In six years, the US has gone from political polarization to ‘ossification’
The term “political polarization” no longer captures the state of partisanship in the US, according to Stephen Hawkins. The research director for More In Common is now using the words “ossification” and “calcification.” And yet on some issues, there is plenty of evidence that common ground still exists. As Election 2024 draws closer, Hawkins reflects on polarization research and solutions.
No, you can’t stop your car in the middle of the road during a hailstorm
Here’s how to keep yourself and your vehicle safe when hail is falling.
May 29, 2024: Lightning Safety 101; Meet a ‘spellebrity’
Lightning killed a rancher in northern Colorado, and 34 head of cattle. With summer storm season fast-approaching, we discuss lightning safety, outside and at home. Then, Colorado will regulate funeral homes after a series of disturbing cases. Later, a very special rose reveals its true colors. Plus, he won the National Spelling Bee for Colorado as an 8th grader, now he’s the Bee’s pronouncer, a veritable “spellebrity.”
May 27, 2024: On Memorial Day, stories of heroism, bravery, and reflection
On Memorial Day, stories of Coloradans who served in extraordinary conditions. Then, a piece of the U.S.S. Arizona, in Aurora, preserves the memories of Coloradans killed at Pearl Harbor. And, how fallen U.S. service members came to be buried in American cemeteries abroad.
May 22, 2024: Needle exchanges under scrutiny; What will it take to bring back wolverines?
Free syringe exchange programs are now outlawed in Pueblo. The city council passed the ban last week. We’ll talk about what’s changed and why the debate is ongoing. Then, a new state law allows wolverines to be reintroduced to Colorado, but it won’t be an easy task. And Judy Collins is back in Colorado for a sold-out concert. We revisit our conversation with the folk singer who grew up in Denver.
May 20, 2024: DiStefano on evolution of higher education; Remembering a pedestrian safety champion
He’s spent 50 years at the University of Colorado Boulder, including the last 15 as chancellor. Now Phil DiStefano is stepping down. He discusses how to add more value to a liberal arts degree, the challenges facing higher education, and the importance of what he calls, “humble leadership.” Then, we remember a champion for pedestrian safety in Denver, Phyllis Mack.
Roses from Camp Amache just bloomed at Denver Botanic Gardens
The flowers bloomed days after the former Japanese American internment camp dedicated as a national historic site.
What exactly is that thin strip of land separating Colorado from Texas?
Only a narrow slice of Oklahoma Panhandle touches Colorado, acting as a buffer between here and Texas.
May 17, 2024: Closed for a month, what’s next for the Blue Mesa Bridge; Forecasting space weather
Daily life has been disrupted in Gunnison by the ongoing closure of an important bridge, from high school athletics, to timber, to health care. What might a fix look like? And what’s the timeline? Then, geomagnetic storms test Boulder’s Space Weather Prediction Center. Plus, Steve Wozniak, a co-founder of Apple, speaks at the commencement for CU Boulder, where he once was a student. Plus, words to live by from 102-year-old Bill Powell of Fort Collins.
May 15, 2024: Gov. Polis on new housing options, transit, and property taxes
In a warehouse in north Denver, students of all ages are learning the construction trades. The Build Strong Academy served as something of a backdrop to a bill signing– legislation that lets folks up and down the Front Range build ADUs – Accessory Dwelling Units – on their property. It’s also where Ryan Warner met Governor Jared Polis for their regular interview to talk about everything from housing to transit to taxes.
Ride some of Colorado’s oldest train tracks … on a bike
A new experience in Erie is “the quirky lovechild of a bicycle and a train.”
May 13, 2024: Deaf leader champions new era for school; Assessing the Broncos’ rookies
The Colorado School for the Deaf and the Blind now has a superintendent who’s deaf. Then, Broncos football asseses potential starting quarterbacks.
These 7 plants passed the test and thrive in The Rockies
Researchers at Colorado State University conducted multiple tests to determine the top performers.
In Denver, a merger of museums. One big, one small
The Kirkland Museum, named for artist Vance Kirland who suspended himself above giant canvases, is merging with the Denver Art Museum. DAM’s director Christoph Heinrich tells Ryan Warner what the deal means for art lovers and, more specifically, members.
May 10, 2024: Blood medics poised to save lives; A merger worthy of a museum
In Colorado Springs, they’re equipping first responders with whole blood that can be transfused on the scene of an accident, an attack, or a medical emergency. Then, what a merger means for the Denver Art Museum and the Kirkland Museum. Plus, charging EVs across Colorado. Later, division over a proposed national monument on the Western Slope. Later, how do birds survive hail storms? And using goats to keep brush at bay.
These goats have a job: Lawn care and fire mitigation
At Goat Mowers, the workforce mostly has four legs and horns. The business, based in Calhan, Colorado, harnesses the hunger of goats to care for lawns and fire-prone landscapes. We meet owner Kimberly Jones and a goat named What What.
