Best Source for Up-to-Date News Information 2017 | Denver Post | Best of Denver® | Best Restaurants, Bars, Clubs, Music and Stores in Denver | Westword
Navigation

Best Source for Up-to-Date News Information

Denver Post

Like most daily newspapers, the Denver Post has been hit with an onslaught of economic challenges that have caused its staff to shrink. But it remains the largest news operation in the state, and its outreach via Twitter is truly impressive. The Post has dozens of Twitter accounts beyond @DenverPost, including @DenverPostBrk (breaking news), @TheSpot (political news), @DpostSports (sports news), @DenverEntertain (entertainment news) and even @DenverPostLite, for those who only want to get information about the biggest events of the day and would rather not be burdened with the other stuff. At this time in history, we need a strong media more than ever, and supporting the Post with follows and clicks is one way for Coloradans to do their part.

denverpost.com/twitter

Best Source for Up-to-Date Political Information

Complete Colorado

Courtesy of Complete Colorado

For a while, Complete Colorado didn't seem long for this world. When driving force Todd Shepherd stepped down late last year in favor of a position with the Washington Examiner in the nation's capital, plenty of fans feared the site would go the way of so many other Internet destinations. But, no: Under Justin Longo, Shepherd's longtime partner, Complete Colorado remains a great one-stop destination for anyone who wants to know what's happening in this state. The frequently updated assemblage of links, from media sources of every description, includes plenty of politics. And while many of the voices come from a conservative perspective, the results are hardly one-sided: No fake news here.

completecolorado.com

Readers' Choice: Denverite

Many major media outlets in Denver offer weather apps, and all of them do the basics of letting users know when the atmospheric conditions are about to get ugly. But our favorite is Pinpoint Weather, from the combined forces of Fox31 and CW2, which is designed for practicality: It's clear, straightforward and easy to navigate, and the alerts that go out follow suit. Users aren't flooded with extraneous "breaking news" about the third day in a row with a forecast of sunny and 75 — but when something major is actually about to happen, Pinpoint Weather is ready.

Readers' Choice: 9News

Kyle Clark, a longtime 9News anchor currently helming the weeknight program Next With Kyle Clark, is not only a frequent tweeter, but a hilariously snarky one. Recent examples include, "Not saying we always see eye-to-eye, but at least @AdeleArakawa has never pulled a gun on me on set," "I'm told being the #1 show in your time slot is overrated" and "Come for the journalism. Stay for the passive aggressive commentary on the state of the media." That's one invitation you won't regret accepting.

@KyleClark

Even those who may not be as politically progressive as Boulder-area rep Jared Polis will find plenty to like in his Twitter conversations, which address current events and developments in a notably lively and plainspoken way. In response to a tweet quoting a source who claimed that if the House failed to pass its replacement for Obamacare, President Donald Trump would go crazy, Polis tweeted, "Too late, he already is." After Moonlight scored a surprise triumph at this year's Academy Awards, he responded, "Yeah, but La La Land won the popular vote." And after news broke that Secretary of State Rex Tillerson had used the name "Wayne Tracker" as an e-mail alias, Polis slipped in a coy Anthony Weiner reference: "What I really want to know is did Wayne Tracker catfish Carlos Danger?" That last joke is a lot hipper than anything that would occur to most politicians, which is argument enough to follow Polis's lead.

@jaredpolis

"Protest is the new brunch" in the age of Trump, according to one pundit. Indeed, it seems like every weekend, there's a major demonstration going on somewhere in metro Denver. Not all of them have been permitted or gone smoothly, however, and that included the first protest against the new president's "Muslim Ban" in the Great Hall at Denver International Airport, when cops threatened demonstrators with arrest because they hadn't obtained a permit. (Protesters say they tried, but weren't able to because the rules called for a week's notice.) But now you can take advantage of a recent ruling in federal court that requires DIA to honor expedited permit requests. Outraged by a new executive order and want to demonstrate the next day? No problem: File for a permit with DIA and then head for the airport. Not only will you be able to reach thousands of members of the traveling public while you enjoy the comfort of the all-weather facility, but you can also grab some beer or food from one of the terminal's eateries during a break in the action.

Readers' Choice: Civic Center Park

It's ironic that CATS — the Canine Airport Therapy Squad — is all about dogs, but there's no question that airports can be stressful places. Sometimes you work your way through the TSA line with your bare feet and plastic baggie full of toiletries only to find that your flight's been bumped back by three hours. When that happens, you just want to stare into a puppy's eyes and get a little of the lovin' that only man's (and woman's) best friend can deliver. And there's nothing ironic about that. Over the past year, the Denver airport's squad of certified therapy dogs and their volunteer handlers have roamed the concourses, offering harried travelers dog hugs and sweet relief. The program has been so successful that it's been expanded...to more dogs, not cats.

At the height of shopping-mall popularity, these centers for socializing and commerce also specialized in entertaining the masses. But the town-square aspect of the modern mall is all but lost today, save for the action you can find at Denver Pavilions, which hosts smart activities and performances throughout the year. ArtStir is the retail plaza's signature event, a Memorial Day weekend festival of live art demonstrations, outdoor exhibitions and a market featuring dozens of local creators (which last year raised money for VSA Gallery, an organization that supports disabled artists and advocates for art space). But the Pavilions doesn't leave the community out in the cold in the winter: At the end of the year, it hosts the annual pop-up Holiday Carousel, a whirling, twinkling slice of carnival fun that raised $5,000 through ticket sales for Food Bank of the Rockies in 2016. And then there's the shopping, of course — the best you'll find downtown.

Sophisticated, modern and always on the cutting edge of consumerism, Cherry Creek Shopping Center has consistently stood apart from its mostly suburban counterparts. Barely a year goes by without another sleek update to the retail mecca's interior architecture; Cherry Creek is always adding new stores and updating the plush seating in its living-room-like gathering spaces (with TVs!). And every few seasons, of course, the lauded children's play area gets a makeover (and we hope a decontamination). But it's the purchasing hub's ability to build whole new corridors within its urban infill-locked geography, taking out anchor stores once thought to be immovable objects and replacing them with sparkling monuments of retail, that keeps those cash registers ringing. Now if they would just bring back the free parking....

visitcastlerock.org

Everything an outlet shopper could want comes together at Castle Rock. The complex is huge, with multiple pods easily accessible from jumbo parking lots fore and aft. The variety of stores is vast, representing major national chains, local stand-alones and everything in between. Athletic-shoe junkies will be especially sated thanks to separate Nike, Converse, Puma, Vans, Adidas and Under Armour shops jammed with the latest styles as well as recent remainders that often go for a fraction of the original price. The outlets are in a great location, making them a fine place for a stroll, too — but bring your wallet, just in case.

Best Of Denver®

Best Of