City Cast Denver

When Politico published its rules for surviving Washington DC, it got us thinking: What are the essential rules for surviving Denver? From how to dress for all occasions (hint: cowboy boots and Tevas carry the same fashion clout) to the question of ‘to smother or not to smother,’ host Bree Davies is joined by producer Paul Karolyi and returning fave, Westword reporter Conor McCormick-Cavanagh, to lay down our unofficial rules for how to make it through Mile High. Do you have tips for how to survive Denver? Tell us about them! We want to create the definitive list, and we need your help. Text or call the Surviving Denver Hotline at 720-500-5418, or email us: denver@citycast.fm.Bree mentioned the livestream from the Standley Lake eagles. And if you haven’t already, here’s where you can find and read Conor’s complete archive of articles at Westword.com.For even more news from around the city, subscribe to our morning newsletter Hey Denver by texting “Denver” to 66866Follow us on Twitter: @citycastdenverOr instagram: @citycastdenverChat with other listeners on reddit: r/CityCastDenverText or leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear it on the show: (720) 500-5418‬Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Xcel Energy posted $1.7 billion in profits in 2022, yet many Coloradans have seen their energy bills double and in some cases triple this winter. From difficulties accessing payment-assistance programs to frustrations with the arduous process of converting to solar energy, Coloradans are fed up with their power utility. So is this what living with a monopoly feels like? Today host Bree Davies sits down with Xcel Energy Colorado president Robert Kenney to hear how he’s balancing the needs to keep his customers warm, his shareholders happy, and our planet safe from climate catastrophe.If you or someone you know is struggling with high energy bills this winter, Robert recommended sharing this link to resources and programs Xcel offers. Robert also recently wrote an op-ed for The Denver Post laying out ways Xcel is helping customers burdened by big bills. Bree also mentioned this recent story from Sam Brasch at CPR about Xcel Energy’s support for a nonprofit that’s been defending natural gas and pushing against the green energy transition, Coloradans for Energy Access.For even more news from around the city, subscribe to our morning newsletter Hey Denver by texting “Denver” to 66866Follow us on Twitter: @citycastdenverOr instagram: @citycastdenverChat with other listeners on reddit: r/CityCastDenverText or leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear it on the show: (720) 500-5418‬Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After months of research and planning, Colorado Democrats introduced a big package of gun reform laws last week that tackle everything from an increased age limit for gun purchases to the expansion of red flag laws — and this is just the beginning. Meanwhile in the Mile High, the recent toxic train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, has Denverites wondering if something similar and equally dangerous could happen here and what politicians are doing about it. Plus, what two years into Colorado’s wage transparency laws reveal about our job market and how butterflies, bees, and other bugs could positively impact new development. Host Bree Davies is joined by producer Erin O’Toole to break down these topics and discuss Denver’s newest sloth resident and why a Star Wars-inspired name could perfect for the cute baby mammal. Bree mentioned a previous conversation with legislators about gun control: Why Rep. Sullivan Thinks His Colleagues Won’t Talk About Guns. And she referenced a Denver Gazette article on red flag laws and the Club Q shooting, Colorado Sun reporter Tamara Chuang’s excellent, ongoing reporting on jobs and the economy in Colorado, and she discussed with Erin Axios Denver's recent coverage of the Butterfly Pavilion's call for more pollinator-friendly development.Want to name Denver’s newest baby sloth? The Denver Zoo wants your vote! For even more news from around the city, subscribe to our morning newsletter Hey Denver by texting “Denver” to 66866Follow us on Twitter: @citycastdenverOr instagram: @citycastdenverChat with other listeners on reddit: r/CityCastDenverText or leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear it on the show: (720) 500-5418‬Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The City and County of Denver recently joined cities across the country in banning TikTok from all government devices — meaning city employees cannot download the app on any publicly owned phones. As concerns mount about the Chinese-owned app’s access to Americans’ data, Colorado Senator Michael Bennet has called on Apple and Google to remove TikTok from their stores entirely — meaning no more boutique fashion shows, no more local food adventures, no more pedestrian advocacy, no more access to an inclusive workout coach, and that's just some of the great local accounts we follow. Senator Bennet joins host Bree Davies to explain why he’s so concerned about TikTok and what he’d tell the Denverites who love it.For more, you can follow Senator Bennet on Twitter @senatorbennet, or read a variety of statements he’s made and legislation he’s proposed on the issues posed by TikTok and social media generally:1. Sen. Bennet’s letter requesting Apple and Google remove TikTok from their app stores2. Sen. Bennet’s statement after his meeting with the TikTok CEO3. Sen. Bennet’s Digital Platform Commission ActAnd if you’re upset about the prospect of missing out on all the TikTok recipe videos, don’t worry! Sen. Bennet gave us his favorite tofu recipe. You can find that and more local stories that matter in our newsletter Hey Denver. Subscribe now by texting “Denver” to 66866.We’re hiring! City Cast Denver is looking for an audio producer to join our team. If you live in Denver, love local news and culture, and you know your way around a DAW, check out the full listing and apply by March 10. Follow us on Twitter: @citycastdenverOr instagram: @citycastdenverChat with other listeners on reddit: r/CityCastDenverText 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:JCC presents the Jewish Film Festival (March 11-19) Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mike Johnston served in the state senate for eight years, ran for governor and the U.S. Senate, and most recently was president and CEO of Gary Community Ventures — and he wants to be mayor. He sits down with host Bree Davies to talk about his plan to end homelessness in Denver during his first term, his stance on rent control, and the proposal to widen Peña Boulevard.We are inviting all 17 candidates for interviews before Election Day on April 4. So far, we've talked to:Renate BehrensLeslie HerodLisa CalderónEan Thomas TafoyaTrinidad RodriguezThomas WolfChris HansenKeep up with Mayoral Madness on our site! And if you’ve got a question you’d like us to ask the candidates, or one candidate in particular, email it to us at denver@citycast.fm.For even more news from around the city, subscribe to our morning newsletter Hey Denver by texting “Denver” to 66866Follow us on Twitter: @citycastdenverOr instagram: @citycastdenverChat with other listeners on reddit: r/CityCastDenverText or leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear it on the show: (720) 500-5418‬Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Chris Hansen is a trained engineer and state senator who has represented Denver for the past six years, and he wants to be Denver’s next mayor. He sits down with producer Paul Karolyi to talk about his controversial TV ad, how he’d lead the Denver Police Department, and his plan to tackle housing costs and homelessness. We are inviting all 17 candidates for interviews before Election Day on April 4. So far, we've talked to:Renate BehrensLeslie HerodLisa CalderónEan Thomas TafoyaTrinidad RodriguezThomas WolfKeep up with Mayoral Madness on our site! And if you’ve got a question you’d like us to ask the candidates, or one candidate in particular, email it to us at denver@citycast.fm.For even more news from around the city, subscribe to our morning newsletter Hey Denver by texting “Denver” to 66866Follow us on Twitter: @citycastdenverOr instagram: @citycastdenverChat with other listeners on reddit: r/CityCastDenverLeave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear it on the show: (720) 500-5418‬Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s Friday and we’re digging into all the local stories that mattered this week. First, more Mayoral Madness because the debates in recent weeks have gotten pretty spicy on the topics of housing, homelessness, and how candidates feel about the camping ban. Then, we take on a Denver sports mystery: who is really behind the mountain lion mask? Because the Nuggets’ mascot has been missing a lot of half-court shots recently… Producer Paul Karolyi and host Bree Davies are joined by Westword staff writer, regular Cast Denver guest, and sports fanatic Conor McCormick-Cavanagh to break it all down. Plus, newsletter editor Adrian González shares his list of fun things to do this weekend and we pick the official City Cast Denver Maybe — as in, maybe you’ll see us there!Here’s some of Conor’s reporting on the Rocky mascot mystery, and stay tuned this weekend for more Mayoral Madness! We talked about our forthcoming interviews with Mike Johnston and Chris Hansen. Those are running Saturday and Sunday, but you can hear all our mayoral interviews here: https://denver.citycast.fm/home/mayoral-madness/We mentioned Chris Hansen’s TV ad and the 9News debate.Here are the events we considered: Murder Mystery Dinner at The Fort Mile High Skate Fest Cupid’s Undie Run Denver Nuggets vs L.A. Clippers For more great weekend recs, subscribe to Hey Denver by texting “Denver” to 66866Follow us on Twitter: @citycastdenverOr instagram: @citycastdenverChat with other listeners on reddit: r/CityCastDenverLearn more about the sponsor of this episode:How to Buy a Home PodcastLooking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Craft breweries can be as intimidating as they are plentiful. But there’s lots to enjoy in the local brewery scene even if you’re not a major beer lover. And newsletter editor Adrian González and producer Paul Karolyi are not beer lovers. They are beer likers, and they are here to help. Host Bree Davies sits down with Paul and Adrian to talk through their favorite breweries for non-alcoholic options, vibes, food and, yeah, also the beer. All the breweries we mentioned: Dry Dock Brewing (Aurora) Raices Brewing (Sun Valley) Ratio Beerworks (Five Points) TRVE Brewing (Baker) Station 26 Brewing (Park Hill) Alpine Dog (Uptown) Black Sky Brewing (Santa Fe Drive) Bull & Bush (Glendale) Dos Luces (South Broadway) Goed Zuur (Five Points) Strange Craft Brewing (Lincoln Park) Brewability (Englewood) Great Divide Brewing Co. (Downtown) Copper Kettle Brewing Company (Indian Creek) Which great breweries did we miss? Text or leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear your recommendation on the show: (720) 500-5418‬ For even more news from around the city, subscribe to our morning newsletter Hey Denver by texting “Denver” to 66866Follow us on Twitter: @citycastdenverOr instagram: @citycastdenverChat with other listeners on reddit: r/CityCastDenverLearn more about the sponsor of this episode:How to Buy a Home PodcastLooking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The new podcast “Alphabet Boys” is making waves across the country with revelations about how the FBI used an undercover informant to infiltrate the racial justice movement in Denver in the summer of 2020. Told using secret recordings, the story revolves around Michael “Mickey” Windecker, a self-proclaimed counter-terrorism expert who drove a silver hearse full of guns and tried to convince activists to take on increasingly violent plots. Producer Paul Karolyi talks to Alphabet Boys host Trevor Aaronson and one of the activists Windecker targeted, Zebbodios “Zebb” Hall about how Windecker operated and how he undermined the protest movement.For even more news from around the city, subscribe to our morning newsletter Hey Denver by texting “Denver” to 66866Follow us on Twitter: @citycastdenverOr instagram: @citycastdenverChat with other listeners on reddit: r/CityCastDenverWhat would you say is an essential rule for surviving Denver? We’re making our own Denver survival guide, and we need your help. Text or leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear your rule on the show: (720) 500-5418‬Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A series of mysterious incidents in late December forced the Suncor refinery in Commerce City to shut down for weeks. The refinery is reviled by environmental activists and neighbors for its history of polluting our air and water, but it’s also responsible for about 40% of Colorado’s supply of gasoline. So, what if the shutdown was permanent? What if Mother Earth snapped her fingers and it disappeared? Denver Post reporter Noelle Phillips has been covering Suncor for years, and she’s on today with producer Paul Karolyi to explain the current situation and imagine what a Denver without Suncor would look like. Catch up on all Noelle’s reporting on Suncor here: https://www.denverpost.com/author/noelle-phillips/At the 9News mayoral debate last week, Ean Thomas Tafoya took aim at Chris Hansen over a recent TV ad. Check out our interview with Tafoya, and the rest of our Mayoral Madness coverage — and make sure to stay tuned for our interview with Chris Hansen this weekend.For even more news from around the city, subscribe to our morning newsletter Hey Denver by texting “Denver” to 66866Follow us on Twitter: @citycastdenverOr Instagram: @citycastdenverChat with other listeners on reddit: r/CityCastDenverLeave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear it on the show: (720) 500-5418‬Learn more about the sponsor of this episode:How to Buy a Home PodcastLooking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices