Colorado Matters

The divide between urban and rural Colorado is growing, and that has a huge effect on election-year politics. We hear from two voters straddling that divide. Then, people fought hard to legalize rain barrels for home irrigation. A new law takes effect in Colorado Wednesday and we have tips for setting up a system. And, we’ll hear some Shakespearean insults — like “you’re a beetle-head, motley-minded maggot pie” — in honor of the First Folio currently on display in Boulder.

A number of Coloradans will go for gold in the Rio Olympics starting tonight. A breakdown of the Colorado athletes to watch. Then, on the anniversary of the Gold King Mine spill, what solutions are in the works for other abandoned mines? And a Boulder author rewrites the werewolf mythology, and takes the creature from a Hollywood killer to something more nuanced.

A warming climate means newly arrived animals, more dead trees and more weeds at Rocky Mountain National Park. Then, world champion wrestler and self-described “girly girl” Adeline Gray of Colorado Springs will compete for Olympic gold. Also, a new exhibit at the Denver Art Museum brings attention to the female artists of abstract expressionism. And, when should older drivers find safer ways to get around?

As the National Park Service turns 100 it faces major challenges in Colorado, including warming lakes that threaten aquatic life, and severe wildfires. We’re joined by director Jonathan Jarvis as part of our coverage on climate change and parks. Then, climate change also threatens to “kill” the Colorado River according to a ProPublica report that inspired a new documentary. Also, the pioneer of Colorado’s wine industry says the state’s wines are flourishing. Then, dead animals at the Denver Museum of Nature & Science will help researchers understand the coming changes to Rocky Mountain ecosystems.

Cheating threatens the soul of sports, according to CU Boulder’s Roger Pielke, Jr., who founded the school’s new Sports Governance Center, created to tackle issues like doping, sex testing for athletes, and whether prosthetics give athletes with disabilities an advantage. Pielke joins us ahead of the Summer Olympics in Rio. Then, we asked listeners what pieces of public art they’d like to know more about, and that led us to the giants hearts on display in Loveland. And, peach season got us thinking about what local ingredients Colorado chefs can and can’t get.

More than 100 Americans have gone to Syria and Iraq to fight ISIS outside the purview of the US military, including Levi Shirley, a Coloradan who died last month. State Rep. Joe Salazar provides his views on moving forward following the Democratic National Convention. Then, a Nederland firefighter hopes to be reunited with his dog following the Cold Springs fire. An update on stepping back in time on the Colorado Trail. And, three Colorado women will swim in the Paralympic Games in Rio.

As she accepted the Democratic nomination last night, Hillary Clinton lamented that more Americans haven’t gotten a pay raise recently. It’s a message Colorado’s governor John Hickenlooper also addressed on the national stage at the DNC. Forty years ago, Colorado’s Big Thompson Flood killed more than 140 people. A Denver author who calls himself born again Japanese-Americans helps others reconnect with their heritage. And, a James Beard Award finalist shares some of his cringe-worthy Kitchen Nightmares.

The “Pray For American Bus Tour,” sponsored by a Colorado Springs group, went to both political conventions to encourage prayers for government leaders. And, a short film looks at the toll Alzheimer’s takes on families. Plus, backers of Colorado’s universal healthcare initiative want Bernie Sanders’ help. Then, colleagues assess Gov. John Hickenlooper’s national ambitions as he speaks to the Democratic National Convention. And, the debate over whether students need parents’ permission to meet with school board members. Plus, music by the Haunted Windchimes crosses genres.