The OpEdge — The Gazette Opinion Podcast

Amy Oliver Cooke Warns Colorado's Energy Policies Threaten Grid Reliability (Episode 011)

Tue, 14 Jul 2026 09:32:41 -0600

Amy Oliver Cooke, Independence Institute senior fellow and Always On Energy Research co-founder, joins The OpEdge to dissect Colorado's energy transition, grid reliability, and the state's net-zero goals. Cook warns host Jimmy Sengenberger that current state policies threaten affordability and reliability — and explains why she sees nuclear energy as one key to a more dependable electric future.

Aurora Mayor Mike Coffman on What Sleeping in a Homeless Shelter is Teaching Him (Episode 010)

Tue, 30 Jun 2026 17:20:00 -0600

Aurora Mayor Mike Coffman joins The OpEdge to explore why he's spent every Friday night since February sleeping at a homeless shelter. Coffman tells host and investigative columnist Jimmy Sengenberger what the experience is teaching him about homelessness, why he believes Aurora's incentive-based model is the superior alternative to "Housing First," and how the city is working to move people toward self-sufficiency.

Lindsay Datko on School Safety, Misconduct and Transparency in Jeffco Schools (Episode 009)

Tue, 16 Jun 2026 11:00:00 -0600

Jeffco Kids First founder Lindsay Datko joins The OpEdge to explore concerns about school safety, staff misconduct, and transparency in Jefferson County Schools. Datko tells host and investigative columnist Jimmy Sengenberger why she believes Colorado's second-largest district has too often prioritized self-protection over accountability, citing a sweeping safety audit, a federal Title IX finding, and what she sees as the key challenges facing Jeffco's next superintendent.

Dustin Zvonek Pinpoints Colorado's Housing-first Homelessness Failures (Episode 008)

Tue, 09 Jun 2026 12:46:00 -0600

As homelessness continues to persist across Colorado, former Aurora City Councilman Dustin Zvonek paints a compelling picture the primary policy prescription may be enabling the root cause more than providing a permanent solution. Now the homelessness fellow at the Common Sense Institute, Zvonek tells Gazette and Colorado Politics Deputy Opinion Editor Antonio Olivero why he believes Colorado needs to pivot on its approach to better address the squalor on Centennial State streets.

Rachel Gabel Diagnoses Colorado's Sharp Rural-Urban Divide (Episode 007)

Tue, 02 Jun 2026 08:32:28 -0600

Gazette columnist Rachel Gabel, editor of The Fence Post Magazine, says Gov. Jared Polis has ushered in an unprecedented era of tone-deafness to rural Colorado. In this sweeping interview with investigative columnist Jimmy Sengenberger, Gabel leaves no stone unturned over the issues facing rural Coloradans, warning everyday working people averse to politics, "If you’re not at the table, you’re on the menu" at the state capitol.

Michael Fields Reviews the 2026 Legislative Session (Episode 006)

Wed, 27 May 2026 11:52:18 -0600

Michael Fields, executive director of Advance Colorado, joins OpEdge host and investigative columnist Jimmy Sengenberger to assess the good, the bad and the ugly of the Colorado General Assembly's 2026 legislative session, spelling out what the budget, transportation and crime ramifications mean for concerned Coloradans.

DJ Summers Dives into the Costlier State of Colorado (Episode 005)

Tue, 19 May 2026 12:44:01 -0600

The Common Sense Institute's director of communications and research operations, DJ Summers, dives deep with OpEdge host and investigative columnist Jimmy Sengenberger into the costlier state of Colorado and its sharp drop in the Institute's Free Enterprise Competitive Index.

Superintendent Michael Gaal on Why Schools Work Better Without Union Contracts (Episode 004)

Tue, 12 May 2026 08:00:00 -0600

Colorado Springs District 11 Superintendent Michael Gaal reveals why teachers' union contracts hold schools back. Gaal tells OpEdge host and investigative columnist Jimmy Sengenberger how ending D-11’s labor contract unleashed flexibility on teacher pay, staffing and accountability, while arguing school choice and innovation are key to improving education in Colorado.

Dick Wadhams Charts Colorado's Rocky Political Shifts (Episode 003)

Tue, 28 Apr 2026 11:37:43 -0600

Veteran campaign winner, political analyst, and Gazette columnist Dick Wadhams dissects the electoral shifts of Colorado politics with OpEdge host and investigative columnist Jimmy Sengenberger — charting the curious cases of Colorado's Democratic and Republican Parties, the surge of unaffiliated voters, and where the state may be headed in the future.

Michael A. Hancock's 'Rules for Restoration' to Counter Radicalism (Episode 002)

Mon, 20 Apr 2026 15:27:17 -0600

Writer, Denver Gazette columnist, and business executive Michael A. Hancock tells OpEdge host and investigative columnist Jimmy Sengenberger how his book, Rules for Restoration, offers concrete ways to counter Colorado's "radicalism" and restore genuine hope for Colorado and the nation.

DA George Brauchler on Colorado's 'Jailbreak' (Episode 001)

Tue, 07 Apr 2026 00:03:55 -0600

District Attorney and law enforcement hawk George Brauchler tells host and investigative columnist Jimmy Sengenberger what lawbreakers can expect in the 23rd Judicial District — on The OpEdge, The Gazette's new opinion podcast. Brauchler recaps his recent commentary for The Gazette — "Jailbreak" — detailing legislative Democrats' efforts to empty Colorado prisons and other Centennial State crime topics.