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January 22nd, 2021

smithforwyoming.com

Listen to the full show here.

Former Cheney Opponent Weighs In On Her Backlash

It's been an interesting month for U.S. Representative Liz Cheney. After handily winning reelection in November, she voted to impeach former President Donald Trump and has faced a strong backlash. Cheney has been censured by the Carbon County Republican Party, is likely to be censured by the Republican Central Committee next month, and already has primary opponents for 2022.

It's a list that includes State Senator Anthony Bouchard of Cheyenne. One person that faced off against her the first time she ran is former Laramie County Republican Chairman Darin Smith. Smith actually attended the rally in Washington D.C. protesting the acceptance of the voting results was shocked to see the riots occur. But he told Wyoming Public Radio's Bob Beck that he was more shocked that Congresswoman Cheney's reaction to the riot was to vote to impeach President Trump.

70+ Crowd Much More Eager To Get The COVID-19 Vaccine Than First Priority Group

Many Wyoming health care providers and people who are exposed regularly to COVID-19 were not all that interested in a COVID-19 vaccine. But it turns out, the next priority group which includes people over the age of 70 want it. And the supply isn't matching the demand. Wyoming Public Radio's Kamila Kudelska has more.

Hunger Pains: Demand At Colorado Food Bank Reflects Rising Numbers Of Food Insecure

During the COVID-19 pandemic, millions of people are experiencing food insecurity. The Mountain West News Bureau's Robyn Vincent visited a food bank for a look at the rising need in our region.

Data And Storytelling Inform Food Insecurity Research On The Wind River Indian Reservation

On the Wind River Indian Reservation, it's hard to get things like fresh vegetables. And lack of access to good food is a contributor to the fact that Native Americans on the reservation have a life expectancy 20 years shorter than non-Indigenous people in the state. Wyoming Public Radio's Taylar Stagner found out how some are looking for solutions to the problem.

Mountain West Has The Highest Rate Of People Killed By Police In The Nation

2020 will be known as a devastating year. More than 300,000 people in America died due to complications from the novel coronavirus. But it was the single death of a black man in Minneapolis that sparked nationwide protests against systemic racism and police brutality. It also sparked our Mountain West News Bureau to dig into the numbers of people killed in our region during interactions with law enforcement. And we found something startling. Our region has the highest rate of fatal encounters with police in the entire country. Today we bring you three segments in the series: Elevated Risk as we take a hard look at law enforcement in the region. Nate Hegyi starts us off.

A Montana Family Speaks Out About Police Violence Against Indigenous People

We know that people of color are at high risk for police violence. Data on Indigenous people specifically though is difficult to come by. Still the numbers we do have are alarming. Take Montana -- Indigenous people there are 60% more likely than white people to be killed by the police. And that's likely an undercount. Savannah Maher reports on one victim of that statistic.

Outside Looking In: What Former Officers Think Could Improve Policing

Just like most of us, police want people to understand their perspective. And if they see a problem, they want to be part of the solution. Sometimes that involves leaving the force and looking at policing from the outside. As part of our series: Elevated Risk, Madelyn Beck talked with some of those former officers to get their insights.

UW Art Museum Director Talks About Insurrection's Impact On Art, History And Museums

When an insurrection mob violently pushed through the entrance of the Capitol building on January 6, the American Alliance of Museums issued a statement condemning the violence that occurred. They did so because the Capitol is more than a workplace, it's a living museum.

Wyoming Public Radio's Naina Rao spoke to University of Wyoming's Art Museum director , Nicole Crawford, on her perspective regarding the aftermath and effects the insurrection has made on art, history, and museums.

Diné Author Brendan Basham Talks Ucross Writing Fellowship, New Work

In 2018, the Ucross artist residency program in Northern Wyoming hosted its first fellows for its Native American fellowship for visual artists to have the space and time to focus solely on their art. This past fall, the program extended the opportunity to its first Native American writing fellow.

Wyoming Public Radio's Catherine Wheeler spoke with Diné writer and teacher Brendan Basham about his forthcoming debut novel, Swim Home to the Vanished, and his time at Ucross while on his fellowship.

Bob Beck retired from Wyoming Public Media after serving as News Director of Wyoming Public Radio for 34 years. During his time as News Director WPR has won over 100 national, regional and state news awards.
Kamila has worked for public radio stations in California, New York, France and Poland. Originally from New York City, she loves exploring new places. Kamila received her master in journalism from Columbia University. In her spare time, she enjoys exploring the surrounding areas with her two pups and husband.
Nate is UM School of Journalism reporter. He reads the news on Montana Public Radio three nights a week.
Taylar Dawn Stagner is a central Wyoming rural and tribal reporter for Wyoming Public Radio. She has degrees in American Studies, a discipline that interrogates the history and culture of America. She was a Native American Journalist Association Fellow in 2019, and won an Edward R. Murrow Award for her Modern West podcast episode about drag queens in rural spaces in 2021. Stagner is Arapaho and Shoshone.
Catherine Wheeler comes to Wyoming from Kansas City, Missouri. She has worked at public media stations in Missouri and on the Vox podcast "Today, Explained." Catherine graduated from Fort Lewis College with a BA in English. She recently received her master in journalism from the University of Missouri. Catherine enjoys cooking, looming, reading and the outdoors.
Naina Rao comes to Wyoming Public Radio from Jakarta, Indonesia. She has worked at NPR for Story Lab and the nationally syndicated show, "1A". Naina graduated from Michigan State University in 2018 with a B.A. in Journalism. Naina enjoys swimming, listening to podcasts and watching Bollywood movies.