Colorado Matters

The fallout from a Title IX controversy at the University of Colorado Boulder, where university officials were recently punished for mishandling allegations of domestic violence against a former assistant football coach. Then, coal rolling is when people tweak their engines to belch black smoke. Some do it to be funny; others as a form of political protest. Colorado lawmakers recently passed a bill to crack down on it. Also, a death penalty scholar on Colorado’s execution history. Last, a deaf singer who was on Colorado Matters years ago is making a splash on ‘American’s Got Talent.’

Former Denver Mayor Wellington Webb talks about his work on a national committee trying to unite the Democratic party and avoid the mistakes of the 2016 election. Then, bands can face up to a five-year wait to book a concert at Red Rocks. We asked listeners about the best performances they’ve heard at the mountain amphitheater. Plus, Coloradan Hal Walter coaches his son, a middle-school runner, who has autism. Writing about the experience, Walter says his son has taught him a new definition of winning. Also, a hip-hop gardener celebrates Juneteenth with vegetables.

Colorado congressman Mike Coffman says this morning’s shooting in the Washington D.C. area should force Congress to reevaluate how it deals with off-site security. Then, people and bears are often at odds and with more people moving to Colorado, understanding bear behavior is critical. We speak with a scientist who has crawled into dens to study bears. And, does political polarization necessarily mean gridlock? Colorado’s highly polarized legislature has some lessons. Also, the Telluride Bluegrass Festival kicks off this week and each day begins with an odd ritual called “Revenge of the Tarps.” We speak with a member of the band Dispatch which will play at the festival. The group has a new album that focuses on big social issues and personal loss.

A big question mark hangs over tens of thousands of people in more than a dozen Colorado counties: Will the only health insurer in town leave the state’s insurance marketplace? And why are insurers pulling out of Obamacare markets? Next, President Trump’s decision to withdraw from the Paris Climate Accord, along with his proposed budget cuts to federal science organizations have been a blow to Colorado scientists who study climate change. Then, we meet The Cody Sisters, a bluegrass sister act at just 12 and 14 years old. And, the first girl to dunk in a Colorado high school basketball game wins a gold medal.

A Colorado woman started a new training program where veterans learn how to prevent suicide among their peers. Then, James Leprino rarely talks to the press. He’s the Colorado “cheese baron,” who supplies Pizza Hut, Dominos and Papa Johns. A conversation with the Forbes reporter who landed an interview. And, the FBI considers the “sovereign movement” a domestic terrorist threat. People who follow the ideology reject much of government’s authority over them. It has led to a lot of tension in one Southern Colorado county. Then, one year later, a Boulder composer’s musical reaction to the shooting at the Pulse nightclub.

Gov. John Hickenlooper says withdrawing from the Paris climate accord is a “serious mistake,” but he’s short on detail when it comes to reducing Colorado’s own carbon footprint. Then, a job fair for shopping center workers laid off after the mall was devastated by a hailstorm. And, a look at how brick-and-mortar retailers are being hurt by internet sales, and what that means for Colorado. Plus, two Denver book lovers are on their way to fulfilling a longtime dream with a mountain library to house 35,000 books about nature. Also, prison inmates can’t use digital technology to communicate with their families, so a Colorado Springs artist has come up with a solution from the 1800s.

The United States is backing out of the Paris climate accord but at least nine Colorado mayors have pledged to uphold the deal. We discuss what the withdrawal will mean statewide. Then, Cory Gardner is one of a small group of Republican senators hoping to revamp healthcare. He provides some insight to how he’s approaching the project. And, five years ago Boulder dentist Tom Bogan didn’t know how to swim because he was afraid of drowning. Now he’s participating in Hawaii’s Ironman competition. Also, Alex Honnold made a “generation-defining” climb last weekend. We spoke with him in 2015.

Make a mud pie. Find a four-leaf clover. They’re two things you should do before you’re 12, according to a new ad campaign in Colorado that’s designed to get kids outside. On average, kids spend only about four to seven minutes of unstructured time outdoors. Paleontologist and TV host Scott Samson, formerly of the Denver Museum of Nature and Science, is on a similar mission, so we listened back to our conversation about his book, “How To Raise A Wild Child.”