle. Then, we dive into wildfire restoration and recovery efforts at some of last year's worst0hit areas. And, we celebrate the legacy of Barney Ford, a prominent Black businessman in Denver whose life was largely shaped by the Underground Railroad.
Today on Colorado Edition: We explore why health experts have been sounding the alarm over the state of children’s mental health, even as the recovery from the pandemic continues. We hear from Grand Junction residents about whether the Bureau of Land Management headquarters should remain in Colorado or shift back to D.C. We’ll get an update on summer construction along I-25 in Northern Colorado. And, we discuss a new body image disorder borne out of the pandemic surge in video conference calls.
On today’s episode of Colorado Edition, we learn how the federal moratorium on evictions that’s soon to expire might impact tenants and landlords across the state. Then, we examine how the racial and ethnic diversity of faculty at Colorado’s universities impacts students. Next, we learn how Colorado towns are working to preserve their starry night skies. And, we hear about a new documentary series on Rocky Mountain PBS that shines a light on “environmentally harmonious” buildings.
Today on Colorado Edition: We explore the ongoing housing crisis in Colorado’s mountain communities, and how emergency declarations are opening up short-term solutions in the high country. We also hear about an unusual ceremony that took place in Denver recently in which a 102-year-old World War II veteran received medals he had earned, but never received. Plus, the world’s largest meat processing company recently settled a federal lawsuit over claims of discrimination against Muslim workers at its Greeley plant. We’ll speak to a lawyer and a former worker involved in the case.
On today’s episode of Colorado Edition, we hear about a new transportation bill that will raise billions in funding for the state’s infrastructure. Then, we learn why theaters and concert venues are still waiting to get their hands on relief money from Congress. Plus, we hear how the city of Boulder is taking a local approach to fighting climate change. And, we get an opinion on the 2019 foreign film, Take Me Somewhere Nice, from KUNC's film critic.
Today on Colorado Edition: We hear about the upcoming Juneteenth celebration happening in Erie, a small Colorado town with a population that’s 92% white. We’ll also check in on the health of the drought-stricken Colorado River Basin through its two largest reservoirs. Plus, we hear a forecast for heat and drought conditions in our state for the coming weeks, and we explore the connection between how we heat our homes and the changing climate.
Today on Colorado Edition: We take a look at a variety of bills passed out of the state legislature this session related to stimulus money, to mental health, and to police use of ketamine to sedate people. Plus, we hear how the state is cracking down on smaller bodies of water to prevent waste in the midst of drought conditions. We’ll also hear about a new scholarship program for students from underrepresented communities pursuing careers in health care. And we explore declining enrollment rates in schools across the state.
On today’s episode of Colorado Edition, we discover how the rise of virtual health care during the pandemic changed both patient-provider relationships, and the future of health care. Then, we learn how communities damaged by last year’s wildfires are trying to recover their natural areas. Next, we hear about the first gray wolf pups to be spotted in the state since the 1940s. And, we check in with the Grand Junction Daily Sentinel, where the Colorado’s last printing press approaches its final days.
Today on Colorado Edition: we learn how a new law might change the future of marijuana hospitality along the northern Front Range. Then, we speak to a new member of the Colorado Rockies franchise, and discover how she is making history. Next, we take a look a new true crime podcast out of the Denver Center for the Performing Arts. Plus, in honor of Pride Month, we revisit a story that takes us from Colorado’s history as a “hate state” to a leader in LGBTQ+ rights.
Today on Colorado Edition: We get an update on a bill that would place limits on when paramedics can sedate people with ketamine. We also hear an economist’s perspective on an incentive program from the state aiming to get unemployed Coloradans back into the workforce. And we’ll hear why a different incentive program to vaccinate Colorado’s correctional officers isn’t working like officials had hoped.
On today’s episode of Colorado Edition, we learn about new potential requirements for prospective Colorado educators seeking teaching licenses. Then, we hear about the racist legacy of one “sundown town” in Nevada. Next, we dive into the latest economic boost in the energy industry in Weld County. And, we learn how a failed Jewish farming colony in the 1880s helped lay the foundation for Colorado’s Jewish communities.
On today’s episode of Colorado Edition, we look at the changing mask mandates in residential care facilities. Then, we learn how closing many Native American Reservations to visitors during the pandemic impacted tribal communities. Next, we hear how drought conditions are not only harmful to crops and livestock, but also to the mental health of agricultural workers. And, we dig into a new bill that would offer Coloradans a deferment on paying some property taxes.
On today’s episode of Colorado Edition, we’ll talk about the $5.4 billion transportation package state lawmakers passed this week. Then, we’ll hear from new entrepreneurs who started their businesses in the midst of the pandemic. We’ll also listen back to a conversation about the Granby "Killdozer" rampage on the 17th anniversary of the incident. And, we’ll get a review of the 2021 film There Is No Evil.
On today’s episode of Colorado Edition, we’ll hear how the Biden administration is lending a hand to small businesses. Then, we learn how Colorado restaurant and tourism industries are responding to the shortage of workers. Plus, we dig into a new lawsuit challenging Major League Baseball’s decision to move the All-Star game to Denver. And, we talk to an organization that brings Israelis and Palestinians together to work on sustainable projects with a bent towards peace.
On today’s episode of Colorado Edition, we dig into a new bill that helps people with past convictions for marijuana possession seal their records. Then, we learn how some colleges and cities are looking to acknowledge and reconcile their land as belonging to Indigenous nations. We hear about efforts to address when police officers are ill-equipped to interact with people with disabilities. And, we get a peek into potential changes to Colorado’s school funding formula.
On today’s Colorado Edition: Ahead of the All-Star Game being played in Denver later this summer, we get the story of a historic 1932 baseball tournament in Colorado that would later be dubbed “The Little World Series of the West.” We hear what the return to live music looks and sounds like at a beloved outdoor concert venue in Lyons. We talk with two researchers about the hidden health benefits of listening to the sounds of nature. And, we learn why native plants are beneficial for our gardens and the ecosystem.
Today on Colorado Edition: We hear the story of how a team of paleontologists from Denver came to find pieces of one of Colorado’s most famous dinosaurs hidden away in some cardboard boxes. And with the long weekend ahead, and folks set to gather in person, we offer a pair of protein perspectives to help you decide what to put on the table, or on the grill. We also visit Tiny Town, a beloved tourist attraction near Morrison, that’s reopening to the public this weekend.
On today’s Colorado Edition: The state has announced it will hold five $1 million drawings for Coloradans who've been vaccinated against COVID-19. The idea is to encourage more people to get the shots in a timely manner – but do vaccine incentives actually work? We’ll hear more about what the research shows. Then, we’ll dig into the latest population estimates in Northern Colorado to see what the trends reveal. And we explore a little-known tool that can predict how lawmakers might vote on a bill, even before it comes up for debate.
On today’s episode of Colorado Edition, we learn about the search for a new president of the University of Colorado's four-campus system. Then, we look at how the state is trying to lower out-of-pocket costs for prescription drugs. And, in light of the recent death of the Love Has Won cult leader in Colorado, we hear thoughts from a Littleton-based cult recovery counselor.
Today on Colorado Edition: We explore Colorado’s infrastructure past with a historian who is hoping to reframe some of our older bridges as unique historic properties, worthy of preservation. We’ll also hear about indoor air quality and why most people think of air quality as an outdoors issue. Plus we’ll take a look at new camping restrictions and bans in place across the state this year as officials try to mitigate damage caused by an influx of visitors. And we’ll hear KUNC’s film critic review the Icelandic film, The County.
On today’s episode of Colorado Edition, we check in at the Boulder King Soopers that was the site of the deadly shooting in March about their plan to reopen this fall. Then, we hear why vaccine supply is outweighing demand in Colorado — and what to do about it. Next, we get a taste of post-pandemic life with a look at a recent live concert. Plus, we learn about the increased housing prices in Fort Collins as part of our My Colorado essay collection.
Today on Colorado Edition: We get the latest on the redistricting process in Colorado, a process magnified by the addition of an extra U.S. House Representative, and slowed down by the delayed 2020 Census count. We’ll also hear how Coloradans are responding to the ongoing violence in Palestine. Plus, we get a look at the high costs of cleaning up oil and gas wells in Colorado, abandoned by the companies that once operated them. And, we hear about local shake-ups in the oil and gas industry, and how it all fits into the rising price of fuel nationwide.
Today on Colorado Edition: Gov. Jared Polis has signed a $34 billion state budget, part of which fully restores funding cut from education in last year’s budget. We take a look at the new budget and where in education the money will go. We’ll also hear about the unease many are feeling as we slowly return to living life in-person, especially in the return to school. Then, we examine court delays caused by the pandemic, and we learn more about peak bird migration happening now in Colorado.
Today on Colorado Edition: We learn more about the latest guidance for mask-wearing in Colorado. Then, we hear about a new bill that aims to give Coloradans more control over their personal information on the internet. And, we learn about researchers examining the walls of the Grand Canyon to understand more about climate change. Plus, we find out about an art exhibition in Loveland that’s elevating the voices of Asian American artists.
On today’s Colorado Edition: We hear about challenges one rural business faced during the pandemic, and learn about a new online network that seeks to connect these businesses with needed resources. We drop in on a drone soccer tournament to learn more about this growing e-sport. And, we speak with a pair of historians about a new book on the trans history of Trinidad, Colorado, a small former mining town which, for many years, was one of a handful of places with a clinic providing gender confirmation surgery.
On today’s episode of Colorado Edition, we learn about drought conditions across the state that are sounding the alarms for another season of wildfires. Then, we hear about a new trademark infringement lawsuit involving the Wild Animal Sanctuary in Keenesburg and a similarly-named fund. And, we learn how people with disabilities have navigated the pandemic, and what they want the world to look like after it's over.
Today on Colorado Edition: We examine some of the reasons behind low vaccination rates among Colorado’s Hispanic and Latino populations. We’ll also hear about a new mentorship program for folks looking to stake their claim in the ever-growing marijuana industry. Plus, we get a look at the challenges and opportunities the Biden administration’s free community college proposal presents to our state and its community college system, and we speak with the Colorado woman who recently broke a North American record for uphill skiing.
Today on Colorado Edition: We’ll explore a package of bills heading toward passage in Colorado that aims to prevent deaths among pregnant women and create better outcomes for babies. We’ll hear about a local initiative that creates art by sifting through wildfire ashes, and we’ll get a look at youth homelessness across our region through a shelter in Colorado Springs. We’ll also speak with the new food editor at 5280 Magazine.
Today on Colorado Edition: We explore some highlights from the transportation bill that state lawmakers recently unveiled. We discuss some of the climate change priorities state and local leaders are pursuing even as Colorado’s pandemic recovery continues. We hit the (outdoor) dance floor at a high school prom. And, we hear from KUNC’s film critic about two exceptional films featured in this week’s Turner Classic Movies Film Festival.
Today on Colorado Edition: Recently released police body camera footage showed the violent arrest of a woman with dementia in Loveland, sparking community outrage. We hear how the recent pressure to reform police training is spurring change in the ways police interact with people who experience disability. We also discuss the latest COVID-19 outbreaks in the state and how they are impacting schools, from teachers to students. And, we speak with Lisa Napoli, author of a recent book detailing how several influential women helped shape National Public Radio into what it is today.
On today’s Colorado Edition, we hear about a new bill in the state legislature that would allow the composting of human bodies after death. Then, we learn how speculative investments into water rights are exposing problems in the ways we divvy up scarce water supplies. And, we hear about a new media partnership between the Colorado Sun and a national nonprofit.
Today on Colorado Edition, we get an update on vaccine outreach efforts for Hispanic and Latino communities in Fort Collins. We also learn what public health departments in the Mountain West are doing to address vaccine hesitancy. We discuss why a public option health insurance plan has derailed in Colorado. And, we hear how people celebrated the Muslim holy month of Ramadan during a pandemic for the second year.
Today on Colorado Edition, we take a look at three gun bills that Colorado statehouse Democrats unveiled Thursday. Plus, we hear how communities that experienced mass shootings manage the physical spaces where they happened. We also get a temperature check on the pandemic as Colorado cases continue to rise and health officials warn of a fifth wave. As we head into the weekend, we also talk about Bereaved Mothers Day, a holiday this Sunday for mothers who have lost their children. And, we get a review of the award-winning film Minari.
On today’s Colorado Edition, we dig into the complications surrounding President Biden’s plan to remove all American troops from Afghanistan by September. Plus, we hear about new jobs in the tech industry coming to Boulder. Then, we learn about how recent acts of police brutality have impacted people of color across the Mountain West. And, we hear about a nonprofit aiming to make Colorado communities more diverse when it comes to age.
Today on Colorado Edition: We examine Colorado’s legislative response to mounting mental health issues and concerns. Plus, we get a breakdown of the state’s plan for allocating early childhood stimulus funding from December’s federal aid package. We’ll also take a look at the first round of 2020 Census data and its accuracy, and we’ll hear about a group of second graders who are helping to prepare Coloradans for wolf reintroduction.
Today on Colorado Edition: We get the latest on the vaccine rollout in Colorado and explore what benefits we’re beginning to see due to an increasingly vaccinated population. We also take a look at how traumatic events can impact first responders, and even people who weren’t physically at the scene of a traumatic event. And with the vaccine rollout on track, we look at the return of summer camps in Colorado. And KUNC’s film critic gives us a review of "The Father," which received six Oscar nominations and features Best Actor winner Anthony Hopkins.
Today on Colorado Edition: we learn how traumatic experiences can take a toll on the mental health and morale of law enforcement officers. Then, we hear about a nonprofit that offers military veterans an artistic path of healing their trauma. We talk with Governor Jared Polis about attempts to vaccinate members of rural communities. And then, we learn about the first college in Colorado to mandate COVID-19 vaccines for all students.
We look at the factors driving the cumulative mental health strain for many Black Coloradans, and we explore the growing need for mental health care. We’ll also take a look at the record-breaking month of median home sales across much of Northern Colorado, and what it all means for sellers and would-be buyers. Plus, we explore the environmental importance of native plants, and hear how our shifting climate is impacting butterfly populations across the West.
On today’s Colorado Edition: Jurors on Tuesday found former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin guilty on all three charges he faced in the death of George Floyd in 2020. We speak with a professor of ethnic studies about the significance of the long-anticipated verdicts. We also hear from Gov. Jared Polis as he begins to hand off more of the pandemic response powers to local governments. We discuss the use of restraints on kids in Colorado schools, and the legislative roadblocks that prevent education officials from intervening. And, we explore a new exhibit at the Museum of Boulder that pays tribute to the lives lost during the last year.
Today on Colorado Edition: We get a look at the how Colorado is leading the push for police reform as nationwide calls for meaningful change grow. We also hear about recent legislation looking to help people of color stake their claim in the blossoming marijuana industry. We learn more about a recently extended program providing food aid to low-income students during the pandemic -- and how the agencies distributing funds are trying to reach more eligible students. And, we hear how climate change could finish off a World War II-era bomber discovered at the bottom of Lake Mead.
Today on Colorado Edition: we learn about how human trafficking was impacted by the pandemic and what to expect when COVID-19 restrictions loosen up. Then, we explore how some Coloradans have been impacted by student loan debt, and how President Biden’s latest push for debt relief could help. Next, we step back and relax with some notes of nature, and learn how natural sounds can positively impact our health. And, we celebrate the life and legacy of Colorado photographer Soren McCarty.
On today’s Colorado Edition: The last year saw a huge bump in people getting outdoors to escape pandemic confinement. We hear from Colorado Parks and Wildlife about the impact all that recreation has had on the environment. We explore the struggles of one of the region’s original natural grocers, and the overall state of the natural foods market. And, we talk with two authors on either side of the Continental Divide, who began a correspondence during the pandemic, based on their shared love of the Mountain West.
Today on Colorado Edition, we learn about a new bill aiming to make ski resorts more accountable for public safety. Then we hear about new calls for assault weapons bans and other gun control measures in the wake of the Boulder shooting. Plus, we hear from a second amendment rights activists about how gun owners — rather than legislators — should play a part in preventing mass shootings.
Today on Colorado Edition: We explore what gun legislation state lawmakers are considering after last month’s mass shooting at a grocery store in Boulder. We also hear about a bipartisan bill that would fund intensive tutoring for students across the state to address learning loss over the course of the pandemic. Plus, we learn how Colorado’s billionaires not only avoided financial losses, but came out of 2020 with billions more to their names, and we hear about a bill in Montana which would strip protections from the grizzly bear, which has seen its population rebound since its listing as an endangered species about 50 years ago.
On this special, podcast-exclusive episode of Colorado Edition, we speak with KUNC reporters Matt Bloom and Leigh Paterson to go in depth on their new reporting series, On The Edge. Their reporting examines the economic factors behind the surge in requests for emergency rental insurance here in Colorado and explores the growing issue of housing insecurity, and what programs exist to help renters out in these uncertain times.
Today on Colorado Edition: We’ll hear from two Boulder residents about how they, and the community, are processing their collective grief after the shooting at a Boulder King Soopers store. We’ll also learn about a new supportive housing project in Fort Collins that’s changing what it looks like to get people housed. We’ll explore the significance of Major League Baseball’s decision to relocate the annual All-Star Game to Colorado in the wake of Georgia’s new restrictions on voting. And, we hear from a marriage and family therapist on how to navigate a relationship when one person is a believer in QAnon conspiracy theories.
Today on Colorado Edition: We’ll hear how one Front Range city is offering legal support to local renters facing eviction. We’ll also explore how Colorado beef producers are looking to establish trade relationships in southeast Asia. Plus, we go in-depth with a recent lawsuit brought against the Colorado National Guard over First Amendment rights, and we hear a perspective on our changing state from up in Leadville.
Today on Colorado Edition: We explore a recently completed study measuring the impact of the pandemic on the state’s early childhood education sector. We also examine the economic factors pushing many Coloradans who are struggling to pay their rent to ask for financial relief. Plus, we get an update on some of the eagles at Standley Lake in Westminster, whose saga has been livestreamed online, and we hear more about the spring migration happening now across our region.
Today on Colorado Edition, we take a look at a new bill at the state house aiming to loosen abortion restrictions for rural survivors of sexual assault. Then, we learn about a new financial incentive encouraging staff to sign up for vaccines at the Colorado Department of Corrections. Next, we learn about upcoming live music events as some venues start to open up for the first time in a year. And finally, we hear about groundwater shortages in Moab, Utah.
On today’s episode of Colorado Edition, we hear about Durango’s COVID cowboys, enforcing mask mandates while staying true to that Old West charm. We'll also travel back in time to revisit the Denver prohibition of 2020 – although it sounds more like the prohibition of the 1920s. Plus, we'll take a look at our changing climate with a story about what researchers are learning about drought by looking at soil, and a conversation about how an increased risk of wildfires could impact the future of Colorado's hemp producers.
Today on Colorado Edition: We get an in-depth look at the prevalence of racism toward Asian Americans in the West. We’ll also speak with the founders of Five Points Atlas, a new publication which serves the Black community of Colorado. Lastly, we’ll speak with retiring KUNC president and CEO Neil Best about his 48 years serving public radio in northern Colorado.
Today on Colorado Edition: We look at the impact of the pandemic on the women in the workforce, and see how it's playing out for one business owner in Denver. We'll also look at gradual changes in school operations around the state, from how vaccinated staff impact in-person learning to how schools will be using soon-to-come federal aid dollars. Lastly, we'll hear about tribal leaders in our region seeking assurance their perspectives will be heard in future management of the Colorado River basin.
Today on Colorado Edition: We explore what’s ahead for the changing Republican party in Colorado, which for the first time will be run by an all-female leadership team following recent party elections. We’ll also learn about a new bill that would ban paramedics from administering ketamine and similar drugs to people in situations involving police. Plus, we hear about the steps tribal governments in our region are taking that have put them ahead of the vaccination curve. And we check in with a museum in Boulder that is seeking to honor the lives of the 10 people who died during last week’s mass shooting at a King Sooper’s grocery store.
On today’s episode of Colorado Edition, we learn about how Colorado media outlets have evolved their method of covering mass shootings in the state. Then, we talk to CU Boulder men's basketball player D’Shawn Schwartz about taking to the court just hours after learning of Monday's tragic event in his college town. Plus, we hear about a re-introduced healthcare bill at the state Capitol that aims to lower cost of individual market insurance.
Today on Colorado Edition: We look at some of the unique factors influencing gun culture and violence in the Mountain West region, which has a higher per capita rate of gun violence that other regions in the U.S. We’ll also get a look at the response to Montana Gov. Greg Gianforte’s recent killing of a wolf in Yellowstone National Park. Plus, we hear about uncertainty in the lives of Colorado families with immunocompromised children who can’t yet receive the COVID-19 vaccine, and what progress is being made toward getting them safely vaccinated. Lastly, we’ll hear a review of a new film showing the work being done on the James Webb Space Telescope, scheduled to launch in October.
On today’s episode of Colorado Edition, we hear from residents in the Boulder community, who are mourning the deaths of 10 people who died in Monday’s mass shooting at a Boulder King Soopers. We speak with a woman who lost her daughter in the 2012 Aurora theater shooting, about how she is helping to support the survivors of Monday’s deadly attack. We’ll also learn about the history of anti-Asian discrimination in the West and look at the ways it continues today. Lastly, we’ll get a look at Arizona’s effort to set its own water quality standards, following the Trump administrations rollback on part of the Clean Water Act last summer.
Today on Colorado Edition: We talk about the national spike in reported incidents of domestic violence during the pandemic. Plus, we get an update on unemployment and job opportunities in Colorado. We also hear why efforts to repeal the death penalty in Wyoming have become more bipartisan despite lawmakers defeating the most recent repeal proposal. And, we learn about a new app called “Write On” that helps you collaborate on stories with loved ones and strangers.
Today on Colorado Edition: We get an update on the state’s COVID-19 vaccine rollout, as more doses are set to arrive and the number of ways to get an appointment is increasing. We also explore a looming showdown for states that rely on drinking and irrigation water from the Colorado River. And, we hear from two agricultural producers about the backlash to the governor’s declaration of March 20 as a meat-free holiday.
Today on Colorado Edition: We speak with researchers at Children’s Hospital Colorado, who recently published a study looking at how marijuana use in breastfeeding parents can affect breastmilk. We also hear about updates to federal flood plain maps, which impact flood insurance rates. Plus, we learn more about a women’s basketball team in Wyoming making history, and we hear from listeners around the state about what they think of American football and the dangers of traumatic brain injuries.
Today on Colorado Edition: We hear a story of an unexpected upside to the pandemic: an improved and tightened bond between parents and teachers at an elementary school in Denver. We’ll also check in on the world of college basketball, and speak to a CU Boulder men’s basketball coach ahead of the team's appearance in this week’s NCAA March Madness tournament. Plus, we hear the story of two Colorado women making history through their podcast, one of whom may be the first non-verbal podcaster in the world. And, we hear a conversation with the author of a new book about the history of drive-in theaters here in the state.
Today on Colorado Edition: We look at how the recent snowstorm could impact the region’s snowpack and drought conditions around the state. Plus, we hear about a new bill moving through the legislature that would make it easier for cities to adopt ranked choice voting. We’ll also explore the ethical arguments for and against cloning animals to save them from extinction, and we’ll hear a review of Chloe Zhao’s Nomadland.
Today on Colorado Edition: We look at the declining rates of COVID-19 found in nursing homes and assisted living facilities. Next, we learn about how Special Olympics Colorado is navigating the pandemic to provide safe events. Then, we talk to a Special Olympics athlete about what the community has meant to him over the years.
Today on Colorado Edition: We learn what childhood immunization rates can and can't tell us about COVID-19 vaccine acceptance. We’ll also hear how Loveland is trying to spruce up its downtown, and we’ll explore a pop-up museum in Denver for Black girls. Plus, we get insight to the emerging profession of end-of-life doulas.
On today’s episode of Colorado Edition, we speak to Democratic Rep. Joe Neguse about his initiatives to protect public lands and grow the outdoor recreation economy. Then, we’ll learn about a new bill that would provide in-state tuition at higher education institutions for Indigenous people with historical connections to Colorado. Plus, we’ll discuss the impact of last year’s budget cuts to Colorado public colleges and universities, and the new cost-saving proposals on the table. And finally, we'll dive into upcoming negotiations over the management of the Colorado River.
Today on Colorado Edition: We explore how funding cuts related to the pandemic are affecting programs designed to keep people with unmet mental health needs out of the criminal justice system. We’ll also learn about a new software upgrade to a long-neglected state website that allows you to follow the more than $30 billion Colorado’s government spends each year. Plus, we’ll learn more about how COVID-19 can affect our senses of hearing and smell, and we get the latest on the state’s efforts to secure more resources for fighting wildfires, such as water- and retardant-dropping planes and helicopters.
This week marks one year since the first case of COVID-19 was confirmed in Colorado. On today's episode of Colorado Edition, we reflect on the ways the pandemic has changed our lives in the past year and consider what lies ahead. We hear how a Spanish music radio station transformed into a center for community resources. We also check in with an emergency room doctor about an incredibly difficult year for health care workers, and we get advice on how to grieve the losses we’ve experienced, both large and small. Finally, we get insight into how plans were made to ensure the most equitable distribution of the coronavirus vaccine.
Today on Colorado Edition: We’ll learn about a unique program at the University of Northern Colorado that’s helping college students with intellectual and developmental disabilities prepare for life after graduation. We'll hear about the third major retail center along the Front Range to face foreclosure in just the last few months. And, we look at how pandemic-induced revenue shortfalls are renewing conversations about whether states should exempt menstrual products from sales tax.
Today on Colorado Edition: We look at how transportation has and hasn’t been factored into states’ vaccine distribution plans, and what transit options exist for residents of rural areas to access far-away vaccination sites. We’ll also take a look at how the vaccine rollout is going for educators. Plus, we’ll hear from a local high school leader on racial equity and the importance of recruiting more teachers of color, and we learn more about CTE, a degenerative brain disease commonly found in athletes.
Today on Colorado Edition: We’ll get the latest on how Colorado’s congressional districts are set to change as an independent commission redraws districts based on numbers from the 2020 census. We’ll also remember the life and legacy of former NFL wide receiver Vincent Jackson, and look back at his time as a football player in his home state of Colorado. Plus, we hear about an annual art exhibit involving Lakewood’s internationally-known Casa Bonita restaurant.
Today on Colorado Edition: We explore the history and contributions of Black cowboys in the West, and how Black cowboy culture lives on in rodeos today. We’ll also revisit a conversation with Denver-based artist Narkita Gold about her project Black In Denver, and we get the story behind a historic baseball tournament in Colorado, later dubbed “The Little World Series of the West.”
Today on Colorado Edition: We speak with Elijah McClain’s mother, Sheneen, about her son and the recent independent investigation into his death in Aurora. We’ll also get more details about an investigation into coronavirus safety measures in the country’s largest meatpacking plants, including JBS USA in Greeley, which was launched this week by federal lawmakers. Lastly, we check in on basketball at the University of Northern Colorado, which is back to playing games following a recent COVID-19 outbreak.
On today’s Colorado Edition: Whether students should take standardized tests or not during a pandemic is a thorny issue. We explore how state lawmakers are handling that and other education-related matters. We also look back in time to see how the state legislature handled the 1918 flu pandemic at the Capitol building. We’ll learn how the Blair-Caldwell African American Research Library documents and displays Black history of Colorado and the American West. And, we hear from a Burmese community organizer in Colorado about his hopes and fears around the political situation in Myanmar.
Today on Colorado Edition: We examine Colorado’s existing power grid and winter contingency plans to see whether a large-scale failure could be possible here. We’ll also hear how Larimer County’s reserve officers training program is addressing growing mental health issues among its ranks. Plus, we hear from Front Range Community College’s new executive director of equity and inclusion about the issues in the current system and what it will take to change them. And we hear a report on food insecurity in the Mountain West region.
Today on Colorado Edition: We hear more about one lawmaker’s push to ban or rein-in paramedic’s use of ketamine, following the death of Elijah McClain, and more than 900 other ketamine sedations in the state. We’ll also visit a church in Aurora that’s trying to close the gaps in vaccine distribution. We’ll also speak with a local activist about the last year of protests, where she occasionally tended to protesters in Denver as a street medic, and we’ll hear a review of the new film Minari.
Today on Colorado Edition: We get the latest from Wednesday’s state of the state address by Gov. Jared Polis. We’ll also take a look at where the state is at in its economic recovery. Plus, we’ll learn more about how Colorado is moving forward in helping victims of recent unemployment fraud, and we hear about the Equal Justice Initiative, which works with community organizations throughout the country to help resurface the lost stories of lynchings.
On today’s Colorado Edition: We’ll learn about the state’s efforts to boost the number of adults pursuing higher education to help meet modern workforce demands. And we’ll hear from the president of Metropolitan State University of Denver, who’s working to close a funding shortfall for some higher education institutions. We’ll explore how one Colorado school district is using Indigenous identity and culture to stop drug use among teenagers. And, we’ll meet Time Magazine’s first-ever Kid of the Year, Gitanjali Rao.
Today on Colorado Edition: As we approach a year of COVID-19 in Colorado, we explore the ins and outs of pandemic fatigue. We’ll also learn more about recent drug overdose data, which shows overdose deaths in Colorado more than doubled in 2020 from the year before. Plus, we’ll look into Greeley’s interest in – and the opposition to – the Terry Ranch project, which would provide a new water source for the city. And we get a lesson in baseball history from the president of the Negro League Baseball Museum.
In this podcast exclusive, we feature an extended interview with Dr. Melba Pattillo Beals, one of nine African American students who in 1957, integrated Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas. Dr. Beals discusses how her life has been shaped by her experiences as one of the Little Rock Nine, the role of youth activism in addressing racial issues in the U.S., and the current age of misinformation. Our conversation with Dr. Beals first aired on February 9, 2021.
As districts work to get educators vaccinated, schools across northern Colorado are slowly welcoming back students for full-time, in-person instruction. We’ll talk with two teachers about what it’s like getting back to the classroom during the pandemic. We’ll hear about the unexpected flood of betting on an unlikely sport: table tennis. We talk with artist Narkita Gold about her project highlighting Denver’s growing Black community. And we’ll hear a review of the new movie Supernova.
Today on Colorado Edition: We speak to a professor who is using the second impeachment of Donald Trump as a learning opportunity about American democracy. We’ll also hear about the successes and shortcomings of co-responder models in law enforcement, which entails sending mental health professionals on emergency calls along with police officers. Plus we’ll check in on the wolf reintroduction process, which Coloradans voted in favor of last November. And we hear about a new comedy club opening in Fort Collins.
On today’s Colorado Edition: As COVID-19 vaccines are rolled out across the state, health experts are noting disparities in communities of color. We’ll hear about the work of a statewide vaccine equity task force, and a group in the Roaring Fork Valley, working to change that by broadening the message around the safety of the vaccines. And we’ll hear from Dr. Melba Patillo Beals, one of the members of the Little Rock Nine, about her experience integrating Central High School in 1957 and the ongoing fight against racism today.
Today on Colorado Edition: At least two variants of COVID-19 have been discovered in Colorado, originating from the United Kingdom and South Africa respectively. We speak to the state’s leading disease expert about the variants and what it means for our state’s fight against the virus. We also learn about the regional origins of right-wing group federal officials says took part in the Jan. 6 insurrection. Plus, we get the latest on avalanche danger following the deadliest week for avalanche deaths in the U.S. in more than a century. We’ll also hear the story of one of Colorado’s most famous dinosaurs.
Today on Colorado Edition: Because of the pandemic, an annual survey of people experiencing homelessness has been called off. We get a closer look at what that means for advocates who rely on the data. We'll also hear from former members of law enforcement about how they are approaching the issue of police violence. We dig into the recent trade of Rockies star player Nolan Arenado, and what it means for fans of the team. And we get a glimpse into life in the Yampa Valley from our My Colorado essay collection.
Today on Colorado Edition: With COVID-19 cases on the rise in Routt County, we hear from their public health director about what’s leading to the increase in cases. We’ll also hear about the COVID-19 research that could be used in the future to help fight other diseases. Plus, we visit a Western town where some activists say police are getting things right, and we hear about a new museum here in the state that lets you get close with things that go bump in the night.
On today’s Colorado Edition: We look at the long, bumpy road to getting essential workers, such as those in grocery stores, factories and food production plants vaccinated against COVID-19. We explore data that shows Indigenous people in the Mountain West are much more likely than whites to be killed in encounters with police. We analyze current drought conditions in the Colorado River basin, and we’ll hear how the pandemic may be spurring school districts across the state to finally update their aging ventilation systems.
Today on Colorado Edition: We get an update from the mass vaccine drive held over the weekend and look at how the model might be expanded to other parts of the state. We’ll also learn about the creative solutions local health officials are coming up with in rural communities in order to get around vaccine distribution bottlenecks. Plus, we’ll get an update on a program in Longmont that provides safe parking for people who live in their car, and we’ll hear the first part in a series on police violence across our region.
Today on Colorado Edition: We hear about vaccine distribution among Colorado nursing home and assisted living facility staff, some of whom are choosing to skip the vaccine. We’ll also explore the mental health challenges facing first responders in northern Colorado. And, KUNC’s film critic reviews Simon Stone’s 2021 film The Dig.
Today on Colorado Edition: We explore what impact the Biden administration’s recent executive actions will have on Colorado’s energy industry. Plus, we learn more about a map that highlights pollution disparities in our state. We’ll also hear from a team of recent MBA graduates who are taking a different approach to banking, and we’ll look at how some businesses are viewing the year ahead.
Today on Colorado Edition: Coronavirus vaccine efforts are underway, but data suggests the doses aren’t quite reaching rural communities and people of color. We’ll hear from the head of a large community health provider about how they’re working to change that. As Republican Congresswoman Lauren Boebert wraps up her first few weeks in office, we’ll explore whether there’s a place in the post-Trump era for her divisive political style. We’ll also check in on how the return to in-person learning is going for students in the Greeley-Evans school district, and for Denver Public Schools.
Today on Colorado Edition: We explore President Joe Biden’s reversal of the ban that kept transgender people from joining the military. We’ll also hear about Colorado’s shrinking middle class and the state budget’s role in it. We’ll also meet grocery workers who are turning to their union for help as they face the risk of contracting COVID-19, and we’ll check in with the Loveland valentine remailing program to see how it’s keeping things moving during the pandemic.
Today on Colorado Edition: We’ll get the latest on pandemic relief for unemployed Coloradans and small businesses, including how fraud has mired the process for some. We explore why the pandemic-induced recession has been particularly hard on women. We’ll hear about efforts in Lamar to rethink a racially insensitive school mascot. And we’ll learn about the life and legacy of Denver’s first Black woman physician, Dr. Justina Ford.
Today on Colorado Edition: We learn more about a recent grant the Colorado Community College System is using to rework their police training programs. We’ll also hear about the fight against extremist radicalization and explore what experts have to say about the next possible pandemic. And we'll learn about the city of Greeley’s plan to acquire water rights on a property called Terry Ranch, located in northwest Weld County.
On today’s Colorado Edition: We explore why our politics are so polarized, and what can be done to bridge the divide. We examine how the state’s Extreme Risk Protection Order law has been used in its first year. We look into what’s driving the recent surge in home prices across the state. And, we listen back to a conversation with a former state lawmaker about her work to make Martin Luther King, Jr. Day a recognized holiday in Colorado.
Today on a special episode of Colorado Edition: We feature reporting from the KUNC newsroom that focuses on the disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on Weld County's Latino communities. The series was produced by KUNC's Stephanie Daniel, Leigh Paterson, and Adam Rayes.
Today on Colorado Edition: We explore newly released climate data that shows the last seven years have been the seven warmest years on record. We learn about the unexpected bond some people have formed with their pets – of the feathered kind. We talk with the hosts of NPR’s narrative history show Throughline about how we can understand today’s news by journeying back in time. And our film critic reviews a new movie about a young woman coping with grief.
Today on Colorado Edition: We speak to an expert about how extremist groups gain traction and what can be done to help minimize the harm. Plus, we’ll get a picture of the mental health situation in Colorado in the new year. We’ll also learn more about legal challenges involving the rights of second home owners in Gunnison County, and get the latest on the state of the oil and gas industry.
Today on Colorado Edition: As state lawmakers return to the Capitol for the start of the 2021 session, we’ll explore how the pandemic, and last week’s violence at the U.S. Capitol, will impact opening day. We’ll also get a preview of education-related bills lawmakers are expected to take up in the coming year. We’ll learn how large wildfires may impact water supplies. And finally, we check in with folks in Colorado’s restaurant industry to hear how the recently relaxed pandemic restrictions have affected business.
Today on Colorado Edition: We get the latest on vaccine rollout disparities across Colorado. Plus, we explore the challenges of bilingual contact tracing, speak with Colorado’s insurance commissioner, and learn why convalescent plasma isn’t the coronavirus miracle treatment some thought it could have been.
Today on a special episode of Colorado Edition: We feature reporting from the KUNC newsroom that focuses on the disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on Weld County's Latino communities. The series was produced by KUNC's Stephanie Daniel, Leigh Paterson, and Adam Rayes.
Today on Colorado Edition: Following the violent insurrection at the U.S. Capitol building in Washington, D.C. by a pro-Trump mob, we hear reactions from members of Colorado’s delegation, and we look at how the attack could impact security at the Colorado state Capitol building. Plus, we hear from a pastoral couple in Weld County, who are seeing firsthand how hard COVID-19 is hitting Latino communities there. We also look back at the ebbs and flows of the state economy in 2020, and we break down recent federal and state pandemic stimulus bills.
Today on Colorado Edition: We take a look through a Colorado angle at the news of armed insurrectionists forcing their way into the U.S. Capitol building in Washington D.C. In today’s show, we hear from: Colorado representatives Lauren Boebert (R), Ken Buck (R) and Joe Neguse (D). We also hear from Lisa Cohen, chief of staff for Rep. Diana DeGette (D).
Today on Colorado Edition: As schools begin their spring semester, essential workers in education have been moved higher on the state’s vaccine priority list. We’ll have more on that, plus a conversation with the 2021 Colorado teacher of the year. We learn about the role of the state Supreme Court, which welcomed its newest justice this week. And we examine the communication barriers that can keep Latino communities from getting vital information about COVID-19 – and those working to close that gap.
Today on Colorado Edition: We speak with Larimer County’s public health director about the county’s new variance from state COVID-19 restrictions. We’ll also hear the first part in a series focusing on the disproportionate impact of the pandemic on Weld County’s Hispanic communities. Plus, we’ll learn about a newly developed COVID test that uses modern scratch-and-sniff technology, and we’ll get some winter book recommendations.