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06_23_25_am_headlines Ainsley Coogan
Safeway strike
Employees from at least 11 Safeway stores in Colorado are now on strike, including outlets in Boulder and Denver. The United Food and Commercials Workers (UFCW) Local 7 union says that more stores could join the strike after renewed contract talks broke down last week.
For now, no new talks between the union and the company are scheduled. The union represents about 7000 Safeway and Albertsons employees in Colorado and Wyoming. They went on strike earlier this month, demanding better pay, benefits and staffing levels, according to a flier posted to the Denver7 website.
The union intentionally rolled out its strike slowly, but said via Facebook that more stores could join at any time.
Safeway said in a statement that they are committed to productive discussions with the union, and dispute the union’s claim that the latest contract proposals are insufficient. They added that the health benefits being offered to employees provide comprehensive coverage.
Attorneys of the wife of the Pearl Street attack suspect confirm conditions in Texas detention center
The attorneys representing the wife of the Pearl Street attack suspect stand by her criticisms of the living conditions at a detention center in Texas.
Hayam El Gamal and her children have been detained at the Dilley Family Detention Center in Texas since early June. In a statement released by her attorney, El Gamal said her and her family are “treated like animals” and being punished for what her husband is accused of doing.
According to KDVR, the Department of Homeland Security previously called her allegations false and insisted that ICE facilities maintain a safe environment. El Gamal’s attorneys have disputed this response.
An in-progress lawsuit has produced court documents verifying El Gamal’s claims of the conditions she and her children have been living in against their will.
Based on the lawsuit’s depiction of living conditions, attorneys say that in-person visits are not allowed, children are denied toys, the cafeteria is infested with flies, the water tastes “unclean,” and children say they feel “scared.”
Additionally, the documents state that a young boy with cancer had missed his check-up while detained and now shows signs of a relapse, and a young girl with cystic fibrosis does not have access to her medication.
El Gamal’s children are as young as 4-years-old.
Megan Trussell investigation update
The family of a University of Colorado Boulder student who went missing, and was later found dead in Boulder Canyon, is hoping the area’s unhoused community can provide tips that give them answers to what might really have happened.
Investigators ruled that 18-year-old Megan Trussell’s death this past February was a suicide, and that she died from the toxic effects of amphetamine, combined with hypothermia.
Trussell’s mother, Vanessa Diaz, has never believed that, according to 9News. She said on social media last week that because Megan’s body was found in an area known for encampments, members of the unhoused community may have answers to what happened to her. She added that an unhoused individual helped her and her family locate her daughter’s phone.
Diaz says that in the coming weeks, she and her supporters will distribute fifty packages containing snacks, hygiene products, and a flier describing the case, according to the Daily Camera. She’ll also be offering a $1,000 reward for any tips that lead to answers.
Everything in the distributed packages was bought by donors from an Amazon wish list.
Colorado reaction to Iran attack
Governor Jared Polis says that state officials are not aware of any threats to Colorado and its citizens, in the aftermath of a United States attack on three Iranian nuclear sites.
The attacks, which happened Saturday evening Colorado time, have prompted fears of military escalation in the Middle East. Iran has already fired retaliatory missiles at Israel, wounding at least twenty-three people and damaging homes and buildings in three cities, according to the Associated Press.
Governor Polis said on Facebook and Instagram that he met with his public safety team and has ordered them to coordinate with state, local, and federal partners against any possible threats.
Colorado lawmakers have reacted to the attack largely along party lines. Democratic Senator John Hickenlooper said he is closely monitoring the situation. He added that while Iran cannot be allowed to have nuclear weapons, he shares the concern of many Americans about direct involvement by the United States.
Democrat Diana DeGette called the attack an unauthorized military strike and an act of war that requires Congressional approval. Brittany Petersen also said that only Congress can authorize a war, and that Donald Trump is the last person she would trust to do so. She added that the priority now must be diplomatic de-escalation.
Republican Representative Jeff Crank, on the other hand, called Trump’s decision to attack Iran decisive. Representative Gabe Evans agreed, saying the United States can achieve peace through strength and adding that he’s glad to see Trump taking action.
Last night, the Party for Socialism and Liberation hosted an emergency protest at the Capitol decrying war on Iran. They called Trump a “war criminal.”
Tax credits halved
In response to a dim state revenue forecast for 2026, state discounts for purchasing heat pumps, e-bikes and electric vehicles will be cut in half next year.
For current tax credits to stay available to Coloradans, they must project a 4 percent revenue growth or else they will be cut by 50 percent. Emily Dohrman, a senior economist for the nonpartisan Legislative Council Staff, says that there is only a 2 percent revenue increase currently projected for those credits for next year.
According to The Colorado Sun, cutting state incentives in half would lead to far less money to help Coloradans electrify their homes and transportation.
Electric vehicle proponents credit the federal and state incentives like the tax credits for the boom in EV sales.
The local environmental advocacy group GreenLatinos has already expressed concern for the tax credits, saying the cuts could negatively impact those who live in highly polluted areas.
The Sun says the state legislature is expected to make at least $700 million in spending cuts to next year’s budget.
