City Cast Denver

Depending on who you ask, Denver is either a great place to live or a crime-ridden hellhole. So how does the Denver Police Department approach such a problem of perception versus reality? Denver Police Chief Ron Thomas has an answer. He sits down with host Bree Davies to discuss the ongoing battle of narratives around safety in the city, as well as the recent controversy around DPD’s use of Flock surveillance cameras and whether ICE can access that surveillance data. Plus, the chief addresses DoBetterDNVR’s constant complaining and answers listener questions on everything from “bad apple” cops to graffiti problems in RiNo.

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What do you think about the job DPD Chief Thomas has been doing? We want to hear from you! Text or leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear it on the show: 720-500-5418

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MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell is in Denver this week for a defamation trial over his claim that a local election worker rigged the 2020 presidential election. His antics inside and outside the courtroom are getting lots of attention, and he’s calling it the “trial of the century.” But what’s really at stake? Then, will the Rockies continue their historic losing streak? Regardless of how much they suck, Coors Field is still drawing big crowds. Host Bree Davies and producer Paul Karolyi are joined by capitol insider Deep Singh Badhesha to dig through all the news, plus our wins and fails of the week. 

What do you think about the Rockies? Boycott or buy a ticket to watch the historic ineptitude for yourself? Text or leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear it on the show: 720-500-5418

Deep talked about a previous episode involving Aaron Gordon’s chicken parties. Bree mentioned 9News’ coverage of the Mike Lindell trial, Adam Cayton-Holland’s piece on the Rockies, and the newish skatepark in Barnum Park. Paul talked about former mayor Wellington Webb’s ideas for the old Park Hill Golf Course and alluded to some concerns raised about the Denver NWSL’s new general manager. 

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

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Can you really beat a simple bomb pop on a hot summer day? These days in Denver, you definitely can! The Mile High is chock full of chocolate, bursting with boba, and overflowing with all kinds of over-the-top ice cream confections. So now that summer temps are here, producer Olivia Jewell Love and our food contributor Helen Xu join host Bree Davies to swap recommendations of their favorite indulgent, nostalgic and just plain delicious cool treats from across the metro area. 

By coincidence, Denverite published a profile of one of Olivia’s picks yesterday — Ichigo Matcha. 

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

What’s your favorite cool treat for summer? We want to hear about your fave! Text or leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear it on the show: 720-500-5418

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Business in Denver is not booming the way it used too. Sales and property taxes are way down, and Mayor Johnston recently announced that city staff can expect layoffs and furloughs as a result. So what’s the plan to open the city back up for business? Adeeb Khan is the executive director of Denver Economic Development and Opportunity, which means it’s his job to help Mayor Johnston figure it out. He joins host Bree Davies to discuss what it means for Denver to be more “vibrant” and “scrappy,” and how he’s implementing the mayor’s plan to get the city back on track.

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

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On Sunday in Boulder, a man wielding what authorities are calling a “makeshift flamethrower” injured eight people who had gathered on the Pearl St. Mall to call for the release of Israeli hostages held by Hamas in Gaza. Producer Paul Karolyi and host Bree Davies discuss what is known about the situation — as of the afternoon of June 2, when this show was recorded — and talk about the state of the conversation around Israel and Gaza here in Denver.

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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

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Palestinian solidarity protesters interrupted two congressional town halls in the metro area last week, calling attention to Rep. Jason Crow and Senator Michael Bennet’s support for Israel, but also the role of one of Denver’s largest and most mysterious companies: Palantir Technologies. So we’re revisiting a conversation producer Paul Karolyi had a few years ago with Bloomberg Businessweek reporter Max Chafkin about his reporting on the defense contractor’s co-founder Peter Thiel, how Palantir makes money, and why it moved to Denver in 2020. 

This episode first aired on October 18, 2021. 

Chafkin’s biography of Peter Thiel is called “The Contrarian: Peter Thiel and Silicon Valley's Pursuit of Power.” Host Bree Davies mentioned two stories about former Palantir workers — one about a group of employees who sent an open letter to NPR and another from More Perfect Union about a former worker who became disillusioned about the company. 

What do you think about Palantir? We want to know what you think about our new neighbor! 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.

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After almost a year of slowdowns, RTD announced this week that every light rail line is finally back up to full speed. But will riders return to the trains? State Representative Alex Valdez joins producer Paul Karolyi and host Bree Davies to talk about the pandemonium in our streets, from RTD’s plateaued ridership to Gov. Jared Polis’s veto of the big Uber sexual assault bill. Plus, we discuss a fantastic Denverite article about Denver Health’s ambulance crews and share our wins and fails of the week. 

Do you have a question for Denver Police Chief Ron Thomas? We’re sitting down with the chief soon, and we want to know what you think we should ask him. Text or leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and we might put your question to Chief Thomas: 720-500-5418

Paul talked about Blazing Bird, downtown bike lanes, and the sexual assault statistics that Uber and Lyft have reported. Alex discussed City Council’s vote on the NWSL stadium proposal and new condos for sale downtown. Bree mentioned the recent spate of measles cases in Colorado.

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

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June is on its way and that means fun in the sun for the Mile High City! From a brand new bubble tea shop serving up whimsical refreshments to a hot springs with cool pools and new water slides, we’ve rounded up some of the best things to do, see, drink, eat, and explore in Denver and beyond.

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. 

For even more tips on how to make the most of June in Denver, we’ll have even more tips and suggestions in our newsletter Hey Denver later this week. 

Our monthly guides are brought to you by Multipass! If you enjoyed today’s sponsored interview with Andy Cambron, the CEO of Multipass, learn more here and get details of all the events Andy mentioned below:

Learn more about the other sponsors of this May 29th episode, like Xcel Energy and the Denver Fringe Festival, as well as Central City Opera (just use the code CITYCAST to get 20% off select dates!)

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Dropping the word “mall” from 16th Street wasn’t Mayor Mike Johnston’s only big announcement last week. He also revealed that flagging sales and property tax revenues alongside increasing costs have led to a $250 million budget deficit, and the city government is preparing for layoffs, furloughs, and other cuts. So Westword editor Patty Calhoun joins producer Paul Karolyi to connect the dots between the big push to revitalize downtown and the threat of layoffs in city offices. Plus, we discuss Gov. Jared Polis’s personal pet plan for downtown: an elevated pedestrian bridge connecting Civic Center Park to the Capitol. 

Patty mentions Alan Prendergast’s remembrance of how 16th Street became a mall in the first place. Paul talks about the draft 20-year plan for downtown, which won’t go into effect before Denverites share their feedback and City Council votes later this year, and the last 20-year plan for downtown, which was adopted in 2007. He also talks about Denverite’s reporting on the auditor’s work on employee morale inside the city government. 

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

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Back in 2015, Denver voted to extend tourism taxes to pay for the expansion of the National Western Center in order to keep the Stock Show from leaving town. But earlier this month, City Council twice delayed a vote that would release $800 million of that money. They were listening to pushback from community members who say they want the National Western Center Authority to commit $16 million to help mitigate displacement and gentrification. The Authority says they’ve already offered plenty of community benefits. So ahead of council’s final deliberation on the issue on Monday, host Bree Davies is sitting down with both sides — first, Steve Nalley is chief real estate officer of the National Western Center and second, Alfonso Espino from the GES Community Investment Fund.

We discuss the 2015 vote in this episode quite a bit. Check out the ballot language for yourself to see what voters approved back then. 

What do you think about the community leaders’ $16 million ask? Should they get the money? And who should pay? We want to hear from you! 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.

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