- The governor told Colorado Matters that the current wave isn’t nearly as bad as the early days of the pandemic, when there was no equipment or testing infrastructure.
- Health officials recommend upgrading from cloth masks in light of the omicron variant of COVID-19, which is highly infectious.
- Camden Hall's home in Superior was a total loss, but his biggest concern was whether his cat Merlin had made it out. What their story tells us about pet recovery efforts -- and how we can prepare our four-legged family members for the next emergency.
- The congressman representing Colorado's 2nd congressional district said the Department of Housing and Urban Development will be offering temporary shelter to the displaced, and gave details for how people can avail themselves of these services.
- Fueled by the fast-moving omicron variant, Colorado hit a new record for positive COVID-19 cases in a single day — 11,018 on Dec. 31. That was after two days of case numbers above 9,000. Public health experts agree that the dramatic rise in COVID cases is largely because of the more transmissible omicron strain.
- Dr. Justin Ross, a clinical psychologist with UC Health, talks about how the victims of the grassfires might experience a more severe burn out after the tragic events last week.
- Colorado has a new statewide Conservation Corps that will help mitigate the risk of wildfires and help marginalized communities adapt to the changes caused by global warming. The program will enlist 240 AmeriCorp members across Colorado and organizers hope the program will become a national model.
- How does a city address its housing crisis? The Denver Basic Income Project has one idea: give people experiencing homelessness money each month. They've partnered with the University of Denver to try it out for a year, and they just began a soft launch with ten people as they ramp up for a full rollout moving forward. Mark Donovan is the founder of the Denver Basic Income project. Jennifer Wilson is a researcher with the University of Denver. We spoke about the program in April.
- This is the story of an apple scavenger hunt.
- Rather than putting them in an English-as-a-second-language program, dual immersion is designed to put all students on an even playing field academically, including native English speakers.
- This nonprofit became the go-to provider for aid and services for many who haven't had access to federal aid during the COVID-19 pandemic.
- The Democratic senator also talked about expanding broadband internet access and extending the Child Tax Credit.
- “Horses lend themselves to stories,” writes Sarah Maslin Nir. And Maslin Nir knows stories. She has crisscrossed the globe as a staff reporter for The New York Times. And when she's on assignment, if there's a sliver of free time, she checks out a place’s horses. Her new book is "Horse Crazy: The Story of a Woman and a World in Love with an Animal." It includes a chapter on how Black cowboys have been largely left out of the story of the American West.
- Students are back in school as early as this week, some with masks, some without. The state isn't mandating them; local officials make the decision. In Pueblo District 70, which has about 10,000 students, masks are "strongly encouraged."
- The new state historian wants kids to know their families' stories. That way they can understand what forces shaped the present and embrace differences. Nicki Gonzales begins her one-year term as historian on Sunday, August 1, which is "Colorado Day," the day Colorado became a state in 1876.
- Earlier this month sprinter Sha’Carri Richardson was suspended from Olympic competition after she tested positive for marijuana. It was a controversial move by the World Anti-Doping Agency, with many decrying the rule as unfair and nonsensical. We wondered: Does marijuana have any effect on athletic performance? And why is it a banned substance to begin with?
