
Colorado Matters
Hosted by Ryan Warner and Chandra Thomas Whitfield, CPR News' daily interview show focuses on the state's people, issues and ideas.
Latest episodes

Oct 11, 2023 • 50min
Oct. 11, 2023: Gov. Jared Polis on Proposition HH, housing, and Indian boarding schools
In our regular interview, Gov. Jared Polis says he’ll revive a landmark proposal to give the state more control over land use. The measure, designed to increase the stock of affordable housing, died in the 2023 legislative session. Then, documentarian Ken Burns on “The American Buffalo.”

Oct 10, 2023 • 51min
Oct. 10, 2023: Is the consent decree resulting in police reform in Aurora?
The forceful tactics Aurora police used to stop and subdue Elijah McClain four years ago, and protests a year later, led to a state investigation. It concluded that the Aurora Police Department has a pattern of racist policing. As a result, Aurora became the first city in Colorado placed under state oversight. It's now required to overhaul its policies and practices. We ask how that consent decree is going.

Oct 9, 2023 • 51min
Oct. 9, 2023: The town lost to uranium; Expanding compensation for atomic workers
Former resident provides insight into the history of a town sacrificed to uranium; Congress considers expanding compensation for atomic workers. Uranium exposure risks, health effects, and potential water contamination discussed. Nostalgic memories of first love and exploration of lesbianism shared.

Oct 6, 2023 • 50min
Oct. 6, 2023: Chef Dana Rodriguez’s culinary challenge; Making musical connections!
It might be the ultimate challenge for a chef: revamp the menu for a beloved restaurant that, oddly, was known for its bad food. We talk with Casa Bonita's new executive chef Dana Rodriguez. Then, understanding RTD's budgets to keep buses and trains running. And "Music Blocks" third season celebrates how the instruments themselves can create connection and community.

Oct 5, 2023 • 49min
Oct. 5, 2023: New exhibit showcases Colorado’s Black history; Student loan questions and answers
Colorado's Black history is diverse and rich, but not widely known. A new exhibit, "Proclaiming Colorado’s Black History," is working to change that by illuminating the stories of Black people across the state. It's at the Museum of Boulder. Then, student loans have come due after a pandemic reprieve. We'll talk about the changes and things to consider.

Oct 4, 2023 • 30min
Oct. 4, 2023: Colorado’s Indian boarding schools were places of hard labor and indoctrination
For the last year, Colorado's state archaeologist Holly Norton has investigated Indian boarding schools here. From roughly 1880 to 1920, these dehumanizing, sometimes deadly, institutions were part of a broader campaign to erase native identity.

Oct 3, 2023 • 29min
Oct. 3, 2023: Challenging Colorado’s new gun laws; New support for survivors of domestic violence
Colorado’s legislature has been passing stricter gun laws at an unprecedented pace. But opponents have a new tool to try to roll them back, following a pivotal U.S Supreme Court decision -- the courts. Then, finding better ways to support survivors of domestic violence in Colorado. Also, some of Colorado's largest factories must reduce pollution under new state rules. So why are environmental groups upset? And he turned his garage into a tribute of '80's rock and roll!

Oct 2, 2023 • 31min
Oct. 2, 2023: How Colorado’s delegation voted to avoid shutdown; Former sheriff faces charges
Most of Colorado’s congressional delegation voted for a last-minute measure that avoided a government shutdown. Then, a former Adams County sheriff and two deputies face felony charges for allegedly falsifying training records. Also, “Vanished Denver Landmarks.”

Sep 29, 2023 • 28min
Sept. 29, 2023: Colorado braces for shutdown; At CU, Coach Prime creates a ‘movement’
We explore what a federal government shutdown would mean for Colorado, where the only thing more vast than the federal workforce are federal lands. CPR's Washington, D.C.-based reporter Caitlyn Kim joins us. Then, 'a movement.' That's how Osei Appiah, a leading scholar on race and communication, sees the energy Coach Prime, Deion Sanders, brings well beyond Folsom Field.

Sep 28, 2023 • 31min
Sept. 28, 2023: Record TABOR refunds for taxpayers; A park at the center of homelessness
Colorado is set to pay more than $3.5 billion in TABOR refunds next spring, one of the largest paybacks the state has ever returned to taxpayers. Then, why Grand Junction's latest move to address homeless is drawing attention. Also, what do monthly employment numbers say about Colorado's economic health? Then, researching long COVID. And Colorado Wonders about tornadoes.