Overdose deaths in Denver are climbing again, topping 2024 numbers
DENVER — The number of people overdosing and dying in Denver is up compared to last year. Now, advocates say something needs to change.
After another year of hundreds of people dying of overdoses, those on the front lines are worn out.
“It’s a lot. And you kind of get numb to it a little bit because you see it so much,” said Dr. Sterling McLaren, Interim Chief Medical Examiner for the city and county of Denver.
So far this year, the Denver Medical Examiner’s office reported, nearly 500 people have died from overdoses in Denver.
For more on this story, and others, visit the Denver Gazette’s news partner 9NEWS.
Direct primary care offers affordability, access as health care costs rise
Mary Shinn
mary-shinn@coloradopolitics.com
Updated 2 hours ago
In the Air Force, Dr. Alex Schloe used to see 22 patients a day for a primary care appointment where he would spend five to 10 minutes with each person. “It can be frustrating for the patient and for the...
Colorado Politics in focus: the year’s top in-depth cover stories and series | 2025 unfiltered
Thelma Grimes
thelma.grimes@coloradopolitics.com
Updated 3 days ago
In 2025, Colorado Politics went beyond the daily headlines, delivering in-depth reporting on the major issues shaping the state — from congressional action to legislative proposals to the urban-rural divide and the future of Colorado’s economy. Here’s a look at...
Colorado eyes shift in particulate oversight amid EV push
Scott Weiser
scott.weiser@gazette.com
Updated 2 hours ago
Colorado’s Air Pollution Control Division proposed shifting oversight of solid particulates as small as one-seventh the width of a human hair from federal to state-only authority on Dec. 19, citing more than 20 years of compliance with national standards. The...
Colorado board clarifies certification rules for autism behavior technicians
Marissa Ventrelli
marissa.ventrelli@coloradopolitics.com
Updated 2 weeks ago
A Colorado board has clarified new rules for professionals working with children on the autism spectrum, following worries by some that hundreds of families might lose access to services as a result of a regulatory change. Over the summer, the...
Colorado’s government spending has outpaced inflation, analysis finds
Marissa Ventrelli
marissa.ventrelli@coloradopolitics.com
Updated 2 weeks ago
Colorado’s per-person spending has increased by 31% over the last two decades, despite slowed population growth, according to a new analysis by the Common Sense Institute. The annual report compares state spending by department over the last 20 years, tracking...
Clash of the titans: Democratic race for governor pits two candidates similar in focus, but very different in style | Vince Bzdek
Vince Bzdek
vince.bzdek@gazette.com
Updated 3 weeks ago
By Vince Bzdek The race for governor is shaping up to be a clash of Democratic titans, U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet and Attorney General Phil Weiser. They are two of Colorado’s highest profile politicians with deep track records who...
Autism providers worry new Colorado licensing rule could limit therapy for kids on Medicaid
Marissa Ventrelli
marissa.ventrelli@coloradopolitics.com
Updated 4 weeks ago
Autism care providers worry that up to 1,000 families might lose services under a decision by Colorado’s Department of Public Health and Environment to exclude an accreditation group for behavior technicians. The move by Department of Health Care Policy and...
Cases jump to 31 in the botulism outbreak tied to baby formula. Here’s what to know
Bob Smith
bob.smith@gazette.com
Updated 1 month ago
More than 30 babies in 15 states have been sickened in a growing outbreak of infant botulism linked to recalled ByHeart infant formula, federal health officials said Wednesday. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported 31 cases of...
Lawmakers, Gov. Jared Polis clash on Medicaid provider rates
Marissa Ventrelli
marissa.ventrelli@coloradopolitics.com
Updated 1 month ago
Colorado legislators on Tuesday heard from an advisory committee, which proposed making several adjustments to the state’s reimbursement rates for health care facilities that provide services to Medicaid patients. The proposal from the Medicaid Provider Rate Review Advisory Committee diverged...
Food banks in Denver area struggle to meet the need
Sage Kelley
sage.kelley@denvergazette.com
Updated 1 month ago
The line of people outside the Adams County Food Bank wrapped around the building as the clock ticked toward 10 a.m. Thursday. Some held grocery bags. Others sat on the ground. All wore the same saturnine expression. That sight has...
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