City Cast Denver

Could prediction markets in politics mean more participation from voters? What if the Denver Summit FC’s mascot was a giant sun? Where’s the best place in the city to watch Denver’s own Nini Coco compete in the ⁠finale of RuPaul’s Drag Race⁠ next week? Host Bree Davies and producer Paul Karolyi are digging into the City Cast Denver mailbag today to respond to listeners’ questions, comments, and th...

It feels like every week, another Denver restaurant is closing – Enzo’s End Pizzeria served its last slice on Friday, Imperial Chinese shuttered out of the blue after 41 years, and local chain Little India announced it will close its 32nd Ave. and Lowell Blvd. location in the coming months. Is it due to rising food costs? The ongoing concern of high rents? Or, is it the price of labor? Last month’...

If you were one of the over 60,000 fans cheering for the Denver Summit last weekend, you may already know this, but Denver is only the second city in the U.S. to build a stadium specifically for women’s soccer. Will betting on women’s sports drive Denver’s economy or will Denverites be left paying the price for another stadium? City Cast CEO David Plotz talks with City Cast Denver podcast host Bre...

Union workers at Alamo Drafthouse in Sloan’s Lake are walking out today over frustrations with the company’s move to a QR code-based food ordering system, saying it overcomplicates interactions with customers. Contributor Michelle Jackson joins host Bree Davies and producer Paul Karolyi to discuss what it means for a theater chain that built a brand on being aggressively anti-phone. Plus they disc...

Harbingers of dystopia or the hottest trend in tech — Kalshi, Polymarket, and other prediction market platforms have come for local politics. You can right now bet on buzzy issues like the hotly contested race to represent Colorado’s 8th Congressional District, but also on the utterly banal, like the temperature in Denver today. City Cast Denver contributor and founder of investigative journalism...

Spring is springing! Flowers are blooming! Who was hoping for a a real winter this year, anyway? Denverites are up and about, and the city is buzzing with great new places to eat and cool things to do. Whether you’re looking for a comfortable place to drink a beer while the kiddos play or searching your new favorite coffee shop that also serves as a revolutionary reading library, we’ve got plenty...

While many Denverites were protesting at No Kings, watching the Denver Summit FC kickoff, or just enjoying the sun, Democrats from all over the state descended on Pueblo for their state assembly to nominate candidates for the primary election in June. Producer Paul Karolyi was in Pueblo following the action, and he’s on with Westword editor Patty Calhoun to share his reporting on some allegations...

Lakewood City Council passed a massive zoning ordinance last year to make it easier to build more types of housing. But implementation is on hold – several neighborhood groups gathered enough signatures, and now all of Lakewood will decide in a special election on April 7. So, today we’re bringing you both sides of the debate: First, Karen Gordey, manager of the “yes” campaign, joins host Bree Dav...

More affordable housing is needed in places like Denver. Some cities, however, are doing better than others at meeting this need. Austin, Texas, for example, is building more affordable housing than any other American city right now — 50% more, by some measures, than the second most successful city. However, this fast-growing city is also seeing a shortage in housing that middle- and lower-income...

The fight for Congressional District 8 is heating up – known to swing both ways, the race is anyone’s game. In a party with a growing divide, democratic centrist Shannon Bird and progressive Manny Rutinel are both vying for the seat, so how will things shake out for the dems? Green chile correspondent Justine Sandoval joins producer Paul Karolyi and host Bree Davies to discuss the CD8 tossup, plus...

Ski season is ending prematurely, spring flowers are popping up early, and well, it’s been hot! After our unseasonably warm and dry winter, Denver Water’s Board of Commissioners yesterday enacted Stage 1 drought restrictions. So what will that mean for Denverites? Contributor Joshua Emerson joins producer Olivia Jewell Love and host Bree Davies to confess their toxic water traits and talk about th...

A video went viral last week showing Denver’s Congresswoman Diana DeGette ⁠being confronted by activists⁠ about her stance on military aid to Israel – but there’s a deeper story behind what the footage seems to show. Producer Paul Karolyi did some digging and shares the backstory with host Bree Davies and returning guest Adrian Felix. Plus, they dig into Denver City Council’s decision to ⁠postpone...

Neighbors of Burnham Yard – the proposed site of a future Broncos stadium in La Alma Lincoln Park – are ⁠concerned about the development’s impact⁠ on traffic flow, parking, and how pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure will be a part of the plan. Can team ownership be trusted to fully address these big picture transit issues? Denver Post city government reporter Elliott Wenzler joins host Bree Dav...

It’s been less than a week since the New York Times reported on allegations of sexual assault against labor movement icon César Chávez, and the City of Denver is already moving to rename the holiday, park, and federal building that carries his name. But what’s next? And what can labor organizers and activists learn from the story of Dolores Huerta? Former City Council president Ramona Martinez and...

The unionization efforts of sex workers in Nevada might have implications for gig workers in Denver. At Sheri's Ranch, a legal brothel 45 minutes outside Las Vegas, some of the workers are seeking both recognition as employees and union representation. City Cast CEO David Plotz talks with former City Cast Las Vegas podcast host, current contributor, and longtime Nevada attorney Dayvid Figler about...

Coloradans will vote on two measures impacting transgender kids this fall – Ballot Initiative 109, which aims to prevent trans kids from participating in school sports, and Ballot Initiative 110, which would prohibit access to gender-affirming surgeries. Is Colorado inching backward toward its “hate state” past? Lee Robinson and Kate McLachlan of the live comedy show Dyketopia join host Bree Davie...

Another No Kings protest is planned in Denver next week, and Colorado is grappling with President Trump’s looming imperial tendencies – what happens if Governor Polis chooses not to grant Tina Peters clemency? What could the state lose in retaliation? In the second season of Master Plan: The Kingmakers, host David Sirota and his team at The Lever dig into a decades-long scheme to make the American...

What exactly is ICE up to in Denver? And how have ICE operations changed since Trump returned to the White House? Contributor Joshua Emerson joins producers Paul Karolyi and Olivia Jewell Love to discuss some recent reporting from Colorado Times Recorder on ICE “hold rooms” across the state and a recent CU Boulder analysis of 10 years of ICE data on Denver. Plus, Joshua’s list of the best places t...

What is going on inside Denver’s Department of Transportation and Infrastructure? After a string of traffic and safety-related controversies, The Denver Post reports that the department has been experiencing “brain drain,” with turnover in several senior roles in the past six months. So, what does that say about DOTI’s executive director, Amy Ford, and the future of our streets? Westword editor Pa...

From expensive groceries to costly housing to pricey healthcare, affordability has been top of mind for Colorado legislators – even when it comes down to the price of a hot dog at Ball Arena. Last week, a bill aimed at capping how much businesses can charge in “captive” situations – think places like airports, stadiums, and hospitals where food options are limited – died in a legislative committee...

Denverites are concerned about police accountability, especially with the increased presence of federal troops in many cities. DC Council in Washington recently passed emergency legislation requiring local police to release body-worn camera footage of incidents involving federal forces they patrol with, and to collect the names of federal officers who make arrests. It’s a big shift in local policy...

The Tina Peters saga drags on – Governor Polis says he will not make a decision on clemency for the disgraced elections official until a ruling on her case comes down from Colorado Court of Appeals; not to mention every Democrat in the legislature signed a letter this week urging Polis not to free her. So, will he or won’t he? Politics contributor Adrian Felix joins producer Paul Karolyi and host...

A new music festival, Blucifer’s First Rodeo is coming to South Broadway this July! But the fest’s dates overlap with the Underground Music Showcase, the area’s former big summer fest, which is now set to take place in RiNo. Are these two concert events competition for each other or just a sign of an evolving music scene? Denver Post arts reporter John Wenzel and comedian Miriam Moreno join host B...

The new-ish Professional Women’s Hockey League is taking over Ball Arena for the second year in a row this weekend, hoping to break another attendance record and set the groundwork for a possible expansion franchise here in Denver. Contributor Michelle Jackson joins host Bree Davies and producer Paul Karolyi to talk about how the “Heated Rivalry” craze might affect the PWHL’s prospects and play a...

Big changes might be coming to Denver’s scooter and bike share scene – the city chose a new operator, Veo, and if city council signs off on the deal, Lime and Bird are out of the picture. Joining host Bree Davies and producer Paul Karolyi is Andy Cushen, co-host of the Denver Urbanism podcast, to discuss what this impending shift means for everyday scooter and bike share users, plus the future of...