⚽ Will Denver get its new soccer stadium?

🤔 How did Palantir Actually End Up in Denver?

Anti-Palantir protesters gathered outside the AI surveillance giant’s new Cherry Creek headquarters yesterday after an activist investigator posted online a copy of a letter Gov. Jared Polis reportedly sent to the company’s CEO, Alex Karp, back in June 2020, inviting him to move to Denver. The company’s stock price has increased exponentially since the move thanks, in part, to hefty new contracts with Israel, ICE, and Trump’s Defense Department. [MuckRock]

• The intrigue: A spokesperson for Colorado’s Office of Economic Development and International Trade told us in October 2021 that Palantir “did not apply for state incentives prior to moving to Colorado and none have been provided.”

🚫 Your Mom’s House Seized for Unpaid Taxes

According to city officials, the Cap Hill music venue owes nearly $300,000 in unpaid taxes that date all the way back to December 2023. On top of that, the club was the subject of multiple wage complaints this year, and found itself at the center of a fraud and defamation lawsuit when ownership changed hands. [Westword]

🏟️ How Much Will a New Soccer Stadium Really Cost Denver?

After several delays, City Council is set to vote tonight on a $50 million subsidy to buy the land where the stadium for Denver’s new professional women’s soccer team, the Denver Summit FC, would be built. But beyond those taxpayer dollars, what else does a city buy into when it builds a new sports arena? We asked a local government affairs expert to explain the economics of stadiums and cities. [City Cast Denver 🎧]

📄 Toxicology Report Released in Sen. Faith Winter’s Death

Local authorities determined that State Sen. Faith Winter was legally intoxicated, with a blood alcohol level of 0.185%, when she fatally crashed her car on I-25 last month. The investigation concluded that Sen. Winter was at fault. No charges will be filed against the other cars involved. In 2024, Winter briefly stepped away from her work in the legislature to seek medical treatment for alcoholism. [CO Sun]

Last week, the City Cast Denver team and all of you — our loyal readers and listeners — celebrated the Mile High City in epic fashion at our first-ever Denver-est Denver Awards Show. What can we say? It. Was. Incredible 🤩 More than 300 folks packed The Oriental Theater for an evening dedicated to uplifting the people, businesses, movements, and moments of 2025. ICYMI, we’re sharing the award winners below, plus some fun moments that could have only happened in a room full of Denver fanatics!

Our award winners by your votes were… 🥁

Best Store/Small Business of 2025

Petals & Pages, bookstore and community space

Best Artist of 2025

Hannah Tran, filmmaker (check out the trailer for Hannah’s recent documentary on Denver’s AAPI community!)

Most Denver-est Denverite of the Year

Justine Sandoval, political organizer and candidate for House District 5

Best Bar/Restaurant of 2025

Convivio Cáfe, Guatemalan-inspired coffee shop and community space

Best Street/Neighborhood of 2025

Tennyson Street (accepted by Jay and Brianna Bombalicki, owners of Berkeley Untapped)

Biggest Win of 2025

“Teachers Union-Backed Candidates Sweeping the School Board Election” (accepted by Rob Gould, president of the Denver Classroom Teachers Association)

Congrats again to the winners! 👏

Plus, we had some extra fun surprises at the show that we wanted to share with those of you who missed it! Friend of the show and local comic JD Lopez produced two hilariously amazing comedy sketches for us: “A Denver Holiday Wish” starring City Cast Denver’s own executive producer Paul Karolyi 🎄 and this reimagining of the “Love Is Blind” Season 9 Denver contestants teaser, starring local comedians and actors around town! ♥️ 😂

📸 Pssst! If you were at the awards show and had your picture taken on the Green Carpet by our friends at Dude IDK Studios, we will share a link soon where you can see your fun photos and relive the evening’s magic!