Kunc's Colorado Edition

Today on Colorado Edition, we get an update from KUNC’s state capitol reporter about where lawmakers are at the midway point in the 2022 legislative session. And we hear about a new nonprofit launching in Colorado to provide support to the state’s music scene.

On today’s Colorado Edition, we hear about a new bill that would cover the cost of college tuition for thousands of foster youth in the state. And we listen back to a conversation with Dr. K. Ron-Li Liaw, the new chief of mental health at Children’s Hospital Colorado, about the ongoing challenge to provide resources and support for young people struggling with mental health issues.

Water feeds Northeast Colorado’s corn and wheat fields, creating a booming agricultural economy. But that water is disappearing from the tributaries that feed the Republican River, flowing 450 miles from the cropland of Yuma County through Kansas and Nebraska. In this special episode of Colorado Edition from KUNC, reporter Adam Rayes takes us on a journey to explore the water crisis in Colorado’s Republican River basin.

Today on Colorado Edition, we head up to Loveland to watch how a new reservoir project takes shape, and we hear how a volunteer for a nonprofit that helps people navigate insurance after disaster is working with Marshall Fire survivors.

Among many things the pandemic revealed was just how undervalued many essential workers are, especially those who work in lower-paid service-industry jobs. Denver-based author and blogger Adam Kaat chronicles his experience working in a busy grocery store during the height of the pandemic, in a novel called Life on the Grocery Line: A Frontline Experience in a Global Pandemic.

Many rural towns across the mountain West are experiencing a moment of crisis — water scarcity and the threat of wildfire, as well as extreme income inequality and a shortage of workers, in part, because the cost of living is often incredibly high. We speak with veteran ski journalist Heather Hansman, who covers these issues in her new book. And we hear about efforts to ban a common but potentially unsafe series of chemicals known as PFAS from ski wax products.

Today on Colorado Edition, we explore local and statewide efforts to prevent overdose deaths and reduce harm. We also hear about a report commissioned by the Interior Department that outlines serious problems at tribal jails.

On today’s show, we hear from two Colorado scientists who recently discovered one of the oldest female infant burial sites in a cave in Europe. We’ll hear their analysis, and what they think life may have been like for the child and her family.

Today on Colorado Edition, we hear about Marshall Fire survivors who are struggling with a challenging housing market and a strong desire to stay put. We also listen back to a conversation with journalist Lisa Napoli about four women who were foundational to the early days of NPR.

Colorado State University held its annual International Symposium last month. As part of that, Colorado Edition’s Erin O’Toole moderated a keynote discussion on politics, polarization and the state of journalism, here and abroad, with former NPR journalist and Weekend Edition Sunday host Lulu Garcia-Navarro.

Today on Colorado Edition, we hear why Colorado kindergarten enrollment is increasing after plummeting due to the pandemic last year. We also learn why the way we understand the impact of snow totals on drought is changing. And, we listen back to a conversation with Wilma Webb, the first Black first lady of Denver, as her husband and former mayor Wellington Webb is set to be honored with a sculpture.

Today on Colorado Edition: We hear from members of Colorado’s Ukrainian community who gathered for a church service over the weekend. We also examine Colorado’s move to add a public option insurance program and what lessons we can take away from Washington’s public option rollout; and we revisit a conversation about the history and future of Black cowboys in the American west.

On today’s Colorado Edition: There’s a long history of people creating guides to help others find inclusive spaces. In the 20th century, Black travelers used The Green Book to navigate safely. Now, two Colorado women have created a new tech startup that aims to do something similar.

Today on Colorado Edition: We hear how Coloradans working in our elections system are grappling with misinformation and threats to their safety. And we explore the ongoing youth mental health crisis with the head of mental health at Children’s Hospital Colorado.

Today on Colorado Edition: we explore the history of racist media coverage in Colorado, and the racism still present in media today, with a group of journalists and community members who have been working to understand and correct systemic harm of traditional local media.

Today on Colorado Edition: We check in on several wildfire related bills lawmakers are working on this legislative session. We’ll also hear about the reopening of the Table Mesa King Soopers in Boulder, and we’ll speak with the disaster recovery manager for the city of Louisville.

Today on Colorado Edition: Experts have suggested that eyewitness accounts to identify potential suspects are often inaccurate, given the trauma of seeing a crime take place. Stephanie Daniel explores how the misidentification and wrongful arrest of a Black teen led to a grassroots effort in Colorado to change the practice of using showups.

Nelson Holland, known on social media as fatblackandgettinit, is uniting the majesty of Colorado's outdoors with his own sense of humor and uplifting nature in his channel. He joins Colorado Edition to talk about his journeys and social media fame.

Today on the show, we’ll hear about encampments being assembled to provide temporary shelter for people experiencing homelessness, and we explore the work of John Johnson, an early 20th century photographer, who documented the lives of African Americans living in the Great Plains.

Today on Colorado Edition, we hear why schools across the state are starting to loosen COVID safety protocols. We also hear how advocates are looking to address chronic homelessness as donations have poured in for those who lost homes in the Marshall Fire. And, we listen back to a conversation about the history of Denver’s Blair Caldwell African American Research Library.