Colorado Matters

Political activists on both sides of the fence are changing their perceptions of, and approaches to, Latino voters. The 14th Dalai Lama is deeply respected for his spiritual leadership but he also has critics.A former spy's new book, "Victor in the Rubble," lampoons the CIA and the so-called war on terrorism.

The sheriff department’s new policy requires deputies to try talking defiant inmates down before using force. The Dalai Lama visits Boulder this week. “Geezer Dad” Tom Lamarr’s book navigates infertility, adoption and becoming a father late in life. A Russian sculptor’s priceless collection is on exhibit at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science.

A study of Denver Health Medical Center patients shows gun wounds are getting larger and penetrate more deeply. Three towns south of Colorado Springs are dealing with water contamination. Faced with economic declines in Puerto Rico, some of the territory’s residents have moved to Colorado. The director of a Denver gallery that teaches art to the disabled will speak at an upcoming TEDxMileHigh event.

While mass shootings are up, murders are down nationally and locally compared to a peak in the 1990s. Author Susan Joy Paul's "Hiking Waterfalls In Colorado" is a guide to state waterfalls. Healer Francis Schlatter drew crowds in 19th Century Denver. His story is told in "The Vanishing Messiah." And, returning to his first love after decades, pianist Bob Biber competes in the Van Cliburn competition.

In the wake of the Orlando shootings, a Colorado activist reflects on being Latino, and gay. A look at Colorado’s payday lending law as the feds consider reform. And, the Telluride Bluegrass Festival is a summer reunion for bassist Edgar Meyer and friends.

U.S. Rep. Jared Polis, D-Boulder, says a policy limiting gay blood donations is “morally bankrupt,” but others argue for caution. Colorado’s Bonfils Blood Center responds to the Orlando shootings. Denver Museum of Nature & Science uses dead animals to analyze the ecological past. A Steamboat Springs cave is home to a new species of worm. The Denver Play Crawl stages play snippets in shops and galleries.

Organizers of Denver's PrideFest are talking to police about increased security for this weekend's events. District attorney candidates have collected a record amount for Denver's June 28 Democratic primary. A Colorado State University sociologist's decade-long study of childern impacted by Katrina. A Denver records store owner attended every Grateful Dead concert at Red Rocks.

A Fountain teen’s film shows the toll PTSD takes on families. A group is documenting Latino history in Boulder County and pushing for its inclusion in schools. A local bike race offers the same prize money to men and women. A historic gold mine closes to public tours.

New to the political system, two candidates learn by doing. A tour of singer-composer Gregory Alan Isakov’s Boulder farm as he debuts an album with the Colorado Symphony. A Boulder conference focuses on the special medical needs of extreme sports athletes.

Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper says if he vetoes a bill allowing wine and beer sales in grocery stores he’ll call a special legislative session to deal with the issue. The Denver Post’s new editor on managing a shrinking newsroom. And, banjoist Bela Fleck’s reunion tour.