Jon Murray

National Laboratory of the Rockies, based in Golden, axes another 134 positions The National Laboratory of the Rockies let go 134 employees on Monday, the second time in less than a year that the facility formerly known as the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, or NREL, has…

National Laboratory of the Rockies, based in Golden, axes another 134 positions trib.al/BwJ6r6J

Trump Is Hosting Governors at the White House, but Only Republicans

NYT reporting that Trump, who will speak at the upcoming NGA meeting, specifically blocked Gov. Jared Polis from attending a dinner with the president, governors and their spouses. Maryland Gov. Wes Moore was also blocked. www.nytimes.com/2026/02/06/u...

Colorado Democrats ramp up anti-ICE strategy after raids, killings: ‘The community’s been calling for it’ “The biggest change I’ve seen is they’re actually talking about (immigration), and they’re not scared,” an activist said of federal and state lawmakers. “It&#821…

Last year, a Democratic lawmaker readying a congressional run voted against a bill limiting state cooperation with ICE. This morning, the candidate, Shannon Bird, put out a plan to “hold ICE accountable.” On the shifting dynamics of Democrats’ immigration politics: www.denverpost.com/2026/02/08/c...

Colorado’s family-oriented tax credits gave ‘light and hope’ to one mom — but costs make their future uncertain A study led by researchers at Washington University and Appalachian State University found that the three tax credits helping families lifted more than 52,000 Colorado children out of poverty last …

Colorado drastically cut child poverty last year by giving $$ to low- and middle-income parents. @coltrain.bsky.social writes today about how that helped a Denver family -- and the problem the credits' costs pose for the budget. www.denverpost.com/2026/02/09/c... via @denverpost.com

Lisa Calderón will run against Denver Mayor Mike Johnston in 2027 Lisa Calderón, who is the first person besides Johnston to enter the race, placed third in the last mayoral election, narrowly missing the final runoff.

New today: Lisa Calderón will run against Denver Mayor Mike Johnston in 2027 www.denverpost.com/2026/02/03/l... by @elliottwenzler.bsky.social

Expensive beer, millions overpaid to a Medicaid program’s providers and more from the Colorado legislature this week For years, Colorado Medicaid mistakenly paid a program’s providers several times too much — costing millions.

Expensive beer, millions overpaid to a Medicaid program’s providers and more from the Colorado legislature this week

trib.al/wEi3bLJ

That's a really lovely piece that hits on so many things I feel too, David

Suspect in 16th Street mall stabbings is ruled mentally incompetent, stalling criminal case Elijah Caudill’s arrest in the 16th Street mall stabbings came after years of homelessness, illegal drug use, escalating violence, jail, prison and severe mental illness, a Denver Post invest…

Suspect in 16th Street mall stabbings is ruled mentally incompetent, stalling criminal case trib.al/ZQZub4S

RTD board should be smaller with appointed and elected members, panel recommends “What they need is more expertise. The only way to guarantee expertise is to do it through an appointed system and Senate confirmation.”

The 15-member elected RTD board would be cut to nine members, four of them appointed by the governor, if the Colorado legislature adopts recommendations of an RTD accountability committee they created last year.

Bennet says he’ll seek public option for health insurance if elected Colorado governor Bennet also proposed allowing school districts, county governments, certain small businesses and people between 25 and 35 to buy into the state employee health plan.

Sen. Michael Bennet says he’ll seek public option for health insurance if elected Colorado governor
www.denverpost.com/2026/01/30/b...

Aurora schools to close Friday due to anticipated staff absences Aurora Public Schools and Pickens Technical College will be closed Friday as the school district anticipates “a higher than anticipated number of staff absences,” officials announced Th…

Public schools across Aurora will close tomorrow — a day targeted for a nationwide "ICE Out" general strike — as the district says it "will not have enough staffing capacity to safely operate schools" because so many teachers are calling out // by @tamaraddunn.bsky.social

Update: In a new statement - sent 12 hrs after publication - Gov. Polis' spokeswoman said the office is "taking this very seriously and (is) demanding that HCPF ensure it never happens again."

"We are taking actions like requesting future audits ... and are working to ensure full transparency."

Democrats, White House strike spending deal that would avert government shutdown Democrats want an enforceable code of conduct for ICE agents.

Democrats and the White House have struck a deal to avert a partial government shutdown and temporarily fund the Department of Homeland Security as they negotiate new restrictions for President Trump’s surge of immigration enforcement.

We served the Department of Homeland Security for years. Trump’s ICE operations are a threat to America’s rule of law. (Opinion) “Citizens have a duty to exercise their First Amendment rights peacefully. But the greater burden of restraint rests with the state.” — Eric Balliet and Elizabeth Neumann

"To our fellow Coloradans: If this can happen in Minneapolis, Chicago and Portland, it can happen in Denver, Durango and the Western Slope." — @denverpost.com op/ed from a former Homeland Security assistant secretary and a special agent

For years, Colorado Medicaid mistakenly paid a program’s providers several times too much — costing millions “You either laugh at this one, or you cry,” Rep. Kyle Brown said. ” … So maybe it’s $20 million in a given year, and it’s been going on since 2020. That’s …

“We paid 10 times what we were supposed to pay?”

It’s unclear how much the incorrect billing guidance has cost Colorado's Medicaid program. But an analyst told the Joint Budget Committee that the fixed billing error would save $60.5 million in the 2026-27 fiscal year.

Cherry Creek Schools superintendent resigns following report of ‘toxic culture’ Christopher Smith, who took the helm of the district in 2021, submitted his resignation during a closed meeting with the Cherry Creek Board of Education on Tuesday evening.

Cherry Creek Schools superintendent resigns following report of ‘toxic culture’ trib.al/hxDcgsN

Family of Coloradan detained in Afghanistan: ‘He had all his rights and freedoms taken away’ The family’s first contact, Molly Long told The Denver Post in an interview Wednesday, was not until July 3.

Yesterday, I spoke with Molly Long, whose brother, Dennis Coyle, was kidnapped by the Taliban in Afghanistan a year ago.

He remains in detention w/no bed & no light in his room.

"He had all his rights and freedoms taken away," Molly said.

www.denverpost.com/2026/01/29/d...

Colorado AG, environmental groups challenge order to keep Craig coal plant open The two petitions argue that there is no emergency surrounding Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association’s plans to shutter its Unit 1 power plant in Craig and that the closure makes …

“The federal government has manufactured a fake emergency to revive a coal plant that was literally broken at the time DOE claimed the plant is needed,” Colorado Sierra Club director Margaret Kran-Annexstein says // Story by @thenoellephillips.bsky.social

U.S. negotiating for release of Colorado man detained by Taliban for past year Dennis Coyle, a 64-year-old from Pueblo, was kidnapped on Jan. 27, 2025, near his workplace by the Taliban General Directorate of Intelligence, his family says.

U.S. negotiating for release of Colorado man detained by Taliban for past year www.denverpost.com/2026/01/26/d... via @samtabachnik.bsky.social

Man killed in Minneapolis shooting, Alex Pretti, had Colorado ties The Colorado parents of Alex Pretti, who was fatally shot by a U.S. Border Patrol agent in Minneapolis on Saturday, said they told him to be careful during protests.

Man killed in Minneapolis shooting, Alex Pretti, had Colorado ties www.denverpost.com/2026/01/24/a... via @denverpost.com

Live: Man shot and killed by federal agents in Minneapolis this morning, police chief says A video appears to shows federal agents wrestling a man to the ground then shooting him. The Department of Homeland Security said the man was armed with a gun.

The @startribune.com has the most up to date and complete information I've seen on this morning's shooting. No paywall.

www.startribune.com/ice-raids-mi...

Denver opens cold-weather shelter at former hotel amid squabble between mayor, council “It’s the mayor’s responsibility to run the city as the executive. And if he doesn’t run the city as the executive, then … we might need to switch seats,” Denver City Councilwoman Shontel Lew…

Denver opens cold-weather shelter at former hotel amid squabble between mayor, council www.denverpost.com/2026/01/23/d... via @elliottwenzler.bsky.social

‘Serial sexual predator’ Jay Bianchi sentenced following 2025 convictions The former Grateful Dead-themed bar owner was convicted on five counts in November.

Denver jam-band scene fixture and former Grateful Dead-themed bar owner #JayBianchi was sentenced to more than a decade in prison after his 2025 sex-assault convictions.

More details and comments from the DA, for @denverpost.com

We received a rare statement from immigration authorities on this: An unnamed spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security “unequivocally” condemned “this type of action and/or officer conduct.” After learning about the cards, supervisors quickly stepped in “to address the issue."

ICE investigates after Colorado group says agents left ‘death cards’ in arrested immigrants’ abandoned cars Immigration agents operating near Vail left branded ace of spades playing cards in cars left behind after immigrants’ arrests this week, an advocacy group alleged. ICE is investigating.

Wild Friday story: An advocacy group says ICE agents involved in arrests in the Colorado mountains this week left behind ace of spades cards in the detained immigrants' vehicles, with ICE's local info printed on them. ICE is now investigating, a statement says www.denverpost.com/2026/01/23/c...

Colorado Medicaid driver fraud cost $25 million — and state blocked payments worth nearly as much, officials say A Medicaid fraud scheme that targeted a free transportation service that shuttled patients to clinics cost the state $25 million, the state’s Medicaid authority revealed Tuesday.

A Medicaid fraud scheme targeting a free transportation program that shuttled patients to medical appointments cost an estimated $25 million, Colorado's Medicaid authority revealed Tuesday, more than 2 years after the fraud first came to light // Story by @sethklamann.bsky.social

House Rules cmte meets this afternoon to discuss last minibus. CO Reps
Boebert & Hurd submitted Finish the AVC text language as an amendment. Will find out if Rs on cmte allow it be be brought to the floor for a vote. #copolitics

Tina Peters grabs, shoves fellow inmate in brief scuffle, video shows The Denver Post obtained the video footage Monday night.

New: Tina Peters was involved in a brief scuffle with a fellow inmate Sunday night, and video shows Peter grabbing and shoving the other woman as the other inmate tries to move a cart out of the way of closet door: www.denverpost.com/2026/01/19/c...

But pedestrian advocates aren't buying it, after the city transpo department was nudged by a group led by a member of one of Colorado's richest families.

“Folks outside the community feel like they’re starting to see a pattern of lifting certain voices over others," Allen Cowgill said.

The story includes new comments by
Mayor Johnston:
“I think folks that are upset about it, they’re trying to create a conspiracy that never existed,” he said. “(The Anschutz name) carries no more weight than Smith or the Jones name or any other constituent we have.”