In The NOCO

Recent storms have given the Front Range relief after an unusually hot and dry start to the season.  Lawns look a little greener – and Denver Water, one of the state's largest providers, says customers' usage actually dropped because of the rain.  So, you might think that all these afternoon showers surely mean reservoirs are filling back up, and we can relax a bit on conserving water. But the reality is that Colorado is still deep in a drought – and still reeling from a lack of snowpack last winter.  Reporter Michael Booth recently wrote about this for the Colorado Sun. He joined me to talk about how the recent storms helped, how they didn’t, and what the months ahead look like.   * * * * *Sign up for the In The NoCo newsletter: Visit KUNC.org Questions? Feedback? Story ideas? Email us: [email protected] Like what you're hearing? Help more people discover In The NoCo by rating the show on your favorite podcast app. Thanks!  Host and Producer: Erin O'Toole Executive Producer: Brad Turner  Theme music by Robbie Reverb Additional music by Blue Dot Sessions In The NoCo is a production of KUNC News and Community Radio for Northern Colorado. 

Could planting aspen groves slow the spread of wildfires in Colorado’s forests? It’s an idea that could help some mountain communities seeing increased threats from wildfires. And it’s backed up by several recent studies, including one that looked at 20 years of data from more than 300 wildfires in Western states. It found that large aspen groves often slowed the spread of forest fires. That’s partly because aspen contain more moisture than other trees in mountain forests.  So, should mountain communities across Colorado plant aspens on the outskirts of town?  To find out, Erin O’Toole talked last year with Camille Stevens-Rumann. She’s a professor of forest and rangeland stewardship at Colorado State University and was the principal investigator on the 2025 study. We’re listening back to that conversation today. For more on aspen trees, listen to this episode about why aspens rarely thrive when planted in yards.  * * * * *Sign up for the In The NoCo newsletter: Visit KUNC.org Questions? Feedback? Story ideas? Email us: [email protected] Like what you're hearing? Help more people discover In The NoCo by rating the show on your favorite podcast app. Thanks!  Host and Producer: Erin O'Toole Executive Producer: Brad Turner  Theme music by Robbie Reverb Additional music by Blue Dot Sessions In The NoCo is a production of KUNC News and Community Radio for Northern Colorado.   

Colorado's business climate is hurting.  Over the past 18 months, the state lost more than 6,000 jobs.  A CNBC ranking of top states for business saw Colorado slide from a top-10 position four years ago to 25th this year. And a coalition of tech and other business leaders recently issued a letter warning that Colorado’s high cost of living and excessive regulations are bad for business.  Gov. Jared Polis says he's addressing it. Last month he launched a council to help make the state more competitive. And he directed the state's Office of Economic Development and International Trade (OEDIT) to hold listening sessions with employers.  But with the governor’s term ending in January, his time to act is limited.  Gov. Polis and Eve Lieberman, executive director of OEDIT, joined Erin O'Toole to discuss how state leaders hope to quickly turn the tide.* * * * *Sign up for the In The NoCo newsletter: Visit KUNC.org Questions? Feedback? Story ideas? Email us: [email protected] Like what you're hearing? Help more people discover In The NoCo by rating the show on your favorite podcast app. Thanks!  Host and Producer: Erin O'Toole Executive Producer: Brad Turner  Theme music by Robbie Reverb Additional music by Blue Dot Sessions In The NoCo is a production of KUNC News and Community Radio for Northern Colorado.

On Nov. 7, 1893, men in Colorado did something extraordinary for the time: They granted women the right to vote – which made Colorado the first state to do that not by legislative action or executive order, but by a vote of the people.  It was a moment of triumph for activists who fought for women's suffrage for decades. It meant women in Colorado could vote 27 years before that right was granted to all women, with the passage of the 19th Amendment in 1920. And they used that victory as a springboard to get things done – from electing women to political office in the state, to helping women secure more economic power. A new History Colorado exhibit, Votes and Dreams: At the Ballot and Beyond, highlights those accomplishments. It’s on display now at the Center for Colorado Women’s History in Denver.   Exhibit developer Margaux Miller joined Erin O'Toole to share more about it.* * * * *Sign up for the In The NoCo newsletter: Visit KUNC.org Questions? Feedback? Story ideas? Email us: [email protected] Like what you're hearing? Help more people discover In The NoCo by rating the show on your favorite podcast app. Thanks!  Host and Producer: Erin O'Toole Executive Producer: Brad Turner  Theme music by Robbie Reverb Additional music by Blue Dot Sessions In The NoCo is a production of KUNC News and Community Radio for Northern Colorado.

For decades, Warren Miller was synonymous with a very Colorado genre of film. In Miller’s films, skiers glide across pristine winter terrain and hurtle down near-vertical slopes. Over the decades, Miller and his film crews turned those images into dozens of feature-length documentaries that celebrated the thrill of a day on the mountain – and also captured the poetry of skiing.  Miller died in 2018 at the age of 93. Now, his work and legacy are the subject of a new exhibit at the Colorado Snowsports Museum in Vail.  The museum’s executive director, Jen Mason, spoke earlier this year with Erin O’Toole about how Miller's movies defined an entire genre of sports documentary known as the “stoke” film. We’re listening back to that conversation today. * * * * *Sign up for the In The NoCo newsletter: Visit KUNC.org Questions? Feedback? Story ideas? Email us: [email protected] Like what you're hearing? Help more people discover In The NoCo by rating the show on your favorite podcast app. Thanks!  Host and Producer: Erin O'Toole Executive Producer: Brad Turner  Theme music by Robbie Reverb Additional music by Blue Dot Sessions In The NoCo is a production of KUNC News and Community Radio for Northern Colorado.

Every summer in Colorado’s high country, yellow-bellied marmots race to gain enough weight to make it through months of hibernation. But this year’s meager snowpack and early spring have put that survival strategy under new pressure.  Scientists with the Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory near Crested Butte have studied individual marmots in the wild for more than six decades. And they say that understanding what's happening with these mammals reveals a lot about the overall health of high-alpine ecosystems. This month, the RMBL Marmot Project is set to turn serious science into a fun public competition with the launch of the first-ever Fat Marmot Week – a bracket-style tournament that invites the public to vote for the marmot who’s most ready for winter. Dan Blumstein co-leads the Marmot Project. He's a biologist and UCLA professor who has spent many years studying different species of marmots. He joined Erin O'Toole to talk about their research into these chunky, ground-dwelling mammals. The RMBL team is introducing new marmots to the competition on Mondays and Fridays. Voting runs from Aug. 24 – Aug. 29.  The team recently launched an OnlyFans account to help raise money. Blumstein says it provides "uncensored – but G-rated – marmot content." * * * * *Sign up for the In The NoCo newsletter: Visit KUNC.org Questions? Feedback? Story ideas? Email us: [email protected] Like what you're hearing? Help more people discover In The NoCo by rating the show on your favorite podcast app. Thanks!  Host and Producer: Erin O'Toole Executive Producer: Brad Turner  Theme music by Robbie Reverb Additional music by Blue Dot Sessions In The NoCo is a production of KUNC News and Community Radio for Northern Colorado.

If you read the Colorado Sun, you might be familiar with the comic strip called ‘What’d I Miss?’ It follows conversations between Ossie, a young Black man, and Myra, an older white woman who has awakened from a long coma.   Together they struggle to understand modern day politics and culture. Ossie and Myra talk about issues like artificial intelligence, disinformation on social media and more recently, the rise of the ultra-rich in America. ‘What’d I Miss?’ is written by Denver-based artist R. Alan Brooks. He also writes graphic novels and teaches graphic novel writing at Regis University. This weekend, he will be a featured guest at Fort Collins Comic Con.  Erin O’Toole spoke with Brooks in 2024 about his work and how he uses comics and graphic novels to unpack current events and culture. We're listening back to that conversation today. * * * * *Sign up for the In The NoCo newsletter: Visit KUNC.org Questions? Feedback? Story ideas? Email us: [email protected] Like what you're hearing? Help more people discover In The NoCo by rating the show on your favorite podcast app. Thanks!  Host and Producer: Erin O'Toole Executive Producer: Brad Turner  Theme music by Robbie Reverb Additional music by Blue Dot Sessions In The NoCo is a production of KUNC News and Community Radio for Northern Colorado.

Railroads transformed the American West – and immigrant labor made the railroads possible. But many of those immigrants’ stories haven’t been well documented - including those of the Mexican railroad workers known as traqueros. Beginning in the late 1800s, railroad companies recruited thousands of Mexican and Mexican-American workers to build and maintain the tracks.  At one time, Mexican workers made up more than two-thirds of the railway labor force in the U.S.  Many traqueros brought their families with them to settle in Colorado and other parts of the country. These workers played a key role in the railroads’ expansion well into the mid 20th century, including during World War II, when another initiative was used to bring in Mexican laborers to build tracks. An exhibit at the Colorado Railroad Museum in Golden highlights the legacy of the traqueros. Jasmine Robertson, Curator of Exhibits at the museum, spoke with Erin O'Toole about this often-overlooked piece of American history and culture.  Traqueros: Mexican Trackworkers and the American Railroad is open through the end of August.  * * * * *Sign up for the In The NoCo newsletter: Visit KUNC.org Questions? Feedback? Story ideas? Email us: [email protected] Like what you're hearing? Help more people discover In The NoCo by rating the show on your favorite podcast app. Thanks!  Host and Producer: Erin O'Toole Executive Producer: Brad Turner  Theme music by Robbie Reverb Additional music by Blue Dot Sessions In The NoCo is a production of KUNC News and Community Radio for Northern Colorado.

The soldiers who trained in Colorado for alpine combat in World War II helped turn the tide of the war. And later, many of them changed outdoor recreation in Colorado as we know it.  The U.S. Army built Camp Hale in the high country near Leadville. Thousands of soldiers there trained for skiing, rock climbing and other elements of high-altitude combat.   But the story of Camp Hale and the 10th Mountain Division didn’t end there. After the war, many of those veterans became trailblazers in the outdoor sports world. Some became athletes; others started ski resorts or recreation companies, while others helped invent or redesign outdoor gear.   A History Colorado exhibit on display in Leadville highlights the legacy of Camp Hale, and the post-war contributions that the soldiers of the 10th Mountain Division made to Colorado’s outdoor recreation economy and culture. Sydney Mauck is History Colorado's Anschutz Military Collections specialist.  She spoke with Erin O’Toole about Camp Hale’s enduring legacy. As Colorado marks its150th birthday this month, this is the first of several conversations about the state's history we'll reshare in the days ahead. If you enjoyed this conversation, check out Part 1 of the discussion about the soldiers who trained at Camp Hale. This story has been lightly edited for clarity. A previous version stated that a 10th Mountain Division soldier had started the Sierra Club. The soldier mentioned served as the organization's first professional full-time executive director, but was not a founder.* * * * *Sign up for the In The NoCo newsletter: Visit KUNC.org Questions? Feedback? Story ideas? Email us: [email protected] Like what you're hearing? Help more people discover In The NoCo by rating the show on your favorite podcast app. Thanks!  Host and Producer: Erin O'Toole Executive Producer: Brad Turner  Theme music by Robbie Reverb Additional music by Blue Dot Sessions In The NoCo is a production of KUNC News and Community Radio for Northern Colorado.

During World War II, the U.S. Army built a unique training ground in the mountains outside Leadville.   At Camp Hale, soldiers in what would become the 10th Mountain Division trained for combat in extreme alpine conditions. And that led to key victories for Allied forces in the mountains of Europe. After the war, some of the soldiers returned to Colorado and helped launch the state’s ski industry.  A new History Colorado exhibit called Winter Warriors explores the legacy of Camp Hale and its impact on surrounding communities. It’s on display at the Healey House Museum in Leadville.   With Colorado celebrating 150 years of statehood this year, we wanted to learn more about this fascinating piece of the state’s history. So, we reached out to Sydney Mauck, History Colorado's Anschutz Military Collections specialist.  She talked with Erin O'Toole earlier this year about the U.S. Army’s first, and only, winter warfare division – and the pivotal role of these "soldiers on skis" in World War II. It's one of several fascinating chapters of Colorado's history we'll reshare in the coming days. * * * * *Sign up for the In The NoCo newsletter: Visit KUNC.org Questions? Feedback? Story ideas? Email us: [email protected] Like what you're hearing? Help more people discover In The NoCo by rating the show on your favorite podcast app. Thanks!  Host and Producer: Erin O'Toole Executive Producer: Brad Turner  Theme music by Robbie Reverb Additional music by Blue Dot Sessions In The NoCo is a production of KUNC News and Community Radio for Northern Colorado.

There's a trend in Colorado that has higher education officials concerned.  The number of high school graduates is declining -- and that means the state's colleges and universities are expecting a dropoff in enrollment in the coming years.  Colorado is one of three dozen states bracing for what's become known as the "enrollment cliff." And the prospect of fewer students only adds to the pressures that many colleges and universities are currently navigating, like recent cuts to federal research grants or a drop in international students. Education reporter Erica Breunlin recently wrote about the looming enrollment cliff for the Colorado Sun. She joined Erin O'Toole to talk about what's driving the problem -- and what state education leaders plan to do about it. * * * * *Sign up for the In The NoCo newsletter: Visit KUNC.org Questions? Feedback? Story ideas? Email us: [email protected] Like what you're hearing? Help more people discover In The NoCo by rating the show on your favorite podcast app. Thanks!  Host and Producer: Erin O'Toole Executive Producer: Brad Turner  Theme music by Robbie Reverb Additional music by Blue Dot Sessions In The NoCo is a production of KUNC News and Community Radio for Northern Colorado.

The Colorado River has been under strain for years from hotter temperatures and prolonged drought. It supplies drinking water to tens of millions of people and provides irrigation for more than 5 million acres of farmland.  And demand has been growing for a shrinking supply. The seven states that rely on water from the river have spent years trying - and failing – to agree on how to divide up less water.  Now the federal government has stepped in with a plan that could mean steep cuts for some users, especially in the lower-basin states of Arizona, California, and Nevada.  So, what does the proposal mean for Colorado? And does it help solve the problem? Luke Runyon is co-director of The Water Desk, an environmental journalism initiative at the University of Colorado.  He joined Erin O’Toole to explain some of the details. * * * * *Sign up for the In The NoCo newsletter: Visit KUNC.org Questions? Feedback? Story ideas? Email us: [email protected] Like what you're hearing? Help more people discover In The NoCo by rating the show on your favorite podcast app. Thanks!  Host and Producer: Erin O'Toole Executive Producer: Brad Turner  Theme music by Robbie Reverb Additional music by Blue Dot Sessions In The NoCo is a production of KUNC News and Community Radio for Northern Colorado.

Colorado has played a leading role in many films. The state’s western landscapes can be seen in movies like The Hateful Eight and Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade.   Then there’s the famous scene in Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid in which Paul Newman and Robert Redford leap off the edge of a cliff into the rushing river below. That scene was filmed near Durango, above the Animas River.   Robert Redford famously spent a lot of time in Boulder. And actors like Don Cheadle and Pam Grier have all come from Colorado.    This summer, the first-ever Colorado 150 Film Festival will celebrate these movies and actors with screenings of 150 films being shown in 35 independent theaters across the state. It’s also a celebration of the state’s 150th anniversary on Aug. 1.  Erin O'Toole spoke earlier this year with one of the festival’s organizers, Rob DuRay, about the festival – and where Colorado’s film industry might go from here. As Colorado prepares to mark its 150th birthday tomorrow, this is one of several conversations about the state's history we'll reshare in the coming days. The Colorado 150 Film Festival kicked off in June and continues through November. View the full lineup of films and venues.* * * * *Sign up for the In The NoCo newsletter: Visit KUNC.org Questions? Feedback? Story ideas? Email us: [email protected] Like what you're hearing? Help more people discover In The NoCo by rating the show on your favorite podcast app. Thanks!  Host and Producer: Erin O'Toole Executive Producer: Brad Turner  Theme music by Robbie Reverb Additional music by Blue Dot Sessions In The NoCo is a production of KUNC News and Community Radio for Northern Colorado.

In an era of high-speed gondolas and sprawling ski resorts, it's easy to forget how some of Colorado's smaller mountains shaped ski culture as we know it today.  Howelsen Hill in Steamboat Springs is one of those mountains. It's a fraction of the size of the resorts in Aspen or Vail – or the bigger resort across town. But Howelsen Hill made a huge impact when it opened back in 1915. The hill bears the name of its founder, a champion ski jumper from Norway named Carl Howelsen. Over the years, Howelsen Hill got more people skiing, and eventually served as the training ground for dozens of future Olympians. Candice Bannister is the executive director of the Tread of Pioneers Museum in Steamboat Springs, which has plenty of Howelsen-related artifacts in its collection.  She talked with Erin O’Toole in January about Howelsen’s legacy – and why Howelsen Hill is still an important place today. Ahead of Colorado's 150th birthday this Saturday, this is one of several In The NoCo conversations about the state's fascinating history that we'll reshare in the coming days. * * * * *Sign up for the In The NoCo newsletter: Visit KUNC.org Questions? Feedback? Story ideas? Email us: [email protected] Like what you're hearing? Help more people discover In The NoCo by rating the show on your favorite podcast app. Thanks!  Host and Producer: Erin O'Toole Executive Producer: Brad Turner  Theme music by Robbie Reverb Additional music by Blue Dot Sessions In The NoCo is a production of KUNC News and Community Radio for Northern Colorado.

Colorado marks its 150th birthday this Saturday, Aug. 1. Experts at History Colorado have been thinking for a while of different ways to help commemorate the state’s anniversary. One idea was to track down the earliest known photograph of Colorado.   And what they uncovered is striking: It’s a daguerreotype from 1853, taken during an expedition across the West more than 20 years before Colorado became a state in 1876.  The image depicts a Cheyenne village with two people facing the camera, near what is now Lamar, Colo. For the curators at History Colorado, the photo also revealed the fascinating story of the photographer – a man named Solomon Nunes Carvalho, who traveled the West with a bulky camera and captured some of the earliest photos of the region.  Erin O’Toole spoke last fall with Sam Bock, History Colorado’s director of Interpretations and Publications, to learn more about the search for the oldest photo and what it tells us about Colorado’s early history.  With Colorado's 150th just a few days away, this is the first of several conversations about the state's history we'll reshare in the days ahead.* * * * *Sign up for the In The NoCo newsletter: Visit KUNC.org Questions? Feedback? Story ideas? Email us: [email protected] Like what you're hearing? Help more people discover In The NoCo by rating the show on your favorite podcast app. Thanks!  Host and Producer: Erin O'Toole Executive Producer: Brad Turner  Theme music by Robbie Reverb Additional music by Blue Dot Sessions In The NoCo is a production of KUNC News and Community Radio for Northern Colorado.

It was one of the deadliest disasters in Colorado history: Fifty years ago, a flash flood swept through Big Thompson Canyon between Estes Park and Loveland. It killed at least 144 people on July 31, 1976. A torrential rainstorm that formed suddenly unleashed more than a foot of rain on the area that evening. Emergency crews rushed to warn people. Many residents and tourists hurried to safety. But many others were caught off guard. That disaster changed how emergency responders operate in Colorado. It helped underline the need for better emergency alert systems. And lessons from that event still come into play when a disaster strikes Colorado today. To learn more about the impact of the Big Thompson flood, we spoke with Lori Hodges, director of Larimer County's Office of Emergency Management.  She told Erin O'Toole that she thinks about the flood often, including during emergency planning drills held a few months ago. Larimer County will hold a commemoration event this Friday afternoon at the Pulliam Community Building in Loveland.  And the Loveland Museum is showing an exhibit marking the 50th anniversary of the disaster, with an opening reception Friday evening. This story has been slightly edited for clarity due to varying accounts of rainfall during the flood. A previous version stated that the surrounding towns of Estes Park, Loveland and Fort Collins did not report rainfall. According to people who were in Estes Park on the day of the flood, they did see rainfall in that area.* * * * *Sign up for the In The NoCo newsletter: Visit KUNC.org Questions? Feedback? Story ideas? Email us: [email protected] Like what you're hearing? Help more people discover In The NoCo by rating the show on your favorite podcast app. Thanks!  Host and Producer: Erin O'Toole Executive Producer: Brad Turner  Theme music by Robbie Reverb Additional music by Blue Dot Sessions In The NoCo is a production of KUNC News and Community Radio for Northern Colorado.

When a wildfire breaks out in Colorado, scores of emergency responders help fight the blaze and protect residents: wildland firefighters, pilots for air tankers, and law enforcement to help evacuate people. There's one job you don't hear about as much — but it plays an integral role in how crews respond to a fast-moving wildfire. A team of incident meteorologists with the National Weather Service dispatches weather experts to disasters like wildfires, hurricanes and blizzards. They help emergency crews plan their response based on how weather conditions are likely to change. Juan Hernandez is an incident meteorologist who’s currently stationed in Pueblo, near the Aspen Acres fire that has scorched more than 100,000 acres and more than 850 structures over the past month.  He spoke with Erin O'Toole on Thursday about the unusual work he's been doing there, and how he helps crews fight a wildland blaze.  * * * * *Sign up for the In The NoCo newsletter: Visit KUNC.org Questions? Feedback? Story ideas? Email us: [email protected] Like what you're hearing? Help more people discover In The NoCo by rating the show on your favorite podcast app. Thanks!  Host and Producer: Erin O'Toole Executive Producer: Brad Turner  Theme music by Robbie Reverb Additional music by Blue Dot Sessions In The NoCo is a production of KUNC News and Community Radio for Northern Colorado.

On a given night, there are more than 800 people experiencing homelessness in the city of Aurora.  That's according to the most recent survey from the Metro Denver Homelessness Initiative. Some of them find shelter and support at a regional center designed to house up to 600 people.  On Friday nights, one of those people is the city’s top elected official.  Since late February, Aurora mayor Mike Coffman has spent his Friday nights sleeping on a cot at the shelter. He says it gives him unique insight into the program and how to improve it. Coffman joined Erin O'Toole to talk about why he wanted to do this, and what kind of impact it's had on city policies.  * * * * *Sign up for the In The NoCo newsletter: Visit KUNC.org Questions? Feedback? Story ideas? Email us: [email protected] Like what you're hearing? Help more people discover In The NoCo by rating the show on your favorite podcast app. Thanks!  Host and Producer: Erin O'Toole Executive Producer: Brad Turner  Theme music by Robbie Reverb Additional music by Blue Dot Sessions In The NoCo is a production of KUNC News and Community Radio for Northern Colorado.  

If you're like most people, you've probably gotten at least one alert over the years saying that your mobile phone or favorite tablet is being put out to pasture.  It's that moment when the tech company behind the product is no longer supporting or updating the technology. That's often when you're forced to buy a newer (and more expensive) version. A Colorado consumer group says this is unfair -- and they want consumers to have a say. The group, called CoPIRG, argues that consumers deserve ongoing support for a product they purchase. And the advocates say if tech companies won't listen, they'll ask lawmakers to enforce it through legislation. The group recently held a mock funeral with headstones and eulogies for older devices and operating systems that are no longer being supported.  Reporter Michael Booth wrote about this issue recently for the Colorado Sun. He spoke with Erin O'Toole about what's behind the movement. And check out Michael's reporting on a recent legal settlement with John Deere to give farmers and ranchers the right to repair their tractors and other farm equipment.  * * * * *Sign up for the In The NoCo newsletter: Visit KUNC.org Questions? Feedback? Story ideas? Email us: [email protected] Like what you're hearing? Help more people discover In The NoCo by rating the show on your favorite podcast app. Thanks!  Host and Producer: Erin O'Toole Executive Producer: Brad Turner  Theme music by Robbie Reverb Additional music by Blue Dot Sessions In The NoCo is a production of KUNC News and Community Radio for Northern Colorado.

Some Colorado ski resort managers are trying a new strategy as they recover from an unusually warm and dry winter, in hopes of making next season better. The concept is called snow storage. Basically, resorts gather piles of leftover snow from the end of ski season and shield them from the sun and heat. The hope is that most of that snow will make it through the summer – and translate into a solid base of snow when the next ski season begins later this year. So, what makes snow storage possible? And does it actually work? Reporter Betsy Welch recently saw examples of snow storage in action and wrote about it for the Colorado Sun. She joined Erin O'Toole to talk about whether it's a source for hope as resorts cope with a warmer climate and less snow.    * * * * *Sign up for the In The NoCo newsletter: Visit KUNC.org Questions? Feedback? Story ideas? Email us: [email protected] Like what you're hearing? Help more people discover In The NoCo by rating the show on your favorite podcast app. Thanks!  Host and Producer: Erin O'Toole Executive Producer: Brad Turner  Theme music by Robbie Reverb Additional music by Blue Dot Sessions In The NoCo is a production of KUNC News and Community Radio for Northern Colorado.

Nearly one in five new moms experiences anxiety or depression during pregnancy or after giving birth. These conditions can lead to difficulty bonding with a newborn, or a higher risk of suicide, if left untreated.   But a new experimental treatment is giving some researchers hope. It's a psychoactive substance derived from mushrooms called luvesilocin. In a recent set of FDA trials, a single dose of luvesilocin turned out to be highly effective – and worked more quickly – in improving patients' postpartum depression and anxiety.  Dr. Camille Hoffman is an OB-GYN and Professor of Maternal Fetal Medicine at the University of Colorado Anschutz. She helped oversee an early clinical study of luvesilocin, and wrote about it for The Conversation.  Hoffman spoke with Erin O'Toole about what researchers found, and why luvesilocin may be a promising alternative to psychotherapy or prescription drugs that are often used to treat postpartum depression. * * * * *Sign up for the In The NoCo newsletter: Visit KUNC.org Questions? Feedback? Story ideas? Email us: [email protected] Like what you're hearing? Help more people discover In The NoCo by rating the show on your favorite podcast app. Thanks!  Host and Producer: Erin O'Toole Executive Producer: Brad Turner  Theme music by Robbie Reverb Additional music by Blue Dot Sessions In The NoCo is a production of KUNC News and Community Radio for Northern Colorado.

Summer is a great time to see Colorado by car.   And this summer in particular, with high fuel prices pushing up airfares, more Coloradans may decide to keep their summer vacation plans a little more local.  Many Colorado highways provide stunning alpine views, scenic forests, wildflowers and waterfalls, and a connection to the state’s historic communities and culture.  Today on In The NoCo, we present a few interesting drives for your summer to-do list. Lenore Bates, manager of the state’s Colorado Byways program, joined Erin O’Toole to share some recommendations for where to take a drive this summer.   This summer, Colorado Byways released free, downloadable audio tours for 10 of the state’s historic drives – including some we mentioned in the episode, like the Collegiate Peaks Scenic Byway or the Top of the Rockies Byway. * * * * *Sign up for the In The NoCo newsletter: Visit KUNC.org Questions? Feedback? Story ideas? Email us: [email protected] Like what you're hearing? Help more people discover In The NoCo by rating the show on your favorite podcast app. Thanks!  Host and Producer: Erin O'Toole Executive Producer: Brad Turner  Theme music by Robbie Reverb Additional music by Blue Dot Sessions In The NoCo is a production of KUNC News and Community Radio for Northern Colorado.

A poison control center is the place to call if your child accidentally swallows something dangerous, like paint or a detergent pod.   But the Rocky Mountain Poison Center based in Denver also tracks the things that poison Coloradans. It monitors prescription drug misuse, tracks new substances Coloradans might ingest and helps hospitals treat venomous snake bites. Dr. Richard Dart first led the center, which serves Colorado and three other western states, in 1992. In the decades that followed, he saw many changes, from how the center handles phone calls to how it trains the next generation of toxicologists. Earlier this year, Dr. Dart announced his retirement. Ahead of that, he spoke with Erin O’Toole about how the things that sicken or kill Coloradans have changed in recent decades – and what drew him to this unusual line of work. We’re listening back to that conversation today. If you enjoyed this conversation, check out our interview with Stephen Mackessy, a researcher at the University of Northern Colorado who’s part of an international team developing more effective, less costly antivenom to treat venomous snake bites. * * * * *Sign up for the In The NoCo newsletter: Visit KUNC.org Questions? Feedback? Story ideas? Email us: [email protected] Like what you're hearing? Help more people discover In The NoCo by rating the show on your favorite podcast app. Thanks!  Host and Producer: Erin O'Toole Executive Producer: Brad Turner  Theme music by Robbie Reverb Additional music by Blue Dot Sessions In The NoCo is a production of KUNC News and Community Radio for Northern Colorado.

Do your eyes sting? Is your throat sore? Is it happening pretty regularly this summer? You're not alone. It's already been a grueling wildfire season across Colorado: thousands of acres burned, hundreds of structures destroyed, three firefighters dead and a helicopter pilot lost in a fatal crash over the weekend. But even if you're not that close to a wildfire, the secondhand effects of wildfire season are real.  Delphine Farmer is a chemistry professor at Colorado State University who specializes in air quality.  She shared a few tips on how to respond when the air in your neighborhood turns hazy and smells smokey.  Check out our previous interview with Delphine about how chemicals in your home can affect your respiratory health. Delphine also recommends checking out AirNow.gov for local air quality updates.* * * * *Sign up for the In The NoCo newsletter: Visit KUNC.org Questions? Feedback? Story ideas? Email us: [email protected] Like what you're hearing? Help more people discover In The NoCo by rating the show on your favorite podcast app. Thanks!  Host and Producer: Erin O'Toole Executive Producer: Brad Turner  Theme music by Robbie Reverb Additional music by Blue Dot Sessions In The NoCo is a production of KUNC News and Community Radio for Northern Colorado.

The winter sport Nordic combined requires intense effort. Athletes launch themselves off towering ski jumps – then push their endurance in cross-country ski racing the same day. But the women's Nordic combined team in Steamboat Springs got attention in recent years for a different kind of effort. They called for a chance to compete in the Winter Olympics.  Men have competed in the sport in the Olympics since 1924, but women's Nordic combined had never been part of the Games. Colorado lawmakers even got involved earlier this year, sending a letter urging the International Olympic Committee to keep the event – and include women.  Which made this week’s news from the Olympic committee especially tough to hear: Nordic combined is being eliminated altogether for the 2030 Winter Games. KUNC’s Emma VandenEinde has been following this story. She joined Erin O’Toole to explain what’s behind the Olympic committee’s decision, and what’s next for the sport in Colorado.* * * * *Sign up for the In The NoCo newsletter: Visit KUNC.org Questions? Feedback? Story ideas? Email us: [email protected] Like what you're hearing? Help more people discover In The NoCo by rating the show on your favorite podcast app. Thanks!  Host and Producer: Erin O'Toole Executive Producer: Brad Turner  Theme music by Robbie Reverb Additional music by Blue Dot Sessions In The NoCo is a production of KUNC News and Community Radio for Northern Colorado.

Colorado recently reached a major clean energy milestone: In the first three months of this year, the majority of its electricity – 53 percent – came from renewable sources, like wind, solar and geothermal.  That's according to an article from the news website Big Pivots. And it marks a significant step toward Colorado's goal of getting to 100% emission-free electricity by the year 2050.  But despite hitting this threshold, energy officials say the most challenging part of the transition may still lie ahead — and big questions remain about how to keep the grid reliable while keeping costs down.   To learn more, we spoke with Will Toor, executive director of the Colorado Energy Office, who has led the state’s clean energy strategy since 2019.  He talked with Erin O’Toole about how Colorado reached this point — and what it will take to get all the way to 100% renewable energy. * * * * *Sign up for the In The NoCo newsletter: Visit KUNC.org Questions? Feedback? Story ideas? Email us: [email protected] Like what you're hearing? Help more people discover In The NoCo by rating the show on your favorite podcast app. Thanks!  Host and Producer: Erin O'Toole Executive Producer: Brad Turner  Theme music by Robbie Reverb Additional music by Blue Dot Sessions In The NoCo is a production of KUNC News and Community Radio for Northern Colorado.

A discovery by paleontologists working in Colorado is giving scientists a slightly revised history of primates. That’s the group of mammals that includes apes – and humans.  Scientists working at Corral Bluffs near Colorado Springs recently discovered tiny teeth and bone fragments belonging to a species called Purgatorius.  Purgatorius was an early and distant cousin of humans. It thrived 65 million years ago  – not  long after an asteroid wiped out the dinosaurs. Purgatorius fossils had never been found as far south as Colorado before this recent dig. And scientists say the discovery suggests that, once dinosaurs were out of the picture, mammals may have thrived more quickly – and over a wider swath of the planet – than previously understood. Jordan Crowell is a postdoctoral fellow with the Denver Museum of Nature and Science who worked with dozens of volunteers and other scientists on the dig near Colorado Springs. He spoke with Erin O’Toole in March about what they found, and why scientists are excited by the discovery. We’re listening back to that conversation today. * * * * *Sign up for the In The NoCo newsletter: Visit KUNC.org Questions? Feedback? Story ideas? Email us: [email protected] Like what you're hearing? Help more people discover In The NoCo by rating the show on your favorite podcast app. Thanks!  Host and Producer: Erin O'Toole Executive Producer: Brad Turner  Theme music by Robbie Reverb Additional music by Blue Dot Sessions In The NoCo is a production of KUNC News and Community Radio for Northern Colorado. 

Drive through some communities in Colorado, and your movements may be monitored by a network of cameras that track your license plate. Police say they use these cameras to respond to crime and track down suspects. A company called Flock Safety operates dozens of these cameras in Boulder, Denver and Fort Collins. They’ve quietly photographed millions of cars over the last year.  And right now, these cities are grappling with the question of whether these cameras help fight crime – or are an abuse of privacy and civil liberties.  In June, Fort Collins City Council voted to cancel its contract with Flock Safety. Denver leaders announced in February they would not renew the city’s contract with Flock. Meanwhile, officials in Boulder are also considering dropping  Flock cameras after public opposition.   To better understand the debate, we reached out to Steven Keener. He’s an assistant professor of criminology at Christopher Newport University in Virginia. Keener studies the use of Flock cameras across the U.S., including their effect on crime reduction and concerns over how the data is shared. He joined Erin O’Toole earlier this year to discuss how Flock data has been used by law enforcement, as well as some of the philosophical objections to the cameras.  We’re listening back to that conversation today. * * * * *Sign up for the In The NoCo newsletter: Visit KUNC.org Questions? Feedback? Story ideas? Email us: [email protected] Like what you're hearing? Help more people discover In The NoCo by rating the show on your favorite podcast app. Thanks!  Host and Producer: Erin O'Toole Executive Producer: Brad Turner  Theme music by Robbie Reverb Additional music by Blue Dot Sessions In The NoCo is a production of KUNC News and Community Radio for Northern Colorado.

This year marks the 250th birthday of the United States – and it’s also the 150th anniversary of Colorado becoming a state.  But it was not an easy journey to get there. In December 1875, a group of 39 elected delegates from the Colorado Territory gathered in a brick building in Denver. Their mission was to lay out a constitutional framework for the state of Colorado – on a very tight deadline. There had been four previous attempts at statehood, and Congress had given these delegates an ultimatum: If they couldn’t write and pass a constitution by July 1876, Colorado would not become a state. The newest season of KUNC's podcast The Colorado Dream explores some of the most impactful and historic moments in Colorado’s history – including its complicated journey to statehood.   Stephanie Daniel is the host of The Colorado Dream. She joined Erin O’Toole to share more about the show and what to expect from the latest season.  New episodes of The Colorado Dream: Happy Birthday are available each Monday through July 29.  * * * * *Sign up for the In The NoCo newsletter: Visit KUNC.org Questions? Feedback? Story ideas? Email us: [email protected] Like what you're hearing? Help more people discover In The NoCo by rating the show on your favorite podcast app. Thanks!  Host and Producer: Erin O'Toole Executive Producer: Brad Turner  Theme music by Robbie Reverb Additional music by Blue Dot Sessions In The NoCo is a production of KUNC News and Community Radio for Northern Colorado.

Headlines and video images from across Colorado and the West this week illustrate a brutal reality: Wildfires are deadly – and so is the work of fighting them. News of three casualties in the Snyder Fire west of Grand Junction drove home that sentiment earlier this week. Three wildland firefighters who to traveled to Colorado died fighting the blaze.  So today on In The NoCo, we’re looking at the story from a different angle. We want to hear about how wildland firefighters protect themselves in the worst of circumstances.   Timothy Ingalsbee is a former wildland firefighter based in Oregon. He’s now executive director of the nonprofit Firefighters United for Safety, Ethics, and Ecology.  He talked with Erin O’Toole about the tools and techniques firefighters use to give themselves a fighting chance in a deadly scenario.  * * * * *Sign up for the In The NoCo newsletter: Visit KUNC.org Questions? Feedback? Story ideas? Email us: [email protected] Like what you're hearing? Help more people discover In The NoCo by rating the show on your favorite podcast app. Thanks!  Host and Producer: Erin O'Toole Executive Producer: Brad Turner  Theme music by Robbie Reverb Additional music by Blue Dot Sessions In The NoCo is a production of KUNC News and Community Radio for Northern Colorado.

If you ask a wildlife official – moose are relatively new arrivals to Colorado. In the late 1970s, wildlife managers released two dozen moose captured in other states into Routt National Forest near Walden. Before that, moose may have occasionally wandered in and out of Colorado, but didn’t have a permanent home here, according to Colorado Parks and Wildlife’s official moose webpage. But a researcher at the University of Colorado says that history is all wrong – and that moose have been part of Colorado’s ecosystem for centuries.  William Taylor is an archeologist and associate professor of Anthropology at CU Boulder. He studied moose remains, along with Indigenous and historical records, that suggest moose roamed Colorado long before their reintroduction in the ‘70s. The research was recently published in the Journal of Biogeography. William joined Erin O’Toole to talk about the research and the questions it raises about the right way to treat the roughly 3,500 moose in Colorado today. * * * * *Sign up for the In The NoCo newsletter: Visit KUNC.org Questions? Feedback? Story ideas? Email us: [email protected] Like what you're hearing? Help more people discover In The NoCo by rating the show on your favorite podcast app. Thanks!  Host and Producer: Erin O'Toole Executive Producer: Brad Turner  Theme music by Robbie Reverb Additional music by Blue Dot Sessions In The NoCo is a production of KUNC News and Community Radio for Northern Colorado.

Colorado leaders have a unique plan to make cheaper prescription drugs available. It’s starting to move forward after seven years in development – but the chances of success are uncertain.  Governor Jared Polis says Americans are getting “ripped off” when it comes to prescription drug prices. And he's looking to Canada to help remedy the situation. The plan calls for importing drugs from Canada, where prices are lower. The project just passed a key milestone for approval from federal regulators. But it still has some major hurdles to clear before it actually lowers the price of what’s in your medicine cabinet.  John Ingold covers healthcare for the Colorado Sun, and wrote about the plan. He joined Erin O’Toole to talk about how the plan would work – and its long odds of success. * * * * *Sign up for the In The NoCo newsletter: Visit KUNC.org Questions? Feedback? Story ideas? Email us: [email protected] Like what you're hearing? Help more people discover In The NoCo by rating the show on your favorite podcast app. Thanks!  Host and Producer: Erin O'Toole Executive Producer: Brad Turner  Theme music by Robbie Reverb Additional music by Blue Dot Sessions In The NoCo is a production of KUNC News and Community Radio for Northern Colorado.

Wilderness areas are designed partly to let people escape the sounds of civilization – to get away from noise like traffic.  But a handful of recent decisions by Trump administration officials could bring a more jarring sound into wilderness areas in Colorado and other western states: the sound of chainsaws ripping through timber.  That's something that was prohibited for decades. But officials recently said they'd allow the use of chainsaws to remove fallen trees that were blocking trails in Idaho.   So, does this mean we can expect the sound of chainsaws while hiking in Eagle's Nest Wilderness near Frisco, or Mount Zirkel Wilderness near Steamboat Springs? And why does it matter if we hear mechanical noise in a wilderness area?  Rachel Cohen is KUNC’s reporter for the Mountain West News Bureau. She’s been following the story, and joined Erin O’Toole to talk about why it’s causing a stir now.* * * * *Sign up for the In The NoCo newsletter: Visit KUNC.org Questions? Feedback? Story ideas? Email us: [email protected] Like what you're hearing? Help more people discover In The NoCo by rating the show on your favorite podcast app. Thanks!  Host and Producer: Erin O'Toole Executive Producer: Brad Turner  Theme music by Robbie Reverb Additional music by Blue Dot Sessions In The NoCo is a production of KUNC News and Community Radio for Northern Colorado.

Colorado's Western Slope is famous for the fruit that’s grown there. Cherries, apples, and peaches are a staple of farmers' markets. But Colorado is also famous for wild, unpredictable weather. And this past April, a spring freeze devastated many of the western slopes' fruit orchards. Some growers saw total losses of this year's crops.  We wanted to know how fruit growers survive, and keep their farmstands stocked, after a devastating freeze like that one. So, we reached out to Harrison Topp to learn more. He’s a co-owner of Topp Fruits – a family farm that grows peaches, apples and cherries in Paonia and Hotchkiss. That April 17 freeze wiped out their entire crop. But the season won’t be a total loss, thanks to a partnership with another farm, Rancho Durazno, in Palisade. He spoke with Erin O’Toole about how this unusual relationship will allow both operations to still have a presence at farm stands this summer, despite the devastation to his crops. You can find Topp Fruits at stands this summer at the Lafayette Farmers Market, and in Denver at the City Park and Harvey Park Farmers Markets. Rancho Durazno will also be at markets in Boulder, Longmont and the Larimer County Farmers Market. * * * * *Sign up for the In The NoCo newsletter: Visit KUNC.org Questions? Feedback? Story ideas? Email us: [email protected] Like what you're hearing? Help more people discover In The NoCo by rating the show on your favorite podcast app. Thanks!  Host and Producer: Erin O'Toole Executive Producer: Brad Turner  Theme music by Robbie Reverb Additional music by Blue Dot Sessions In The NoCo is a production of KUNC News and Community Radio for Northern Colorado.

Scientists have a new tool in the fight to eradicate a fish that’s been causing havoc in some of Colorado’s mountain streams.   Brook trout are a nonnative species introduced in the state more than a century ago. They breed prolifically and edge out many native fish species for food and other resources.  Over the decades, "brookies" have steadily pushed out Colorado's native cutthroat trout.  Now, scientists and wildlife officials are trying a new approach that involves altering the very biology of the brook trout.    Reporter Michael Booth covers the environment for the Colorado Sun. He joined Erin O’Toole to talk about this new strategy to restore some native ecosystems – and how it’s already shown promising results.  CLARIFICATION: We want to clarify a couple points from our recent interview about Colorado Parks and Wildlife working to remove brook trout from Colorado streams. First, the brook trout are being removed from some, but not all, Colorado streams to preserve the native cutthroat trout. Second, a Parks and Wildlife representative stressed that the trout with two YY chromosomes are created through selective breeding and hormone treatment -- meaning they're not genetically modified, in the way the term is typically used. * * * * *Sign up for the In The NoCo newsletter: Visit KUNC.org Questions? Feedback? Story ideas? Email us: [email protected] Like what you're hearing? Help more people discover In The NoCo by rating the show on your favorite podcast app. Thanks!  Host and Producer: Erin O'Toole Executive Producer: Brad Turner  Theme music by Robbie Reverb Additional music by Blue Dot Sessions In The NoCo is a production of KUNC News and Community Radio for Northern Colorado.

 Since 1960, the National Repertory Orchestra has brought talented college-aged musicians to Colorado to practice the art of playing in an ensemble.  Each season, about 80 young musicians are selected to join the NRO in Breckenridge. They spend eight weeks rehearsing and performing in Summit County. Many of them go on to pursue careers in professional orchestras across the country.    To get a glimpse behind the scenes at this unusual – and influential – summer orchestra, Erin O’Toole spoke last year with Michael Stern, their music director and conductor. He shared what makes a summer in the National Repertory Orchestra a formative experience. As the NRO’s new season gets underway, we’re listening back to that conversation today. Performances for the NRO’s 2026 season run through Aug. 8.  * * * * *Sign up for the In The NoCo newsletter: Visit KUNC.org Questions? Feedback? Story ideas? Email us: [email protected] Like what you're hearing? Help more people discover In The NoCo by rating the show on your favorite podcast app. Thanks!  Host and Producer: Erin O'Toole Executive Producer: Brad Turner  Theme music by Robbie Reverb Additional music by Blue Dot Sessions In The NoCo is a production of KUNC News and Community Radio for Northern Colorado. 

A new stage production in Longmont and Boulder examines the displacement of Black residents. In the 1950s, thousands of Black families in Indianapolis were pushed out when their neighborhood was destroyed to make way for the expansion of a university.   That area, known as Indiana Avenue, had been a thriving community, with Black-owned businesses, churches and newspapers. A new play, 13 Fires, is a historical drama that explores one family’s experience. They live in a shack with carboard partitions. A severe winter storm is coming in. They’re worried about staying warm. 13 Fires premieres at the Longmont Theatre Company tonight, and at the Dairy Arts Center in Boulder starting Wednesday. Curtis K. Rogers wrote the play and spoke with In The NoCo’s Erin O’Toole about it. He now lives in Boulder, but grew up in Indianapolis.* * * * *Sign up for the In The NoCo newsletter: Visit KUNC.org Questions? Feedback? Story ideas? Email us: [email protected] Like what you're hearing? Help more people discover In The NoCo by rating the show on your favorite podcast app. Thanks!  Host and Producer: Erin O'Toole Executive Producer: Brad Turner  Theme music by Robbie Reverb Additional music by Blue Dot Sessions In The NoCo is a production of KUNC News and Community Radio for Northern Colorado.

This might be the end for text messages from the school lunchroom and Instagram pics from the hallways. At least if students follow the rules.  Denver Public Schools, the state’s largest school district, announced last week it's banning cell phones, smart watches and other devices during the school day. Previously, different schools in DPS had different policies on when or if to allow kids to use devices. A growing number of Colorado school districts have enacted bans similar to the new DPS policy — or are considering them right now. That’s partly because state lawmakers ordered every district to set a policy on mobile device use by July 1.  So how did school officials in Denver arrive at a bell-to-bell prohibition on phones? And what factors are different districts weighing as they consider their own policies?  Reporter Melanie Asmar heard from parents, students and educators while reporting on the story for Chalkbeat Colorado. She talked with In The NoCo's Brad Turner about what she learned.  

The city of Longmont last week took an unusual step toward limiting the impact of data centers on the community and its energy grid. Data centers are built to support the growing tech and artificial intelligence sections. And they consume huge amounts of electricity and water, which makes them especially controversial in an arid state like Colorado. The Longmont city council voted to restrict the development of especially large – or “hyperscale” – data centers that would consume more than 5 percent of the city’s available power. That’s about 70 megawatts, or enough energy to power roughly 30,000 homes.   At the moment, there are no data centers proposed for Longmont that fit that description. So we reached out to Matthew Popkin, the city council member who proposed the ordinance, to talk about the idea behind the measure. He spoke with In The NoCo’s Brad Turner. 

Federal wildlife officials asked the public earlier this year for feedback on how Colorado’s wolf reintroduction program was going. It’s been two and a half years since Colorado wildlife managers began releasing wolves into the wild. And one of the responses from the public contained a stunning admission.  The owner of one of the largest ranches in Colorado said — in writing — that a worker on their ranch had recently killed a female wolf to defend livestock on the property, according to The Colorado Sun.  That's a serious admission. Killing a wolf is illegal in Colorado, and can come with fines or jail time. Ranchers are required to try other methods to protect their livestock before using a lethal option.  So what does the death of this wolf — and the rancher’s admission about it — say about the status of Colorado’s wolf reintroduction project? Tracy Ross covered the story for the Colorado Sun, which is a partner of KUNC News. She talked with In The NoCo’s Brad Turner about what she found out. 

Fifty years ago, two men came to the Boulder County courthouse seeking a license to get married. Marriage equality was not the law of the land in 1975. But Clela Rorex, the newly elected Boulder County clerk, could find nothing in Colorado state law that would prevent her from issuing a marriage license to a same-sex couple. So, she did. And she issued five more in the next few weeks before she was ordered to stop. It was a historic moment in the movement for LGBTQ rights, and her actions made her a hero -- and a target of backlash. Mardi Moore is the CEO of Rocky Mountain Equality, an LGBTQ advocacy group based in Boulder. She was a friend and colleague of Clela, who died in 2022 at the age of 78. In The NoCo’s Erin O'Toole spoke with Mardi in 2025 to learn more about Clela Rorex and that day she made history back in 1975. We’re listening back to that conversation today. 

A few years back, federal regulators gave an ultimatum to negotiators from the seven states that rely on Colorado River water. It boiled down to find a path forward, or we'll figure one out for you. It was a big ask. The agreement over how to share river water was a century old and overdue for an update. Severe drought strained the river and its reservoirs. Cities in the region, from Denver to Los Angeles, had grown dramatically over the decades.   So negotiators from various states talked for years without agreeing how to divvy up the river going forward. And now federal officials are moving forward with their vow to take control. Last week at a conference in Boulder they announced they plan to call the shots for the next decade.  So, with reservoirs in the Colorado River basin at alarmingly low levels, will this new arrangement help or create more disagreements? And will this be a turning point for the river? Alex Hager has covered the Colorado River for KUNC News as well as KJZZ, who are our partners in the Mountain West News Bureau. He spoke with In The NoCo’s Brad Turner about what the decision means for the 40 million people across the Southwest who rely on the river. 

In 2004, Tom Mowle was a political science professor at the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs.  It was early in the Iraq war. The U.S had invaded just the year before. A top general asked for help understanding the landscape in Iraq, and Tom volunteered. A few weeks later, Tom left his desk job and flew to Baghdad. He had no idea what he was getting into. He lost colleagues throughout the war and lived on a base that was frequently under fire.   He revisited those experiences in his new book. It’s called Chaos in the Green Zone: My Time as an Iraq War Strategist. Tom spent more than a decade working on the memoir. He spoke with In The NoCo’s Brad Turner about his account of what went wrong in the Iraq War, and what lessons military leaders might apply as the conflict with Iran continues. Read an excerpt from the book.

Scientists in Boulder at the National Center for Atmospheric Research study everything from storms to wildfires to drought. But recently, the Trump administration has worked to dismantle NCAR – and to hand over its supercomputer, a core piece of NCAR’s technology. The powerful supercomputer helps study weather and climate.  The administration wants the University of Wyoming to manage the supercomputer. It’s currently managed by a group of more than 100 universities that oversee it at NCAR’s headquarters in Boulder. Last week, a federal judge paused that transfer.  Colorado Sun reporter Michael Booth talked with In The NoCo’s Brad Turner about the judge’s reasoning, why the supercomputer was on the table and how the uncertainty around NCAR’s future has taken a serious toll on the staff. 

People in Colorado have found themselves in the middle of some nasty encounters with moose in recent weeks.   A moose attacked a woman last weekend in Steamboat Springs. The woman was airlifted to the hospital with serious injuries. Wildlife officials say the moose was likely trying to protect its two calves. And that incident came on the heels of other moose encounters that left people injured near Fairplay and Grand Lake, the Denver Post reported. Around this time last year, In The NoCo’s Erin O’Toole talked about this with Bridget O'Rourke – who’s a public information officer with Colorado Parks and Wildlife. And we’re revisiting that interview today. They spoke after several moose encounters that happened in summer 2025. Here’s Bridget offering Erin some advice on how to be safe around moose -- and explaining what makes them dangerous 

Summertime in Colorado often means the air we breathe is a little compromised.  There are ozone alert days, when the nastier components in the air along the Front Range make the air feel a little thicker. And there are those hazy wildfire days when smoke irritates your lungs and stings your eyes.  Our guest today says we shouldn’t overlook the importance of indoor air quality. Delphine Farmer is a professor of chemistry at Colorado State University who says the air inside our homes is one of the biggest influences on our health – whether it's fine particulates from cooking, or fumes from bathroom cleaners.  Delphine shared some tips with Erin O’Toole on how to spruce up the air inside your home and what to watch for as you do it. * * * * *Sign up for the In The NoCo newsletter: Visit KUNC.orgQuestions? Feedback? Story ideas? Email us: [email protected] what you're hearing? Help more people discover In The NoCo by rating the show on your favorite podcast app. Thanks! Host and Producer: Erin O'TooleExecutive Producer: Brad Turner Theme music by Robbie ReverbAdditional music by Blue Dot SessionsIn The NoCo is a production of KUNC News and Community Radio for Northern Colorado.

The soldiers who trained in Colorado for alpine combat in World War II helped turn the tide of the war. And later, many of them changed outdoor recreation in Colorado as we know it.  The U.S. Army built Camp Hale in the high country near Leadville. Thousands of soldiers there trained for skiing, rock climbing and other elements of high-altitude combat.    But the story of Camp Hale and the 10th Mountain Division didn’t end there. After the war, many of those veterans became trailblazers in the outdoor sports world. Some became athletes; others started ski resorts or recreation companies, while others helped invent or redesign outdoor gear.   A new History Colorado exhibit now open in Leadville highlights the soldiers of Camp Hale, and the post-war contributions that the soldiers of the 10th Mountain Division made to Colorado’s outdoor recreation economy and culture. Sydney Mauck is History Colorado's Anschutz Military Collections specialist.  She spoke with Erin O’Toole about Camp Hale’s enduring legacy. If you enjoyed this conversation, check out Part 1 of the discussion about the soldiers who trained at Camp Hale. * * * * *Sign up for the In The NoCo newsletter: Visit KUNC.org Questions? Feedback? Story ideas? Email us: [email protected] Like what you're hearing? Help more people discover In The NoCo by rating the show on your favorite podcast app. Thanks!  Host and Producer: Erin O'Toole Executive Producer: Brad Turner  Theme music by Robbie Reverb Additional music by Blue Dot Sessions In The NoCo is a production of KUNC News and Community Radio for Northern Colorado.

During World War II, the U.S. Army built a unique training ground in the mountains outside Leadville.   At Camp Hale, soldiers in what would become the 10th Mountain Division trained for combat in extreme alpine conditions. And that led to key victories for Allied forces in the mountains of Europe. After the war, some of the soldiers returned to Colorado and helped launch the state’s ski industry.  A new History Colorado exhibit called Winter Warriors explores the legacy of Camp Hale and its impact on surrounding communities. It’s on display at the Healey House Museum in Leadville.   With Colorado celebrating 150 years of statehood this year, we wanted to learn more about this fascinating piece of the state’s history. So we reached out to Sydney Mauck, History Colorado's Anschutz Military Collections specialist.  She talked with Erin O'Toole about the U.S. Army’s first, and only, winter warfare division – and the pivotal role of these "soldiers on skis" in World War II. * * * * *Sign up for the In The NoCo newsletter: Visit KUNC.org Questions? Feedback? Story ideas? Email us: [email protected] Like what you're hearing? Help more people discover In The NoCo by rating the show on your favorite podcast app. Thanks!  Host and Producer: Erin O'Toole Executive Producer: Brad Turner  Theme music by Robbie Reverb Additional music by Blue Dot Sessions In The NoCo is a production of KUNC News and Community Radio for Northern Colorado.

Mental health challenges for young people in Colorado — and what to do about them.  First, some good news: Colorado has seen improvements in some of the most alarming trends for youth mental health. Incidents of suicide by young people have fallen by more than half from their peak level in 2020.  But some nagging — and serious — issues remain when it comes to kids and their mental wellbeing. Doctors and emergency room staffers in Colorado say they routinely see teens admitted for depression, anxiety and panic attacks.  So, today’s episode is about some possible solutions.  Erica Breunlin covers education for The Colorado Sun. She spent time recently with members of the Youth Council on Mental Health. It's a group of young people from around the state who offer advice to policy makers and healthcare providers on what might make a difference in kids’ mental health. The group is affiliated with Children’s Hospital Colorado. Erica had some frank and sometimes revealing conversations with kids on the council. She spoke with Erin O’Toole to share some of what she learned. * * * * *Sign up for the In The NoCo newsletter: Visit KUNC.org Questions? Feedback? Story ideas? Email us: [email protected] Like what you're hearing? Help more people discover In The NoCo by rating the show on your favorite podcast app. Thanks!  Host and Producer: Erin O'Toole Executive Producer: Brad Turner  Theme music by Robbie Reverb Additional music by Blue Dot Sessions In The NoCo is a production of KUNC News and Community Radio for Northern Colorado.

Colorado has played a leading role in many films. The state’s western landscapes can be seen in movies like The Hateful Eight and Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade.   Then there’s the famous scene in Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid in which Paul Newman and Robert Redford leap off the edge of a cliff into the rushing river below. That scene was filmed near Durango, above the Animas River.   Robert Redford famously spent a lot of time in Boulder. And actors like Don Cheadle and Pam Grier have all come from Colorado.    This summer, the first-ever Colorado 150 Film Festival will celebrate these movies and actors with screenings of 150 films being shown in 35 independent theaters across the state. It’s also a celebration of the state’s 150th anniversary on Aug. 1.  One of the festival’s organizers, Rob DuRay, spoke with Erin O’Toole about the festival and where Colorado’s film industry might go from here.  The Colorado 150 Film Festival begins this weekend and continues through November. View the full lineup of films and venues. * * * * *Sign up for the In The NoCo newsletter: Visit KUNC.org Questions? Feedback? Story ideas? Email us: [email protected] Like what you're hearing? Help more people discover In The NoCo by rating the show on your favorite podcast app. Thanks!  Host and Producer: Erin O'Toole Executive Producer: Brad Turner  Theme music by Robbie Reverb Additional music by Blue Dot Sessions In The NoCo is a production of KUNC News and Community Radio for Northern Colorado.