Open Spaces

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 peak 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.

Thank you for the support during our Fall Fund Drive. Our newsroom wanted to showcase some of our favorite stories we’ve reported so far this year. Before each story, we’ll hear from the reporters themselves on why the story you’re about to hear is their favorite.

Today on the show, Wyoming hospitals are feeling a little out of balance as they watch federal and state actions make their finances teeter. Fires in the northeast ignited a bunch of coal seams last year. Now, three counties want to map them. And, A Wyoming trail runner just medaled at the World Championships. Those stories and more.

Today on the show, the GOP spending bill that’s now law is throwing a curveball at state lawmakers. Kickbacks to Wyoming from the coal industry are a lot less now. Could you really defend yourself against a grizzly with bear spray? Some people found out when they practiced spraying a robo bear. And, F.E. Warren Base in Cheyenne will be the first to modernize its nuclear missiles under the Sentinel program. It means the Air Force will ask landowners for easements. Those stories and more.

Today on the show, Democratic lawmakers in Wyoming have been going on a tour to hear from voters outside their communities. NOLS turns 60 this month. The head of the Lander-based outdoor leadership school says his students' skillsets are needed now more than ever. And we’ll hear about the cowboy artist who won the nation's top folk and traditional arts award. Ernie Marsh makes bridle bits for horses. Those stories and more.

Today on the show, the man who allegedly ran down a wolf on a snowmobile last year has been indicted. We get updated on the case. The number of rural hospitals delivering babies is dwindling. So midwives are stepping up to help low-risk women. And, towns and cities in the state have made over 12 million dollars so far this year from historic horse racing machines. Those stories and more.

Today on the show, there have been a lot of questions about how journalism is doing in the past couple of weeks. We sit down for a roundtable about the state of journalism in Wyoming. Thanks to lawmakers, Wyomingites have seen their property taxes shrink. But it could cost some small towns their savings. And, Wyoming is THE fossil fuel state. But rooftop solar has managed to carve out a niche market. What will that look like now that Congress is rolling back federal incentives? Those stories and more.

Today on the show, first responders from across the state gathered recently for a mental health conference. Doctors, nurses, pharmacists, lab techs - almost all those professions get their first taste of science at college. A University of Wyoming professor speaks about what federal cuts could do to his program. And, we hear an artist translate a new mural at the Center of the West in Cody into sound. Those stories and more.

Today on the show, it’s been almost six months since thousands of federal workers were fired and others were ordered to return to office. We’ll hear from one VA employee in Cheyenne about that transition. A group of non-federal workers are helping fill in gaps on the Bridger-Teton National Forest after trail crews were cut earlier this year. And, a University of Wyoming graduate says she’s leaving Wyoming, citing a wave of new legislation targeting transgender people. Those stories and more.

Today on the show, we dive into how staff of the Buffalo Bill Center of the West prepare bison bones to display in their Draper museum. We also weigh in on how aggressively wildfires should be suppressed to keep fires at bay but also keep fuel loads at a reasonable level. Those stories and more.

Today on the show, most gun-free zones in Wyoming are null and void after a law went into effect this month. We check in with Wyoming’s Superintendent of Public Instruction on the recent lawsuit pausing school vouchers from getting distributed. Some people in our region are waiting for the day they can hunt grizzly bears. And others are happy hunting with a camera. Those stories and more.

Today on Open Spaces, there’s been a lot of talk about large swaths of public land going up for sale to help with housing in the West. We break down what’s actually at stake. School's out for the summer, but a lot is happening in the state’s education system - two lawsuits and school funding recalibration. And the current chair of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, or CPB, is Wyoming’s own Ruby Calvert. She speaks on potential cuts to public media. Those stories and more.

Today on the show, a new film follows a group of Native youth on their journey into adulthood. As Wyoming battles a housing crisis, the Trump administration is proposing to eliminate several programs that specifically help rural communities access affordable housing. And tariff uncertainty is hitting craft beer brewers. Those stories and more.

Today on the show, hundreds of students at Job Corps in Riverton are scrambling to finish up the program after the Trump Administration tried to pause it indefinitely. For many, that means leaving their community. The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) wants to scrap a lease for a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service office in Lander that specializes in tribal collaboration. We hear about possible impacts. And we get a tour of the planned Wyoming State Shooting complex near Cody. Those stories and more.

Today on the show, some conservatives in our region say efforts to hand over parcels of federal land to states aren’t enough. They want to see most federal land go to states. A new study says the abortion pill mifepristone is more dangerous than previously known. Wyoming lawmakers shared the study on social media, but how do we know if it’s true? And, over half of Wyoming’s school districts have now adopted a four day school week. Those stories and more.

Today on the show, a new survey shows the vast majority of Wyomingites believe climate change is happening. We’ll spend a day with the Albany County Outdoor School – a program that brings local fourth graders into their public lands. And we hear a tribute to a Northern Arapaho elder who was fluent in the language. Those stories and more.

Today on the show, two conservative women started with similar beliefs about abortion. Then they got pregnant, and their beliefs shifted. We hear from a non-profit that tracks federal election spending. They found Wyoming’s D.C. hopefuls get almost all of their campaign funding from out of state. And we’ll join a conversation exploring some of our misguided stereotypes about rural America. Those stories and more...

Today on the show, a researcher and her team mapped more than 150 miles of fence near Cody. When Diana Foster Greene first started studying women who received - and were denied - abortions in the mid-2000s, there wasn’t much research on this. And, there’s a relatively small active Jewish community in the state. While one rabbi says he’s seen antisemitism rise since the October 7, 2023, attacks in Israel, he says he still feels welcomed here. Those stories and more.