City Cast Denver

Our friend and resident podcast connoisseur Berry of Podcasts in Color is back with another recommendation to spice up your podcast feed with a little more local flavor. Berry’s pick this month is Escaping Denver, a fiction podcast that may or may not explore the conspiracy theories surrounding Denver International Airport. For more podcast news and gossip, we recommend following Berry on Twitter @podcastsincolor. While you’re there, say hi to us @citycastdenver!

Earlier this week, the city of Denver shut down Civic Center Park, closing off the public space for at least two months. Though Denver Department of Public Health and Environment cited health and safety issues as the primary reason for the closure, the City Cast Denver crew actually saw this story as part of a larger conversation about housing issues. We discuss our thoughts on the park closure, as well as a new shipping container housing concept coming to Colorado and a look at the slimy practices of a national mobile home park giant wreaking havoc on local renters. Plus, stick around for staff picks— Peyton, Paul, Xandra, and Bree share things to do, places to see, and good stuff to eat in the Mile High City! Get a steady stream of news delivered right to your inbox every weekday by subscribing to our newsletter: https://denver.citycast.fm/newsletter/Chat with us via Twitter: @citycastdenverOR leave us a message on our brand new City Cast Denver hotline: (720) 500-5418‬

When the U.S. Supreme Court struck down the Biden administration’s eviction moratorium two weeks ago, approximately 12,000 Denverites woke up to the increasingly imminent threat of losing their home. But a new organization called NEWR Denver wants to give tenants a fighting chance. NEWR, or No Eviction Without Representation, is gathering signatures for a ballot initiative that, if passed, would give renters free legal counsel. City Cast Denver host Bree Davies chats with NEWR Denver’s Wren Echo about the city’s current housing crisis and how much of a difference having a lawyer makes at eviction hearings. Want more Denver news in your inbox every weekday morning? Subscribe to our newsletter: https://denver.citycast.fm/newsletter/We also sometimes tweet things @CityCastDenver 

In the late ‘60s, Denver Public Schools began busing children across the city in an effort to desegregate our schools. Then came the pushback in the form of lawsuits, harassment of school board members, and in 1970, a bombing at the DPS bus depot off Federal Boulevard. But many Denverites’ memories of the busing era offer a more complicated story. Host Bree Davies sits down with Alicia “Lisa” Smith Young, director and producer of the new play “Busing,” which marks the first production from the new theater group IDEA Stages and tackles the legacy of Denver’s busing era with intergenerational stories of race and community. Interested in checking out the show? You can find tickets here: https://controlgroup.wellattended.com/events/sojourners-project-busing?httpsRedirect=truWant to know more about what’s going on in Denver? Check out and subscribe to our daily newsletter: https://denver.citycast.fm/newsletter/We’re always listening - get in touch with the City Cast Denver crew on Twitter: @citycastdenver

Police departments across the country have fallen in love with an obscure technology company called ShotSpotter, which purports to use microphones, algorithms, and artificial intelligence to detect and help combat gun violence, including right here in Denver. It’s “one of the most important cogs in our wheel of addressing gun violence,” said one Ohio police chief, according to the Associated Press. But after a few high-profile incidents involving ShotSpotter in Chicago earlier this year, a new level of scrutiny has inspired investigations and some cities have canceled their contracts altogether. Axios Denver’s Alayna Alvarez has been reporting on the Denver Police Department’s contract with ShotSpotter, and she’s back on the show today with host Bree Davies to sort out the situation and lay out the questions that still need answers. For more on ShotSpotter, here’s a great piece from the Associated Press about how the technology works and how it’s been implemented across the country. More Denver news and cool things to do could be on their way to your inbox as soon as tomorrow morning! All you’ve got to do is subscribe to our newsletter: https://denver.citycast.fm/newsletter/What questions do you have about ShotSpotter? Let us know @citycastdenver

This week, Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser announced that the Aurora police officers and paramedics involved in Elijah McClain’s 2019 death will face 32 criminal charges, including manslaughter and assault. Producer Xandra McMahon, host Bree Davies, and newsletter writer Peyton Garcia recap the grand jury indictment and the years of investigation that led up to this moment. Plus, some weird business stories that happened this week in Denver. And, staff recommendations for your weekend. City Cast Denver will be enjoying the Labor Day holiday and will return on Tuesday, Sept. 7.Want more news in your inbox every weekday morning? Subscribe to the CCD newsletter: https://denver.citycast.fm/newsletter/Follow us on Twitter: @CityCastDenver 

What’s going on with the Broncos? That’s one of the many questions producer Xandra McMahon asked our Sports Guy Jake Shapiro. From quarterback problems to who of the Bowlen family estate runs the team now, our pressing Broncos questions get answered just in time for the start of a new season. Speaking of seasons, how will COVID affect the Broncos in 2021? Yeah, we asked that too. [Insert shameless plug to subscribe to our newsletter here.] No, really you’re gonna love it: https://denver.citycast.fm/newsletter/Also, we have a Twitter: @citycastdenver

You’ve heard it before and probably uttered the words yourself: “Colorado has 300 days of sunshine.” It’s no secret that our weather here is great most of the time, but is it really that good? Meteorologist Andy Stein wanted to find out, so he did some research, revealing his findings in a recent story for The Denver Post. Host Bree Davies talks with the weather expert to find out if the thing we like to brag about the most in Colorado really is all its cracked up to be. Still haven't subscribed to our morning newsletter? We got you: https://denver.citycast.fm/newsletter/We're also on Twitter! Follow us @CityCastDenver

The Harm Reduction Action Center isn’t rehab, it’s a community. Not only does the center help people living with substance use issues find resources, but people who visit can also get clean needles, coffee, and even someone to talk to. So when it was reported that Colorado overdose deaths were at an all-time high, executive director Lisa Raville knew that the community she helped build needed to lean on each other more than ever. City Cast Denver Host Bree Davies speaks with her longtime friend Lisa about the family the center’s built, how fentanyl has affected Denver as of late, and how to get rid of stereotypes around drug addiction. HRAC is hosting a memorial and rally today for Overdose Awareness Day. Details here: https://www.facebook.com/events/350293813357389?active_tab=aboutAlways stay in the loop with what’s happening in Denver. Subscribe to the City Cast Denver newsletter here: https://denver.citycast.fm/newsletter/And hey, if you’re on Twitter, we are too! Follow us @CityCastDenver

Denver author Peter Heller joins City Cast Denver Newsletter Writer Peyton Garcia for a conversation about his latest thriller, “The Guide.” The novel, set outside Crested Butte, weaves a suspenseful tale centered on young protagonist Jack and his job as a wilderness and fishing guide at an elite resort. But things aren’t quite as they seem, and Jack finds himself questioning what he sees and hears at every turn. Peyton digs into the author’s inspiration for the book and what it was like writing a fictional story set during a pandemic — while actually experiencing the pandemic in real time. Want more Peyton? Well then subscribe to her newsletter! Fresh every weekday: https://denver.citycast.fm/newsletter/For more ways to connect with the CCD team, follow us on Twitter: @CityCastDenver