City Cast Denver

Welcome to November, the month of 5 p.m. sunsets, extended family visits, early holiday shopping, and colder temps. Newsletter editor Peyton Garcia and producer Olivia Jewell Love rounded up their top picks to help you figure out how to entertain that random cousin visiting for a long weekend and drum up some unique ways to make this the best Friendsgiving yet! Host Bree Davies and producer Paul Karolyi weigh in to help decide on our official City Cast Denver “Maybe” for November — as in maybe you’ll see us there! 

For even more news from around the city, subscribe to our morning newsletter Hey Denver at denver.citycast.fm.

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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:

• The Ednium Podcast has interviews with all the candidates running for the DPS Board

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Election day is just a week away and while it’s an off-year, there are plenty of important races and issues at stake across the metro area. So host Bree Davies and producer Paul Karolyi are talking about the unique character running unopposed in Englewood, a potentially pivotal measure on homelessness in Boulder, and all the dark money swaying the races for the Denver Public Schools Board. Then, Paul and Bree respond to your comments on Hawaiian food, Fort Collins, and whether or not Denver is part of the Midwest. 

For more on the DPS board races, our friends at Chalkbeat have a breakdown of who’s running and what’s at stake. 

Do you think Denver is in the Midwest? We want to hear from you! Shoot us a text or leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear it on the show soon: 720-500-5418

Help us celebrate our 700th episode and become a member of City Cast Denver today! It’s the best way to make sure we’re around for another 700 at least. Plus, members get access to an ad-free podcast feed, which is pretty cool! Learn more and sign up at membership.citycast.fm.

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

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:

• The Ednium Podcast has interviews with all the candidates running for the DPS Board

Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise

With Halloween coming up tomorrow, we’re thinking about everything that goes bump in the night. But the importance of Denver’s nighttime economy far exceeds the one-night-only, trick-treat trading that’ll be going down tomorrow evening. For years our nightlife has been both a big business and the scene of high-profile violence — particularly around let-out time late at night in LoDo. Youth on Record co-founder Stephen Brackett saw the nightlife conundrum first-hand coming up in Denver’s music scene — then he picked up some innovative ideas while touring the world with his band Flobots. Now he’s bringing it all together with ONE Denver (formerly 87 Foundation), a new non-profit working to create a safer (and more profitable) nightlife scene for everyone. Host Bree Davies sat down with Brackett a few months ago inside ONE Denver’s HQ, aka the old El Chapultepec to learn more. 

For the latest on Brackett’s quest to create a formal Office of Nighttime Economy, Westword recently reported on the name change and Brackett’s experience on Mayor Johnston’s transition committee for arts & venues. 

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

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:

• The Ednium Podcast has interviews with all the candidates running for the DPS Board

Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise

Our friends at Metropolitan State University of Denver (aka MSU or just plain “Metro”) recently hosted our very own Bree Davies on their podcast spotlighting notable alumni. Bree discusses her time as a roadrunner and the impact MSU had on her career in the media. We thought it was a great conversation, so we’re delighted to share it with you.

You can subscribe to MSU Denver Alumni Bird Talk wherever you get your podcasts.

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

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

Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise

Four years after the killing of Elijah McClain, Aurora police are finally on trial. But what about the systemic injustices embedded within our law enforcement system? Reporter Andrew Fraieli spent months investigating a law that was supposed to help track police conduct across the the state, but he found loopholes, glaring omissions, and missing records of dangerous on-duty behavior. Andrew joins host Bree Davies to talk about this explosive piece of collaborative reporting along with state representative Tim Hernández, a fierce critic of the system. Plus, the Rocky Mountain highs of being a Nuggets fan and the lows of local governments weighing into global politics. 

Andrew mentioned Colorado joining a lawsuit against Meta and the Aurora City Council’s statement on Gaza. Tim talked about a court ruling in Buena Vista over universal pre-k funding and the Nuggets season-opening win. Bree mentioned Club Q’s reopening as “The Q” inside the Satellite Hotel in Colorado Springs. 

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.

Follow us on Instagram: @citycastdenver

Chat with other listeners on reddit: r/CityCastDenver

Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise

We’re talking noodles, dumplings, and cocktails unapologetically seasoned with MSG as host Bree Davies chats with newsletter editor Peyton Garcia and producer Olivia Jewell Love about their preview of the new MAKfam restaurant in Baker (Opening Nov. 1). Then, it’s all about that Spam musubi — Denver has seen a welcome proliferation of Hawaiian restaurants serving up their own version of Pacific Island cuisine lately. So, what’s bringing so many Hawaiians to Colorado in the first place? Plus, the best place to see a dancing ghost, Boulder’s big bite night, and more events for your weekend.

Check out this piece from the New York Times for more background on the “Hawaiian Plate Lunch.”

Here are links to all the events Peyton mentioned:

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

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

Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise

Can you believe it’s already been 100 days since our new mayor Mike Johnston was inaugurated? He hasn’t even had time to put art up on the walls of his office! But he has been hard at work trying to deliver on his pledge to get 1,000 unhoused people off the streets by the end of the year. Host Bree Davies and producer Paul Karolyi sit down with Johnston to talk about some of the controversies he’s stirred up so far, his decision to cancel a planned micro-community in the Golden Triangle, and what he’s been up to apart from homelessness and housing. 

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 our work and become a member today: 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

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 talking about all the stories that matter this week. First up, Governor Jared Polis made a tone-deaf statement about transit, so host Bree Davies and producer Paul Karolyi talking transit and digging into a pile of fresh data from RTD’s Zero Fare for Better Air months this past summer. Then, Denverites aren’t the only ones gearing up for an election this month, so we’re surveying the wildest election-related shenanigans playing out across the suburbs, from the NIMBY recall in Englewood to a Fort Collins city council candidate with white nationalist ties. Finally, we respond to a question about Bree’s latest beef with McDonald’s. 

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

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

Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise

The City of Denver’s official budget for 2024 determines how the powers that be will spend a whopping $1.74 billion over the next year. But it’s also a test of how a new mayor and a majority new city council stand by their campaign promises, what city issues take priority this year, and how well these governing bodies work together (or don’t.) Axios Denver’s Alayna Alvarez joins host Bree Davies to breakdown what the budget is for, what we might see big money for next year, and why it matters to the everyday Denverite.

Check out Alayna’s coverage of the budget for Axios Denver, plus see a full breakdown of the budget process and how you, a noble citizen, can get involved.

Got a question for Mayor Mike Johnston? We’re talking to the mayor soon for the first time since his inauguration, and we want your help! What should we ask him about? Text or leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear your question 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.

Follow us on Instagram: @citycastdenver

Chat with other listeners on reddit: r/CityCastDenver

Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise

Tattered Cover filed for bankruptcy this week after a rough few years for the beloved Denver institution. Three of the bookseller’s seven locations will close and 27 employees will lose their jobs as the company fights for survival. So, what does it all mean for the devoted customers, local authors, and remaining workers? Host Bree Davies and producer Paul Karolyi are joined by author Erika T. Wurth to discuss Tattered Cover’s murky future. Plus, Colorado Parks and Wildlife fends off a zebra mussel invasion and a toast to Meow Wolf’s new watering hole. 

Paul mentioned the train that derailed and collapsed a bridge over I25 last Sunday. The authorities have since identified a cause of the accident. The bridge report he discussed is here. Bree talked about Batchcamp, a chrome extension to download and save your entire Bandcamp library in case the company goes sideways. She also mentioned Tattered Cover’s previous owners and their statement on BLM. Erika talked about the latest twist in the campaign to ban books in Douglas County. 

Erika’s novel, White Horse, is now out in paperback. You can also hear more of her excellent writerly opinions on TikTok.

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.

Follow us on Instagram: @citycastdenver

Chat with other listeners on reddit: r/CityCastDenver

Learn more about the sponsors of this episode:

• “Amoako Boafo: Soul of Black Folks” at the Denver Art Museum

Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise