Aspen Public Radio Newscast

On today's newscast: Pitkin County commissioners weigh the risks of proclaiming June as LGBTQIA+ Pride Month amid concerns over potential federal funding cuts; a Denver lawyer representing workers' rights cases, including a lawsuit in Aspen, announced his candidacy for Colorado Attorney General last month; and environmental advocates warn the Supreme Court's recent ruling on a proposed oil train in the region could undermine key environmental laws and public challenges. Tune in for these stories and more.

On today's newscast: Garfield County's planning commission has voted unanimously to deny Nutrient Farm's agritourism proposal, but the final decision now rests with county commissioners; the FBI is now investigating after eight people were injured in Boulder yesterday afternoon when a man threw Molotov cocktails at a group rallying for the release of Hamas hostages; and after state lawmakers unanimously approved a bill to cap ambulance ride costs, Gov. Polis's veto last week left many supporters shocked. Tune in for these stories and more.

On today's newscast: A Latino advocacy group raises concerns that the Roaring Fork School District isn't doing enough to bridge the achievement gap between White and Latino students; Colorado has allocated $130 million to bolster the state's safety-net hospitals and clinics; and the U.S. Supreme Court has ruled in favor of developers looking to build a railway for transporting fossil fuels from Utah through the Rocky Mountains. Tune in for these stories and more.

On today's newscast: The traffic lights at two narrow portions of Independence Pass came down this year; the Colorado Cattlemen's Association reported multiple wolf depredation incidents in the last week at three ranches in the Roaring Fork Valley region; and a fatal neurological disease that affects deer and elk is spreading in Wyoming. Tune in for the stories and more.

On today's newscast: Basalt is stepping up with seed funding as two Roaring Fork Valley mobile home parks fight to stay in the hands of their residents; a new focus group in the Roaring Fork Valley is exploring how intentional communities could help adults with disabilities live more independently; and scientists are sounding the alarm over federal budget cuts they say could jeopardize weather forecasting and decades of climate research. Tune in for the stories and more.

On today's newscast: Aspen Public Radio and NPR are suing the Trump administration, alongside two other Colorado-based public radio stations, CPR and KSUT; the Aspen Education Foundation wants to build a $10-million endowment for the Outdoor Education program at the Aspen School District; and Gov. Polis has vetoed a rideshare safety bill that was prompted by the sexual assault of a state lawmaker. Tune in for the stories and more.

On today's newscast: There was an uptick in community reports last week of ICE activity in the Roaring Fork Valley and I-70 mountain corridor; the Aspen-Pitkin County Airport's upcoming overhaul of its runway, terminal and west-side general aviation infrastructure is expected to cost $518 million through 2029; and Gov. Jared Polis says that a budget passed by the U.S. House of Representatives would be disastrous for Colorado. Tune in for the stories and more.

On today's newscast: An Aspen-based developer made progress on workforce housing projects in Parachute and Fruita this week, Snowmass Village moved forward on its affordable housing project, the National Weather Service in our region is seeing impacts of the federal hiring freeze and cuts, some local government offices will be closed on Memorial Day, and more.

On today's newscast: Local health providers are worried about access to abortion pills, the Aspen School District is considering cost-cutting and ballot measures to rebuild its reserve funds, a new employer-based child care facility is coming to the CMC Spring Valley Campus next year, Independence Pass will open ahead of Memorial Day weekend, and more.

On today's newscast: Roaring Fork Habitat for Humanity announced its new CEO, the BLM is assessing whether e-bikes should be allowed on Crown Mountain trails, Roaring Fork Conservancy is offering clinics to get more women into fly fishing, a new report finds mixed results for air quality in our region, and more.

Millions of people in the U.S. experience domestic and sexual violence each year, including children and teens. To try to prevent this from happening, Basalt-based nonprofit Response is partnering with K-12 schools from Aspen to Carbondale to teach students about consent and healthy relationships in the age of smartphones and social media.

On today's newscast: EcoFlight gave aerial tours of our region amid threats to public lands, crews are mitigating wildfire risk at South Canyon in response to an ongoing underground coal mine fire, six front range cities are suing the state over housing laws, it's "Bonedale Bike Week" in Carbondale, and more.

On today's newscast: As mobile home parks in the Roaring Fork Valley work toward ownership, Mountain Mobile Home Park in Glenwood Springs received a $1.5 million loan from the city last week, a couple of Coloradans were at the Supreme Court last week to hear the historic arguments dealing with birthright citizenship and the power of lower court judges, one company in our region is partnering with private property owners to help people access more public lands, and more.

On today's newscast: Aspen and Pitkin County step up to make riding the bus free this fall, in the hopes that traffic take a back seat; the Roaring Fork School District is trying to close the achievement gap between White and Latino students; and Uber and Lyft are formally asking Gov. Jared Polis to veto a rideshare bill intended to increase safety for passengers and drivers. Tune in for these stories and more.

On today's newscast: Colorado Parks and Wildlife says its Range Rider Program is now fully staffed and ready to be deployed to reduce wolf conflicts in the state; the sports betting industry continues to thrive in Colorado, even as the randomness of outcomes sometimes hurts the bottom line; and newly released documents reveal the Trump administration's energy push on public lands, but much of the story is hidden behind redactions. Tune in for these stories and more.

On today's newscast: Despite pushback and a split vote, Basalt's Town Council moved forward with a bold new fee on short-term rentals — one that could cost owners thousands each year; the X Games will return to Aspen for the 25th consecutive year in January 2026; and after a major gas spill on their land, the Southern Ute Tribe is demanding stronger action from the pipeline company responsible for the contamination. Tune in for these stories and more.

On today's newscast: A proposed short-term rental fee in Basalt is sparking controversy, and some residents say they're ready to take the town to court; Bruce Berger's Aspen cabin on West Main Street was added to the National Register of Historic Places; and businesses that raise their prices during a natural disaster or other emergency could be punished for price gouging under a new state law. Tune in for these stories and more.

On today's newscast: Valley View Hospital expands regional breast-cancer care with a new specialist and high-risk clinic; the second annual Backcountry Symposium is this weekend; and a new bill could change how rideshares operate in Colorado — and Uber's threatening to pull out of the state if it passes. Tune in for these stories and more.

On today's newscast: A new report could reshape the future of the Brush Creek Park and Ride, from who oversees it to where you can park overnight; Roaring Fork Outdoor Volunteers is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year; and Colorado lawmakers adjourned for the year Wednesday with an important issue unresolved — revising the state's first-in-the-nation AI law. Tune in for these stories and more.

On today's newscast: A proposed affordable-housing rule meant to level the playing field sparked pushback from longtime locals, and so the APCHA board decided against the controversial policy; an initiative to create more affordable and accessible childcare in the Roaring Fork Valley is one step closer to achieving its goal; and a late-night amendment to a federal budget bill could open the door to public-land sales, leaving Democrats fuming. Tune in for these stories and more.

On today's newscast: Aspen-Sopris District Ranger Kevin Warner painted a bleak picture to Pitkin County commissioners during an impromptu update on Forest Service staffing and budget capacity; Garfield County commissioners are trying to get U.S. Secretary of the Interior Doug Bergum out to Colorado for the 2026 Jolt Energy Summit in Grand Junction; and President Donald Trump is urging the Department of Justice to help free former Mesa County Clerk Tina Peters, who is serving time for tampering with election equipment. Tune in for these stories and more.

On today's newscast: Site prep for the controversial Lift One Corridor project in Aspen will likely start this summer; a decades-long push to protect the Crystal River gains new urgency — and faces new hurdles — at the federal level; and Colorado lawmakers are racing the clock to pass major bills before the legislative session ends, including a key change to labor law. Tune in for these stories and more.

On today's newscast: A late-night executive order targets NPR and PBS funding — what it means for public media and local stations like Aspen Public Radio; Snowmass Village has several new art installations around town; and Colorado River experts are providing a roadmap for solving the region's water crisis. Tune in for these stories and more.

On today's newscast: A few hundred protesters gathered yesterday at Sayre Park in Glenwood Springs for the May Day National Day of Action, highlighting concerns over cuts to public programs and the targeting of immigrants; a new report shows the Trump administration's plans to repeal clean-energy tax credits could increase energy bills for households; and while snowpack was near normal for much of the upper Colorado River Basin this winter, drought forecasters say the spring runoff will be well below normal. Tune in for these stories and more.

On today's newscast: Eagle County commissioners passed a resolution reaffirming their support for all community members on Tuesday; Colorado lawmakers voted to create a statewide curriculum on Black history; and as homeowners across the Mountain West face rising insurance costs and dropped coverage, Idaho takes a rare step to pull back the curtain on the industry. Tune in for these stories and more.

On today's newscast: The Aspen Fire Protection District announced that deputy chief of operations Jacob Andersen is the only finalist for the organization's CEO and fire chief position; Colorado has joined 24 other states in suing the federal government over its gutting of the AmeriCorps volunteer program; and a coalition of Native American tribes has been working to protect Bears Ears, which holds sacred significance for the tribes. Tune in for these stories and more.

On today's newscast: Jonathan Godes is now the director of the I-70 Coalition, following his eight-year tenure as Glenwood Springs mayor and council member; Aspen City Council pushes back against a proposal to limit lottery entries for deed-restricted housing, sparking debate over how to balance fairness for long-time residents and newcomers; and U.S. Army officials said several active-duty members were swept up in a makeshift nightclub raid conducted by immigration and law enforcement over the weekend. Tune in for these stories and more.

On today's newscast: Filmmaker Soraya Simi thought her documentary about a 60-year-old paraplegic rower's solo journey across the Pacific was lost forever — until the boat carrying all of the footage washed up 4,000 miles away; long-running alt-weekly newspaper the Colorado Springs Independent is changing ownership for the third time in two years; and Gov. Jared Polis has vetoed a bill regulating social media sites, setting up a potential showdown with the legislature if it tries to override him. Tune in for these stories and more.

On today's newscast: She soars off the same jumps, skis the same grueling trails and she's the top-ranked woman on the U.S. Nordic combined team — but Nordic Annika Malacinski's Olympic dream stops at the starting line; a new proposal at the statehouse would create a coordinator position to help reduce Colorado's backlog of sexual-assault evidence kits; and a regional airport in Wyoming is the first to officially commit to dimming its lights to protect dark skies. Tune in for these stories and more.

On today's newscast: Pitkin County joined 29 other Western Slope counties, cities and towns, irrigation districts and water providers in financially backing a plan to buy a critical Colorado River water right; the winner of the 2025 Aspen Words Literary Prize was announced last night in New York City; and several counties across our region do not meet federal standards for safe air quality. Tune in for these stories and more.

On today's newscast: Residents of two mobile home parks voted to pursue ownership of their neighborhoods — if they can secure funding; comedian Maria Bamford will perform at The Arts Campus at Willits tonight; and the head of the federal agency that oversees water-sharing agreements between the U.S. and Mexico was pushed to resign this week by the Trump Administration. Tune in for these stories and more.

On today's newscast: The 18th 5Point Film Festival kicks off this week and will showcase brand new venues, reimagined events and timely films; the fate of two Venezuelan men in Colorado who fear deportation to an El Salvadoran prison is now in the hands of a federal judge; and the Department of the Interior is embarking on a major restructuring. Tune in for these stories and more.

On today's newscast: Glenwood Springs City council approved an updated tax incentive last week for the construction of another extended-stay hotel at Glenwood Meadows; Gov. Polis vetoed a bill last week critics said would hurt the public's ability to access government records; and the Trump administration has announced its intent to repeal a landmark Bureau of Land Management rule that placed conservation on equal footing with other uses of public lands. Tune in for these stories and more.

On today's newscast: A Western Slope judge issued an order to get ICE to halt immigration detentions in and around his courthouses; another court hearing over abortion rights happened in the Mountain West, this time in Wyoming; and new research shows high levels of a toxic byproduct linked to cancer and other health problems is polluting drinking-water supplies — one of the main causes is manure runoff from livestock farms. Tune in for these stories and more.

On today's newscast: Debate heats up in Pitkin County over a proposed change to the housing lottery, as officials consider whether limiting entries to one per applicant could level the playing field and create opportunities for younger homeowners; summer programming has been announced for both Anderson Ranch Arts Center and Snowmass Village's free concert series; and a federal judge blocks the removal of two Venezuelan men detained in Aurora to an El Salvadoran prison. Tune in for these stories and more.

On today's newscast: The Aspen School District is nearing a decision on the calendar for the 2026-2027 academic year, but the community remains divided over two vastly different options; Sen. John Hickenlooper (D-Colo.) visited Glenwood Springs yesterday to address concerns from Colorado River water users regarding federal funding freezes; and around 200 Coloradans are currently hospitalized with respiratory viruses — a significant drop from this winter's peak, which saw numbers three times higher. Tune in for these stories and more.

Several fires on Saturday afternoon stretched firefighting resources between Snowmass Village and Basalt; the Red Brick Center for the Arts is opening what leadership calls “the greatest show on Earth” tomorrow; and the Bureau of Land Management will no longer report the toll of environmental impacts from thousands of oil and gas leases across the Mountain West. Tune in for these stories and more.

On today's newscast: Fire managers are scheduled to ignite a 900-acre prescribed fire today on Sunnyside, a plot of National Forest System land one mile north of Aspen; English in Action hosted its annual Immigrant Voices storytelling event at TACAW last week; and U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet (D-Colo.) is running for governor. Tune in for these stories and more.

On today's newscast: The Roaring Fork Transportation Authority is considering what it would take to offer free bus service across the valley this fall; as Aspen Film's 34th Shortsfest wrapped up last week, an awards ceremony was held over the weekend; and a new federal effort aims to end homelessness among people released from prisons. Tune in for these stories and more.

On today's newscast: Pitkin County has hired Ryan Mahoney as its next deputy county manager; a ski festival for women and nonbinary people is returning to Sunlight Mountain Resort in Glenwood tomorrow; and the Trump administration is opening up almost 113 million acres of land to logging, mostly in the Mountain West region. Tune in for these stories and more.

On today's newscast: Pitkin County will contribute $2 million to a regional housing coalition over the next two years; the newly elected members of Aspen City Council were sworn in last night; and the Trump administration's new energy secretary has announced plans to open up federal lands to streamline the construction of massive data centers amid a boom in artificial intelligence. Tune in for these stories and more.

On today's newscast: Contract negotiations between Aspen Skiing Company and the union that represents ski patrollers are set to start today; Colorado Secretary of State Jena Griswold is entering the race for Attorney General; and federal forecasters are predicting a very active fire season in large swaths of the West. Tune in for these stories and more.

On today's newscast: Nearly 2,000 people turned out for Saturday's Hands Off! rally at Sayre Park in Glenwood Springs; a group of Colorado's Democratic state lawmakers are trying to expand protections for immigrants in the state; and advocates for wastewater recycling say the technology could significantly help with supply shortages on the Colorado River. Tune in for these stories and more.

On today's newscast: Funding and staff cuts at a federal agency that provides grants to libraries across the country has raised concerns for local libraries; Colorado's state treasurer Dave Young, a Democrat, is speaking out against potential deep Medicaid cuts from the Republican Congress; and The Bureau of Land Management plans to remove all wild horses from a large section of southwest Wyoming. Tune in for these stories and more.

On today's newscast: Local officials are urging residents to be aware of the risk of measles amid a nationwide outbreak, a closer look at the impact of the third annual Limitless Mountain Challenge for adaptive skiers at Snowmass, Aspen Words announced several well-known authors are coming for its first-ever Aspen Literary Festival, and more.

The Trump administration issued an executive order in January restricting federal funding to institutions that provide gender-affirming health care for patients under 19 years old. The state of Colorado has joined a lawsuit challenging that decision, but transgender teenagers remain worried about their access to health care.

On today's newscast: Voters in Aspen and Glenwood Springs have chosen their next city council members, a federal court judge has delayed a hearing on the detention of a Denver-based immigrant activist, some Colorado health centers are seeing a surge in abortion patients after Wyoming's only clinic closed, and more.

On today's newscast: Voters in Aspen and Glenwood Springs have until 7 p.m. on Tuesday to cast their ballots in two city council elections, Habitat for Humanity is seeking funds from Pitkin County to build a housing production and workforce training facility in Rifle, Response is hosting a storytelling event with survivors of domestic and sexual abuse at TACAW, and more.

On today's newscast: President Trump's tariffs on some Canadian goods have reached the Roaring Fork Valley, Mountain Rescue Aspen helped evacuate someone at the Lindley Hut, Colorado is close to having some of the strictest gun-ownership laws in the country, Aspen Film's 34th annual Shortsfest begins Monday at the Wheeler, and more.

On today's newscast: The City of Aspen has been without an official representative at the Airport Advisory Board for months and they're likely to nominate a citizen to that position, Colorado will be the new host city of the Sundance Film Festival, Colorado's job market is weaker than the numbers have been showing and more.