Colorado Matters

Aerial firefighting often stops at night because it’s dangerous to maneuver in the dark, although nighttime conditions can be really good for fighting wildfires. We hear about a center in Colorado that’s figuring out how to keep these aircraft flying safely. Then, spacecraft could refuel without returning to earth if they could mine asteroids — but landing on those bodies is hard, so a Colorado scientist dreamed up a squishy robot to make it easier. And, Papa Dia has helped countless African immigrants adjust to life in Colorado. He’s just been given an award for his courage. Plus, the big, gigantic music of the Boulder electronic band Big Gigantic.

Today, what’s behind the overcrowding and what the state’s going to do about it. Then, a Colorado scientist trying to catch an asteroid in a net, and use it to fuel a spacecraft. Also, it may not be as common as postpartum depression, but new moms can also struggle with obsessive compulsive disorder. Plus, an artist from Grand Junction who draws dinosaurs, and is a giant in her field.

Three-day weekends are the new reality for students in nearly half of Colorado’s school districts. Tight budgets have led to shorter school weeks, and hourly staff having their hours cut. But there’s some evidence it hasn’t hurt student performance. Then, the late Colorado author Kent Haruf didn’t live to see it, but Robert Redford and Jane Fonda are playing characters he created. His last book, “Our Souls At Night,” is now a movie.

What would the latest plan to repeal and replace Obamacare mean for Colorado? The governor gives his take, plus shares what he’s willing to sacrifice to lure Amazon’s second headquarters. Then, a respected Colorado teen joins the Army and becomes an elite Army Ranger. But in his final hours before shipping to Iraq, he didn’t hug his family or girlfriend. He robbed a bank. A new book explores why. And, a competition to make hospital food taste better. Finally, the second annual Supernova Outdoor Digital Animation Festival screened videos from around the world.

Lawmakers in Washington’s overheated political climate struggle to come to a consensus on issues like climate change, health care and racial tensions. We put the challenge to a politically divided group of seven Colorado citizens as part of a series of conversations we call “Breaking Bread.” We served dinner and fresh bread to the group, and listened to see if they could find political middle ground on difficult issues.

Colorado’s one of the few places in the country where Republicans don’t have political control right now. State GOP chairman Jeff Hays hopes to change that with the campaign for governor already underway. Then, there’s a lot of hype around the hyperloop. We talk with the head of Colorado’s transportation department about what the state is willing to do to get a high-speed train in a tube. And, if you go missing in the wilderness, what kind of search and rescue you can expect depends on where you go missing, writes journalist Jon Billman. Last, the story behind the teacher shortage in rural Colorado.

After a stinging defeat nationally, how are Democrats in Colorado gearing up for 2018? We’ll speak to state party chair Morgan Carroll about the crowded race for governor, and a change that means 1.2 million unaffiliated voters can take part in next June’s primary election. (Tomorrow we’ll talk to Republican state chair Jeff Hays.) Then, a major water source for the food supply in Colorado is drying up. In fact, the Ogallala Aquifer supports a sixth of the world’s grain, and countless farmers’ livelihoods. Plus, a Colorado mountain climber teaches Afghan women to summit their country’s tallest peaks.

Floods don’t just change lives — they change the land. Four years after Colorado’s costliest flood, a section of Left Hand Creek in Boulder County is still being re-engineered. Then, it’s sparked a lot of conversation. The New York Times picked a spot for Amazon’s new headquarters. Why they think Denver is best. Plus, cowboy Casey Tibbs was a teen when he turned the rodeo world on its head. But he fell on hard times. He’s the subject of a new film. Also, a production at Denver School of the Arts puts students of color in the spotlight. ​And, The Colorado Peaches, a senior softball team, prepare for an international competition. At 86, Madgalena McCloskey is the eldest member.