City Cast Denver

It’s official: Mayor Mike Johnston confirmed that Denver is throwing its hat in the ring for the 2028 Democratic National Convention. But twenty years ago when the Mile High City previously played host to the DNC, the city and the economy looked a lot different — and the protests were big. Then, German grocery store chain Aldi is coming to Colorado — could more competition mean better prices for consumers? Host Bree Davies is joined by Westword editor in-chief Patty Calhoun to dig into these big stories, plus discuss homicide and car theft rates going down, more thoughts on President Trump and the Tina Peters situation, and hear a comment from a listener on Denver’s department stores of yore. Bree talked about the “new” Dozens Restaurant location at 14th Street and Court Place and our 2023 interview with the Colorado Auto Theft Prevention Authority. Patty mentioned Westword’s reporting on issues in the Golden Triangle and their paper’s member event tonight at the Westword offices, looking back at 2025 and eyeing this year’s celebration of the state’s 150th birthday. Check out Mark Barnhouse’s books on the heyday of shopping in the Mile High: Lost Department Stores of Denver and The Denver Dry Goods: Where Colorado Shopped with Confidence. 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 City Cast Denver by becoming a member: 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 Learn more about the sponsors of this episode: American Red Cross Denver Health Cozy Earth - Use code COZYDENVER for up to 20% off Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise

Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser filed his 50th lawsuit against the President Trump last week, this time pushing back on the administration’s freezing of millions in childcare funding and support for low-income families. It’s just the latest in the AG’s maneuvers to resist what he calls a “revenge campaign” by Trump against our Democrat-dominated state. Today we’re revisiting a conversation host Bree Davies had nearly a year ago with Weiser after he announced his run for governor, discussing everything from rental market price fixing and deportation laws to cell phone bans and youth mental health issues. For more on the governor’s race, we also recently spoke with Weiser’s main opponent in the Democratic Party’s primary, Michael Bennet. That primary election is coming up this June.  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 City Cast Denver by becoming a member: membership.citycast.fm What do you think about Phil Weiser’s run for governor? Would you vote for him? 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 January 12th episode: American Red Cross Denver Health Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise

An ICE officer shot and killed a Colorado woman on the streets of Minneapolis on Wednesday, sparking protests and renewed debate here in Denver over President Trump’s crackdowns on immigration and fraud. Comedian Joshua Emerson joins host Bree Davies and producer Paul Karolyi to talk about ICE in Denver, Trump’s retaliatory cuts to childcare and other social services, and his other recent comments about Colorado. Plus, does the quarterback of the Denver Broncos hate dogs? And finally, our wins and fails of the week. We’re hiring! Do you want to be City Cast Denver’s new audience development manager? Or do you know someone who’d be a perfect fit? Check out the full job listing and apply here.  What do you think about Bo Nix’s relationship with dogs? Is he being weird? Does it not matter to you? 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 Joshua talked about Team Nonexistent, Gov. Polis’ latest controversial tweet, and the monthly clavé jam at Manos Sagrados. Bree mentioned the Corporation for Public Broadcasting dissolving and Kokoro’s 40th anniversary. Paul talked about a recent Colorado youth hockey scandal, Denver’s new micro-mobility operator, our episode about Lime scooters from last March, and Bo Nix’s new line of “Overdogs” merch in support of Denver Rescue Mission. For even more news from around the city, subscribe to our morning newsletter Hey Denver at denver.citycast.fm. Watch clips from the show on YouTube: youtube.com/@citycastdenver or Instagram @citycastdenver Chat with other listeners on reddit: r/CityCastDenver Support City Cast Denver by becoming a member: membership.citycast.fm/Denver Learn more about the sponsors of this January 9th episode: Multipass University of Denver Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise

Could Denver host the Democratic National Convention in 2028? Colorado’s Congressional Democrats already signed a letter of support for Denver’s bid, but is the Mile High City — and the local Democratic Party — a good candidate for the big event? Host Bree Davies and producer Paul Karolyi are joined by Denver Post City Government Reporter Elliott Wenzler to discuss the bid. Plus, City Council approved a new common consumption area in RiNo this week, but why aren’t there free-drinking zones all over the city by now? Finally, as a special bonus in the members-only version of this episode, Elliott joins us for the debut of a new game we’re trying out that’s all about our mental maps of the city.  Become a City Cast Denver Neighbor today! Get that special version of this episode and plenty more perks and insider benefits by becoming a member for only $10 per month. Sign up now at membership.citycast.fm. What do you think would be the best spot for a common consumption area? 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. Follow us on Instagram: @citycastdenver Chat with other listeners on reddit: r/CityCastDenver Support City Cast Denver by becoming a member: membership.citycast.fm Learn more about the sponsors of this January 8th episode: Multipass University of Denver  Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise

After the wild ups and downs of 2025, we’re looking ahead to another crazy year. But what specific flavors of wild should Denverites expect this year? Producers Paul Karolyi and Olivia Jewell Love join host Bree Davies to swap their biggest and boldest predictions for the Mile High City in 2026. Plus, some bonus forecasts from a bunch of friends of the pod.  What do you think of our predictions? What’s the most likely or unlikely to happen for real? 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 Support City Cast Denver by becoming a member: membership.citycast.fm Learn more about the sponsors of this January 7th episode: Multipass University of Denver Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise

President Donald Trump ordered an attack on Venezuela last Friday and U.S. armed forces have captured the country’s president, Nicolás Maduro. So, what does Denver have to do with it? Host Bree Davies and producer Paul Karolyi are dissecting all the local connections, from Trump citing Aurora in his justification of the attack and Governor Jared Polis’ controversial response to the possibility that local oil and gas companies might be involved in the next phase of the president’s plan. Plus, tons of great listener comments and questions.  Paul quoted CPR’s fact-checking of Trump’s Saturday press conference and 9News’ coverage of Lauren Boebert’s recent tension with Trump.  What do you think? We always want to hear from you! Text or leave us a voicemail with your question or hot take, as well as 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 Support City Cast Denver by becoming a member: membership.citycast.fm Learn more about the sponsors of this January 6th episode: Multipass University of Denver Cozy Earth - Use code COZYDENVER for up to 20% off Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise

Nobody understands a city’s pulse quite like a City Cast host — and that makes them the best predictors for 2026’s biggest local stories. City Cast Denver host Bree Davies joins CEO David Plotz and the other 12 hosts from across the network to talk about the big changes coming to our cities, from political shifts to data centers. 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) 500-5418‬ Learn more about the sponsors of this January 5th episode:MultipassUniversity of Denver Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise

Happy new year! We’re kicking off 2026 with our monthly guide to the best of Denver, with plenty of expert and hard-won tips and tricks for making the most of this Mile High life. City Cast producer Adrian González joins host Bree Davies and producer Paul Karolyi to talk about the coolest stuff going on this month. Plus, Paul’s got some personal tips for enjoying everything new at the Stock Show this year.  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.  Paul would like to clarify that Red Robin’s corporate headquarters is not technically in Denver, but in fact in Greenwood Village. Adrian recommends these kintsugi workshops: Hoamsy Workshop hosted by pottery artist Alexis (two workshops in January) Ceramics in the City (no workshops in January but they offer them often) Kintsugi: Golden Mending at Breckenridge Ceramic Studio For even more tips on how to make the most of January in Denver, check out our newsletter Hey Denver’s take on what to do this month.  If you enjoyed today's sponsored interview with Andy Cambron, the CEO of Multipass, learn more here. Check out upcoming events below: Exposed Storytelling Sentences. Comedy Show The Sickest Comedy Show Learn more about the other sponsors of this January 2nd episode: Simply Eloped Cozy Earth - Use code COZYDENVER for up to 20% off We’re also powered by our members, who enjoy an ad-free version of the show. Find out more membership.citycast.fm about how to become a member of City Cast Denver. Interested in advertising with City Cast? Find more info here citycast.fm/advertise.  Got questions or comments about this episode? You can reach us at denver@citycast.fm 

Tens of thousands of Coloradans have protested at anti-Trump rallies this year, and while most of these gatherings have been peaceful, political violence has been on the rise. KNUS conservative radio host Jeff Hunt attended many of these demonstrations throughout 2025, where he recorded self-described “gotcha”-style videos. At an anti-ICE protest in June, he was kicked in the back while recording, on a day that also saw the arrests of 18 protesters. Host Bree Davies spoke with Jeff about his experience, how he approaches political debates, and the question of violence and safety in Denver. On the other side of a tumultuous year, we’re bringing back this conversation for a closer look at how national political tensions have played out in the Mile High. You can find a rough transcript of this conversation here. Check out Jeff Hunt’s protest videos for yourself: Here’s the one from the conservative “March for Life” This one is from the Bernie/AOC rally in March This is the one he referenced featuring protesters warning others not to talk to him And here’s the one where he gets kicked  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 Support City Cast Denver by becoming a member: membership.citycast.fm Learn more about the sponsors of this December 30th episode: ⁠Simply Eloped⁠ ⁠Cozy Earth⁠ - Use code COZYDENVER for up to 20% off Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise

Did Illegal Pete’s bite off more than it could chew by opening three new locations last year? Were the restaurants just hit especially hard by COVID? Or is something else to blame for the way some Denverites have turned on the local restaurant chain? It all started earlier this year, when Reddit was ablaze with stories of food poisonings, cuts to worker benefits, and less-than-awesome queso. So, executive producer Paul Karolyi sat down with founder and CEO Pete Turner to see what he had to say about these claims. We’re revisiting this conversation today, plus some additional developments in the Illegal Pete’s saga — especially since the complaints haven’t stopped.   Paul mentioned the letter that Turner and some other downtown restaurant owners sent to Mayor Mike Johnston complaining about how slow downtown’s economic recovery has been. He also recommends this fun queso taste test that Westword’s food editor and friend of the show Molly Martin did last year.  What do you think about Illegal Pete’s? Have you noticed anything different this year? 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 Support City Cast Denver by becoming a member: membership.citycast.fm Learn more about the sponsor of this December 29th episode: Simply Eloped Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise