City Cast Denver

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

Not Everybody Hates Gov. Polis’ Big Bridge Idea

June 30, 2025 • 31 mins
When 9News’ Kyle Clark was on the podcast last week talking about Governor Jared Polis’ new proposal to build an elevated pedestrian walkway outside the Capitol, he said that the most telling weakness of the proposal was the fact that no one was making a good argument for it. So we found two people who are really excited about the project to make the case. Host Bree Davies sits down with local AAA spokesperson and Capitol insider S...
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A Precarious Pride Weekend, DougCo’s ‘Home Rule’ Flop, and the Federal Theatre’s Rebirth

June 27, 2025 • 55 mins
The latest battle in Colorado’s age-old power struggle between the state government and local municipalities played out in Douglas County this week, with surprising results! A vast majority of residents opposed the conservative county commissioners’ bid for “home rule” authority, but what does that vote mean for the rest of the Denver metro area? Former DougCo politics reporter McKenna Harford joins host Bree Davies and one of our ...
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Is Governor Polis’ New Bridge Project Really That Ugly?

June 26, 2025 • 20 mins
Governor Polis wants to build a bridge — a long winding walkway that will stretch from the steps of the State Capitol, over four lanes of traffic on Lincoln Street, and all the way to Lincoln Veterans Memorial Park. And he wants it built before Colorado’s 150th birthday next summer. But how much will it cost? Who will pay for it? Will it match the classic architecture and City Beautiful Movement-era park design? And does anyone els...
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Will Littleton's Future "Protect Single Family Residential Zoning"?

June 25, 2025 • 28 mins
A local activist group, Rooted in Littleton, recently conducted a survey of more than 1,000 Littleton voters about housing density — and found that 49% of those polled think the city is in a housing shortage. But that same survey found that more than half of respondents oppose increasing housing density. Kyle Schlachter, the mayor of Littleton, took the survey himself, and has a lot of thoughts about preserving the charm of Littlet...
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Denver’s Got a New Music Venue! Plus, Trump’s Portrait Replacement and a Flock Camera Fail

June 24, 2025 • 25 mins
The Federal Theatre joins Denver’s list of vintage movie palaces turned music venue after the folks behind The Oriental Theater recently announced they were taking over the space. Could this be a new catalyst for more business along this Northside strip? Then, after President Trump complained that his portrait at the state capitol was “truly the worst”, it was removed — but legislators and History Colorado are trying to decide if t...
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Our Famous 1-Star Review Game: Summer Fun Edition

June 23, 2025 • 26 mins
A local law firm recently sued Google to have a nasty one-star review removed from their profile, according to BusinessDen. It sounds like a pretty terrible situation, but it reminded us just how powerful the humble user review can be! So today we’re going inside the minds of the people leaving negative reviews for local faves with another round of our famous one-star review game. Quizmaster slash producer Paul Karolyi puts returni...
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Here's What 13 US Cities Are Talking About This Summer | A City Cast Denver Special

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 Babbel - Get up to 60% o...
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Why Does Denver Have So Many Abandoned Buildings?

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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Where Will Denver’s ‘No Kings’ Energy Go? Plus, Billionaires Being Billionaires and a YIMBY Littleton Clapback

June 17, 2025 • 33 mins
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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A Conservative Radio Host Was Assaulted at an Anti-Trump Protest. Here’s What He Has To Say.

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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Mostly Peaceful ICE Protests, Debatable Homeless Data, and the Broncos’ Secret Land Deals

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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Why Is Governor Polis Sharing Information With ICE?

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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Why Denver Water Is Fighting Environmentalists To Expand a 70-Year-Old Dam

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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What Denver Can Learn From Housing Fights in Littleton and Lakewood

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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Police Chief Ron Thomas on Flock Surveillance, Safety Downtown, and a Surge in Graffiti

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 Guy's 'Trial of the Century,' Political Violence in Boulder, and Should Denver Boycott the Rockies?

June 6, 2025 • 65 mins
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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Where To Find Denver’s Coolest Cool Treats

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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With Layoffs Looming, Can Denver Bring Business Back?

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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What We Know About the Boulder Attack

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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Meet the Local Tech Company Making Millions From ICE and Israel

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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