Kids And Guns; Denver YouTuber Recognized For Blending Humor, Social Justice; Charles Lindbergh Book
A Colorado pediatrician made some surprising discoveries when he and his team interviewed hundreds of young people and their parents about access to firearms. Then, her many YouTube followers know her as “Tazzy Phe.” She’s Muslim, of Pakistani descent, lives in Denver. Her videos are funny and edgy. Plus, Charles Lindbergh sometimes skimmed just 10 feet above the waves as he flew the Spirit of St. Louis across the Atlantic. A Colorado pilot’s new book takes us inside the cockpit. And, a Denver Public Library social worker says the downtown library has become the city’s largest day shelter for the homeless.
Immigrant Teen Has Big Plans In US; Pet Care For Veterans; Scientists Pursue The Fountain Of Youth; Poetry Recalls Minstrel Shows
A Grand Junction teen has deep community ties and big plans for the future, but only a temporary reprieve from deportation that’s subject to presidential approval. He was brought to the U.S. illegally at age 5. His story is the first in a CPR series about people who stand to be directly affected, for better or worse, by Trump administration policies. Then, a Denver veterinarian will offer free services Saturday to the pets of current and former service members. And, Fort Collins researchers are testing ways to extend the lives of mice, with an eye toward someday keeping humans healthier longer. Plus, a CU Boulder poet’s latest work features characters like Martin Luther King Jr. and singer Eartha Kitt. Also, a new device offers disabled athletes a chance to get back on Colorado’s trails.
Denver Holocaust Survivor’s Liberation; Colorado Author’s Novel On Missing Woman’s Survival In The Wild
Each May, a Denver man celebrates what he calls his second birthday. It was this month — more than half a century ago — that US troops liberated Jack Adler during a Nazi death march. Adler survived the Holocaust, but the rest of his immediate family didn’t. Still, he’s able to find humor in his life. Then, author Diane Les Becquets on her novel “Breaking Wild,” which is set in the Colorado backcountry. The book follows a lost woman who discovers the scariest thing she faces are her own demons. And, a tiny, rural school in eastern Colorado has four seniors in the graduating class of 2017. They talk about their close-knit experience and what’s next.
Today’s Focus Is Food: Feeding Presidents; Changing Chain Restaurants; Leftovers At Coors Field
Some of our favorite culinary conversations are the focus of our show today. First, did you know about BEANGATE? That’s when White House staff scrambled to find out what beans president Lyndon Johnson ate. It’s one of many stories that comes out in a new history of black chefs in the White House. Then, after making a fortune in the tech world with his brother Elon, Boulder’s Kimbal Musk wants to reinvent the chain restaurant. And, what does Coors Field do with leftover food? Well, a group that feeds the hungry gets their hotdogs and other unused food.
Mental Health And Education Changes From Lawmakers; A Trip Up A Denver Tower Crane
Schools and mental health care got a lot of attention from state lawmakers in the annual session that ended last week. There are important changes ahead for students and for Coloradans who struggle with mental illness. Then, it’s easy to lose count of the cranes on Denver’s skyline because of the construction boom. What’s it like to go to work in one everyday? Also, Uber, Lyft and their impact on Denver traffic. Plus, private bills for undocumented immigrants are being targeted by the Trump administration. And later in the show, there’s apparently big money in crafting these days.
It’s A Wrap On This Legislative Session, Or Is It?; Inmates Explore Their Entrepreneurial Spirit
They thought their work was done, but state lawmakers may be called back to the Capitol to deal with issues Gov. John Hickenlooper thinks are unresolved, like transportation funding. They found some new money for roads, but couldn’t reach an agreement for more funding — a deal party leaders thought was a sure thing just months ago. Today, we bring back Sen. President Kevin Grantham and House Speaker Crisanta Duran to talk about what succeeded and what failed during the past session. Then, a Boulder investor hunts for future entrepreneurs in an unexpected place: prison. He wants to bring an inmate training program now in California, New York and Nebraska to Colorado.
Colorado Opioid Crisis Grows With Deadly Drug; Affordable Housing Investments Slow; Architect Ed White; Simpler Fly Fishing
A drug called carfentanil, used as an elephant tranquilizer in China, has killed at least two people in Colorado and deepened the state’s opioid crisis. Then, the prospect of Trump- administration tax cuts has softened the market for tax credits that help finance affordable housing. And, architect Ed White made his mark on Colorado with building design and historic preservation work. He was also a friend of beat-generation writer Jack Kerouac. Plus, as spring fly fishing season begins, a Colorado angler’s book describes a Japanese technique known as Tekara. Also, two Denver moms plan a Mother’s Day version of their show “Pump and Dump” this weekend.
Impact Of Rising Property Values; A Little Known Valley In Rocky Mountain National Park
Homeowners in Colorado got something in the mail recently that may have made their eyes widen. It’s what local assessors think their properties are worth. In some parts of the state, the jump in value was as much as 35 percent. What that means for your community and your property taxes. Then, there’s a little known valley in Rocky Mountain National Park; it’s where you’ll find the headwaters of the Colorado River. The Kawuneechee Valley can tell us a lot about natural and human history. American Indians learned to live in its harsh winter climate, and later, miners established towns there. Also, how the Nederland folk act Elephant Revival keeps the peace.
Pipeline Explosion Fallout; Skyscrapers Generating Solar Power; Child Reader Guest Host
The recent explosion of a home in Northwest Colorado — which killed two people — intensifies the debate over how close homes and oil and gas operations should be to each other. We’ll talk about what the event means for the industry, public safety, and government oversight. Then, how to turn a skyscraper into a solar power plant. And, Newbery Medal-winning children’s author Avi, of Steamboat Springs, was delighted to meet the sixth-grade reader who we brought in to help interview him about his new book. Then, artists who don’t let their disabilities limit them, including photographers who are blind.
Opioid Overdoses At Local Library; Beermaker Molson Coors’ CEO; Yosemite Climber’s Memoir
After a man died in a bathroom, the Denver Public Library became one of the first libraries in the country to dispense a medication that reverses opioid overdoses. And, it’s a year of transition for Molson Coors after an acquisition that made it the world’s third-largest brewer. Then, Estes Park climber Tommy Caldwell scaled Yosemite’s Dawn Wall. His new memoir chronicles intense childhood training, his kidnapping in Kyrgyzstan and his climbs around the world.
A Meatpacking Plant On CSU’s Campus; Eating Insects; Colorado Writer Seeks First People In North America
Colorado State University in Fort Collins has broken ground on a $20 million center for its burgeoning meat science program. Sixty thousand people have signed a petition to block it, but supporters say it offers hands-on experience for future agriculture workers. Then, two high school students from the city spend a week on a cattle ranch on Colorado’s eastern Plains. They say one of the highlights was witnessing the birth of a calf. And, a Denver farm that’s not what you might expect. We talk to a cricket farmer who raises insects for human consumption. Plus, for his forthcoming book, Colorado writer Craig Childs traces the first people to come to the Americas. He says their journey wasn’t easy since passage required crossing a land bridge.
Uncertainty Over Fate Of Gay Bishop; Craig Johnson; ‘Dark Matter’; Transgender Opera
Is the United Methodist Church headed towards a schism? A church court ruled that the recent consecration of an openly gay bishop, whose territory includes Colorado, violates church law, but she may keep her appointment. Then, western mystery writer Craig Johnson, whose books inspired the TV show “Longmire,” on his ghost story now out in paperback. Also, Durango author Blake Crouch’s latest book, “Dark Matter” dives into alternate realities — even quantum mechanics — to explore “the path not taken.” And, Opera Colorado’s production “As One” breaks a lot of rules in the opera world.
Read The First Chapter of Wyoming Writer Craig Johnson’s New Mystery
In the latest Walt Longmire mystery, “The Highwayman,” Wyoming author Craig Johnson takes on the supernatural.
Cuddling Opioid Babies In Pueblo, CO Lt. Gov’s First Year On The Job, A Denver Poet On What Comes Next
There are so many opioid-hooked babies born at one Pueblo hospital that nurses asked the community for help. The call went out for volunteer cuddlers. Then Lt. Governor Donna Lynne, in her first year on the job, has traveled to every Colorado county to hear what’s on people’s minds. And, a huge swath of downtown Denver was demolished 50 years ago. Finally, a Denver poet reflects on what comes after – after violence, after death, after birth.
Homeless Laundry; Lessons Of Polar Exploration Apply To Outer Space; A Girl And Her Pet Bear
A mobile laundry serves the homeless in Denver. The people who use the laundry truck can also connect with social services in hopes of getting off the street. Then, it was harder to reach the North Pole in the 1800s than to reach the moon in the 1960s, but the lessons those polar explorers learned are still relevant to space scientists today. And, a Colorado restaurant owner writes a memoir about the orphaned bear who was her childhood pet.
Climate Change And Wildfires; Anti-Doping Cyclist; I.M. Pei’s Mark On Colorado; Pioneering Boulder Dancer
Scientists at CU Boulder say there’s a climate change collision course underway in Colorado: More wildfires are expected and more people are moving into the forest. The scientists released a report showing how fast-growing communities can adapt. Then, a Colorado cyclist who said no to doping talks about his friendship with cycling’s most notorious cheater. Also, renowned architect I.M. Pei, who turns 100 today, has made a big mark on Colorado, from the 16th Street Mall to a striking building atop a mesa in Boulder. Then, we’ll remember the pioneering dancer Charlotte Irey, who made CU-Boulder a center for dance.
