Mayor Michael Hancock is placing equity at the center of Denver's post-pandemic recovery.

Why it matters: The pandemic has disproportionately impacted vulnerable Denverites and Americans alike, particularly women, low-income residents and people of color.

• Leveling the playing field will help ensure those populations have opportunities to bounce back as quickly as their higher-income, white neighbors do.

Driving the news: In an interview after the annual State of the City address, Hancock told Axios that the $450 million infrastructure bond package he is proposing, which includes a 10,000-seat arena, would ensure equitable growth by stimulating the economy and promoting job growth.

• "No industry creates and sustains jobs better than the construction industry," he told Alayna.

Details: In the address, Hancock outlined plans to prioritize those hit hardest economically by deploying $21 million from the American Rescue Plan.

• The funds will support local businesses and nonprofits, and provide families in need with child care, food assistance and internet broadband service.

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"Fresh, Fried & Crispy," a new Netflix show spotlighting some of the best fried food in America, has an entire episode about Denver.

Food critic Daymon Scott "Daym Drops" Patterson toured the city in search of all things fried and featured:

• The Buckhorn Exchange: for the Rocky Mountain oysters (aka bull testicles). He could bring himself only to take *one* bite.
• Big Mac and Little Lu's: for actual oysters and the almond-crusted hogfish with stone crab mustard sauce and Caribbean rice.
• Adobo: for green-chili cheese fries and a lesson with the food truck's "egg roll squad."
• Biker Jim's Gourmet Dogs: for fried mac and cheese sticks breaded with tortilla chips and nacho seasoning, the rattlesnake, and pheasant dog. He says the Monte Cristo turducken dog "took me back to my childhood."

His verdict: The hogfish from Big Mac and Little Lu's is "amazing" and rises above the rest in Denver.

• Rocky Mountain oysters took first place nationwide as the worst thing he ate in his tour, he told Mashed. 😂

The indictment of Kent Thiry holds major political ramifications in Colorado because of the former DaVita CEO's deep ties to top leaders in both parties.

Just in January, Gov. Jared Polis awarded Thiry the governor's citizenship medal for innovation.

• The Democratic governor called Thiry one of the state's most successful executives and "a force of nature."
• In a video at the award presentation, U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet, a Democrat, touted Thiry's work to pass two ballot measures creating independent redistricting commissions.

Polis also recently praised his administration's partnership with two economic development entities Thiry led at the time — Colorado Thrives and Energize Colorado.

Context: A federal grand jury indicted Thiry and DaVita, a dialysis provider, this month on two charges of labor market collusion.

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Colorado's seven congressional districts are less competitive than the state as a whole.

A new analysis found a 9.3-percentage-point difference between the 2020 presidential election results in our House districts compared with the state.

• Biden won by 13.5 percentage points statewide, while he averaged a 22.8-point victory in the congressional districts.
• The figure puts Colorado among the top 20 states in terms of political disparities.

Why it matters: Gaps could be a sign of gerrymandering, Axios' Stef Kight reports, or a reflection of Americans' living near like-minded people.

• The state's current districts were mapped by state Democratic lawmakers, but this year an independent board will redraw them.

The other side: Not all uncompetitive districts in competitive states are unfair.

• Following the Voting Rights Act to ensure fair representation can result in compact, uncompetitive districts.

Have your say: The two redistricting commissions will meet tonight at the Green Valley Ranch Recreation Center in Denver to take public comment on new political maps.

Go deeper

• The rapid-transit bus lines that will lead to eliminating two lanes on Colfax Avenue won't come until 2028. Earlier projections suggested construction would start this year, but now it's "later in the 2020s," officials say. (Denverite)
• Flora Duffy won Bermuda’s first-ever Olympic gold medal Tuesday. The University of Colorado Boulder graduate, who trains in Colorado, decisively won the women’s triathlon. (Axios)
• A panel is recommending that the Regional Transportation District use federal stimulus dollars to offer discounts on regular fares and streamline the process to get a monthly pass as ridership continues to remain below normal levels. (Denver Post)
• Colorado businesses are carrying a larger burden — and often paying the tab — to boost COVID-19 vaccination rates. Walmart and Amazon are the latest ones, and others are hosting vaccination clinics. (Denver Business Journal)

Five Colorado athletes will compete in track and field this week at the Olympics. Events kick off Thursday.

On the track: Elise Cranny, a Niwot High School track star, will run in the 5,000-meter (5K) and 10,000-meter (10K) for the U.S. team.

• William "Woody" Kincaid, a Littleton native and Columbine High School graduate, will race in the 5,000 and 10,000.
• Paul Chelimo, 30, is a Kenya native who joined the Army's elite athlete program in Colorado Springs and gained U.S. citizenship. He is the reigning Olympic silver medalist in the 5,000.

In the field: Valarie Allman, a 26-year-old who calls Longmont home, holds the American record in women's discus and is expected to medal in Tokyo.

• Mason Finley, 30, returns to the Olympics after he finished 11th in discus at the 2016 Games.

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