Trump bill could force sale of millions of acres of public land

Good morning, Sunriser readers!

I got a healthy dose of be careful what you wish for Tuesday, when I came home from a reporting trip to a completely flooded office. I’ve had “clean/rearrange office” on my to-do list for a while now — too long, admittedly — but by “clean” I hadn’t really meant drown everything in hose water, and by “rearrange” I hadn’t meant frantically haul furniture to the garage and rip back the carpet.

Luckily I have some very responsive landlords (hooray, renting!) and a partner who dealt with most of the cleanup while I disappeared on another reporting trip. When I got back last night, the room was dry, the carpet was stretched back into place and vacuumed, and I moved my desk and one little bookshelf back in. It feels tidy and spacious in here, which is exactly what I’ve been yearning for. I just can’t look in the garage.

Now dust off your desk and let’s get to the news.

Parker Yamasaki

Reporter

THE NEWS

OUTDOORS

Land managers defend budget cuts, plans to sell Colorado public lands at Congressional hearings

The country’s top land managers have a plan to sell 3.3 million acres of federal land in 11 states, including Colorado, to build more housing. The federal officials told Congress it wasn’t about taking “sacred spaces,” but Western Slope communities are concerned. Jason Blevins has more.

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POLITICS AND GOVERNMENT

Yadira Caraveo says she “hit a wall” during unsuccessful reelection campaign when staff were frightened, traumatized

U.S. Rep. Yadira Caraveo opened up about her mental health in a panel this week, acknowledging its impact on staff and others, Taylor Dolven reports. It was her first public discussion of the subject since The Sun published a yearlong investigation into allegations of a traumatic workplace environment tied to Caraveo’s severe depression.

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• Meet our new politics reporter, Taylor Dolven. Taylor Dolven is a new politics and policy reporter at The Colorado Sun, where she’ll be covering elected officials, campaigns and how policy affects people.

ENERGY

Colorado joins California, other states suing to preserve electric vehicle mandates after Trump cancels them

Colorado’s mandate that 82% of new cars offered for sale by model year 2032 in the state must have zero emissions is one of the rules that Congressional resolutions signed by President Trump effectively canceled. Michael Booth reports on how the lawsuit argues the resolutions are illegal.

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WILDLIFE

“An exciting step.” At least one new litter of wolf pups spotted by Colorado wildlife officials.

Jennifer Brown reports that at least one more litter of wolf pups has been born in Colorado, adding to the list of dens monitored by state officials. Wildlife advocates are elated about the news. Ranchers remain concerned after several previous incidents of young wolves preying on livestock.

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• Fact Brief ☀️ Do wildlife crossings on highways reduce crashes? Yes. Studies show wildlife crossings can decrease animal-vehicle collisions by roughly 90%, with dramatic reductions reported in Colorado.

Section by Shannon Mullane | Water Reporter

THE COLORADO REPORT

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• Colorado protesters push back after Douglas County town orders them to cancel “No Kings” rally. “I’ve been to rallies in Denver, and they are so exciting, but it’s sort of like being in an echo chamber because Denver is blue,” organizer Carolyn Williamson said. “It takes courage to stand up in Parker.”
  — The Denver Post ????
• “Like a bomb”: Reaction to Greeley camping ban now in effect. “It’s definitely a bomb, it’s like taking a sledgehammer when you need a screwdriver,” said Shawn Walcott, a board chair of the Greeley Housing Authority. “It’s not solving any problems, and it’s making it more difficult for people to get the resources that they need.”
  — 9News
• Mya Lesnar wins Colorado State’s first NCAA national title in track and field in 20 years. Mya, who is the daughter of legendary pro wrestler Brock Lesnar, won the title in shot put with the two longest throws of the meet — throws that would have nearly put her on the podium at the 2024 Olympics.
  — Coloradoan ????
• Popular Aspen campground bans tents after bear encounter. After a bear entered the Difficult Campground 5 miles southeast of Aspen, the Forest Service has temporarily banned soft-sided tents and pop-up campers. In retrospect, maybe it’s our fault for expecting things to be easy at a place named “Difficult.”
  — The Denver Post
• Kroenke buys out Revesco stake in Elitch Gardens, Meow Wolf site. Stan Kroenke doesn’t have to share the roller coasters anymore. The billionaire’s Kroenke Sports & Entertainment firm Wednesday became the sole owner of the Elitch Gardens property in a deal that includes the Meow Wolf building and a nearby industrial property.
  — BusinessDen ????
• Reader photos: Ospreys on the hunt. Just some nice reader photos of some cute airborne predators with 5-foot wingspans and razor-sharp talons in Grand County.
  — Sky-Hi News
• Juneteenth Parade & Music Festival. The actual holiday isn’t until next week, but if you’re ready to celebrate Juneteenth, Denver’s music festival and parade — one of the oldest in the country — is back in Five Points this weekend.
  — Juneteenth Music Festival

Section by Eric Lubbers | CTO & Newsletter Wrangler

THE OPINION PAGE

CARTOONS

Drew Litton taps into a growing protest movement aimed at resisting the administration’s authoritarian measures.

CARTOON

In “What’d I Miss?” Myra points out how states’ rights arguments quickly dissolve when they come into conflict with another state’s laws.

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 thoughtful conversation and headlines of the day. We keep it tight so you can listen on the go, or stack up a few and tune in at your leisure. Download the Sun-Up for free on your favorite podcasting app, including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube or RSS to plug into your app. Check out this week’s lineup from The Sun team:

• One word to describe the Colorado rental market … uncertainty. As a HUD certified housing counselor, Pat Noonan has been helping people for years. He joined us at Colorado SunFest to talk about the Colorado challenges, including a record level of evictions.
  LISTEN
• A lie of omission with a twist. SunLit editor Kevin Simpson chats with Colorado Book Awards finalist Edward Hamlin about his novel “Sonata in Wax” — which follows a character trying to unravel the mystery behind a remarkable piece of early 20th-century music.
  LISTEN
• What time is it? Temp time! Health reporter John Ingold talks with environmental scribe Michael Booth about the firing of a key vaccine advice committee, measles updates, and a sustainable business using coffee in a way you never expected.
  LISTEN
• Colorado ski season by the numbers. The postpandemic outdoors wave continues as Colorado resorts saw a top-three season. Outdoors reporter Jason Blevins looks at the trends among the 13.8 million who made it to the high country for a few turns.
  LISTEN
• Recent Colorado college grads facing headwinds. With diplomas in hand, 20-somethings are trying to crack one of the toughest job markets in decades. Business reporter Tamara Chuang breaks down why and what’s available to help them get a foot in the door.
  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.

Section by David Krause | Editor

Thanks for joining us and see you back here Monday!

— Parker & the whole staff of The Sun

The Colorado Sun is part of The Trust Project. Read our policies.

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.