City Cast Denver

It’s Friday, and we’re breaking down the biggest stories of the week. First, more and more students and community members are gathering on the Tivoli Quad at Auraria to protest Israel’s war on Hamas, and negotiations with the administrators are at a standstill. So we’ve got the editor in chief of Metro State’s student-run newspaper, Sara Martin, joining host Bree Davies and our politics and green chile correspondent Justine Sandoval to talk about rising tensions on campus ahead of graduation next week. Plus, decorum was supposed to be a priority at the legislature, but state lawmakers keep slugging it out on social media. And finally, DPD’s conspicuous arrest of a hot dog vendor and more of our wins and fails of the week.We talked about Jesse Paul of the Colorado Sun’s post on X about legislators’ social media squabbles as well as Marianne Goodland’s story on this issue from Colorado Politics.Sara mentioned her staff’s recent Society of Professional Journalists awards; follow Sara’s work on Twitter and in The Metropolitan. Justine mentioned the JeffCo GOP’s controversial fundraiser guest and the Cobalt Abortion fund. Bree talked about the old Denver matchbooks story from Denverite and Westword’s piece on hot dog vendor Alejandro Ramirez’s arrest.What do you think? Text or leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear it on the show: 720-500-5418‬For even more news from around the city, subscribe to our morning newsletter Hey Denver at denver.citycast.fm.Follow us on Instagram: @citycastdenverChat with other listeners on reddit: r/CityCastDenverSupport City Cast Denver by becoming a member: membership.citycast.fm/DenverLearn more about the sponsor of this episode: Fetch! Your trusted pet sitters and dog walkersLooking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise

Between the Gaza protests at the Auraria campus and the increasingly acrimonious debate over homelessness, Mayor Mike Johnston has a lot on his hands. Host Bree Davies and producer Paul Karolyi sat down with Johnston to discuss the biggest issues facing his administration, including his confrontation with student protesters last Friday, the anti-homeless Instagram account @DoBetterDNVR, and the proposal to give collective bargaining rights to the thousands of City of Denver employees. Plus, the mayor has an update on the massive development planned around Ball Arena, why he’s still ordering sweeps of encampments, and what he thinks about the 30-plus tracks on Taylor Swift’s new album.For even more news from around the city, subscribe to our morning newsletter Hey Denver at denver.citycast.fm.Follow us on Instagram: @citycastdenverChat with other listeners on reddit: r/CityCastDenverSupport City Cast Denver by becoming a member: membership.citycast.fmWhat do you think? Text or leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear it on the show: 720-500-5418‬Learn more about the sponsors of this episode: Fetch! Your trusted pet sitters and dog walkersLooking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise

If you're new here, welcome! We’ve put together a starter pack for you, with episodes and articles to welcome you to the City Cast Denver community. It’s May in the Mile High City — the days are getting longer, meaning more time in the sunshine. From getting outside for a weekday lunch date to making a quick drive to the foothills for drinks by the South Platte River, we’ve rounded up our best recs, tips, and must-sees for this almost-summer month. For even more tips on how to make the most of May in Denver, check out our newsletter Hey Denver’s take on what to do this month. Peyton mentioned Denver Water’s Backstreet Boys parody about Denver’s summer water rules and Hey Denver’s list of Denver’s best sports bars. Bree talked about our recent episode with gardening expert Ann Marie Award, who shared tips on low-water plant options.City Cast Denver is made possible by our awesome sponsors, like Fetch!And we’re also powered by our members, who enjoy an ad-free version of the show. Find out more membership.citycast.fm about how to become a member of City Cast Denver.Interested in advertising with City Cast? Find more info here citycast.fm/advertise. Got questions or comments about this episode? You can reach us at denver@citycast.fm Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise

It’s Tuesday, and we’re breaking down the biggest stories of the week. First, student protesters have been living in tents on Tivoli Quad at Auraria campus for six days, calling for the colleges to divest from Israel and winning support from some local elected officials and a civil rights legend. But the cops also made an appearance, so we’re talking about what’s next for the students’ so-called occupation. Producer Olivia Jewell Love visited Auraria yesterday morning and tells host Bree Davies and producer Paul Karolyi what she saw and heard. Then, we follow up on a listener’s plea for answers in the curious case of a strange bookstore. Bree mentioned a letter signed by local legislators in support of the protests. We also discussed the Yelp reviews for 32nd Ave. Toys and Books. What do you think about local bookstores? Have you ever browsed and then bought the book online? Text or leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear it on the show: 720-500-5418‬For even more news from around the city, subscribe to our morning newsletter Hey Denver at denver.citycast.fm.Follow us on Instagram: @citycastdenverChat with other listeners on reddit: r/CityCastDenverLearn more about the sponsors of this episode: Fetch! PineMelon Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise

It’s that time of year to start digging around in the dirt and laying the foundation for a bountiful summer garden. But our arid, urban environment presents some unique challenges, so how do you actually decide what to grow where? What if you don’t have much space? Or any outdoor space at all? Host Bree Davies is joined by our favorite gardening expert Ann Marie Awad to answer listener questions about shade, ground cover, tomatoes, and everything in between. Ann Marie sung the praises of CSU extension, a great resource for all your questions about Colorado’s unique natural environment. Also, here’s the hookup for the “Instagram tomato lady” we raved about and a great list from the Denver Post for some upcoming plant sales! For even more news from around the city, subscribe to our morning newsletter Hey Denver at denver.citycast.fm.Follow us on Instagram: @citycastdenverChat with other listeners on reddit: r/CityCastDenverWhat do you think? Text or leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear it on the show: 720-500-5418‬Learn more about the sponsors of this episode:Fetch! Pet Care Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise

Construction is set to begin this summer on one of the biggest transportation infrastructure projects Denver has ever seen: BRT, also known as Bus Rapid Transit. It’s a nifty name for a simple concept — buses that go faster and arrive more frequently — but the implications for how Denverites could move around our city are mind-boggling. At the annual Transportation Solutions conference yesterday, host Bree Davies sat down CDOT BRT program manager Ryan Noles, Minneapolis-St. Paul’s arterial BRT director Katie Roth, and executive director of National Organizations for Youth Safety Jacob Smith to talk about what’s gonna happen when the rubber hits the road.Do you have questions about BRT? Are you excited? Are you dreading the traffic during construction? We want to hear from you! Text or leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and we’ll do our best to get you answers: 720-500-5418‬For even more news from around the city, subscribe to our morning newsletter Hey Denver at denver.citycast.fm.Follow us on Instagram: @citycastdenverChat with other listeners on reddit: r/CityCastDenverSupport City Cast Denver by becoming a member: membership.citycast.fmLearn more about the sponsors of this episode: 104.7 The Drop  Monarch Casino Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise

Conservatives have been ramping up their attacks on trans people across the country, including right here in Colorado. But local Democrats just passed two big bills advancing trans rights, despite hours of testimony that included dehumanization and deadnaming (i.e. calling someone by their birth name after they’ve gone through a gender transition). Colorado Times Recorder reporter Heidi Beedle has been on the anti-trans hate beat for years, attending far-right rallies and talking to conservatives across the Front Range — she’s on with host Bree Davies to discuss these latest attacks, how Democrats are pushing back, and how she expects this issue will play into the big elections later this year.For more, check out Heidi's latest reporting on the far-right’s anti-trans efforts. For even more news from around the city, subscribe to our morning newsletter Hey Denver at denver.citycast.fm.Follow us on Instagram: @citycastdenverChat with other listeners on reddit: r/CityCastDenverSupport City Cast Denver by becoming a member: membership.citycast.fmWhat do you think? Text or leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear it on the show: 720-500-5418‬Learn more about the sponsors of this episode: 104.7 The Drop  Monarch Casino  Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise

After years of rumors and speculation, Governor Jared Polis and some of the leading Democrats in the statehouse put forth a serious proposal a couple of weeks ago to reform the Denver metro area’s public transit operator, RTD. It turns out that many Denverites agree that RTD could be better, but no one agrees on how to fix it! So producer Paul Karolyi is sitting down with one of the primary sponsors of the big RTD reform bill, Rep. Meg Froelich of Englewood, to talk about why the initial proposal flopped, what Polis and his allies are thinking now, and where the calls for reform go from here. Rep. Froelich mentioned the bill to eliminate parking minimums in new development projects. When we last talked about that proposal on the podcast, our guest Dr. Ken Schroeppel said we could go even further. For even more news from around the city, subscribe to our morning newsletter Hey Denver at denver.citycast.fm.Follow us on Instagram: @citycastdenverChat with other listeners on reddit: r/CityCastDenverWhat do you think should be done to fix RTD? We want to hear from public transit users! Text or leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear it on the show: 720-500-5418‬Learn more about the sponsors of this episode: 104.7 The Drop  Monarch Casino  Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise

It’s Tuesday, and host Bree Davies and producer Paul Karolyi are rounding up the biggest stories in Denver this week. We’re talking about why even the FAA is now trying to figure out what’s wrong with the Colorado Rockies, Colorado’s new law protecting renters from “discriminatory evictions,” and what a Denver startup’s big IPO means for the city. Plus, we answer a listener question about the WNBA coming to Denver.For even more news from around the city, subscribe to our morning newsletter Hey Denver at denver.citycast.fm.Follow us on Instagram: @citycastdenverChat with other listeners on reddit: r/CityCastDenverWhat do you think? Text or leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear it on the show: 720-500-5418‬Learn more about the sponsors of this episode: 104.7 The Drop  Monarch Casino  Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise

Denver’s never really been a big bagel town… until now! In the past year, several hot new bagel shops have opened their doors, offering carb-tastic delights the Mile High has never tasted before. So how do some of these buzzy new bagel-makers stack up to the OGs? Host Bree Davies and our resident foodie slash newsletter editor Peyton Garcia are joined by two bona fide bagel fanatics — Denverite transportation reporter Rebecca Tauber and listener Shira Weiner — to taste test Moe’s, Rosenberg’s, Call Your Mother, and Rich Spirit. For even more news from around the city, subscribe to our morning newsletter Hey Denver at denver.citycast.fm.Follow us on Instagram: @citycastdenverChat with other listeners on reddit: r/CityCastDenverWhat do you think? Text or leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear it on the show: 720-500-5418‬Learn more about the sponsors of this episode:104.7 The DropLooking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise