City Cast Denver

There’s been a battle brewing over kids and vaping for the past few years — and now Denver is mired in the haze. It all started when Councilmember Amanda Sawyer thought her daughter was buying bubblegum-flavored vape juice on the internet. But now her proposal to ban the sale of all flavored smoking products has evolved into a passionate, multi-sided debate, and the only thing that’s clear is that not everyone can get what they want. Host Bree Davies talks to Denver Post reporter Noelle Phillips about why this proposal was so provocative for so many different kinds of Denverites.For more, Noelle’s piece on the push to ban sales of flavored smoking products is here: https://www.denverpost.com/2021/10/25/denver-flavored-tobacco-vape-ban/Keep up with all the breaking Denver vaping news in our newsletter. Subscribe here: https://denver.citycast.fm/newsletter/Tweet us @citycastdenver

The National Western Stock Show has been a big deal in Denver for decades, drawing farmers, ranchers, equestrians and rodeo enthusiasts to the city. This two-week long event at the beginning of every year is also big business — and Mayor Hancock thinks its worth investing in, to the tune of $190 million. This election, Denver will vote on a bond package that includes measure 2E, which asks voters to approve the construction of a 10,000-seat arena along with renovations to an existing Stock Show Complex building. Host Bree Davies talks to #NoOn2E campaign manager Sarah Lake and Alfonso Espino, a representative of community activist group, GES Coalition. Lake and Espino make their case for why voters should think twice before signing off on a multi-million dollar project in the middle of a community that has seen neglect by the city for decades. Don’t miss yesterday’s show with Bree and at-large councilwoman Deborah “Debbie” Ortega — who represented the National Western Center’s surrounding neighborhoods on council from 1987 to 2003 — about why Denverites should vote #YesOn2E. Get more news in your inbox every weekday by signing up for the City Cast Denver newsletter: https://denver.citycast.fm/newsletter/Tell us your thoughts on the bond measure on Twitter: @citycastdenver

Every January for more than 100 years, Denver has hosted the National Western Stock Show. The event draws farmers and ranchers from across the West to show off their livestock, compete in the rodeo, and remind Denver that despite its big city ambitions, it’s still surrounded by those amber waves of grain. But how much are Denver taxpayers willing to invest into this relationship? Mayor Michael Hancock has asked voters to approve $190 million for renovations and upgrades at the National Western Center, including a brand new, 10,000 seat arena. So it’s time for voters to decide: should the National Western Center get a $190-million facelift or should we be spending that money elsewhere? To understand the case for a new arena, Host Bree Davies speaks with at-large councilwoman Deborah “Debbie” Ortega — who represented the National Western Center’s surrounding neighborhoods on council from 1987 to 2003 — about why #YesOn2E is best for the community.Make sure to come back tomorrow when we’ll explore the other side of this issue! Election day is a little over a week away, so it’s the perfect time to make sure you’re getting all the important news you need to be an informed voter. Subscribe to our newsletter here: https://denver.citycast.fm/newsletter/Tell us what you think about #YesOn2E and Councilwoman Ortega’s argument on Twitter @citycastdenver

The Denver Art Museum opened up its new $175-million front door this morning, and Bree has some thoughts. 

Berry is back! That's right, our favorite local podcast critic is back with another #listenlocal recommendation for your weekend. Berry’s pick this month is How Art is Born, the first-ever podcast from Denver's Museum of Contemporary Art. Also of note, it's hosted by R. Alan Brooks, who local podcast fans will recognize from his show about comics and culture, Motherf**ker in a Cape. How Art is Born features interviews with all kinds of Colorado creatives, from comedians like Janae Burris to photographers like Armando Geneyro, who is featured in the episode Berry recommends you start with. For more podcast news and gossip, we recommend following Berry on Twitter @podcastsincolor. While you’re there, say hi to us @citycastdenver!

It’s an off-year election, but that doesn’t mean it’s not an important one. Denver voters will be deciding things like which big projects to spend money on and how we deal with aspects of our housing crisis. While ballot language is often hard to understand, the 2021 election’s seemed super daunting — so the City Cast Denver crew got together to try to talk through some of what we learned in researching the measures. We didn’t talk about the school board races today, but we still want to help you out as you make your choices in those races. So consider this an endorsement of past City Cast Denver guest Melanie Asmar’s thorough interviews for Chalkbeat, which you can find here, along with a very helpful contextual introduction: https://co.chalkbeat.org/2021/10/13/22723116/denver-public-schools-board-of-education-candidates-2021-election-voter-guideFor more on the election, sign up for our newsletter: https://denver.citycast.fm/newsletter/And follow @citycastdenver for some of the best tweets you’ll ever see

There’s a measure on Denver ballots this year that was many, many years in the making. After countless community debates, angry posts to Nextdoor, and level-headed conversations between neighbors, City Council passed an amendment to our zoning code in February allowing up to five unrelated adults to live together in a single home (previously, it was capped at 2). But even after the vote, the debate waged on. Critics collected more than 13,000 signatures to put a repeal motion on the ballot, so now it’s up to Denver voters to decide the fate of group living. City Cast Denver host Bree Davies used to live communally, so today on the show she sits down with her old roommate Piper Rose to talk about why group living was so important to them.Also, and we’re asking for a friend: what’s the statute of limitations on zoning code violations?We requested an interview with a representative of the group that collected the signatures to put a repeal measure on the ballot, Safe and Sound Denver, and they declined. So if you’re looking for a different perspective on this issue, including the other changes it would make to our zoning code (e.g. expanding possible locations for halfway houses), we recommend perusing their website: https://www.safeandsounddenver.com/For more on all the measures in front of Denver voters this election, subscribe to our weekday morning newsletter: https://denver.citycast.fm/newsletter/Get those good tweets @citycastdenver

Denver is in the middle of another election. Did you notice? It’s an off year, but there are still plenty of important issues to decide. We’ll be digging in to all of them as election day approaches, but first the question of Defend Colorado, a so-called “dark money” group that’s poured $540,000 into several different measures so far. So what exactly is dark money? And how is Defend Colorado using it to shape some of the most important issues facing our city? Host Bree Davies sits down with Conor McCormick-Cavanagh, who’s been reporting on Defend Colorado’s dark money spending for Westword, to sort it all out.For more from Conor, here’s his latest piece on the dark money at play in Denver’s election: https://www.westword.com/news/dark-money-defend-colorado-denver-election-expenditure-12404774We shared a doozy of a story about some shady dealings at the Parks and Rec Dept. in our newsletter this morning. Did you catch it? Don’t miss another one and subscribe right here: https://denver.citycast.fm/newsletter/Does knowing about dark money spending affect the way you’re going to vote? Tell us on Twitter @citycastdenver

The music you hear every day on City Cast Denver wasn’t made for a podcast — it’s the work of Denver Chicano band Los Mocochetes. The songs we weave into each episode are rooted in the history and culture of Denver, and help us convey a range of emotions throughout our more than 100 episodes. They are also the foundation of a new record, Mucho Gusto, which Los Mocochetes will be releasing this Saturday, October 23rd at Raíces Brewing Company. In advance of their big show, Diego Florez and Joshua Abeyta sit down with Host Bree Davies to discuss the new album and talk about what it means to identify as a Chicano band in Colorado.Grab tickets to Los Mocochetes album release party at Raíces Brewing Company: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/los-mocochetes-ep-release-mucho-gusto-tickets-181456670787?aff=ebdsoporgprofileGet more news delivered straight to your inbox every weekday: https://denver.citycast.fm/newsletter/Tell us your favorite Los Mocochetes track on Twitter: @citycastdenver

Palantir Technologies is a massive, publicly traded defense contractor founded on the promise of bringing Silicon Valley-style data analysis to the U.S. armed forces. And now, after years spent complaining about the “monoculture” of the Bay Area, Palantir’s leaders have moved the company’s headquarters to Denver. So what do they see in us? Why are people protesting them in the street? And what can we expect from our new neighbor? City Cast Denver producer Paul Karolyi speaks with Max Chafkin, reporter for Bloomberg Businessweek and author of a brand new book on Palantir’s co-founder Peter Thiel: The Contrarian: Peter Thiel and Silicon Valley's Pursuit of Power. For more on Palantir’s early operations in Denver, past City Cast Denver guest Ed Sealover has a good article for you right here: https://www.bizjournals.com/denver/news/2020/11/16/palantir-technologies-denver-headquarters-move.htmlAfter speaking with Max, we reached out to the City of Denver and the State of Colorado to learn more about what kinds of negotiations or incentives helped lure Palantir to Denver, and neither said they actively recruited or offered any sort of special benefit. “But we’re not surprised that our workforce talent pool and quality of life is a major selling point for any major tech company, and has made us a destination for these businesses to locate and relocate,” a spokesperson for the city added.Hate Chipotle’s new queso? Got an off-menu order that changes the game? We’re talking all things Denver-style, Mission-style burritos this week, and we want to hear from you! Give us your name, your neighborhood, and your hottest take, and you may hear your voicemail on the show. The number to call is (720) 500-5418‬.Sign up for our newsletter! https://denver.citycast.fm/newsletter/Follow us on Twitter! @citycastdenver