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07_21_25_am_headlines Ainsley Coogan
Planned Parenthood Colorado
Planned Parenthood clinics in Colorado are still treating their patients covered by Medicaid, although a temporary restraining order that has allowed them to continue expires today.
Planned Parenthood of the Rocky Mountains resumed taking Medicaid patients last week, after a federal judge temporarily halted a provision of a recently-passed Republican spending bill. That provision barred Medicaid payments to organizations that provide abortions, forcing Planned Parenthood to cancel hundreds of appointments.
Officials with Planned Parenthood acknowledged that the temporary restraining order is just a short-term solution. They said that Planned Parenthood centers may have to cancel appointments for their Medicaid patients again. But for now, at least, they are scheduling those patients and keeping appointments.
About 5,000 Coloradans are covered by Medicaid and use Planned Parenthood for primary care, according to the Denver Post. Planned Parenthood has 11 clinics throughout the state.
No criminal history in most ICE arrests
Over 2,000 undocumented people in Colorado have been arrested by ICE this year. Most of them do not have any criminal convictions, according to ICE data released over the last few weeks.
The arrest data contradicts the Trump administration’s goal to target the “worst of the worst.” The most serious crime most often reported in the data is drunken driving. That’s according to the Colorado Sun.
Advocacy groups across the state are vocal about ICE’s tactics, calling them ruthless. ICE has increasingly arrested people appearing for immigration court proceedings, those with pending asylum cases and those with no criminal history.
In Wyoming, arrests have risen 184%. With that rise, a growing number of Wyoming sheriffs have signed agreements with ICE to cooperate in detaining undocumented individuals.
Steve Kotecki, ICE’s spokesperson for Colorado and Wyoming, declined to comment on the data.
Wildfires
Firefighters are making progress on the five wildfires burning in the western part of the state.
All told, the fires have burned nearly 25,000 acres.
Firefighters have increased the containment of four of the fires, meaning they are controlling more of their perimeters.
The largest of the fires is the Turner Gulch fire north of Gateway, which has burned more than 15,700 acres. But fire officials say it did not increase over the weekend and is 34% contained.
The Wright Draw fire, also north of Gateway, hasn’t grown much either. But it doesn’t have an official containment figure, because of rugged terrain and the difficulty in fighting it.
Fire officials say the South Rim fire in Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park has shown little increase in size and was placed at 21% containment yesterday, a 7% increase from the day before.
The Sowbelly fire has not grown since last week and was reported at 66% containment yesterday.
The Deer Creek fire near Paradox began in Utah and crossed into Colorado last week. It has burned more than 16,000 acres and was 22%t contained yesterday, up from seventeen percent contained on Saturday.
The Deer Creek fire is under investigation. The four others were started by lightning on July 10.
This is all according to the Denver Post.
Colorado River Zebra mussels
A long stretch of the Colorado River has tested positive for an invasive species called the zebra mussel.
State water and wildlife officials found microscopic Zebra mussel larvae in the river last year. New testing has detected three more tiny larvae in the river between Glenwood Springs and the Utah state line, enough for that stretch of the river to be considered positive, according to the Denver Post.
Zebra mussels have the potential to devastate the river’s ecosystem, and can damage infrastructure like dams and irrigation pipes. Experts told the Post that once they’ve established themselves, Zebra mussels are nearly impossible to get rid of.
The Colorado River is now being tested for Zebra mussel larvae once a week, along with two of its tributaries.
