In The NOCO

KUNC
In The NOCO

KUNC's In The NOCO is a daily look at the stories, news, people and issues important to you. It's a window to the communities along the Colorado Rocky Mountains. The show explores the big stories of the day, bringing context and insight to issues that matter. And because life in Northern Colorado is a balance of work and play, we explore the lighter side of news, highlighting what makes this state such an incredible place to live.

  1. 13 HR. AGO

    Studying how pythons devour enormous meals may help doctors treat people with heart disease, a CU scientist says

    Heart disease causes one out of every five deaths in the United States. Now, a University of Colorado researcher says she’s found promising clues that could help treat it, but the source of her discoveries might make your skin crawl.      Dr. Leslie Leinwand is a professor of molecular, cellular and developmental biology at CU Boulder. Her insights come from research conducted on a rather unwieldy animal to keep in your laboratory – pythons. Leinwand and her team observe Burmese pythons – snakes that go weeks or months between meals without eating. She has studied pythons for decades and she recently published a new paper on her research.      Erin O’Toole spoke with Lienwand about her research and learned that, while humans and snakes have very different physiologies, the way snakes eat in the wild may inspire new treatments for heart disease and other metabolic conditions in people.    Sign up for the In The NoCo newsletter: Visit KUNC.orgQuestions? Feedback? Story ideas? Email us: NOCO@KUNC.orgLike 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'TooleProducer: Ariel LaveryExecutive Producer: Brad TurnerTheme music by Robbie ReverbAdditional music by Blue Dot SessionsIn The NoCo is a production of KUNC News and Community Radio for Northern Colorado.

    10 min
  2. 1 DAY AGO

    There’s a shortage of veterinary care in Colorado, and it’s affecting pets. A possible solution is on the ballot

    Colorado and its pets are suffering from a shortage of veterinarians.   It's leading to long wait times at some clinics. And the Colorado Sun reports that many animal hospitals are so swamped they’re forced to turn away dogs and cats who need care.  On Election Day, Colorado voters will be asked to weigh in on a possible solution. Proposition 129  would create a new class of veterinary workers called a veterinary professional associate, or VPA.   VPAs would require less training than traditional veterinarians to become certified. If voters approve the plan, it could mean Colorado would see more professionals able to treat pets.  To help us understand the proposal, and the arguments for and against, ITN's Brad Turner talked with Jon Geller. He's a retired, Fort Collins-based emergency veterinarian, and a graduate of the school of veterinary medicine at Colorado State University. (He’s also the founder of the Street Dog Coalition, a nonprofit that helps provide pet care for people experiencing homelessness.) Jon has studied the issue but has not taken a stance on Prop 129. Sign up for the In The NoCo newsletter: Visit KUNC.orgQuestions? Feedback? Story ideas? Email us: NOCO@KUNC.orgLike 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'TooleProducer: Ariel LaveryExecutive Producer: Brad TurnerTheme music by Robbie ReverbAdditional music by Blue Dot SessionsIn The NoCo is a production of KUNC News and Community Radio for Northern Colorado.

    10 min
  3. 6 DAYS AGO

    A unique program gave a guaranteed income to 800 people experiencing homelessness in Denver. How much did it actually help?

    Since early 2023 hundreds of Denver residents experiencing homelessness received a monthly income whether they had a job or were unemployed.  Eight hundred participants received the payment as part of a program called the Denver Basic Income Project.  It was a pilot program designed to study whether rates of homelessness decrease when people are given a base-line income. Participants received either $600 a year or $12,000 a year.   The money came from a combination of public and private sources, including $4 million dollars from the office of the Denver Mayor. But the mayor’s office recently announced it plans to end its funding of the project. A spokesperson from the mayor's office pointed to disappointing results documented in a study of the program.  So what were the results – and did the basic income payments help the people who received them?  Erin O’Toole spoke with  Katie Calhoun -- an Assistant Professor at The Ohio State University -- about the results of the study.  She served as a research lead on the project and also advocates for guaranteed basic income. She and a team of researchers at the University of Denver worked with the Denver Basic Income Project to decide what the different levels of income would be for participants. Then her team interviewed recipients on how it affected their lives to receive a guaranteed income. Correction: An earlier version of this episode misstated the amount of funding the office of Denver’s mayor contributed to the Denver Basic Income Project. The audio has been updated to reflect the correct amount, which is $4 million. Sign up for the In The NoCo newsletter: Visit KUNC.orgQuestions? Feedback? Story ideas? Email us: NOCO@KUNC.orgLike 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'TooleProducer: Ariel LaveryExecutive Producer: Brad TurnerTheme music by Robbie ReverbAdditional music by Blue Dot SessionsIn The NoCo is a production of KUNC News and Community Radio for Northern Colorado.

    10 min
  4. OCT 16

    Women traditionally played a key role when a family mourned. A Denver museum offers a unique look at why

    Victorian Death Experiences is a Halloween attraction with a historic twist.   The program takes place in the historic home which houses the Center for Colorado Women’s History in Denver. Visitors see rooms decorated for mourning. They hear stories of death in the Old West. And they see fascinating artifacts, like hair jewelry made partly from the hair of a deceased loved one.   “We’re really not focused on having a haunted house, but rather, experiencing some reverence around our understanding of death,” said Cat Jensen, education coordinator for the center.  Above all, the program highlights the central role that women have traditionally played when a loved one died – preparing bodies for burial, hosting wakes, and other acts that allowed people to mourn at the end of life.  “Certainly, death, for Victorian women, was a deep and sacred act. Women, regardless of race or class, have long been the arbiters of life and death,” Jensen said.   This is the second year for Victorian Death Experiences. It takes place on selected Thursday and Friday evenings throughout October. Find more information and tickets here. * * * * * Sign up for the In The NoCo newsletter: Visit KUNC.orgQuestions? Feedback? Story ideas? Email us: NOCO@KUNC.orgLike 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'TooleProducer: Ariel LaveryExecutive 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.

    10 min
  5. OCT 15

    As Election Day nears, deepfakes and misinformation are serious threats. Colorado leaders have a plan to respond

    Weld County’s Clerk and Recorder Carly Koppes has a noticeable online presence. She posts lots of informational videos around election time telling voters how to cast a ballot or get ready for Election Day.  But here’s something that keeps Koppes -- and a lot of other election officials -- up at night. Artificial intelligence is developing so quickly that a bad actor could take one of Koppes’ videos and convincingly alter her voice, so that it sounds like she’s saying something misleading -- such as giving the wrong hours when polls are open. Koppes and other clerks from Colorado’s 64 counties recently gathered to talk about those scenarios as Election Day approaches.   Koppes spoke with host Erin O’Toole in August to discuss how election officials like her are gearing up to respond to misleading emails, deepfake videos, and social media misinformation. With the election just three weeks away, and ballots showing up in voters’ mailboxes now, we’re listening back to that conversation.   Not sure if your voter registration is up to date? Check it at GoVoteColorado.com:   We discussed Mesa County clerk Tina Peter in this episode. Read more about her sentencing in The Colorado Sun. * * * * * Sign up for the In The NoCo newsletter: Visit KUNC.orgQuestions? Feedback? Story ideas? Email us: NOCO@KUNC.orgLike 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'TooleProducer: Ariel LaveryExecutive Producer: Brad Turner Theme music by Robbie ReverbAdditional music by Blue Dot Sessions In The NoCo is a production of KUNC News and Community Radio for Northern Colorado.

    10 min
4.7
out of 5
39 Ratings

About

KUNC's In The NOCO is a daily look at the stories, news, people and issues important to you. It's a window to the communities along the Colorado Rocky Mountains. The show explores the big stories of the day, bringing context and insight to issues that matter. And because life in Northern Colorado is a balance of work and play, we explore the lighter side of news, highlighting what makes this state such an incredible place to live.

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