Today on Colorado Edition: how the coronavirus is impacting tourism in Colorado. We’ll also examine the decline in special immigrant visas over the last few years. We also learn about an American-based prison company that’s focusing on keeping people out of prisons. Finally, we speak to author Chip Colwell, who co-authored Objects of Survivance: A Material History of the American Indian School Experience.
How The Coronavirus Is Impacting Colorado Tourism
Over the course of the coronavirus outbreak, we’ve learned that several schools in the state, like the University of Colorado Boulder, will move to remote teaching for the rest of the semester. Events along the Front Range have been cancelled or in some cases postponed, like the Colorado Spelling Bee. This comes after Gov. Jared Polis declared a state of emergency on Tuesday.
All of this weighs heavily on the economy in our state. To further explore the impact, we spoke with Dan Mika of BizWest.
Why The Number Of Special Immigrant Visas Is Declining
Tens of thousands of Iraqis and Afghans did critical and life-threatening work for the United States during wartime. For those who did, the U.S. made a promise: because you risked your life and future, you can come to America to start a new life as a citizen. Yet the number of individuals getting into the U.S. has declined sharply since Donald Trump became president.
KUNC’s Michael de Yoanna has the story of a combat interpreter who considers himself lucky to have made it to Colorado.
Keeping People Out Of Prisons
KUNC’s Rae Ellen Bichell recently travelled to Australia, where an American based prison company has been motivated to do the opposite of what you might expect: keep people out of prison.
This story is a part of a series called Private Prison: Locking Down The Facts. Support for the series comes from The Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting.
'Objects Of Survivance', Interview With Author Chip Colwell
A unique collection at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science details the experiences of Jesse H. Bratley, whose job as a teacher was forcibly assimilating Native Americans through education. The archive of Bratley is the subject of a new book called Objects of Survivance: A Material History of the American Indian School Experience. We spoke with Colwell ahead of a lecture presentation on Thursday evening at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science.
Colorado Edition is made possible with support from our KUNC members. Thank you!
Our theme music was composed by Colorado musicians Briana Harris and Johnny Burroughs. Other music in the show by Blue Dot Sessions:
- “Heartland Flyer” by The Balloonist
- "Remsen" by Flatlands
Colorado Edition is hosted by Erin O'Toole (@ErinOtoole1) and Henry Zimmerman (@HWZimmerman), and produced by Lily Tyson. The web was edited by digital editor Jackie Hai. Managing editor Brian Larson contributed to this episode.
KUNC's Colorado Edition is a news magazine taking an in-depth look at the issues and culture of Northern Colorado. It's available on our website, as well as on iTunes, Google Play, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. You can hear the show on KUNC's air, Monday through Thursday at 6:30 p.m.