Kunc's Colorado Edition

Picture this: It's a summer day. You’re on a ship on the Arctic Ocean. You scan the horizon... and you don’t see any sea ice on the surface of the water.  For much of our history, this would be a surreal scenario. The Earth’s northernmost region is typically covered in sea ice and snow year-round. But a University of Colorado researcher says that vision is going to become a reality. And the first ice-free day on the Arctic Ocean may be closer than we think.  Dr. Alexandra Jahn, associate professor in the department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences at CU Boulder, is part of an international research team that used climate models to predict when the first ice-free day in the Arctic might occur.  They found that day could happen within the next 20 years – and possibly in as few as three years.  “It will be a stark contrast, seeing this transition from this very white Arctic to now a blue Arctic,” Jahn said. “I think that will have a really big and stunning impact on people.” The team’s findings were recently

Forty years ago, a Denver radio talk show host named Alan Berg was assassinated. He was shot in his driveway by members of a militant, white supremacist group known as The Order. The group was active in the early 1980s, and one of their goals was to spark revolution against the American government. A new movie tells that story, and explores the FBI investigation into the group. The movie, called The Order, is based on a book by Kevin Flynn and Gary Gerhardt, who were both investigative journalists at the Rocky Mountain News at the time Alan Berg was killed.  Kevin Flynn, who now works as a Denver city councilman, joined Erin O’Toole to talk about the story, why the new film feels relevant today. Sign up for the In The NoCo newsletter: Visit KUNC.orgQuestions? Feedback? Story ideas? Email us: NOCO@KUNC.orgLike what you're hearing? Help more people discover In The NoCo by rating the show on your favorite podcast app. Thanks!Host and Producer: Erin O'TooleProducer: Ariel LaveryExecutive Producer: Brad TurnerThem

Columbus B. Hill was a pivotal figure in Colorado’s culinary history. He was a Black man originally from Missouri – and he was possibly the most popular barbecue chef in Denver in the late 1800s. His food was so good that it was served to thousands of people at official functions at the state Capitol.  But even among hardcore barbecue fans, very few people know his name. And his legacy wasn’t always well cared for. In 1923, Hill was buried in Denver’s Riverside Cemetery without a headstone.  Denver author and barbecue historian Adrian Miller has been on a mission to change that. He devoted an entire chapter to Columbus B. Hill in his book Black Smoke: African Americans and the United States of Barbecue. He championed Hill’s induction into the American Royal Barbecue Hall of Fame in 2023. And last September, he honored Hill with a memorial dedication at his burial site. Adrian Miller joined ITN’s Erin O’Toole a few days before that ceremony to share the story of the “best barbecue man in the West.”  We’re revi

Your social media use may affect your career prospects more than you think. If you’ve been job hunting recently, you know what to do on LinkedIn:. You keep things professional and probably not too controversial.  But a University of Colorado researcher says what you do on other platforms – like Facebook or X or BlueSky – might matter more than you think. Jason Thatcher has been studying how hiring managers use social media to make decisions about candidates. And he found 60 percent of hiring managers decide who to interview or who to hire, in part, by checking out applicants’ social media accounts.  So how do your Facebook rants about the recent election affect your chances of landing your dream job? What can you do to make your social media accounts more appealing to hiring managers? . And what are the red flags that hiring managers look for?  In the NoCo’s Brad Turner spoke with Thatcher about what he’s observed.  You can also check out Jason’s previous In The NoCo interview, on how to limit “technostress”

Every December, Santa Claus literally does the impossible: He delivers presents all over the world with a team of flying reindeer. So when someone becomes a stand-in for Santa at your local mall, or work party, those are big boots to fill.  But as it turns out, being Santa is a teachable skill. Susen Mesco founded Professional Santa Claus School in Denver in 1983. She says more than 5,000 Santas have attended over the years. And that means she has four decades of expertise in getting your local Santa acting and looking his best.  Susan got her start back in 1982 when her event planning business got an offer to train and manage some Santas at local malls. And she saw a lot of room for improvement. "I went around spying on my competitor, and what I actually found was everything not to do,” she said. “Mommies were miserable. Children were being forced at Santa. Santa was cranky and slouchy, and his beard was falling off. So I went to work writing kind of a manual.”  Host Erin O’Toole talked with Mesco about what

Thanksgiving is right around the corner. And many of us are dreading the moment when someone brings up politics at the dinner table.   Family members might want to debate how Harris performed as a candidate or the merits of who Trump picked for his cabinet. Or a hundred other post-election topics that might make you feel a little bit less than thankful to be with your family on Thursday.  Natalie Pennington, an assistant professor of communication studies at Colorado State University, studies the dynamics of friendship and relationships – and the challenges of maintaining connections across the political divide. She spoke with ITN’s Erin O’Toole to share some simple strategies to help you avoid Thanksgiving dinner drama. * * * * *Sign up for the In The NoCo newsletter: Visit KUNC.orgQuestions? Feedback? Story ideas? Email us: NOCO@KUNC.orgLike what you're hearing? Help more people discover In The NoCo by rating the show on your favorite podcast app. Thanks!Host and Producer: Erin O'TooleProducer: Ariel Lavery

One of the most unusual stories in recent memory about Colorado’s oil and gas industry popped up in the town of Erie. It was actually about what happens underneath Erie.   A company wanted to access some underground oil and gas located beneath the town. But Erie has more than 30,000 residents. So putting a fracking operation in the middle of neighborhoods and schools wasn’t going to be very popular.  Instead, the company, called Extraction Oil and Gas, proposed a plan to do what’s called horizontal drilling. They would set up their equipment on the outskirts of Erie – in unincorporated Weld County – which has fewer restrictions on drilling.  Then they would drill horizontally for as far as five miles to the west – to tap into the oil and gas beneath the town.  But some residents in the town pushed back, saying they don’t want to live on top of an oil and gas operation.  And now state regulators have had to get involved. KUNC’s Rae Solomon has been following this story. Solomon spoke with In the NoCo’s Brad Tu

In 2024, chatbots are part of ordinary life. They pop up on your screen while you’re checking your bank account or making an online purchase.  But a few years from now it may be just as easy to have a conversation with a chatbot who recreates a dead loved one.  That’s the idea behind a kind of technology called a generative ghost. Jed Brubaker is associate professor at the University of Colorado and one of the people leading the development of generative ghosts. Jed is part of a team that recently received $75,000 from Google to study how generative ghosts could become part of our lives.  In the NoCo’s Brad Turner spoke with Jed about what a visit with the generative ghost of a dead loved one would feel like. By the way, Jed also leads the Digital Legacy Clinic – a free clinic at CU to help people who want to get a deceased loved one’s digital affairs in order. Sign up for the In The NoCo newsletter: Visit KUNC.orgQuestions? Feedback? Story ideas? Email us: NOCO@KUNC.orgLike what you're hearing? Help more peo

It may not feel like it right now, but winter is coming. And before it arrives...  it’s time to think about extra care and nurturing for your trees. Because on Colorado’s Front Range, the coldest season can be especially tough on the trees in our yards. Damage can take many forms: Sun scald, dry roots, or cracks in the bark from extreme temperature swings.  Fortunately, there’s hope. The tree specialists at Colorado State University Extension say they get lots of calls about cold-weather care for your trees so they’re ready to shine when spring returns.  CSU horticulture specialist John Murgel spoke with ITN’s Erin O’Toole to share some helpful tips for helping your trees make it through the winter.   You can learn more about wrapping your trees here. And find helpful tips for winter watering and using mulch to help insulate your trees here. * * * * *Sign up for the In The NoCo newsletter: Visit KUNC.orgQuestions? Feedback? Story ideas? Email us: NOCO@KUNC.orgLike what you're hearing? Help more people discove

Millions of kids in the US will suffer a concussion during childhood, according to a recent study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Concussions are brain injuries that cause headaches and dizziness and nausea. And it can take weeks to fully recover.    In recent years doctors have changed the way they treat them. Instead of avoiding activity, doctors now recommend light physical activity while a child recovers from a concussion.  Julie Wilson is a pediatric sports medicine physician at the Sports Medicine Center, and co-director of the Concussion Program at Children’s Hospital Colorado. She says doctors and school nurses in Colorado have kept up with the new guidance   –  and the state Department of Education formally adopted those guidelines recently. But Wilson says some parents and caregivers haven’t gotten the message.  Host Erin O’Toole talked with Wilson about why she’s made it her mission to educate the public to think differently about kids and concussions. Sign up for the In The NoCo

If you’ve spent even a little time outdoors in Colorado, you’ve most likely heard the song of the mountain chickadee. These adorable, chubby little birds are commonly found in higher-elevation forests in the Rocky Mountains. And they have a close relative – the black-capped chickadee, which tends to live at lower elevations. But in areas like Boulder County, the habitats of these two types of chickadees overlap.  Historically, the two types of chickadees had identical birdsongs. Which could create a problem. When birds from these two distinct species want to find a mate, it’s important that they can identify a bird of their own kind, and avoid getting mixed up with their close cousins.  But researchers at the University of Colorado Boulder say the birds found a clever solution. The mountain chickadee has changed its tune so it’s not the same as the song of the black-capped chickadee.  And new findings from the CU study suggest that the changed birdsong is a small example of how human activity and urban develo

Of all the responses to the results of last week’s presidential election, one of the most unusual involves something called the 4B movement.   It calls for women to cut off or limit their contact with men. That includes dating, marriage, childbirth – and physical affections.   The 4B movement started a few years ago in South Korea, but gained attention on social media in the U.S. after Election Day. Some women equated president-elect Donald Trump's victory to a low point for women's rights — and said they’re cutting off relationships with men. But women withholding physical contact from men is not a new idea. It's the subject of the Greek comedy Lysistrata by the playwright Aristophanes, which was first staged more than 2,400 years ago. The female characters in the play withhold their affections to protest a war, and it ultimately leads to peace and harmony.  Lysistrata is being performed through Sunday at the Ed Beaty Hall Theater on the Aims Community College campus in Greeley. The show's director, Benjam

Researchers have proposed a plan to transform high rise office spaces into living spaces to reduce the housing shortage in the Denver metro area. Denver is one of many American cities with a tight housing market and a glut of unused office space. A recent study by the Pew Charitable Trusts and the architecture firm Gensler calls for converting high rise offices to shared residential spaces similar to a college dorm.  Tenants would share kitchens, bathrooms and workspaces with people in neighboring units. Alex Horowitz is the Project Director of Housing and Project Initiatives at Pew Charitable Trusts and he oversaw the study.  In the NoCo’s Brad Turner spoke with Horowitz about why he thinks these low- cost, dorm-style units in skyscrapers could help cities where attainable housing is hard to find and even dramatically reduce the rate of homelessness in the U.S. Sign up for the In The NoCo newsletter: Visit KUNC.orgQuestions? Feedback? Story ideas? Email us: NOCO@KUNC.orgLike what you're hearing? Help more pe

The Hayman Fire burned through a huge swath of forest southwest of Denver in 2002. It left behind a massive burn scar. Workers quickly replanted thousands of trees to reestablish the forest.  But more than two decades later, large areas of the Hayman burn scar still resemble a moonscape, with some scraggly young trees here and there.  Burn scars that take decades to heal are becoming a fact of life throughout the West. It’s partly due to climate change, which is shifting which types of trees will grow naturally in mountain forests.  Camille Stevens-Rumann – assistant director of the Colorado Forest Restoration Insitute at Colorado State University – studies reforestation efforts after a wildfire. In a recent Scripps News story, Stevens-Rumann argues it’s time for a new approach to how we replant forests after wildfires.  Host Erin O’Toole spoke with Stevens-Rumann about what she thinks Colorado’s forests should look like in the future and why trees that have historically thrived in Colorado’s mountains don’t

A $20 boiler maintenance fee. A $60 fee to drive your garbage to the dump. A $1 monthly pest maintenance fee.  And a $6 fee to add up those other fees. These are actual charges billed to renters by landlords in Denver, according to a recent article by the Denver Post. The fees are tacked onto a tenant’s monthly bill on top of their rent.   Critics call them junk fees – and say they usually aren’t clearly outlined in rent agreements or even mentioned to a renter before the first monthly bill arrives. Junk fees can sometimes add hundreds of dollars to what a tenant pays each month. But the Colorado Attorney General’s office has taken note, resulting in lawsuits against some landlords and management companies who charge these fees. So what effect will those lawsuits have for the renters who fall victim to this? In the NoCo’s Brad Turner spoke with Denver Post reporter Elizabeth Hernandez who’s been covering the issue. She’s spoken with dozens of renters who have horror stories about junk fees. If you believe you

The Patton Veterans Project is a traveling film workshop designed to give veterans who may be suffering from PTSD or depression a communal space to process their trauma.  Vets who participate learn a “narrative therapy” approach to dealing with emotional trauma. Over three days, the vets create a short film about their personal story.  The Patton Veterans Project was created by Benjamin Patton, grandson of the famous World War II General George S. Patton. Earlier this year, Patton and Mike Leeman, the program’s veteran coordinator and former participant, joined ITN's Erin O’Toole to talk about the program.  A selection of films created by participants will be screened from 6 to 9 p.m. Monday at the Lory Student Center on the Colorado State University campus in Fort Collins. Sign up for the In The NoCo newsletter: Visit KUNC.orgQuestions? Feedback? Story ideas? Email us: NOCO@KUNC.orgLike what you're hearing? Help more people discover In The NoCo by rating the show on your favorite podcast app. Thanks!Host and

Tired of hearing about the election? And thinking about the election? We get it.  But before we move on, let’s walk through a few notable decisions that Colorado voters considered this week. Like whether we should ban the hunting of mountain lions and other big cats. And whether sales of guns and ammunition should help pay for mental health services. And a measure that would have transformed how Coloradans vote for candidates. ITN’s Erin O’Toole spoke with Lucas Brady Woods, KUNC’s politics and elections reporter, to analyze what passed, what failed, and how Colorado voted this election. Just a reminder that ballots in some contests are still being tabulated. KUNC will continue to provide updates as more election results are announced.   * * * * *Sign up for the In The NoCo newsletter: Visit KUNC.orgQuestions? Feedback? Story ideas? Email us: NOCO@KUNC.orgLike what you're hearing? Help more people discover In The NoCo by rating the show on your favorite podcast app. Thanks!Host and Producer: Erin O'TooleProdu

All eyes were on the Presidential election Tuesday night: Donald Trump vs. Kamala Harris. But there were plenty of important Colorado issues on the ballot, too. Like what the state constitution says about same sex marriage, who should review judges in ethics cases and whether the right to an abortion should be protected. KUNC’s politics and elections reporter Lucas Brady Woods spoke with ITN’s Erin O’Toole to discuss some of the most noteworthy issues decided by Colorado voters. Votes in some ballot measures and races – including the 8th Congressional District race between Democrat Yadira Caraveo and Republican Gabe Evans – were still being tallied late Tuesday when we recorded this episode. It may be a few days before we know the outcomes in some contests. KUNC will continue to provide updates as more results are announced. * * * * *Sign up for the In The NoCo newsletter: Visit KUNC.orgQuestions? Feedback? Story ideas? Email us: NOCO@KUNC.orgLike what you're hearing? Help more people discover In The NoCo by

It's Election Day in Colorado. And along with who wins or loses, something that a lot of people are thinking about today is election security.  After all, elections are complicated: Millions of Colorado voters will fill out and turn in their ballots. And county election officials will gather and tally them – quickly.   On top of that, some recent headlines have called Colorado’s election systems into question. Mesa County officials reported recently that someone stole 12 mail ballots and returned them. And news broke last week that the Colorado Secretary of State’s office accidentally posted some security passwords on their website. State officials say they’ve fixed that problem, and election systems around the state have not been compromised.   Even so, we wanted to look at the steps that make sure your ballot is collected and counted securely. Two county clerks – people whose job is to keep ballots secure – walked us through some of Colorado’s election safeguards.  ITN’s Erin O’Toole spoke with Molly Fitzpa

If you visit the Rocky Flats National Wildlife Refuge northwest of Denver, you see different types of wildlife, miles of hiking and biking trails and acres of rolling prairie.  But you don’t see any trace of the astonishing history of what happened there during the Cold War: The Rocky Flats plant made plutonium triggers for nuclear weapons until it was shuttered in the early 1990s.  The buildings used in processing the plutonium were destroyed and the area was cleaned up under a Superfund site designation. And after a series of sometimes contentious public hearings, the wildlife refuge opened to the public in September 2018. Filmmaker Jeff Gipe explores that history in a new documentary, Half-Life of Memory: America’s Forgotten Atomic Bomb Factory. Gipe grew up in nearby Arvada. His father worked at the plant in the 1980s.  Gipe says he made the film to remind people of the hazards buried beneath the wide-open spaces of the wildlife refuge, and to share the voices of workers whose lives were affected by the d