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Jorge Zaldivar, 42, crossed the border illegally 22 years ago. He keeps at the ready a blue backpack filled with emergency supplies, including a phone charger, deodorant, toothbrush, a list of medication he needs to treat his diabetes, and a family photo should the day come that ICE officers arrest him. (Photo by Alex Burness)

The Indy 500: On immigration, the argument of the heart already may be lost

If you haven’t read Alex Burness’s story on Christina and Jorge Zaldivar, I urge you to take a moment and do so. It presents,...
Photo by martingreffe via Flickr Creative Commons

The Indy 500: Help The Indy and ProPublica document hate incidents in Colorado

There are, according to the Southern Poverty Law Center, 1,020 hate groups operating in the United States. Of those, 22 are in Colorado –...
The lazy river we didn't laze in last week in Houston. Photo by Tina Griego

The Indy 500: On deep-dive journalism, and staying afloat

Each June, a few of us at The Indy head to some overheated, off-season destination for two back-to-back journalism conferences. The first is a meeting...
Photo of Susie Littwin by Mike Littwin

The Indy 500: A half-century-long love story

We have sad news to pass on: Mike Littwin’s wife, Susie, died recently after a long battle with Alzheimer's. She was 70. Mike wanted...
New apartment development in North Denver. (Photo by Allen Tian)

The Indy 500: The message behind Denver’s mixed election results

After Denver voters on Tuesday elected Mayor Michael Hancock to a third term but ousted three council members – two of them Hancock allies...
sparks fly in Denver mayoral debate

The Indy 500: Latinos ask mayoral candidates: What about us?

As Denver’s mayoral runoff was beginning its headlong plunge into the jibes, jabs and jousts that have come to define it, recently re-elected Denver...

The Indy 500: Giellis, Hancock, privilege and the N-word

For those for whom the runoff battle for Denver's next mayor has become a proxy discussion of race, power and privilege, a short exchange...

The Indy 500: On women, candor and politics

I received an email last night, its subject line reading “Dumber than I thought.” It was from a political consultant in Denver whom I’ve known...

The Indy 500: Team of Rivals (emphasis on rivals) In a city whose political...

By now, you’ve probably heard about the new twist in Denver’s mayoral race: That Lisa Calderon and Penfield Tate – the third- and forth-highest...
Alice Madden, a former Colorado House majority leader and U.S. Energy Department official, has joined 10 others in the race to unseat Republican Sen. Cory Gardner in 2020. Madden is the most high-profile woman to join the field, which is expected to grow.

The Indy 500: Alice Madden is the first high-profile woman in Dem Senate field....

For those cheering Alice Madden’s decision to join the already-crowded U.S. Senate Democratic primary race — my scorecard has Madden, the former state House...