Crisis At State Mental Hospital; Retiring TV Anchor On Industry’s Future; A Recycling Robot
Staffing shortages are so severe at the Colorado Mental Institute at Pueblo that the federal government has threatened to pull money because of worries about patient safety. Then, 9News Anchor Adele Arakawa is retiring after 24 years in Denver. She’s headed to Tucson — she’s not quite as sure where her industry is going next. Next, artificial intelligence could revolutionize the recycling industry, with a robot named Clarke leading the way. And, can a $4 million marketing campaign get kids off their screens and into the Colorado outdoors?
Presidential HIV/AIDS Advisor From Colorado Resigns; Governor’s Race; Denver Poet’s New Book; Western Slope Hikes
An infectious disease expert from Colorado has resigned in protest from the President’s HIV/AIDS advisory panel. She’s disturbed about the new health care bill being debated in Congress. Then, we speak with CPR’s government reporter Allison Sherry about the crowded field of candidates who have joined next year’s gubernatorial race in Colorado. She says the election will work unlike any other in state history because unaffiliated voters can cast ballots in the primary. And, slam poet and Denver native Theo Wilson has a new book in which he explains what makes him tick. Plus, an outdoor writer offers ideas on where to hike on the Western Slope and puts Black Canyon of the Gunnison at the top of his list.
When To Call Something A Lie; Anonymous Sources; Conflicts Of Interests: CPR And NPR Decision-Makers Answer Journalism Ethics Questions
The news media are under the microscope. It felt like a good time to lift the veil on how CPR’s and NPR’s newsrooms operate — in terms of ethics. On a stage at the University of Denver’s Newman Center, we confronted the dilemmas that reporters and editors face: When can a journalist call something a lie? What about the use of anonymous sources? Officials from NPR and CPR News answer questions.
Democratic Divisions; Red Rocks Hard To Book; Coaching A Son With Autism; Juneteenth
Former Denver Mayor Wellington Webb talks about his work on a national committee trying to unite the Democratic party and avoid the mistakes of the 2016 election. Then, bands can face up to a five-year wait to book a concert at Red Rocks. We asked listeners about the best performances they’ve heard at the mountain amphitheater. Plus, Coloradan Hal Walter coaches his son, a middle-school runner, who has autism. Writing about the experience, Walter says his son has taught him a new definition of winning. Also, a hip-hop gardener celebrates Juneteenth with vegetables.
Rep. Coffman Raises Security Concerns After Shooting; Avoiding Legislative Gridlock; Humans And Bears; New Dispatch Album
Colorado congressman Mike Coffman says this morning’s shooting in the Washington D.C. area should force Congress to reevaluate how it deals with off-site security. Then, people and bears are often at odds and with more people moving to Colorado, understanding bear behavior is critical. We speak with a scientist who has crawled into dens to study bears. And, does political polarization necessarily mean gridlock? Colorado’s highly polarized legislature has some lessons. Also, the Telluride Bluegrass Festival kicks off this week and each day begins with an odd ritual called “Revenge of the Tarps.” We speak with a member of the band Dispatch which will play at the festival. The group has a new album that focuses on big social issues and personal loss.
Why Colorado’s Health Exchange Struggles For Insurers; Teen Bluegrass Sister Act
A big question mark hangs over tens of thousands of people in more than a dozen Colorado counties: Will the only health insurer in town leave the state’s insurance marketplace? And why are insurers pulling out of Obamacare markets? Next, President Trump’s decision to withdraw from the Paris Climate Accord, along with his proposed budget cuts to federal science organizations have been a blow to Colorado scientists who study climate change. Then, we meet The Cody Sisters, a bluegrass sister act at just 12 and 14 years old. And, the first girl to dunk in a Colorado high school basketball game wins a gold medal.
Veterans Helping Prevent Peer Suicide; Colorado’s ‘Cheese Baron’; Inside The Sovereign Movement; Boulder Composer On Pulse Shooting
A Colorado woman started a new training program where veterans learn how to prevent suicide among their peers. Then, James Leprino rarely talks to the press. He’s the Colorado “cheese baron,” who supplies Pizza Hut, Dominos and Papa Johns. A conversation with the Forbes reporter who landed an interview. And, the FBI considers the “sovereign movement” a domestic terrorist threat. People who follow the ideology reject much of government’s authority over them. It has led to a lot of tension in one Southern Colorado county. Then, one year later, a Boulder composer’s musical reaction to the shooting at the Pulse nightclub.
Gov. Hickenlooper On ‘Paris’ Withdrawal; What Retailers’ Troubles Mean For Colorado; A Literary Home On The Range; Flipbooks For Prisoners
Gov. John Hickenlooper says withdrawing from the Paris climate accord is a “serious mistake,” but he’s short on detail when it comes to reducing Colorado’s own carbon footprint. Then, a job fair for shopping center workers laid off after the mall was devastated by a hailstorm. And, a look at how brick-and-mortar retailers are being hurt by internet sales, and what that means for Colorado. Plus, two Denver book lovers are on their way to fulfilling a longtime dream with a mountain library to house 35,000 books about nature. Also, prison inmates can’t use digital technology to communicate with their families, so a Colorado Springs artist has come up with a solution from the 1800s.
Mama Don’t Let Your Babies Grow Up To Be Couch Potatoes: A Colorado Campaign To Get Kids Outside
Make a mud pie. Find a four-leaf clover. They’re two things you should do before you’re 12, according to a new ad campaign in Colorado that’s designed to get kids outside. On average, kids spend only about four to seven minutes of unstructured time outdoors. Paleontologist and TV host Scott Samson, formerly of the Denver Museum of Nature and Science, is on a similar mission, so we listened back to our conversation about his book, “How To Raise A Wild Child.”
‘Wild Child’ Author: 7 Minutes Outside A Day Isn’t Enough For Kids
“We need to move forward into a future that is rich in both technology and nature,” Scott Sampson says during an appearance on Colorado Matters at the Tattered.
Political Commentary Through Cartoons In The Trump Age; Grateful Dead At Red Rocks
In this politically charged environment, what’s it like to be a political cartoonist? We talked with two: Ed Stein, in Denver, had given up the art, but came back to weigh in on President Trump. And on the Western Slope, Paul Snover’s billboard of Trump slaying a liberal dragon got national attention. Then, Dead and Company play in Colorado this weekend, and this week, the Colorado Music Hall of Fame will celebrate the Grateful Dead. Many consider a show at Red Rocks in 1978 one of their best — and helped establish the band as a group worth following.
Prevalence Of Oil And Gas Explosions In Colorado; Springs Sculptor On International Stage
Want to know how many explosions and fires there have been at oil and gas operations in Colorado? How many people have died or been injured? It’s not easy to find this information because the state doesn’t require detailed reporting. But researchers at the Colorado School of Public Health dug deep, and have a new study out. Then, the governor has just signed the first state law dealing with driverless cars. Why lawmakers put only a “light touch” on regulations. And only 17 American artists landed a spot in the Venice Biennale, the prestigious art exhibition that takes place every two years in Italy. One of the 17 is a Colorado Springs sculptor who uses pantyhose — and other everyday objects — in her work. This honor comes late in Senga Nengudi’s career.
Yep, It’s True: You Can Surf In Suburban Denver
If you don’t think of surfing as a Colorado thing — think again. There’s a new park on the South Platte River in suburban Denver where you can catch a wave. Backers hope the sport will spawn a renaissance in the neighborhood. And, two deadly explosions in two months have led to new questions about how close oil and gas development should be to residential areas. Then, Denver students recently won first, second and third places in a national cursive writing contest. It’s a skill their teachers at Stanley British Primary school think is essential — and brain science backs them up. Plus, a Denver artist who turned penmanship into a career.
Raised On Standing Rock Reservation, A Teacher Keeps Lakota Alive In Denver Schools
Denver Public Schools is one of only a handful of districts in the country, off of a reservation, that teaches Lakota, an indigenous language. One of Denver’s two Lakota teachers is from the Standing Rock Reservation, where she took her students this year. Then, the story of the giant steel plant in Pueblo that helped forge America.
Can The National Western Overhaul Help End World Hunger? Questioning Teacher Evals; Dressing For A Space-Edge Jump
Some of the fastest-changing neighborhoods in Denver are along I-70 north of downtown, in part because of a major overhaul planned for the National Western Stock Show complex. The former agriculture secretary under President Obama, Tom Vilsack, is helping shape what’s coming. Also in North Denver, a high school podcast focuses on neighborhood pollution. Then, Colorado was one of the first states in the country to make student improvement a main factor in evaluating educators’ job performance, but it’s not clear whether those reviews are actually helpful. Also unclear is what impact those evaluations will have on the gubernatorial hopes of the politician who created them. And, an engineering feat — creating a suit that would allow a man to freefall from the edge of space –and land safely with a parachute.
Memorial Day Special: America’s Best Wartime Pilots; Bell Tolls For Colorado Veterans
Very few ace fighter pilots are still alive, so a Denver photographer rushed to take their pictures. We hear some of their stories, including one from a graduate from the Air Force Academy who still wonders why he survived as a pilot in Vietnam while his good friend didn’t. Then, the Honor Bell rings at Fort Logan National Cemetery when veterans are buried. A Denver man had the bell made out of frustration. And, hiking through the woods back home, an Afghanistan veteran had a flashback that inspired him to write about his service.
