KUNC's Colorado Edition

The future doesn’t have to feel bleak, and the next generation may be the best suited to remind us. Around the world, kids are seeing the future as an opportunity to apply their creativity. One of those kids is Gitanjali Rao who lives in Lone Tree, Colorado and won TIME magazine’s first-ever Kid of the Year award.

Most people know the story of Jackie Robinson, who integrated Major League Baseball in 1947 and paved the way for future athletes of color to finally achieve the status and recognition they deserved. But who paved the way for Jackie Robinson? According to Bob Kendrick, president of the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum, a chunk of that credit goes to a historic, yet largely unknown event in Denver, later dubbed "The Little World Series of the West."

On Dec. 29, Colorado became the first state in the U.S. to announce the discovery of a variant case of coronavirus. Since then, public health officials have confirmed a total of 53 variant cases of coronavirus. Dr. Rachel Herlihy, Colorado's state epidemiologist, spoke with KUNC’s Henry Zimmerman about why variants are spreading and how they differ from the primary coronavirus strain.

On Jan. 29, the Colorado Rockies agreed to hand over star player Nolan Arenado, and $50 million, to the St. Louis Cardinals. Colorado Edition producer Alana Schreiber talked to Denver Post sports columnist Mark Kiszla to better understand how the loss of Arenado comes at the end of a long line of poor and petty trade decisions in the 30-year history of the Rockies franchise.

Last August, KUNC aired a story about SafeLot, a new program in Longmont that provides safe parking for people who live in their cars. Now that program is expanding. Colorado Edition co-host Henry Zimmerman spoke to KUNC’s Stephanie Daniel, who reported the original story, to learn more about the expansion.

With the whirlwind that 2020 has been, more people than ever are going to national parks as a way to social distance and reconnect with nature. That can mean a lot of additional stress to those resources, including one that most people probably don’t think about.

As the spike in COVID-19 cases continues and businesses close, people are finding themselves out of work again. To survive, many are turning to the state's unemployment system for support. It’s a complex, messy system, not built for these unprecedented times and the unprecedented surge in demand. Tamara Chuang of the Colorado Sun tries to help readers navigate these hurdles each week through her “What's Working” column. She spoke with KUNC’s Colorado Edition about what's going on with the State Extended Benefits program.

Some public officials are pushing back against state restrictions, arguing that COVID-19 is not the only health concern facing their communities. Among them is Steve Johnson, a Larimer County commissioner.

Between the pandemic, wildfires and a record-breaking drought, it's been a long and difficult year for many of Colorado's farmers and ranchers. Colorado Commissioner of Agriculture Kate Greenberg spoke with KUNC's Erin O'Toole about how the state is working to help support Colorado’s producers through the pandemic and beyond.

Over the Thanksgiving holiday, a piece of art appeared dangling from a traffic light near the Colorado state Capitol. The wire sculpture was a tribute to Elijah McClain, who died several days after an incident with police and medics in Aurora last year.