Colorado Matters

The book "Rust" explains why the 6 million aluminum cans made in Colorado every day don’t explode. And, an education professor says the racial bias she faced in kindergarten shaped her efforts to reduce suspension rates among minority students.

Metro Denver’s rail service was designed to reduce road congestion but the biggest benefit has been revitalization of the neighborhoods near its stations, according to a new article by Colin Woodard in Politico. Then, is passenger rail crisscrossing Colorado pie in the sky? And, Colorado’s new public lands day.

Master Sgt. “DT” Del Toro, severely wounded in Afghanistan, won a gold medal in shot put at the recent Invictus Games and hopes to make the U.S. paralympic team in Rio this summer. And, a look at Colorado’s big lineup of summer music festivals.

An expert details the latest hacking tactics after Colorado’s legislature approves $8 million for a cyber security center in Colorado Springs. And, the director of the Folklorico program at Aspen Santa Fe Ballet receives the governor’s award for creative leadership.

As Colorado’s elderly population grows, officials seek to reduce cases of physical and financial abuse. Then, working conditions pose extra challenges for female pilots. Students have a plan to combat extremism on social media. And, a poet crafts "Bad Fame."

Prosecutors want to change a law requiring felony charges for teens accused of texting. Farmers cultivate heirloom apples on the Western Slope. Craft brewers challenge traditions worldwide. And, Boulder’s MahlerFest introduces a new conductor.

Pioneers in Colorado’s AIDS effort rededicate a memorial. Italian craft beer creates a splash in Colorado. The poetry in “(gentlessness)’’ grapples with life’s complexities.

Unaffiliated voters are Colorado’s largest and least-understood voting bloc. Students at Metropolitan State University of Denver invented machines to clear trash from urban rivers. An exhibit at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Denver raises privacy concerns. Growing up Jewish in Denver inspired an award-winning story by author Talya Zax.

A children’s book used in some Colorado preschools has raised eyebrows. It’s a love story between worms that’s supposed to spark conversations about different kinds of families. But what’s the right age to raise these questions? And, folk singer Judy Collins, whose roots are in Denver, is in town this weekend for a tribute to Stephen Sondheim.

An idea that unites Colorado gun store owners and mental health advocates against suicide started in New Hampshire. Then, inside Colorado’s largest church, which draws some criticism for its teachings and community relations. And, Colorado’s former poet laureate helped transform “The Scarlet Letter” into an opera.