

Colorado Matters
Colorado Public Radio
Hosted by Ryan Warner and Chandra Thomas Whitfield, CPR News' daily interview show focuses on the state's people, issues and ideas.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Sep 2, 2022 • 51min
Sept. 2, 2022: Helping Afghan refugees resettle in Colorado becomes a personal mission
Salma Rahin is an Afghan medical student who has resettled in Colorado. Her father was killed in a bomb blast as they tried to escape Kabul a year ago. She is one of the refugees being helped by Broomfield's Resettlement Task Force, led by city councilwoman Heidi Henkel. Then, the story of a Ukrainian cobbler living in Colorado Springs. And, the push to electrify homes.

Sep 1, 2022 • 51min
Sept. 1, 2022: An Afghan family’s harrowing escape to a new home in Colorado
Afghans who escaped Kabul a year ago are making a life for themselves. Or trying to. Like other refugees, they contend with enduring trauma, culture shock, homesickness, and obstacles to employment. Today we meet Ahmad Siddiqi, an Afghan who now calls Colorado home with his wife and four children. Then, Jefferson County grapples with half-empty schools. And how did Broomfield get its name?

Aug 31, 2022 • 51min
Aug. 31, 2022: Student loans in Colorado; Finding and supporting Black-owned businesses
More than 700,000 people in Colorado could be affected by President Biden's student loan forgiveness plan. Then, working to overcome COVID-19 vaccine disparities. Plus, how age influences voting. Also, a directory that helps people find and support Black-owned businesses. And the "thankless" job of being an umpire.

Aug 29, 2022 • 51min
Aug. 29, 2022: Midterms heat up; Shoe entrepreneur hits her stride
Ballots for the November election go out in just under two months. We talk about the key Colorado races. Then, Coloradans share their inflation hacks at the supermarket and the pump. Plus, a health condition meant she could no longer wear heels, so Boulder entrepreneur Leontyne Ashmore started her own shoe brand. Also, Colorado musicians you should know.

Aug 26, 2022 • 52min
Aug. 26, 2022: Visiting Colorado’s lowest point; To the moon and beyond
Colorado’s lowest elevation just isn’t celebrated like its highest is. There’s not even a marker. That is, until we took a trip to Yuma County. Then, the Artemis mission signals a return to the moon, and beyond. Plus, students share their back-to-school joy and frustration. And, a county's divide when it comes to people experiencing homelessness.

Aug 25, 2022 • 51min
Aug. 25, 2022: DACA applicants remain in limbo; A Farmer’s Market on a mission
DACA applicants are waiting for a court decision about the program that allows them to work and go to school without fear of deportation. We talk with one student who's in limbo. Then, how to avoid rental scams. Plus, meet the founder of Mo' Betta Green Marketplace, whose mission is to offset food deserts and ease anxiety. And later, the elusive stroopwafel.

Aug 24, 2022 • 48min
Aug. 24, 2022: Perspective on six months of war in Ukraine from the Colorado Springs World Affairs Council
Russia invaded Ukraine six months ago, on February 24, 2022. The Colorado Springs World Affairs Council assembled a panel of experts to shed light on the war and what may happen next. The discussion was recorded August 18, 2022 at the Southern Colorado Public Media Center. CPR Southern Colorado reporter Dan Boyce moderated.

Aug 23, 2022 • 51min
Aug. 23, 2022: Ensuring clean water in Ukraine; Twins use their voices to empower
State Senator Kevin Priola is switching political parties. We'll talk about why, and how it might impact the balance of power in Colorado. Then, "Seeds of Exchange" and "Water for All" team up to deliver water filters to war-torn Ukraine. And, twin brothers at Denver's East High School make their voices heard on the national speech and debate stage.

Aug 22, 2022 • 51min
Aug. 22, 2022: Recent rain won’t help reservoirs much; Elvis’ Colorado connections
Recent rain is nice but not enough to fill the state’s drought-starved reservoirs, says Denver7’s chief meteorologist, Mike Nelson. Then, CPR’s new audio innovations project reaches out to communities, in their own words. And, is a new environmental justice program working? Finally, Elvis Presley's Colorado connections.

Aug 19, 2022 • 52min
Aug. 19, 2022: Fertility doctors question what’s next; Sharing stories through music
Fertility doctors and patients are in uncharted territory after the reversal of Roe v. Wade. The central question is how the law now treats embryos created in a lab. Then, why some moms are micro-dosing psilocybin. Also, CPR's Music Blocks shares stories through music. Plus, Shakespeare goes "wild" and Gregory Alan Isakov's symphonic moment.