Golden renewable energy lab workers fired

Good morning, Colorado.

At a time when journalism is under attack, the Pulitzer Prizes continue to be a powerful reminder of why this work matters. Yesterday’s awards recognized reporting that exposed corruption and shed light on urgent issues — from environmental crises to the fatal consequences of abortion bans. These honors aren’t just a celebration of individual newsrooms and journalists — they’re a testament to the essential role journalism plays in a democratic society.

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We’ve got quite a few stories to share this morning with news about federal layoffs at Golden’s National Renewable Energy Lab to the state’s water forecast. Let’s get reading.

Olivia Prentzel

Reporter

THE NEWS

OUTDOORS

Colorado has a checkered history with pro cycling road races. But a British company thinks it can succeed here.

For 50 years, Colorado has been trying to make pro cycling races stick, including dearly departed events like the Red Zinger, Coors Classic, USA Pro Challenge and the Colorado Classic that have come and gone. But as Betsy Welch reports, Infinity Event Group’s attempt to create the Tour of Colorado next fall has momentum — along with plenty of headwind.

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POLITICS AND GOVERNMENT

114 fired from National Renewable Energy Lab in Golden as part of Trump administration cuts

As part of the Trump administration’s efforts to sharply trim research spending across nearly all fields supported by federal agencies, 114 of the lab’s 3,675 employees were fired Monday. But as Michael Booth reports, the move could be a preview of bigger cuts to come.

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WATER

Southwestern Colorado farmers expect a third of their normal water supply following a dry winter

Earlier, lower peaks in western Colorado’s snowpack this winter have water managers and farmers looking to tighten belts for the season to come, Shannon Mullane reports.

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MORE NEWS

• Ski train to Steamboat looking likely under new mountain railroad agreement. Gov. Jared Polis announced Colorado’s new deal with Union Pacific, calling for three passenger trips per day on mountain rail as part of the 25-year partnership that will allow freight and passenger trains to use the Moffat Tunnel.
• Attempt to tweak Colorado’s controversial, first-in-the-nation artificial intelligence law is killed. Senate Bill 318 was tabled after consensus on the tweaks couldn’t be reached between the tech industry, consumer advocates and lawmakers. Colorado’s first-in-the nation AI law goes into effect Feb. 1.
• Colorado added 48,600 new businesses in the first quarter, but lost about 17,000. More than 48,600 businesses started up during the quarter, up 19% from the December quarter. That was the highest quarterly number since second quarter 2023, when the state offered a filing fee discount to reinvigorate small business post COVID.

Section by Eric Lubbers | CTO & Newsletter Wrangler

THE COLORADO REPORT

🔑 = source has article meter or paywall

• Brighton mayor to declare “Dianetics Day” on Friday.
  City Manager Michael Martinez said the request for the proclamation honoring the birthday of Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard came from members of the Brighton community. “We do all sorts of proclamations, and as long as they are not too controversial, as long as they have somebody to come and be willing to accept the proclamation, we try to meet that,” Martinez said.
  — Brighton Standard Blade
• Denver rejects $666,000 extension for license-plate surveillance cameras after backlash. Police say Flock cameras fight crime, but the ACLU has called them “Orwellian.” The city will instead create a task force to address concerns before potentially reintroducing the contract.
  — Denverite
• Former Palantir workers condemn company’s work with Trump administration. In a rare rebuke, more than a dozen former workers of the powerful data-mining and surveillance company based in Denver say the firm’s work with the Trump administration violates the company’s founding principles.
  — KUNC
• Rusty crayfish, an “aquatic nuisance,” discovered in northern Colorado river. This is the first time the crayfish has been confirmed in the agency’s northeast region and the second time it’s been found east of the Continental Divide in Colorado, state officials said in a news release.
  — The Denver Post 🔑
• Colorado’s bald eagle population has been making a comeback. Here’s how it happened. After dwindling to three or four nests in the 1970s, there are now estimated to be over 300 nests across the state thanks in part to the banning of the insecticide DDT.
  — Post-Independent
• Black Canyon of the Gunnison is a “Grand Canyon dupe.” I think all of us in Colorado are already well aware of how stunning the Black Canyon is, I’m just tickled at the idea of someone typing “grand canyon dupe” into Google like they’re looking for a nice sunscreen brand.
  — Travel + Leisure

Section by Eric Lubbers | CTO & Newsletter Wrangler

THE OPINION PAGE

COMMUNITY

• Let’s truly appreciate our Colorado teachers by rebuilding respect for the profession. The Colorado Department of Education is focused on promoting programs that make our teachers feel supported.
  — Margarita Tovar, Ed.D., chief talent and human resources officer at the Colorado Department of Education
  

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

“Personal Demons”: Sharing a body with the supernatural has its perks

In the sequel to L.R. Braden’s previous book “Demon Riding Shotgun,” protagonist Mira Fuentes — a human inhabited by a demon — and a fully human partner investigate a series of strange, perhaps supernatural, disappearances in her hometown. While her demon invests her with certain magical powers, it also makes her a pariah in search of acceptance.

READ AN EXCERPT

• Interview with the author. Braden steps outside her personal experience to create characters and describe cultures she learned about through research. But it all adds up to exploring a very diverse cast and one overarching message.
  
• Listen to a podcast with L.R. Braden.

Section by Kevin Simpson | Writer

Thank you for joining us today! Stay dry.

— Olivia & the whole staff of The Sun

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Corrections & Clarifications

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