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Who's hot (and who's not) in Colorado's beer scene

A pack of craft brewers is defying the industry's slide and rebounding in a tough market.

Food and Drink

The hottest brewery in Colorado right now is Tivoli, thanks to its <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Outlaw Light" data-vars-click-url="https://outlawbeer.com/" data-vars-content-id="c1bbb458-ebe7-48d4-81a6-1d03144af375" data-vars-headline="Who&#x27;s hot (and who&#x27;s not) in Colorado&#x27;s beer scene" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://outlawbeer.com/" target="_blank">Outlaw Light</a> brand of light lager.Why it matters: The venerable brand&#x27;s growth leads a pack of brewers defying <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="the craft industry&#x27;s downward slide" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/denver/2026/04/14/craft-beer-production-breweries-2025" data-vars-content-id="c1bbb458-ebe7-48d4-81a6-1d03144af375" data-vars-headline="Who&#x27;s hot (and who&#x27;s not) in Colorado&#x27;s beer scene" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/denver/2026/04/14/craft-beer-production-breweries-2025" target="_self">the craft industry&#x27;s downward slide</a> and rebounding in a tough market with increased production to meet demand, an exclusive Axios analysis finds.

Tina Peters' comeback tests Polis' clemency gamble

Peters' post-prison comeback is complicating Colorado Gov. Jared Polis' clemency decision.

Politics

Former Mesa County clerk <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Tina Peters" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2022/03/09/colorado-election-clerk-tina-peters-indicted-2020-election" data-vars-content-id="f3e3cdcd-1815-44f9-babf-e228b42148cb" data-vars-headline="Tina Peters&#x27; comeback tests Polis&#x27; clemency gamble" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2022/03/09/colorado-election-clerk-tina-peters-indicted-2020-election" target="_self">Tina Peters</a> is considering a return to election administration three months after Gov. Jared Polis <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="freed her from prison" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/denver/2026/05/15/polis-tina-peters-sentence-clemency" data-vars-content-id="f3e3cdcd-1815-44f9-babf-e228b42148cb" data-vars-headline="Tina Peters&#x27; comeback tests Polis&#x27; clemency gamble" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/denver/2026/05/15/polis-tina-peters-sentence-clemency" target="_self">freed her from prison</a>.Why it matters: The <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="convicted" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/denver/2024/10/03/tina-peters-sentenced-election-tampering-colorado" data-vars-content-id="f3e3cdcd-1815-44f9-babf-e228b42148cb" data-vars-headline="Tina Peters&#x27; comeback tests Polis&#x27; clemency gamble" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/denver/2024/10/03/tina-peters-sentenced-election-tampering-colorado" target="_self">convicted</a> election denier&#x27;s comeback threatens to turn a late-term clemency decision into a lasting <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="liability for Polis" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/denver/2026/05/18/colorado-jared-polis-faces-impeachment-tina-peters-clemency" data-vars-content-id="f3e3cdcd-1815-44f9-babf-e228b42148cb" data-vars-headline="Tina Peters&#x27; comeback tests Polis&#x27; clemency gamble" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/denver/2026/05/18/colorado-jared-polis-faces-impeachment-tina-peters-clemency" target="_self">liability for Polis</a>, as he looks to cement his eight-year legacy and weighs his <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="political future" data-vars-click-url="https://www.politico.com/news/2024/02/22/colorado-gov-polis-on-2028-presidential-bid-00142669" data-vars-content-id="f3e3cdcd-1815-44f9-babf-e228b42148cb" data-vars-headline="Tina Peters&#x27; comeback tests Polis&#x27; clemency gamble" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.politico.com/news/2024/02/22/colorado-gov-polis-on-2028-presidential-bid-00142669" target="_blank">political future</a>.

What voters in Colorado's most competitive district are saying

A walk down a Northglenn block reveals the political division in the district.

News

The fight for control of <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="the U.S. House" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/denver/2026/08/05/democrats-campaign-gop-districts-colorado-2026-election" data-vars-content-id="fa36cf01-cf84-4cb1-9c8c-90646b178c2e" data-vars-headline="What voters in Colorado&#x27;s most competitive district are saying" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/denver/2026/08/05/democrats-campaign-gop-districts-colorado-2026-election" target="_self">the U.S. House</a> runs through Gary Meyer&#x27;s front yard. Zoom in: The 69-year-old Northglenn resident lives in Colorado&#x27;s 8th Congressional District, where Republican U.S. Rep. Gabe Evans is defending the toss-up seat he flipped <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="two years ago" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/denver/2024/11/10/caraveo-concedes-evans-colorado-8th-district-race" data-vars-content-id="fa36cf01-cf84-4cb1-9c8c-90646b178c2e" data-vars-headline="What voters in Colorado&#x27;s most competitive district are saying" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/denver/2024/11/10/caraveo-concedes-evans-colorado-8th-district-race" target="_self">two years ago</a> against <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Democrat Manny Rutinel" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/denver/2026/08/12/manny-rutinel-vegan-food-costs-8th-district-democrat" data-vars-content-id="fa36cf01-cf84-4cb1-9c8c-90646b178c2e" data-vars-headline="What voters in Colorado&#x27;s most competitive district are saying" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/denver/2026/08/12/manny-rutinel-vegan-food-costs-8th-district-democrat" target="_self">Democrat Manny Rutinel</a>.

Colorado set to collect $615M from Meta settlement

The money comes from Meta's $17 billion deal.

Colorado is set to receive nearly $615 million from the <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="landmark $17 billion Meta settlement" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2026/08/26/meta-lawsuit-settlement-states-facebook" data-vars-content-id="47a6b317-0126-40f9-b825-df714f115592" data-vars-headline="Colorado set to collect $615M from Meta settlement" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2026/08/26/meta-lawsuit-settlement-states-facebook" target="_self">landmark $17 billion Meta settlement</a> over allegations Facebook and Instagram were designed in ways that harm children.Why it matters: This is social media&#x27;s version of the landmark 1990s tobacco settlement — effectively reshaping the industry and the way young Americans experience some of their favorite platforms.

Denver Public Schools starts year with sweeping phone ban

The personal communication device ban is one of the strictest in the state.

Denver Public School students return to class next Monday with a new rule: <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="No mobile phones in class" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/denver/2024/09/05/colorado-school-districts-crackdown-cellphones-classrooms" data-vars-content-id="ebb9c759-56b7-4203-8e92-2cd5b3894758" data-vars-headline="Denver Public Schools starts year with sweeping phone ban" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/denver/2024/09/05/colorado-school-districts-crackdown-cellphones-classrooms" target="_self">No mobile phones in class</a> — at least not until the final bell rings. Why it matters: Colorado&#x27;s largest school district is adopting one of the state&#x27;s strictest personal device bans — part of a broader push by educators to keep students focused on whiteboards instead of pocket-size screens.

Graduate degrees can boost earnings by 20%

The University of Denver offers 200+ graduate programs to help you take the next step in your career.

Partners

Today&#x27;s labor market is tight and unpredictable.The challenge: Major shifts in business operations, hiring, technology and revenue are making it harder than ever for candidates to stand out, no matter their industry.The solution: Graduate programs with strong experiential learning models can directly impact success when seeking career advancements or changing fields.<ul><li>Workers with graduate degrees see an average of 20% higher earnings and overall lower unemployment rates.</li></ul>

Colorado voters to decide on TABOR refunds or more school funding

Before they adjourned, Colorado lawmakers left voters some homework: a ballot measure.

Before they <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="adjourned" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/denver/2026/05/14/2026-legislative-session-colorado-adjournment" data-vars-content-id="88c956f6-1141-4589-9daa-d1003fde0acb" data-vars-headline="Colorado voters to decide on TABOR refunds or more school funding" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/denver/2026/05/14/2026-legislative-session-colorado-adjournment" target="_self">adjourned</a>, <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Colorado lawmakers" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/denver/2026/05/14/bills-legislation-passed-colorado-legislature-adjourn" data-vars-content-id="88c956f6-1141-4589-9daa-d1003fde0acb" data-vars-headline="Colorado voters to decide on TABOR refunds or more school funding" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/denver/2026/05/14/bills-legislation-passed-colorado-legislature-adjourn" target="_self">Colorado lawmakers</a> left voters some homework: a <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="ballot measure" data-vars-click-url="https://leg.colorado.gov/bills/SB26-135" data-vars-content-id="88c956f6-1141-4589-9daa-d1003fde0acb" data-vars-headline="Colorado voters to decide on TABOR refunds or more school funding" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://leg.colorado.gov/bills/SB26-135" target="_blank">ballot measure</a> asking permission to trade tax refunds for more K-12 funding.Why it matters: <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="The referendum" data-vars-click-url="https://leg.colorado.gov/bills/SB26-135" data-vars-content-id="88c956f6-1141-4589-9daa-d1003fde0acb" data-vars-headline="Colorado voters to decide on TABOR refunds or more school funding" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://leg.colorado.gov/bills/SB26-135" target="_blank">The referendum</a> tees up one of Colorado&#x27;s biggest tax-and-spending fights in years, touching the third rail in state politics: the Taxpayer&#x27;s Bill of Rights.

Why top companies keep coming back to Leeds

In a volatile hiring market, 99% of Leeds grads report positive career outcomes within six months.

Education

For business students, six months can define a career. But at the Leeds School of Business at the University of Colorado Boulder, 99% of undergraduates report positive career outcomes within six months of graduation.*Why it&#x27;s important: Entry-level hiring has grown more competitive as AI absorbs the rote analytical work once assigned to early-career professionals.<ul><li>Employers increasingly look for graduates who can contribute beyond automation on day one.</li></ul>

Jeffco schools push back against Trump administration

Jefferson County Schools is rebuking the Trump administration's claim that the district violated federal civil rights protections.

Jefferson County Schools is rebuking the Trump administration&#x27;s claim that the district violated federal civil rights protections by allowing transgender students to compete in girls&#x27; sports and access their facilities.Why it matters: The clash between the Trump administration and Colorado&#x27;s second-largest school district highlights the widening national debate over how federal civil rights law applies to transgender students.

How Denver's future policymakers learn from live reform

Students are helping Denver measure which housing reforms increase supply.

Cities across the country are under pressure to build more housing fast, and Denver is no exception.The challenge: Colorado faces a shortage of more than 134,000 affordable and available homes, with low- and middle-income households feeling the strain.<ul><li>Evidence-based policymaking has never been more essential — and Denver is a particularly dynamic setting for this work.</li></ul>

Colorado education storylines to watch in 2026

The concerns start with how much money the education system will get in the state budget.

What&#x27;s old is new again in 2026 for education.Why it matters: 2025 left many unresolved questions about everything from spending to religious freedom — and the answers are expected to come this year, our education reporting partners at <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Chalkbeat write" data-vars-click-url="https://www.chalkbeat.org/colorado/2025/12/22/seven-colorado-education-issues-to-watch-in-2026/" data-vars-content-id="c88ec4ab-8930-4078-bc27-e00e05a760d3" data-vars-headline="Colorado education storylines to watch in 2026" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.chalkbeat.org/colorado/2025/12/22/seven-colorado-education-issues-to-watch-in-2026/" target="_blank">Chalkbeat write</a>.

Colorado's K-12 system needs an overhaul, voters say

Like politics and the economy, Colorado voters are pessimistic about the state's K-12 public education system.

Like they say about <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="politics" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/denver/2025/11/20/poll-colorado-voters-politics-crisis" data-vars-content-id="1cd1db32-f6a8-4160-a180-f4cedb496cb3" data-vars-headline="Colorado&#x27;s K-12 system needs an overhaul, voters say" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/denver/2025/11/20/poll-colorado-voters-politics-crisis" target="_self">politics</a> and the <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="economy" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/denver/2025/07/15/colorado-pulse-poll-health-foundation-2025" data-vars-content-id="1cd1db32-f6a8-4160-a180-f4cedb496cb3" data-vars-headline="Colorado&#x27;s K-12 system needs an overhaul, voters say" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/denver/2025/07/15/colorado-pulse-poll-health-foundation-2025" target="_self">economy</a>, Colorado voters are pessimistic about the state&#x27;s K-12 public education system, a newly released poll finds.Why it matters: It&#x27;s not a good look for policymakers, particularly Gov. Jared Polis, who has made education his top priority since taking office in 2019.

How Colorado teachers unions won big in 2025 election

The 2025 election tilted the balance of power toward the teachers union in the state.

The <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="2025 election" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/denver/2025/11/05/colorado-2025-election-results" data-vars-content-id="03f2f29c-f9a4-4cb3-9eb5-4e25e9af88d2" data-vars-headline="How Colorado teachers unions won big in 2025 election" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/denver/2025/11/05/colorado-2025-election-results" target="_self">2025 election</a> tilted the balance of power toward the teachers union in Colorado.Why it matters: The success of the union-backed candidates exemplifies how the &quot;<a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="blue wave" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2025/11/05/democrats-blue-wave-progressives-moderates" data-vars-content-id="03f2f29c-f9a4-4cb3-9eb5-4e25e9af88d2" data-vars-headline="How Colorado teachers unions won big in 2025 election" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2025/11/05/democrats-blue-wave-progressives-moderates" target="_self">blue wave</a>&quot; that swept the nation manifested in Colorado, our reporting partners at Chalkbeat <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="write" data-vars-click-url="https://www.chalkbeat.org/colorado/2025/11/06/why-school-board-candidates-backed-by-the-teachers-union-won-in-denver/" data-vars-content-id="03f2f29c-f9a4-4cb3-9eb5-4e25e9af88d2" data-vars-headline="How Colorado teachers unions won big in 2025 election" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.chalkbeat.org/colorado/2025/11/06/why-school-board-candidates-backed-by-the-teachers-union-won-in-denver/" target="_blank">write</a>.

Denver school board race favors union-backed candidates

The union's preferred candidates have held control of the board for the last six years.

Election

Denver voters stayed the course, electing a union-friendly school board that backs Superintendent Alex Marrero, unofficial election results show.Why it matters: With a majority of the board seats at stake, the election had the potential to shift the balance of power in the state&#x27;s largest school district, our education reporting partners at <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Chalkbeat" data-vars-click-url="https://www.chalkbeat.org/colorado/2025/11/04/election-results-denver-school-board-2025/" data-vars-content-id="5eba0aa9-cd39-4a96-8303-cae2d082e0a4" data-vars-headline="Denver school board race favors union-backed candidates" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.chalkbeat.org/colorado/2025/11/04/election-results-denver-school-board-2025/" target="_blank">Chalkbeat</a> write.

Education 📚

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