City Cast Denver

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Mayoral Madness: Chris Hansen On His TV Ad, Homelessness, and TikTok Feb 25, 2023

Show notes

Chris Hansen is a trained engineer and state senator who has represented Denver for the past six years, and he wants to be Denver’s next mayor. He sits down with producer Paul Karolyi to talk about his controversial TV ad, how he’d lead the Denver Police Department, and his plan to tackle housing costs and homelessness.

We are inviting all 17 candidates for interviews before Election Day on April 4. So far, we've talked to:

Keep up with Mayoral Madness on our site! And if you’ve got a question you’d like us to ask the candidates, or one candidate in particular, email it to us at denver@citycast.fm.

For even more news from around the city, subscribe to our morning newsletter Hey Denver by texting “Denver” to 66866

Or instagram: @citycastdenver

Chat with other listeners on reddit: r/CityCastDenver

Leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear it on the show: (720) 500-5418‬

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

Housing Hot Takes, the Nuggets Mascot Mystery, and a Bittersweet Goodbye Feb 24, 2023

Show notes

It’s Friday and we’re digging into all the local stories that mattered this week. First, more Mayoral Madness because the debates in recent weeks have gotten pretty spicy on the topics of housing, homelessness, and how candidates feel about the camping ban. Then, we take on a Denver sports mystery: who is really behind the mountain lion mask? Because the Nuggets’ mascot has been missing a lot of half-court shots recently… Producer Paul Karolyi and host Bree Davies are joined by Westword staff writer, regular Cast Denver guest, and sports fanatic Conor McCormick-Cavanagh to break it all down. Plus, newsletter editor Adrian González shares his list of fun things to do this weekend and we pick the official City Cast Denver Maybe — as in, maybe you’ll see us there!

Here’s some of Conor’s reporting on the Rocky mascot mystery, and stay tuned this weekend for more Mayoral Madness! We talked about our forthcoming interviews with Mike Johnston and Chris Hansen. Those are running Saturday and Sunday, but you can hear all our mayoral interviews here: https://denver.citycast.fm/home/mayoral-madness/

We mentioned Chris Hansen’s TV ad and the 9News debate.

Here are the events we considered:

For more great weekend recs, subscribe to Hey Denver by texting “Denver” to 66866

Or instagram: @citycastdenver

Chat with other listeners on reddit: r/CityCastDenver

Learn more about the sponsor of this episode:

How to Buy a Home Podcast

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The Beer Likers Guide to the Best Local Breweries Feb 23, 2023

Show notes

Craft breweries can be as intimidating as they are plentiful. But there’s lots to enjoy in the local brewery scene even if you’re not a major beer lover. And newsletter editor Adrian González and producer Paul Karolyi are not beer lovers. They are beer likers, and they are here to help. Host Bree Davies sits down with Paul and Adrian to talk through their favorite breweries for non-alcoholic options, vibes, food and, yeah, also the beer.

All the breweries we mentioned:

Dry Dock Brewing (Aurora)
Raices Brewing (Sun Valley)
Ratio Beerworks (Five Points)
TRVE Brewing (Baker)
Station 26 Brewing (Park Hill)
Alpine Dog (Uptown)
Black Sky Brewing (Santa Fe Drive)
Bull & Bush (Glendale)
Dos Luces (South Broadway)
Goed Zuur (Five Points)
Strange Craft Brewing (Lincoln Park)
Brewability (Englewood)
Great Divide Brewing Co. (Downtown)
Copper Kettle Brewing Company (Indian Creek)

Which great breweries did we miss? Text or leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear your recommendation on the show: (720) 500-5418‬

For even more news from around the city, subscribe to our morning newsletter Hey Denver by texting “Denver” to 66866

Or instagram: @citycastdenver

Chat with other listeners on reddit: r/CityCastDenver

Learn more about the sponsor of this episode:

How to Buy a Home Podcast

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

How the FBI Undermined the 2020 Racial Justice Protests Feb 22, 2023

Show notes

The new podcast “Alphabet Boys” is making waves across the country with revelations about how the FBI used an undercover informant to infiltrate the racial justice movement in Denver in the summer of 2020. Told using secret recordings, the story revolves around Michael “Mickey” Windecker, a self-proclaimed counter-terrorism expert who drove a silver hearse full of guns and tried to convince activists to take on increasingly violent plots. Producer Paul Karolyi talks to Alphabet Boys host Trevor Aaronson and one of the activists Windecker targeted, Zebbodios “Zebb” Hall about how Windecker operated and how he undermined the protest movement.

For even more news from around the city, subscribe to our morning newsletter Hey Denver by texting “Denver” to 66866

Or instagram: @citycastdenver

Chat with other listeners on reddit: r/CityCastDenver

What would you say is an essential rule for surviving Denver? We’re making our own Denver survival guide, and we need your help. Text or leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear your rule on the show: (720) 500-5418‬

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

What if Suncor Shut Down Forever? Feb 21, 2023

Show notes

A series of mysterious incidents in late December forced the Suncor refinery in Commerce City to shut down for weeks. The refinery is reviled by environmental activists and neighbors for its history of polluting our air and water, but it’s also responsible for about 40% of Colorado’s supply of gasoline. So, what if the shutdown was permanent? What if Mother Earth snapped her fingers and it disappeared? Denver Post reporter Noelle Phillips has been covering Suncor for years, and she’s on today with producer Paul Karolyi to explain the current situation and imagine what a Denver without Suncor would look like.

Catch up on all Noelle’s reporting on Suncor here: https://www.denverpost.com/author/noelle-phillips/

At the 9News mayoral debate last week, Ean Thomas Tafoya took aim at Chris Hansen over a recent TV ad. Check out our interview with Tafoya, and the rest of our Mayoral Madness coverage — and make sure to stay tuned for our interview with Chris Hansen this weekend.

For even more news from around the city, subscribe to our morning newsletter Hey Denver by texting “Denver” to 66866

Or Instagram: @citycastdenver

Chat with other listeners on reddit: r/CityCastDenver

Leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear it on the show: (720) 500-5418‬

Learn more about the sponsor of this episode:

How to Buy a Home Podcast

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

Mayoral Madness: Thomas Wolf on Gentrification, Casa Bonita and His Favorite Local Artist Feb 19, 2023

Show notes

Thomas Wolf is an investment banker who has worked for JP Morgan, Morgan Stanley, Credit Suisse, and Crewe Capital, and he wants to be mayor. Thomas sits down with producer Paul Karolyi to talk about how he’d support the arts community, combat gentrification, build bike lanes, and, of course, Casa Bonita.

We are inviting all 17 candidates for interviews before Election Day on April 4. So far, we've talked to:

Keep up with Mayoral Madness on our site! And if you’ve got a question you’d like us to ask the candidates, or one candidate in particular, email it to us at denver@citycast.fm.

For even more news from around the city, subscribe to our morning newsletter Hey Denver by texting “Denver” to 66866

Or instagram: @citycastdenver

Chat with other listeners on reddit: r/CityCastDenver

Text or leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear it on the show: (720) 500-5418‬

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

Mayoral Madness: Trinidad Rodriguez on the Police, Rent Control, and Late-Night Diners Feb 18, 2023

Show notes

Trinidad Rodriguezis an investment banker who’s served on the board of the Denver Housing Authority and as policy advisor for the Governor’s Policy Office and Office of Energy Conservation, as well as Colorado’s Department of Natural Resources, and he wants to be mayor. Trinidad sits down with producer Paul Karolyi to talk about his plan to improve public safety, his stance on rent control, and how he’d support Denver’s remaining late-night diners.

We are inviting all 17 candidates for interviews before Election Day on April 4. So far, we've talked to:

Keep up with Mayoral Madness on our site!

For even more news from around the city, subscribe to our morning newsletter Hey Denver by texting “Denver” to 66866

Or instagram: @citycastdenver

Chat with other listeners on reddit: r/CityCastDenver

Text or leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear it on the show: (720) 500-5418‬

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

Denver Bans TikTok, the War on Prairie Dogs, and Carbs Are Back! Feb 17, 2023

Show notes

It's Friday and we're rounding up all the stories that mattered to Denverites this week. First, TikTok: is it a source of endless entertainment and information or a Chinese surveillance operation? And which should we be worried about more? The City of Denver banned the social media app from government-owned devices this week and Colorado’s senior senator Michael Bennet (Democrat) is joining Republican calls to ban it from the app stores, so we’re digging into the local implications of the TikTok situation. Producers Paul Karolyi and Erin O’Toole are digging in with Hey Denver newsletter editor Adrian González.

Do you have a favorite local TikTokker? We want to hear about them! Email us your fave at denver@citycast.fm, or text or leave us a voicemail at (720) 500-5418.

We also talked about Denver’s bachelorette party ranking, the El Paso County Sheriff’s response to the allegations of racism we talked about on the show yesterday, the war against prairie dogs in Aurora, touching dead birds, the Mountain Plover Festival, and what should be our official state smell.

Mayoral Madness continues this weekend! We’ve got interviews with two more candidates -- investment banker Thomas Wolf and state policy advisor Trinidad Rodriguez — coming Saturday and Sunday. Catch those and all the other candidate interviews we’ve done so far at https://denver.citycast.fm/home/mayoral-madness/

We’re taking Monday off for President’s Day. See you Tuesday!

Subscribe to Hey Denver, our kickass morning newsletter, by texting “Denver” to 66866

Or instagram: @citycastdenver

Chat with other listeners on reddit: r/CityCastDenver

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

Is There a Racist Conspiracy Brewing on the Plains? Feb 16, 2023

Show notes

When Courtney and Nicole Mallery were thinking about buying a ranch on the Eastern Plains, other Black people in Denver told them to “be careful out there.” But it was the Mallerys’ dream to live off the land, so they bought some land east of Colorado Springs anyway. A simple dispute over their property line quickly escalated with slaughtered livestock, allegations of a racist conspiracy involving the local sheriff, felony charges for the Mallerys, and nearly $200,000 in donations to a GoFundMe supporting their cause. Producer Paul Karolyi sits down with the president of the Rocky Mountain NAACP, Portia Prescott, to talk through the case, the changing shape of racism in rural Colorado, and the legislation she thinks would have ended this whole thing before it started.

The El Paso County Sheriff’s Department has disputed the allegations of racism at length. For more, 9News covered their press conference earlier this week.

Paul mentioned the rally planned for this Friday at the Capitol in solidarity with the Mallerys and in support of the CAREN Act. It’s set to begin at 9 a.m.

For even more news from around the city, subscribe to our morning newsletter Hey Denver by texting “Denver” to 66866

Or instagram: @citycastdenver

Chat with other listeners on reddit: r/CityCastDenver

Do you have a Denver moment of joy you’d like to share? We want to share the good vibes. Text or leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear it on the show: (720) 500-5418‬

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

Does Denver Need Rent Control? Feb 15, 2023

Show notes

Colorado has banned rent control since 1981. But with the cost of housing on the rise across the state, including here in Denver, some lawmakers are trying to change that. While Governor Jared Polis has already come out against their proposal, Javier Mabrey thinks he can change the governor’s mind. State Rep. Mabrey is an evictions defense attorney representing southwest Denver, and he’s on today with host Bree Davies to explain why now’s the time to legalize rent control, how it would work in Denver, and how it could fit in Polis’ long-term vision for housing.

For even more news from around the city, subscribe to our morning newsletter Hey Denver by texting “Denver” to 66866

Chat with other listeners on reddit: r/CityCastDenver

We're on the hunt for Denver's best hot sauce! Leave us a voicemail with your name, neighborhood, and your favorite local hot sauce, and we'll try to track it down for a taste test on the show: (720) 500-5418‬

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

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