Today is July 22, 2024, and here’s what you need to know:

Biden endorses Harris after dropping out of 2024 race

President Joe Biden threw his full support behind Vice President Kamala Harris Sunday as Democrats’ best chance to beat former President Donald Trump in the 2024 election.

Biden’s Sunday exit from the race comes after weeks of Democrats’ publicly pressing him to make way for a younger Democratic nominee.

The president had steadfastly stated his plan to stay in the race but finally gave way Sunday afternoon.

Colorado's Democratic convention delegates throw support behind Kamala Harris as party's nominee

Many of Colorado’s leading Democratic elected officials and others who will have a say in picking the party’s presidential ticket said Sunday that they support nominating Vice President Kamala Harris after President Joe Biden’s historic decision to withdraw from the race less than four months before the November election.

Harris drew endorsements from Colorado’s governor, both of the state’s U.S. senators and all five Democratic members of the state’s U.S. House delegation within hours of Biden’s announcement even as national Democratic Party officials made clear that replacing Biden at the top of the ticket would not amount to a coronation.

Late on Sunday, state Democratic Party chair Shad Murib told Colorado Politics that he voted in favor of supporting Harris during a virtual meeting of the country’s 50 state party chairs, who voted overwhelmingly to back Harris. Murib said he planned to hold meetings as soon as Monday of the party’s state central committee and Democratic National Convention delegation to consider whether to coalesce behind Harris as the party’s nominee.

Colorado political figures react to Biden's decision to end reelection bid, endorse Harris

Colorado’s elected officials and political leaders reacted swiftly Sunday after President Joe Biden ended his reelection bid and endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris as the Democratic nominee to take on former President Donald Trump in November.

Democrats praised Biden as what the state party called a “transformational and history-making president,” while Republicans questioned whether Biden should resign rather than serve out his term.

Gov. Jared Polis, a Democrat sometimes mentioned as a potential presidential candidate, called Biden a “partner to Colorado and a true patriot” in a statement.

Denver’s support of Biden's cannabis rescheduling draws criticism, support

Denver’s decision to support the Biden administration’s move to reschedule marijuana drew mixed reactions, with backers saying it’s necessary to help boost declining marijuana sales and provide stability to the industry, while critics said it’s normalizing a drug that is addictive and ultimately harmful to young people.

“The city of Denver should be weighing the harms to their communities and children more heavily than lining the industry’s pockets with a rescheduling tax write-off,” said Luke Niforatos, the executive vice president of Smart Approaches to Marijuana. “According to state data, Denver’s youth are using marijuana at a higher rate than most of the state, and marijuana addiction among youth is higher than it was before we legalized it.”

“More Colorado teens are using and driving, or have friends who are doing so,” he said.

Denver mayor to tout homeless response in Monday's city address

Mayor Mike Johnston on Monday will paint a picture of a city on the upswing after years of battling a homelessness crisis and reversing a decade of violence, with a downtown that’s poised for revival.

He will argue that, within a year of assuming office, the strategies he put in place have already begun to transform his city and Denver will overcome the challenges many major cities across the nation grapple with.

He will cite declining crime statistics, notably in the area of car theft, as well as his work to “revitalize” downtown Denver. He will say he has hunkered down to avoid the pitfalls of major cities where affordability is out of reach for residents.

All told, Johnston will say Denver is on its way to his “dream of Denver” — the theme of his inaugural speech as mayor last year — as a city where its residents can afford to live, work and raise a family.