THREAD: The 10 year anniversary of the Aurora theater shooting is in a few months. Twelve people were killed. It's the first and only time I felt like I was reporting from a war zone. Survivors in shock, some covered in dried blood.

This is the story of what happened after... How an attempt to help people suffering a mental health crisis fell apart. How shaking up the status quo backfired as entrenched interests fought back.

THREAD ...

Earlier this year I was working on a story about the "third wave" of COVID in Colorado. Not an investigation, just a look at the craziness the state found itself in: cases rising, Polis tests positive, counties want stay-at-home, etc.

Suddenly that changed ... I stumbled onto the AARP dashboard. It tracks federal data from nursing homes. I was shocked at what I saw.

The red line is Colorado. Purple is US average.

THREAD: Colorado’s vote by mail for all system is regularly held up as the gold standard of elections.

Indeed, for the vast majority of voters, it’s convenient and secure.

However ... We examined four elections, the last two general (2016 and 2018) and last two primaries (both this year).

What we found was more than 100,000 rejected ballots. Enough uncounted votes to fill Mile High, Pepsi Center and have 5,000 in the parking lot.

THREAD: Sometimes as a reporter I'm embarrassed by the things I probably should have known all along.

This story is a good example. cpr.org/news/story/den… One lobbyists told me "lobbyists being cozy with politicians is not a news flash.”