Another COVID spike. On January 4, Denver reported just 172 new COVID-19 cases. On January 5, the number jumped to 1,043 new cases—a spike most health officials attribute to increased contact for people from holiday gatherings. The spike also came the same week Governor Jared Polis eased coronavirus-related restrictions, including allowing limited in-person dining to return. (Denverite)
Dominion Voting. For weeks, pro-Trump lawyer Sidney Powell has claimed without evidence that machines created by Dominion Voting Systems flipped votes from Donald Trump to Joe Biden during the 2020 election. On Friday, the Denver company announced it is filing a defamation lawsuit against Powell, seeking $1.3 billion (yes, the "b" is not a typo) in damages for her "wild accusations." (NPR)
Gambling in Colorado. After Colorado voters passed Amendment 77 this past November—which gave towns that allow gambling the ability to increase bet limits beyond the previous cap of $100—Black Hawk, Cripple Creek, and Central City have all approved measures lifting bet limits and adding new games. Casino operators don't expect the moves to all of a sudden transform those towns into Las Vegas when they go into effect, though. (Denver Post)