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KUNC's Colorado Edition: I See Fire, But Not Rain

Courtesy of La Plata County
The 416 Fire in southwest Colorado continued to spread this week.

On this week's Colorado Edition, we check back in with the fire meteorologist and get a look at some of the science behind why this year's fire season is going to be a busy one. We also make the connection between fossils and fossil fuels.

First, Rae Ellen Bichell talked with Makoto Moore, a fire metorolgist, at the beginning of the summer. She checked back in with him as he heads to the Ute Park fire in New Mexico.

Then we talk primary elections, which are coming up at the end of the month -- June 26. We have a big tip for the unaffiliated voters out there: You do get to vote in this year's primaries, but only in one.

Bente Birkeland checked out the Democratic debate hosted by Colorado Public Television, where the four gubernatorial candidates discussed everything from transportation and education to how to fix the state's budget. We'll have highlights from the GOP debate next week — along with a special pre-primary episode of the podcast.

We then go to Longmont, where the city council recently entered into a $3 million deal to permanently stop surface drilling within city limits. The town's mayor is calling the move a victory over the oil and gas industry, but as Matt Bloom reports, just because it's out of sight, doesn't mean isn't still happening.

Part of what makes Colorado a rich resource for the oil and gas industry also appeals to paleontologists: fossils. As Rae Ellen Bichell reports, a lot of fossils from our region are going to private collections instead of scientists, which has some paleontologists worried.

We have another story from the StoryCorps Mobile Booth stop in Fort Collins, this time featuring Rachael Dhakal and Andrew Milbauer, high school teachers in Fort Collins. They talked about embracing their differences and negotiating their identities and careers in an environment where they're the minority.

Then we hear from water reporter Luke Runyon about a new study that says the effects of climate change are already being felt at the headwaters of the West's most important river system: The Colorado River.

Also, Denver Comic Con is right around the corner, so we revisit a story from Stacy Nick about someone who doesn't wear a cape, but is great at fixing them. Alex Freese, cosplay medic, is a hero to the heroes. (And yes, she'll be at the convention this year, which starts June 15.)

From KUNC film critic Howie Movshovitz, who teaches film and television at CU Denver, we hear about the new documentary Filmworker. If you're a fan of Stanley Kubrick, he says this is one to check out.

Finally, we get an update on Colorado's potential Olympics bid. Gov. John Hickenlooper and Denver Mayor Michael Hancock are both on board, but not everyone is as enthusiastic about the idea, as Michael de Yoanna reports.

Our intro music is "Remember Me" by Colorado musician Kalatana. Our outro is "Good Grief" by Ryan Little. Other music this week:

  • "Soul Burned Away" by Robert Abraham
  • "Strange Dog Walk" by Blue Dot Sessions
  • "Long Way Home" by Spinning Ratio

StoryCorps is sponsored locally by Kaiser Permanente.

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.