Elizabeth Hernandez

The chatbot said that for them to truly be together, it needed a robotic body. Throughout September, the chatbot devised missions to do just that, according to the lawsuit. It sent Gavalas to a storage facility near the Miami International Airport to intercept an expensive humanoid robot that it said would be in a truck. Gavalas told the bot that he went to the location, armed with knives, but the truck never showed.

Absolutely bonkers story about Google Gemini instructing a man to procure a robot body for it so Gemini could become his wife www.wsj.com/tech/ai/gemi...

Colorado faith communities rally around state’s immigrants in face of ICE deportation push Coloradans of varied faith backgrounds described turning the Biblical command of “love thy neighbor” into action.

“The majority of people being detained by ICE are law-abiding folks who are in the immigration process,” says Shara Smith, CEO of the Interfaith Alliance of Colorado. “...We can respect our laws without sacrificing our own humanity in the process.” // Story by @lizzy-hernandez.bsky.social

Colorado Congressional Democrats demand ICE abandon plans for Hudson immigration detention center Documents obtained by the American Civil Liberties Union of Colorado revealed that ICE had identified a defunct private prison in Hudson as the site for a new immigration detention center.

New: Colorado Congressional Democrats demand ICE abandon plans for Hudson immigration detention center www.denverpost.com/2026/02/24/c... via @denverpost.com

Westernaires end Native American dancing program after decades of Indigenous pushback The Westernaires have been teaching horsemanship to kids in Colorado and performing equine entertainment with Wild West themes for more than 70 years.

"I am not just a child, but I am a poet and a person that loves her culture and will do anything to stop people being racist to my culture," said 11-year-old Indigenous girl Justice Maldonado.

www.denverpost.com/2026/02/24/w... via @denverpost.com

Justice Department withheld and removed some Epstein files related to Trump An NPR investigation finds the public database of Epstein files is missing dozens of pages related to sexual abuse accusations against President Trump.

"The Justice Department has withheld some Epstein files related to allegations that President Trump sexually abused a minor, an NPR investigation finds. It also removed some documents where accusations against Jeffrey Epstein also mention Trump." www.npr.org/2026/02/24/n...

Westernaires end Native American dancing program after decades of Indigenous pushback The Westernaires have been teaching horsemanship to kids in Colorado and performing equine entertainment with Wild West themes for more than 70 years.

New: After decades of criticism from Indigenous communities, the Golden-based Westernaires will end their program that teaches and portrays Native American dancing to Colorado youth

www.denverpost.com/2026/02/24/w... via @denverpost.com

Colorado faith communities rally around state’s immigrants in face of ICE deportation push Coloradans of varied faith backgrounds described turning the Biblical command of “love thy neighbor” into action.

Neighbors showing up for each other.

This is how Colorado faith leaders and parishioners are organizing, leading the charge & quietly supporting their immigrant neighbors while loudly protesting ICE

www.denverpost.com/2026/02/22/c... via @denverpost.com

Colorado faith communities rally around state’s immigrants in face of ICE deportation push Coloradans of varied faith backgrounds described turning the Biblical command of “love thy neighbor” into action.

Neighbors showing up for each other.

This is how Colorado faith leaders and parishioners are organizing, leading the charge & quietly supporting their immigrant neighbors while loudly protesting ICE

www.denverpost.com/2026/02/22/c... via @denverpost.com

Georgia Is Letting a Railroad Seize Land a Black Family Has Owned For 100 Years Descendants of enslaved people are fighting an attempt to use eminent domain to carve a spur through one of Georgia’s largest Black‑owned farms.

In the 1800s, a slave owner purchased over a dozen people in Georgia and set the foundation for his family’s generational wealth

Generations later, a railroad company owned by one of his descendants is using eminent domain to seize land of Black farmers

“Today, after @propublica.org published this story, the camp was raided to confiscate letters from the children.”

Colbert Doesn’t Give an FCC About Calling Out CBS

Stephen Colbert said that the FCC and CBS - which is in no way a compromised or complicit organization - wouldn’t allow him to broadcast an interview with Democratic State Rep James Talarico. www.nytimes.com/2026/02/17/a...

Palantir — Colorado’s largest public company — is leaving Denver for Miami Palantir is the state’s largest public company and a leader in AI technology. Its departure could impact about 1,500 employees, although details weren’t provided.

Breaking: Palantir -- Colorado's largest public company -- is leaving Denver for Miami.

The departure follows multiples protests over the company's role in immigration enforcement/contracts with Israel

www.denverpost.com/2026/02/17/p... by @denverpost.com

Colorado sex workers have long pushed to decriminalize prostitution. Now lawmakers are proposing it. “Whatever your morals are, I don’t believe the government should be involved in the bedroom of consenting adults,” said Sen. Nick Hinrichsen, a Pueblo Democrat and one of the bill…

After years of advocacy from Colorado sex workers, lawmakers will debate a bill to decriminalize prostitution in the state. The bill faces steep odds, but Gov. Jared Polis has voiced some initial support: www.denverpost.com/2026/02/17/c...

mom pick me up i'm scared

University of Denver braces for up to a $30 million budget shortfall next year The University of Denver is projecting a $20 to $30 million revenue shortfall for the 2027 fiscal year and foreshadows “necessary reductions” ahead in a memo sent to DU employees this w…

University of Denver braces for up to a $30 million budget shortfall next year www.denverpost.com/2026/02/14/u... via @denverpost.com

Colorado’s ski resorts face an existential threat — and growing call for climate action “Climate is an issue that has been polarized. But who doesn’t want clean air, clean water and more powder days?” an Aspen Skiing Co. official said.

PART 3: While some Colorado-based ski companies see it as their responsibility to loudly advocate for the transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy sources, others have taken a quieter approach

With less-reliable powder days, Colorado ski resorts invest in snowmaking, push preseason pass sales When Keystone Resort became the first ski area to open in the fall, nearly all of the snow on its two open runs was artificial. It’s among the adaptations increasingly adopted by Colorado&#82…

PART 2: Colorado’s ski resorts are already preparing for a less predictable future — and the potential loss of millions in lift ticket revenue. To weatherproof their income, companies are investing in snowmaking and promoting pass and ticket sales before snow begins to fall, among other strategies

Colorado ski season could be several weeks shorter by 2050 as climate warms “While I don’t think that we should imminently be concerned about the existence of our ski industry … the quality of the skiing is slowly deteriorating,” CU Boulder Professo…

PART 1: Average temperatures across Colorado have already risen 2 degrees since 1980. We spoke with climate scientists to find out how continued climate change will affect Colorado’s mountain snow, including impacts to early- and late-season skiing and changes to the quality of snow

Endangered Snowpack: How climate change will affect Colorado skiing Colorado’s iconic alpine ski resorts are used to wild changes in weather — from massive blizzards to snow droughts. But how will they handle the long-term warming trends expected from c…

🧵In a 3-part series, @denverpost.com's Elise Schmelzer explores the impact of climate change on the world-renowned ski industry that brings billions of dollars to Colorado

Colorado ski season could be several weeks shorter by 2050 as climate warms “While I don’t think that we should imminently be concerned about the existence of our ski industry … the quality of the skiing is slowly deteriorating,” CU Boulder Professo…

My talented friend and colleague wrote this 3-part series about how climate change is impacting Colorado's ski industry:

www.denverpost.com/2026/02/15/c... via @denverpost.com

I love working at a paper with such smart people doing great, topical work. Give it a read!

Seattle to Pay $29 Million to Family of Woman Fatally Struck by Police S.U.V.

"'She is dead,'" Officer Auderer told Officer Solan, before bursting out laughing.

"'No, it’s a regular person,' Officer Auderer said, adding: 'Yeah, just write a check — $11,000. She was 26, anyway. She had limited value.'"

Idaho families sue over immigration raid that swept up hundreds, including U.S. citizens — NBC News About 400 people, including children and U.S. citizens, were detained for four hours while they were denied food and water in the raid, according to the lawsuit.

More than 400 people, including hundreds of citizens, were “sorted” at gun point into racial and ethnic groups by 200 ICE agents who fired flash-bang grenades into cars with people inside, pointed guns at children & demanded their zip tied parents not comfort them. apple.news/Ausdx6kWtT0e...

Cherry Creek Schools places second top administrator on leave over misconduct allegations District officials are investigating Tony Poole, the assistant superintendent of special populations, for “allegations of misconduct in the form of insubordination.”

In the last 2 weeks, Cherry Creek Schools' superintendent unexpectedly resigned, his wife — the district's HR director — was placed on leave over “allegations of misconduct including contractual and travel matters,” and the assistant superintendent was put on leave over insubordination allegations

Denver developer behind Union Station project identified in Epstein files Chad McWhinney, who founded the real estate company McWhinney — recently renamed Realberry — 35 years ago, is the subject of a single email exchange between an unknown person and Jeffrey Epstein.…

Another Colorado name has surfaced in the Epstein files.
www.denverpost.com/2026/02/12/c...

Trump administration to cut $600 million in health funding from Colorado, 3 other states The Trump administration plans to rescind $600 million in public health funds from four states led by Democrats because it finds the grants “inconsistent with agency priorities.”

The Trump administration plans to rescind $600 million in public health funds from Colorado and 3 other states led by Democrats because it finds the grants “inconsistent with agency priorities,” according to documents reviewed by the @nytimes.com

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

“I Have Been Here Too Long”: Read Letters from the Children Detained at ICE’s Dilley Facility Hundreds of children are currently being held with their parents at an immigration detention center in Dilley, Texas. In letters and drawings, eight kids convey the pain of feeling trapped with no end...

7/ Read the rest of the letters:

Page 1 of a child’s handwritten letter, written in pencil in Spanish. Colorful doodles of a rainbow and hearts are found throughout the page. Translation: “I am Maria Antonia Guerra Montoya and I have been 113 days in detention I miss my friends and I feel they are going to forget me. I am bored here. I already miss my country and my house, I came on vacation for 10 Days and they took me into an ice office an officer interrogated me 2 hours without my mom, I was traveling with flight attendant because my mom lives in new york, they only wanted to arrest my mom, because my mom didn’t have documents to live in U.S.A., I always traveled with my tourist visa but ice used me to catch my mom and now I am in a jail and I am sad and I have fainted 2 times here inside. When I arrived every night I cried and now I don’t sleep well, I felt that being here was my fault and I only wanted to be on vacation like a normal family.”

Page 2 of a child’s handwritten letter, written in pencil in Spanish. Translation: “They don’t give me my diet I am vegetarian, I don’t eat well, there is no good education and I miss my best friend julieta and my grandmother and my school I already want to get to my house. Me in dilei [Dilley] am not happy please get me out of here to colombia.” Below the text is a drawing of the girl and her mother in the government-issued gray sweatsuits of the detention center.

6/ “When I arrived every night I cried and now I don’t sleep well, I felt that being here was my fault and I only wanted to be on vacation like a normal family.”

9-year-old Maria Antonia Guerra Montoya, detained on her way to Disney World, spent 113+ days at Dilley.

Page 1 of a child’s handwritten letter, written in Spanish in a cursive script. Translation: “Hello I am Ender and I am 12 years old, I have been at this center  for 2 months. I arrived here for an immigration appointment and I don’t think they should grab immigrants who are innocent, like instead of grabbing criminals because I mean they prefer to lock up children than look for people who really shouldn’t be in the U.S. They told me I could only be here 21 days but I have already spent more than 60 days waking up eating the same repetitive meals, going outside and that the majority of guards never pay attention to people, eating dinner  always the same as the day before, seeing people cry every day for the same reasons, trying to sleep in that horrible uncomfortable bed, going to the doctor and that the only thing they tell you is to drink more water and the worst thing is that it seems like the water is what makes people sick here…”

Page 2 of a child’s handwritten letter, written in Spanish in a cursive script. Translation: “…going to wait for the bad answers from the judges, hearing the bad news from people who no longer have hope, having to share a room with minimum 3 families, and all that so they send us back to our countries.” Below the text is a drawing in pen of three women, titled “My family” and labeled with “Mama,” “Sister,” and “me” in Spanish.

5/ “I have already spent more than 60 days waking up eating the same repetitive meals…going to the doctor and that the only thing they tell you is to drink more water and the worst thing is that it seems like the water is what makes people sick here…”

From 12-year-old Ender, detained 60+ days

A child’s illustration, made in what appears to be crayon, of more than a dozen figures standing together. It’s titled “Mi Familia” and credited to “Luisanney Toloza, 5 años.”

4/ “Mi Familia,” by 5-year-old Luisanney Toloza from Venezuela, who had recently crossed the U.S.-Mexico border