Colorado Today

Nearly two months after Tina Peters was released, Gov. Jared Polis continues to defend his decision, calling his censure by Colorado Democrats a troubling sign of free speech suppression. Then, the small town of La Veta in Southern Colorado is running dangerously low on water. Plus, take a bite out of Colorado history by learning about some of the state’s iconic foods. Email us at coloradotoday@cp...

A wildland firefighter passed away over the weekend from injuries sustained while fighting the Knowles fire in Colorado. The death puts a spotlight on the many risks of the work, and we hear from a journalist and former firefighter on how we can better protect their health. Then, in just 90 minutes, a Denver nonprofit gave out more than twenty ton of potatoes. Plus, learn about some lesser-known f...

New limits on the hunting of animals like foxes and coyotes expose a divide over wildlife management in the state. Then, Colorado has a brand new medical school – with hopes to fill a gap in healthcare. Plus, ahead of the state’s big birthday this weekend, we share some of our favorite historical snippets. Email us at coloradotoday@cpr.org . Colorado Today is supported by CPR’s members . Read more...

The U.S. Department of Justice is suing the state of Colorado over a law that offers in-state tuition rates to undocumented college students, arguing the policy is unfair to citizens from other states. Then, Denver Mayor Mike Johnston called for an expansion of affordable housing and universal childcare in his recent State of the City address, but with a single year left in his current term, those...

ICE and the GEO Group are staying tight-lipped about the health of detainees at their Aurora processing center, as state officials continue to push for information on a case of tuberculosis within the center. Then, a video is circulating online of a woman being arrested by immigration officials in the boarding area of a Southwest Airlines flight at DIA. And Phil Weiser, the Democratic candidate fo...

Moisture is good for a drought, but some parts of Colorado are getting too much rain, far too fast, causing mudslides and flash floods. Then, new survey results give a window into how Coloradans feel about the state and nation’s big birthdays. Plus, Denver is moving to let bars and clubs stay open later, but a recent shooting has delayed those plans. Email us at coloradotoday@cpr.org . Colorado To...

With the state in the grip of a severe drought, people have been asked to majorly cut back their water use. Now that we’re well into the summer, the utilities in Denver and Aurora are starting to get a sense of whether they’ve answered the call. Then, the opening of a new office-to-apartments conversion in the Denver Tech Center shows why repurposing an old building for new purposes is far from ea...

We have the latest on the non-fatal shooting of a woman outside the ICE facility in Aurora last week; a man who works at the detention center was arrested shortly after the incident. Then, with federal support for domestic violence services drying up, the state thought it had found a way to step in. But the solution has so far fallen short, leaving centers struggling to stay open. And in Denver, o...

A new lawsuit claims the local power utility is to blame for the massive Aspen Acres fire. Then, we get a first hand look at the fire’s devastation, as residents from Beulah return home. Plus, we all know Colorado is an expensive place to live, but a new report suggests it could also be having an impact on our broader economy. And we take you on a stroll inside an adobe labyrinth in the San Luis V...

A Denver-based immigration judge who was fired by the Trump Administration last month is speaking out about the system. Plus, state health officials say they’re being blocked from investigating a possible tuberculosis outbreak at the immigrant detention center in Aurora. And we visit a community movie night in Western Colorado that’s taken on a deeper resonance with this year’s fires. Email us at...

Front Range voters could decide this fall whether to approve a tax to build out the Colorado Connector passenger rail line. At the same time, RTD in Denver is considering major cuts to deal with a budget shortfall, including eliminating a popular free ride downtown. Plus, cyclosporiasis, the explosive diarrhea-causing stomach parasite making national headlines, is present in Colorado. But that’s n...

The GEO Group is under contract to open a new immigrant detention center at the site of a former private prison in Weld County, and residents’ views are mixed. Then, getting to and from the airport increasingly means sitting in traffic on Peña Boulevard. Now the airport wants the public to help it develop a solution. Plus, as the nation turns 250 years old, we meet the Boulder teenager on a stubbo...

Despite intense heat over the weekend, firefighters made good progress combatting the wildfires blazing around the state (please note: an earlier version of today's podcast was produced before news broke that a pilot has died fighting the Gold Mountain fire ). Then, the US Department of Justice sent a letter to Colorado’s Secretary of State warning against noncitizen voting, something already expl...

Political newcomer — and self-described ‘high-risk humanitarian’ — Victor Marx will face Attorney General Phil Weiser in the governor’s race. Then, as wildfires continue to blaze around Colorado, officials say the state has the firefighting resources it needs. But if big fires start in other states, that could start to change. Plus, autonomous taxi startup Waymo is one step closer to rolling out t...

New drone footage reveals a patchwork of destruction in the community hardest hit by the Aspen Acres fire. Then, lawmakers want to hear from stakeholders about the state’s public healthcare system, as they look for ways to cut costs. Plus, Denver’s bike lanes have a trash problem. Could a cute little bike-powered sweeper be the answer? Email us at coloradotoday@cpr.org . Colorado Today is supporte...

After pulling off a surprise upset in Denver’s Democratic congressional primary, Melat Kiros talked to CPR about how she’d approach the office, and her past comments about the war in Gaza. Then, the development of a ‘hyperscale’ data center project in Aurora has implications for metro air quality. And CPR’s congressional correspondent gives us a tour of the Colorado pavilion on the National Mall....

It’s sadly no surprise that Colorado’s historically dry, warm winter has led to such an intense wildfire season. But climate change is also driving other factors contributing to the many blazes around Colorado.  There is some good news though: the quirky Bishop Castle appears to have survived the Aspen Acres fire so far.  Then, an Aurora apartment building that went viral after claims it had been...

It was a fiery 4th of July weekend across the state, with major fires burning near numerous rural communities, including Colorado City, Wetmore, Leadville and Ouray. We catch you up on where things stand and hear from those affected. Then, the land where Buc-ee’s wants to build a travel plaza in northern El Paso County has been cleared, but the fight continues. And at the Denver Art Museum, contem...

Denver is poised to send a Democratic Socialist to Congress, what does that mean for the city, and the movement? Then, Colorado is getting two new gun laws this week. And even in our biggest cities, bats are a common sight at night, but where do they go when the sun comes out? Email us at coloradotoday@cpr.org . Colorado Today is supported by CPR’s members . Read more on the stories in today’s sho...

An upset in Denver’s Congressional race is sending shockwaves through Colorado’s political establishment and adding more fuel to the debates over the future of the Democratic party. Plus, where the primaries for Governor and other statewide offices stand. And, the latest from the devastating Aspen Acres fire in southern Colorado. Email us at coloradotoday@cpr.org . Colorado Today is supported by C...

Rural communities around Colorado are on edge, as fire crews try to stop the spread of multiple wildfires, with dangerous conditions expected to continue through the week. Then, we take you door to door with the last-ditch efforts from campaigns. And we hear how the Draco development, a large oil and gas project on the border between Weld and Boulder counties, cleared its final major hurdle to dev...

Tragedy as crews fight a massive wildfire near the Utah border where multiple firefighters died after the blaze got out of control. Then, residents at an Aurora homeless shelter make less than the federal minimum wage to clean it. They think they should be paid more. And, we’ve all heard the reminder to ‘leave no trace’ when we camp and hike … but it’s so much more than that. Email us at coloradot...

A coalition of voting rights organizations wants Colorado cities to re-schedule their local elections to match statewide and federal ones. The organization says it disenfranchises non-white voters. Then, a rise in children and tweens with eating disorders has one clinic changing its approach. Plus, the city of Denver is trying to encourage the next generation of climate workers by offering them ca...

Colorado’s summer weather is ramping up, and with that, so is the damage from Colorado’s most expensive type of natural disaster: hail. Then, hear about how federal changes are making it harder for communities and utilities to prepare before natural disasters do strike. And, a movie starring an Aurora teen with Down Syndrome is now in global release. Email us at coloradotoday@cpr.org . Colorado To...

Colorado’s airwaves are starting to fill up with negative ads, as Democrats in particular duke it out in some bitter primaries. What do the attacks say about the state of those races, and how are voters making up their minds? Then, former CBI forensic scientist Missy Woods has taken a plea deal that could put her in prison for several years. And the story of how a popular free sorbet pop-up in Eng...