City Cast Denver

City Cast

Denver’s daily news podcast, fresh every weekday at 6 a.m.

  • 49 minutes 58 seconds
    Your Mom’s House Seized, Anti-Palantir Protests, and More on the Toxic CEO Allegations

    Anti-Palantir protesters gathered outside the AI surveillance giant’s new headquarters in Cherry Creek on Sunday, while the company’s billionaire CEO, Alex Karp, reportedly just bought a massive monastery outside Aspen. So, is Gov. Jared Polis having second thoughts about inviting Palantir to Colorado? Westword editor Patty Calhoun joins host Bree Davies and producer Paul Karolyi to talk through the latest on Palantir, as well as the news that Your Mom’s House wasn’t paying its taxes. Plus, we hear from a listener about the allegations of a toxic workplace at the Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce and pick our biggest fails of the year. 

    Patty talked about this 2024 profile of Bowen Yang in The New Yorker. 

    What do you think is the biggest fail of the year? 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 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 December 23rd episode:

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

    23 December 2025, 10:00 am
  • 22 minutes 55 seconds
    The Big Council Vote on a New Soccer Stadium Is Tonight! Here’s What You Need To Know

    City Cast Denver listeners nominated Denver’s new NWSL franchise, Denver Summit FC, as one of the biggest wins of the year at our Denver-est Denver Awards last week, and the city is undeniably abuzz with excitement over the prospect of a professional womens soccer team. But how much public money should the City of Denver put up to support the team? City Council is voting tonight on the proposal to spend $50 million to buy land and build support infrastructure for a new stadium, so we’re revisiting a conversation host Bree Davies had earlier this year with one of the country’s foremost experts on the politics of stadiums, CU Denver’s own Dr. Geoff Propheter. 

    Denverite reported on the details of the community benefits agreement that Denver Summit FC reached with neighbors of the proposed stadium site. 

    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 public funding to support a new soccer stadium? 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


    Learn more about the sponsors of this December 22nd episode:

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

    22 December 2025, 10:00 am
  • 1 hour 4 minutes
    Denver Goes Dark, Toxic CEO Allegations, and Slop Is Dead, Long Live Slop

    More than 100,000 Coloradans were left without electricity this week as Xcel Energy preemptively shut down power lines to mitigate the risk of wildfire — just like they did last April. But the controversy is way different this time. Comedian and longtime friend of the show JD Lopez returns with producers Olivia Jewell Love and Paul Karolyi to parse the politics of power. Plus, we discuss Denverite’s investigation into allegations of toxic work culture at the Metro Denver Chamber of Commerce, pick Denver’s Word of the Year 2025, and share our wins and fails of the week.

    Paul mentioned the podcast he and JD host, “Hold on to Your Butts: A Podcast About Great Franchises that Uhhhhh Lost their Way.” He also talked about the “gonzo lawyer,” the decline of the “slop bowl,” the Broncos’ new anime connection, and this reddit thread he posted about Denver’s word of the year. Olivia talked about zebra mussels. JD sang “Colorado Christmas” by the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band. 

    What do you think should be Denver’s word of the year? 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 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 December 19th episode:


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

    19 December 2025, 10:00 am
  • 42 minutes 58 seconds
    Denver’s Biggest Beefs of 2025 (and Who We Think Won)

    Denverites were going at each other this year, with some juicy fights on and off social media. From politics to restaurants to pop culture, host Bree Davies sits down with producer Paul Karolyi and resident Denver gossip Adrian Felix to hash out the biggest beefs of 2025, and decide who came out on top. 

    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 was this year’s “Biggest Beef”? 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 December 18th episode:

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

    18 December 2025, 10:00 am
  • 27 minutes 18 seconds
    Is Mayor Johnston Making Denver Streets Less Safe? Alameda, Bike Lanes, Waymo, and More

    Neighbors in West Wash Park have now gathered more than 1,000 signatures calling for Mayor Johnston to reverse the city’s plan for traffic calming on Alameda Ave. to the original, three-lane proposal. They argue that there’s no way the new four-lane plan is just as safe, as DOTI head Amy Ford has argued. But could that possibly be true? CU Denver civil engineering professor Wes Marshall has been watching the debate play out, and he’s on today to help cut through the noise — and answer the bigger question: Is Mayor Johnston making Denver streets less safe?

    Do you think Mayor Johnston is making Denver streets less safe? 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

    Wes Marshall is also the author of “Killed by a Traffic Engineer: Shattering the Delusion that Science Underlies our Transportation System.” Bree quoted a recent Denver Post op-ed by the co-chairs of the DOTI advisory board Aylene McCallum and Allen Cowgill: “The previous administration made great progress in achieving these visions [for a connected Denver], but today, under Mayor Johnston’s leadership, that progress has stalled and, in specific instances, has even been reversed.”

    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

    If you enjoyed this interview with Janessa White, the Director & General Manager of Simply Eloped, learn more here. 

    Learn more about the sponsors of this December 17th episode:


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

    17 December 2025, 10:00 am
  • 33 minutes 13 seconds
    ‘Cars Ruin Cities,’ Local Movie Theater Love, and Who Pays for Wildfire Safety?

    It’s been an unseasonably warm December, and that means the risk of wildfires is relatively high. So, producer Olivia Jewell Love and producer Paul Karolyi discuss how Xcel Energy is preparing for a possible pre-emptive power shutdown this week. Plus, we unravel the mystery of the street safety signs that were hacked last Friday to read “Cars Ruin Cities” and respond to listener questions about movie theaters, tipping, and South Park’s latest take on Denver.  

    Paul talked about the controversy around Xcel’s unannounced pre-emptive power shutdowns last year. 

    What do you think about all these hacked street signs? What would you put on one? 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 16th episode:

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

    16 December 2025, 10:00 am
  • 31 minutes 3 seconds
    Senate Candidate Julie Gonzales on Sexism in the Democratic Party, Working With Trump, and Being a Horse Girl

    Coloradans are increasingly disillusioned with traditional political institutions, including the Democratic Party, which polled at 68% unfavorable in a recent Magellan Strategies survey. So why did current State Senator Julie Gonzales, once a darling of the Democratic Socialists of America, decide to run for the U.S. Senate as a Democrat? Gonzales joins host Bree Davies to discuss her relationship with her party, where she sees opportunities to work with Trump, and how her approach would differ from her opponent, incumbent Sen. John Hickenlooper.

    We’ve invited Hickenlooper to come on the pod to discuss his campaign soon. What should we ask him about? 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

    Today is the last day to vote for the finalists of the Denver-est Denver Awards! Your vote will determine the winners of Best Artist, Best Small Business, Biggest Win, and more. And don’t forget to buy your ticket to the show on Dec. 18 and see the winners announced live on stage at The Oriental Theater. Vote here and get your tickets now!

    Help us hit the goal for our year-end membership drive! You’ll get more from City Cast Denver when you become a City Cast Denver Neighbor. Enjoy perks like ad-free listening, invitations to members only events and more. Join now at https://membership.citycast.fm 

    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 15th episode:

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

    15 December 2025, 10:00 am
  • 1 hour 3 minutes
    Insider Dems Dirty Dealings, RTD’s Disability Access Lawsuit, and the NWSL Stadium Subsidy Vote

    After the announcement of State Sen. Julie Gonzales’ bid to unseat U.S. Sen. John Hickenlooper, stories emerged alleging Democratic Party insiders tried to deter her from running. Comedian Joshua Emerson joins host Bree Davies and producer Paul Karolyi to dissect the details of Hick’s primary strategy, as well as Denver’s questionable new homeless service provider contracts, disability activists’ lawsuit against RTD, and more wins and fails of the week. 

    Help us hit the goal for our year-end membership drive! You’ll get more from City Cast Denver when you become a City Cast Denver Neighbor. Enjoy perks like ad-free listening, invitations to members only events and more. Join now at https://membership.citycast.fm 

    Vote for the finalists of the Denver-est Denver Awards! Your vote will determine the winners of Best Artist, Best Small Business, Biggest Win, and more. And don’t forget to buy your ticket to the show on Dec. 18 and see the winners announced live on stage at The Oriental Theater. Vote here and get your tickets now!

    Paul quoted this Denver Post reporting on RTD’s on-time performance, in which buses “lagged at 83%” as of July of 2025 (On-time performance for light rail recovered to 91% this year). Paul also discussed the Sports Castle and the Denver Summit FC stadium vote.  We mentioned Atlantis ADAPT’s lawsuit against RTD and multiple stories on Denver’s homeless shelter contracts from Denverite’s Kyle Harris. Bree talked about Westwood resident Norma Brambila. Joshua discussed a new Native community-focused housing and healthcare building.

    What do you think about the Hickenlooper vs. Gonzales race? 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 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 December 12th episode:

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

    12 December 2025, 10:00 am
  • 42 minutes 26 seconds
    A Very Mile High Holiday Gift Guide

    What gift do you get the Denverite who seems to have everything? Or your friend who suddenly became a minimalist and has, like, no material possessions? Fear not, the Mile High is filled with exciting and unique potential gifts — from newly released books from great local authors to quirky classes they can take! Host Bree Davies is joined by producer Olivia Jewell Love and content creator/political candidate Rayna Kingston to share recommendations for some of the best gifts you can find around Denver this holiday season. 

    Help us hit the goal for our year-end membership drive! You’ll get more from City Cast Denver when you become a City Cast Denver Neighbor. Enjoy perks like ad-free listening, invitations to members only events and more. Join now at https://membership.citycast.fm 

    Vote for the finalists of the Denver-est Denver Awards! Your vote will determine the winners of Best Artist, Best Small Business, Biggest Win, and more. And don’t forget to buy your ticket to the show on Dec. 18 and see the winners announced live on stage at The Oriental Theater. Vote here and get your tickets now!

    Where do you like to shop local for holiday gifts? 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

    Rayna mentioned these thrifting accounts for bundled gifts: @thriftgirlieclub and @cherrypickedthreads_. Olivia mentioned some of the neurodivergent friendly programming happening at the Autism Community Store. 

    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 11th episode:


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

    11 December 2025, 10:00 am
  • 35 minutes 49 seconds
    What Did Denver Eat This Year? Martinis, Ham Sandwiches, and Pickled Everything

    Creative takes on the classic martini, pickles on pizza, and … a hotly contested debate over the tipped minimum wage? It was an up and down year for Denverites looking for a good meal at a fair price. ⁠Westword food and drink editor Molly Martin⁠ returns to talk about all the hottest trends, most exciting new restaurants, biggest stories, and best bites of the year with host Bree Davies and producer Paul Karolyi. 

    Help us hit the goal for our year-end membership drive! You’ll get more from City Cast Denver when you become a City Cast Denver Neighbor.  Enjoy perks like ad-free listening, invitations to members only events and more. Join now at ⁠https://membership.citycast.fm⁠ 

    ⁠Vote for the finalists⁠ of the Denver-est Denver Awards! Your vote will determine the winners of Best Artist, Best Small Business, Biggest Win, and more. And don’t forget to ⁠buy your ticket⁠ to the show on Dec. 18 and see the winners announced live on stage at The Oriental Theater. ⁠Vote here⁠ and ⁠get your tickets⁠ now!

    What was your best bite of the year? 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

    Some of the great places we mentioned:

    Paul mentioned ⁠the saga of Clever Girl⁠ and the ⁠record low amount⁠ of American adults who say they drink alcohol. 

    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 10th episode:

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

    10 December 2025, 10:00 am
  • 37 minutes 7 seconds
    Hickenlooper’s New Challenger, RTD’s Rocky Road Ahead, and Secret Influence Over Alameda Ave.?

    State Sen. Julie Gonzales announced yesterday that she’s challenging John Hickenlooper for his seat in the U.S. Senate, setting the stage for a very Denver Democratic primary next June. So, host Bree Davies and producer Paul Karolyi are talking about how this race reflects the broader divide within the Democratic Party, from Gonzales and Hickenlooper’s respective policy achievements to their approaches to resisting President Trump. Plus, internal city documents reveal just how much influence a wealthy neighbor had over the change to DOTI’s traffic calming plans for Alameda Avenue, and we respond to listener feedback on our interview with RTD CEO Debra Johnson.

    Bree mentioned the potential redesign of the cloverleaf interchange at Federal Boulevard and Colfax Avenue.

    Help us hit the goal for our year-end membership drive! You’ll get more from City Cast Denver when you become a City Cast Denver Neighbor.  Enjoy perks like ad-free listening, invitations to members only events and more. Join now at https://membership.citycast.fm 

    Vote for the finalists of the Denver-est Denver Awards! Your vote will determine the winners of Best Artist, Best Small Business, Biggest Win, and more. And don’t forget to buy your ticket to the show on Dec. 18 and see the winners announced live on stage at The Oriental Theater. Vote here and get your tickets now!

    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 Gonzales vs. Hickenlooper? Who will you vote for? 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 December 9th episode:

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

    9 December 2025, 10:00 am
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