UCAR suing over NCAR dismantling; AI working group releases recommendations; Annual Boulder Strong Day of Remembrance March 22

Headlines Wednesday, March 18, 2026

UCAR suing over NCAR dismantling

The nonprofit that oversees the National Center for Atmospheric Research, or NCAR, in Boulder is suing the Trump administration.

The University Corporation for Atmospheric Research says the attempts to dismantle the center, known for its climate research and weather forecasting, are part of a “campaign of retribution” against Colorado.

Federal officials first announced their intent to dismantle NCAR in December, calling it “one of the largest sources of climate alarmism in the country.” But the lawsuit alleges that NCAR is “collateral damage” in President Trump’s “campaign of retribution” against Colorado.

It cites Governor Jared Polis’s refusal to release former Mesa County clerk Tina Peters from state prison after she was convicted of trying to tamper with the 2020 election, and the president’s subsequent withholding of emergency aid funds from Colorado.

In addition to efforts to move NCAR operations out of Colorado and the divestment of millions of dollars from climate research programs, the lawsuit mentions “gag orders” for employees and “pointless bureaucratic burdens” designed to waste employee time.

UCAR, which is made up of over a hundred colleges and universities, says the administration’s actions “pose a direct threat to national security, public safety, and economic prosperity.” It’s asking a federal district court judge in Colorado to stop the administration’s actions and declare them unconstitutional.

The lawsuit also mentions an anonymous whistleblower that told Congressman Joe Neguse that the Trump administration was trying to privatize parts of NCAR, including its space weather activities.

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AI working group releases recommendations

Governor Polis’s AI working group has released its recommendations on how to regulate  “consequential” decision making by artificial intelligence systems.

Polis appointed the group to help iron out thorny issues around transparency and liability for an AI law set to go into effect in June. Colorado passed the country’s first comprehensive law to regulate how companies and governments use artificial intelligence to make key decisions over people’s lives in areas like banking, hiring and education. The working group proposed guidelines on things like what AI developers have to disclose about how systems are trained and how they should be used . A consumer could also ask for a human to review the decision. The working group recommendations still need to be ironed out at the State Capitol in a bill and would need to clear the legislature this session.

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Snowpack is historically low

Snowpack is historically low across the Upper Colorado River Basin.

Even though that’s bad news for spring runoff, forecasters say throughout much of the basin, there will likely be an efficient runoff.

That’s the amount of water that makes it into rivers and streams, instead of being absorbed into soil or lost to evaporation. Seth Arens, a hydrologist with the Western Water Assessment, says that’s due to rain last fall that increased soil moisture.

Seth Arens said, “That’s a good thing that the soils are wet. So the meager snowpack that we do have on the ground, a higher proportion of that will make it into the streams than in many other years that we’ve seen over the past five, six years where it’s been really, really dry going into the snow pack season.”

Arens says there’s not as much data for snow cover as there is for snow pack, but based on the historical satellite data we do have, the total area in the region covered in snow is the lowest it’s been in years.

He says a big factor in that is a lack of snow at low to mid elevations, between 4,000 and 7,000 feet.

 

Annual Boulder Strong Day of Remembrance March 22

Five years ago, on Mar. 22, 2021, ten Boulder community members including a police officer were killed in a mass shooting at the Table Mesa King Soopers. This Sunday will be the five year anniversary of the tragedy, and the city of Boulder is hosting its third annual Boulder Strong Day of Remembrance.

The city and several partners will hold a Day of Remembrance event to honor the survivors and those who lost their lives. The community is invited to this public gathering at the Museum of Boulder from 4 to 4:30 p.m. Doors will open at 3:30 p.m.

The Museum of Boulder is located at 2205 Broadway. The event is free and open to the public. Support resources and more information can be found at bouldercolorado.gov.

 

 

You can hear daily headlines on the Morning Magazine, KGNU’s weekday morning show, with coverage of local and regional public affairs and news with headlines and commentary. Click here to listen to full episodes of the Morning Magazine.

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