Good morning, Colorado.
I was about two-thirds of the way up Wetterhorn Peak, a fourteener near Lake City, last weekend when I found myself in a sea of yellow flowers. Hundreds of alpine sunflowers, also known as the Old-Man-of-the-Mountain, dotted the rolling green slopes below the rugged peaks above. I’ve seen the bright yellow beauties in the alpine tundra before, but never so many all at once. When I got back home, I learned that they are a monocarpic plant, meaning that they only produce flowers and seeds once in their lifetime. Then, they die.
To witness their fleeting beauty, in such an extravagant way, is a gift that I am carrying with me this week. If you’re a wildflower fan, now is the time to get outside.
Once you’re done admiring these blooms, I hope you join us in catching up with today’s news.
Reporter
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THE NEWS
ENVIRONMENT
Want to buy an electric vehicle in Colorado? Do it now, before tax credits expire.
With a federal tax credit set to expire earlier than anticipated and a state credit only lasting through the end of the year, the Colorado Energy Office is shouting out “buy now” advice to anyone who will listen. Michael Booth has some key facts and tips about the current EV market.
HOUSING
Colorado’s housing crisis won’t be fixed by zoning alone. A new report shows why.
Why are homes so expensive in Colorado? Turns out it’s not just because of zoning codes. High interest rates, pricey construction materials, land and water are just some of the other factors to blame. Brian Eason dissects a recent report that captures why affordable housing is tough to build in Colorado and highlights a new housing consortium designed to tackle the string of barriers preventing the state from developing more affordable homes.
COLORADANS
Andrea Gibson, Colorado’s poet laureate and a national voice on LGBTQ issues, has died
Colorado Poet Laureate Andrea Gibson, whose words touched everything from queer rights to political division to gun reform, died Monday at age 49. Gibson, who lived in Boulder, fought ovarian cancer since 2021. Parker Yamasaki writes about the legacy of the award-winning poet, who wanted to make poetry an accessible art to all.
POLITICS AND GOVERNMENT
Jessica Killin, Doug Emhoff’s former chief of staff, is running to flip Colorado Springs’ congressional district
Jessica Killin, the former chief of staff to second gentleman Doug Emhoff and an Army veteran, has announced her bid for Colorado’s 5th Congressional District in Colorado Springs next year. Killin, who grew up in Colorado Springs, wants to break through the Republican stronghold and defeat U.S. Rep. Jeff Crank to become the first Democrat to represent the district, Jesse Paul reports.
ECONOMY
Jared Polis’ plan to mitigate the economic impact of Trump’s next tariffs? Track the data.
On-again, off-again tariffs under President Donald Trump have rattled Colorado businesses and with tariffs now slated to begin Aug. 1, Gov. Jared Polis is directing Colorado’s labor, agriculture and trade departments to collect and assess data that will break down the impacts to Coloradans. Tamara Chuang reports on the difficulty of tracking the trade policies that have been in flux for much of the year.
EDUCATION
Colorado, 23 other states sue for release of nearly $7 billion in education grants withheld by Trump administration
Colorado has teamed up with 23 other states and Washington, D.C., to sue the Trump administration over its withholding of $6.8 billion in grant funding that districts across the country have been counting on for programs that care for and educate kids after school and train teachers, among other priorities. Attorneys general leading the lawsuit say freezing the funds is unlawful after Congress — which has power over budget decisions — already approved them. Erica Breunlin has more.
Section by Erica Breunlin | Education Reporter
THE COLORADO REPORT
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Section by Lance Benzel | Team Editor
THE OPINION PAGE
COMMUNITY
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SunLit
BOOKS
“The Afterlife Project”: A plan to salvage humanity
To the genre of post-apocalyptic fiction that in recent years has found footing in hot-button topics like climate change and pandemics, author Tim Weed has added time travel with his expansive novel, “The Afterlife Project.” In his excerpt, Weed introduces a team desperately pursuing subjects for a gambit to overcome a pandemic’s catastrophic effect on human fertility.
Section by Kevin Simpson | Writer
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