City Cast Denver

Our friends at Metropolitan State University of Denver (aka MSU or just plain “Metro”) recently hosted our very own Bree Davies on their podcast spotlighting notable alumni. Bree discusses her time as a roadrunner and the impact MSU had on her career in the media. We thought it was a great conversation, so we’re delighted to share it with you. You can subscribe to MSU Denver Alumni Bird Talk where...

Four years after the killing of Elijah McClain, Aurora police are finally on trial. But what about the systemic injustices embedded within our law enforcement system? Reporter Andrew Fraieli spent months investigating a law that was supposed to help track police conduct across the the state, but he found loopholes, glaring omissions, and missing records of dangerous on-duty behavior. Andrew joins...

We’re talking noodles, dumplings, and cocktails unapologetically seasoned with MSG as host Bree Davies chats with newsletter editor Peyton Garcia and producer Olivia Jewell Love about their preview of the new MAKfam restaurant in Baker (Opening Nov. 1). Then, it’s all about that Spam musubi — Denver has seen a welcome proliferation of Hawaiian restaurants serving up their own version of Pacific Is...

Can you believe it’s already been 100 days since our new mayor Mike Johnston was inaugurated? He hasn’t even had time to put art up on the walls of his office! But he has been hard at work trying to deliver on his pledge to get 1,000 unhoused people off the streets by the end of the year. Host Bree Davies and producer Paul Karolyi sit down with Johnston to talk about some of the controversies he’s...

It’s Tuesday, and we’re talking about all the stories that matter this week. First up, Governor Jared Polis made a tone-deaf statement about transit, so host Bree Davies and producer Paul Karolyi talking transit and digging into a pile of fresh data from RTD’s Zero Fare for Better Air months this past summer. Then, Denverites aren’t the only ones gearing up for an election this month, so we’re sur...

The City of Denver’s official budget for 2024 determines how the powers that be will spend a whopping $1.74 billion over the next year. But it’s also a test of how a new mayor and a majority new city council stand by their campaign promises, what city issues take priority this year, and how well these governing bodies work together (or don’t.) Axios Denver’s Alayna Alvarez joins host Bree Davies t...

Tattered Cover filed for bankruptcy this week after a rough few years for the beloved Denver institution. Three of the bookseller’s seven locations will close and 27 employees will lose their jobs as the company fights for survival. So, what does it all mean for the devoted customers, local authors, and remaining workers? Host Bree Davies and producer Paul Karolyi are joined by author Erika T. Wur...

The weekend is so close you can almost taste it. So we’re digging into the biggest food story of the week: A blockbuster trial involving DIA, two homegrown burger empires, allegations of bribery, and a car chase on I70. Newsletter editor and resident foodie Peyton Garcia joins host Bree Davies and producer Paul Karolyi to break down the DIA concessions scandal that went to court this week. Plus, P...

Earlier this month, History Colorado released a major report documenting the history of Indigenous “boarding schools” across our state, including one in Denver, between 1880 and 1920. The media covered the report as a landmark step forward from a tragic chapter in our state’s history, and some have called on Governor Jared Polis to make a formal apology on behalf of the state. But while our electe...

It’s Tuesday, and we’re talking about all the local stories that matter this week. Four years after Elijah McClain was stopped by Aurora police, an Adams County jury last week delivered a verdict in the first of three trials over the 23-year-old’s death. Host Bree Davies and producer Paul Karolyi lay out the facts and talk about the questions still left unanswered. Plus, why is Commerce City so ma...

This morning on the podcast, we did our best to understand the most confusing and most impactful question on Colorado ballots this year — Prop HH. Andrew Kenney, politics reporter for CPR, explained why some conservatives are calling it a back-door TABOR killer. So after the convo, producer Paul Karolyi turned the mics back on to ask Andy about all the other times Democrats have gone after TABOR a...

The Wall Street Journal called it a “back-door tax hike.” Colorado conservatives are calling it a TABOR killer. Even Democrats are divided on it. But Governor Jared Polis insists it’s the best thing to do about rising property tax rates. Prop HH is the biggest, most confusing, and potentially most impactful question on Colorado ballots this fall. So producer Paul Karolyi sat down with our favorite...

The Triangle Bar closed “indefinitely” last Sunday, owner Scott Coors blamed homeless encampments, and the press ran with an easy narrative. Earlier this week, host Bree Davies and producer Paul Karolyi barely scratched the surface of the escalating controversy around the gay bar’s demise, but there’s clearly way more to the story. So today on the show, Bree and Paul get into the real stuff with o...

It’s Thursday, and we’re here to get you ready for a great Denver weekend! Newsletter editor and resident foodie Peyton Garcia joins to talk through the latest food news and exciting new places to eat — so long as your heart’s not set on Casa Bonita. It’s been months, and we’re tired of disappointing out-of-towners who want to eat at the still-not-really-open Pink Palace. No, we don’t have a hook-...

Three thousand Kaiser Permanente employees went on strike across Colorado last week and, although their bosses didn’t cave, all those nurses, doctors, and other healthcare workers are back at work. So, how do labor negotiations work in an industry where patients’ lives are part of the equation? Plus, the Triangle Bar’s recent decision to close “indefinitely” last Sunday received a lot of press att...

We had so much fun last month with our game show based on 1-star reviews of Denver icons, we decided to bring it back! But this time producer slash quizmaster Paul Karolyi cooked up a bubbling cauldron of extra spooky 1-star reviews for some of Denver’s scariest places. It’s a haunted edition of Thank You So Much For Your Feedback. This time, returning champion JD Lopez defends his title against h...

It’s Friday and we’re digging into all the local stories that mattered this week. First, this week’s influx of Central and South American migrants has put Denver’s shelter system to the test. So, how is the city handling hundreds of arrivals each day, on top of our existing crisis of unhoused people? Producer Paul Karolyi and host Bree Davies are joined by artist Diego Florez-Arroyo to talk throug...

Are food halls officially over? Axios Denver reports that food halls across the Denver metro are closing or being sold. Is this the end of an era? Or a post-pandemic blip? It’s Thursday, so newsletter editor and resident foodie Peyton Garcia joins host Bree Davies and producer Olivia Jewell Love to talk food halls and all the latest dining news. Then, Peyton shares some cool events happening this...

It’s been more than a month since RTD’s Zero Fare For Better Air promotion beckoned riders to just get on the bus. So, did they? And what about the Johnston administration throwing around the idea of banning all vehicles from making right turns at red lights? Oh, and Governor Polis is getting giddy about a Front Range-serving rail system — but do voters have the appetite for another train project?...

Mayor Mike Johnston says he plans to house 1,000 people before the end of 2023, and so far he’s got 119, according to his new dashboard. But some people are already getting mad about it. Producer Paul Karolyi talked to a handful of people behind the scenes and things are, well, complicated. Then, host Bree Davies connects dots in the latest legal entanglements involving school board vice president...

‘Tis the spooky season! October is upon us and there are so many cool things to do, see, and imbibe across the metro area this month. From the pumpkin patch to the coffin racetrack — yes, you heard that right — host Bree Davies and producer Olivia Jewell Love have combed the calendar to handpick eight of the best Halloween-y things to do. Produce Paul Karolyi and newsletter editor Peyton Garcia jo...

It’s no secret — Colorado’s air quality is suffering, and last Friday regulators approved yet another new plan to address the state’s biggest polluters. But environmentalists and critics have already spotted several loopholes that could allow companies like Suncor Energy, Molson Coors, and Cargill Meat Solutions to “pay to pollute,” as our guest today explains. Producer Paul Karolyi and host Bree...

As we wrap up a week of fall getaways, we wanted to leave you with an enticing list of delicious destinations — restaurants we’d go the extra mile (or hundreds of miles) for! Whether you are looking for perfect pizza a mere 45 minutes away or charcuterie so good it’s worth planning a weekend around, producer Paul Karolyi and newsletter editor Peyton Garcia have got you covered. Plus, stick around...

What’s the most haunted place in all of Colorado? A lot of folks would tell you it’s the Stanley Hotel in Estes Park, but is that place really haunted by anything other than Stanley Kubrick’s decision to film “The Shining” somewhere else? So to continue our weeklong celebration of Colorado’s best fall getaways, we called up Thad Mighell, curator of contemporary art at Understudy and paranormal sup...

Pickleball fever has swept the country, and after three years of explosive growth it looks like it’s not going anywhere (much to the neighbors’ chagrin). So how are Denverites learning to live with the distinctive dinks and thocks? Host Bree Davies and producer Paul Karolyi are talking through the latest pickleball battles in Denver, Glendale, and Centennial, plus the latest on Mayor Mike Johnston...