City Cast Denver

Every legislative session begins with hopes and dreams. Lawmakers propose hundreds and hundreds of bills, and over the course of a few months their dreams are mostly dashed. But with the Colorado State Assembly set to adjourn some time this week, the Democrats in control already have one big win under their belts: a long-awaited, much-needed $5.4 billion bill to address our state’s deteriorating transportation infrastructure. Denver Post reporter Jon Murray has been covering the bill, and he joins producer Paul Karolyi to explain how we let our roads get into this sorry state, why there are so many weird conflicting ideas in this bill, and what it’s going to mean for the average Coloradan.For more on how Colorado funds its transportation needs, here’s a helpful explainer from the Colorado Department of Transportation. And if you haven’t heard The Taxman, Colorado Public Radio’s brilliant TABOR retrospective, check it out. We recommend listening to the podcast version, but there’s a text edition too, so you do you. Subscribe to our weekday morning newsletter for more: https://denver.citycast.fm/newsletter/And follow City Cast Denver on Twitter: @citycastdenver

We've got another weekend bonus episode for you! It's a #listenlocal podcast recommendation from our friend Berry of Podcasts in Color, the largest database of podcasts produced by people of color in the world. Berry's pick this month is Bangin' & Slangin' with KMofo and Da Butcher, which they describe as "the podcast where anything goes." So yeah, this one's got some explicit content. Subscribe to Bangin' & Slangin' here and follow Berry on Twitter @podcastsincolor. 

In-N-Out has been getting all the buzz — and insanely long lines — since it opened its first Denver area location last year. Five Guys is an East Coast favorite. Shake Shack strutted into town from NYC with a hip new look and a lot of big talk. But really, who do these transplant burger chains think they are, coming into our city thinking they can make burgers?! City Cast Denver’s crack team of eaters are here to settle it once it for all. And can any of them stand up against our homegrown fast food burger darling Good Times? Follow along with Bree, Paul, Xandra, and Peyton, then let us know what you think on Twitter @citycastdenver. Hit us with your favorite out-of-state burger chain and the hashtag #CityCastBurgerCrawl. Don’t miss the City Cast Denver newsletter for breaking burger updates and more news from around the city: denver.citycast.fm/newsletter/The excerpt of the oral history with Bill Clements Jr. in this episode comes courtesy of the oral history collection at History Colorado. You can listen to the whole conversation, including a wild story about Bill’s dad and Colonel Sanders right here. 

The sun’s out, the rain’s finally cleared up, and it’s never been a better time to hop on a bike. And if you need help finding good trails and bike paths, Bike Streets has a map for you. Founded by Avi Stopper, the community bike advocacy group wants to get more people out of their cars and onto their bikes, with community pledges, group rides, and informational resources. But one thing Avi’s not super focused on? Pushing for more bike infrastructure, like bike lanes. Today on the show, he chats with producer Paul Karolyi about why he thinks expensive bike lane projects might be more risky than they’re worth. Join Avi and take the #2Miles pledge! https://www.bikestreets.com/Get the tweets: @CityCastDenverGet the newsletter: https://denver.citycast.fm/newsletter/

At 60, Longmont Pastor Paula Stone Williams came out to her friends, family, and coworkers as trans. She had been a leader in the conservative evangelical community, but take one guess how that went over. Paula’s got a new memoir out this week about all that and what she learned along the way. It’s called “As a Woman: What I Learned about Power, Sex, and the Patriarchy after I Transitioned.” Today on the show, City Cast Denver producer Xandra McMahon sits down with Paula to talk through her unique perspective on gender, swap stories about life in evangelical Colorado, and offer some advice for anyone out there struggling with who they are.And if you want to hear another perspective on Paula’s story, Paula’s son Jonathan Williams was recently on past City Cast Denver guest Nadia Bolz-Weber’s podcast The Confessional. Find that episode here. For more Denver news worth knowing, subscribe to our weekday morning newsletter: https://denver.citycast.fm/newsletter/And follow us on Twitter: @citycastdenver

Since last June, the City of Denver has been trying something new with its 911 emergency response system. In an effort to reduce violent conflicts with police, some calls are being redirected to a new team of paramedics and social workers, called STAR, or Support Team Assisted Response. The pilot program has proven enormously popular, with the team responding to almost 1,400 calls over the course of the year with zero referrals to police. Host Bree Davies sits down with one of STAR’s mental health clinicians Carleigh Sailon to hear what it’s like to respond to a 911 call and what she hopes for the future of the program.Here’s how to request assistance from STAR directly if you ever need to: 720-913-STAR (7827)For more on the STAR program and other Denver news worth knowing, subscribe to our weekday morning newsletter: https://denver.citycast.fm/newsletter/And follow us on Twitter: @citycastdenver

The local theater community is slowly emerging from its pandemic-induced hibernation, and they’ve got some wild new ideas to share. Like Control Group Productions, they’re putting on a new show starting next week called After the Flood. It’s an “immersive nature stroll” that combines live dance, music, history, and ecology in Littleton’s South Platte Park. City Cast Denver’s resident theater buff Xandra McMahon caught a preview of the performance last week, and today on the show she sits down with Control Group’s artistic director Patrick Mueller to talk about the David-and-Goliath story that inspired the performance and his family ties to the park that has become his stage. After the Flood is set to run in the evenings between June 2 and June 19, and Patrick says tickets are going fast. Here’s the link if you’re interested: https://controlgroup.wellattended.com/events/after-the-floodGet the newsletter: https://denver.citycast.fm/newsletter/Get the tweets: @CityCastDenver

When The Center on Colfax announced that law enforcement agencies would not be allowed to participate in this year’s Pride, CEO Rex Fuller said the response was “largely negative” — despite the long history of tension between police and the LGBTQ+ community. And if these tensions stretch back to the days of Stonewall — Pride’s origin story — then why do this now? Host Bree Davies sits down with Rex to talk about how The Center has been navigating the complicated relationship between Pride and the police, how they came to this controversial decision, and what it means for police who are also members of the LGBTQ+ community. For more from Rex, here’s a link to his recent op-ed in the Colorado Sentinel explaining The Center’s decision. Get the newsletter: https://denver.citycast.fm/newsletter/Get the tweets: @CityCastDenver

The NBA is known for elite athleticism, but it’s also the storylines, off-the-court fashion, and personal drama that make pro basketball so fun to watch. And it’s also why Denver Nuggets superstar (and presumptive NBA MVP) Nikola Jokic stands out. He plays an unorthodox style for a big man and is known for his lack of ego. Yet, it’s all but certain that he’ll be named MVP of the NBA this season. Today on the show, Locked on Nuggets and DNVR Nuggets Podcast co-host Adam Mares joins host Bree Davies to talk about Jokic's surprising rise from unknown second round draft pick to the biggest big man in the league. Plus, City Cast Contributor Eli Imadali ventures into the city with listener Troy Farkas to figure out just how adults make friends in Denver. For more from Troy, check out his podcast, The Troy Farkas Show. Get the newsletter: https://denver.citycast.fm/newsletter/Get the tweets: @CityCastDenver

Denver’s best known bookseller is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year, and it’s come a long way from that very first shop in Cherry Creek. As of last December, Tattered Cover has new owners. And as of this summer, they’ll have a new flagship location at McGregor Square, that fancy new development going in across from Coors Field. Host Bree Davies sits down with one of Tattered’s new owners, Kwame Spearman, to hear how they’re maintaining that familiar Tattered feeling and what they’re planning for the new downtown location. Kwame’s also got a book recommendation for you.Plus, Bree shares some City Cast Denver news. Subscribe to our weekday morning newsletter: https://denver.citycast.fm/newsletter/Get the tweets: @citycastdenver