The Modern West: Podcast

Context and controversy surrounding the delisting of the Yellowstone grizzly bear and this fall's proposed hunt.

In the arid West, how do we manage the limited amount of water available to us? Exploring the complex issues of water…where it comes from, how it’s used, and who gets to use it.

As climate change warms the West, birds of prey are moving north. What happens when an apex predator leaves its native hunting grounds?

From washing the army’s clothes to solving murders, three authors tell the stories of strong Western women.

Nearly a quarter of Wyoming’s population is Native American. But how they are portrayed—by Natives and by whites—is complicated.

More conversations from the series Women in Wyoming…about pushing boundaries and redefining what it means to live in the modern West. Featuring Neltje and Affie Ellis.

Conversations from the series Women in Wyoming…about pushing boundaries and redefining what it means to live in the modern West. Featuring Nimi and Nina McConigley.

Coal is cheap, abundant…and dirty. In a greening energy economy, is clean coal the answer?

This time, we visit melting ice fields, ask whether climate change is fueling summer fires, and step into the hooves of big animals as they migrate to winter ranges.

There’s a reason the cowboy hat is a symbol of Wyoming: ranching is woven into the state’s cultural fabric. On this episode, we’ll take you out on the wide open Wyoming range.

In the mid-20th century, the little town of Elk Mountain, Wyoming drew crowds from miles and miles away to its summer dances on the bouncy floor at the Garden Spot Pavilion.

August’s total solar eclipse drew hundreds of thousands of people to Wyoming for a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

Wyoming is the setting for many a Western—even if the films aren’t shot on location. But even if big studios pass the state by, Wyomingites are making their own movies. 

The Lincoln Highway was the first road to run coast-to-coast. Join us for a road trip with stops at some of the quirkiest roadside attractions along Wyoming’s stretch of the highway. 

Part two of a two-part series on the Wind River Reservation, focusing on housing issues on the increasingly populated Wind River Reservation. 

Part one of two-part series, featuring stories that take us into the heart of the Wind River Reservation.

Wyoming’s economy revolves around energy production. But climate change raises questions about what role fossil fuels will play in the state’s future.

Wyoming is home to many immigrants, migrants, and former refugees. It is the only state, however, without a refugee resettlement program. But the current political climate has immigrants questioning their place in Wyoming and the U.S.

It’s the 75th anniversary of an executive order that incarcerated thousands of Japanese Americans in internment camps across the nation. This episode includes first-hand accounts from this era. 

In the final part of this series, we ask why Western women still lag in political power even though they got the right to vote almost 150 years ago?

It’s a new literary edition, exploring Wyoming’s past, present, and future through conversations with authors. 

It’s been a tough year for the coal industry and the communities that depend on it. Can Wyoming adapt?

Women are running, but they aren’t winning the West. Western women got the right to vote almost 150 years ago, so why do they still lag in political power?

How equal is the “Equality State?” This month’s show explores progress and problems for Wyoming’s LGBT citizens.

The back-to-school episode. Young Wyomingites experience opportunities and challenges.

Wyoming’s vast landscapes and rugged lifestyles offer plenty of poetic inspiration. 

The old saw may be “We play both kinds of music, Country AND Western,” but melody in the mountains is more than guitars and campfires.

This month we’re putting specialty coffee, locally distilled spirits, and goat meat on the menu. Hear what’s happening in the Western kitchen. 

Western authors write about more than just cowboys. In this episode, we hear about writers exploring topics ranging from women’s issues to dying languages.

Western art isn’t only paintings of horses and sunsets. This month, we’ll explore contemporary expressions of the Modern West.