Colorado Matters

In 2008, the University of Colorado Boulder searched for alternatives to affirmative action; “race-neutral” ways to build diversity on campus. That change could protect CU, and even teach others, how to adjust as the Trump administration prepares to sue schools over affirmative action policies. Then, a mountain town has a creative use for hot spring water: growing vegetables. Pagosa Springs goes in for geothermal greenhouses. And, poems fraught with mother-daughter strife and love. A new collection of poetry and why its so accessible. Plus, why a Colorado ranch homesteaded by a teenage girl in 1886 will receive a special designation at the Colorado State Fair.

A black man in Denver wanted to understand white nationalists, so Theo Wilson changed up his newsfeed and adopted an alter-ego. “I became Lucius 25, white supremacist lurker, and digitally I began to infiltrate the infamous alt-right movement.” His video about the experience went viral after Charlottesville. Then, a new accessory, invented in Colorado, alerts friends and family if you’re in trouble. And, could a new novel based on the 30-year-old murder of an Aurora family help thaw a cold case? Also, the girl with the I-70 tattoo. Plus, at a Greeley school, kids eat veggies for lunch — and like them.

Not a single state senator or representative in the Colorado legislature is independent, even though more than a million Coloradans are unaffiliated. A national group, which aims to get more independents elected to national and local office, recently moved to Colorado to focus its resources on the state. The Centrist Project says its goal is critical at a time when 70 percent of Americans are dissatisfied with the direction of the country. Then, Eric Cahn was separated from his parents at age 4. They were sent to Auschwitz while he hid in a family’s basement to avoid the Nazis. Cahn shares his story, as CPR News continues to document the lives of Holocaust survivors in Colorado. Cahn also reflects on the events in Charlottesville, Virginia, where there were anti-Semitic chants and Nazi symbols flying. Plus, Colorado’s pot growers are looking for ways to save energy and money.

The governors of Colorado and Ohio say another one-party healthcare plan would be doomed to fail in Congress. So John Hickenlooper and John Kasich are crafting their own plan together. The Democrat and Republican say they hope to bring more stability to the health insurance market. Then, it’s not just statues. College dorms can honor controversial figures in history. That’s how it was decades ago at CU Boulder. The state historian has been thinking a lot lately about Colorado’s own struggles with names like Nichols, Stapleton and Chivington. And, a new weapon to fight antibiotic resistant superbugs.

When it’s hot out, or when it rains or floods, maybe you wonder “Is this climate change?” There’s a name for when researchers try to make that sort of direct link — it’s called attribution science. And a big, new climate report finds it’s possible to connect some extreme weather to global warming. But, look no further than Colorado to see how far attribution science has to go. Then… a man who spent a decade on family cattle ranches in Colorado collecting stories. Like how one rancher used to ship her fresh cream to Denver by train. And a look at Denver’s Skyline Park. Plus, keeping the Emerald Ash Borer out of Denver.

Conflicts over oil and gas development are more intense since two people died in a home explosion last spring. The state’s top regulator feels the heat from communities that want to restrict drilling. Then, a University of Colorado Boulder professor studies how white supremacists have moved from the fringes of society, and the role music has played. Plus, an autobiographical comic book about a Denver artist’s relationship with his father and alcohol. And, the first woman to officially complete a US marathon ran up Pikes Peak in 1959. Not many people knew what she’d accomplished until years later.

The attack in Charlottesville is a reminder that violent extremism can be homegrown. How Denver Police will use a $500,000 grant to fight terrorist recruitment and radicalization. Then, Colorado scientists are focusing on the sun’s corona as they study Monday’s eclipse. Also, the smash movie “Frozen,” is headed to Broadway as a musical — after a first run in Denver that may help shape the show. Plus, it’s a debut album from bluegrass band “The Lonesome Days,” but the group’s already made a mark — it’s placed second twice at the Telluride Bluegrass Festival band competition.

Bike sales in general are sluggish, but sales of electric bikes are booming. Host Ryan Warner went for a ride on one to see what the fuss is about. And, the state just passed a new law to regulate e-bikes, but it’s still not clear where you can ride them. Then, a new way for farmers with mental health troubles to get help. Also, a thriller set in Steamboat Springs asks whether technology like smartphones will save us or lead to our demise. Novelist Matt Richtel is a Pulitzer Prize-winning technology reporter for The New York Times.