Colorado’s broken child care system; Air National Guard members in limbo; remembering a chile-growing legend

Polis vetoes video game and social media bills; measuring psychedelic-assisted therapy; accelerated medical school

Find out which new bills have been rejected by Gov. Jared Polis. His vetoes include a bill supported by Evergreen families after the shooting at their school. Then, a company in Denver is getting millions in federal funding to track what psychedelics do to your biometrics. Plus, we look at an effort to get doctors through medical school and into practice faster. Email us at coloradotoday@cpr.org [coloradotoday@cpr.org]. Colorado Today is supported by CPR’s members [https://donate.cpr.org/give]. Read more on the stories in today’s show: * CPR’s Bente Birkeland and Ava Kian on Gov. Polis’s first vetoes from the 2026 session. [https://www.cpr.org/2026/05/29/gov-polis-vetoes-first-bills-of-the-colorado-session/] * CPR’s John Daley on CU Anschutz’s accelerated med school program [https://www.cpr.org/2026/05/28/accelerated-program-colorado-medical-students-3-years/] This episode of Colorado Today is hosted by Arlo Pérez Esquivel and Bazi Kanani. It’s edited and produced by Mateo Schimpf, Madilyn Rose, Stephanie Wolf, Megan Verlee and Tyler Bender. The executive producer is Megan Verlee. Theme music by Pedro Lumbraño.

Denver homicides up; meatpackers locked out in Fort Morgan; a Colorado rover on the moon?

Homicides are way up in Denver this year so far, compared to last year, and that has community members asking whether the city is doing enough to prevent youth violence in particular. Then, the Cargill meatpacking plant in Fort Morgan is sitting idle, while workers picket outside. Plus, NASA has picked a Colorado-built rover as part of its future lunar base. Email us at coloradotoday@cpr.org [coloradotoday@cpr.org]. Colorado Today is supported by CPR’s members [https://donate.cpr.org/give]. Read more on the stories in today’s show: * Check out CPR’s primary election voter guide [https://www.cpr.org/2026/05/29/vg-2026-colorado-primary-election-voter-guide/] * Denverite’s Kyle Harris on the shooting inside the Montbello Rec Center [https://denverite.com/2026/05/26/montbello-rec-center-closed-indefinitely-after-a-shocking-youth-killing/] * Colorado Sun’s Tracy Ross on the situation at the Cargill meatpacking plant [https://coloradosun.com/2026/05/27/cargills-lockout-of-workers-sends-ripples-through-supply-chain/] * CPR’s Dan Boyce got a ride in Lunar Outpost’s earlier rover prototype [https://www.cpr.org/2025/08/24/lunar-outpost-new-terrain-vehicle-prototype-testing-colorado/] This episode of Colorado Today is hosted by Arlo Pérez Esquivel and Madilyn Rose. It’s edited and produced by Mateo Schimpf, Madilyn Rose, Megan Verlee and Tyler Bender. The executive producer is Megan Verlee. Theme music by Pedro Lumbraño.

Vice President in CO; ethics concerns at Cherry Creek Schools; seed money for future farmers

From a visiting V.P. to aquatic accusations, we hit some of the top stories from around the state. Then, former leaders of the Cherry Creek School District are accused of some ethically dubious conduct, in a situation that reveals the limits of school district oversight. And, young aspiring farmers and ranchers get the chance to learn some tough financial and physical lessons through a new government loan program. Email us at coloradotoday@cpr.org [coloradotoday@cpr.org]. Colorado Today is supported by CPR’s members [https://donate.cpr.org/give]. Read more on the stories in today’s show: * Denverite’s guide to Fan Expo 2026 [https://denverite.com/2026/05/27/2026-fan-expo-denver-cosplay-convention/]. * Report Denver watering violations here [https://survey123.arcgis.com/share/d2df442fe20349ccbbbc4f363c8ae9c5] * The Denver Post’s Jessica Seaman on the ethical concerns at Cherry Creek Schools [https://www.denverpost.com/author/jessica-seaman/] * CPR’s Haylee May on the USDA loans for young farmers [https://www.cpr.org/2026/05/27/usda-youth-loans/] This episode of Colorado Today is hosted by Madilyn Rose and Mateo Schimpf. It’s edited and produced by Mateo Schimpf, Madilyn Rose, Megan Verlee and Tyler Bender. The executive producer is Megan Verlee. Theme music by Pedro Lumbraño.

An alternative to the DIA trains; using wastewater to heat and cool buildings; Denver’s (goose) poopy parks

Denver International Airport’s infamously dysfunctional baggage tunnels will finally see use under a new proposal. The airport plans to use them to create walkable connections between the various terminals, offering an alternative when the trains go down. Then, the city of Denver has an ambitious plan for a more climate-friendly approach to heating and cooling downtown buildings — and it hinges on wastewater. Plus, Denver’s parks are full of geese, and their poop. We look at how the city tries to manage both. Email us at coloradotoday@cpr.org [coloradotoday@cpr.org]. Colorado Today is supported by CPR’s members [https://donate.cpr.org/give]. Read more on the stories in today’s show: * Denver Zoo and Conservation Alliance remembers Rudy, the black rhino [https://denverzoo.org/zootales/remembering-rudy/] * Denverite’s Andrew Kenney on DIA’s plan to connect the terminals with tunnels [https://denverite.com/2026/05/26/denver-airport-walkways-tunnels-train/] * CPR’s Ishan Thakore on Denver’s plans to use sewage for energy [https://www.cpr.org/2026/05/20/denver-using-sewage-for-energy/] * CPR’s Haylee May on how Denver deals with goose poop [https://www.cpr.org/2026/05/19/goose-poop-denver-parks/]

The good and the bad in new homelessness numbers; municipal drama in Mountain View; a Tiny Desk finalist from Colorado

The number of people experiencing homelessness last year held steady, but digging into the numbers reveals a potentially concerning trend, when it comes to youth living on the streets. Then, on Denver’s western border, officials in the tiny town of Mountain View have been filing complaints against each other at a furious clip. And we meet Lauren Frihauf, a Colorado musician who caught the judges’ ears during NPR’s annual Tiny Desk contest. Email us at coloradotoday@cpr.org [coloradotoday@cpr.org]. Colorado Today is supported by CPR’s members [https://donate.cpr.org/give]. Read more on the stories in today’s show: * Information about Documents That Forged A Nation at History Colorado [https://www.historycolorado.org/exhibit/freedom-plane]. * Denverite’s Kyle Harris on what new numbers tell us about homelessness in Colorado [https://denverite.com/2026/05/19/colorado-homelessness-2025-statistics/]. * Denverite’s Kiara DeMare on political conflicts in the town of Mountain View [https://denverite.com/2026/05/22/mountain-view-denver-politics/]. * 2026 Tiny Desk Finalist Lauren Frihauf [https://www.laurenfrihauf.com/]. This episode of Colorado Today is hosted by Arlo Pérez Esquivel. It’s edited and produced by Mateo Schimpf, Madilyn Rose, Stephanie Wolf, Megan Verlee and Tyler Bender. The executive producer is Megan Verlee. Theme music by Pedro Lumbraño.