Anthony Cotton

Carved from a hillside in 1923, Folsom Field on the campus of the University of Colorado Boulder has been the site of game-winning touchdown runs and iconic concerts. As the team prepares to take the field for its home opener against Nebraska, former Buffs’ quarterback Darian Hagan talks about his memories of playing in Boulder. Also, long-time sports information director and historian Dave Plati, who has been at the school for almost a half-century, recalls some of the biggest moments that have taken place at the stadium.

Cannabis might be reclassified– as a less dangerous drug– similar to ketamine, rather than heroin. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services made that recommendation this week. The change could have far-reaching consequences in Colorado, where cannabis is legal under state law, and tightly regulated. John Schroyer is a Denver-based senior reporter for Green Market Report, which covers the cannabis industry. Also, CPR reporter Bente Birkeland gauged reaction from local officials and stakeholders.

When it comes to vaccinating toddlers, there’s huge room for improvement in Colorado — state officials say the numbers for kindergarteners as well as all school-aged children has declined in recent years. Dr. Matthew Daley, a pediatrician with Kaiser Permanente, is the co-author of a study that looks at that cohort and the reasons why families may not be up to date on their child’s vaccinations.

In the age of climate change, the idea of a “wildfire season” in Colorado is as antiquated as the horse and buggy. Still, this is the time of year when something as seemingly benign as an unexpected wind shift can spark panic in homeowners.  And that’s not the only sense of dread for those living in vulnerable areas; there’s also the rising cost of insuring their residences – if they can find a policy at all.

Writer Donna Bryson says the history of slavery, its impact, its legacy, isn’t just the story of the Blacks who were oppressed, but also the white oppressors. A reporter for Reuters, Bryson was part of a comprehensive project that looked at “Slavery’s Descendants,” — the investigation not only looked at slavery from multi-racial viewpoints, but also explored its enduring footprint, via the connection with many of today’s political elites. Bryson spoke with Colorado Matters about her family’s personal story.

Nikki Swarn, the general manager and interim program director at KUVO Jazz and hip-hop station The Drop, discusses her life-long love of the Denver Nuggets and her excitement that the team is playing in its first-ever NBA Finals.

The Nuggets aren’t the only Denver team chasing history — last week, the University of Denver women’s lacrosse team became the first women’s collegiate team west of the Mississippi River to advance beyond the quarterfinals of the NCAA tournament. This weekend, the Pioneers have a chance to win their first championship.

There was a time when Hana Kebede struggled with public speaking — “I would stutter, I would be nervous, I would quieten my voice,” she said. That’s not the case now for the 16-year-old junior at Overland High School in Aurora; a speech and debate class at the school helped Kebede come out of her shell. She then won the Colorado Poetry Out Loud competition and she’s now headed to the national semi-finals.

When the Colorado Rockies take the field today in their home opener, they’ll be led by pitcher Kyle Freeland, a graduate of Thomas Jefferson High School in Denver. But what if the Spartans had produced another pitcher, one who set major league records every time he took the mound? That’s the premise of “The Fireballer.” Written by local author Mark Stevens, the novel centers around Frank Ryder, who moved from TJ and Metropolitan State University of Denver to the major leagues, where his ability to reach speeds of 110 miles an hour with his pitches creates an uproar in the sport. Stevens says the fictional story is part of an existential argument that’s taking place in the actual major leagues.