Colorado Matters

Denver International Airport never planned for long security lines that now exist on the main terminal. Those came about when new security measures were put into place after 9/11. Now, as part of a $1.8 billion renovation, the airport wants to reclaim the space. But, the airlines that would help foot the bill aren’t on board yet. Then, when she was just 16, Pueblo’s Alison Jervis wrote a novel and posted it online. After more than 24 million reads, it’s now in print. The book is about teen suicide and Death is a main character. Plus, the rock n’ roll history made at Caribou Ranch.

GOP Rep. Mike Coffman, of Aurora, got an earful from conservative and liberal constituents at a town hall Tuesday night focused on health care and immigration. Then, cyclist Taylor Phinney, of Boulder, is the kind of guy who walks naked on the team bus joking with his teammates. Fresh off his first Tour de France, he’ll compete in next week’s Colorado Classic. Also, as the population of wild horses grows, Congress is debating whether to authorize euthanasia. Scientists in Colorado say they’ve improved birth control to keep the population down. Plus, with legal marijuana, dogs taught to detect pot can complicate police work. And, Colorado-born singer Arum Rae on growing up in church and her unique style.

This could be another pivotal week for health care, as the president decides whether to continue a program that brings down the cost of insurance for poor people — and, supporters say, helps stabilize the market for everybody. Gov. John Hickenlooper is watching closely. He’s also eyeing how the feds will deal with states that have legalized marijuana. Then, is there a connection between climate change and health in Colorado? Plus, a disease that makes zombies of deer and elk. It was first found in Colorado, and now a scientist here wants to fight it — with wildfires and wild horses. And, Steve Jobs’ life was operatic … now it’s an actual opera, playing its first run in Santa Fe.

If trucks drive themselves, what happens to truck drivers? One Colorado rig owner fears losing his job, but his bigger concern is what would happen if the truck were hacked going 70 miles an hour. Then, crime is up in Colorado in virtually every category, particularly car thefts, which are something of a jumping-off point for criminals. And, a culture clash is at the heart of a new novel for young adults that’s already a bestseller. Monument, Colorado author Sandhya Menon writes about an Indian immigrant family that tries to arrange a daughter’s marriage, except she’s American-born and she’s not having it.

Denver’s planning director discusses the city’s efforts to address traffic, the rising cost of living and preserving neighborhood character — all topics that ranked high in a resident survey. Plus, Denver City Councilman Rafael Espinoza on growth pressures in his neighborhoods. Then, the role women played in Colorado oil exploration. And, if you add candy toppings to your ice cream treat, they were likely made in Pueblo. Also, a Denver playwright’s “Boat Person,” chronicles his family’s escape from Vietnam.

Gunshot victims from across the country agreed to return to the places where they were shot and have their photos taken for a new book, “SHOT: 101 Survivors of Gun Violence in America.” Karina Sartiaguin is among those featured. She was 16 when she was shot and paralyzed outside her Aurora high school. Also in the show, a butcher who’s carved out an unusual niche: He teaches Army Special Forces to kill and butcher animals that they can eat on deployment. Then, 60 American Indian teens from Southern Colorado competed in the recent North American Indigenous Games in Toronto. They brought home four medals. Plus, a preview of this week’s Underground Music Showcase in Denver.

Get acquainted with your own ignorance. Cognitive scientist Philip Fernbach of the University of Colorado Boulder studies why people think they know more than they actually do. He writes, in a new book, that it fuels the political divide in America, including in the current health care debate. Then, nearly 90 percent of Denver Broncos players grew up in lower- or middle-income households. That’s one thing that came out of Sports Illustrated magazine’s unusual survey of the Broncos’ locker room, which also asked players about their political involvement. And, a large Evangelical church in Denver that recently voted for LGBT inclusion hears a sermon from a trans pastor.

Nuclear war is now more likely than its been since the 1980s. Two Boulder researchers are leading a team to describe, as vividly as possible, what the world would look like after a nuclear conflict. Also, Republican U.S. Senator Cory Gardner, ahead of what could be the biggest vote of his career, on healthcare. Then, Coloradans are on a global hunt for pretty plants that can thrive in arid Western gardens. Plus, the head of the Vail Dance Festival lands a new gig: leading the Juilliard School to help prepare young artists.