Former Caraveo aides speak out

There’s an old saying in the news business: There’s no cheering in the press box. It means we don’t play favorites and pick winners. It’s something we take to heart here at The Colorado Sun: Our role is to provide you with facts, not partisan spin.

But you might forgive us this weekend if our hearts beat a little faster for a favorite at the Kentucky Derby, a magnificent horse named Journalism.

We don’t claim to know any more about horse racing than you do, but we can offer you a sure bet. Put your money down on homegrown, local journalism. As a nonprofit, we here at The Colorado Sun are hitting our stride to keep you informed and hold the powerful accountable. Your donation or membership will always pay dividends in a more engaged and vibrant Colorado. We all win with strong local coverage.

Now let’s saddle up and gallop on to today’s news. Go journalism and go Journalism!

Larry Ryckman

Publisher

THE NEWS

POLITICS AND GOVERNMENT

Yadira Caraveo’s former aides say they were mistreated, traumatized by Colorado congresswoman

U.S. Rep. Yadira Caraveo’s behavior last year while serving in Congress and running for reelection was so frightening and traumatizing to staff that aides proposed a safety plan — which was dismissed and followed by what staffers say was an ultimatum to deal with it or resign within a day.

Jesse Paul brings us this story based on nearly a year of reporting and conversations with more than 20 people, including four former Caraveo aides, as well as documents and audio recordings from first responders obtained by The Sun, both through public records requests and from a law enforcement source.

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BUSINESS

Xcel Energy customers face more outages and longer phone wait times. “We have a real problem,” regulators say.

The largest electricity provider in Colorado is having trouble answering customer calls, sending out utility bills and keeping the power flowing, according to two reports compiled by the Colorado Public Utilities Commission. Mark Jaffe has the details.

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NEWS

Colorado’s fight over pricier, “reformulated” gas grows more complicated. Here’s the latest.

Part of the Environmental Protection Agency’s action plan for Colorado’s notoriously ozone-y summers is the requirement that gas stations buy reformulated gas that creates less ozone vapor. But as Michael Booth reports, the effort to make RFG in Adams County to keep costs from rising could end up heaping more air pollution on a region that already has some of the worst levels in the state.

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TECHNOLOGY

Colorado lawmakers, being watched across the country, scale back artificial intelligence law

Colorado’s first-in-the-nation artificial intelligence bill could get pruned and reshaped by Senate Bill 318, Tamara Chuang reports, including provisions that would reduce the administrative tasks smaller companies must take to protect consumers against discrimination if their AI systems are used to decide who gets a job, housing, personal loans, health care, insurance coverage, educational opportunities or legal or essential government services.

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MORE NEWS

• Front Range home values dip in latest property tax assessments, signaling some relief for homeowners. The typical homeowner won’t see major spikes in their 2026 tax bills as they did after the last re-assessment two years ago, which led to several rounds of property tax cuts at the state level, Brian Eason reports.
• Colorado River cuts should be shared basinwide, long-time water experts say in new report. The lack of public updates about progress on a seven-state Colorado River agreement has experts like Anne Castle feeling antsy. So she and five other influential water experts published a policy paper Friday outlining seven “essential pillars” of river management — like sharing required cuts among all basin states, a controversial idea for some water users. Shannon Mullane has more.
• Watch: The Colorado Sun discusses education funding. The Colorado Sun’s Erica Breunlin discussed the state’s budget regarding education for Colorado’s schools with state lawmakers and school funding experts.

Section by Eric Lubbers | CTO & Newsletter Wrangler

COLORADO REPORT

🔑 = source has article meter or paywall

• By the numbers: Did the Rockies just have the worst month in baseball history? Yeah, yeah, yeah, the Rockies had a terrible April and are on pace for one of the worst seasons in modern baseball history. But what was the most shocking was that their April was actually just the 17th worst month in history.
  — The Athletic
• “None of them want to sell to Nebraska”: Colorado landowners unite as Nebraska threatens eminent domain for canal project. Landowners in the northeastern corner of the state are fighting back against Nebraska’s threat to condemn their land to build the Perkins County Canal — which would bring water to Nebraska.
  — Nebraska Public Media
• Colorado janitorial companies fined by ICE for hiring at least 143 unauthorized workers. Three janitorial companies were hit with more than $8 million in proposed fines from federal immigration authorities for employing at least 143 unauthorized workers — the largest such fines issued under President Trump.
  — Colorado Public Radio
• Last available Frisco Cemetery plot sold. There’s no more vacancy at the Frisco Cemetery after at least 120 years of providing the resting places of town residents.
  — Summit Daily

Section by Eric Lubbers | CTO & Newsletter Wrangler

THE OPINION PAGE

COMMUNITY

• Immigrants are so afraid of ICE they skip critical medical care, but Colorado must reinforce their rights. No one should have to choose between life-saving care and their freedom, which is why Senate Bill 276 is so critical.
  — Dr. Beret Fitzgerald & Dr. Apoorva Ram, Aurora physicians

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.

What’s Happening

May 1-7

Cinco de Mayo. A day of Mexican pride, unity and resistance — as well as concerts, car shows and day drinking — Cinco de Mayo is coming up Monday, but the festivities start tomorrow and carry on through the weekend.

The annual downtown Denver event kicks off with a parade at 11 a.m. Saturday, starting on Welton Street and ending at Civic Center park, where the weekend celebration takes place. Just make sure to get to the park by noon if you want to make the Chihuahua races.

Free entertainment will be spread across three stages, including mariachi, folklorico dancers, a Selena tribute act and more. Local vendors will post up throughout the park, and a lowrider car show will line Colfax on both days.

You’ll find more Cinco celebrations all over the state, including a two-day event in Westwood; Saturday fun in Lamar, Longmont and Monte Vista; and a Sunday block party in the Rino Art District in Denver. Residents of Pueblo will have to wait for the real Cinco de Mayo on Monday for their annual celebration in Ray Aguilera Park.

Free; May 3-5; Various locations

• Music and Blossom Festival. A growing season festival with a hundred year history in Cañon City. The annual Music and Blossom Festival started out as a way for the town to show off its fruit harvests, and over the past century has evolved into a multi-day showcase of music, food and local vendors, along with a 5k run and parade. Free; April 30-May 4; Various venues in Cañon City
• Southwest Denver Open Studios. Peek behind the curtain, or the canvas, or the throwing wheel, during the 2nd annual Southwest Denver open studios. Thirty artists open their homes, garages and studio doors around the Harvey Park and Bear Valley neighborhoods, and nearby Englewood. Free; noon-5 p.m., May 3; various studios in Denver and Englewood
• Clyfford Still Museum. Explore the Clyfford Still Museum tomorrow during its monthly “pay what you wish” entry day. Check out the current guest curated exhibition, “Held Impermanence,” and learn more about the early abstract expressionist on two free mini-tours. Pay what you wish; May 2; Clyfford Still Museum, 1250 Bannock St., Denver

Section by Parker Yamasaki | Reporter

Make sure to pick up some mint for your juleps this weekend and have a great day. We’ll see you back here to wrap up the week tomorrow!

— Larry & the whole staff of The Sun

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Corrections & Clarifications

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