podcast

Purplish

Colorado Public Radio

Purplish is a podcast about politics and policy and how they shape Coloradans’ lives, hosted by Colorado Public Radio’s public affairs reporter Bente Birkeland and reporters from the Colorado Capitol News Alliance. They break down the…

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How Israel-Gaza violence has rattled Colorado Democratic politics 2026-10-26 · 68m
From exorcisms to campaign finance violations, unpacking Colorado’s 2026 race for Governor 2026-10-16 · 33m
‘The Great Colorado Ballot-O-Rama’: Part II 2026-10-02 · 29m
‘The Great Colorado Ballot-O-Rama’: Part I 2026-09-25 · 30m
The Great Colorado Road Trip: voters share how they view the midterms 2026-09-15 · 36m
What the ‘Buc’? Buc-ee’s back in Colorado headlines 2026-09-04 · 40m
Rideshare safety in the spotlight and now on the books in Colorado 2026-08-14 · 34m
Colorado turns 150 and it’s always been a little bit ‘purple-ish’ 2026-07-28 · 33m
Did Colorado get hit with an anti-incumbent wave on primary night? 2026-07-03 · 36m
Colorado’s Capitol is a trove of histories, curiosities and controversies 2026-06-26 · 35m
The Republicans and Democrats who want to represent you in Congress 2026-06-12 · 40m
Tina Peters is free, but the story is likely far from over 2026-06-05 · 28m
The Democrats and Republicans who want to be Colorado’s next governor 2026-05-29 · 38m
Wrapping up the session: the policies, the politics... and the poetry 2026-05-16 · 28m
ICE tactics have some Colorado Dems itching to respond. That’s easier said than done 2026-05-01 · 33m
Should Colorado lawmakers get a raise? It’s a politically thorny topic 2026-04-24 · 27m
Who’s on the primary ballot and what did it take for them to get there 2026-04-17 · 27m
11 questions lawmakers hope could help prevent domestic violence killings 2026-04-10 · 27m
Who should have the power to pump up the volume at Colorado’s venues 2026-04-03 · 32m
Colorado’s budget woes and the ballooning costs of Medicaid 2026-03-27 · 33m
Colorado’s prisons have a crowding problem 2026-03-20 · 29m
What the ‘Flock’ are you looking at? License plate readers and mass surveillance 2026-03-13 · 36m
A prescription for pesticides? Why lawmakers considered a novel approach to neonics 2026-03-06 · 28m
Will Colorado give data centers a warm embrace, or a cool reception? 2026-02-20 · 26m
Colorado in Trump’s crosshairs 2026-02-06 · 31m
Gov. Polis is a lame duck. What does that mean for Colorado policy and politics? 2026-01-23 · 28m
Get ready for a new legislative session under Colorado’s Gold Dome 2026-01-09 · 26m
Colorado’s homeowner’s insurance on shaky ground 2025-12-12 · 30m
Will Colorado join the redistricting war? 2025-11-21 · 33m
Veterans Day Special: The battle of Iwo Jima, through the eyes of a Coloradan who lived it 2025-11-10 · 15m
Yes, yes, we just had an election, but It's never too soon to talk about the midterms 2025-11-07 · 39m
Portrait scandals and secret tunnels: Purplish tours the Colorado Capitol 2025-10-24 · 33m
Colorado’s ‘Healthy School Meals for All’ is at a crossroads. Voters will decide where it goes 2025-10-17 · 30m
Colorado banned conversion therapy for minors. A U.S. Supreme Court case could upend that 2025-10-03 · 26m
How a possible Buc-ee’s travel plaza has divided one Colorado town 2025-09-19 · 35m
What went down during Colorado’s special legislative session 2025-08-29 · 27m
Lawmaker conduct is back in the headlines 2025-08-15 · 34m
Why lawmakers have been eyeing Colorado's $2B in ‘unclaimed property’ 2025-08-01 · 28m
What Republicans' ‘One Big Beautiful Bill' means for Colorado 2025-07-18 · 39m
Why is Douglas County so worked up about home rule? 2025-06-20 · 30m
When Colorado rewrote the rules for policing 2025-06-06 · 29m
Medicaid cuts, AI regs, special session chances: Colorado’s governor and legislative leadership weigh in 2025-05-23 · 40m
That’s a wrap, for now. Here’s how the 2025 session ended up 2025-05-09 · 29m
A rare veto showdown at the State Capitol 2025-05-02 · 30m
One hundred days of Trump, in the eyes of two Colorado lawmakers from two different Capitols 2025-04-25 · 46m
Colorado answers Trump's immigration crackdown with expanded protections 2025-04-18 · 30m
As the White House restricts trans rights, Colorado is poised to fortify them 2025-04-11 · 25m
Colorado's political parties navigate a changed political landscape 2025-04-04 · 27m
Colorado's budget hits crunch time with ‘painful’ cuts 2025-03-28 · 29m
Some Colorado cities plan to ignore new housing density laws 2025-03-21 · 29m
Colorado lawmakers hit halftime at the State Capitol 2025-03-14 · 31m
The human toll of Colorado’s sexual assault evidence backlog 2025-03-07 · 23m
Vacancy appointments get lots of lawmakers to the capitol. Is it time for a change? 2025-02-28 · 26m
Life as a new state lawmaker 2025-02-21 · 35m
The billion-dollar budget hole 2025-02-14 · 21m
An assault weapons ban by any other name... 2025-02-07 · 22m
The embattled Labor Peace Act 2025-01-31 · 26m
What are SMART Act hearings? 2025-01-24 · 20m
New Congress, old normal (for now?) 2025-01-17 · 31m
A bipartisan tradition fades in the CO House, while Democrats preview both ambitions and fault lines 2025-01-14 · 21m
Budget cuts on tap for Colorado 2025-01-03 · 28m
How it all went down 2024-11-08 · 31m
What will make the difference in this election? 2024-11-01 · 29m
How Colorado secures the vote 2024-10-25 · 21m
All. The. Ballot. Questions. All of them. 2024-10-18 · 32m
The Colorado congressional races to know about 2024-10-11 · 35m
Will ranked-choice voting rewrite Colorado's elections? 2024-10-04 · 30m
Coming soon: Purplish's 2024 election season 2024-09-27 · 3m
Assessing the primary as the dust settles 2024-06-28 · 32m
GOP rifts in the Congressional Districts 5 and 8 primaries 2024-06-21 · 29m
The primary fight for Colorado’s 3rd Congressional District 2024-06-14 · 23m
In eastern Colorado, a primary and a vacancy election 2024-06-07 · 25m
What are Colorado voters worried about? 2024-05-31 · 29m
Ending on a high note 2024-05-11 · 27m
Drinking at the Colorado Capitol 2024-05-03 · 25m
The new oil and gas war 2024-04-19 · 23m
Is Colorado really about to commit to passenger rail? 2024-04-05 · 35m
Lawmakers’ $1.5B tax credit battle royale 2024-03-22 · 28m
Is Colorado’s medical aid in dying law too hard to use? 2024-03-08 · 31m
What do all the new immigrant arrivals mean for Colorado? 2024-02-23 · 32m
The first month of session, down 2024-02-08 · 28m
Inside the fight to keep Space Command in Colorado 2024-01-29 · 35m
Tina Peters is headed to trial – how did we get here? 2024-01-23 · 49m
The legislature returns: what lies ahead? 2024-01-10 · 18m
Could this Colorado case determine Trump’s political future? 2023-11-16 · 27m
What’s up with Prop. II? 2023-10-20 · 11m
What’s up with Prop. HH? 2023-10-17 · 26m
Colorado Springs’ next mayor is a man few thought would win. What happened? 2023-06-02 · 29m
Land use, property taxes and party conflicts — how the legislature wrapped up 2023-05-11 · 28m
The legislature’s spending dance 2023-05-04 · 32m
The year that could change how Colorado grows 2023-04-21 · 31m
Colorado’s blockbuster filibuster (and why it matters) 2023-04-06 · 30m
Xcel’s winter of discontent 2023-03-24 · 34m
Disability rights at center stage 2023-03-11 · 32m
Rent control in Colorado? 2023-03-03 · 34m
How Colorado’s gun laws have changed from frontier days to today 2023-02-10 · 44m
The Polis Agenda 2023-01-20 · 21m
The legislature is back: what do they want to do? 2023-01-13 · 30m
Is Colorado a blue state now? 2022-11-11 · 25m
What we’re watching for on Election Day 2022-11-04 · 30m
What keeps our elections safe? 2022-10-28 · 32m
All your 2022 ballot measures explained (plus a few weird ones from history) 2022-10-22 · 32m
Housing on your ballot 2022-10-14 · 30m
Colorado’s Latino voters and the 2022 races 2022-09-29 · 22m
Moderates in the Midterm 2022-09-15 · 28m
What did we learn from the primary? 2022-06-30 · 23m
Unaffiliated Voters — the big question mark 2022-06-25 · 22m
The GOP Divide 2022-06-17 · 32m
What lawmakers did with their time 2022-05-14 · 33m
With mental health, can Colorado achieve ‘transformative’ change? 2022-05-05 · 28m
The fight to ban Menthols and flavored vapes 2022-04-22 · 31m
Who’s on the primary ballot? 2022-04-14 · 26m
Colorado at the eye of an election conspiracy storm 2022-04-07 · 37m
The past, and future, of abortion in Colorado 2022-03-24 · 28m
Crime is rising in Colorado – is justice reform to blame? 2022-03-11 · 40m
Lawmakers’ brewing labor battle 2022-02-25 · 34m
Serving in the statehouse while running for Congress 2022-02-10 · 24m
The housing crisis comes home to the Capitol 2022-01-27 · 21m
Back to work at the Capitol 2022-01-17 · 16m
Remembering the January 6th Capitol Riot 2022-01-06 · 21m
What’s ahead when the legislature returns? 2021-12-09 · 17m
Hey, did you hear there was an election? 2021-11-05 · 24m
Colorado Has A Map — If The Court Approves 2021-09-30 · 17m
Redistricting Deadline Looms 2021-09-24 · 15m
Competition Vs Commonalities — A Conundrum For Redistricting 2021-09-10 · 20m
Colorado’s Got A Brand New Map (But It’s Not The Final Map – Yet) 2021-09-08 · 15m
Communities Urge Redistricting Commission To Consider The Ties That Bind 2021-09-03 · 18m
A Road Trip Through Colorado’s (Maybe) 8th District 2021-09-01 · 15m
Redistricting Highlights Challenges To Latino Representation 2021-08-27 · 17m
Colorado ‘Nonpartisan’ Redistricting Process Is Still Plenty Political 2021-08-25 · 20m
Redistricting: What You Need To Know To Learn The Things You Need To Learn 2021-08-20 · 17m
Get ready for Purplish: The Great Redraw 2021-08-19 · 1m
That’s All, Folks! 2021-06-10 · 22m
The Chopping Block 2021-06-04 · 12m
Into The Whirlwind 2021-05-28 · 19m
The Big Money Episode 2021-05-21 · 22m
Race, Politics and Racial Politics 2021-05-14 · 23m
Where Are They Now? 2021-05-07 · 27m
Justice Reform, A Year After George Floyd 2021-04-30 · 24m
Hot At The Legislature: Housing And Immigration 2021-04-23 · 18m
What The Heck Is The Public Option? 2021-04-16 · 16m
Maps, Data And Drama, Drama, Drama 2021-04-09 · 22m
Big Changes, Little Attention 2021-04-02 · 24m
Gun Laws After Boulder 2021-03-26 · 22m
BONUS: Meet The Jared Polis And Anthony Fauci Of 1918 2021-03-23 · 14m
Capitol Warming 2021-03-19 · 21m
1.9 Trillion Is An Awfully Big Number 2021-03-12 · 20m
Polis’s Pandemic Year 2021-03-05 · 22m
Everything You Need To Know About Transportation Reform 2021-02-26 · 20m
The State of the State is… 2021-02-19 · 16m
On With The Show 2021-02-12 · 22m
Two Capitols, One Wild Week 2021-01-15 · 23m
BONUS BONUS EPISODE: An Extraordinary Session 2020-12-04 · 18m
BONUS EPISODE: Digesting Colorado’s Election Outcomes With Two Colorado Politics Insiders 2020-11-13 · 21m
What The Heck Just Happened? 2020-11-06 · 25m
What We’re Watching For 2020-10-30 · 22m
On Voter Turnout, And Attempted Voter Turn-Offs 2020-10-23 · 20m
Election Grab Bag 2020-10-16 · 24m
So Many Ballot Measures. Like, SO MANY 2020-10-09 · 29m
The One About Debates 2020-10-02 · 18m
Ground Game, Grounded? 2020-09-25 · 21m
Mail Ballot Blues 2020-09-18 · 19m
Purplish Returns: The Election Season 2020-09-11 · 20m
BONUS: The Democrats Competing To Take On Cory Gardner 2020-06-19 · 22m
The End Is Near 2020-06-12 · 15m
Protests, Policing, And Education Cuts 2020-06-05 · 20m
The Legislature Strikes Back 2020-05-29 · 19m
You Can’t Kiss Babies Over Zoom 2020-05-22 · 19m
Budget Cuts and Building Rules 2020-05-14 · 16m
W(h)ither The Big Bills? 2020-04-16 · 18m
Justice — And Many Other Things — Delayed 2020-04-10 · 20m
Partisan Politics vs. Pandemic Politics 2020-04-03 · 20m
The ‘Stay At Home’ Order, Discussed By Three People Staying In Their Homes 2020-03-27 · 18m
Politics, Policy, and the Pandemic 2020-03-21 · 21m
Legislation In The Time Of Coronavirus 2020-03-14 · 18m
Super Tuesday Might Not Mean What You Think In Colorado… 2020-03-06 · 17m
Sausage In The Making 2020-02-29 · 23m
Out Of The Statehouse, Into The National Spotlight 2020-02-22 · 21m
Family Matters 2020-02-15 · 20m
Big Ideas Incoming 2020-02-08 · 23m
The Matter Of Life And Death 2020-02-01 · 14m
The Political Is Personal 2020-01-25 · 14m
Things Democrats Disagree About 2020-01-18 · 14m
Trailer: Purplish Reborn 2020-01-11 · 2m
ALL OF THE BILLS!!!! 2019-05-09 · 26m
The First Fractivist 2019-04-06 · 24m
Electoral College Dropouts 2019-03-02 · 28m
Could Colorado Fix Congress? 2019-02-02 · 26m
BONUS: Hick At High Noon 2019-01-04 · 15m
BONUS: What’s Next for Pur-plish? 2018-12-06 · 5m
Blue Avalanche 2018-11-10 · 36m
The Holdouts 2018-11-02 · 26m
You Can’t Hack Paper 2018-10-27 · 26m
The Prisoner Voting Dilemma 2018-10-19 · 24m
Purple State Blues 2018-10-12 · 15m
Gerryman-don’t 2018-10-06 · 29m
The Forgotten State Of Southern Colorado 2018-09-28 · 28m
Walker Stapleton’s Family 2018-09-21 · 27m
Jared Polis’ Money 2018-09-14 · 27m
The Signature Wars 2018-09-07 · 25m
Introducing ‘Purplish’: A Podcast About Colorado Politics And The Forces That Shape It 2018-08-30 · 3m
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Purplish

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