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KUNC’s Colorado Edition: Don’t Go Hating My Heart

Evan Semon
/
Courtesy of Denver Pride

On this week's Colorado Edition, a look at how the "hate state" was transformed into a leader in equal rights. Plus, a look at what happens to a rural community when the young people move away, a program that teaches athlete-level physical conditioning for musicians, and a review of the new movie The Fall of the American Empire.

An effort to recall a Colorado Democratic lawmaker over his support for gun control has come to an end. Tom Sullivan voted for an extreme risk protection order bill - or a so-called "red flag" bill - during the legislative session. The governor has signed it into law. KUNC's state capitol reporter Scott Franz and Guns & America reporter Leigh Paterson break down what happened.

One of the country's largest pride parades will wind through the streets of Denver this weekend, and the grand marshal is the first openly gay governor in U.S. history. As Matt Bloom reports, it's seen as symbol of hard-won acceptance for LGBTQ residents in what used to be known as the "hate state."

Colorado is growing, no surprise there. The population is swelling in Front Range communities like Denver, Fort Collins and Greeley. But rural parts of the state are affected by growth differently - they're losing people. Esther Honig traveled to a town in the most northeastern corner of the statewhere it's happening.

For college athletes, there's a lot of focus on keeping physically fit and recovering from injuries. At the University of Colorado Boulder, there's a similar program for musicians. Arts reporter Stacy Nick checked it out.

"The Fall of the American Empire" tells a story about a dopey man and a prostitute. For KUNC film critic Howie Movshovitz, who teaches film and television at CU-Denver, the genius of the film is that both of them matter.

In the headlines:

  • Gov. Jared Polis has issued an executive order designed to address Colorado's poor vaccination rates for kindergarten students and other children.
  • School administrators are exploring the possibility of tearing down and rebuilding Columbine High School. The talks are prompted by a recent increase in unauthorized people coming to the school.

Colorado Edition is made possible with support from our KUNC members. Thank you!

Our intro music is "Remember Me" by Colorado musician Kalatana. The midshow break is "Bling Bong" by Robbie Reverb. Other music this week by Blue Dot Sessions:

  • "Lamplist"
  • "ZigZag Heart"
  • "Holo"
  • "On Three Legs"

This episode was hosted and produced by Erin O'Toole and managing editor Brian Larson. Digital manager Ashley Jefcoat handled the web. News director Catherine Welch contributed to this episode.

KUNC's Colorado Edition is a weekly look at the top stories from our newsroom. It's available every Friday on our website, as well as on iTunes, Google Play, Stitcher or wherever (RSS) you get your podcasts. You can hear it on the air every Sunday at 9 p.m. on KUNC.

Stories written by KUNC newsroom staff.