Colorado Matters

Hosted by Ryan Warner and Chandra Thomas Whitfield, CPR News' daily interview show focuses on the state's people, issues and ideas.
Airs Monday-Friday: 9 a.m.-10 a.m. & 7 p.m.-8 p.m.; Sundays: 10 a.m.-11 a.m.
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Latest Episodes

Teachers Rally, But What Do They Want? And, A 6-Year-Old Elk Bugler

Teachers in Colorado are gathering at the state Capitol on Monday to lobby and then attend a rally. The primary ballots for Democrats and Republicans started firming up this past weekend at the state assemblies. Why the Google-Oracle Java battle matters in Colorado. Can home ice help the Colorado Avalanche turn around the Stanley Cup playoffs? And, have you heard about the 6-year-old elk bugler from Fruita? We’ve got you covered.

Down ‘The River Of Lost Souls’ With Jonathan Thompson

A new book puts the Gold King Mine spill within the long history of mining and pollution in Southwest Colorado. An inner-city youth program near the Denver-Aurora border aims to change the lives of young men. Then, one quarter of rural households in the state go without high speed internet. A new subsidy aims to change that. And preview of a moving new violin concerto by Colorado composer Jeffrey Nytch about a violinist hero in an Italian cruise ship disaster called “Costa Concordia.”

Ballot Signature Skirmishes; Squeezing The Middle Class; A Solo Lumineer

The recent Stapleton and Lamborn ballot signature dust ups show the state’s verification system works, Secretary of State Wayne Williams s. Then, what President Trump may mean for the future of renewable energy in Colorado. A new study finds Colorado’s middle class is squeezed and stressed. And the legend of Rattlesnake Kate McHale gives the Lumineers’ Neyla Pekarek the inspiration and name for a new solo album.

Was There A ‘War On Coal’ And If So, Is It Over?

Stan Dempsey, head of the Colorado Mining Association, recently declared the so-called “War On Coal” to be over. Was there ever a war, or just market forces? One of the leading thinkers on artificial intelligence, Heather Roff, will speak this week at CU Boulder — after we speak with her. And, products that are made in Colorado, from beer cans to chemicals to satellites, could be caught up in the big international trade battles now underway.

Whither Or Wither The Denver Post Now, After An Open Rebellion Against Owners?

Denver Post editorial page editor Chuck Plunkett talks about the paper’s future after waging wat in print and online against its corporate owners Alden Global Capital. But first, David Flaherty of Colorado-based Magellan Strategies outlines the way political campaigns profile voters and use of social media. The Colorado Department of Agriculture, talks about Colorado losers and winners in Trump’s trade battles. And, your gun questions answered.

Where Things Stand With Firestone; CPR Picks Its Next Leader

Two people died when a house exploded in the northern Colorado town of Firestone a year ago. CPR’s Grace Hood and Ben Markus talks about what’s changed since then. Last week, the Denver City Council said it would not investigate claims of sexual harassment against Mayor Michael Hancock. What happens next? Stewart Vanderwilt talks about taking the reins at CPR. And author Emily Dufton talks about the history marijuana policy in her new book, “Grass Roots: The Rise And Fall And Rise of Marijuana in America.”

Where Things Stand On The State Budget; The Lumineers’ Stelth Ulvang

While a surplus has eased tensions among state lawmakers jockeying for budget priorities, it also has them scrambling for the extra dollars. Does an EPA rollback on car emissions mean “America First,” or bad air and hit to wallet for Coloradans? The annual Denver Auto Show just kicked off. Stories told by war veterans inspired Jeff Campbell to write his latest play, “Honorable Disorder.” The Lumineers’ Stelth Ulvang somehow finds time to write and record his own music.

Staff

Tom Hesse.
Colorado Matters Western Slope Producer

Tom Hesse