City Cast Denver
Join Host Bree Davies and the City Cast Denver crew every weekday morning as we celebrate, explore, and challenge an ever-changing Denver. It’s the daily news podcast for all Denverites — whether you’ve been here for six months or six generations. We’ll break down the news you need (and want) to know with journalists and culture makers; activists and artists; neighbors and ne’er-do-wells — and John Elway, if he ever returns our calls. Learn more and subscribe to our morning newsletter at citycast.fm/denver. *Named Westword's Best Podcast of 2021, 2023
Episodes
June 20, 2025 • 61 mins
City Cast hosts are on the pulse of what’s happening in our communities. So Bree Davies and all 12 other hosts sat down with City Cast CEO David Plotz to talk about creative local problem solving that might work in your hometown too and to commiserate about stressors affecting most of our cities, from unaffordable housing to bike lanes.
Learn more about the sponsors of this June 20th episode:
Xcel Energy
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June 18, 2025 • 24 mins
You know that busted old building down the street? Why does it feel like nothing’s being done about it? Turns out, there are 285 of these derelict or abandoned properties across Denver, and that number is on the rise! Westword’s Catie Cheshire has been reporting on the city’s abandoned buildings issue, and she’s on today with host Bree Davies to talk about some particularly wild stories and break down City Council’s new plan to fix...
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Hundreds of “No Kings” rallies took place across the state over the weekend, with an estimated 20,000 people converging on Civic Center Park for marches and a “People’s Fair” put on by a coalition of progressive organizations. Producer Paul Karolyi was there to witness it all, and he’s on today with host Bree Davies to talk about where all the anti-Trump, anti-ICE energy will go from here. Plus, our local billionaires are negotiati...
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June 16, 2025 • 31 mins
Anti-Trump protests have been escalating in Denver, especially as the president ratchets up his immigration crackdown. While no Waymos have been torched here in the Mile High, there is a still an open question about violence. Eighteen protesters were arrested last Tuesday after a confrontation with police, and one conservative talk show host was kicked. 710KNUS’s Jeff Hunt has been attending protests in Denver all year, and he caug...
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June 13, 2025 • 57 mins
Protestors took to the streets downtown on Tuesday in solidarity with demonstrations in LA over ICE raids, and more protests are planned across the metro over the weekend. But will protesters — and police — keep it peaceful? Then, Mayor Mike Johnston celebrated the “largest multi-year reduction in unsheltered homelessness in American history,” but the data leaves a lot of questions unanswered. Westword editor-in-chief Patty Calhoun...
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June 12, 2025 • 33 mins
A senior state employee filed a lawsuit last week alleging that Governor Jared Polis has violated state law by cooperating with a subpoena for information from ICE. Anti-ICE protesters have been marching in Denver’s streets all week and Polis was already in hot water with Democrats after he set his personal record for vetoing bills, so why would he do this now? David Seligman is a candidate for state attorney general and the execut...
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June 11, 2025 • 25 mins
Denverites are paying higher rates for water this year, in part, to fund construction on the expansion of Gross Reservoir in Boulder County. But longtime Denverites will be forgiven for asking: Didn’t dam-building in the West go the way of the dodo decades ago? Producer Paul Karolyi sits down with Denver Water’s new CEO/Manager Alan Salazar to talk about the legal battle his agency has been waging with environmentalists over the ex...
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June 10, 2025 • 29 mins
Has Governor Jared Polis gone too far in his push for housing density? After he signed an executive order conditioning state funds on local municipalities implementing his new zoning laws, six of Denver's suburbs filed a lawsuit to stop him. So today, we're taking a look at what's at stake in the battle for local control over housing policy. Producers Olivia Jewell Love and Paul Karolyi dig into a couple of YIMBY vs. NIMBY dust-ups...
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June 9, 2025 • 28 mins
Depending on who you ask, Denver is either a great place to live or a crime-ridden hellhole. So how does the Denver Police Department approach such a problem of perception versus reality? Denver Police Chief Ron Thomas has an answer. He sits down with host Bree Davies to discuss the ongoing battle of narratives around safety in the city, as well as the recent controversy around DPD’s use of Flock surveillance cameras and whether IC...
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MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell is in Denver this week for a defamation trial over his claim that a local election worker rigged the 2020 presidential election. His antics inside and outside the courtroom are getting lots of attention, and he’s calling it the “trial of the century.” But what’s really at stake? Then, will the Rockies continue their historic losing streak? Regardless of how much they suck, Coors Field is still drawing big ...
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June 5, 2025 • 29 mins
Can you really beat a simple bomb pop on a hot summer day? These days in Denver, you definitely can! The Mile High is chock full of chocolate, bursting with boba, and overflowing with all kinds of over-the-top ice cream confections. So now that summer temps are here, producer Olivia Jewell Love and our food contributor Helen Xu join host Bree Davies to swap recommendations of their favorite indulgent, nostalgic and just plain delic...
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June 4, 2025 • 24 mins
Business in Denver is not booming the way it used too. Sales and property taxes are way down, and Mayor Johnston recently announced that city staff can expect layoffs and furloughs as a result. So what’s the plan to open the city back up for business? Adeeb Khan is the executive director of Denver Economic Development and Opportunity, which means it’s his job to help Mayor Johnston figure it out. He joins host Bree Davies to discus...
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June 3, 2025 • 22 mins
On Sunday in Boulder, a man wielding what authorities are calling a “makeshift flamethrower” injured eight people who had gathered on the Pearl St. Mall to call for the release of Israeli hostages held by Hamas in Gaza. Producer Paul Karolyi and host Bree Davies discuss what is known about the situation — as of the afternoon of June 2, when this show was recorded — and talk about the state of the conversation around Israel and Gaza...
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June 2, 2025 • 20 mins
Palestinian solidarity protesters interrupted two congressional town halls in the metro area last week, calling attention to Rep. Jason Crow and Senator Michael Bennet’s support for Israel, but also the role of one of Denver’s largest and most mysterious companies: Palantir Technologies. So we’re revisiting a conversation producer Paul Karolyi had a few years ago with Bloomberg Businessweek reporter Max Chafkin about his reporting ...
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May 30, 2025 • 65 mins
After almost a year of slowdowns, RTD announced this week that every light rail line is finally back up to full speed. But will riders return to the trains? State Representative Alex Valdez joins producer Paul Karolyi and host Bree Davies to talk about the pandemonium in our streets, from RTD’s plateaued ridership to Gov. Jared Polis’s veto of the big Uber sexual assault bill. Plus, we discuss a fantastic Denverite article about De...
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May 29, 2025 • 31 mins
June is on its way and that means fun in the sun for the Mile High City! From a brand new bubble tea shop serving up whimsical refreshments to a hot springs with cool pools and new water slides, we’ve rounded up some of the best things to do, see, drink, eat, and explore in Denver and beyond.
If you're new here, welcome! We’ve put together a starter pack for you, with episodes and articles to welcome you to the City Cast Denver co...
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May 28, 2025 • 34 mins
Dropping the word “mall” from 16th Street wasn’t Mayor Mike Johnston’s only big announcement last week. He also revealed that flagging sales and property tax revenues alongside increasing costs have led to a $250 million budget deficit, and the city government is preparing for layoffs, furloughs, and other cuts. So Westword editor Patty Calhoun joins producer Paul Karolyi to connect the dots between the big push to revitalize downt...
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May 27, 2025 • 28 mins
Back in 2015, Denver voted to extend tourism taxes to pay for the expansion of the National Western Center in order to keep the Stock Show from leaving town. But earlier this month, City Council twice delayed a vote that would release $800 million of that money. They were listening to pushback from community members who say they want the National Western Center Authority to commit $16 million to help mitigate displacement and gentr...
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May 23, 2025 • 52 mins
After months of speculation, the open secret is now official: Denver’s 43-year experiment in calling our downtown pedestrian retail artery a “mall” is officially over. It’s just 16th Street now, according to Mayor Mike Johnston and the Downtown Denver Partnership. But will Denverites call it that? And will it help bring downtown back to life? Stand-up comedian and regular contributor Joshua Emerson joins host Bree Davies and produc...
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May 22, 2025 • 20 mins
Does Denver have too many parking spaces? Or too few? It’s a controversial topic guaranteed to start an argument, but in recent years the idea of reducing parking has become increasingly popular among transit activists and policy circles. Then earlier this week, a Denver City Council committee passed a bill that would eliminate something called “parking minimums.” So what the heck does that mean? And would it go far enough? Host Br...
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