Best KUNC Digital Podcasts (2025)

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Hundreds of birds and other animals strike planes at DIA each year. Here’s how airport officials manage the problem 9:14

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2h ago9:14

9:14

Back in April, a commercial flight carrying 159 people had a major scare as it took off from Denver International Airport: The United Airlines flight struck an animal, which crippled one of the plane’s engines and forced the crew to make an emergency landing. As it turns out, the threat to aircraft from birds, rabbits and other animals is something…

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The number of satellites circling the Earth is increasing. A unique summit at CU looks at why that might be a problem 9:14

1d ago9:14

9:14

The vast space around earth is getting a little crowded. There are nearly 10,000 satellites in Earth’s low orbit, the space just outside our planet’s atmosphere. And space companies plan to launch tens of thousands more in coming years. That could led to problems like interruptions to communications from satellites that monitor the weather. Or we c…

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A ‘groundbreaking’ law boosted voter turnout in Colorado’s jails. Here’s why it made a difference 9:14

2d ago9:14

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Last year, Colorado lawmakers passed an unusual law. It directed every county in the state to set up in-person voting for incarcerated people in jails, many of whom are awaiting trial and haven’t been convicted of a crime. The new law is the first of its kind in the nation. It's an effort to support voting rights for a population that is often cons…

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Leadville’s massive ‘ice palace’ was an engineering feat. A new book explores how it came together 9:14

3d ago9:14

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In 1895, Leadville city leaders faced a dilemma. The silver mining industry had made the town quite wealthy. But then the silver market crashed, and the city's fortunes cratered right along with it. Residents were leaving in droves to seek better opportunities. So, city leaders came up with an unusual idea to draw tourists to Leadville, entice peop…

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Art, music and theatre programs are dwindling in Colorado classrooms. But some schools offer glimmers of hope 15:14

5d ago15:14

15:14

Many students in Colorado schools don’t have much of a chance to act onstage, play an instrument or hone their craft at painting. Arts programs in most public schools have been cut severely due to tight budgets and to make room for classes that help schools get higher scores on standardized tests. So a team of KUNC reporters recently wondered: What…

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How Colorado shed the 'Hate State' label in a legal fight that went before the U.S. Supreme Court 9:14

6d ago9:14

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More than three decades ago Colorado was known as the Hate State. In 1992 Colorado voters passed Amendment 2, which banned anti-discrimination laws meant to protect gays, lesbians, and bisexuals. But the Amendment never went into effect because there was immediate backlash. It was challenged again and again for being unconstitutional, bringing it a…

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How growing up in Colorado influenced Oscar-winning actor Hattie McDaniel’s career 9:14

7d ago9:14

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Hattie McDaniel was the first African American to win an Oscar. The actor won for her role as Mammy in the film “Gone with the Wind.” And McDaniel spent much of her childhood in Colorado: A plaque marks her family’s former home in Fort Collins. Growing up, she attended public schools in Denver. McDaniel was in her 40s when she won the best supporti…

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Why a CU researcher thinks a vaccine against weight gain could be on the horizon 9:14

8d ago9:14

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A vaccine against weight gain may be a reality soon, thanks to new research from the University of Colorado Boulder. The study focuses on a strain of bacteria that prevents obesity by reducing inflammation. Chris Lowry is a professor of integrative physiology and CU and led the research. His study found that he could prevent mice from becoming over…

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Lincoln Hills was an important mountain resort for Black Americans. A new History Colorado exhibit revisits it 9:14

9d ago9:14

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Summer heat in Colorado has many people dreaming about escaping to the cool air of the mountains. But for Black Americans in the 1920s and 30s, segregation and discrimination severely restricted where they could travel and take a vacation. Which is why, in 1922, Lincoln Hills emerged as a mountain resort created by and for African Americans. It sit…

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Colorado’s landfills are a major source of methane emissions. Here’s how regulators hope to change that 9:14

10d ago9:14

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If you've ever walked near a landfill, or driven by one on a warm summer day with your windows down, you know there's a certain smell it puts out. But Colorado's landfills also produce massive amounts of methane, emitting as much dirty air as driving a million cars for a year. Landfills are the third-largest source of methane emissions in Colorado,…

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Why signs asking national parks visitors to report ‘negative’ historic information are causing concern 9:14

13d ago9:14

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Colorado has 13 sites that are part of the National Park System. And visitors may notice some striking new signs posted in the parks when they visit this summer. The U.S. Department of the Interior, which oversees the National Park Service, is requiring the posting of signs that ask visitors to identify and report “any signs or other information th…

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Vegetables that ripen whenever you’re ready to eat them? Scientists at CSU want to make it a reality 9:14

14d ago9:14

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Imagine being able to control exactly when the plants in your vegetable garden will ripen. New research out of Colorado State University could make that concept a reality. Researchers there have been working to create what they call “genetic toggle switches” embedded in the DNA of plants. The researchers plug synthetic DNA into a plant’s genetic ma…

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A complex cleanup of ‘forever’ chemicals at DIA recently ended. Now what happens to the leftover waste? 9:14

15d ago9:14

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More than 82 million people passed through Denver International Airport last year – and almost none of them noticed the very complicated cleanup project happening right under their noses. Airport officials spent $3 million dollars cleaning up toxic chemicals left over from the firefighting foam the airport used on its runways in the past. The foam …

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This Boulder County clerk made history when she issued a marriage license to a gay couple 50 years ago 9:14

16d ago9:14

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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 i…

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How transporting renewable electricity by train could help Colorado hit its clean energy goals 9:14

17d ago9:14

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Colorado has ambitious goals around renewable energy. Gov. Jared Polis is aiming for 100 percent of the energy in the state to come from renewable sources by the year 2040. But there’s an obstacle: Colorado doesn’t have enough power lines to deliver all that renewable energy from where it’s produced – often in rural parts of the state – to where it…

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The Stanley Hotel is a Colorado icon. An unusual alliance could help the hotel thrive in the years ahead 9:14

20d ago9:14

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The Stanley Hotel is a cultural landmark of Estes Park. It was built in the early 1900s, and soon became a popular Colorado getaway for wealthy vacationers. But it's perhaps most well-known as the inspiration for Stephen King's The Shining. Today, the hotel caters to horror fans with ghost tours, while visitors who prefer a calmer vacation enjoy wa…

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Sen. John Hickenlooper: Speeding up wildfire prevention work could help a “tinderbox situation” in the West 9:14

21d ago9:14

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Colorado has been impacted severely by wildfires in recent years. And, as climate change continues to intensify, the threat is growing. Colorado Sen. John Hickenlooper, a Democrat, recently co-sponsored a sweeping new bill to expand, and speed up, wildfire prevention efforts across the country. It’s called the Fix Our Forests Act. It calls for more…

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How an unusual CSU program helps restore bison herds across the American West 9:14

22d ago9:14

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A small herd of bison roams the Soapstone Prairie north of Fort Collins. The herd offers a glimpse of what Colorado’s high plains looked like 200 years ago. These bison are unique for a few reasons. First, they’re descendants of the herd at Yellowstone National Park. Second, while most bison today carry some cattle DNA, this herd has nearly pure bi…

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ACLU lawyers say camping is so central to Colorado’s culture that ‘camping bans’ should be illegal. Will a judge agree? 9:14

23d ago9:14

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A unique legal argument caught our attention recently here at In The NoCo. It’s about rules banning people experiencing homelessness from sleeping in public places in Boulder. The recent court filing by the ACLU of Colorado argues that camping is so fundamental to the culture and history of Colorado that cities should not be allowed to punish peopl…

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Afraid of flying? These tips from an MSU Denver psychologist can help get you off the ground 9:14

24d ago9:14

9:14

Commercial airline travel is one of the safest ways to get around. In 2024, around five billion passengers worldwide flew on 40 million flights, according to the International Air Transport Association. In that year there was less than one aircraft-related accident for every million flights in the air. In other words, the odds are in your favor whe…

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Growing your own Palisade peach tree is harder than it sounds. Here’s how to give it your best shot 9:14

27d ago9:14

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Picture this: It’s a warm summer evening. You’ve got burgers and sweet corn roasting on the grill. And for dessert, homemade cobbler with fresh peaches – picked right off your very own peach tree. If you live along the Front Range, you might think the only place you can get sweet, juicy Palisade peaches is at your local farmer's market. But it is p…

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A Denver Art Museum exhibit helps visitors confront tough emotions – with help from cuddly, crocheted monsters 9:14

28d ago9:14

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Fear. Anxiety. Shame. And a horde of colorful, crocheted monsters. It’s all part of a new exhibit at the Denver Art Museum that asks visitors to confront some uncomfortable emotions. Denver artist Sadie Young has created cuddly and soft monsters with vivid colors and big eyes. And they’re all crocheted out of thousands of yards of yarn. Some are la…

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The goo under your fridge or air conditioner just might help fight climate change. Here’s why 9:14

29d ago9:14

9:14

The goo and gunk you find in your dishwasher, or in the drip tray underneath your refrigerator, could hold secrets to fighting climate change or reducing pollution. That’s according to James Henrickson, a research scientist from Colorado State University. He says your hot water heater, washing machine, and shower are similar to hot springs or volca…

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Latina mothers deal with high rates of postpartum depression. This unusual CU program uses peer support to help them 9:14

1M ago9:14

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The effects of post-partum depression or anxiety can be debilitating. Research shows one in five mothers experience post-partum mental health challenges after childbirth. And that number is even higher for Latina mothers living in the United States. Nearly half of them experience post-partum mental health issues. But organizers of a unique research…

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Drought continues to plague the Colorado River basin. Could cloud seeding be a helpful solution? 9:14

1M ago9:14

9:14

Manipulating the clouds to make it rain or snow sounds like something straight out of science fiction. But in reality, the technology behind cloud seeding is decades old, going back to the 1940s. The science of cloud seeding got some new attention recently after lawmakers ordered the Government Accountability Office to look into the technology as w…

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Rock climbing without ropes comes with risks and rewards. This climber set out to crunch the numbers 9:14

1M ago9:14

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A few weeks back, Boulder Reporting Lab published an unusual article. The writer, Simon Testa, told his story using data and statistics to wrestle with the risk associated with a type of rock climbing called scrambling. Simon lives in Boulder, and scrambling is his favorite hobby. He even wrote a scrambling guidebook. He climbs up huge rock walls w…

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What would federal funding cuts mean for local public media stations like KUNC? 9:14

1M ago9:14

9:14

It's a precarious moment for public media. The Trump administration has declared it wants to end federal funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting – which supports stations that carry programs from NPR and PBS. If you’re wondering where all of that leaves a local station like KUNC or The Colorado Sound, we’re actually trying to figure tha…

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The Colorado Rockies are struggling more than ever. Why do plenty of fans still show up to Coors Field? 9:14

1M ago9:14

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The Colorado Rockies have some of the most loyal fans in all of baseball. And that might be part of their problem. The Rockies are off to their worst start of any team in Major League Baseball’s modern history. And yet the fans still show up. It's been the story of the Rockies for years: The team struggles. The fans keep coming. And the steady tick…

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It’s miller moth time again. An expert explains why they’re cooler than you think 9:14

1M ago9:14

9:14

Each spring, the Front Range endures miller moth season. Even in relatively mild years, the tiny, winged visitors enter our homes, annoy us and even frighten us. But they’re also fascinating. So, we talked with Karim Gharbi – an insect expert and horticulture specialist with Colorado State University Extension – to unpack the mysteries of the mille…

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Colorado has a strong bicycling culture. So why have high-profile bike races struggled here? 9:14

1M ago9:14

9:14

Colorado’s mountain passes and great weather make it a destination for competitive cyclists. But the history of professional cycling races in Colorado is a rocky one. Races like the Colorado Classic, the Coors Classic, and The USA Pro Cycling Challenge have all come and gone over the years. So, we were intrigued when an events company recently anno…

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These women inspired the names of some of Colorado’s biggest landmarks. A new book uncovers their stories 9:14

1M ago9:14

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Colorado has an abundance of mountains named after famous men – think Long’s Peak, Mount Wilson, or Pikes Peak. Since childhood, Sarah Hahn Campbell has been fascinated by the people behind place names. But she discovered little to no information on peaks, lakes or trails named after women. So, in 2017, the Denver-based author and high school teach…

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Self-care shouldn’t be self-centered, a Boulder compassion researcher argues in his new book 9:13

1M ago9:13

9:13

There’s a lot of content these days about self-care: how to stay mentally and physically balanced when work, family or other stresses grind you down. We often see social media influencers posting about bubble baths, the perfect tea, or the best skin care routine. But a new book argues that self-care isn’t simply about focusing on ourselves. Rather,…

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Why ‘No Mow May’ might be a bad strategy for a healthy lawn in Colorado 9:14

1M ago9:14

9:14

You know spring is here when the sound of lawn mowers fills your neighborhood. But some folks think mowing isn’t a great idea this time of year. There’s been a trend in yard care called No Mow May – as in, don’t mow your lawn until June. The concept started in the U.K. in 2019. The idea is to protect pollinators like bees and butterflies by letting…

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Ready to dust off your bicycle for a springtime ride? We asked a bike maintenance expert for advice 9:14

1M ago9:14

9:14

Colorado is home to lots of people who are passionate about bicycling. They ride during all seasons. Our host, Erin O’Toole, however, is more of a casual bike rider, with her bicycle spending many of the colder months cooped up in the garage. This means it often needs some maintenance before going on that first cruise of the year. So today we’re ta…

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Why a program that helped farmers and ranchers avoid mental health crises is on hold 9:14

2M ago9:14

9:14

For the past seven years if you were a Colorado farmer who was struggling and felt overwhelmed, you had a place to turn for help. The AgWell program offered mental health support to farmers and ranchers in several Western states. It gave them stress management tools and support from their peers. That’s important because farmers statistically strugg…

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An unusual book of art is headed to the moon. This Colorado artist helped create it 9:14

2M ago9:14

9:14

An artist in Lakewood who specializes in creating tiny books and illustrations received an unusual offer recently. An art gallery reached out to Evan Lorenzen and asked for his help in creating a book of original art – no bigger than your thumbnail – to be placed on the moon. The Moon Gallery, based in Amsterdam, works to send cultural artifacts in…

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How Colorado’s small outdoor businesses are coping with pressure from Trump’s threatened tariffs 9:14

2M ago9:14

9:14

When people speculate about fallout from President Trump's threatened tariffs, they often talk about how tariffs on steel could drive up car prices, or how tariffs on some food products or imported wines will drive up prices at the store. But tariffs are hitting some small outdoor recreation businesses in Colorado especially hard. Think about the p…

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Why cannabis holds real promise as a treatment for cancer, according to a sweeping new study 9:14

2M ago9:14

9:14

A new study suggests that researchers should take a closer look at cannabis as a treatment for cancer and its symptoms. The team behind the study says the results suggest the federal government should remove restrictions on that research. An organization called Cancer Playbook, which is based in Evergreen, paid for the study. Cancer Playbook’s head…

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How a team of CSU engineering students designed an innovative new prosthetic foot 9:14

2M ago9:14

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An innovative new prosthetic foot dreamed up by students at Colorado State University could offer new options to amputees and other people with limb differences. The team behind it calls it the “Goldilocks foot” because it serves as a middle option. It’s more comfortable than cheaper prosthetics but costs less than prosthetics built for running and…

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A Berthoud writer’s horror novel highlights the crisis of missing and murdered Indigenous women 9:14

2M ago9:14

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Writer Cassondra Windwalker’s new horror novel uses fiction to highlight a real-life crisis that often goes ignored. Ghost Girls and Rabbits touches on the thousands of unsolved cases of Indigenous American and Alaska Native women who were missing or murdered. More than 4,000 cases fit that description, according to the U.S. Bureau of Indian Affair…

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Building data centers in Colorado: Do the economic benefits outweigh the environmental costs? 9:14

2M ago9:14

9:14

In 2025, artificial intelligence gives us personalized shopping recommendations. It writes emails for us. And all those quick tasks require lightning-fast computing and huge amounts of data. Which is why tech companies like Microsoft and Amazon are building massive data centers around the country. Some state lawmakers have proposed incentives for c…

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Inside a unique program that lets high school students shape Colorado state law 9:14

2M ago9:14

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Some of Colorado’s state laws share an unusual origin story. One set aside money to help foster kids attend college. Another provides free menstrual products in schools. A third law funded an awareness program to prevent eating disorders. All of these are laws that were designed and proposed by high school students, who actually drafted the languag…

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Why a Boulder doctor who specialized in abortions later in pregnancy has closed his clinic after 50 years 9:14

2M ago9:14

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A clinic in Boulder that was one of only a handful in the country to provide abortions in later pregnancy has closed. Dr. Warren Hern, who operated Boulder Abortion Clinic for 50 years, announced earlier this month that he was retiring and that the clinic would stop scheduling patients. The closure means one less clinic in Colorado at a time when m…

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A CU professor got a grant to teach kids about artificial intelligence. Then the National Science Foundation abruptly killed it 9:14

2M ago9:14

9:14

Casey Fiesler had an intriguing idea for a research project. Casey teaches information science and technology at the University of Colorado. And she wanted to create social media content that would help young people understand how artificial intelligence works. The National Science Foundation, or NSF, liked Casey's proposal too — so much that they …

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Fatal crashes involving pedestrians are rare in Boulder even as they increase statewide. Here’s why 9:14

2M ago9:14

9:14

Fatal traffic accidents involving pedestrians are on the rise in Colorado. In 2023, the most recent year for which data is available,135 pedestrians died in Colorado traffic accidents. That’s more than twice as many pedestrians as died in traffic crashes a decade earlier, according to a story from the Colorado Sun. But the number of pedestrian deat…

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Fasting three days per week may be the best diet strategy for weight loss, a new CU study says 9:14

2M ago9:14

9:14

If you've tried a slew of dieting routines with minimal success – think the Keto Diet, Caveman Diet, or South Beach Diet – a new study says you might have better luck fasting a few days per week. University of Colorado researchers recently found that participants who fasted three days each week were more successful at losing weight than participant…

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Finding a new home for millions of pounds of industrial waste is big business for this Colorado company 9:14

2M ago9:14

9:14

Recycled wooden barrels. Used steel beams. Reclaimed railroad ties. These are the kinds of things you can find at repurposedMATERIALS in Lafayette. The company acquires discarded industrial materials and products and resells them instead of sending them to a landfill. Damon Carson founded the business in 2011 after running two trash companies. The …

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Want to plant water-efficient landscaping but worried your HOA won’t like it? State law is on your side 9:15

2M ago9:15

9:15

A growing number of home gardeners are turning to drought-tolerant plantings – think native plants like yucca, milkweed, or yarrow. For years, many homeowners’ associations in Colorado didn’t make it easy to install xeric landscaping or water-saving tools like rain barrels. But homeowners, state law is on your side. In recent years, Colorado legisl…

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The elusive Mountain Plover draws hundreds of bird lovers to a Colorado festival each spring. Here’s why 9:14

2M ago9:14

9:14

Mountain Plovers are a celebrated bird species in parts of Colorado. But if you’ve never seen one, you’re in the majority. Mountain Plovers nest on Colorado’s eastern plains and are sometimes referred to as the “prairie ghost” because their sandy-colored plumage makes them hard to spot. The annual Mountain Plover Festival in Karval – which begins t…

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As measles cases increase across the country, can Colorado doctors prevent an outbreak here? 9:14

2M ago9:14

9:14

Colorado health officials are watching with concern as measles cases increase around the country. Outbreaks of the highly contagious disease are on the rise in two dozen states. Most of the country’s 800 cases so far are in Texas. But the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment has confirmed three cases in our state so far – and offici…