Colorado Matters

Mobile homes parks are a form of affordable housing, but these parks often sit on valuable land. A CU Denver sociologist discusses the issues that may arise if that land is sold. Then, the Argentine immigrant and restaurateur who opened “Maria Empanada” in Denver says at first a lot of people didn’t know what an empanada was. They figured it out, and now she’s the SBA’s small businessperson of the year in Colorado. And, a new play looks at the relationship between four generations of teen moms. Plus, why Idaho Springs has a statue of a man who never truly existed.

As Denver’s population has boomed, its housing stock hasn’t. Now some families that were already displaced from the city are being displaced again in the suburbs as they get more expensive. A new study suggests potential solutions for low- and middle-income earners like teachers and retail workers. Then, a quarter of Denverites get their healthcare from Denver Health. The provider says it’ll have to cut services if Medicaid funding is slashed. And, we talk with Grand Junction’s mayor about the economy and a rash of teen suicides in the area.

A Colorado pediatrician made some surprising discoveries when he and his team interviewed hundreds of young people and their parents about access to firearms. Then, her many YouTube followers know her as “Tazzy Phe.” She’s Muslim, of Pakistani descent, lives in Denver. Her videos are funny and edgy. Plus, Charles Lindbergh sometimes skimmed just 10 feet above the waves as he flew the Spirit of St. Louis across the Atlantic. A Colorado pilot’s new book takes us inside the cockpit. And, a Denver Public Library social worker says the downtown library has become the city’s largest day shelter for the homeless.

A Grand Junction teen has deep community ties and big plans for the future, but only a temporary reprieve from deportation that’s subject to presidential approval. He was brought to the U.S. illegally at age 5. His story is the first in a CPR series about people who stand to be directly affected, for better or worse, by Trump administration policies. Then, a Denver veterinarian will offer free services Saturday to the pets of current and former service members. And, Fort Collins researchers are testing ways to extend the lives of mice, with an eye toward someday keeping humans healthier longer. Plus, a CU Boulder poet’s latest work features characters like Martin Luther King Jr. and singer Eartha Kitt. Also, a new device offers disabled athletes a chance to get back on Colorado’s trails.

Each May, a Denver man celebrates what he calls his second birthday. It was this month — more than half a century ago — that US troops liberated Jack Adler during a Nazi death march. Adler survived the Holocaust, but the rest of his immediate family didn’t. Still, he’s able to find humor in his life. Then, author Diane Les Becquets on her novel “Breaking Wild,” which is set in the Colorado backcountry. The book follows a lost woman who discovers the scariest thing she faces are her own demons. And, a tiny, rural school in eastern Colorado has four seniors in the graduating class of 2017. They talk about their close-knit experience and what’s next.

Some of our favorite culinary conversations are the focus of our show today. First, did you know about BEANGATE? That’s when White House staff scrambled to find out what beans president Lyndon Johnson ate. It’s one of many stories that comes out in a new history of black chefs in the White House. Then, after making a fortune in the tech world with his brother Elon, Boulder’s Kimbal Musk wants to reinvent the chain restaurant. And, what does Coors Field do with leftover food? Well, a group that feeds the hungry gets their hotdogs and other unused food.

Schools and mental health care got a lot of attention from state lawmakers in the annual session that ended last week. There are important changes ahead for students and for Coloradans who struggle with mental illness. Then, it’s easy to lose count of the cranes on Denver’s skyline because of the construction boom. What’s it like to go to work in one everyday? Also, Uber, Lyft and their impact on Denver traffic. Plus, private bills for undocumented immigrants are being targeted by the Trump administration. And later in the show, there’s apparently big money in crafting these days.

They thought their work was done, but state lawmakers may be called back to the Capitol to deal with issues Gov. John Hickenlooper thinks are unresolved, like transportation funding. They found some new money for roads, but couldn’t reach an agreement for more funding — a deal party leaders thought was a sure thing just months ago. Today, we bring back Sen. President Kevin Grantham and House Speaker Crisanta Duran to talk about what succeeded and what failed during the past session. Then, a Boulder investor hunts for future entrepreneurs in an unexpected place: prison. He wants to bring an inmate training program now in California, New York and Nebraska to Colorado.