Kunc's Colorado Edition

The Great Gatsby is classic American literature. F. Scott Fitzgerald's novel about wealth and longing has generally been celebrated ever since it was published in 1925.  But a Colorado author’s latest book asks you to consider the story from a different vantage point. Writer Allyson Reedy recently published Mrs. Wilson’s Affair. It's told from the perspective of Myrtle Wilson – a tragic character who appears in just a handful of scenes in The Great Gatsby, and whom Fitzgerald presents in an unflattering light.  Reedy says she loves the original Gatsby – she's read it numerous times -- but she thought Myrtle deserved more of a backstory and a little more empathy.  Reedy, who lives in Broomfield and also serves as restaurant critic for 5280, spoke with Erin O’Toole in November about the novel. We’re listening back to that conversation today. Check out an excerpt from Mrs. Wilson’s Affair.   * * * * *Sign up for the In The NoCo newsletter: Visit KUNC.org Questions? Feedback? Story ideas? Email us: NOCO@KUNC.org

Runny noses. Red eyes. Sneezing and itching and grogginess. If it feels like your seasonal allergies have flared up earlier than usual, it's not your imagination.  This year’s warm, dry winter means some plants and trees are flowering – and producing pollen – even earlier than usual.  That’s happening on top of what allergy experts say is a larger trend in which pollen season starts earlier and lasts longer each year than it did two or three decades ago.  So, how is allergy season evolving? And what are the best ways to find relief from the annoyance of watering eyes, itchy throat, or constant sneezing?  Dr. Levi Keller is an assistant professor in allergy and clinical immunology with the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus. He spoke with Erin O’Toole about what’s uniquely difficult for allergy sufferers this year. * * * * *Sign up for the In The NoCo newsletter: Visit KUNC.org Questions? Feedback? Story ideas? Email us: NOCO@KUNC.org Like what you're hearing? Help more people discover In The NoCo

A diagnosis of chronic depression or bipolar disorder can be daunting. These conditions can come with feelings of sadness or despair, or intense mood swings.   But a researcher at the University of Colorado says we might be thinking too simplistically about these disorders.   June Gruber  is a professor of psychology and neuroscience who runs the Positive Emotion and Psychopathology Lab at CU Boulder. She specializes in research around happiness.  She recently looked into silver linings — or side benefits — of some common mood disorders. And what she found is encouraging — both for folks with these conditions, and those close to them.  June and her research team found those potential advantages can include a greater ability to cope with life's stresses, a tendency toward creativity and a richer social life.  June joined Erin O’Toole in December to talk about her research, which was partly inspired by watching her father deal with life with bipolar disorder. We’re listening back to that conversation today. If

Colorado could soon see a new wave of home solar power — but not in the form of the large solar panels you may see on rooftops around your neighborhood. Instead: Imagine slim, portable panels that you can attach to a porch or balcony and then plug into your wall.   Small-scale solar units like these are already popular in Europe. But they’re almost unheard of in the U.S., partly because of regulatory restrictions by power utilities but also because there aren’t many of these plug-in solar products on the market. Not yet, at least.  A bill at the Colorado statehouse could clear the way for renters, condo owners and people who can’t afford a full rooftop system to buy these plug-in panels.   State lawmakers hope to see these systems available by the end of this year.  Reporter Michael Booth covers the environment for The Colorado Sun. He spoke with Erin O’Toole about how these tiny solar power units work, and how this might look in Colorado.   * * * * *Sign up for the In The NoCo newsletter: Visit KUNC.org Ques

In most states, if someone repeatedly hasn't paid a medical bill, collectors can eventually go to that person's employer and garnish their paycheck – which means that they withhold a portion of that person's earnings to pay off the debt.   Critics of wage garnishment say the practice disproportionately affects lower income patients.   Now a bill under consideration at the state capitol would effectively prevent debt collectors from doing this – and would make Colorado one of the few states in the U.S. to ban wage garnishment for medical debt.   But some opponents say that would ultimately drive up the cost of healthcare for everyone.  Rae Ellen Bichell is Colorado correspondent for KFF Health News, which covers healthcare policy. She spoke with Erin O'Toole about why the practice is controversial, and how this proposal might affect it.   * * * * *Sign up for the In The NoCo newsletter: Visit KUNC.org Questions? Feedback? Story ideas? Email us: NOCO@KUNC.org Like what you're hearing? Help more people discover

 A bit of regional science news may have slipped past you last week. You could be forgiven if you missed the Trump administration's announcement that it's removing federal protections from a bird species known as the lesser prairie-chicken. It roams the southern Great Plains, including southeast Colorado. It makes a sound known as “booming” when it dances as part of its distinctive mating ritual.  The U.S. Fish and Wildlife’s decision to remove threatened and endangered species protections for the bird comes after farming and oil and gas trade groups complained about those restrictions.  Sometimes it can feel a little abstract when you hear about a threatened species having its protections downgraded. But today, we thought we'd offer a primer on what’s special about this unusual bird, and why its numbers have declined in recent decades. David Pavlacky is a senior research scientist with Bird Conservancy of the Rockies who studies and works to preserve lesser prairie-chicken populations. He joined Erin O'Toole

Greeley has been one of the fastest-growing metro areas in the country in recent years, according to U.S. Census data. Since 2000, the city has grown from around 76,000 residents to nearly 114,000.   An ambitious, nearly billion-dollar plan to develop 800 acres on the west side of the city would have continued that growth streak.  The project, known as Catalyst, would include homes, a luxury hotel, an indoor water park, and a new arena for the Colorado Eagles hockey team.  City leaders pointed to new jobs and sales tax revenue the development would create  – and also promised it would not raise taxes. But a group called Greeley Demands Better opposed the project and collected enough signatures to put it before voters. In a special election on Feb. 24, Greeley voters repealed the zoning for Catalyst. That stalled the project – and calls into question the city’s reputation for being friendly to developers. Reporter Dan England has covered the ups and downs of the project for the Colorado Sun. He joined Erin O’T

Climate change is a threat to the state's ski industry. Warmer winters mean shorter seasons and less snow at resorts around Colorado – and presumably, less revenue for the companies that run them. But those companies take different approaches to advocating for measures that could slow climate change, or offset it.  As Colorado’s ski industry limps through one of the driest winters in decades, today's guest recently reported on the different stances these companies have taken.  Elise Schmelzer of the Denver Post wrote about businesses like Aspen Skiing Company that openly lobby for climate change legislation – and several ski companies who simply wouldn't talk about climate change on the record. Erin O’Toole talked with Elise about her reporting, which was part of a Denver Post series on climate change and the ski industry. Who should we interview next? We always like hearing suggestions and news tips from our listeners. If you have an idea for us, email noco@kunc.org.  * * * * *Sign up for the In The NoCo new

We often think of destructive wildfires in terms of their size and the damage they cause: the number of acres burned or buildings destroyed.  But emerging research says not all major wildfires belong in the same category.   Some wildfires ignite and spread explosively. They move so swiftly that firefighting crews simply can’t keep up. The 2021 Marshall Fire, which scorched about a thousand homes in Boulder County, is one recent example of what experts call a “fast fire.” And this more destructive type of wildfire is becoming more common in a hotter, drier and more densely populated American West. Virginia Iglesias is an environmental scientist and director of Earth Lab at the University of Colorado Boulder. She studies fast fires. She joined Erin O'Toole to talk about what makes fast fires especially dangerous – and how we might respond differently to them. * * * * *Sign up for the In The NoCo newsletter: Visit KUNC.org Questions? Feedback? Story ideas? Email us: NOCO@KUNC.org Like what you're hearing? Help m

If you're a homeowner in Colorado, there are a few types of natural disaster that might threaten your home. One is wildfire. Another is a severe hailstorm. Hazards like these are the reason people buy homeowners insurance. But a new analysis released this month says that hailstorms and wildfires have very different impacts on what Coloradans pay for insurance. As you might expect, the threat of wildfires drives up premiums in areas prone to wildfire. The threat of hail, however, increases insurance costs just about everywhere in the state. And as real estate prices climb, the cost of insuring homes against hail damage is also soaring. The report by the Colorado Division of Insurance, which is a state agency, looks at what shapes your monthly premiums if you own a home – and it raises questions about what might help lower those costs.  Rachel Cohen is KUNC’s Mountain West News Bureau correspondent. She joined Erin O’Toole to walk through the report, and some potential relief for homeowners that state lawmakers

Listeners of a certain age: Do you remember how great Colorado’s craft beer scene used to be? The late 1990s and early 2000s saw hundreds of small breweries and taprooms spring up in communities across the state. But in the last five years, around 140 breweries, taprooms and brewpubs have closed -- including 40 that shuttered in 2025 alone.  And while that still leaves more than 400 breweries across Colorado, the trend has many wondering if the market for craft beer is going flat.  Our guest today views this as a sign of an industry maturing and settling into its next phase. Jeff York is a professor of entrepreneurship at CU Boulder's Leeds School of Business, and he co-hosts a podcast about craft beer called Creative Distillation.  He joined Erin O'Toole to talk about how Colorado's local brewers can adapt to the changing landscape – and why it ultimately could be a good thing for beer lovers.  * * * * *Sign up for the In The NoCo newsletter: Visit KUNC.org Questions? Feedback? Story ideas? Email us: NOCO@KU

Even in a milder Colorado winter like this one, short days and cooler temperatures leave many people with the winter blues. In fact, it’s a medical condition. Seasonal affective disorder is a form of depression some people feel during the fall and winter months.    Our guest today offers a form of relief for the winter blues – if we’re willing to step outside, give our phones a rest, and tune into our surroundings.   Rachel Juritsch is a 4-H health and wellbeing specialist with Colorado State University extension in Adams County. In a recent article, she explores how sketching and writing in a “nature journal” can help us appreciate the coldest months a bit more.  Rachel joined Erin O'Toole to talk about the benefits of a nature journal – and shared some tips on how to get started.   For more advice on how to slow down and connect with nature, check out our recent conversation about the practice of forest bathing. * * * * *Sign up for the In The NoCo newsletter: Visit KUNC.org Questions? Feedback? Story ideas

In the late 1960s, a new movement of Black music grew out of the end of the civil rights era. Black artists proudly declared their Black power and rocked the airwaves with the sound of funk.    Funk music was more than just a genre with excellent grooves. It had a deeper social and political meaning. Funk began as a reaction to tumultuous times and would ultimately lay the foundation for the hip hop and R&B we listen to today. That’s the argument Reiland Rabaka makes in his recently published book The Funk Movement: Music, Culture, and Politics.  Rabaka is a professor of African, African American, and Caribbean studies at the University of Colorado Boulder. He is also the founder and director of the Center for African American Studies at CU, and hosts a podcast called The Cause. He spoke with Erin O'Toole last year about the importance of funk, and why it deserves respect for its singular impact on music and culture. We’re listening back to that conversation today. * * * * *Sign up for the In The NoCo new

It’s a crisis that's quietly putting pressure on Colorado public school systems: The state's tight housing market has made it increasingly difficult in recent years for districts to hire teachers and other school employees.  US News recently reported that Colorado ranks 48th in housing affordability – which means many teachers find it difficult to find a place to live if they accept a job in a Colorado school district with high real estate prices.  Meanwhile, another trend has emerged for Colorado schools – and this one might help solve the housing crunch for educators. School districts have traditionally acquired more land than they need to address how their local population might grow in the future. But enrollment is dropping in many districts, and some districts are even closing schools.   A state lawmaker has a proposal to address both of these trends. It would build housing for school employees on unused school property and rent it to the staff at affordable rates. State Sen. Jeff Bridges hopes to introd

The 2026 Winter Olympics are beginning their final week in Italy. And it might surprise you to learn that some of those snowy race courses in the Italian Alps aren’t necessarily a product of natural snowfall.  At lower elevations, where cross-country and many other events take place, what we’re seeing is large swaths of artificial snow.   Warmer winters and less-predictable snowfall mean that winter sports must increasingly rely on machine-made snow. And while that makes it possible for the winter games to go on, the density and the feel of artificial snow is quite different from that of natural snow.   That makes competing in events like downhill or cross-country skiing faster and – oftentimes – more dangerous.  Keith Musselman is an assistant professor at the University of Colorado Boulder who studies mountain snow and the impact of warming winters. And Agnes Macy is a graduate student at CU Boulder and a former competitive skier.  They wrote about how artificial snow is changing winter sports in a recent a

Researcher Caitlin Clark has a job a lot of people would envy. Clark is a food scientist who oversees a laboratory devoted entirely to the study of chocolate – how it’s made, what makes it taste so good, and how to make new and better varieties of it. She and her team, based at the Colorado State University Food Innovation Center in Denver, work to dream up new confections that hopefully will end up on grocery store shelves or, maybe, in your box of Valentine’s Day chocolates.  Clark talked with Erin O’Toole last year about her work in the laboratory, and how her expertise in fermentation helped pave the way for her to become a chocolate researcher. 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: NOCO@KUNC.org 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 mu

A landscape in decline – and a surprisingly fast rebound. It’s a story that played out in the Kawuneeche Valley recently on the west side of Rocky Mountain National Park.  The willow groves and wetlands in that area had become so badly depleted that a park ecologist used the term “ecosystem collapse” to describe the surrounding environment. That collapse reversed itself quickly after crews installed an unusual feature – a series of artificial beaver dams along what’s known as Beaver Creek, near the headwaters of the Colorado River. And those artificial dams helped create flooding in early 2025 that appears to have had huge benefits for the surrounding area. Michael Booth of the Colorado Sun recently reported on the impressive rebound. He spoke with Erin O’Toole to explore how it came together and what it can teach scientists about repairing a habitat.  Those artificial dams in the Kawuneeche Valley mirror a similar project on the east side of Rocky Mountain National Park. Check out this recent episode about h

Colorado has sent more athletes to the 2026 Winter Games in Italy than any other state. And nearly a third of those 32 Coloradans competing in events like snowboarding, slalom, or ski jumping hail from Steamboat Springs.  About 100 Olympic athletes live or have lived in Steamboat Springs – more than any other town in the U.S. Which got us wondering: How did Steamboat foster an environment where young athletes are encouraged and equipped to pursue Olympic gold?  Candice Bannister is executive director of the Tread of Pioneers Museum in Steamboat Springs, which has several history exhibits that highlight the town’s legacy of Olympians. She points to a century of skiing culture and tradition, as well as some modern-day programs that nurture young athletes. Candice joined Erin O'Toole to talk about Steamboat’s reputation as an Olympic powerhouse and why it’s a training ground for many of those American athletes in Italy right now. Listen to our previous conversation with Candice about Howelsen Hill and its role i

The first sanctioned walkout at a major American meatpacking plant in decades appears to be unfolding in Northern Colorado. It’s happening during a particularly tense moment for U.S. immigration policies.   The workers at Greeley’s JBS meatpacking plant voted overwhelmingly last week to move forward with the strike. The workforce there, which is made up of a large number of Haitian refugees, are pushing for safer working conditions. The strike could begin in the next few days.  The vote took place within days of a ruling by a U.S. District Court judge last week that halted plans to revoke the Temporary Protected Status, or TPS, for thousands of Haitian refugees in the United States.  Reporter Ted Genoways covered the situation for Mother Jones and the Food & Environment Reporting Network. He joined Erin O’Toole to discuss his reporting on the strike vote and the tenuous status of many of the refugee workers involved. After this interview was recorded, KUNC News received a statement from JBS, saying the co

Scenes of ICE agents on the streets of Minneapolis have dominated headlines and news footage in recent weeks.  Those images also raise concerns about immigration enforcement in Colorado. The state saw a surge in arrests since President Trump took office a year ago – and some people are worried that what happened in Minneapolis might play out here.   Today, we talk with an elected official who’s working to place stronger restrictions on how ICE operates in Colorado and nationally.  Democratic Congressman Joe Neguse, and other lawmakers, are working to negotiate new rules for ICE agents.  Rep. Neguse is also the lead plaintiff in a lawsuit against the Department of Homeland Security about guaranteeing members of Congress access to ICE detention centers. He and Rep. Jason Crow made an unannounced visit to the ICE detention facility in Aurora on Thursday – a day after he spoke with Erin O’Toole about some of the reforms he’s pursuing.  (The introduction to this episode was updated after it was initially published