- Parents who lost their children to fentanyl talk about the deadly epidemic. Then, Denver Mayor Michael Hancock is in Washington, D.C. for the U.S. Conference of Mayors. We ask about his priorities, including affordable housing and public safety. Plus, building codes after the Marshall Fire, and a college degree 50 years in the making.
- Parents whose children have died from fentanyl want to make sure other kids, and adults, think before they take any kind of pill. Fentanyl is up to 50 times more potent than heroin and it's often pressed into fake pills made to look like prescription drugs.
- Most Hispanic men in Colorado who graduate from high school don't go to college. And, those who do attend at lower rates than any other racial or ethnic demographic. Chalkbeat Colorado reporter Jason Gonzales followed two brothers: Jimy and Luis Perez who live in Northeast Denver. Luis attends college while Jimy works in construction. Their story is part of a series looking at the gap in college attendance rates among Hispanic men.
- The Omicron variant has thrown some new unknowns into efforts to predict the path of COVID-19. This week, the number of cases in Colorado rose above 1 million and hospitalizations are rising too. But, as always, the picture is more complicated.
- As cases of COVID-19 climb in Colorado, the omicron variant creates new unknowns in the effort to predict the path of the virus. Then, an update on the King Soopers strike and the bigger picture of organized labor. Also, the disparity in college rates among Hispanic men. And, preserving the Ute Mountain Ute language.
- We get insight from a former doctor in Argentina who became an oncology nurse in Colorado. Now, Valeria Martinez Tenreiro has decided to take yet another path in healthcare. She's studying to become a psychiatric nurse practitioner to address inequities in mental health care in her community. Martinez Tenreiro says as the pandemic exacerbates mental health problems, language and cultural barriers prevent some Latinos from getting the counseling they need.
- The Women's Bean Project in Denver provides jobs and job training to help women overcome barriers, such as housing instability and addiction.
- Each year, around this time, we speak with people who know books the best to get their holiday book recommendations -- books with Colorado authors and/or Western themes. This year, we checked in with John Cameron of Salida Books in Salida, Colorado and Nicole Sullivan of BookBar and The Bookies in Denver.
- The pandemic's meant challenges and opportunities in the workplace, especially for restaurants. That's where concepts like "ghost kitchens" come in. Then, the "new builders" are redefining entrepreneurship. And, Olympic hopeful Alex Hall and the Winter Games' newest sport, Freeski Big Air.
- From ghost kitchens to virtual restaurants, innovations are helping restaurants stay in business, and helping new restaurants open, at a time when the pandemic continues to make operations difficult. Mark and Sally Bare run Angry Bear Fajita Bowls through ChefReady in Denver. Alejandra Gonzalez also uses one of ChefReady's kitchens for her dessert company, Localeta's. ChefReady is the brainchild of Nili Poynter and her husband, who founded the company to give aspiring chefs the chance to start a business without incurring the costs of a brick and mortar restaurant or shop. Paul Allen with NextBite offers another approach using what he calls virtual restaurants.
- A new book argues there is a misperception about who the country's entrepreneurs really are and it contends that misperception is hindering economic growth. Seth Levine is a partner and co-founder at the Boulder-based venture capital firm Foundry Group. He co-wrote "The New Builders." Makisha Boothe is founder of Denver-based Sistahbiz. It's a business accelerator for Black female entrepreneurs.
- At age 15, Curtis Brooks was sentenced to life without parole. He was granted clemency and released in 2019. He’s adjusting to a new life, and recently was married. Then, the Women’s Bean Project thrives as it trains women. Also, emotional growth in the pandemic. And, using social media influencers to draw students to college. Plus, Mexican dance in Pueblo.
- As a teenager, Curtis Brooks was sentenced to life without parole for his role in a robbery. After 24 years behind bars he was granted clemency. Brooks now lives in New York and recently was married.
- While some businesses have faced hard times during the pandemic, the Women’s Bean Project has had its biggest sales year ever. The group, which hires women who struggle to find work. Project CEO Tamra Ryan hopes this holiday season will be just as good.
- It's only a matter of time before the state's blanketed in snow -- which is great If you're a skier, but maybe not so much when you have to shovel your drive along the Front Range. But did you know there are actually different types of snowflakes? Sam Ng is an avid snow watcher and an expert in the different kinds of snowflakes that fall to the ground. He's also a professor of meteorology at Metropolitan State University of Denver.
- Many more Coloradans will fly this holiday season than in 2020 -- in part because people feel much more secure since the COVID-19 vaccine became available -- and because a lot of people are tired of staying at home. We speak with Mike Boyd, President of the Evergreen-based aviation consulting firm Boyd Group International about why the cost is rising rapidly and whether to expect more cancellations like the recent ones by Southwest and American.
