- The Wildlife Animal Sanctuary northeast of Denver has rescued hundreds of large animals once confined to roadside zoos and circuses, or housed by misguided people who wanted them as pets. The most recent rescues include tigers and other carnivores featured in the Netflix series “Tiger King.” Sanctuary CEO Pat Craig on providing a more natural environment for the animals and on the patchwork of laws prolonging the captive wildlife crisis.
- Former Gov. Richard "Dick" Lamm was, as one friend called him, a “prophet and provocateur.” He died last week at 85, capping a career of more than 60 years in which he captured the spotlight by taking on thorny issues that resonate today. We hear excerpts from some of Lamm’s interviews with Colorado Matters host Ryan Warner, and memories from longtime aide and friend Eric Sondermann.
- A thunderstorm hit hillsides scarred by wildfire in Larimer County earlier this week. It caused a flash flood that raced through Poudre Canyon and killed at least one person. Last year’s fires scorched more than a half-million acres in Colorado. And rainstorms are a fact of life here. That means the threat will be with us for a while. For more on flash floods -- and how to stay safe -- we spoke with meteorologist Paul Schlatter of the National Weather Service.
- Open again, closed again. That’s the way it’s been for a major interstate through Colorado for the last few weeks. Mudslides -- or the threat of them -- have led to frequent closures of I-70 around Glenwood Springs near the site of last year’s Grizzly Creek wildfire. And according to Colorado School of Mines geologist Paul Santi, it isn’t just burn scars that are causing trouble.
- Dr. Robert Meguid is a cardiothoracic surgeon and associate professor at the CU School of Medicine. In March, he operated on Bryan Raymond , the first COVID-19 patient to receive a lung transplant in Colorado. Meguid talks about that surgery, why he thinks more COVID patients may need transplants, and his own brush with a severe respiratory illness.
- Even before COVID-19, Colorado was in a behavioral health crisis. The state’s suicide rate has consistently been among the highest in the nation, drug overdoses are increasing, and people with mental health disorders crowd emergency rooms and jails. By most accounts, the pandemic made things considerably worse. State lawmakers tackled some of those issues in the legislative session that just ended, including addressing funding. We get perspective today from Moe Keller, director of advocacy for Mental Health Colorado.