Colorado’s Senators On Health Care; A Crash Course In Start-Ups For Cuban Entrepreneurs; ‘Real Food’ And ‘Thank You’ Hoops
The Affordable Care Act needs work, says Colorado’s Democratic Senator Michael Bennet; adding that what House Republicans have come up with isn’t what the doctor ordered. His Republican colleague, Cory Gardner, held another tele-town hall last night and health care came up. Then, the odds are stacked against Cuban entrepreneurs. Internet access is iffy. Many jobs there are prescribed. So a few have come to Colorado to learn how to break through. And, Boulder’s Kimbal Musk hopes to reinvent the chain restaurant. What he means when he says the next great opportunity is “real food.” Plus, Colorado State University’s Emmanuel Omogbo is playing the best basketball of his career, despite tremendous loss — the deaths of his parents, niece, and nephew last year. To thank the CSU community, he’s calling this his “Thank You season.”
Rural Rehab Center For The Homeless; LGBTQ Inclusive Church; Dance Helps With Brain Injury
The closing of a prison can be a big blow to a town. But when a prison closed in rural southeastern Colorado, the state got creative and turned it into a drug-treatment center for people who are homeless. Then, after months of discussion and prayer, Denver Community Church has changed its position and is now embracing LGBTQ members. The lead pastor made the announcement and then apologized to the gay community. And, people with traumatic brain injuries joined students from Colorado Colege to take part in a series of dance workshops. The idea is to help improve mobility and form social connections. Plus, how repealing and replacing the ACA might affect Coloradans.
Signs Of Trouble On The Colorado River; No-Energy Cooling; Boulder’s Rose Hill Drive Back Behind The Wheel
Rising temperatures are sapping the Colorado River, according to a new study, and it’s worse than forecasters realized. Then, what if you could cool a building 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, using no electricity, water, or energy? That might be possible someday with new technology developed at CU Boulder. Next, a teacher from Douglas County teaches history in a revolutionary way. And, the Fox Theater in Boulder celebrates 25 years. After a six-year hiatus, the Boulder band Rose Hill Drive is back with a new album.
Denver Lawyer On Title IX; Overdue Medals For Veteran; Gypsy Jazz
Reports of sexual assaults on college campuses have increased dramatically over the last five years, including recent high-profile cases including student athletics at CU Boulder and CSU Pueblo. Denver attorney Scott Lewis trains schools across the country to prevent violence and comply with Title IX, the federal law that covers these cases. Then, this is the last year students at Denver’s South High School will get to hear from WWII veterans. And we hear about a 99-year-old veteran of that war who got some long-overdue recognition. Also, Denver’s Gypsy Swing Revue brings a little Paris to Colorado.
Sen. Gardner Holds Tele-Town Hall; Who’ll Design An Aurora Theater Memorial?
Colorado Senator Cory Gardner held a telephone town hall Wednesday, and people were eager to connect. He took questions from listeners about healthcare, Russia and marijuana. We share highlights. Then, the search for the best artist to design a memorial to the victims of the Aurora Theater Shooting. It’s been narrowed down to four candidates. Plus, a Franken-instrument built in Gunnison, Colorado.
And, a Denver photographer remembers artist Jean-Michel Basquiat.
Local Police On Immigration Enforcement; New Film ‘Beyond Standing Rock’; Boulder Astronomer Assesses Planet Discovery
President Donald Trump hopes local police can help federal immigration agents arrest and detain people in this country illegally. But one Colorado county says they tried that before and there were challenges. Then, a new film, “Beyond Standing Rock,” tells of other tribes in the West that have struggled with sovereignty over their land and resources. And, our space expert talks about the discovery of seven earth-like planets which NASA calls a major leap forward in answering the question “Are we alone out there?” Plus, about 75 people across Colorado work in remote areas tending to the state’s water supply.
Human Trafficking App; Mobile Tattoo Removal; Website For Ex-Cons; Song Implores ‘No More Screen Zombies’
When victims of human trafficking break free, they’re met with a whole new set of challenges, often legal ones. A Denver non-profit is creating a network of attorneys who can help trafficking survivors. Then, Colorado pays for some young people to have their tattoos removed — literally erasing their ties to gang life. One of the removal services is mobile, set up in an old ambulance. And, a new website helps ex-cons move beyond their pasts. Plus, “No more screen zombies!” has become a motto for two country singers. They saw their kids constantly staring at screens and it inspired them to make a kids’ album called “Let’s Go Outside.”
National Renewable Energy Lab, End-Of-Life Experts, Children’s Book On Grief, Tiny Desk Contest
The Trump administration has sent mixed signals on climate change and alternative energy and the future of the National Renewable Energy Laboratory in Golden is cloudy. Then, what doctors and hospitals must learn about Colorado’s new aid-in-dying law. And, a Denver mom writes a children’s book to help kids cope with death. Also, an update on transportation negotiations from the state capitol. Plus, Colorado musicians vye for an appearance at NPR’s Tiny Desk Concert.
Colorado’s Chance To Land Outdoor Retail Businesses; La La Land Choreographer; Movie Quotes; Father-Son Concert Duo
A major trade show for outdoor retailers is pulling out of Utah over concerns about how politicians there treat public lands. The show — and some businesses on its roster –may land in Colorado. Then, the choreographer of Oscar-favorite La La Land is from Breckenridge. She tells us how she trained stars Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling. Then, the stories behind memorable lines that movie stars said — and didn’t say — through the years. And, a famed clarinetist and his pianist son share family memories ahead of a concert they’ll perform together.
Governor On Trump Immigration Plan; Climate Change On Stage; Mines Students Head To National Ethics Contest
Gov. John Hickenlooper says the state patrol is “not inclined” to help enforce President Donald Trump’s new immigration plan. The governor also offers his opinion on a lawsuit over Boulder’s oil and gas production moratorium, and weighs in on other issues. Then, the Denver Center’s new play, “Two Degrees,” explores climate change. And, a team from the Colorado School of Mines heads to a national competition this weekend to argue issues such as whether bartenders can refuse to serve pregnant women. Plus, a Coloradan is the first woman to appear in a CoverGirl ad campaign wearing a hijab.
Medicaid In Grand Junction, Kent Thompson Leaving Denver Center, Architect Gio Ponti
An experiment’s gone on for the last several years on Colorado’s Western Slope; seeing if the cost of Medicaid can be reduced while still improving people’s health. Meanwhile, some hospitals in rural Colorado are worried about the impact of losing the Affordable Care Act. Then, a new book on healing the political divide. Also, for 12 years, Kent Thompson has served as producing artistic director for the Denver Center; he’s leaving in March. And the only building Italian architect Gio Ponti designed in the United States was the Denver Art Museum. It’s on Civic Center Park and looks like it’s covered in scales.
Churches As Sanctuaries, Tom Clark Retires, Opera On Transgender Woman
Nine Colorado congregations formed a network to shelter immigrants facing deportation. We look inside that network, where two women are currently in sanctuary. Then, why more young entrepreneurs are attracted to Metro Denver than anywhere else in the country. But Denver wasn’t always such a draw — we speak with Tom Clark, who was instrumental in its metamorphosis. He retires next month. And, an opera about a different sort of metamorphosis– its main character is transgender.
Answering Your Colorado Refugees Questions, Lannie Garrett’s Favorite Love Songs
President Trump is trying to — at least temporarily — block refugees from settling in the US, and that’s sparked a lot of questions from you: “What do refugees do when they get to Colorado?” “Why spend taxpayer money to support them over, say, Americans who are homeless?” “How can you help refugees?” We have the answers. Then, on Valentine’s Day, Denver singer and longtime cabaret owner Lannie Garrett shares some of her favorite love songs.
The President’s ‘Kitchen Cabinet’, How Writings On Detention Center Walls Inspired Colorado Poet
Your perception of George Washington may change when you hear about how he treated the first presidential cook. The story comes out of Denver author Adrian Miller’s new book, “The President’s Kitchen Cabinet: The Story of African-Americans Who Have Fed Our First Families.” Then, writing on the walls of an immigrant detention center inspired Denver poet Teow Lim Goh. The poems in the men’s barracks are still there, but the women’s were destroyed in a fire. Goh imagines what those lost poems may have been in her latest collection called “Islanders.”
American Indian Activist Led Landmark Lawsuit, Veterans’ Voices In ‘Stories From Wartime,’ What’s Hygge?
As the Dakota Access Pipeline rolls ahead, a look back at an earlier clash between Indian tribes and the federal government, when activist Elouise Cobell filed the largest class-action suit ever against the United States. Then, veterans describe their battlefield experiences in a long-running Regis University program called “Stories From Wartime.” Students learn the history. Vets find it cathartic. And, the rules designed to help communities and industry avoid conflicts over oil and gas drilling are causing — conflict. Plus, an import from Denmark to Colorado: What’s hygge?
VW Settlement, A Check On New Oil and Gas Rules, Film Portrays A Human Born On Mars
The Volkswagen settlement means not just money for car owners and auto dealers but also for the state to pay for clean energy projects. Then, communities quarrel with new oil and gas operations despite state rules intended to ease the tension. Those rules also helped fund a forthcoming study of the potential health effects of living near drilling rigs. Also, the new film “The Space Between Us” is about the first human born on Mars, who wants to travel to Earth. And, an opera written especially for children.
