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The Big Payout: 8 takeaways from The Denver Post’s investigation into Colorado’s federal pandemic aid

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The Big Payout: 8 takeaways from The Denver Post’s investigation into Colorado’s federal pandemic aid


In the course of the course of the coronavirus pandemic — amid the shutdowns, workplace closures and job uncertainty — the federal authorities doled out tens of billions of {dollars} to states within the type of a number of support packages. Colorado acquired practically $66 billion via varied applications established to bolster the economic system and preserve staff employed.

The Denver Submit got down to decide the place all the cash went that got here into Colorado. Reporter Aldo Svaldi constructed a database of all that funding, and the tales revealed listed below are based mostly on that work.

The quantity of support is so huge, these are simply the primary tales on this effort. We are going to proceed digging into how companies, municipalities, companies, counties and the state spent these taxpayer {dollars}.

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Right here’s what you’ll want to find out about The Massive Payout challenge thus far:

Investigation: Colorado acquired $65.8 billion in pandemic support. We tracked the place all that cash went

State leaders scrimped and saved final decade, pulling collectively practically $900 million in reserves to climate surprising tough patches Colorado would possibly face. When the pandemic hit in March 2020, they shortly realized it wasn’t sufficient. Our foremost story breaks down the huge allocations, the place they went, what specialists and the individuals who benefitted say, and places support applications into historic perspective. Learn extra…

Explainer: How we tracked the motion of pandemic help from the federal degree right down to Colorado counties

This explainer particulars how The Denver Submit tracked the motion of pandemic reduction support from the federal authorities’s 22 main program to Colorado’s 64 counties. Learn extra…

Interactive graphics: A visible take a look at the place Colorado’s practically $66 billion in federal pandemic support went

Well being care suppliers used COVID support lifelines to remain afloat (Coming Friday)

The Division of Well being and Human Service’s Supplier Aid Fund doled out practically $1.7 billion to hospitals and medical clinics in Colorado. The most important slice in Colorado went to Arapahoe County-based suppliers.

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When some rural counties did settle for support, it was with a wholesome dose of suspicion (Coming Sunday)

The sparsely populated elements of the Centennial State had been impacted in a different way than the denser city facilities alongside the Entrance Vary. As a result of rural areas in lots of circumstances weren’t as affected by shutdowns — social distancing, for example, is far simpler within the Japanese Plains’ Cheyenne County as a result of for each particular person, there’s multiple sq. mile of area —  and since the suspicious eye these residents typically direct on the federal authorities, pandemic help was seen skeptically and typically used reluctantly.

Mountain resort counties obtain disproportionate quantity of support (Coming Monday)

Pitkin County, residence to Colorado’s quintessential tony ski city, Aspen, introduced in $19,545 per resident, greater than twice the state’s per capita breakdown. Different mountain and tourism-reliant counties — San Miguel, San Juan, Summit and Eagle — had been additionally on the prime of the pack in per capita funding. Solely town and county of Denver, rating third, prevented the mountain counties of a clear sweep of the Prime 5.

What’s being achieved about fraud (Coming Monday)

Colorado leaders know rampant fraud plagued COVID-19 reduction applications within the state. An actual whole isn’t recognized but it surely’s within the tens of tens of millions of {dollars}. We take a look at how investigators are going after the perpetrators and dealing to construct safeguards to guard in opposition to extra fraud sooner or later.

How Denver plans to make use of American Rescue Plan Act funds (Coming Tuesday)

The town of Denver is working to determine methods to spend $73.6 million value of American Rescue Plan Act funding to construct a stronger, extra equitable economic system within the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic. ARPA, because the act known as, will likely be paying out via 2026, that means it might be round after the virus itself is much less of a disaster and simply a part of each day life. We take a look at how the pandemic spawned a once-in-a-generation alternative for Denver leaders to assist working class individuals after billions had been spent propping up the economic system throughout the depths of the pandemic.

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Denver, CO

The City of Denver planned to convert a former motel into a shelter. It's now on the market for $10

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The City of Denver planned to convert a former motel into a shelter. It's now on the market for


DENVER — A former motel that the City of Denver planned to use to shelter people experiencing homelessness is now on the market for $10.

The city purchased the former Stay Inn, located along Peoria Street just south of Interstate 70, for $9 million 18 months ago. Since then, the property has sat vacant.

“That building has been there for so long,” said Amy Beck, an advocate with Together Denver who has watched the property sit untouched.

In May 2021, then-Mayor Michael Hancock stood in front of the Stay Inn and announced the city’s plan to purchase the hotel and convert it into a shelter for the unhoused.

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“This building here behind us represents hope,” Hancock said at the time.

Congresswoman Diana DeGette helped the city secure $2 million in federal funding to purchase the hotel.

  • Watch our initial coverage in the video player below

Denver hopes to use DeGette proposed funding to buy hotel to house homeless

The city purchased the 96-unit motel for $9 million in 2023. Eighteen months later — and nearly four years since the original announcement — the hotel remains boarded up.

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A spokesperson for Denver’s Department of Housing Stability (HOST) said a “necessary environmental review process which took longer than anticipated” led to the delays.

The City of Denver is putting the hotel back on the market for $10. However, there’s a reason behind the puzzling price tag.

The new owner would be responsible for transforming the building into “supportive housing” for those experiencing homelessness, according to the city.

Beck said she was shocked by the $10 list price but is all for it if it gets people off the street.

“At this point, I’m willing to take anything,” said Beck.

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The low price tag is also to offset the expected costs. The selected partner will need to fund all renovations and maintenance, which the city estimates will cost a minimum of $5 million.

Whoever the buyer ends up being, Beck hopes they know what they’re taking on.

“Whoever is managing the property, they need to be trauma-informed. They need to be willing to deal with people that have been through an immense amount of trauma,” Beck said.

The hope is to bring a buyer in front of the Denver City Council later this year. Beck said there’s no time to waste.

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“Please, just get it up and running because we have so many families that could fill that building right now that are living on the street, in their cars, and we need that space immediately,” said Beck.

Coloradans making a difference | Denver7 featured videos


Denver7 is committed to making a difference in our community by standing up for what’s right, listening, lending a helping hand and following through on promises. See that work in action, in the videos above.





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Denver, CO

Thousands of Denver-area King Soopers grocery store workers go on strike

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Thousands of Denver-area King Soopers grocery store workers go on strike


Some 10,000 grocery store workers across the greater Denver area went on strike Thursday, claiming unfair and illegal negotiating practices by King Soopers while their union has been negotiating a new contract with the store chain.

Striking workers at 77 King Soopers stores in Denver and its suburbs, plus those in nearby Boulder and Louisville, Colorado, urged customers not to cross picket lines that began taking shape before dawn.

“Stand together. Stay strong,” United Food and Commercial Workers International Union Local 7 President Kim Cordova wrote union members in a Monday letter announcing the strike.

UFCW Local 7 members voted by 96% last week to authorize the unfair labor practices strike.

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King Soopers, a chain owned by Kroger, with 121 stores in Colorado and Wyoming, has been negotiating a new contract since October. The current contract expired in January.

The union alleges King Soopers illegally interrogated and surveilled union members, refused to provide information needed for contract negotiations, threatened union members with discipline for clothes and buttons expressing union support, and insisted on using $8 million in retiree health benefit funds to cover pay increases.

King Soopers denies all of the allegations, saying in a statement Friday it has acted in full compliance with the law and its collective bargaining obligations. Management has gone to “great lengths” to share all relevant data with the union, is committed to fair and lawful negotiations and disputes the union’s claim that it would “gut” the retiree health benefit funds.

“We want to be clear — the Union’s call for a strike is not about wages, health care, or pensions. It is based on allegations we believe lack merit,” King Soopers President Joe Kelley said in the statement.

The strike will force customers to pay higher prices at competing stores and stores with nonunion workers, Kelley added.

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The strike follows several recent threatened and implemented labor union actions in the U.S. Last week, the Teamsters union and Costco reached a tentative contract agreement to avert a strike.

At Utah’s Park City ski resort, the biggest in the U.S., some 200 union ski patrollers ended an almost two-week strike Jan. 9 after reaching an agreement with resort owner Vail Resorts for higher pay including raises for senior ski patrollers.

Labor unions have secured other meaningful employer concessions in recent months following strikes by Boeing factory workers, dockworkers at East and Gulf coast ports, video game performers, and hotel and casino workers on the Las Vegas Strip.



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Game Thread: Denver Nuggets vs New Orleans Pelicans. February 5th, 2025. – Denver Stiffs

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Game Thread: Denver Nuggets vs New Orleans Pelicans. February 5th, 2025. – Denver Stiffs


Community Guidelines

Welcome to Denver Stiffs! We’re glad you’re here.

Denver Stiffs is a community where sports fans from all backgrounds gather to share their passion. We strive to create a fun and welcoming place for everyone to come fan with us. These guidelines help ensure that happens. Here’s the short version:

  • Be respectful in your interactions with contributors and fellow fans.
  • Don’t be a jerk, and don’t call other people jerks.
  • We’ll remove anything we see that jeopardizes our communities.
  • We ask that you do your best to keep the conversation to sports and primarily our favorite NBA team. Why? Because there are plenty of other sites where you can air your opinions about everything from politics to soup recipes.
  • You can help with that. If you see something that doesn’t align with our guidelines, let us know. Flag any comments or usernames that violate our guidelines so our community managers can review them.

These rules extend to our communities everywhere: in our comments, on social media, and in real life.

We do not allow any of the following:

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  • Personal attacks: This includes name-calling, insults, threats, hurtful comments about someone’s appearance, voice, or style, and all other forms of attacks. We want our communities to be welcoming and fun. Personal attacks are the opposite of that.
  • Attacks on staffers: It’s fine to critique a post, disagree with a take, or point out errors. We draw the line, however, at personal attacks (see above) about writers, editors, moderators, etc.
  • Discriminatory or derogatory language: This includes racism, sexism, homophobia, transphobia, ableism, or other forms of discrimination.
  • Harassment: This includes, but is not limited to, intimidation; stalking; unwanted photography; inappropriate physical contact; use of sexual or discriminatory imagery, comments, or jokes; and unwelcome sexual attention.
  • Wishing harm on athletes: Don’t root for an injury, don’t root for harm to befall a coach or athlete. You can want someone to get fired or released, but please do not hope for bodily harm.
  • Misinformation and disinformation: Sharing demonstrably false information about news or world events, beyond the scope of reasonable sports opinion or analysis, can be harmful to our communities. These comments will be removed and may result in a suspension or a ban.
  • Illegal activity: Don’t promote, encourage, or make light of any kind of illegal activity, including DUIs, domestic violence, or sexual assault.
  • NSFW images and comments: Keep it PG-13, or you will be removed. This includes language and images that are sexual, violent, or generally offensive in nature.
  • Excessive profanity: Fans get worked up on game days, and we’re fans, too. We understand that. As a general rule, keep profanity to a minimum. Some communities prohibit profanity, so be sure to review guidelines for the individual communities you participate in.
  • Multiple accounts and throwaway emails: These are a signal that you’re not interested in being a productive member of our communities, and we do not allow it.
  • Trolling: We know it when we see it, and we’ll remove it. Don’t go to a rival team’s community for the sole purpose of riling up their fans, either. Moreover, you should never publish any private or personally identifiable information. Doxxing is strictly prohibited.
  • The “first post” rule: If you break any of these guidelines with your very first post or interaction, it signals to our community managers you’re just here to be disruptive. Violators may be banned, blocked, or removed.
  • Spam: We have a zero-tolerance policy on spam, which includes sharing links to illegal game streams or downloads. Spam will be deleted and spammers may be banned, blocked, or removed. 
  • Political commentary: Denver Stiffs is a site dedicated to the Denver Nuggets, not politics. There are many sites available on the internet to discuss politics, Denver Stiffs is not one of them. Please refrain from any political commentary while using our site.

Anyone who doesn’t follow these rules when engaging in our communities will at best be removed from the conversation, and at worst will end up banned from that community. These decisions will be made at the discretion of our community managers and other Mile High Sports personnel. Community managers and moderators have final say on interpretation of violating our community guidelines, and on all decisions resulting in a warning, suspension, and/or ban.

If you see any of these things happening in our communities, please flag it and it will be reviewed. You can also reach out via our contact page.



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