as the transfer of power begins. >> he wanted the pain to go away. the nightmares. the things he had seen, he wanted it just to go away. >> a mother from colorado says a service intended to help her son and other military service members failed her son. a husband sues a drunk driver and the bar that served him for killing his wife, an onduty state trooper. the cu comeback doesn't apply just to football, and a day that comes close to setting a record high. 9news starts now. thousands of protesters in the streets of denver tonight, angry with the election of donald trump, the president- elect of the united states. this is the second straight night of protests in denver

last night's. the protesters are currently next to the pepsi center, just as the nugget/golden state game is letting out. you have a huge confluence of people at this point. police are trying to shuttle the nuggets attendees to downtown. along with the protesters tonight as they first gathered at gathering with donald trump supporters. >> reporter: kyle, it was very interesting to see how this protest started first. it was a small group of people, and then grew to a massive crowd. these protesters saying they just want their voices heard. no word on the exact number of protests, but they peacefully

stretched for blocks. sometimes stopping traffic at times. the organizers said trump as election left her heartbroken. the woman, who calls herself phoenix says she believes the trump administration will usher in an area of bigotry, sexism, homophobia, and lack of compassion of the. >> i just honestly didn't feel like after the hate on my news feeds. people are openly using the n word, saying they're going to grab women by the crotches. i had to make sure there are other people feeling the same thing. >> reporter: phoenix said tonight's protest was designed to bring people together and

hope. they belong to the college republicans there. they believe the trump administration will make good decisions fair to all communities, and this fear they say protesters are talking about tonight is unwarranted. >> i don't think it's warranted, and i always don't think it's entirely sincere on their part. i think they're unhappy with the election results. i think they're unhamy that political correctness has come on the attack, and their idea is to scream homophobic, xenophobic, you name it. >> reporter: i spoke with her just a short while ago, and she's saying she is planning another one on sunday. >> that was going to be my question, whether they plan to do this night after night after night, but it sounds like a few nights off here, and then back at it. >> reporter: yeah, and she's saying there are other protests

nights, so it looks like we're going to see several more of these in the days to come. those protesters are still on aratherra parkway, -- araria parkway. northbound i-25 is closed at 6th, southbound i-25 is closed at 23rd. police have been successful in trying to herd the protesters. trying to keep open from pepsi center. the biggest problem has been the complication of the nuggets game, ending in the last hour. once again at this point, no arrests. there is also a protest moving through the streeter of boulder tonight. police have been standing by, and at this point have not blocked off any streets there. they are letting protesters move freely along boulder. what's happening in denver

is happening in new york, los angeles, washington, d.c., dallas and others. in minneapolis, they have shut down streets there. some are saying they will keep up the marches every night. president obama welcomed president-elect donald trump to the white house today. late tonight, the president- elect took to twitter saying a fantastic cay in d.c. -- day in d.c. met with barack obama for the first time. melania liked mrs. o a lot. our president-elect told reporters about their meeting. >> first of all, i want to emphasize to you, mr. president- elect, that we now are going to want to do everything we can to help you succeed. because if you succeed, then the country succeeds. >> i very much look forward to

the future, including council. he has explained some of the difficulties, the high flying assets, and some of the really great things that have been achieved. so mr. president, it was a great honor being with you, and i look forward to being with you many, many more times in the future. >> reporter: there was also a meeting of the first ladies, michelle obama and melania trump. he also met with speaker of the house paul ryan. they took a look at the inaugural stage already being built. a hillary clinton supporter went on a walk on a trial through the woods in new york today. if she was among those wondering what her candidate has been doing since election night, she got her answer. former president clinton isn't in the picture, because he was the one taking it. she let them continue walking on with their dogs. the drunk driver who killed a colorado state trooper last

death lawsuit. 9news reporter, noel brennan spoke with our legal expert about this case. >> reporter: eric henderson was drinking, before, during, and after a november broncos game. his last stop, before heading home was brooklyn's. a bar near sports authority field. the lawsuit says the bar served henderson, even though he was that is against the law in colorado. saying these kinds of lawsuits are not unusual, and are often successful. bartenders have a duty not to over-serve customers, but the liability ultimately falls on the bar itself, even if no one expected the worst to happen. on that november night, henderson left brooklyn's and drove home on i-25, trooper jamie jersivics was helping

down. he hit her, and drove off. in june -- >> i'm so truly sorry. >> reporter: henderson was sentenced to eight years in prison. his court battles are not over. and it seems brooklyn's are just beginning. the civil lawsuit doesn't say how much money the family is asking for, but 9 wants to know also reached out to this bar for a comment about the case. kyle, they chose not to songwriters in the world has died. leonard cohen was 82 years old. canadian poet, and songwriter was inducted into the rock and roll hall of fame in 2008. he released his 14th album just last month. according to a statement on his

tomorrow is veterans day. tonight we take a look at a dysfunctional service within the department of veterans affairs. a service that a mother from colorado says failed her son, a sailor in the navy. as part of a national investigation by our sister stations, something we're calling charlie foxtrot. our own chris vanderveen looks into the question of who's answering the call. >> johnny never complained. >> reporter: jody carol looks at the world with the eyes of a mother who saw change in the whys of her son. >> he'd come home and he slept for 18 hours. i thought, gosh something is really wrong. he said mom, i haven't slept in over a week. >> reporter: a few days later, he was dead. >> he just wanted the pain to stop. he wanted the pain it to go away. the nightmares. the things that he had seen, and there was no way.

[ phone ringing ] >> reporter: or maybe there was. she says before he did it, he called a military crisis line. >> you have to do that on the sly. because if you're going to do that, then the command is going to find out. if the command finds out, you don't have a job. >> reporter: facing that risk, he went looking for help, and what he found, she says, wasn't helpful. >> when he called that night, he called and got the answering machine, and he was dead in less than an hour. >> reporter: it that was not as far fetched as it might seen according to this department of veterans affairs report. crisis lines were routinely routed to a backup call center. at least 20 of those calls went to voice mail. the report discovered that the backups in her staff were not aware the voice mail system existed. thus, they did not return those calls. it's why politicians are now finally trying to do something.

take their life. you can't wait on a busy signal. you've got to have services there. >> reporter: the house has released the no crisis call should go unanswered act. >> to say that my son was a disgrace or a shame? never. >> reporter: judea carol is well aware of the statistics that show as many as 20 veterans die by suicide every day. this summer, friends of another his memorial service. >> when the call of our country was heard, dan answered. >> reporter: to let us know too many veterans feel abandoned by a country that once found in vogue to support the troops. the veterans crisis line now receives more than 1200 calls a day. logic suggests a nation that truly supports the troops would answer the call, every time,

might be on the other end. >> maybe he's coming back. but i know he's not. and that's the hardest part. >> reporter: chris vanderveen, 9news. >> the goal is to uncover the reasons why the spike in suicides, and it's exposing the trauma of war. soldiers open up about their charlie foxtrot on 9news.com. sky9 is giving us a vantage point now right around araria parkway, and i-25. araria is closed, and a stretch of i-25 is closed. all that you see on the left side of the scene is stopped traffic that can't get by. northbound is closed at 6th avenue, southbound is closed at 23rd. traffic is moving, all bee it very, very slowly, car by car.

the interstate, but we have seen some on one of the entrance ramps to the interstate. so we're going to be following the story as these protesters that numbered earlier in the thousands has diminished in size somewhat, and we do have traffic leaving from the nuggets game at the pepsi center. it's going to take a while to clear the backlog. a strange sight as rescuers are called to help out two bald eagles stuck in a storm drain. children are to honor local veterans and learn valuable lessons about their fight for freedom. >> nearly 30 days without rain or snow in denver. we're watching for any break in our dry pattern. >> and we'll show you why nba most valuable player steph curry was floored during the

with the emotions following the election still close to the surface, signs of unity are there. and especially powerful. dan grossman found that to be the case at aurora, at the annual veterans day parade. >> this is amazing. >> reporter: we seek compassion when we are in need of hope.

supporting their country, and supporting their veterans. >> it makes me proud. >> reporter: terry vaughn helped give his country that hope. >> from the general down it's a powerful organization. >> reporter: kyle is hoping to give it to his grandfather's conrads on this day. most of the veterans here at the fox hollow veterans day parade have dementia. >> i'm really proud of the students and really proud of the elders. >> reporter: hoping the interaction will ease their ailments. >> it resides in their long term memory, which stays in tact, even through the dementia process. ? and i'm proud to be an american ? >> reporter: the songs were used to bring joy and connection. ? and i won't forget the men who died ? >> reporter: connection between veterans and themselves.

connection. they're not, they're not my work. they're not my job. they're my friends, and my family, and my passion. to be able to open up their world in a way like this, just makes me so proud. >> reporter: the compassion on this day was undeniable. >> he fought for all of us. >> reporter: as too was the promise it will bring. >> that means a vote for our future generations. >> repte today's veterans were from chelsea place memory care. they plan to come to the school on a regular basis. it helps them, especially those with dementia symptoms and gives the kids a deeper understanding of veterans day. i don't care who you voted for, this, my friends is what we like to call a metaphor. a bald eagle, the proud symbol of our proud country wedged in a storm drain today. it was actually two bald eagles

got lodged into the drain together. wildlife experts worked to get the eagles loose. much like our nation, the eagles are expected to recover. but they might just end up fighting again. i'm meteorologist kathy saban in the 9news backyard. 29 days without measurable precipitation, but a week from today, a storm that may actually bring snow. n o t just to the high country, but maybe, just maybe to higher elevations. a beautiful sunset tonight. spectacular color in the sky captured by sky9, great rays, and just a spectacular evening along the front range. another reminder how lucky we are to live in this beautiful state. helping to show the difference, a variation and the color in the cloud cover tonight. john roper with these great shots. so very beautiful, up and down the front range. in spite of that weak, dry front, highs above average

year is 55. we're almost 70 today. clear skies, a chilly start to your morning, a light jacket needed. we're tracking a second front coming through late in the day. 47 at the airport. here downtown, a light, west, to northwest breeze. low 40s here in the city. and you know everybody is saying what is up with our wacky weather pattern. last year, el nino. this year, la nina. bringing colder weather, cold snaps, bringing the heaviest precipitation to the pacific northwest and northern rockies. a downsloping effect for the eastern plains, we'll have fewer snow events, and smaller snow events. 1 to 3-inch snow events, instead of those big whoppers we saw last year. la nina, a cooling of the central pacific ocean waters. it it does affect the weather patterns around the globe. the pacific northwest will see more wind. the southern states are going to be high and dry, and warmer

this pattern, very familiar with the northwest flow moisture going up and over the top of this dominant ridge. a best chance for showers in central texas. a weak front passing through the state again tomorrow, dry, and sunny, but a big drop in temperature. the coldest air to the north. we will be seasonal with highs in the mid-50s. with those clear skies tonight, temperatures will drop like a rock. we're monitoring the potential for fog on the eastern plains, east of denver tonight. with that good radiational cooling, 34 in greeley, and 33 in pueblo. highs tomorrow, seasonal, with lots of sunshine, but cooler than we've been in quite some time. a good travel day across the city, and up and down the front range, in and out of the high country, a beautiful friday coming up. in the city for tonight. partly cloudy, chilly. our low, 35. patchy fog to the east. tomorrow, sunshine, a light jacket needed for much of the day. mid-50s in the afternoon. the wind out of the north-

saturday. all the locations can go found on 9news.com. 70s with sunshine. ahead of a storm that will bring mountain sunshine, and maybe flurries to denver on thursday and friday. the chance is there. in the high country, they're making snow fast and furious. are you ready? winter park is ready. he open on the 23rd.

hi everybody, the only ones who were able to slow down the golden state warriors in denver were the trump supporters. that bus ain't going the nuggets still held durant to 18 points. ending his streak of 70 points with 20 or more. the nuggets lose anyway. what a coincidence, the new orleans saints sign two former broncos this week. they are both pretty good players, but most likely appeal to the saints because of the information they can provide just days before the broncos travel to the big easy.

it just means they know our system. i can tell you shyo is singing like a canary, he did it when he came here. we played cincinnati, and he came in, and gave us everything. that's just the league. >> the broncos might have to score 4 or 5 touchdowns this week. balancing his checkbook on the pages of the >> reporter: drew brees and the saints score 30 points when they win. 30 points when they lose. the problem is, trying to find 30 points out of this broncos offense is like me going to the bank to try to pull out $100,000 out of savings. it's just not there. >> room to run, he's got a 1st down. >> reporter: there is a way for the broncos to win this game though. the saints have the worst pass defense in the league.

thomas and emmanuel sanders. >> drew brees is a heck of a player, and he's going to find a way to score a ton of points. we know we've got a good group over there, but it's our job to hold up our end of the bargain, and score some points. >> denver touchdown. >> reporter: for the past year and a half, it's been the defense that's carried the broncos. but without ee game. the rockies third baseman nolan arenado won his second straight silver slugger award today. he led the majors with 133 runs batted in, and tied for the national league home run title with 41. charlie blackmon got his first silver slugger. the first round of the ncaa

for the buffs. that's what friends are for. >> reporter: the jersey was just wrong. >> obviously, i knew pretty early that i did not. it wasn't the right fit at santa clara. >> reporter: after one semester in california, morgan came home to wear the buffs black and gold. >> i think it was the best decision i ever >> reporter: one that only got better. >> we've known each other since we were 8 years old. we played club our whole lives together. >> reporter: they were actually neighbors in lakewood and had that chemistry has helped lead to their success. >> it's always great finishing your career with someone you started it with. >> reporter: there were tough times. a season ago, the buffs finished last in the pac-12. >> it taught us.

seniors, they helped flip things around. what a way to go out. >> we spend like every moment together. so the team knows. if they ask for morgan, she's probably with me. it's really fun, and it's exciting, that i got to spend these last few years with her. >> reporter: maybe it's not the jersey you wear that matters, so much as the teammates you share it with. 9news. still of the night from new york city, where joanna and carolina went nose- to-nose during an ultimate fighting championships news conference. nobody better sneeze, in the

denver police are now saying they have used pepper balls to, in their words, redirect protesters, and keep

both sides of 25. sky9 in the area, describing traffic in the area as mayhem. we'll have more on the networks of 9news. >> we're going to turn things over to the tonight know.