
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

Mar 26, 2025 • 49min
March 26, 2025: 'Cruelty' of HIV/AIDS cuts; Adam Cayton-Holland returns to his comedic birthplace
A pediatrician explains how federal funding cuts could undo decades of progress in HIV/AIDS treatment and prevention, at home and abroad. Then, in a special out Friday, Denver comedian Adam Cayton-Holland marks 20 years of stand-up where his career began, at Lion's Lair Lounge. Plus, "Colorado Wonders" why seatbelt use lags here. And a Ukrainian family faces further uncertainty as they try to make a life in Boulder.

Mar 25, 2025 • 48min
March 25, 2025: Local vs. state control over housing; Sanora Babb's journey from Dust Bowl to author
The state wants to ease the housing crunch by having cities allow more homes in less space and with less parking. But not everyone agrees it's the right approach. We'll explore the debate and how some cities are pushing back with Purplish. Then, from her challenging years on a southern Colorado broomcorn farm to the hills of Hollywood, the story of author Sanora Babb, "Riding Like the Wind."

Mar 24, 2025 • 49min
March 24, 2025: Colorado-Canada trade connection; Natural medicine's Indigenous roots in 'The Trip'
Colorado gets important things from Canada, like gas and lumber, and, when it comes to U.S. tariffs, Canada's Consul General in Denver is perplexed. Then, "The Trip," CPR's series about Colorado's journey to legalize psychedelics. This time, the long view: the Indigenous view of plant-based medicine. Then, Colorado Wonders why the Front Range is sometimes colder than higher elevations. Plus, long-time CPR Classical host Jean Inaba signs off.

Mar 21, 2025 • 49min
March 21, 2025: Ambassador Salazar on tariffs, cartels, and the Gulf; A spring of fire & ice
Former US Ambassador to Mexico Ken Salazar is back home in Colorado. We discuss US-Mexico relations including trade, border security, cartels, and understanding history at a time of political posturing and division. Then, spring has sprung, so what's in store for Colorado's weather? And CSU is ready for some March Madness!

Mar 20, 2025 • 49min
March 20, 2025: Living a full life in the face of death; Senior community rallies around displaced residents
People who are dying have a lot to teach us, according to a Denver palliative care chaplain and host of the podcast, "Dying to Tell You," which features people confronting death by reflecting on life. Then, the senior community rallies around residents displaced by an explosion at their care facility. Also, how Colorado's black license plates may become a victim of their own success.

Mar 19, 2025 • 49min
March 19, 2025: Fighting violent crime in Pueblo; From plants to pests, spring gardening questions answered!
The big city with the highest violent crime rate in Colorado is Pueblo. But they've managed to get their murder rate down by cracking down on other offenses. Then, the lure of spring gardening is upon us! Ryan goes to a greenhouse in Colorado Springs to answer listener questions, from plants to pests. Plus, new poetry from Robin Walter, a CSU professor. And "The Middle" comes to Colorado to talk about energy.

Mar 18, 2025 • 49min
March 18, 2025: A mother’s fight for justice; The unseen threat to Colorado’s bighorn sheep
LaRonda Jones, the mother of Kilyn Lewis, wants the new district attorney to reopen the investigation into the death of her son who was shot and killed during an encounter with Aurora police last May. Then, Colorado Parks and Wildlife is keeping a close eye on our iconic state animal, the Rocky Mountain Bighorn Sheep. Plus, how did Colorado's high country parks come to be? And the legacy of a judicial trailblazer in Colorado.

Mar 17, 2025 • 49min
March 17, 2025: Mining politics and policy; It's crunch time at the state capitol
From molybdenum to lithium, modern life depends on chemicals. But what the U.S. mines is rarely processed here. We'll get perspective on how mining could change under the Trump administration amid rare bipartisan agreement. Then, it's crunch time for state lawmakers as the session reaches the halfway point; Purplish looks at the big issues that still need to be resolved, including a balanced budget. Plus, it's a buyer's market in metro Denver.

Mar 14, 2025 • 48min
March 14, 2025: Wage theft investigation at Denver strip clubs; Step into a storied room at The Brown Palace
They're being charged… to work. At two Denver strip clubs, employees of all kinds are victims of wage theft, according to an investigation by the city. The clubs say they're being unfairly targeted. Then, President Trump plans to invoke the Alien Enemies Act of 1798 as part of his deportation plan. The law has a dark history in Colorado. Plus, transparency in state government, The Brown Palace's place in the 1911 Chinese revolution, and Avourneen celebrates St. Patrick's Day!

Mar 13, 2025 • 49min
March 13, 2025: Helping extremely premature babies defy the odds; Historic Park Theater's haunted history
It used to be a death sentence for a baby born 23 weeks early. But many, like Zev Hauser, now survive. Today, we hear from Zev’s mother about the miraculous story of his birth and from his doctor, who says, with proper treatment, babies like Zev can now thrive. Then, the Historic Park Theater may very well be the oldest single-screen movie theater in the country, and its owner says it's a real haunt! Plus, the "Color Book" starring an Aurora boy screens at the Boulder International Film Festival this weekend. And, we remember the many R&B and jazz legends who've recently passed.