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Open Spaces: Podcast

Open Spaces: Podcast

A news and public affairs program about Wyoming and the West.

  • Today on the show, it’s beginning to look a lot like tick season…. But in March? The creepy crawly critters can carry diseases. What to look for and how to stay safe. A new set of vending machines on the Wind River Reservation aim to help with drug abuse and mental health. And abortion is now illegal in Wyoming in most cases. Providers say women with unexpected pregnancies won't have many options. Those stories and more.
  • Today on the show, on this season’s last episode of Cheyenne Roundup, Maggie and Jordan recap new laws, the governor's vetoes and how the Freedom Caucus’s priorities fared. The pages of Cheyenne’s daily newspaper no longer include a police blotter. We hear from a reporter on what other changes they’re making to covering crime and public safety. And a photographer originally from Powell set out to find the Wyoming women shaping the West. Those stories and more.
  • Today on the show, our reporters tuned into forums around the state with lawmakers. People are gearing up in a big way for the upcoming budget session. Lawmakers are deciding how to fund public education. The current proposal would boost teacher pay and class sizes, but also cut hundreds of teachers. And we learn about a new Olympic sport – ski mountaineering – from a Wyomingite making her debut. Those stories and more.
  • Today on the show, lawmakers took their first crack at marking up the state budget this week. Our state government reporters have updates. Wyoming’s Hunger Relief Program helped fill in the gap when SNAP benefits went on pause during the government shutdown. It helped feed 20,000 Wyomingites. And, there have been two avalanche fatalities in Wyoming so far this winter season. An avalanche forecaster has advice. Those stories and more.
  • Today on the show, abortion will remain legal in Wyoming for now. We dig into the crux of the arguments from the Wyoming Supreme Court, including a look back at the passing of one key constitutional right. The property tax bill for your home might be going away, maybe forever. That’s if some state lawmakers get their way. We’ll also hear how, despite a federal boost, coal still struggled in 2025. And local community fundraising is becoming more important to some Laramie-based non-profits. Those stories and more.
  • Today on the show, Wyoming Public Radio’s reporters share their favorite stories from 2025 and why.With each one, we’ll hear from the reporters themselves on what made them pick the stories they did.
  • Today on the show, Wyoming lawmakers heard from agency heads about their budget requests this month. There’s been a little friction. The top market for coal is burning it for electricity. But researchers are trying to find alternative uses, like farming. What does it take to rebrand a word like "coal"? And, in a time when the United States government is not celebrating diversity, one town in Wyoming is honoring its diverse roots. Those stories and more.
  • Today on the show, how food is distributed to tribal members, using trades education to battle climate change, a tribute to a late rising country music star, and news on the Rocks Springs Resource Management Plan. Those stories and more.
  • Today on the show, finding Wyoming stories otherwise left untold, how technology is helping to protect cattle from grizzly bears, and what happens when wolves leave Yellowstone. Those stories and more.
  • Today on the show, a woman’s experience after ICE detained her husband. Wyoming has submitted some novel ideas to try to get a slice of 50 billion in federal dollars to transform healthcare. We hear more details. And what happened during the arraignment of the man who brought a wolf into a bar. Those stories and more.
  • Today’s show is all about data centers. We’re airing a series of stories from our partners at the Mountain West News Bureau, focused on this topic. We’ll dive into concerns about future water supplies and why one company thinks a remote cattle ranch near Evanston is an ideal spot for a data center. Then we’ll zoom out and hear from our reporters. The Trump administration is looking to coal to meet the daunting power demand for AI, but there's concern about a bubble around the AI industry and what would happen if that bubble popped. Plus, we’ll hear from the vice president of a data center being built in Cheyenne. Those stories and more.
  • Today on the show, our state government reporter dove into election complaints to see voters’ concerns. We also hear from this year’s state park artists in residence. And we get a sneak peek at the new season of our podcast, The Modern West. It’s about the quirky and sometimes extreme workarounds Westerners are finding for affordable housing. Those stories and more.