City Cast Denver

The Democrats of Colorado are divided this week over a brewing scandal around a swanky “retreat” to a luxury hotel in Vail and who paid for it — a so-called dark money group called One Main Street. 9News anchor Kyle Clark joins host Bree Davies and producer Paul Karolyi to talk about how the Dems are navigating a touchy ethics investigation. Plus, we talk through the viral video of a local food inspector pouring bleach on food at a taco stand and, of course, all our wins and fails of the week. Be sure to grab a ticket to our first-ever The Denver-est Denver Awards, presented by our friends at Denver Health! You’re cordially invited to attend a fancy holiday party slash formal awards show celebrating the very best of Denver on Dec. 18 at The Oriental Theater. City Cast Denver Neighbors will have received a discount code in the inbox, but everyone can buy tickets now! And we need your help picking the winners, too! Nominate your faves in our six big categories! We also discussed the recent fentanyl and meth busts. Paul talked about the Yates Theater project and the Sonnenalp Hotel in Vail. Kyle discussed Lauren Boebert and speed traps in Kersey. Bree mentioned Purnell Steen (who you can hear on this classic episode of the pod), Christmas lights at Civic Center, and the DOTI advisory committee. What do you think about the Dems’ ethics scandal? Text or leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear it on the show: 720-500-5418 For even more news from around the city, subscribe to our morning newsletter Hey Denver at denver.citycast.fm. Watch clips from the show on YouTube: youtube.com/@citycastdenver or Instagram @citycastdenver Chat with other listeners on reddit: r/CityCastDenver Support City Cast Denver by becoming a member: membership.citycast.fm/Denver Learn more about the sponsors of this November 20th episode: Simply Eloped Denver Botanic Gardens Denver Health Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise

The Denver International Airport is famous all over the world for conspiracy theories and unsolved mysteries in the tunnels underground — and that’s without even mentioning Blucifer! But Thanksgiving is coming up, and tens of thousands of holiday travelers really just need to get to their gate on time. So how does DIA make it all work? Host Bree Davies and producer Paul Karolyi are talking to YouTuber Dave Chung about our recent investigation behind the scenes at DIA and what we learned about how the infamous airport actually works.   Follow Dave Chung on YouTube and check out the videos he made of our visit to DIA! Paul mentioned this petition circulating among airport workers calling for a dedicated security line. For even more news from around the city, subscribe to our morning newsletter Hey Denver at denver.citycast.fm. Follow us on Instagram: @citycastdenver Chat with other listeners on reddit: r/CityCastDenver Support City Cast Denver by becoming a member: membership.citycast.fm What do you think about the role conspiracy theories play at DIA? Text or leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear it on the show: 720-500-5418 Learn more about the sponsors of this November 20th episode: Simply Eloped Denver Botanic Gardens Denver Health Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise

In a video that went viral on Monday, two people wearing City of Denver uniforms can be seen at a roadside taco stand dumping bleach into big jugs of agua frescas, radishes and pickled onions. The video attracted tens of thousands of likes, shares, and outraged comments. But what’s the real story behind the shocking imagery? Host Bree Davies talks to Mario Martinez, who documents and promotes Denver’s Mexican food scene on Instagram (now as @AnunciosDenver) and then Danica Lee, the longtime director of the Public Health Investigations Division of the Denver Department of Public Health and Environment.   Danica asked that we share this recent video that her office made with basic food safety tips. Westword reported on the food safety regulations around al pastor a few years ago.  For even more news from around the city, subscribe to our morning newsletter Hey Denver at denver.citycast.fm. Follow us on Instagram: @citycastdenver Chat with other listeners on reddit: r/CityCastDenver Support City Cast Denver by becoming a member: membership.citycast.fm What do you think about the viral bleach video? Text or leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear it on the show: 720-500-5418 Learn more about the sponsors of this November 19th episode: Simply Eloped Denver Botanic Gardens Denver Health Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise

When it was first revealed that Denver was getting a new professional women’s soccer team, many Denverites were thrilled! Including Mayor Mike Johnston, who has become Denver Summit FC’s chief cheerleader. But he’s been in hot water lately with city council, and now they’re throwing the brakes on public subsidies he wants for a new soccer stadium. Host Bree Davies and producer Paul Karolyi have been following the project, and they’re breaking down all the latest twists and turns. Plus, some listener questions on bike lanes and Colorado’s claims to food fame; and, when is it going to snow already? What do you think about the stadium politics? Should council put up the money? Or should Denver risk losing the NWSL franchise to Lone Tree or Centennial? Text or leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear it on the show: 720-500-5418 Be sure to grab a ticket to our first-ever The Denver-est Denver Awards, presented by our friends at Denver Health! You’re cordially invited to attend a fancy holiday party slash formal awards show celebrating the very best of Denver on Dec. 18 at The Oriental Theater. City Cast Denver Neighbors will have received a discount code in the inbox, but everyone can buy tickets now! And we need your help picking the winners, too! Nominate your faves in our six big categories! For even more news from around the city, subscribe to our morning newsletter Hey Denver at denver.citycast.fm. Follow us on Instagram: @citycastdenver Chat with other listeners on reddit: r/CityCastDenver Support City Cast Denver by becoming a member: membership.citycast.fm Learn more about the sponsors of this November 18th episode: Simply Eloped Denver Botanic Gardens Denver Health Cozy Earth - use code COZYDENVER for 40% off best-selling temperature-regulating sheets, apparel, and more Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise

Earlier this month Denver voters approved the Vibrant Denver bond, saying yes to some ambitious city projects -- like the ⁠Denver American Indian Cultural Embassy⁠, which will be built in Montbello. City council also recently approved a study to look at ⁠potentially widening Peña Boulevard⁠ and Mayor Johnston and Denver International Airport CEO Phil Washington announced plans to look at ⁠bringing nuclear power⁠ to the airport. These projects are going down in Councilwoman Stacie Gilmore’s District 11, and she’s got a lot to say about it. Gilmore joins host Bree Davies to dig into these city plans, plus share why she thinks ⁠the mayor’s layoffs⁠ are having lasting effects on the trust those workers put into local government.  Bree mentioned a recent episode we aired about ⁠AI Data Centers⁠, and the Denver Post editorial board’s ⁠comments on Gilmore and the city layoffs⁠. Oh, and be sure to grab a ticket to our first-ever The Denver-est Denver Awards, presented by our friends at Denver Health! You’re cordially invited to attend a fancy holiday party slash formal awards show celebrating the very best of Denver on Dec. 18 at The Oriental Theater. City Cast Denver Neighbors will have received a discount code in the inbox, but everyone can ⁠buy tickets now!⁠ And we need your help picking the winners, too! ⁠Nominate your faves⁠ in our six big categories! For even more news from around the city, subscribe to our morning newsletter Hey Denver at ⁠denver.citycast.fm⁠.  Follow us on Instagram: ⁠@citycastdenver⁠ Chat with other listeners on reddit: ⁠r/CityCastDenver⁠ Support City Cast Denver by becoming a member: ⁠membership.citycast.fm⁠ What do you think? Text or leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear it on the show: 720-500-5418 Learn more about the sponsors of this November 17th episode: ⁠Simply Eloped⁠ ⁠Denver Botanic Gardens⁠ ⁠Denver Health⁠ Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at⁠ citycast.fm/advertise⁠

Colorado has some of the highest car insurance rates in the country. Governor Polis has promised to address the issue by installing more cameras at intersections and increasing sobriety checkpoints — but the biggest contributing factor to high premiums? The weather. Then, the Colorado Business Committee For the Arts released a study exploring the economic impacts of the state’s cultural sector. But what does a $3.1 billion dollar impact say about the state of Denver’s working artists? Host Bree Davies and producer Olivia Jewell Love are joined by artist and educator R. Alan Brooks to dig into the high costs of car ownership, the economics of art, a potential win for Lauren Boebert, DougCo’s last attempt at a trans student athlete ban, and more wins and fails of the week.  There are still a few seats left to catch R. Alan Brooks’ film premiere, “Always, Most of the Time,” at the Lighthouse Writers Workshop tonight!  Bree talked about her Uncle Ed’s art show tonight at CORE Art Space and Re:Vision firing unionized promotoras. Olivia mentioned the Douglas County School Board’s final attempts at banning trans student athletes and Representative Lauren Boebert’s demands to release the Epstein files. Alan discussed the ongoing Colfax BRT road construction woes.  What do you think? Text or leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear it on the show: 720-500-5418 For even more news from around the city, subscribe to our morning newsletter Hey Denver at denver.citycast.fm. Watch clips from the show on YouTube: youtube.com/@citycastdenver or Instagram @citycastdenver Chat with other listeners on reddit: r/CityCastDenver Support City Cast Denver by becoming a member: membership.citycast.fm/Denver Learn more about the sponsors of this November 13th episode: Babbel - Get up to 55% off at Babbel.com/CITYCAST Denver Botanic Gardens Curious Theatre Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise

On November 9, Pete’s University Park Cafe served up its last heaping plates of chicken fried steak and souvlaki and eggs, marking the end for yet another beloved diner. With its closure, Denver not only lost an affordable eatery, but a gathering place and community space that served the Mile High for 30 years. So, what is Denver without its diners? Last year host Bree Davies sat down with her friend, poet and educator Suzi Q. Smith, to talk about these losses and discuss the deep feelings Suzi explores in her ⁠Denverse Magazine essay “Toast World: Where Have All the Diners Gone?”⁠ Oh, and be sure to grab a ticket to our first-ever The Denver-est Denver Awards, presented by our friends at Denver Health! You’re cordially invited to attend a fancy holiday party slash formal awards show celebrating the very best of Denver on Dec. 18 at The Oriental Theater. City Cast Denver Neighbors will have received a discount code in the inbox, but everyone can ⁠buy tickets now!⁠ And we need your help picking the winners, too! ⁠Nominate your faves⁠ in our six big categories! For even more news from around the city, subscribe to our morning newsletter Hey Denver at ⁠denver.citycast.fm⁠. Follow us on Instagram: ⁠@citycastdenver⁠ Chat with other listeners on reddit: ⁠r/CityCastDenver⁠ Support City Cast Denver by becoming a member: ⁠membership.citycast.fm⁠ What do you think? Text or leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear it on the show: 720-500-5418 If you enjoyed the interview with Dr. Eric Doringer from Blue Sky CBD, ⁠learn more here.⁠ Use promo code CITYCASTDENVER to receive 30% off. Learn more about the sponsors of this November 13 episode: ⁠Babbel⁠ - Get up to 55% off at Babbel.com/CITYCAST ⁠Denver Botanic Gardens⁠ ⁠Curious Theatre⁠ Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at⁠ citycast.fm/

This off-year election saw big wins for democrats across the country, including in Aurora. Most notably, ⁠GOP rabble rouser Danielle Jurinsky⁠ lost her at-large seat as Aurora city council moved more to the left with the 7-4 conservative majority becoming a 6-4 progressive majority. But Aurora Sentinel editor and publisher Dave Perry says the political picture of Colorado’s third largest city is more nuanced than just this recent swing. He joins host Bree Davies to dig into what he’s seen in his 30 years covering the state’s most diverse municipality, and what it means for Aurora to have a now left-leaning council and a lifelong republican for mayor. Bree and Dave discussed his piece on Jurinsky’s ouster and ⁠Aurora’s “council chaos and felony weirdness”⁠, along with unseated council member Steve Sundberg’s ⁠sexual harassment allegations⁠ and ⁠the racist commercials⁠ he made for his sports bar.  Oh, and be sure to grab a ticket to our first-ever The Denver-est Denver Awards! You’re cordially invited to attend a fancy holiday party slash formal awards show celebrating the very best of Denver on Dec. 18 at The Oriental Theater. City Cast Denver Neighbors will have received a discount code in the inbox, but everyone can ⁠buy tickets now!⁠ And we need your help picking the winners, too! ⁠Nominate your faves⁠ in our six big categories! For even more news from around the city, subscribe to our morning newsletter Hey Denver at ⁠denver.citycast.fm⁠. Follow us on Instagram: ⁠@citycastdenver⁠ Chat with other listeners on reddit: ⁠r/CityCastDenver⁠ Support City Cast Denver by becoming a member: ⁠membership.citycast.fm⁠ What do you think? Text or leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear it on the show: 720-500-5418 Learn more about the sponsors of this November 12th episode: ⁠Babbel⁠ - Get up to 55% off at Babbel.com/CITYCAST ⁠Denver Botanic Gardens⁠ ⁠Curious Theatre⁠ Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at⁠ citycast.fm/⁠

As the government shutdown rolls on, the Federal Aviation Administration has instructed airports across the country to cut hundreds of flights to help with staffing shortages. Denver International Airport, however, is trying something unique to support the air traffic controllers and TSA agents working without pay. Host Bree Davies and producer Olivia Jewell Love look into this novel approach, plus discuss the proposed infrastructure improvements along Alameda that some neighbors in West Wash Park put the brakes on, and respond to a listener’s thoughts on our ownership of green chile.  Bree talked about crossing guard Amy Kenreich and her celebrity crossing guard day. She also mentioned our show with Dan Pashman from The Sporkful on Denver’s claims to food fame; you can hear producer Paul Karolyi’s episode of The Sporkful on Colorado-Style Pizza.  Oh, and be sure to grab a ticket to our first-ever The Denver-est Denver Awards! You’re cordially invited to attend a fancy holiday party slash formal awards show celebrating the very best of Denver on Dec. 18 at The Oriental Theater. City Cast Denver Neighbors can expect a discount code in the inbox later today, but everyone can buy tickets now! And we need your help picking the winners, too! Nominate your faves in our six big categories! For even more news from around the city, subscribe to our morning newsletter Hey Denver at denver.citycast.fm. Follow us on Instagram: @citycastdenver Chat with other listeners on reddit: r/CityCastDenver Support City Cast Denver by becoming a member: membership.citycast.fm What do you think? Text or leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear it on the show: 720-500-5418 Learn more about the sponsors of this episode: Babbel - Get up to 55% off at Babbel.com/CITYCAST Denver Botanic Gardens Curious Theatre Cozy Earth - use code COZYDENVER for 40% off best-selling temperature-regulating sheets, apparel, and more Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise

Dan Pashman, host of the James Beard Award-winning podcast The Sporkful, joins to unravel Colorado's culinary quirks. They dive into the origins of the Denver omelet and Jolly Ranchers, exploring local lore and nostalgic memories. The debate over Denver-style green chili versus New Mexico's version heats up, while the claim of Colorado as the birthplace of the cheeseburger sparks lively discussion. Pashman also shares insights from his quest on Colorado-style pizza, including his first taste of Beau Jo’s—it's a delicious journey through the state's food identity!