Between the mayor’s race and the Park Hill Golf Course, our ballots for the April 4 election are jam-packed! But don’t overlook the two innocuous-looking zoning questions 2M and 2N. They may seem insignificant, but they could have big implications for the literal shape of our city. Councilwoman Amanda Sandoval (District 1) helped get 2M and 2N on the ballot, and she sits down with host Bree Davies to explain where they came from, what they’d change, and why they matter. To catch up on the full b...
Mar 23, 2023•17 min•Transcript available on Metacast Christie Buchele is one of Denver’s hardest working comedians, but her new one-woman show, “Lost & Found,” isn’t about the jokes. Christie is currently undergoing psychedelic-assisted therapy, a revolutionary approach to healing trauma. It features intense talk therapy sessions while under the supervised use of MDMA (aka ecstasy). After Colorado voters decriminalized psychedelics last year, Christie stepped into this new world of treatment and it inspired her to write and create a performance ab...
Mar 22, 2023•24 min•Transcript available on Metacast It’s Tuesday and we’re talking about the big stories around Denver this week. The Park Hill Golf Course saga gets even messier, as a new lawsuit throws the developers’ trustworthiness into question. Then, just as it celebrated 20 years as a LoDo staple, Blake Street Tavern announced plans to close — but the reason why isn’t totally clear. And of course, Mayoral Madness continues, with one candidate dropping out and another pulling in big bucks from a Silicon Valley billionaire. Host Bree Davies ...
Mar 21, 2023•30 min•Transcript available on Metacast Images of our Wild West past often evoke the work of men: miners, railroad titans, fur trappers, cowboys, and land speculators who wandered the dusty streets of early Denver. But on those same streets we now call LoDo, women were at work, too — businesswomen known as madams ran parlor houses and brothels that catered to a growing city. While life for these women may have seemed glamorous, the sex workers they employed often inhabited a much darker existence. Host Bree Davies sits down with Histo...
Mar 20, 2023•22 min•Transcript available on Metacast Robert Treta is the owner of Treta Design and Build Inc., a contracting company, and he wants to be mayor. He talks to host Bree Davies about why he loves electric vehicles, Chipotle vs. Illegal Pete’s, how to make Denver less “fugly,” and his plan to build a neighborhood out by the airport to house our unhoused neighbors. We are inviting all 17 candidates for interviews before Election Day on April 4. So far, we've talked to: Renate Behrens Leslie Herod Lisa Calderón Ean Thomas Tafoya Trinidad ...
Mar 19, 2023•35 min•Transcript available on Metacast Debbie Ortega is currently an at-large representative on City Council. She has served on council and worked in local government for more than 40 years, and she wants to be Denver’s next mayor. She sits down with host Bree Davies to talk about her support for the failed 2021 bond to build a new arena at the National Western Center, her vision for our transportation network, and Casa Bonita. We are inviting all 17 candidates for interviews before Election Day on April 4. So far, we've talked to: R...
Mar 18, 2023•37 min•Transcript available on Metacast It’s Friday and we’re talking about the local stories that mattered this week — which of course involves the mayor’s race. Ballots are out, so producer Paul Karolyi and host Bree Davies invited Axios Denver reporter Alayna Alvarez to tease apart the narratives jammed into all the candidates’s TV commercials. The crew reviews campaign fundraising totals, messaging, music, and what voters might glean from these 30-second intros to just some of the 17 names they’ll be facing on their ballots. Then,...
Mar 17, 2023•47 min•Transcript available on Metacast Ever since that day last December, when the South Park guys announced that Casa Bonita would be re-opening this May, we’ve been salivating for details. Nearly 12,000 fans have RSVP’d merely to wait in line for opening day. And this week, our friends at 9News flew a helicopter overhead to reveal that the iconic fountain has been restored and refilled. As we wait for more details (including that yet-to-be-named opening date), we’re sharing a conversation from last August with 9News investigative r...
Mar 16, 2023•19 min•Transcript available on Metacast Twelve-term congresswoman Pat Schroeder passed away this week at the age of 82, leaving behind an important legacy that changed the way all Americans — particularly women — live, work, raise families, and hold power in this country. Schroeder helped pass the Pregnancy Discrimination Act, the Family and Medical Leave Act, and the National Institutes of Health Revitalization Act — she even spearheaded the effort to convert Rocky Mountain Arsenal from a toxic military-industrial site to the wildlif...
Mar 15, 2023•19 min•Transcript available on Metacast It’s Tuesday, and we’re taking a look at the stories that matter to Denverites this week. Obviously that means Casa Bonita. The May reopening is approaching, and more than 11,000 people have RSVP’d to wait in line when the official opening date is announced. Host Bree Davies and producer Paul Karolyi speculate about Casa Bonita 2.0, then they dig into stories about state GOP’s recent election of Dave “Let’s Go Brandon” Williams to lead the party, new rules for composters, and a controversial sch...
Mar 14, 2023•31 min•Transcript available on Metacast Denver is the Mile High City. Literally, that means we are one mile closer to the sun and that much more vulnerable to skin cancer. But we don’t talk about it! Maybe that’s why 9News meteorologist Kathy Sabine never thought it would happen to her. But early last year she got the all-too-common diagnosis, and she knew her life was going to change. So how does a beloved TV personality deal with a problem like skin cancer? Host Bree Davies sits down with Kathy to talk about her treatment, the react...
Mar 13, 2023•24 min•Transcript available on Metacast Terrance Roberts is a former gang member-turned-Park Hill community and civil rights activist. He sits down with host Bree Davies to explain his goal of making Denver a 24-hour city, why he thinks we need public banking, how he’d try to stop youth gun violence, and why he’s a “no” on the proposal to redevelop the Park Hill Golf Course. We are inviting all 17 candidates for interviews before Election Day on April 4. So far, we've talked to: Renate Behrens Leslie Herod Lisa Calderón Ean Thomas Taf...
Mar 12, 2023•41 min•Transcript available on Metacast Kwame Spearman is on leave from his job as CEO of Tattered Cover, which is also co-owns, and he wants to be mayor. He sits down with host Bree Davies to talk about his plan to make Downtown a better place to do business, he personal experience with psychedelics, and how he’d bring his experience running Denver’s most iconic bookstore to the mayor’s office. We are inviting all 17 candidates for interviews before Election Day on April 4. So far, we've talked to: Renate Behrens Leslie Herod Lisa Ca...
Mar 11, 2023•42 min•Transcript available on Metacast It’s Friday and we’re rounding up the stories that caught our eyes — and noses — this week. Producer Paul Karolyi is joined by host Bree Davies and returning favorite, public radio vet and podcast host Jo Ann Allen. First, the issue of public safety in Denver in 2023 has gotten a lot of attention from mayoral candidates on the campaign trail in the last few weeks. A recent piece in Colorado Newsline from Chase Woodruff has us wondering: what does “safety” even mean? Then, in a recent op-ed for t...
Mar 10, 2023•50 min•Transcript available on Metacast Of all the dinosaurs, we Coloradans have a special connection to the Stegosaurus. So much so that in February, state lawmakers introduced a bill to create a new license plate honoring the 1876 discovery of our favorite ancient armored herbivore. But that’s not the only reason why our state — and the Front Range in particular — has had such a huge impact on the discovery and study of dinosaurs globally. Host Bree Davies sits down with Dinosaur Ridge’s Erin LaCount, one of Colorado’s foremost dino...
Mar 09, 2023•21 min•Transcript available on Metacast The Republican Party of Colorado is in tough shape. They’ve been on a major losing streak since Cory Gardner was elected to the Senate in 2014, and it’s unclear if they can turn things around. But that’s the job six senior Republicans are vying for this weekend as the state GOP convenes to elect a new leader. So host Bree Davies called up one of the last successful Republican strategists in Colorado, Dick Wadhams. He managed statewide campaigns for senate and governor, chaired the state GOP from...
Mar 08, 2023•22 min•Transcript available on Metacast The 95th Academy Awards will be presented this Sunday in Los Angeles, and at least a couple Coloradans are up for an Oscar. But why not more? And why are so many theaters closing across the metro area? To help celebrate the biggest week in Hollywood, producer Paul Karolyi and newsletter editor Adrian González are surveying the local film landscape, from big changes that could be coming to our state film incentive program to the recent string of theater closings to the secret Canadians who saved ...
Mar 07, 2023•25 min•Transcript available on Metacast Between the high price of natural gas and the push for green energy, conservatives in Colorado have in the last few years become increasingly interested in nuclear power. They have called to replace the old coal plant in Craig with a new small-scale reactor, and GOP state lawmakers recently introduced a bill that would have reclassified nuclear as “clean energy.” Across the country, people are reconsidering the highly stigmatized and highly powerful technology. So today, we are revisiting the st...
Mar 06, 2023•28 min•Transcript available on Metacast James Walsh is a professor of political science and labor history at CU Denver, and he wants to be mayor. He talks to host Bree Davies about how he’d make Denver the most worker-friendly city in the country, universal basic income, and what he learned riding his bike to all 77 neighborhoods. We are inviting all 17 candidates for interviews before Election Day on April 4. So far, we've talked to: Renate Behrens Leslie Herod Lisa Calderón Ean Thomas Tafoya Trinidad Rodriguez Thomas Wolf Chris Hans...
Mar 05, 2023•26 min•Transcript available on Metacast Kelly Brough served as president and CEO of the Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce and chief of staff for then-mayor John Hickenlooper, and she wants to be mayor. She sits down with producer Paul Karolyi to talk about fixing Denver’s downtown problem, expanding the STAR first responder program, and keeping reckless scooter drivers off the sidewalks. We are inviting all 17 candidates for interviews before Election Day on April 4. So far, we've talked to: Renate Behrens Leslie Herod Lisa Calderón Ea...
Mar 04, 2023•37 min•Transcript available on Metacast It’s Friday, and we’re rounding up all the local stories that mattered this week. At the top of that list: Denver is the third best place in the country to live if you’re Gen Z, according to a recent survey. But what the heck does that mean? We invited Shana Saint-Phard, a young reporter from the TJ Journal, Thomas Jefferson High School’s student paper, to give us an inside look at Gen Z life in Denver, swap some overlooked stories of the week, and help us pick the Official City Cast Denver Mayb...
Mar 03, 2023•45 min•Transcript available on Metacast When Politico published its rules for surviving Washington DC, it got us thinking: What are the essential rules for surviving Denver? From how to dress for all occasions (hint: cowboy boots and Tevas carry the same fashion clout) to the question of ‘to smother or not to smother,’ host Bree Davies is joined by producer Paul Karolyi and returning fave, Westword reporter Conor McCormick-Cavanagh, to lay down our unofficial rules for how to make it through Mile High. Do you have tips for how to surv...
Mar 02, 2023•28 min•Transcript available on Metacast Xcel Energy posted $1.7 billion in profits in 2022, yet many Coloradans have seen their energy bills double and in some cases triple this winter. From difficulties accessing payment-assistance programs to frustrations with the arduous process of converting to solar energy, Coloradans are fed up with their power utility. So is this what living with a monopoly feels like? Today host Bree Davies sits down with Xcel Energy Colorado president Robert Kenney to hear how he’s balancing the needs to keep...
Mar 01, 2023•21 min•Transcript available on Metacast After months of research and planning, Colorado Democrats introduced a big package of gun reform laws last week that tackle everything from an increased age limit for gun purchases to the expansion of red flag laws — and this is just the beginning. Meanwhile in the Mile High, the recent toxic train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, has Denverites wondering if something similar and equally dangerous could happen here and what politicians are doing about it. Plus, what two years into Colorado’s ...
Feb 28, 2023•26 min•Transcript available on Metacast The City and County of Denver recently joined cities across the country in banning TikTok from all government devices — meaning city employees cannot download the app on any publicly owned phones. As concerns mount about the Chinese-owned app’s access to Americans’ data, Colorado Senator Michael Bennet has called on Apple and Google to remove TikTok from their stores entirely — meaning no more boutique fashion shows, no more local food adventures, no more pedestrian advocacy, no more access to a...
Feb 27, 2023•25 min•Transcript available on Metacast Mike Johnston served in the state senate for eight years, ran for governor and the U.S. Senate, and most recently was president and CEO of Gary Community Ventures — and he wants to be mayor. He sits down with host Bree Davies to talk about his plan to end homelessness in Denver during his first term, his stance on rent control, and the proposal to widen Peña Boulevard. We are inviting all 17 candidates for interviews before Election Day on April 4. So far, we've talked to: Renate Behrens Leslie ...
Feb 26, 2023•28 min•Transcript available on Metacast Chris Hansen is a trained engineer and state senator who has represented Denver for the past six years, and he wants to be Denver’s next mayor. He sits down with producer Paul Karolyi to talk about his controversial TV ad, how he’d lead the Denver Police Department, and his plan to tackle housing costs and homelessness. We are inviting all 17 candidates for interviews before Election Day on April 4. So far, we've talked to: Renate Behrens Leslie Herod Lisa Calderón Ean Thomas Tafoya Trinidad Rod...
Feb 25, 2023•32 min•Transcript available on Metacast It’s Friday and we’re digging into all the local stories that mattered this week. First, more Mayoral Madness because the debates in recent weeks have gotten pretty spicy on the topics of housing, homelessness, and how candidates feel about the camping ban. Then, we take on a Denver sports mystery: who is really behind the mountain lion mask? Because the Nuggets’ mascot has been missing a lot of half-court shots recently… Producer Paul Karolyi and host Bree Davies are joined by Westword staff wr...
Feb 24, 2023•38 min•Transcript available on Metacast Craft breweries can be as intimidating as they are plentiful. But there’s lots to enjoy in the local brewery scene even if you’re not a major beer lover. And newsletter editor Adrian González and producer Paul Karolyi are not beer lovers. They are beer likers, and they are here to help. Host Bree Davies sits down with Paul and Adrian to talk through their favorite breweries for non-alcoholic options, vibes, food and, yeah, also the beer. All the breweries we mentioned: Dry Dock Brewing (Aurora) ...
Feb 23, 2023•31 min•Transcript available on Metacast The new podcast “Alphabet Boys” is making waves across the country with revelations about how the FBI used an undercover informant to infiltrate the racial justice movement in Denver in the summer of 2020. Told using secret recordings, the story revolves around Michael “Mickey” Windecker, a self-proclaimed counter-terrorism expert who drove a silver hearse full of guns and tried to convince activists to take on increasingly violent plots. Producer Paul Karolyi talks to Alphabet Boys host Trevor ...
Feb 22, 2023•21 min•Transcript available on Metacast 
