It’s Friday, and we’re rounding up the biggest stories of the week. First, after winning re-election in a landslide last week, State Senator Chris Hansen just announced that he’s is leaving his seat for a big payday in the private sector. But questions are swirling: Why such bad timing? And are the Dems making backroom deals to replace him? Then, mega-millionaire Kent Thiry’s ranked choice voting ballot measure went down in flames, but his work tweaking Colorado’s elections process may be far from over. Producer Paul Karolyi and host Bree Davies are joined by Denverite’s new editor Andy Kenney to talk vacancy committee shenanigans, money in elections, a reality TV contractor’s allegedly shoddy work, your bridge security DIA hack, and more wins and fails of the week. 

Andy talked about his profile of Kent Thiry for CPR and Wax Trax opening a new location at Stanley Marketplace. Paul talked about Wyatt’s Towing, this hilarious piece about HGTV’s “Rico to the Rescue,” and Ridley Scott and Paul Mescal adapting a local author’s book. Bree discussed an upcoming resource list we’re going to be publishing in our newsletter. Subscribe now at denver.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

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Just 18 months after an emotional board debate ended with three schools closing, DPS superintendent Alex Marrero has proposed the closure or consolidation of ten more schools in the district. The news came just after election day, leaving the community with less than two weeks to share their thoughts ahead of a school board vote on November 21. But beyond declining enrollment and funding issues, what else is DPS weighing this time? And what’s different about their approach? Former education policy advisor, DPS parent, and Boardhawk columnist Alexis Menocal Harrigan joins host Bree Davies to explain why you should care about your neighborhood school closing, even if you aren’t a parent.

You can read Alexis Menocal Harrigan’s monthly column about DPS and education in Denver at Boardhawk. Check out the DPS board’s calendar for more information on community meetings about school closures and an upcoming public comment session.

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Learn more about the sponsors of this November 14th episode:

• Arvada Center
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Between the presidential elections of 2020 and 2024, every single state in the country shifted to the right… except Colorado. While Democrats lost close congressional races in CO’s Congressional District 3 and District 8, the Democratic Party here made significant gains across the state. So what are the local Democrats doing right that the national party could learn from? Colorado Democratic Party chair Shad Murib returns to the show with host Bree Davies to talk about the strategic choices he made over the past few years and what he thinks the Harris/Walz campaign did wrong. 

What do you think about the Democrats’ success in Colorado? We want to hear from you! Text us 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 November 13th episode:

• Arvada Center
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It’s Tuesday, and we’re looking at the biggest stories of the week ahead. First, Mayor Johnston’s big proposal of a sales tax for affordable housing failed in last week’s election, so what will Mayor Mike tackle next? Another strategy to fund affordable housing or something else entirely? Then, changes to the Mile High’s trash collection service are on the horizon — will less recycling and more composting have better outcomes for the environment? Host Bree Davies and producer Paul Karolyi do some post-election analysis, dig into the hot trash debate, and talk about one listener’s comments about the physical side effects of being a decade into cannabis legalization.

We discussed the post-mortem for 2R that Kyle Harris reported for Denverite.

What do you think Mayor Mike should focus on next? 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 November 12th episode:

• Arvada Center
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Whether you’re looking for a great cheap eat or a splurge night out, there’s never been a better time to eat well in Denver. New bars and restaurants are opening all the time! Every month, our newsletter editor Peyton Garcia rounds up all the new spots that opened (and all the ones that closed), so today we’re trying something new on the podcast. Peyton joins host Bree Davies and producer Paul Karolyi to talk about the most exciting openings and the most lamentable closings, plus all the other food news, trends, and gossip that hungry Denverites need to know.

What’s your favorite donut in Denver right now? We need to know! Text or leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear it on the show: 720-500-5418‬

Bree mentioned her conversation with Chereka and Fathima Dickerson about their family’s Welton St. Cafe and Peyton’s interview with Michelin Star-winning chef Johnny Curiel. Peyton mentioned DJ Bear Grillz’s interview with Westword. Paul talked about Bo Porytko’s great quotes and alluded to our ongoing conversation about restaurants closing and the tipped minimum wage.

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Learn more about the sponsors of this November 11th episode:

• Arvada Center
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It’s Friday, and we’re rounding up the news of the week — which was all about the election. With a second Trump term on the horizon, what will it mean for Colorado? Will he make good on his mass deportation plans, dubbed ‘Operation Aurora’? Host Bree Davies is joined by producer Paul Karolyi and Colorado State Senator and Democratic Majority Whip Julie Gonzales to hash out the Trump effect, plus discuss the rebirth of Welton Street Cafe, a contradictory weed-related election outcome in Colorado Springs, and more wins and fails of the week. 

Paul talked about the new cannabis venture from the founders of Green Dragon dispensary. Bree mentioned the unionization attempts and the recent call for a boycott of the Mercury Café. Julie discussed the impending release of the list of schools up for closure around DPS.

What do you think Denver can expect from another Trump administration? 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 November 8th episode:

• Denver Botanic Gardens
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If the election showed us anything, it’s that the U.S. is changing — issues like migration, the climate, declining birth rates, and housing costs are shaping how people vote and where they choose to live. Here in Colorado, our population is growing at its slowest recorded pace. So what does it all mean for Denver? Earlier this year, host Bree Davies and producer Paul Karolyi sat down with Colorado state demographer Elizabeth Garner to discuss the end of Denver’s booming population growth and how recent local demographic changes are affecting housing affordability, the labor force, and the city’s future.

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Learn more about the sponsors of this November 7th episode:

• Denver Botanic Gardens
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The United States of America will have a new president. Here in Denver, we obviously voted for Harris, but it was Trump who declared victory as swing state after swing state was called in his favor Tuesday evening. But what about the big local and state races that will affect the lives of Denverites every single day? What does this election say about us? Host Bree Davies and producer Paul Karolyi are breaking down all the results we know so far, from the split decision on sales taxes to the surprise rejection of open primaries/ranked choice voting.

We’ll be talking more about the results as more votes come in, so we want to hear from you! What do you think about the Mayor’s big sales tax proposal going down? Or Colorado voters deciding to codify the right to an abortion in the state’s constitution? 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 November 6th episode:

• Denver Botanic Gardens
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It’s Election Day! We’re talking about the biggest stories of the week — Governor Jared Polis says everything has been fixed after the secretary of state’s election security breach, but we still have questions as Coloradans steel themselves to watch the results roll in tonight. Then, Five Points business owners say the light rail on Welton Street has been a business killer for decades, and they want it gone. Meanwhile on the Northside, cyclists took to the streets over a drastically diminished plan for a new bike lane. Host Bree Davies and producer Paul Karolyi are joined by Westword editor Patty Calhoun to talk elections security and unpopular transit decisions, plus hear from listeners about voting for Trump in deep blue Denver. 

For more on the Libertarian Party's legal case against the secretary of state's office over the elections security breach, CPR is covering the proceedings.

Paul mentioned his reporting on the Trump rally in Aurora and alluded to local billionaire Robert Smith’s involvement with Spangalang Brewery. We also talked about last week’s episode with the rapping realtors’ viral moment, plus Kyle Clark’s Next segment about that cringeworthy video. Patty talked about Jena Griswold’s press conference about 11 ballots in Mesa County. 

What do you think about the light rail line on Welton St.? Should it be removed? Or fixed? 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 November 5th episode:

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Why don’t more young people vote? There are a million reasons why the youth demographic isn’t always represented in our politics, but it doesn’t have to be that way. If more young people got out to vote, they could make a real change. So the fight is on! New Era Colorado’s organizing director Arianna Morales joins producer Paul Karolyi to talk about her work getting young people to vote and shy it matters. 

Learn everything you need to know about voting in this November’s election at neweracolorado.org.

Do you know a young person voting for the first time? Tell them to call in and tell us what they care about! 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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When it comes to immigration, former president Trump has drawn national attention to Aurora with his exaggerated claims that a Venezuelan gang has “taken over.” Locally, Mayor Johnston has focused on welcoming newcomers to Denver, redirecting public money into emergency support and opportunities for these people to build new lives. But lost somewhere in the middle is a skyrocketing backlog of asylum seekers, waiting around in a Mile High limbo to see a judge who will decide their fate. Colorado Sun reporter Jennifer Brown spent weeks inside the immigration court and at the ICE detention facility in Aurora to understand why the wait times are getting longer, meet some of our new neighbors, and figure out who has the power to help. 

We strongly recommend Jennifer Brown and Ernesto Cabral’s three-part series on the skyrocketing backlog of asylum cases in Denver’s immigration courts (Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3) in the Colorado Sun.

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What do you think about the backlog of asylum seekers in Denver? 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 November 4th episode:

• Denver Botanic Gardens
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