City Cast Denver

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Did the Grocery Union Get a Good Deal? Plus, One Year of Tren de Aragua and a Homeless Shelter Tragedy Jul 11, 2025

Show notes

It has been almost one year since the first rumors of a Venezuelan gang started circulating in Aurora. A new report from the New York Times Magazine looks back at how those rumors blew up into an election-defining political issue and now unprecedented ICE raids across the Denver metro. So host Bree Davies and producer Paul Karolyi invited outgoing Denver Post immigration reporter Megan Ulu-lani Boyanton to look back at the whole arc of the story and all the other biggest news of the week — from the local grocery union’s deals with King Soopers and Safeway to new safety concerns at city-run shelters.

Paul talked about dangerous elevators, Alteño, friend of the show slash CPR reporter Sam Brasch’s coverage of geothermal energy, and Hold On to Your Butts: A Jurassic Park Rewatch Podcast. Bree discussed the local implications of the “Big Beautiful Bill” and the restoration of the “Confluent People” mural. Megan talked about the MCA’s rooftop parties and a tragic accident at a city-run former hotel shelter.

What do you think about the Venezuelan gang story? 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.

Watch the Friday show on YouTube: youtube.com/@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 July 11th episode:

Denver Botanic Gardens
Regional Air Quality Council
Denver Film
Multipass
Elizabeth Martinez with PorchLight Real Estate - Do you have a question about Denver real estate? Submit your questions for Elizabeth Martinez HERE, and she might answer in next week’s segment.

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

Trans Rights Are Under Attack. Does Anyone Have a Plan? Jul 10, 2025

Show notes

Colorado has been a leader in transgender health care and civil rights, but since Trump won back the presidency, this community has been under attack across the country. The question for Denverites and their politicians alike has become: What’s the best way to respond? Representative Brianna Titone of Arvada is Colorado’s first openly trans legislator, and she is on today with host Bree Davies to talk about the federal government’s latest legal attacks on local institutions and share the inside story of the compromise behind Colorado’s new trans rights law, the Kelly Loving Act.

Bree and Rep. Titone discussed the Trump administration’s investigations into East High School’s gender-neutral bathroom and JeffCo’s policy on overnight sleeping arrangements for students. They also talked about the legal challenges to the Kelly Loving Act

Come see us live at the Colfax Indie Bash tonight! We’ll be on stage on the patio at Champagne Tiger, and tickets are FREE. All you need to do is RSVP and come out for some good food, great people, and a live podcast. RSVP here.

What do you think about the state of trans rights in Colorado? 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.

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 July 10th episode:

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

Inside Denver’s Biggest Debates: City Layoffs, Removing Welton’s Light Rail, and the Flavored Tobacco Ban Jul 09, 2025

Show notes

Battles over bike lanes, the uncertain future of Welton Street’s light rail line, and questions about the historic Rossonian hotel ever reopening again — these debates playing out in Denver’s District 9 are a microcosm of issues happening citywide. Councilman Darrell Watson has been representing this district, which covers neighborhoods from Globeville to South Park Hill, for nearly two years. He joins host Bree Davies and producer Paul Karolyi to talk through all the big topics, plus share his thoughts on impending city layoffs, his staunch stance on the flavored tobacco ban, and his mayoral ambitions.

Come see us live at the Colfax Indie Bash on July 10! We’ll be on stage on the patio at Champagne Tiger, and tickets are FREE. All you need to do is RSVP and come out for some good food, great people, and a live podcast. RSVP here.

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

Chat with other listeners on reddit: r/CityCastDenver

Support City Cast Denver by becoming a member: membership.citycast.fm

What do you think about Councilman Watson? We want to hear from you, especially if you live in District 9! 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 July 9th episode:

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

Who’s Mad at the Mayor Now? Plus, South Broadway Takes Another Hit Jul 08, 2025

Show notes

There’s been talk about layoffs at the city for weeks, but information on just how many jobs are on the chopping block and when these layoffs are suppose to happen has been vague. One city worker tells us there a lot of concerns internally about how Mayor Mike Johnston has been approaching the city’s budget shortfall. Then, TRVE Brewing is the latest brewery to close up shop. Is South Broadway a victim of its own success? Host Bree Davies and producer Paul Karolyi dig into these stories, plus more chatter about the potential end of the Underground Music Showcase.

Bree mentioned John Moore’s piece on his co-founding of the UMS in The Denver Gazette and our episode last week on the topic.

Come see us live at the Colfax Indie Bash on July 10! We’ll be on stage with Mayor Mike Johnston on the patio at Champagne Tiger, and tickets are FREE. All you need to do is RSVP and come out for some good food, great people, and a live podcast with the mayor. RSVP here.

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

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

If you enjoyed this interview with Kelsey Simpkins from Regional Air Quality Council, learn more here.

Learn more about the other sponsors of this July 8th episode:

Denver Botanic Gardens
Regional Air Quality Council
Denver Film
Multipass
City & County Denver Tech
Cozy Earth - use code COZYDENVER for 40% off best-selling temperature-regulating sheets, apparel, and more

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

What’s Actually Happening on Colfax Amid BRT Construction? Jul 07, 2025

Show notes

Denver’s beloved Colfax Avenue has seen better days… but it’s also seen worse days. The notorious street has been through plenty of ups and downs since it became one of the city’s main thoroughfares back when it was Route 40 — a little bit of bus rapid transit construction isn’t gonna change that! But it is changing a lot. So ahead of our live podcast recording with our sponsors at the Colfax Ave BID this Thursday at Champagne Tiger, we invited their executive director and longtime friend of the show Frank Locantore to take us for a walk and show us everything new on Colfax.

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

Chat with other listeners on reddit: r/CityCastDenver

Support City Cast Denver by becoming a member: membership.citycast.fm

What do you think about Colfax these days? Have you been lately? How was it? 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:

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

Is Denver the Best Summer City in the US? Jul 03, 2025

Show notes

Bree Davies and all 12 other City Cast podcast hosts (from Austin, Boise, Chicago, DC, Houston, Las Vegas, Madison, Nashville, Philly, Pittsburgh, Portland, and Salt Lake City) compete head-to-head in a high-stakes showdown to answer the question that’s been burning up our company-wide Slack for weeks: which city is the best for a summer weekend trip? From naked bike rides to ‘the country’s best farmers market,’ pickle festivals to Elvis impersonators driving pink convertibles, our hosts are bringing the best of the best of what their city has to offer. Did your city win?

Take our interactive quiz to see which city best fits YOUR vibe!

Learn more about the sponsors of this July 3rd episode:

City & County Denver Tech

Elizabeth Martinez with PorchLight Real Estate - Do you have a question about Denver real estate? Submit your questions for Elizabeth Martinez HERE, and she might answer in next week’s segment.

UMS Is Ending! Here’s What We Know So Far Jul 02, 2025

Show notes

Huge news for local music lovers broke on Tuesday: The Underground Music Showcase is ending “in its current form” after this year. The festival is celebrating its 25th anniversary later this month with three days of live music and the usual debauchery on South Broadway, and it’s unclear what exactly led to this decision. Host Bree Davies has been hearing from musicians, business owners, promoters, and UMS insiders since the news broke, and she’s on with producer Paul Karolyi for a bonus episode to dissect the news and the rumors of what’s really going on.

What do you think about UMS ending? 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.

Chat with other listeners on reddit: r/CityCastDenver

Support City Cast Denver by becoming a member: membership.citycast.fm

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

Could a Zohran Mamdani Moment Happen Here? Plus, ‘La Migra’ on the Menu and Busking on 16th St. Jul 02, 2025

Show notes

New Yorkers shocked the country last week when they picked a Democratic Socialist TikTok star as the Democratic Party’s nominee for mayor. So could a Zohran Mamdani-type phenomenon happen here? Our politics contributor Deep Singh Badhesha joins producer Paul Karolyi and host Bree Davies to talk about how our local politics are different. Plus, a food influencer shared a traumatizing and seemingly racist experience at Morning Story in DTC and our wins and fails of the week.

UPDATE: After we recorded this episode, the owners of Morning Story released another statement with more details about the incident with @UnfocusedFoodie.

Bree talked about ⁠UMS’s⁠⁠ big announcement⁠, ⁠Bar Bar’s wall⁠, and ⁠Bruce Brown’s return to the Nuggets⁠. Paul mentioned ⁠this Colorado Sun story⁠ about budding local entrepreneurs, ⁠9News’ recent interview⁠ with DOTI director Amy Ford, the ⁠NYT's interview with Trump's border czar Tom Homan⁠, and the ⁠sword of Damocles⁠. Deep discussed the Boulder attack victim ⁠who passed⁠ this week and ⁠his personal restaurant guide⁠ to Denver.

What do you think about a Zohran Mamdani-style candidate emerging in Denver? Could it happen here? Who might that be? 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.

Watch the Friday show on YouTube: youtube.com/@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 July 2nd episode:

City & County Denver Tech

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

Your Guide to July 2025 in Denver Jul 01, 2025

Show notes

July is here, and it’s a hot one! From cooling down in the lazy river at Pirate’s Cove to sitting on perfect patio with misters, we’ve put together a fun list of the best ways to enjoy this sweltering summer month in the Mile High.

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.

Come see us live at the Colfax Indie Bash on July 10! We’ll be on stage with Mayor Mike Johnston on the patio at Champagne Tiger, and tickets are FREE. All you need to do is RSVP and come out for some good food, great people, and a live podcast with the mayor. RSVP here.

For even more tips on how to make the most of July in Denver, check out our newsletter Hey Denver’s take on what to do this month.

Our monthly guides are brought to you by Multipass! If you enjoyed the sponsored interview with Andy Cambron, the CEO of Multipass, learn more here and check out all the events he recommended in this episode:

City Cast Denver is also made possible by our awesome sponsors, like City & County Denver Tech and Cozy Earth, and we’re 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

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

Not Everybody Hates Gov. Polis’ Big Bridge Idea Jun 30, 2025

Show notes

When 9News’ Kyle Clark was on the podcast last week talking about Governor Jared Polis’ new proposal to build an elevated pedestrian walkway outside the Capitol, he said that the most telling weakness of the proposal was the fact that no one was making a good argument for it. So we found two people who are really excited about the project to make the case. Host Bree Davies sits down with local AAA spokesperson and Capitol insider Skyler McKinley and Bree’s friend, artist Moe Gram, who is contracted for community engagement work on the bridge project.

Skyler mentioned a proposal for a different kind of pedestrian bridge in Civic Center Park from back in 2006.

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

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 June 30th episode:

City & County Denver Tech

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

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