There was a time when Hana Kebede struggled with public speaking -- "I would stutter, I would be nervous, I would quieten my voice," she said. That's not the case now for the 16-year-old junior at Overland High School in Aurora; a speech and debate class at the school helped Kebede come out of her shell. She then won the Colorado Poetry Out Loud competition and she's now headed to the national semi-finals.

Congressman Jason Crow, who represents Colorado's 6th District, spoke to Colorado Matters about a recent report on the United States' withdrawal from Afghanistan as well as military leaks from the Pentagon.

When the Colorado Rockies take the field today in their home opener, they'll be led by pitcher Kyle Freeland, a graduate of Thomas Jefferson High School in Denver. But what if the Spartans had produced another pitcher, one who set major league records every time he took the mound? That's the premise of "The Fireballer." Written by local author Mark Stevens, the novel centers around Frank Ryder, who moved from TJ and Metropolitan State University of Denver to the major leagues, where his ability to reach speeds of 110 miles an hour with his pitches creates an uproar in the sport. Stevens says the fictional story is part of an existential argument that's taking place in the actual major leagues.

Conductor Kedrick Armstrong is considered a rising star in classical music. He's drawn inspiration from a collection of the music of Black women composers, located at the University of Colorado Boulder.

A Washington Post investigation finds a lay Catholic group in Colorado has monitored priests who use dating and hookup apps, predominantly ones geared toward same-sex relationships. This group then turned the findings over to bishops nationwide. Priests take a vow of celibacy, and the church’s official position is that gay sex is a sin. The report raises broader privacy questions.

In an interview with Colorado Matters, the congressman from Colorado's Sixth District discussed the on-going war between Russia and Ukraine, evolving U.S. support and what a path to victory might look like.

Sarah Davison-Tracy, the founder of Seeds of Exchange, a global human rights group, visited Ukraine in May of 2022, and then again in August, along with her friend John DeYoung, delivering portable water filters to citizens. On that second visit, Davison-Tracy’s husband, Brandon, a pediatrician in Denver, was also there. Brandon says the trip had a profound impact on his life, and the couple plan on returning to the country every year to visit newfound friends and help rebuild the war-ravaged land.

According to the U.S. Department of Labor, Americans with autism experience substantial unemployment and underemployment. It’s what drives Danny Combs, the founder and CEO of the Englewood-based TACT, which helps students on the spectrum gain skills to work in fields like the automotive industry, carpentry and welding. Combs' son Dylan is on the autism spectrum.

This time next week, we’ll know who the Super Bowl champion will be -- we’ve known for a while now that it won't be the Denver Broncos, who entered the 2022 season with Mile-High expectations, but ended it with a fired coach and their seventh straight year of missing the playoffs. Now hopes are once again renewed with the hiring of Sean Payton as coach. Former Bronco Ryan Harris discusses the process that led to Payton's arrival, and whether or not he can "fix" foundering quarterback Russell Wilson and return the team to the postseason.

A professional athlete protests injustice by sitting out the National Anthem.  There’s a firestorm, and before long, his career is over. While there is a connection, this is not a story about former National Football League quarterback Colin Kaepernick. Decades earlier, it was Denver Nuggets guard Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf who was suspended by the NBA and shortly thereafter traded away from the team for his decision. In his autobiography, "In the Blink of an Eye," Abdul-Rauf discusses his life before and after the anthem controversy.

After a lifetime of being bullied, a young man is given a chance for immediate acceptance– even renown– but only if he’s willing to do the unthinkable. "The Mask" is a short story  inspired by the life experiences of its author, Clayton Adams, of Aurora, whose own life ended much too soon. His parents, Spike Adams and Jamie Shimeall, recalled their son's life and his legacy.

This week and next, the Colorado Department of Transportation is training police officers from across the state to differentiate among different types of driving impairments. At the end of the course, they become certified drug recognition experts.

While Republicans hoped to make inroads in last November’s midterm elections, Democrats continue to hold all three branches of Colorado’s state government. But that’s not to say theirs is a single, unified voice heading into next week’s start of the 2023 legislative session. Chandra Thomas Whitfield spoke with Julie McCluskie, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, and with Senate President Steve Fenberg. We'll hear from Republican leaders on Monday.

"I believe that these wildfires and grass fires are going to be coming to a community near you, and so it's important for us to be ready."

Denver’s first sister city was Brest, France, an alliance formed in 1948 when schoolchildren here raised money for the war-ravaged European town. It’s also the second-oldest sister city relationship in the United States. Earlier this week, a pair of schools in Colorado furthered the connection between the two countries. The language-immersion charter, Global Village Academy, received an award from French Ambassador to the United States Philippe Etienne. The ceremony was part of a whirlwind trip to the state for Etienne, who spoke with Colorado Matters about the growing importance of multilingualism, and how France and Colorado are forging partnerships in education and technology.

Deion Sanders played in both the Super Bowl and the World Series, then turned his attention to coaching football. He took Jackson State University in Mississippi to an undefeated season and two bowl appearances, Now he says he can lead CU's struggling program back to glory.