Devil's Advocate

Helen Raleigh escaped Communist China for the promise of America. She found an America obsessed with racial victim ideology for every minority except, surprisingly, for Asians. What of their history of oppression?

Isn’t the purpose of research in colleges and universities to challenge the status quo, rather than be constrained by it? Robert Maranto, who holds the 21st Century Chair in Leadership at the Department of Education Reform at the University of Arkansas, argues that McCarthy-era politics are now taking precedence over honest academic inquiry.

Ted Trimpa is one of the prime architects of the progressive left's takeover of Colorado. When he says they've gone too far, you might want to listen.

In places like Ghana and Kenya, most families cook on an open wood burning fire that pollutes not only their families air, but the planets. How would their lives and the planet's health change if they only had a propane stove? Anne Hyre of the Bettering Human Lives Foundation tells us.

By law, children must go to school, and if parents can't afford a private school or to home school, children must go to government run schools. That makes our children's safety at the school the government's top priority. Our children are in their custody after all. Lindsay Datko of JeffCo Kids First has discovered our kids are anything but safe.

Within six years, Colorado Governor Jared Polis has signed 23 anti gun bills into law. His most recent, Senate Bill 3 (SB25-003), creates the country's most restrictive permitting scheme to buy a gun. Second Amendment expert Dave Kopel explains the bleak situation.

The Colorado Legislature exempted themselves from our open meetings laws. Denver's mayor used encrypted messages that self delete. What happened to governmental transparency? Jeff Roberts of the Colorado Freedom of Information Coalition answers.

What happens when a school district has a process to decide what books should and shouldn't be in the school library? A process that includes the community? Well, they get sued, of course, by the ACLU. Superintendent of the Elizabeth School District, Dan Snowberger is in the eye of this storm.

There is a growing unease inside Colorado's progressive machine. Are the Democrats in power running faster to the left than voters want? Political strategist Deep Singh Badhesha tries to answer.

Is the city of Denver dying? With crime, a high minimum wage and stifling regulations, over 200 restaurants have gone out of business. Andrew Feinstein, proprietor of EXDO, which includes the famous nightclub Tracks, details the situation and what can fix it.

It is still possible for state legislators to have real jobs, you know, working in a factory. Representative Ryan Gonzalez, a freshman, lets us know what it looks like on the inside.

The courts have been very, well, terrible to the Taxpayer Bill of Rights. But wait, we have a victory! Tyler Martinez from the National Taxpayers Union explains that he got all this talent because he used to be an intern at the Independence Institute.

New regulations and high demand have caused steak prices to skyrocket. Dr. Chuck Duray shares what it's like to be a rancher in Colorado.

Are Unions pushing back against Colorado Progressives? Public Affairs Editor Jon Murray of the Denver Post discusses the bills being proposed in the 2025 Colorado State Legislature.

Are Coloradans experiencing buyers remorse when it comes to releasing killer wolves into our backcountry? County Commissioner Stan VanderWerf details the reality of dropping foreign apex predators into our ecosystem and the effort to reverse it.

Transparency is a key to government accountability. Often judges have to order that public information become, well, public. How very odd then, that many judges refuse to follow transparency laws themselves. Retired Judge Dennis Maes explains.

Ed Warner is an engineer, scientist, conservationist, and philanthropist. Back in the day, he even used a slide rule. He learned understanding how to measure something isn't just about science.

Jon Caldara asks longtime Colorado political strategist Eric Sondermann why the democratically controlled state government is passing so many anti liberty and anti business laws and regulations? He answers it in three little words.

What's it like going into the state legislature as a newbie representative walking right into GOP dysfunction in a brewing progressive civil war? Well, Jarvis Caldwell is about to find out.

Are Colorado's laws making the state an illegal immigration magnet? With over two decades experience working for Immigration and Customs Enforcement, John Fabbricatore has seen firsthand the dangers of the Venezuelan gangs in Aurora and their ties to international terrorism.

Cory Gaines is a political influencer and activist. Through his Colorado Accountability Project, he shines light on government abuses big and small. Could you imagine doing something similar?

Ed Warner is an environmentalist, conservationist and philanthropist who has served on many nonprofit boards, including one that kicked him off because he said something someone found offensive.

Kyle Clark of 9 News is arguably the most influential political commentator in Colorado. Is he a journalist? Is he an opinion maker? And with such a powerful microphone, does he see bias in the legacy media?

Remember when liberals used to defend free speech instead of canceling people for saying something they find offensive, like the wrong pronoun? Famed lawyer, law professor, and former President of the ACLU, Nadine Strossen explains why liberals and progressives need to protect speech.

Does Colorado have a gang problem? Is Colorado doing everything it can to support law enforcement? Douglas County Sheriff Darren Weekly gives his take on this episode of Devil's Advocate.

A new year is upon us. It's a good time to take a look back at 2024 and ahead to 2025, the one and only Patty Calhoun, editor of Westword, takes a political tour of the year gone by and makes some predictions for the one coming up.

Is Colorado the new resistance to Trump and federal policies? Will Republicans get "spanked" in 2026? Former GOP Chair Dick Wadhams gives his take on what comes next.

Early in the morning after election night, I sat down with veteran Colorado Politics reporter Marianne Goodland to make sense of the night before. What does it all mean for Colorado?

Weren't we supposed to have flying cars by now? I mean, where is my flying car? Transportation expert Tim Jackson explains that flying cars actually do exist and will become commonplace sooner than we realize.

Can CO2 really be reduced? Is nuclear power in our future? Can it be done safely? Ed Warner is an engineer, scientist, conservationist and philanthropist. He gives to numerous environmental causes. As a scientist, he breaks it down for us.

Communism killed over 100 million people in the last century, yet people still seem enamored by socialism. Ken Pope of the Victims of Communism Museum explains the horror of socialism and today's misunderstanding.

Who keeps an eye on the Colorado Supreme Court? Well, a disciplinary committee and an evaluation committee. Who appoints those committees? Turns out it's the Supreme Court. Convenient, ain't it? Retired Judge Dennis Maes explains the conflict of interest.

Adrian Felix was a democratic operative who decided to leave the Democrat party. Why? Because they weren't socialistic enough. He's an example of the widening split in the party that the media just won't cover.

After a Gallagher repeal election, a bill to fix it during the regular session and then a special session to fix that bill...Is property tax reform now complete?In Colorado, Independence Institute Senior Fellow Joshua Sharf researched other states to find the property tax gold standard.

Ava Flanell is a firearms enthusiast, a firearms trainer, and now a firearms podcast and videocast star. She believes gun owners do a lousy job presenting their side to people who don't own guns.

Kent Thiry is investing his considerable wealth into changing the way Coloradans vote this fall. You'll decide if you want to have a jungle primary followed by rank choice voting. This would upend the way we do party primaries.

Kelly Maher leads an organization called Restoring Standards with the goal of eliminating the extremes of both parties in Colorado. Is that even possible?

Wrap your mind around this. Kids in Colorado cannot be taught about human sexuality until the fourth grade, but they can be taught about homosexuality in the first grade. Pam Benigno from the Independence Institute explains.

Colorado's commitment to 100% renewable energy will result in large scale power outages. Amy Cooke from Independence Institute explains her mantra "buy a generator!".

Are the politics of inclusivity killing consent for women? Rich Guggenheim of Gays Against Groomers explains.

Colorado's deaths from fentanyl overdoses are not just taking place under bridges and in homeless encampments. They're happening right next door to you. Filmmaker Steffan Tubbs brings this Colorado tragedy into the light with his film devastated.

Scientist Roger Pielke did something unforgivable. He questioned the prevailing assumptions of climate science. For that, the Obama administration tried to discredit him, and the University of Colorado pushed him out of his job.

Aron Lam is the only large "L" libertarian holding office in Colorado. As the mayor of the metropolis of Keenesburg, he's on a mission to show that libertarian policy works and that local government might be the best place for libertarians.

Brandon Mark is a large "L" libertarian, so he's gotta be kinda weird, socially awkward, and living in his mother's basement. But he's not. His Free State Colorado Project is having an outsized impact. Shining light on government overreach.

I asked Denver's most successful and longest running talk show host, Mike Rosen what brought him to Colorado in the first place and how the state has changed since he got here in 1970.

The Colorado GOP made 18 endorsements in the recent Colorado primary, 14 of them failed. And firebrand candidates from both left and right were defeated. GOP consultant Dick Wadhams thinks thats a return to normalcy.

Political commentator and KOA talk show host Ross Kaminsky thinks the Colorado GOP is not only out of touch with swing voters, but out of touch with most Republicans.

While the news media is enthralled with national politics, governors and big city mayors, the real power over our lives comes from the over 5000 local governments here in Colorado. Small city Mayor Mitch LaKind of monument understands local government is where the action is.

If you can't trust the media who can you trust? Perhaps it will be citizen journalists who bring the real story. Cory Gaines is becoming the trusted source on Colorado politics through his Colorado Accountability Project.

The Colorado state legislature recently tried to ban all oil and gas operations in the state. That plot failed, but more anti energy bills were passed, and you're gonna feel them in your utility bills soon. Jake Fogleman details them all for us.