Podcast
Colorado Matters
Hosted by Colorado Public Radio · EN
Hosted by Ryan Warner and Chandra Thomas Whitfield, CPR News' daily interview show focuses on the state's people, issues and ideas.
699episodes
Episodes
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July 22, 2026: Legendary artist & astronaut Ed Dwight 'sculpts a legacy'; Make-A-Wish kid pays it forward
3w ago00:49:28Summary ready92-year-old Ed Dwight, of Denver, is a legend. The sculptor and spaceman is the subject of a retrospective at History Colorado. "Sculpting a Legacy" features his figures of Black cowboys and homesteaders, jazz greats, and civil rights leaders. Then, a United Airlines pilot who was a Make-A-Wish kid pays it forward. Plus, what it takes to turn an office building into housing.
SummaryJuly 21, 2026: A 25-year milestone for sports in Colorado; The little-known Italian immigrant story of the West
3w ago00:49:29Summary readyAn off-duty employee at the ICE detention center in Aurora faces charges after police say he shot toward a demonstrator who was struck in the foot amid heightened tension about immigration enforcement. Then, homeowners try to cope after losing everything in the Aspen Acres fire. Plus, the Denver Sports Commission celebrates 25 years of bringing big sports events and sports history to Colorado. Also, journalist and author Linda Stasi's historic novel, "The Descendent" receives a big honor as it becomes a best seller. And the effort to save an endangered fish on the Western Slope brings together the federal government, high school students, and baseball players.
SummaryJuly 20, 2026: ‘On Fire for God’ with author Josiah Hesse
3w ago00:49:23Summary readyYou can't go home again, as the saying goes. But Denver author Josiah Hesse did. He returned to Mason City, Iowa — with a journalistic lens— to better understand his evangelical upbringing, and the social and economic forces that shaped it. We spoke in front of an audience at the Denver Press Club for the release of "On Fire for God: Fear, Shame, Poverty, and the Making of the Christian Right – a Personal History." Editor's Note: This episode of Colorado Matters originally aired on January 23, 2026.
SummaryJuly 17, 2026: Reaction to Trump's election speech; Denver immigration judge fired; Indie 102.3's Local 303
3w ago00:49:23Summary readyThe constitution gives states dominion over elections. Here, mail-in ballots are popular and secure. But the president wants to turn that upside down. Reaction and analysis to Thursday's address, including the latest edition of "If You Can Keep It." Then, a Denver immigration judge -- hired during the first Trump administration -- was fired in the second. She says she refused to cave to political pressure. And, in Indie's 102.3's Local 303, Colorado musicians pull off a feat -- appearances at two festivals at the same time.
SummaryJuly 16, 2026: Colorado's changing demographics; Sustainable building material; Salt lakes at risk
3w ago00:49:26Summary readyColorado's population is aging and birth rates are dropping. We ask the new state demographer, Neal Marquez, what the changes might mean for Colorado. Then, CU Boulder researcher Mija Hubler has helped design a new material using a quick-growing bacteria that's a clean alternative to concrete and cement. Plus, a podcast examines Colorado's habitual offender law and asks if harsher sentences are truly a deterrent. Also, new hope for an infamous apartment complex in Aurora. And, a Colorado author explores salt lakes as they face an uncertain future.
SummaryJuly 15, 2026: 'All aboard' CoCo, the Colorado Connector; Sauna complex planned for central Denver
4w ago00:49:23Summary readyFront Range passenger rail could barrel down the tracks three years from now. We speak with Sal Pace, general manager of CoCo – the Colorado Connector. Then, a new mile-high marker for Denver that's as accurate as ever. Plus, a massive bathhouse is planned for an acre in downtown Denver. How might it create community? Also, how "movies under the stars" support firefighters, and a woman who lost her home twice to flames reflects on recovery. Later, a Colorado wilderness doctor returns from Greenland where he tended to climate scientists. And Colorado Wonders, where do bats hang out during the day?
SummaryJuly 14, 2026: New documentary examines child care crisis; Defying the Sand Creek Massacre orders
4w ago00:49:28Summary readyIn Colorado, many families spend more than 20% of their income on child care, if they can find it all. A new documentary from Rocky Mountain PBS, "Careless: Colorado's Child Care Struggles," shares the stories of parents working to navigate the challenges of child care, and those coming up with creative solutions. Then, there's a new accelerated program at the CU School of Medicine to become a doctor. And it's one of the darkest moments in Colorado history: the Sand Creek Massacre of 1864, but Captain Silas Soule refused to take part. What the letters he wrote say about moral courage and conviction ahead of a panel discussion at the National Western Center July 25.
SummaryJuly 13, 2026: Art & the aging brain; Affordability and inclusivity in the Great Outdoors
4w ago00:49:20Summary ready"I'm not an artist." That's something two art instructors who founded Purple Art hear a lot as they visit retirement communities across the Front Range. Many of their clients have dementia. In our series Aging Matters, we speak with art teachers the Colorado's Alzheimer's Association hand-picked. Then, tourists think twice about their vacations because of wildfire. Plus, an effort to make Colorado's Great Outdoors more inclusive and affordable. Also, why it's not only okay, but recommended, for kids to play in the mud. And "Cowboys and East Indians," a play about identity, culture, and belonging, is up for a Colorado Theatre Guild award.
SummaryJuly 10, 2026: Mayor and chief of staff embrace compromise to move city forward; A spiritual labyrinth
Jul 1000:48:54Summary readyThe mayor of Colorado Springs, who’s independent, hired the Republican he beat as his chief of staff. Today, a conversation about civility, service and even and submission with Yemi Mobolade and Wayne Williams. Then, we visit a fire camp for the Aspen Acres fire near Pueblo. Plus, an adobe labyrinth by the state's oldest church in the San Luis Valley. And a living kidney donor proves you can have a normal life after giving the gift of life.
SummaryJuly 9, 2026: Phil Weiser on general election strategy; Theater critics on what to watch for this summer
Jul 900:49:22Summary readyAs we wait to find out who the Republican candidate for governor will be in Colorado, we speak with Democratic candidate Phil Weiser, the current attorney general. Ryan Warner asks about his statewide strategy heading into the general election as well as gerrymandering and consequential court rulings. Then, we "Raise the Curtain" on theater critics with OnStage Colorado and find out their suggestions for the summer theater season.
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