Colorado Matters

President Trump wants a $54 billion boost in defense spending, which he’d come up with by slashing other programs from ranging from diplomacy to the arts. We speak with Mayor John Suthers of Colorado Springs on what this means for the military town. Then, it was a great weekend for skier Michaela Shiffrin of Eagle Vail at the World Cup finals in Aspen. We talk with John Meyer of the Denver Post who covered her win. Plus, music inspired by the National Parks. And, a chef, an entire restaurant and an animal scientist– each from Colorado– are up for top food awards.

Big budget cuts will come to many federal agencies, including the Environmental Protection Agency, if the president gets his way. That worries some people in Colorado. We explore what a smaller EPA could mean for the state. Then, banjo great Béla Fleck has released a new classical concerto album recorded with the Colorado Symphony. It’s named after his son. And you know that crusty colorful stuff you see covering rocks and tree trunks? They’re lichens and there’s a park in Boulder full of them — including two newly identified species.

Community groups are training immigrants on how to interact with federal agents and plan for their families’ futures at a time when President Trump has promised increased deportations. Then, a new study says hundreds of thousands of Coloradans would lose coverage and the state would lose billions of dollars in federal funding under the Republican healthcare plan. And, Holocaust survivor Fannie Starr sees spring differently than many people; because she was liberated from a concentration camp in April 1945, this is a season of reflection for her. Plus, on the eve of St. Patrick’s Day, Denver band Avourneen has a love affair with Celtic music. Also, last week’s “Saturday Night Live” featured a cool (fake) job alert: “pornographer” at the Denver Zoo.

Years before the Affordable Care Act and the GOP’s proposed replacement, Colorado devised its own plan to reform healthcare. Now the leader of the bipartisan effort is trying again to help the state lower costs. Then, a check box on state tax forms lets people donate some of their refunds to a list of charities, but getting on the list may be too political. Plus, “Superstition” by Stevie Wonder has been covered by many artists, including a native of rural Colorado, who was surprised when Stevie Wonder was in the audience and joined in the performance. And, Colorado author Laura Pritchett explores the “intimate” stories of a fictional Colorado town in her new book, “The Blue Hour.”

State funding for colleges and universities could disappear in less than a decade according to several forecasts. That means students and families would pay more. So, what does that mean for the future? Today we hear from the presidents of Metropolitan State University of Denver, The University of Colorado, Colorado State University, community colleges, and the largest state college on the Western Slope. In addition, we hear from the governor’s former right-hand man on higher education.

Some of the thorniest issues affecting Colorado still have to be worked out at the state legislature and one of the key issues is transportation funding. CPR’s Vic Vela, who covers the Capitol, has a mid-session check-in. Then, explaining why Coloradans pay wildly different local taxes for schools. And, millions have fled their homes during South Sudan’s civil war, moving to refugee camps where sexual assault is rampant. We speak with a Denver attorney who has witnessed the devastation and will report this week to the United Nations. Plus, we remember an iconic voice in rodeo announcing. Also, photographer Joseph Collier became famous in the late 1800s for his images of Colorado. Now, his great-great-grandson has photographed the exact same spots for a book.

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.”

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.