Colorado Matters

It started with cold symptoms late last year. It ended in a transplant. Bryan Raymond caught COVID-19 and is now learning to breathe again with a donor's lungs. He and his wife Trinity share their journey as he becomes the first COVID-19 patient to receive a lung transplant in Colorado.

Juneteenth is now a federal holiday and to mark the occasion, we present an encore of music that grew out of tremendous pain, but led to hope. The Spirituals Project Choir is based at the University of Denver's Lamont School of Music.

Colorado is in the midst of a mental health crisis among children, and advocates and health care providers are trying to address it head on. Then, the dancing returns to the century-old Turnverein in Denver. And, R.L. Maizes is a finalist for a Colorado Book Award for "Other People's Pets."

The national spotlight on missing and murdered Indigenous Women is growing, via a grassroots effort to build community support and prevent violence. Then, the Western Conservative Summit returns to Denver this weekend. And, mixed messages for the new owners of the Gunnison Country Times. Plus, a Ride the Rockies bicyclist returns after a horrific accident.

We answer a Colorado Wonders question asking why there seem to be fewer pollinators like bees and butterflies this spring. Then, one community tries to go all electric to fight climate change. And, we explore the lost history of Irish miners in Leadville and the effort to make sure they're no longer forgotten.

A first-of-its-kind designation will help preserve the Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge and make conservation more inclusive. Then, what wolf pups mean for reintroduction plans in Colorado. Also, understanding new resources to address behavioral health issues in the state. And reforming prisons by listening through the "JustUs Project."

Colorado braces for what could be another summer of wildfires. Then, in Denver, organizers want to make Juneteenth a national holiday to teach people about slavery. Denver has one of the largest Juneteenth events in the country. And, "Systemic,” a new podcast from CPR, tells the story of one man's fight to reform policing after his cousin was killed.

As Colorado marks a vaccination milestone, there's concern about a variant on the Western Slope. What does this mean for public health? Then, civil rights activist Elisabeth Epps reflects on a year of unrest, and points out there's a key difference between "abolishing police" and "abolishing policing." Plus, “The Gringa” is a Colorado Book Award finalist.

In Colorado, wildlife is part of the beauty of the place -- but there’s tension as urban areas grow. Then, the city of Fountain doesn’t have enough water. Plus, young climbers in the new film “Black Ice.” And, the state’s ambitious spending plans could be limited by the Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights. Also, Colorado’s newest International Dark Sky communities.

Lawmakers passed hundreds of new laws this session, so what does that mean for Colorado moving forward? Then, newly appointed post office governor Amber McReynolds talks about restoring faith in the U.S. Postal Service. And, former University of Denver chancellor Rebecca Chopp shares her personal journey after being diagnosed with Alzheimer's.