City Cast Denver

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Guns, Condos, and Ethics: Inside the Capitol’s Biggest Fights of 2025 Feb 20, 2025

Show notes

A little over a month into the 2025 state legislative session, and things are already heating up — Will this finally be the year lawmakers can coax Denver developers to build condos? Will a new gun control bill make it across the governor’s desk? Is the labor movement on the precipice of a long-awaited victory or yet another setback? And what about the state senator who recently resigned in part over allegations that she put her aides to work bartending at political fundraisers? Chief legislative reporter Marianne Goodland of Colorado Politics joins host Bree Davies to take us inside the biggest battles going down under the gold dome.

Get your tickets to HEYDAY now! We’re putting on an indoor fair with urban flair, like a classic county fair but with a very cool Denver twist. Join us on March 8 for classic carnival games, vintage arcade games, Denver-themed balloon art, and a full day of grandstand entertainment, featuring some of your favorite guests from the podcast. It’s family friendly, too, if you wanna bring your kids. Get those tickets now at www.heydaydenver.com .

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Learn more about the sponsors of this February 20th episode:

University of Colorado Denver
Babbel - Get up to 60% off at Babbel.com/CITYCAST
5280 Magazine

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Who Won the King Soopers Strike? Plus, Hard Facts on Restaurant Closings and First Friday for Cars! Feb 19, 2025

Show notes

The King Soopers strike is over… for now. As the company and the union return to the bargaining table, we question what really brought them to this latest agreement? Producer Paul Karolyi tells host Bree Davies about recent conversations he had with strikers on the picket line and how they characterized the public’s response to the labor dispute. Then, frustrated downtown restaurant owners sent a letter to Mayor Johnston blaming him for a laundry list of issues impacting their businesses. But the data paints a more complex picture. Bree and Paul dig into these stories plus a listener’s thoughts on the conundrum facing First Fridays on Santa Fe.

What do you think about the King Soopers strike? 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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Learn more about the sponsors of this February 19th episode:

University of Colorado Denver
Babbel - Get up to 60% off at Babbel.com/CITYCAST
5280 Magazine

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You’re Not a True Denverite Until… Feb 18, 2025

Show notes

How do you know you’re a true Denverite? Was it when you found yourself in the midst of a Chipotle vs. Illegal Pete’s fight? Or that time you woke up at 6 a.m. to meet friends for a hike while still nursing a hangover from a wild show at Red Rocks? We’re revisiting a conversation host Bree Davies had last year with two hilarious guests — Lee Robinson and Kate McLachlan of Dyketopia — to help finish this sentence: You’re not a real Denverite until…

UPDATE: After we recorded, we learned that Snooze takes reservations now, but only on weekdays. You can also join their waitlist online, though you’d miss out on some sweet, sweet brunch anticipation time!

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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

Learn more about the sponsors of this February 18th episode:

University of Colorado Denver
Babbel - Get up to 60% off at Babbel.com/CITYCAST
5280 Magazine

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Will Santa Fe Lose Its Art Walk? Plus, Downtown Protesters Attacked and a Kendrick Lamar Sighting Feb 14, 2025

Show notes

Is the Art District on Santa Fe’s First Friday summer art walk event in danger of going away? Concerns over crowd sizes at this annual block party has the city hesitant to issue needed permits, leaving the popular event in limbo. Then, a group of women on their way to a protest last weekend were accosted downtown by two men in a truck, and told Westword they didn’t feel like law enforcement took the incident seriously. Host Bree Davies is joined by returning faves Hey Denver newsletter editor Adrian González and politics and green chile correspondent Justine Sandoval to dig into these stories, plus the King Soopers picket lines’ impact on Girl Scout cookie sales, Kendrick Lamar’s Denver rec center appearance, and more wins and fails of the week.

Justine talked about the City of Denver’s Black History Month public art tour. Adrian discussed United Airlines’ new flight training center and Osaka Ramen’s impending closure. Bree mentioned the Denver Coliseum being used as a temporary shelter and the children who froze to death in Detroit.

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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All Your Legal ’Shroom Questions Answered Feb 13, 2025

Show notes

Psychedelic-assisted therapy centers are set to open this spring across Colorado and applications to operate them in Denver are rolling in. But how does this new type of treatment fit into the complicated and often gray areas within decriminalized psychedelics? What types of practitioners can offer this kind of therapy? And who could benefit from the treatment? Tiney Riccardi at the Denver Post has been reporting on the long, strange trip to regulate magic mushrooms and similar substances in the state. She joins host Bree Davies to dig into the details of these therapy centers and explains what you need to know as the industry grows and evolves.

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

Learn more about the sponsors of this February 13th episode:

Denver Health

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Are Labor Costs Really the Reason Dining Out Is So Expensive? Feb 12, 2025

Show notes

Is legislation the best way to help Denverites avoid paying $20 for a mediocre cheeseburger? Some leading Democrat lawmakers are set to introduce a new bill this week to put some legislative heft behind the proposal you heard about first on our show last week — to essentially lower the tipped minimum wage. Some restaurateurs say it’s their only hope. But this stuff is confusing! So producer Paul Karolyi is continuing the conversation with former-restaurant-worker-turned-food-reporter Helen Xu. She recently reported for Westword on some more creative (and risky) ways local restaurants are trying to offer more value, and she’s on to put this new “tip credit” proposal in context and demystify the minimum wage debate.

We’ve got a sneak peek for you of the full text of the draft legislation that Rep. Steve Woodrow (Denver) and state Sen. Judy Amabile (Boulder) are reportedly planning to introduce this week. And don't miss our episode full of recommendations for our favorite cheap eats.

Paul mentioned Matthew Fritz-Maur, the executive director of Denver Labor, and the city’s chief watchdog of wage theft complaints. You can hear him on an episode from last year, and get in touch with Denver Labor if you suspect you’ve been a victim of wage theft.

Which Denver restaurant offers the best value? We’re looking for great deals, specials, happy hours, or flat out bargains! 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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Learn more about the sponsors of this episode:

Denver Health

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Who Is King Soopers Suing? Plus, the 16th Street Rebrand and a Jurassic Correction Feb 11, 2025

Show notes

The King Soopers strike is about to enter its second week, and there’s a new lawsuit from the company in the mix — but the union is pushing back. Then, as 16th Street continues to hobble along, will rumors of a rebrand and dropping of the word “mall” really be the solution? Host Bree Davies and producer Olivia Jewell Love take a closer look at both sides of the picket line, discuss what the word mall even means in 2025, and share a listener’s correction of our Jurassic Park reference on last Friday’s show.

Bree mentioned our episode about the King Soopers strike from last week.

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

Learn more about the sponsors of this episode:

Denver Health

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The Anatomy of an ICE Raid Feb 10, 2025

Show notes

The threat of ICE raids is looming over the Denver metro area now that President Trump’s ‘Operation Aurora’ has officially begun. A reported 30 people were arrested in the first official immigration enforcement raids last Wednesday, but rumors are swirling about what exactly happened (and where those 30 people are being held). Denver Post immigration reporter Megan Ulu-lani Boyanton has been on the ground tracking the raids, and she joins host Bree Davies to break down exactly what we know, what we don’t, and what’s coming next. Megan also responds to and explains Border Czar Tom Homan’s allegation that ICE failed to hit its goal of arresting 100 people because the “local media” tipped off activist groups.

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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

Learn more about the sponsors of this February 10th episode:

Denver Health

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Anti-Trump Protests Erupt, ICE Raid Realities, and Dinos in RiNo Feb 07, 2025

Show notes

Thousands of Coloradans gathered at the Capitol on Wednesday for the biggest local protest since Trump was re-elected president. As photos and videos spread online, federal immigration officers conducted raids across the metro area, with reports of agents showing up at apartment complexes, school bus stops, and workplaces. Producer Paul Karolyi and host Bree Davies are joined by activist and former legislator Tim Hernández to talk about where the growing anti-Trump energy will go from here. Plus, all the other big stories of the week, including the new dinosaur-themed establishment coming to RiNo, the ongoing Colfax Swastika saga, and our wins and fails.

Tim talked about the latest council moves on needle exchange sites and the Westwood paletero cart art show happening at Re:Vision tonight. Bree mentioned Denverite’s coverage of the ICE raids at Aurora apartment complexes and Children’s Hospital’s ending gender-affirming care for youth in the wake of Trump’s threats on federal funding. Paul talked about a Denver7 Facetime interview, the fate of the Colfax swastikas, and the Comcast-Altitude deal.

What do you think about the fractured Trump resistance? 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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Learn more about the sponsors of this February 7th episode:

Arvada Center

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What's At Stake For Both Sides of the King Soopers Strike? Feb 06, 2025

Show notes

More than 10,000 grocery workers are set to walk off their jobs at 77 King Soopers stores across the Denver metro area today — three years after they went on strike in 2022, winning a slew of compromises from the company. But after the failed merger between the parent companies of King Soopers and Safeway in 2024, as well as three years of inflation, the situation inside Denver’s grocery stores has changed a lot. So host Bree Davies is speaking with UFCW Local 7 president Kim Cordova, who called the strikes, and then King Soopers president Joe Kelley about how negotiations broke down and what’s at stake.

Joe Kelley mentioned several times that King Soopers has published their “last, best, and final offer” to the union.

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

Learn more about the sponsors of this February 6th episode:

Arvada Center

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