March 21, 2025: Ambassador Salazar on tariffs, cartels, and the Gulf; A spring of fire & ice
Former US Ambassador to Mexico Ken Salazar is back home in Colorado. We discuss US-Mexico relations including trade, border security, cartels, and understanding history at a time of political posturing and division. Then, spring has sprung, so what’s in store for Colorado’s weather? And CSU is ready for some March Madness!
A blizzard and fire warnings in the same week. What gives?
On I-25 between Colorado Springs and Denver this week, electronic highway signs alerted to red flag warnings — even as fresh snow blanketed the ground. Once again, Ryan Warner digs into Colorado’s perplexing weather & climate with Denver7 Chief Meteorologist Lisa Hidalgo.
March 19, 2025: Fighting violent crime in Pueblo; From plants to pests, spring gardening questions answered!
The big city with the highest violent crime rate in Colorado is Pueblo. But they’ve managed to get their murder rate down by cracking down on other offenses. Then, the lure of spring gardening is upon us! Ryan goes to a greenhouse in Colorado Springs to answer listener questions, from plants to pests. Plus, new poetry from Robin Walter, a CSU professor. And “The Middle” comes to Colorado to talk about energy.
Poems about health– both mental and ecological
Colorado State University professor and poet Robin Walter has a new collection. “Little Mercy,” which comes out April 1, 2025, is about ecological and mental health, and their interplay. She previews the release with a reading of “There must be an animal come from there.”
March 17, 2025: Mining politics and policy; It’s crunch time at the state Capitol
From molybdenum to lithium, modern life depends on chemicals. But what the U.S. mines is rarely processed here. We’ll get perspective on how mining could change under the Trump administration amid rare bipartisan agreement. Then, it’s crunch time for state lawmakers as the session reaches the halfway point; Purplish looks at the big issues that still need to be resolved, including a balanced budget. Plus, it’s a buyer’s market in metro Denver.
What a new administration means for mining
Mining policy is likely to change under a new Trump Administration, though perhaps not by as much as would be expected. Morgan Bazilian, a Colorado School of Mines professor and director of the Payne Institute of Public Policy, says a bipartisan effort to boost mining in America was already underway.
March 14, 2025: Wage theft investigation at Denver strip clubs; Step into a storied room at The Brown Palace
They’re being charged… to work. At two Denver strip clubs, employees of all kinds are victims of wage theft, according to an investigation by the city. The clubs say they’re being unfairly targeted. Then, President Trump plans to invoke the Alien Enemies Act of 1798 as part of his deportation plan. The law has a dark history in Colorado. Plus, transparency in state government, The Brown Palace’s place in the 1911 Chinese revolution, and Avourneen celebrates St. Patrick’s Day!
March 12, 2025: ‘Wind phones’ provide unique connection; Turning to town halls for answers, accountability
Russ Young of Littleton, speaks to his late wife in a garden, on a phone that’s not connected to anything. It’s known as a wind phone, a unique way to cope with grief. Then, Coloradans are turning to town halls for answers and accountability from their congressmembers. Later, a Colorado researcher’s groundbreaking research that shows being gay is not a mental illness. And later, a Denver chef will be cooking on TV!
Longing to speak to someone who has died? Pick up one of Colorado’s ‘wind phones’
“This phone is here for everyone who has lost a loved one. The phone is an outlet for those who have messages they wish to share with their lost friends and family. It’s a phone for memories and saying the goodbyes you never got to say.”
March 10, 2025: Pursuit of justice for sex assault survivors amid case backlog; Forests out of carbon balance
Survivors of sexual assault in Colorado often wait more than a year and a half for DNA results in their cases. Without results, criminal investigations may stall. Purplish looks at how state lawmakers hope to fix this problem. Then, the Justice Department examines the conviction of former Mesa County Clerk Tina Peters. And why are Colorado’s forests emitting more carbon than they take in? Plus, tracking illicit drugs through wastewater.
Why is it sometimes colder down in cities on the Front Range than up in the foothills?
The answer lies in which direction the cold air comes from.
March 7, 2025: Life as a trans woman under the Trump administration; The sandhill cranes are back!
In the eyes of the Trump Administration, trans people do not exist. The president signed an executive order declaring, in part, “it is the policy of the United States to recognize two sexes, male and female.” Reality is more nuanced than that. We get perspective from Rev. Paula Stone Williams, a pastor, therapist, and mayor pro tem of Lyons, Colorado. Then, the sandhill cranes return this weekend to the San Luis Valley. Plus, how USDA cuts are affecting Colorado.
On being trans under Trump 2.0
Speaker, pastor, therapist, and Colorado elected official Paula Stone Williams discusses her experiences as a trans woman under the new administration. Shortly after taking office, President Donald Trump signed an executive order declaring that trans people do not exist. Williams, mayor pro tem of Lyons, is the author of “As a Woman: What I Learned about Power, Sex, and the Patriarchy after I Transitioned.”
March 5, 2025: What doctors are watching for 5 years after the first case of COVID; Colorado’s Lunar Outpost
Colorado confirmed its first COVID case 5 years ago. Today, vaccination rates are flagging, and so are investments in our health. We’ll get a check-up on COVID and what doctors are watching for now. Then, Denver Mayor Mike Johnston testifies in Washington, D.C. about so-called sanctuary cities and immigration. Plus, a Colorado company’s about to make history on the Moon in more ways than one. And, Colorado Wonders about the state’s sugar beet industry.
March 3, 2025: ‘Colorado Today’ a daily dose of news; ‘Buy Colorado Day’ eyes global marketplace
Our coverage of Colorado deepens today with the launch of CPR’s new daily podcast, “Colorado Today.” We share the inaugural episode and meet hosts Bazi Kanani and Arlo Pérez Esquivel. Plus, today is a new state holiday: “Buy Colorado Day.” It elevates supporting local businesses and building Colorado’s brand across the world.
Meet Arlo and Bazi, the hosts of CPR’s new daily news podcast, ‘Colorado Today’
Arlo Pérez Esquivel and Bazi Kanani are the hosts of CPR’s new daily news podcast, “Colorado Today.” They spoke on stage in front of an audience with Colorado Matters Senior Host Ryan Warner.
