Yo. Today's news roundup includes a piece of black Denver history that has gone largely untold for decades, plus updates on social cannabis, Denver trains, burro racing and more. Let's go.
A story about heroism and racism:
Imagine a Denver so racist that the KKK burns crosses on Table Mountain. Now meet the black man and the people who supported him in his mission to infiltrate and defuse the Klan. Kevin's got the story. (Denverite)
Bars want weed too:
That's why five plaintiffs are suing the state over a new rule that would prohibit liquor-serving businesses from taking advantage of Denver's new "social use" cannabis program, as Kate McKee Simmons reports. (Westword)
Plus, it looks like the path is clear for the city to allow weed vaping inside businesses. (Denverite)
Feds on RTD's rail efforts:
A Federal Railroad Administration official disagreed with RTD's suggestion that the problematic technology on the A and G lines was groundbreaking, according to internal emails obtained by Nathaniel Minor in a public records request. An expert agrees that it's "pretty simple stuff." No hard ETA on a fix yet. (CPR)
Teaching an old dog new lifts:
The Denver Athletic Club is "about to put $2 million into its 133-year-old building, upgrading cardio equipment, locker rooms and common areas," as Kate Tracy reports. (BusinessDen)
Roads, schools or both?
Republicans are open to paying for roads with a new tax, but they want to cut other taxes to offset it, which would affect other parts of government. Democrats say they won't talk roads unless the legislature talks school funding too, as John Frank and Brian Eason report. (DP)
A long read on Capitol Hill:
Gregory Daurer talked to just a ton of people for this piece. Have a read. (Confluence)
BURRO RACING:
There has never been a bad piece of journalism about the Coloradan world of donkey racing, where every race starts with a shotgun blast and it's sometimes unclear who's leading whom. Here's another one, with an affecting personal story at its heart. (NYT)
Can Democrats hurt Cory Gardner?
Colorado's Republican U.S. senator is getting bombarded by calls and emails while protesters gather outside his offices. However, political analysts think he's unlikely to stop supporting President Donald Trump, as Erica reports. The senator may have more to gain from keeping Republican support than winning over Democrats -- for now. (Denverite)
More:
- The latest leadership changes in the startup scene (Built In)
- Layoffs hit 46 employees at newly acquired ReadyTalk, but office to remain in Denver (DP)
