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| |  | A nuclear reactor site is being considered at Buckley Space Force Base in Aurora. (Joe Amon/The Denver Post) |
| ☢️ Officials Consider a Nuclear Reactor in Denver Metro | Buckley Space Force Base in Aurora could soon be home to nuclear power. The base is being considered for a “compact nuclear fission reactor” alongside two other locations, one in Montana and another in Texas. Small, modular reactors like the one being proposed are gaining popularity in the U.S. because they are deemed more affordable and easier to scale than larger reactors, though they still pose safety risks. If the Buckley site is chosen, the power it generates will not be connected to Denver’s main grid. | - Why build a reactor? The Air Force wants to create a nuclear reactor for national security reasons, expressing a need for “uninterruptible power supplies” that aren’t affected by cyberattacks or other emergencies that can cause the primary power grid to fail. [The Denver Post]
- Colorado pushes nuclear: In separate nuclear news, just one week ago, the Colorado House of Representatives moved a proposal forward that would allow Xcel Energy to research nuclear power development alongside the Colorado Energy Office. Their goal is to choose a location for a plant by 2035 and begin building by 2040. The proposal will now move to the House Appropriations Committee for further consideration. [Colorado Newsline]
- DIA reactor on pause: Last year, airport leaders and Mayor Mike Johnston announced they wanted to conduct a study to assess the possibility of building a small nuclear reactor at the Denver International Airport. After Denver City Council expressed disapproval about the proposal, airport officials put the study on pause to solicit feedback from residents in District 11, where the DIA reactor would be located. [Denverite]
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| | | Meow Wolf Denver cranks up the chorus this summer with a stacked concert calendar, from burlesque to bluegrass, funk to folk, trance to trap. Keep it only for the grownly at 21+ shows like Danceportation - a multistage, multilevel, multidimensional takeover with more speakers for more booty shaking. Or, check out an all-ages concert, so no one gets a case of FOMO - even Junior. |
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| What Denver's Talking About |
|  | Denver roads have been in decline for years, and funding to fix them has shrunk. (Seth McConnell/The Denver Post) |
| 🛣️ Paving the Road to Better Roads | The Colorado Contractors Association is pushing for a new ballot measure that would make funding for roadways a permanent part of the state constitution. The proposed constitutional amendment comes amid significant budget cuts that have made it harder to maintain Colorado’s deteriorating roadways, with more cuts expected in 2027. | - If the measure makes it to the ballot, voters will be asked to decide if sales tax collected from buying a car or car parts should be dedicated only to improving roads. Right now, that money goes to a general fund for state services, which includes roads, among other things. [Colorado Sun]
| | 🩺 Has Colorado Healthcare Reached a Breaking Point? | On Wednesday, Colorado patients and providers met with Senator Hickenlooper at Denver Health to discuss the diminishing quality of healthcare in Colorado. Patients shared stories of high insurance premiums, the cost of medication, and the challenges of navigating the insurance system while facing critical illnesses. Doctors and nurses described patients who lost their lives because they could no longer afford the lifesaving care they needed due to recent policy changes. [Colorado Public Radio] | | 🤫 Your Unspoken Denver Rulebook | I asked about the secret rules we all follow as Denverites, and you showed up! Here are some of my favorites you sent in: | - “Not knowing how to zipper and insisting on doing it incorrectly.” — Caitlin M.
- “If it snows but it’s going to warm up and melt away in the next day or so, you don’t have to shovel.” — Maddie O.
- “That you don’t take down your Christmas lights until after the stock show is over.” — Tanya S.
| | 🚙 Polis Shows Support for Rideshare Assault Bill | After rejecting a proposal last year designed to improve the safety of ride-hailing passengers, Governor Jared Polis has expressed support for a revised bill with similar goals. This year’s bill would require companies like Uber and Lyft to perform biannual background checks on drivers, crack down on unauthorized driver account sharing, and accelerate investigations of assault reports. But last year’s version did too. So, what changed the governor’s mind? We’re dissecting the changes on today’s podcast. [City Cast Denver 🎧] | | | |
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| — Michelle Polizzi | Thanks to Bree Davies, Paul Karolyi, and Sonja Swanson for editing the newsletter this week. |
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