Trump freeze causes chaos in Colorado

Good morning!

To say that we have a lot to catch up on in today’s newsletter is a bit of an understatement after a Trump administration order threatened to disrupt dozens of crucial government operations.

While we will be walking through what happened and what’s next in just a minute, I want to remind you that there are other ways beyond your email to stay on top of the latest news as it happens.

If you download The Colorado Sun’s free app — for iPhones or Android — you can sign up to get quiet push notifications for the day’s biggest stories. It’s a great way to make sure you stay connected without risking falling down a social media rabbit hole or having to fight with some version of AI just to get news you can actually trust.

I’ll go ahead and assume you rushed off to install the app and now you’re returning to finish the newsletter, so let’s tap this screen and get to it already, shall we?

Eric Lubbers

CTO & Newsletter Wrangler

THE NEWS

TRUMP ADMINISTRATION

Trump’s plan to freeze federal spending causes widespread chaos, confusion in Colorado

The plan to freeze spending at the federal level was released by the Trump administration yesterday, sending officials dealing with Medicaid, education, transportation, law enforcement and other areas of government into a panic. By the end of the day, a federal judge had temporarily halted the order, but officials fear it will be executed eventually. Catch up on what could be affected in this staff report.

READ MORE

• Trump administration launches investigation into Denver Public Schools over all-gender bathroom. The Education Department’s accusation that the move may violate Title IX, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex, appears to be unprecedented.
• Aurora targeted for immigration operation on Thursday; Buckley to hold arrested immigrants. “We are not involved in the development and activation of such plans,” Aurora spokesperson Ryan Luby said in a statement. Buckley Space Force officials said a Homeland Security processing and detention operation will be set up and operated on the base, while also indicating that military personnel are not involved in the operation.
  — Sentinel Colorado/Associated Press

GOVERNMENT

Colorado Springs voters will vote on recreational marijuana — again — after city leaders approve “re-do”

Despite strong approval from voters in November, Colorado Springs leaders approved another ballot measure for the April 1 that would overturn the previous vote. That election is expected to have significantly lower turnout than the general election that took place last year. Olivia Prentzel has more.

READ MORE

ECONOMY

Replacing mining with nuclear waste? Northwestern Colorado has mixed feelings about how to save the economy.

The plan to import toxic nuclear waste to northwestern Colorado is being floated in political circles, but the project is already raising eyebrows in places like Hayden in the middle of the state’s coal country. KUNC’s Scott Franz has more.

READ MORE

MORE NEWS

• Deaths in Colorado’s construction zones nearly double, motorcyclist deaths jump 23%, CDOT data shows. The number of people killed on Colorado’s roads decreaseed slightly last year, compared with 2023, CDOT said.
• Colorado bill that would ban manufacture, sale of semiautomatic guns with detachable magazines clears first hurdle. Hundreds of Coloradans gathered at the Colorado Capitol to testify on the measure. It passed along party lines after a marathon hearing.
• Man killed by stray weight at Colorado Springs track and field meet remembered as dedicated husband, dad. The accident Sunday at the Colorado United Track Club meet at the University of Colorado Colorado Springs killed Wade Langston, 57, who witnesses reported tried to shield his wife and son from the incoming weight.

Section by Eric Lubbers | CTO & Newsletter Wrangler

THE COLORADO REPORT

• Aurora moves to end 72-hour notice for homeless encampment sweeps. Following a 2024 Supreme Court decision on penalties for sleeping outside, Aurora City Council voted to remove the 72-hour notice requirement entirely. “I think that it’s pretty well known that recovery by force is not effective,” Councilwoman Alison Coombs said during the Monday night council meeting before voting against the removal.
  — Denverite
• Ever noticed water leaks inside Colorado’s longest I-70 tunnel? The state has multimillion-dollar plans to fix it. CDOT has a $71 million plan to investigate the structural leaks and ice buildups inside the Eisenhower-Johnson tunnels, but assures drivers that the overall structural integrity is intact as they investigate and repair.
  — Summit Daily
• Frontier makes second bid to merge with Spirit as budget airlines struggle. After a takeover bid by JetBlue was blocked by the Justice Department last year, Denver’s Frontier is the latest airline to attempt to merge with the bankrupt Spirit Airlines.
  — Colorado Public Radio

🔑 = source has article meter or paywall

Section by Eric Lubbers | CTO & Newsletter Wrangler

THE OPINION PAGE

COLUMNS

• Is Jared Polis fast becoming the Democratic poster governor for normalizing our abnormal president? As ICE raids come to Colorado, Jared Polis says he welcomes Trump’s help, but only in certain cases. Doesn’t he know where that leads?
  — Mike Littwin
  

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.

SunLit

REVIEW

Poor Richard’s Books suggests titles from the plant and animal worlds

Each week as part of SunLit — The Sun’s literature section — we feature staff recommendations from bookstores across Colorado. This week, the staff from Poor Richard’s Books in Colorado Springs recommends:

• “Impossible Creatures” by Katherine Rundell, a race to save dying fantasy creatures
• “The Serviceberry” by Robin Wall Kimmerer, a plant-based look at the wisdom of the gift economy
• “Of Time and Turtles” by Sy Montgomery, a deep dive into the resilience of our hard-shelled friends

Read what the bookstore staff had to say about each. Pick up a copy and support your local bookstores at the same time.

RECOMMENDATIONS

Section by Kevin Simpson | Writer

If you’ve read all the way down to this point and you have also tried out The Sun’s app, I’d love to know what you like (or don’t like!) about the app experience. Send me a note at eric@coloradosun.com with your compliments or complaints and I’ll do my best to make it good enough to earn a spot on your home screen.

Have a great day and we’ll see you back here tomorrow!

— Eric & the whole staff of The Sun

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Corrections & Clarifications

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