A spike in immigration contributed to a boom in metro Denver's population in recent years, per new data from the U.S. Census Bureau.

Why it matters: An exodus of city dwellers rocked many U.S. metros during the COVID-19 pandemic, but some are now clawing back residents — along with their productivity, creativity and tax dollars.

Driving the news: Metro Denver grew by 2.8% from 2020 to 2024, reaching roughly 3 million people, per census data, for an area encompassing cities including Aurora, Denver and Lakewood.

Between the lines: Immigration helped fuel the latest population spike.

• Metro Denver witnessed a net international migration of 56,535 people — while 14,205 people left — between April 2020 to July 2024, census data shows.
• Meanwhile, "natural change" (births outpacing deaths) contributed to population growth of roughly 46,000 people in the same time period.

The big picture: The number of people living in U.S. metro areas rose by almost 3.2 million between 2023 and 2024, the Census Bureau said last week — a gain of about 1.1%. Metro Denver also saw a 1.1% increase.

• By comparison, the total U.S. population rose by 1% during that time.

The intrigue: No city in America welcomed more migrants per capita over the last three years than Denver, with more than 40,000 arriving since 2022.

• Roughly 20,000 people, who primarily arrived from Venezuela, stayed in the metro area.

Context: Immigrants, both documented and otherwise, inject billions of dollars into the economy and pay millions in taxes each year.

The other side: Costs associated with providing taxpayer-funded health care to unauthorized immigrants in Colorado are rising, prompting opposition from some Republican state lawmakers.

What's next: Demographers and other researchers will be keeping a close eye on how Trump administration policies might affect immigration levels.

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The University of Colorado at Colorado Springs (UCCS) is one of 45 colleges under federal investigation for possibly engaging in "race-exclusionary practices," the U.S. Department of Education announced Friday.

Why it matters: The probe is part of the Trump administration's broader crackdown on diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives — efforts that have put Colorado universities on high alert.

• It's also the latest example of the Trump administration taking a swipe at the state.

State of play: In a statement, the Education Department said the schools — including UCCS — are being investigated for potentially violating Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

• Title VI obliges schools that receive federal funds to provide students with an environment free of discrimination based on race, color or national origin.
• The department said the schools under investigation may have violated the law by partnering with the The PhD Project, an organization that helps provide resources and networking opportunities to doctoral students "but limits eligibility based on the race of participants," the department said.

The intrigue: UCCS, which has a relatively large military student population, is generally considered the more conservative and politically moderate campus within the University of Colorado system — which makes its inclusion in the investigation notable.

What UCCS is saying

About 10.5% of Denverites claim they've got a wee bit o' Irish in their blood, per 2022 census data analyzed by Axios.

Zoom out: That's a touch above the national average of 9.5% and on par with the entire state, where 10.7% of residents have Irish ancestry.

Zoom in: Head west to strike the real pot of gold.

• Western Colorado counties boasting the highest percentage of Irish ancestry include Hinsdale (19.5%), Mineral (18.5%), Gilpin (16.1%) and La Plata (14.9%).

Yes, but: Kiowa County on the eastern plains stands tall among the top five with a hearty 16.5%.

The bottom line: You don't need an Irish surname to sip a stout and celebrate today.

🍽️ Johnny Curiel, the Michelin-star chef behind Alma Fonda Fina, is opening his fourth restaurant today, called Alteño, on the ground floor of Cherry Creek's Clayton Hotel & Members Club. (BusinessDen 🔑)

✊U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) will bring his "Fighting Oligarchy" tour to Denver's Civic Center Park this Friday. He'll be joined by Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.). (Denverite)

👩‍💼 More than 600 federal workers in Colorado have filed for unemployment amid the Trump administration's purge of the federal workforce. It's unclear how that number will change after last week's ruling reinstating thousands of fired probationary federal workers nationwide. (Colorado Sun)

🕯️The recent death of a woman partially paralyzed in the Columbine High School shooting was ruled a homicide, raising the death toll of the 1999 attack to 14.

• She died of sepsis, and complications from her paralysis were found to be a "significant contributing factor" in her death. (AP)

💨 Denver's long-running 4/20 festival in Civic Center Park will no longer be free, starting this year. Tickets will start at $20. (Westword)

🦫 Plans for a second Buc-ee's in Colorado are on pause after developers withdrew their application to annex a 36-acre site in the town of Palmer Lake. But a new proposal is expected to be submitted soon. (Denver Post 🔑)

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The Colorado State Rams are going dancing.

The big picture: The Rams defeated the Boise State Broncos 69-56 on Saturday to claim the Mountain West Conference men's basketball tournament title and clinch the league's automatic bid for the NCAA tournament.

• CSU made a tournament-record 12 three-point shots, per the AP.

Why it matters: The win secured Colorado State's first conference tournament title since 2003.

• The victory ensures the Rams will join the Big Dance for the second consecutive season.

The intrigue: CSU hasn't lost a game in over a month, notching 10 straight victories. The team is led by Nique Clifford, who grew up in Colorado Springs.

What's next: The Rams will play Memphis on Friday in Seattle.