抖阴ap Columnists

Over the past 70 years, the number of inpatient psychiatric beds has dropped dramatically, leaving many without critical care when they experience mental health crises. (Illustration provided by Oona Zenda/KFF Health News)

My wait for a psychiatric bed in Denver highlights this nation’s overburdened system (抖阴ap)

By Helen Santoro

June 29, 2026 at 5:01 a.m.

Just before my birthday, a Denver doctor placed me on an involuntary 72-hour mental health...

A gray wolf stands outside its crate for a brief moment at a release site on Jan. 14, 2025, before reentering the wild in an undisclosed location in the Colorado mountains. (Provided by Colorado Parks and Wildlife)

What抖阴ap really killing a lot of cattle in Colorado? Hint: wolves aren’t the culprit (抖阴ap)

By Erik Molvar

June 27, 2026 at 7:01 a.m.

The livestock industry has been running a smear campaign against wolves for years, but the...

Melat Kiros participated in a League of Women Voters Congressional District 1 candidate forum at Montview Presbyterian Church on May 28, 2026, in Denver. (Photo by RJ Sangosti/The Denver Post)

Here’s why Melat Kiros’ candidacy scares me as a liberal Jewish woman in Colorado (抖阴ap)

By Rachel Kobrin

June 27, 2026 at 9:48 a.m.

I am a liberal rabbi. I have been deeply critical of Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin...

The Wildland Trekking group makes its descent down to Mooney Falls inside the Grand Canyon on July 13, 2017. (Photo by Sara Grant/The Denver Post)

The Grand Canyon is not easy or safe — no matter what social media says (抖阴ap)

By Marjorie 鈥淪lim鈥� Woodruff

June 24, 2026 at 6:06 a.m.

We need more humble hikers, people who post that a difficult and popular hike is...

Acer Bouchard, 18, a senior at North High School, left, and Brayden Sullivan, 17, also a senior, play the mobile game Brawl Stars on their phones during an off period at the school on March 17, 2026, in Denver. (Photo by RJ Sangosti/The Denver Post)

School districts should all be opting for bell-to-bell phone-free classrooms (抖阴ap)

By Krista Kafer

June 24, 2026 at 5:01 a.m.

When teaching college classes, I run a zero-tech classroom with computers allowed only during specific...

Want to honor the memory of journalist Lynn Bartels? Subscribe and vote (抖阴ap)

By Megan Schrader

June 23, 2026 at 4:42 p.m.

If we are truly going to honor Lynn, I鈥檇 suggest subscribing or donating to any...

SafeSport is fielding more complaints than ever in our ongoing fight against abuse (抖阴ap)

By Benita Fitzgerald Mosley

June 23, 2026 at 8:33 a.m.

SafeSport, the first-ever national organization responsible for addressing abuse in Olympic and Paralympic sports, has...

Colorado voters are being inundated with campaign ads from dark money groups called "independent expenditure committees." IECs have no donation limits, often receive money from hidden donors and sometimes misrepresent their positions on issues. (Photo by Helen H. Richardson/The Denver Post)

Colorado, don’t take campaign ads at face value this primary (抖阴ap)

By Lisa Cutter

June 22, 2026 at 5:02 a.m.

The lack of transparency, combined with the massive number of communications each voter is receiving,...

Two members of Gov. Jared Polis' advisory board on clemency have come forward to explain why releasing Tina Peters undermines equal justice. (Photo by Harmon Dobson/The Denver Post)

To release Tina Peters, Polis ignored our board’s unanimous recommendation for denial (抖阴ap)

By Azra Taslimi

June 19, 2026 at 9:39 a.m.

The problem is not Tina Peters鈥� case in isolation. It is what Gov. Polis's decision...

A detainee puts their hand against a window of the Aurora immigration detention center during a vigil outside the facility on Wednesday, April 8, 2026. (Photo by Timothy Hurst/The Denver Post)

Lawmakers right to persist on ICE facility inspections (抖阴ap)

By Krista Kafer

June 15, 2026 at 5:00 p.m.

Whether they win or lose in court, the bill鈥檚 passage will serve as a wake-up...

Cattle gather around a water hole at a ranch north of Burlington on Sept. 12, 2017. The feeder stream form the South Fork Republican River, one of three tributaries that originate in the high plains of Northeastern Colorado, is slowly drying up. (Photo by RJ Sangosti/The Denver Post)

The Republican River is in trouble. Better conservation planning is critical.

By Allen Best

June 14, 2026 at 6:17 a.m.

The Republican and the Colorado differ in one fundamental respect. Nearly all the water in...

This March 16, 2017, file photo released by the Bannock County Sheriff's Office shows a cyanide device in Pocatello, Idaho. The device, called M-44, is spring-activated and sprays poison that is meant to kill predators. (Bannock County Sheriff's Office via AP)

Trump administration resurrects dangerous cyanide bombs that explode into animals’ mouths (抖阴ap)

By Ted Williams

June 12, 2026 at 6:54 a.m.

M-44s, spring-loaded devices scented with decomposed animal tissue, blast cyanide into the mouth of any...

Gov. Jared Polis speaks during a post-legislative news conference at the Colorado State Capitol Building in Denver on Thursday, May 14, 2026. (Photo by Hyoung Chang/The Denver Post)

Polis was right to veto a union law that threatened the Labor Peace Act (抖阴ap)

By Krista Kafer

June 11, 2026 at 6:00 p.m.

Gov. Jared Polis was right to preserve the law from legislation to overturn it. He...

Large logs taken down during a fire mitigation and fuel management program on September 20, 2022 in Morisson, Colorado. (Photo by Helen H. Richardson/The Denver Post)

Oppose wildfire prevention logging not just to protect our forests, but because it’s ineffective (抖阴ap)

By Josh Schlossberg

June 10, 2026 at 5:00 a.m.

"Not only is cutting forests ineffective at preventing the spread of fire, but that抖阴ap not...

Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Graham Platner speaks at a 鈥淔ighting Oligarchy鈥� tour stop held by Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) at the Collins Center for the Arts on the University of Maine campus on May 24, 2026 in Orono, Maine. Platner is the presumptive Democratic nominee and will face incumbent Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) for Maine's U.S. Senate seat in the general election. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

Democrats cannot ignore Graham Platner’s red flags and hold the moral high ground (抖阴ap)

By Doug Friednash

June 3, 2026 at 11:40 a.m.

Democrats' moral double standard is being exposed in Maine as the party prepares to nominate...

From left, Colorado GOP gubernatorial candidates State Sen. Barbara Kirkmeyer, State Rep. Scott Bottoms and Victor Marx. (Denver Post photos)

Victor Marx and Scott Bottoms bring the dumpster fire to the Republican primary (抖阴ap)

By Krista Kafer

May 28, 2026 at 5:01 a.m.

"If Marx or Bottoms prevail in the June primary against state Sen. Barbara Kirkmeyer, who...

Ted Turner runs buffalo at Vermejo a Ted Turner Reserve on 550,000 acres in New Mexico. The land is used as part of a luxury resort. (Photo provided by Vermejo a Ted Turner Reserve)

Ted Turner leaves a legacy of protected land in the West (抖阴ap)

By Todd Wilkinson

May 27, 2026 at 5:01 a.m.

Before he died at age 87 in early May, Ted Turner knew that stewardship of...

In this April 22, 2020, file photo, pallbearers, who were among only 10 allowed mourners, walk the casket for internment at the funeral for Larry Hammond, who died from the coronavirus, at Mount Olivet Cemetery in New Orleans. Government health officials say Native Americans, Latinos and Black people are two to three times more likely than whites to die of COVID-19. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert, File)

Troubling racial health disparities still exist 鈥� join me in a fight for equity and access (抖阴ap)

By Deidre Johnson聽

May 25, 2026 at 10:24 a.m.

Nobody listened when I insisted my blood pressure was too high soon after my first...

Anna Hicks prepares a measles, mumps and rubella vaccine at the Andrews County Health Department, Tuesday, April 8, 2025, in Andrews, Texas. (AP Photo/Annie Rice)

Anti-vaxxers get a chance to fall in love with others who do not understand science (抖阴ap)

By Krista Kafer

May 24, 2026 at 5:01 a.m.

The organization initially invited anti-vaxxers to 鈥渇ind love with mRNA free partners.鈥� Pickings were poor...

Care workers with the Service Employees International Union chant, rally outside the US Capitol on June 26, 2025, in Washington, D.C. They came to denounce the impact to patients, families and workers if Republicans cut Medicaid, health care and SNAP to pay for tax cuts for the wealthy. (Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images North America/TNS)

Congress lied. Medicaid cuts may force my physical therapist to drop patients like me (抖阴ap)

By Lydia Cruz

May 22, 2026 at 9:12 a.m.

Despite claims by my U.S. representative, Gabe Evans, that my Medicaid and access to care...

Polis’ clemency for Tina Peters emboldens the election denialism movement that threatens Colorado’s elections (抖阴ap)

By Jena Griswold

May 21, 2026 at 5:01 a.m.

"Clemency for Peters emboldens the election denialism movement and will intensify the threat environment that...

In this 2019 file photo, then Governor-elect Jared Polis welcomes Terry Knight, Spiritual Leader of the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe for the Native American Blessing during his Inauguration at the Colorado Capitol. While the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe were granted free entrance to state parks under legislation Polis signed, the bill excluded the Ute Indian Tribe. (Photo by Joe Amon/The Denver Post)

A year ago Gov. Polis signed a law that screamed, “The Utes must still go!” (抖阴ap)

By Shaun Chapoose

May 20, 2026 at 5:01 a.m.

Colorado Gov. Jared Polis鈥檚 refusal to recognize the Ute Indian Tribe鈥檚 rights under the Brunot...

Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-CO), left, and Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-FL) sit together in the U.S. Capitol on Oct.20, 2023 in Washington. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

Rep. Lauren Boebert and these MAGA women are leading a #Me2.0 in Washington (抖阴ap)

By Michelle Cottle

May 25, 2026 at 9:27 a.m.

At the beginning of President Donald Trump鈥檚 second term, if you had told me there...

President Donald Trump signs the hat of Bruce Adams, chairman of the San Juan County Commission, after speaking about his decision to shrink the size of Bears Ears and Grand Staircase Escalante national monuments, Monday, Dec. 4, 2017, in Salt Lake City. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

Congress is still trying to decimate the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument (抖阴ap)

By Scott Braden

May 19, 2026 at 10:04 a.m.

If this CRA resolution passes, it could devastate the monument, turning it into a place...

A still image of mother pigs being kept in "gestation crates" at a farm in Kentucky. An undercover activist shot video inside the facility between December 2017 and March 2018. The nonprofit organization Mercy for Animals says the footage uncovered abuses and the damaging impacts of keeping pigs in the small crates. (Submitted to The Denver Post on July 17, 2018.)

Colorado led the way against farm animal cruelty. Now Congress will roll it back. (抖阴ap)

By Krista Kafer

May 18, 2026 at 1:07 p.m.

Colorado led the way in adopting humane farming practices. Now the U.S. House of Representatives...

Hickenlooper: If confirmed to lead the BLM, Steve Pearce will spearhead Trump’s assault on public lands

By John Hickenlooper

May 18, 2026 at 9:51 a.m.

Public lands are part of our shared Colorado heritage. If we fail to protect them...

Z Williams testifies in front of the Senate Judiciary Committee during a hearings on House Bill 1312 in the Old Supreme Court hearing room at the Colorado State Capitol in Denver on April 30, 2025. The committee amended the bill after listening to hours of testimony from opponents and proponents of HB-1312, which would extend more legal protections to transgender people. (Photo by Helen H. Richardson/The Denver Post)

Colorado Democrats cannot force employers to use someone’s pronouns. That’s compelling speech and it’s illegal (抖阴ap)

By Krista Kafer

May 12, 2026 at 9:07 a.m.

Thanks to a bill passed last year, Coloradans cannot use biologically accurate pronouns or titles...

Construction continues at a CoreSite data center being built at Race Street and East 49th Avenue on February 13, 2026, in Denver. (Photo By Kathryn Scott/Special to The Denver Post)

Colorado’s economy needs data centers. Let’s bring them here on our terms. (抖阴ap)

By Bill Owens

May 7, 2026 at 10:24 a.m.

We should take steps towards powering our future by bringing data center investment and jobs...

Firefighters battle the orange blaze of the Alexander Mountain fire west of Loveland, Colorado on Tuesday, July 30, 2024. (Photo by Zachary Spindler-Krage/The Denver Post)

The West heads for wildfires unprepared (抖阴ap)

By David Calkin

May 6, 2026 at 5:01 a.m.

Whether 2026 becomes a historically severe fire year remains uncertain. But the conditions --environmental and...

Zoe Duplessis, 5, makes a heart sign over the "I Voted" sticker designed by her mother Artist Chlo Duplessis after the unveiling of the sticker at the Denver Elections Division on September 21, 2022 in Denver, Colorado. Chlo Duplessis, a Denver-based artist who is legally blind. She worked with the Denver Elections Division to create the new "I Voted" sticker design to illustrate an ongoing commitment to providing voter-centric experiences for voters with vision or hearing disabilities within the City and County of Denver.
(Photo by Helen H. Richardson/The Denver Post)

Denver’s heart and hard work could be a compass for the DNC in 2028 (Editorial)

By The Denver Post Editorial Board

May 5, 2026 at 5:02 p.m.

America has lost her way, and Denver could be the compass home in 2028.

AI ended my career, but it doesn’t have to be this way (抖阴ap)

By Michelle Dally

May 5, 2026 at 12:35 p.m.

Derek Mobley, a black man in California, applied to hundreds of jobs and often received...

Colorado’s school cellphone policies are being decided right now 鈥� with or without you (抖阴ap)

By Krista Spurgin

April 29, 2026 at 11:09 a.m.

Where districts have taken a clear, consistent approach -- requiring phones to be off and...

A wildfire burning near Horsetooth Reservoir west of Fort Collins forced mandatory evacuations on April 23, 2026. (Courtesy of the Poudre Fire Authority)

Owens and Ritter: Colorado cannot afford a wildfire season ruled by ideology (抖阴ap)

By Bill Owens

April 28, 2026 at 5:01 a.m.

For years, there have been loud voices opposing the very tools that can help reduce...

President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump attend the annual White House Correspondents Dinner at the Washington Hilton, in Washington on Saturday, April 25, 2026. (Salwan Georges/The New York Times)

In the wake of another attempt on Trump’s life, we must decry rising political violence (抖阴ap)

By James Piazza

April 28, 2026 at 2:44 p.m.

It is absolutely critical that both Democratic and Republican politicians 鈥� politicians from all sides...

A crowd of delegates cast their vote for their preferred gubernatorial candidate during the Colorado Republican State Assembly on Saturday, April 11, 2026, at Massari Arena on the Colorado State University Pueblo campus in Pueblo, Colo. (Photo by Timothy Hurst/The Denver Post)

Closing Colorado’s primaries would be a great loss for democracy (抖阴ap)

By Kent Thiry

April 27, 2026 at 5:01 a.m.

Let抖阴ap get something straight: The people own elections in our country and our state, not...

Fourth-graders Kintan Surghani, left, and Rachel ...

We can give our kids the education they deserve without raising the tax rate (抖阴ap)

By Kevin Vick

April 26, 2026 at 5:01 a.m.

"Senate Bill 135 is about whether Colorado's children, in every kind of public school, in...

A ceremonial first Front Range passenger train carried Gov. Jared Polis and other rail supporters from Denver Union Station to Longmont on March 7, 2024. (Photo by Eric Lutzens/The Denver Post)

Front Range rail is nostalgic but will 19th聽century technology answer 21st聽century challenges? (抖阴ap)

By Allen Best

April 24, 2026 at 11:53 a.m.

Passenger rail has many skeptics. Once you get to Fort Collins, for example, how do...

Hikers head away from Long Lake, near Ward.

Moving the U.S. Forest Service headquarters to Utah will only allow Trump to dismantle public land protections (抖阴ap)

By Tracy Stone-Manning

April 21, 2026 at 2:51 p.m.

Trump's plans to dismantle the Forest Service聽aims to close regional offices and shutter dozens of...

Construction crews work on the exterior of the Cottonwoods at Mid Valley in August 2025. The new, deed-restricted housing development in Steamboat Springs is aimed at providing affordable housing for local workers and retirees. (Photo by John F. Russell/Steamboat Pilot & Today)

Colorado’s mayors are asking Polis not to cut voter-approved funding for housing (抖阴ap)

By Heidi Williams

April 19, 2026 at 5:01 a.m.

These are not abstract dollars. They represent real projects, real homes, and real opportunities that...

First lady Melania Trump waves before President Donald Trump addresses a joint session of Congress in the House chamber at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, Tuesday, March 4, 2025. Sierra Burns, a participant in the Melania Trump Foster Youth to Independence Program, and Everest Nevraumont, a 11-year-old Alpha School student, AI-advocate, and TedX speaker, joined First Lady Melania Trump in the First Lady鈥檚 Box for the 2026 State of the Union. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)

Melania Trump leads the way to help America’s foster kids as they age out of the system (抖阴ap)

By Scott Turner

April 16, 2026 at 1:13 p.m.

Under the Trump administration, HUD has supported more than 1,200 youths, including 50 in Denver,...

Reps. Chris deGruy Kennedy, left, and Jenny Willford, right, clasp hands as votes come in supporting HB24-1311 during the final day of the 2024 legislative session at the Colorado Capitol in Denver on May 8, 2024. HB24-1311 is the Family Affordability Tax Credit bill. (Photo by Helen H. Richardson/The Denver Post)

As a single mom, the nearly $10k I got from the Family Affordability Tax Credit was life changing (抖阴ap)

By Delilah Lopez

April 14, 2026 at 5:01 a.m.

Four years ago I became a single mom. It hasn鈥檛 been easy but now I鈥檓...

Scott Bottoms talks with attendees during the Colorado Republican State Assembly on Saturday, April 11, 2026, at Massari Arena on the Colorado State University Pueblo campus in Pueblo, Colo. (Photo by Timothy Hurst/The Denver Post)

Can Colorado’s GOP recover from this stagnant pool? (抖阴ap)

By Krista Kafer

April 13, 2026 at 4:09 p.m.

Like a lake cut off from fresh water, the Colorado Republican Party has grown increasingly...

The Barstool Sportsbook is popular with patrons at the The Ameristar Casino Resort Spa Black Hawk on January 6, 2021 in Black Hawk, Colorado.(Photo by Helen H. Richardson/The Denver Post)

Gambling addiction took hold of our son at 11. Senate Bill 131 could protect other kids. (抖阴ap)

By Carla Gennaro

April 13, 2026 at 9:13 a.m.

"These new rules will help curb the predatory practices that addict young people to problem...

In this 2023 file photo, Thompson Valley High School players block a spike during a game against Palmer Ridge High School during the 4A State Championship Volleyball game at the Denver Coliseum. (Rebecca Slezak/ Special to The Denver Post)

Proposed initiative on transgender students puts athletic girls at risk of harassment (抖阴ap)

By Mike Smith

April 12, 2026 at 5:01 a.m.

Under a policy like this, what happens if someone decides she looks 鈥渢oo tall鈥� or...

A rendering of the Cascadia development in Greeley. (Courtesy of Martin Lind)

Dark money helped kill Greeley’s Cascadia project. Who funded it is a mystery only the secretary of state can solve. (抖阴ap)

By John Gates

April 9, 2026 at 10:16 a.m.

To this day, we do not know who is responsible for funding the campaign to...

The Gunnison River flows into Blue Mesa Reservoir on March 25, 2026, near Gunnison. Low snowpack in the area is adding to drought concerns across the Colorado River Basin. (Photo by RJ Sangosti/The Denver Post)

Low snowpack offers alarming glimpse of future water rhythms in the West (抖阴ap)

By Imtiaz Rangwala

April 8, 2026 at 12:09 p.m.

As global temperatures rise, the freezing line where precipitation changes from rain to snow moves...

This undated photo, shows Hickman Arch ...

Random murders unite a remote Utah county at times divided between long-time Mormon families, local newcomers and tourist visitors (抖阴ap)

By Stephen Trimble

April 8, 2026 at 10:45 a.m.

The violence that came unbidden eclipses our differences. We are leaning on each other in...

A piece of a tumbleweed is stuck in a fence near an abandoned home in Crowley on March 25, 2025. (Photo by Helen H. Richardson/The Denver Post)

As cities gobble up water rights, we can’t let Colorado fields become wastelands (抖阴ap)

By Krista Kafer

April 7, 2026 at 5:01 a.m.

When cities buy water rights from rural areas and let the fields go fallow, it...

Children's Hospital Colorado on the Anschutz ...

Children鈥檚 Hospital Colorado has canceled the gender-affirming care that saved my life (抖阴ap)

By Jude Clinchard

April 6, 2026 at 6:23 a.m.

Decisions about a child鈥檚 health should be made by parents, their child and doctors --...

Valor Christian鈥檚 Ellie Londo accepts the first place medal on the podium for the 5A girls 100 meter dash at the CHSAA Track and Field Championships at Jefferson Country Stadium in Lakewood, Colo., on Saturday, May 18, 2024. (Eli Imadali/Special to The Denver Post)

Colorado needs clear rules governing transgender athletes (抖阴ap)

By Lisa Frizell

April 6, 2026 at 6:00 a.m.

"Fairness requires honesty, and the honest truth is that women's sports exist for a reason....

Rene Galindo shops for cowboy hats at Rockmount Ranchwear in Denver on May 30, 2024. (Photo by Helen H. Richardson/The Denver Post)

Denver’s anti-car approach is bad for downtown businesses (抖阴ap)

By Steve Weil

April 3, 2026 at 12:15 p.m.

At exactly the moment when we should be doing everything possible to attract new businesses,...

An elections official sorts mailed ballots at the Denver Elections Division in Denver on Tuesday, June 25, 2024. (Photo by Hyoung Chang/The Denver Post)

What Brett Kavanaugh misunderstands about Trump’s election lies (抖阴ap)

By Krista Kafer

April 1, 2026 at 4:30 p.m.

"Misgivings about Colorado鈥檚 mail-in ballots, voting machines, and proof of citizenship procedures exist not because...

Attorney General Pam Bondi arrives before President Donald Trump attends a women’s history month event in the East Room at the White House, Thursday, March 12, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Allison Robbert)

Federal prosecutors should face same ethical oversight as other attorneys (抖阴ap)

By Alexis King

April 1, 2026 at 7:09 a.m.

Ms. Bondi鈥檚 attempt to subvert independent state ethics accountability for federal prosecutors is noxious.

A Flock Safety license plate recognition camera is seen on a street light post on Ken Pratt Boulevard near the intersection with U.S. 287 in Longmont on Dec. 10, 2025. (Matthew Jonas/Daily Camera)

Three former Denver mayors urge a ‘yes’ vote on license plate cameras (抖阴ap)

By Michael Hancock

March 30, 2026 at 1:06 p.m.

This week, Denver City Council will make a decision that goes to the heart of...

Former Colorado Film commissioner Donald Zuckerman, left, and Colorado Gov. Jared Polis, look at an actress impersonating the horror character, M3GAN, during a ground breaking ceremony for the new Stanley Event Center and the Blumhouse Space at The Concert Hall at the Stanley Hotel in Estes Park, Colorado, on Thursday, Sept. 25, 2025. (Photo by Andy Cross/The Denver Post)

Budget cuts to the film office and movie incentives would jeopardize the industry (抖阴ap)

By Noah Smith, Special to The Denver Post

March 30, 2026 at 12:38 p.m.

For the first time in decades, the film industry in Colorado sees hope on the...

The State Capitol is framed by buildings along Sherman Street Friday, June 27, 2025, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

Extreme candidate’s win in CD1 signals time to end caucuses in Colorado (抖阴ap)

By Doug Friednash

March 30, 2026 at 5:01 a.m.

A system that filters candidates based on a razor-thin fraction of the voting population cannot...

People watch puppies in a cage at a pet store in Columbia, Md., Monday, Aug. 26, 2019. Colorado is considering a bill that would ban pet stores from selling dogs and cats, an effort to shut down the puppy mill pipeline from commercial breeders to stores in Colorado. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)

House Bill 1011 would shut down Colorado’s puppy mill pipeline (抖阴ap)

By Elise Gingrich

March 29, 2026 at 5:01 a.m.

"Colorado has a reputation for being one of the most dog-friendly states in the country;...

These three young King Charles Cavalier spaniels were rescued from puppy mill operations in Kansas and Missouri in a 2010 raid. They were put up for adoption at the Denver Dumb Friends League. A bill at the Colorado General Assembly would ban pet stores from selling dogs and cats, but critics argue it would increase puppy mill activity since pet stores are required to buy from licensed breeders. Helen H. Richardson/ The Denver Post-->

House Bill 1011 would push more buyers to the black market where puppy mills thrive (抖阴ap)

By 贰诲听厂补测谤别蝉

March 29, 2026 at 5:01 a.m.

"A good animal protection policy should focus on making sure animal welfare objectives are met....

LEFT鈥擴niversity of Colorado Board of Regents Wanda James, during a meeting at the Sustainability, Energy, and Environment Community building in Boulder on Thursday, Feb. 5, 2026. RIGHT鈥擴.S. Congresswoman Diana DeGette discusses the harm to Medicaid in the state by the cuts proposed by the Trump administration during a press conference at her Denver offices on February 19, 2025 in Denver, Colorado. (Photos by Matthew Jonas/Daily Camera, Kathryn Scott/Special to The Denver Post)

Why I’m ditching Diana DeGette and backing Wanda James (抖阴ap)

By Roger Sherman

March 28, 2026 at 5:01 a.m.

Given DeGette鈥檚 recent performance at the Democrats鈥� Denver County assembly, where she barely garnered enough...

Dr. Arik Smith, lead veterinarian, listens to a cat's heart rate through a stethoscope before the cat undergoes surgery at Humane Colorado, formerly the Dumb Friends League, Veterinary Hospital at CSU Spur in Denver on June 14, 2024. (Photo by Zachary Spindler-Krage/The Denver Post)

Colorado considers a law to end puppy mills. We can help by visiting these amazing animal shelters for our next pet. (抖阴ap)

By Krista Kafer

March 27, 2026 at 9:30 a.m.

Encouraging people to adopt rather than shop is a laudable goal, and Colorado is home...

Why is the Bureau of Land Management pushing Bison off Montana’s public lands? (抖阴ap)

By Tyson Running Wolf

March 25, 2026 at 6:01 a.m.

In 1886, the last wild buffalo on the Great Plains was killed among the steep...

Jewell Elementary School teachers and staffs welcome students during the first day of school in Aurora, Colorado on Tuesday, August 8, 2023. (Photo by Hyoung Chang/The Denver Post)

Democrats are proposing a dangerous income tax increase under the guise of funding education (抖阴ap)

By Barbara Kirkmeyer

March 24, 2026 at 9:15 a.m.

Colorado families are being asked to believe a familiar lie; the only way to fund...

A Flock Safety license plate recognition camera is seen near the intersection of Marine Street and Arapahoe Avenue in Boulder on Thursday, March 5, 2026. (Matthew Jonas/Staff Photographer)

Denver’s City Council rejected Flock surveilance, but Axon is just as bad (抖阴ap)

By Jennifer Piper

March 23, 2026 at 9:36 a.m.

It抖阴ap clear that Mayor Mike Johnston鈥檚 office does not understand, or does not care about,...

Alyssa Peterson, left, and her sister, Emily Peterson. (Photo courtesy of the Peterson Family)

Colorado lawmakers can pass ‘Alyssa’s Act’ to help coaches and parents monitor mental health (抖阴ap)

By Emily Peterson

March 22, 2026 at 5:01 a.m.

In 2019, we lost Alyssa after she struggled with her mental health following a series...

Murals depicting Cesar Chavez in Cesar E. Chavez Memorial Park on Tuesday, March 17, 2026, in San Fernando, California. (Kayla Bartkowski/Los Angeles Times/TNS)

And just like that, the Cesar Chavez myth is punctured. What抖阴ap next? (抖阴ap)

By Gustavo Arellano

March 19, 2026 at 2:37 p.m.

The reckoning is only right. Much of the Latino civil rights, political and educational ecosystem...

The intersection of S. Franklin St & E. Belleview Ave in Greenwood Village, Colorado. (Image courtesy of Google Maps)

My friend lost his life two years after his wife died at the same Greenwood Village intersection. We can make the crossing safe. (抖阴ap)

By Jerry Presley

March 18, 2026 at 5:01 a.m.

"I am now writing this alone, but I carry the support of 492 citizens who...

With little snow covering the mountain backdrop, a lone golfer putts out on a green on the Broken Tee Golf Course, Friday, Feb. 6, 2026, in Sheridan, Colo. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

As abysmal snowpack rapidly melts in Colorado, drought may be too hopeful a term (抖阴ap)

By Jonathan Thompson

March 18, 2026 at 5:01 a.m.

We are two and a half decades into the Southwest抖阴ap most severe drought of the...

President Donald Trump gives his State of the Union address

Social Security payments will be cut by 2032. Congress must act to prevent benefit cuts. (抖阴ap)

By Mark Udall

March 17, 2026 at 5:01 a.m.

Too often, when we hear promises made about Social Security, 鈥渢o protect ... by not...

Kids and families play on skate ramps at Elyria Park during a Globeville Elyria Swansea Coalition press conference to publicly address concerns about the CoreSite data center under construction directly across from the park Feb. 13, 2026 in Denver. (Photo By Kathryn Scott/Special to The Denver Post)

Lawmakers can stop corporate welfare by voting against a $60 million tax break for data centers (抖阴ap)

By Krista Kafer

March 24, 2026 at 2:36 p.m.

House Bill 1030, giving tax breaks to data centers, is unjust to all the businesses...

The House Gallery is prepared at the Colorado State Capitol in Denver, Colorado, on January 13, 2026. The 2026 legislative session begins on January 14. (Photo by RJ Sangosti/The Denver Post)

In Colorado, a 16-year-old girl can marry a 30-year-old man. Our laws must change to protect teens from what would otherwise be rape. (抖阴ap)

By Fraidy Reiss

March 15, 2026 at 5:01 a.m.

Banning child marriage does not 鈥渢ake away a right鈥� from girls any more than banning...

A train transports freight on a common carrier line near Price, Utah, July 13, 2023. The Supreme Court has agreed to consider reviving a critical approval for a railroad project that would carry crude oil and boost fossil fuel production in rural eastern Utah. The justices will review an appeals court ruling that overturned the approval issued by the Surface Transportation Board for the Uinta Basin Railway, an 88-mile railroad line. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer, File)

Years of permitting delays for projects like the Uinta Basin Railway are costing Colorado (抖阴ap)

By Scott Tipton

March 13, 2026 at 12:15 p.m.

NEPA is not the only statute contributing to the problem. Ambiguous language in the聽Clean Water...

In this video still from a video provided by Wyoming Game & Fish Department, a wolf is allegedly being held in the Green River Bar in Daniel, Wyoming, before later being killed. (Provided by the Wyoming Game & Fish Department)

Guilty plea in wolf torture case lays groundwork for animal cruelty laws (抖阴ap)

By Wendy Keefover

March 10, 2026 at 2:36 p.m.

A case of appalling animal cruelty in Wyoming is close to being closed with a...

The marquee at the Boulder Theater welcomes the Sundance Film Festival to Colorado on Thursday, March 27, 2025. (Photo by Hyoung Chang/The Denver Post)

Welcome to Colorado, Sundance Film Festival. Now about those $34 million tax credits. (抖阴ap)

By Bob Marshall

March 8, 2026 at 5:01 a.m.

When lawmakers and Gov. Jared Polis promised you $34 million in tax credits to come...

US President Donald Trump (L) listens ...

Tina Peters clemency? Polis’ urge to give mercy to Peters must be Stockholm Syndrome (抖阴ap)

By Krista Kafer

March 6, 2026 at 9:57 a.m.

"Trump has granted clemency to all manner of criminals from violent January 6 rioters to...

Former Mesa County Clerk and Recorder Tina Peters, right, looks back at the prosecution alongside her attorney, Michael Edminister, during sentencing for her election interference case at the Mesa County District Court Thursday, Oct. 3, 2024, in Grand Junction, Colo. (Larry Robinson//The Grand Junction Daily Sentinel via AP)

Tina Peters clemency? Her sentence was drastically harsher than those of two Democratic lawmakers (抖阴ap)

By Doug Friednash

March 6, 2026 at 9:59 a.m.

Gov. Jared Polis has questioned whether justice was evenly applied when comparing the length of...

Firefighters respond to a burning car damaged by falling missile fragments on March 3, 2026 in Ramat Gan, Israel. Iran continues to fire waves of missiles at Israel after the United States and Israel launched a joint attack on Iran early on February 28th. (Photo by Erik Marmor/Getty Images)

From a bomb shelter in Israel, Colorado Democrats’ opposition to war in Iran feels like Vietnam Syndrome (抖阴ap)

By Ken Toltz

March 6, 2026 at 8:21 a.m.

Statements from Colorado鈥檚 Democratic congressional delegation in response to President Trump's strike on Iran are...

Gov. John Hickenlooper drinks water from the Animas River in Durango on Aug. 11. (Shaun Stanley, Durango Herald)

Durango has water storage for only a few weeks, now it braces for historically low snowpack (抖阴ap)

By David Marston

March 5, 2026 at 5:01 a.m.

Denver never stops seeking more water for its burgeoning population. But Durango, a town of...

University of Denver in Denver on Wednesday, Oct. 22, 2025. (Photo by Hyoung Chang/The Denver Post)

DU will help lead the way to 3-year degrees for Americans calling for change in higher education (抖阴ap)

By Jeremy Haefner

March 4, 2026 at 2:09 p.m.

Higher education is at an inflection point. Students are questioning whether the traditional four-year degree...

Teller Street of Belmar shopping and ...

TABOR is a fiscal beast terrorizing Colorado’s townspeople — just ask Lakewood (抖阴ap)

By Sean Camacho

March 4, 2026 at 5:00 a.m.

TABOR is a great example of a Frankenstein鈥檚 monster.

Gov. Jared Polis delivered his final state of the state address at House chamber of Colorado State Capitol building in Denver, Colorado on Thursday, January 15, 2026. Gov. Polis used his final State of the State speech to highlight achievements made on housing, education and transportation over his tenure, work that he said would continue through his final year. (Photo by Hyoung Chang/The Denver Post)

Polis is right to accept Trump’s tax credit for donors to K-12 scholarship programs (抖阴ap)

By Krista Kafer

March 3, 2026 at 5:01 a.m.

Having worked as substitute K-12 teacher, I know that no one school can meet the...

Legal notices from our governments belong in open, transparent third-party publications (抖阴ap)

By Tim Regan-Porter

March 2, 2026 at 5:00 a.m.

Allowing a government entity to declare its own website legally sufficient turns that safeguard upside...

Trump’s misguided speech reminded me why it matters Colorado has real leadership (抖阴ap)

By Brittany Pettersen

February 27, 2026 at 9:11 a.m.

As President Donald Trump touted many so-called 鈥減olicy wins鈥� for women, it has made me...

Team United States players celebrate after beating Canada 2-1 in overtime in the women's ice hockey gold medal game at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Milan, Italy, Thursday, Feb. 19, 2026. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

Trump promised to fight for women’s sports; instead he tore athletes down on the world’s stage (抖阴ap)

By Megan Schrader

February 26, 2026 at 10:27 a.m.

"President Donald Trump's decision not to include a female gold medalist sent a clear message...

President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump walk out of the White House

President Donald Trump’s State of the Union is strong as he delivers safety to Colorado (抖阴ap)

By Gabe Evans

February 24, 2026 at 8:31 p.m.

"Trump is reversing the many years of rising crime and chaos inflicted on families under...

This 2025 file photo shows a picture of East Colfax, a street historically associated with prostitution and drugs, with the Colorado state Capitol in the background. (Photo by Hyoung Chang/The Denver Post)

Legal prostitution in Colorado more liberal than Nevada’s rural brothels? (抖阴ap)

By Krista Kafer

February 24, 2026 at 5:01 a.m.

Senate Bill 97 would remove legal barriers to prostitution, soliciting sex, and keeping a place...

Utah begins to cull mountain lions to ‘study’ the effect (抖阴ap)

By Ted Williams

February 23, 2026 at 5:41 p.m.

Utah鈥檚 mountain lion cull follows hard upon a 2023 state law that opened up year-round,...

U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet, D-Colo., front, announces his plan to run for Colorado's governorship in the 2026 election at an event outside the Museum of Nature and Science Friday, April 11, 2025, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

Sen. Michael Bennet should not get to pick his replacement (抖阴ap)

By Kent Thiry

February 23, 2026 at 1:31 p.m.

Bennet should either say now who intends to appoint or -- to remove even a...

Jennifer Enriquez walks over to join protesters outside the Colorado State Capitol on Sunday, January 25, 2026, in Denver. Crowds came out to protest against the federal immigration crackdown in light of the death of Alex Pretti, who was shot by federal officers in Minneapolis. (Rebecca Slezak/Special to The Denver Post)

Why ICE should target lawbreaking employers instead of mass deportations (抖阴ap)

By Federico Pe帽a

February 21, 2026 at 5:01 a.m.

"Each year, thousands of undocumented workers are detained or deported. Yet, on average, only about...

Alex Karp, CEO of Palantir Technologies, speaks on a panel titled Power, Purpose, and the New American Century at the Hill and Valley Forum at the U.S. Capitol on April 30, 2025 in Washington, DC. The Hill and Valley Forum brings together lawmakers, tech CEO and venture capitalists for discussion on technology and national security. (Photo by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)

Palantir leaves Colorado after politicians chose between dirty money and the voters they represent (抖阴ap)

By Jacinta Gonzalez

February 20, 2026 at 10:53 a.m.

"The largest recipient of donations from Palantir employees and the company鈥檚 PAC are PAC鈥檚 set...

Colorado lawmakers and immigrant-rights activists gather for the announcement of a package of immigration-related bills during a rally on the west steps of the Colorado State Capitol in Denver on Feb. 2, 2026. (Photo by RJ Sangosti/The Denver Post)

Lawmakers haven’t given up on Colorado’s unions and neither should Polis (抖阴ap)

By Marianne Giordano

February 19, 2026 at 6:34 a.m.

"Despite Colorado鈥檚 law being positioned as a 'compromise,' the Labor Peace Act actually plays out...

A camper makes its way down Highway 12 in the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument outside Escalante, Utah. (George Frey/Getty Images)

A Utah monument comes under attack 鈥� again (抖阴ap)

By Stephen Trimble

February 18, 2026 at 5:01 a.m.

Utah politicians are betting the public won鈥檛 pay as much attention to management retrenchment as...

Global energy demand is rising as Colorado hinders the oil and gas industry (抖阴ap)

By Lynn Granger

February 17, 2026 at 5:01 a.m.

Colorado鈥檚 energy debate has become increasingly disconnected from the realities of how energy systems operate....

U.S. Olympians, from left, Kate Gray, Hunter Hess, Birk Irving, Alex Ferreira, Nick Goepper, Svea Irving, Riley Jacobs and Abby Winterberger attend the Team USA Welcome Experience at the 2026 Milan-Cortina Olympics on Feb. 5 in Milan, Italy. (Photo by Joe Scarnici/Getty Images)

Olympic athletes represent U.S. and our freedoms (Letters)

By DP 抖阴ap

February 17, 2026 at 4:45 a.m.

Athletes represent U.S. and our freedoms Re: "U.S. athletes speaking up about politics face backlash,"...

President Donald Trump speaks during an event in the Oval Office of the White House, Friday, Jan. 30, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

Trump is on a losing streak and taking it out on Colorado (抖阴ap)

By Krista Kafer

February 16, 2026 at 9:20 a.m.

鈥淵ou can indict a ham sandwich,鈥� former New York Court of Appeals Judge Sol Wachtler...

Public access to privately owned land for recreational use will be preserved and landowners will get liability protection under a bill that passed the Colorado legislature on Friday. The bill passed both houses unanimously and goes now to the governor. (John Meyer, The Denver Post)

Crossing the corners of private land to access public land won in courts, now laws must follow (抖阴ap)

By Karlee Provenza

February 12, 2026 at 8:46 a.m.

"Corner crossing may be ingenious, but it is not radical. It is a straightforward affirmation...

A dried-up irrigation ditch is filled with tumbleweeds near Crowley on March 25, 2025. (Photo by Helen H. Richardson/The Denver Post)

In the drying West, here is how Aurora is leading water conservation (抖阴ap)

By Mike Coffman

February 10, 2026 at 8:58 a.m.

People who call Colorado home know the sun is often shining and that chapstick is...

Federal officers conduct an immigration enforcement operation at the Cedar Run Apartments on South Oneida Street in Denver on Feb. 5, 2025. ICE raids were conducted at multiple apartment buildings across the metro area, including in Aurora. (Photo by Hyoung Chang/The Denver Post)

Colorado deserves politicians willing to say “abolish ICE” (抖阴ap)

By Julie Gonzales

February 9, 2026 at 2:20 p.m.

"When your job is numbers, every person becomes a statistic and a justification in pursuit...

Featured