What you need to know about Denver in 5 min.

Become a member and be a better Denverite every day.

Become a member and be a better Denverite every day.

Become a member and be a better Denverite every day.

Become a member and be a better Denverite every day.

Denver in 5 minutes: What you need to know today, July 31

Andrew Kenney

Jul. 31, 2016, 12:00 p.m.

Jul. 31, 2016, 12:00 p.m.

It’s the last day of two excellent events: The Underground Music Showcase, which brings a really wonderful variety to downtown Denver, and the Colorado Dragon Boat Festival, which is super popular for both obvious and subtle reasons.

Sadly, we weren’t invited to the Koch brothers’ “exclusive weekend retreat” in Colorado, and maybe neither did Donald Trump. Once again, there’s not much love between the billionaires and the maybe-a-billionaire.

In other Trump-Colorado news, his own team probably got him stuck in an elevator here. In other dragon-boat news, Darryl Glenn’s team is not particularly good at dragon boating.

Meanwhile, environmentalists are planning to focus some of their campaigning in Colorado in this year’s elections. (The Hill)

Over at the Denver Post, the columnist Woodie Paige just wrote his last column before departing for the Colorado Springs Gazette. (DP)

Meanwhile, the Post finds that Colorado does a remarkably bad job of checking doctors’ criminal records. As a result, one kept practicing for years here after losing his license to fraud allegations elsewhere. (DP)

This weekend, sadly, brought more gun violence to Denver.

A small audience watches "Sleep Dealer" during XicanIndie Thursdays at Su Teatro, Sept. 7. 2017. (Kevin J. Beaty/Denverite)

This year’s XicanIndie FilmFest at Su Teatro is now accepting submissions

The festival showcases Chicano independent film and work that speaks to Latinx experiences.

An AR-15 at Hammer Down Firearms in Wheat Ridge. (Kevin J. Beaty/Denverite)

No, you can’t openly carry a firearm in Denver, and other things you should know about the city’s gun laws

Denver police Chief Paul Pazen wants you to keep your guns at home if you're planning on demonstrating in the city.

A man in a red hoodie rides a red Jump bike on the Cherry Creek Trail, Aug. 20, 2018. (Kevin J. Beaty/Denverite)

Denver’s new shared bike and scooter system is picking up steam. Here’s what we know.

Some things are secret.

Katie Farnan meets Sentator John Hickenlooper in City Park to hand off one of the "Cardboard Cory" Gardners that she used for four years to protest Gardner's policies and dearth of public town halls, Jan. 14, 2021.

Senator John Hickenlooper was gifted a “Cardboard Cory” Gardner

We ran into the hand-off during a stroll in City Park.

Kids play in the grass during a rally in support of President Donald Trump in front of the Colorado State Capitol. Jan 6, 2021.

How local, state and federal authorities are planning for Inauguration Day in Denver

The head of the city's safety department met with the FBI to discuss domestic terrorism.

Logan Court, an apartment building just a block from the Capitol. Jan. 13, 2021.

Some Cap Hill residents are bracing for right-wing riots, while others say next week won’t be worse than what they’ve seen on Colfax

“I’m more scared of half a million Broncos fans.”

Horticulturalist Mario Bertelmann at work in the Denver Botanic Gardens, April 7, 2020. (Kevin J. Beaty/Denverite)

Things to do in Denver this weekend without spreading the coronavirus, Jan. 15-17

Geeks Who Drink, a tribute to Anthony Bourdain, Denver Botanic Gardens.

Yvonne Gutierrez gets the first round of a Moderna COVID-19 vaccine at the Denver Indian Center, part of the second wave of prioritized shots in the city. Jan. 8, 2020.

Less than 4 percent of Denverites have received an initial COVID-19 vaccine dose

And even fewer have received a second dose. But the city notes its figures are higher than the state's.

Mark Dishmon pays Sarafina Kidane for coffee at Whittier Cafe, which is closed to diners but open for to-go orders. March 17, 2020. (Kevin J. Beaty/Denverite)

Denver has given businesses and nonprofits $14 million in COVID-19 relief money

The city has handed out 7,000 personal protective kits and launched a program to rent out laptops for people looking for jobs.

Denver Police Chief Paul Pazen addresses the press about a recent shooting downtown, Nov. 20, 2018. (Kevin J. Beaty/Denverite)

Denver Police Department is still learning, Chief Pazen says as city council presses him on protest response

Law enforcement brass have welcomed some criticism and change, but major questions about police accountability remain.

Lakewood's Half Moon Farm in the off season. Nov. 12, 2020.

Everyone dies, so why not go out as a tree?

How Denver death doulas and modern undertakers are using water cremation and conversation to change the death industry.

Sunset over the city. Dec. 12, 2019. (Kevin J. Beaty/Denverite)

Denverite’s hiring a reporter!

Denver Police officers cruise the 16th Street Mall on motorcycles at dawn. Sept. 18, 2019. (Kevin J. Beaty/Denverite)

Denver can now spend up to $50 million on gas a year. And premium only, please, for DPD’s Harleys.

The city doesn't actually spend that much on gas. Not nearly that much.

The Denver Art Museum's new Martin Building is done with its construction phase and has begun its "museum making" stage. Nov 13, 2019. (Kevin J. Beaty/Denverite)

Would you like to paint a huge, inclusive mural for the Denver Art Museum?

The DAM is trying to find someone to fill a 336-square-foot canvas with art that represents local communities.

Gina Cammarata gets the first round of a Moderna COVID-19 vaccine at the Denver Indian Center, part of the second wave of prioritized shots in the city. Jan. 8, 2020.

Denver is in the middle of a post-Christmas COVID spike

...all while the city and state are opening back up for business.

Police lights. (Kevin J. Beaty/Denverite)

Police make arrest in case involving human remains found in abandoned luggage

Terrance Roberts leads protesters in a march calling for justice for Elijah McClain in Aurora. July 25, 2020. Photo by Kevin Mohatt

Colorado Attorney General opens a grand jury investigation into the Elijah McClain case

At least five investigations into McClain's death are ongoing.

"La Alma" mural on the walls of the La Alma Recreation Center on Sept. 1, 2020, in the Lincoln Park neighborhood in Denver. (Esteban L. Hernandez/Denverite)

Denver’s cataloguing its Latino and Chicano history through places and buildings

It's the first project of its kind in Denver.

Art by Shepard Fairey, Sandra Fettingis and Jaime Molina on Metro State University's Center for Visual Art on Santa Fe Drive. Aug. 12, 2020.

Things to do in Denver this weekend without spreading the coronavirus, Jan. 8-10

Well that was a week.

Tear gas from Denver Police officers' offensive on protesters floats east over the Capitol. May 29, 2020. (Kevin J. Beaty/Denverite)

For Denver activists and lawmakers, police response to attack on U.S. Capitol highlights disparity in treatment of Black and brown protestors

Activists say that the Capitol police’s seemingly lax treatment of insurrectionists reflects racial dynamics that exist here in Denver.