👀 In-N-Out's Mask Controversy

🏥 CO Hospital Ends Gender-Affirming Surgeries

Children’s Hospital Colorado will no longer offer gender-affirming surgery. (Note: It never offered those services to minors, but it did provide them for young adults.) The hospital will still conduct non-surgical gender-affirming care, like puberty-blocking hormones and medications. Children’s hospitals around the country have been scrubbing associations with gender-affirming services over threats and harassment. [Denver Post 🔒]

✊ Union Efforts Underway at Merc Cafe

Staff at Denver’s beloved Mercury Cafe are working on forming a union amid major operational changes, including the elimination of server positions and a pivot to a “fresh culinary direction.” The employees cite burnout, irregular hours, lack of communication, and unpredictable pay as some of their top concerns, but things appear amicable. Co-owner Danny Newman has not formally acknowledged a union yet, but employees say the situation feels “promising and good.” [Westword]

🔦 What’s Under Downtown Denver?

Unbeknownst to many, there are miles and miles of abandoned underground tunnels beneath our city streets. So, what were they used for and what can we learn from them? We asked Tracy Beach, author of “The Tunnels Under Our Feet: Colorado’s Forgotten Hollow Sidewalks.” [City Cast Denver 🎧]

💛 Camp Hope Barbecue |Thursday | 5:30-7:30 p.m.

Come show support for Camp Hope, a trauma-informed summer camp serving children impacted by domestic violence. [Ruby Hill; Free, RSVP Requested]

🥳 Colfax Indie Bash | Thursday | 6-9 p.m.

Tonight kicks off a weekend celebration of independent businesses on Colfax! Join the fun and hang with the City Cast Denver podcast crew (yeah, US! 🙋🏻‍♀️) for a live recording of the show, where we will nominate the ultimate Colfaxians for our “Colfax Hall of Fame”! [Congress Park; Free, RSVP Required]

🪲 Buzzed with Bugs | Friday | 7 p.m.

Sip on a cocktail while exploring the Denver Museum of Nature and Science’s “Bugs!” exhibit. Enjoy light snacks and a cash bar within this special insect-centered programming. [City Park; $15]

The Lost History of Downtown’s Secret Tunnels

Did you know that another version of Denver exists just beneath our city’s streets? Running throughout downtown is a maze of secret tunnels, hidden doorways, and lots of history. Today on the City Cast Denver podcast, host Bree Davies is joined by author Tracy Beech to dig into this Gilded Age phenomenon in our Wild West city, and learn more about why these spaces exist, who used them, and where they lead to.