Colorado Matters

State funding for colleges and universities could disappear in less than a decade according to several forecasts. That means students and families would pay more. So, what does that mean for the future? Today we hear from the presidents of Metropolitan State University of Denver, The University of Colorado, Colorado State University, community colleges, and the largest state college on the Western Slope. In addition, we hear from the governor’s former right-hand man on higher education.

Some of the thorniest issues affecting Colorado still have to be worked out at the state legislature and one of the key issues is transportation funding. CPR’s Vic Vela, who covers the Capitol, has a mid-session check-in. Then, explaining why Coloradans pay wildly different local taxes for schools. And, millions have fled their homes during South Sudan’s civil war, moving to refugee camps where sexual assault is rampant. We speak with a Denver attorney who has witnessed the devastation and will report this week to the United Nations. Plus, we remember an iconic voice in rodeo announcing. Also, photographer Joseph Collier became famous in the late 1800s for his images of Colorado. Now, his great-great-grandson has photographed the exact same spots for a book.

The Affordable Care Act needs work, says Colorado’s Democratic Senator Michael Bennet; adding that what House Republicans have come up with isn’t what the doctor ordered. His Republican colleague, Cory Gardner, held another tele-town hall last night and health care came up. Then, the odds are stacked against Cuban entrepreneurs. Internet access is iffy. Many jobs there are prescribed. So a few have come to Colorado to learn how to break through. And, Boulder’s Kimbal Musk hopes to reinvent the chain restaurant. What he means when he says the next great opportunity is “real food.” Plus, Colorado State University’s Emmanuel Omogbo is playing the best basketball of his career, despite tremendous loss — the deaths of his parents, niece, and nephew last year. To thank the CSU community, he’s calling this his “Thank You season.”

The closing of a prison can be a big blow to a town. But when a prison closed in rural southeastern Colorado, the state got creative and turned it into a drug-treatment center for people who are homeless. Then, after months of discussion and prayer, Denver Community Church has changed its position and is now embracing LGBTQ members. The lead pastor made the announcement and then apologized to the gay community. And, people with traumatic brain injuries joined students from Colorado Colege to take part in a series of dance workshops. The idea is to help improve mobility and form social connections. Plus, how repealing and replacing the ACA might affect Coloradans.

Rising temperatures are sapping the Colorado River, according to a new study, and it’s worse than forecasters realized. Then, what if you could cool a building 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, using no electricity, water, or energy? That might be possible someday with new technology developed at CU Boulder. Next, a teacher from Douglas County teaches history in a revolutionary way. And, the Fox Theater in Boulder celebrates 25 years. After a six-year hiatus, the Boulder band Rose Hill Drive is back with a new album.

Reports of sexual assaults on college campuses have increased dramatically over the last five years, including recent high-profile cases including student athletics at CU Boulder and CSU Pueblo. Denver attorney Scott Lewis trains schools across the country to prevent violence and comply with Title IX, the federal law that covers these cases. Then, this is the last year students at Denver’s South High School will get to hear from WWII veterans. And we hear about a 99-year-old veteran of that war who got some long-overdue recognition. Also, Denver’s Gypsy Swing Revue brings a little Paris to Colorado.

A comedy show at the University of Colorado Boulder brings levity to a serious, potentially cataclysmic subject: climate change. Then, what “place” means to Latinos in America today. It’s the subject of a new show at the Denver Art Museum. And, at 90 years old, this Denver figure skater still made it to the rink five times a week. A new documentary pays tribute to Yvonne Dowlen, who died last May.

Colorado Senator Cory Gardner held a telephone town hall Wednesday, and people were eager to connect. He took questions from listeners about healthcare, Russia and marijuana. We share highlights. Then, the search for the best artist to design a memorial to the victims of the Aurora Theater Shooting. It’s been narrowed down to four candidates. Plus, a Franken-instrument built in Gunnison, Colorado. And, a Denver photographer remembers artist Jean-Michel Basquiat.