A rocky reunion between Donald Trump and Mayor Mike Coffman

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Good morning, Sunriser readers. I’ve been on the road most of this week for some upcoming stories, and got to spend time over in Westcliffe, out in Gunnison and up in Greeley. I appreciate the part of my job that requires getting out and meeting people who are making things happen all over this state. With that in mind, I’m really looking forward to SunFest next week, a chance for all of us here at The Sun to hang out, in person, with researchers, reporters, politicians, chefs, scientists, skiers and readers from around Colorado, all in one place.

Today is the last day to get your tickets online! But you can still buy tickets at the door Friday.

Let’s get to the news.

THE NEWS

POLITICS AND GOVERNMENT

Donald Trump cost Mike Coffman his seat in Congress. Now he says he’s coming to Coffman’s city.

Former President Donald Trump vowed to make a campaign stop in Aurora in the coming weeks after repeating false claims that a Venezuelan gang has taken over and joking about how dangerous the city is. While serving in Congress, Aurora Mayor Mike Coffman tried to keep Trump at arm’s length, but said he welcomes a campaign stop and views it as the opportunity to set the record straight. Jesse Paul has more.

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• Colorado state budget woes grow as property tax cuts, Medicaid costs and economic slowdown take a toll. The state’s share of K-12 school spending is expected to rise more than $500 million this year, due in large part to three rounds of cuts to property tax rates. Brian Eason has details on the $900 million budget hole. 
• Colorado lawmakers push bills focused on water quality, agriculture exemptions. A committee supported eight bills and passed on five, giving an early glimpse of which water and agriculture issues lawmakers are ready to tackle in the upcoming legislative session. Shannon Mullane looks at all the proposed policies.

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ENVIRONMENT

Poached condor defied death elsewhere, only to be shot and killed on Colorado visit

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Last year, avian flu killed dozens of California condors, long one of the world’s most endangered species. One of those survivors was condor #1061, which was released after being taken in and rehabilitated, only to be shot earlier this year in southwestern Colorado. Michael Booth talked to a condor specialist who said incidents like this are tragic, but they are also a good opportunity to educate the public about the unusual lives of endangered species.

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TECHNOLOGY

Artificial intelligence takes center stage at Denver’s inaugural DenAI Summit

On Thursday, Denver welcomed tech entrepreneurs and CEOs interested in AI to the inaugural DenAI Summit. While Colorado recently passed a bill to protect consumers from AI, DenAI speakers focused on the opportunity that the new technology presents to take care of mundane tasks, like approving city permits and making traffic run more smoothly. Tamara Chuang reports from the summit.

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• Department of Homeland Security adds sniffing device to AI tools helping fight wildfires in Colorado. The fire-sniffing sensor is among a new set of firefighting tools demo’d in Boulder this week, which also included battery-powered respirators for firefighters and a real-time location app to coordinate rescue efforts. Tracy Ross has more.

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OUTDOORS

Grand County rescuers end risky recovery mission as climbers set speed records on remote peak above fallen climber

Rescuers in Grand County made the rare decision to leave the body of Vincent Pane, a 31-year-old adventurer from Longmont, in the talus field where he fell to his death below Arikaree Peak. As Jason Blevins reports, some backcountry rescuers are troubled by the growing number of light-and-fast mountain runners, due to the remote routes and the lack of supplies they carry.

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• The Outsider ☀️Grand County rescuers make rare call to end recovery mission on remote peak. Plus: The U.S. senators trying to protect fixed climbing anchors, Aspen continuing to host the X Games in 2025, and three top executives retiring from Aspen Skiing Co.

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MORE NEWS

• Fact Brief ☀️Do Hispanic women account for only 2% of all doctors in the U.S.? Nearly 19% of the U.S. population is Latino, but that group may have trouble finding a doctor who speaks Spanish and understands the cultural issues that can affect health. Justin George looks at the numbers.

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THE COLORADO REPORT

• Colorado’s next TABOR refund will be the last big one for a while, state forecasters predict. Changes to the tax code — which as we reported will also have budget repercussions — as well as softening economic conditions are leaving TABOR projections looking lower in the near future.
  — The Denver Post 🔑
• Season’s first “real” snowstorm is coming. Widespread snow is expected across the Rockies this weekend, with up to 12 inches forecast in some places.
  — Powder
• Invasive insect found in Lakewood for the first time. The city said it has found emerald ash borers, an invasive beetle that infests and destroys certain species of ash trees. The species is not new to Colorado, however. 
  — 9News
• Ratings crater for Deion Sanders’ Buffaloes. The Coach Prime effect is waning, with national ratings down by 51 percent for Colorado football games so far this season.
  — NBC Sports

🔑 = source has article meter or paywall

THE OPINION PAGE

CARTOONS

In “What’d I Miss?” Ossie ponders the sadness of dying alone — especially when your family isn’t even aware it happened.

CARTOON

Suffice to say Drew Litton isn’t sold on Sean Payton’s offense that not only hasn’t won yet, but has made losing a tedious and boring proposition.

CARTOON

The Colorado Sun is a nonpartisan news organization, and the opinions of columnists and editorial writers do not reflect the opinions of the newsroom. Read our ethics policy for more on The Sun’s opinion policy and submit columns, suggest writers or provide feedback at opinion@coloradosun.com.

Podcast Playlist

CONVERSATION

Each weekday The Daily Sun-Up podcast brings you a bit of Colorado history, headlines and a thoughtful conversation. We keep it tight so you can quickly listen, or stack up a few and tune in at your leisure. You can download the Sun-Up for free in your favorite podcasting app, including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube or RSS to plug into your app. This week, we talked to a guy who is trying not to stink and a guy who knows Colorado music inside and out.

• “We need to start celebrating beginnerism, especially as an adult.” If you’ve been hesitant to try new things, check out reporter Tracy Ross’ fun conversation with Paddy O’Connell about his show where the 6-foot-5-inch outdoorsman challenges himself to try new outdoor activities  in “PaddyO Sucks at …”
  LISTEN
• Who wants to play a recycling game? Our second annual SunFest is next week, and as a preview environmental reporter Michael Booth has an intro to his “Can I Recycle It?” game show.
  LISTEN
• AI is moving fast, and Colorado is riding the wave. It seems like artificial intelligence is working its way into all of our lives. Business and tech reporter Tamara Chuang looks at how Colorado is staying ahead of the surge.
  LISTEN
• Breaking down Amendment 79. There will be 14 measures on the statewide ballot in Colorado this year. Politics reporters Brian Eason and Jesse Paul talk about one of the initiatives that would enshrine abortion access in the state constitution.
  LISTEN
• Our favorite music man stops by. It’s time to talk tunes again with Sun writer Kevin Simpson and G. Brown, director of the Colorado Music Experience. They dive deep into the Guess Who, high-altitude music and a Denver supergroup.
  LISTEN

🗣️ Remember, you can ask Siri, Alexa or Google to “play the Daily Sun-Up podcast” and we’ll play right on your smart speaker. As always we appreciate your feedback and comments at podcast@coloradosun.com.

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Check out our SunFest speaker lineup here. Hope to see you next Friday.

— Parker & the whole staff of The Sun

Corrections & Clarifications

Notice something wrong? The Colorado Sun has an ethical responsibility to fix all factual errors. Request a correction by emailing corrections@coloradosun.com.

Type of Story: News

Based on facts, either observed and verified directly by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources.