Colorado Matters

Salma Rahin is an Afghan medical student who has resettled in Colorado. Her father was killed in a bomb blast as they tried to escape Kabul a year ago. She is one of the refugees being helped by Broomfield’s Resettlement Task Force, led by city councilwoman Heidi Henkel. Then, the story of a Ukrainian cobbler living in Colorado Springs. And, the push to electrify homes.

Afghans who escaped Kabul a year ago are making a life for themselves. Or trying to. Like other refugees, they contend with enduring trauma, culture shock, homesickness, and obstacles to employment. Today we meet Ahmad Siddiqi, an Afghan who now calls Colorado home with his wife and four children. Then, Jefferson County grapples with half-empty schools. And how did Broomfield get its name?

More than 700,000 people in Colorado could be affected by President Biden’s student loan forgiveness plan. Then, working to overcome COVID-19 vaccine disparities. Plus, how age influences voting. Also, a directory that helps people find and support Black-owned businesses. And the “thankless” job of being an umpire.

The new president of Front Range Community College, Colleen Simpson, talks about her vision of inclusivity and the opportunities and challenges ahead. Then, a group in Denver is working to make sure people with disabilities are able to enjoy the outdoors. And ¿Quién Are We? host and co-creator May Ortega shares her own story about identity.

Ballots for the November election go out in just under two months. We talk about the key Colorado races. Then, Coloradans share their inflation hacks at the supermarket and the pump. Plus, a health condition meant she could no longer wear heels, so Boulder entrepreneur Leontyne Ashmore started her own shoe brand. Also, Colorado musicians you should know.

Colorado’s lowest elevation just isn’t celebrated like its highest is. There’s not even a marker. That is, until we took a trip to Yuma County. Then, the Artemis mission signals a return to the moon, and beyond. Plus, students share their back-to-school joy and frustration. And, a county’s divide when it comes to people experiencing homelessness.

DACA applicants are waiting for a court decision about the program that allows them to work and go to school without fear of deportation. We talk with one student who’s in limbo. Then, how to avoid rental scams. Plus, meet the founder of Mo’ Betta Green Marketplace, whose mission is to offset food deserts and ease anxiety. And later, the elusive stroopwafel.

Russia invaded Ukraine six months ago, on February 24, 2022. The Colorado Springs World Affairs Council assembled a panel of experts to shed light on the war and what may happen next. The discussion was recorded August 18, 2022 at the Southern Colorado Public Media Center. CPR Southern Colorado reporter Dan Boyce moderated.