Headlines Thursday, January 15, 2026
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Colorado Legislative Session Started Yesterday, Prairie Dog Population Successful in Boulder City, Peters Requesting Conviction Turnover from Denver Judge KGNU News
Colorado Legislative Session Started Yesterday
Colorado’s annual legislative session began yesterday. One of the biggest challenges lawmakers face is another huge budget shortfall. That means it’ll be hard for any bill that costs money to make it across the finish line.
Democrats still hold a wide majority in both chambers. Both parties say they want to focus on making Colorado a more affordable place to live. It’s Governor Jared Polis’s last session in office because of term limits. He’ll outline his top priorities on Thursday during his annual state of the state address.
Prairie Dog Population Successful in Boulder City
The city of Boulder announced in this year’s annual prairie dog report meeting that they will continue a pilot program that has assisted residents in walling off their land to prairie dog activity. A 2025 report from the city showed the pilot program was promising, leading to the critters occupying 7% less land than in 2024.
For residents, the program has the city covering up to half the cost of barrier projects preventing recolonization and expansion of prairie dog territory. While they are essential to the area’s ecosystem, their territorial expansion also concerns city managers due to their grazing habits leading to longer term desertification.
Along with the continuation of the barrier subsidy program, the Boulder Reporting Lab says the city is considering lethal control of their pupping season from March 1 to May 31 to sites that have previously gone through prairie dog removal procedures.
Peters Requesting Conviction Turnover from Denver Judge
Attorneys for former Mesa County Clerk Tina Peters are appearing before the Colorado Court of Appeals today in a final bid to overturn her 9-year prison sentence.
Peters was convicted in 2024 in relation to a security breach of voting equipment following the 2020 election.
The appeal is focused on a controversial claim that a pardon issued by President Trump should apply to Peters’ state-level crimes, a move Colorado officials call unconstitutional. The Denver Post reports that the dispute has already had devastating consequences for the state, with the Trump administration pulling over $700 million in federal funding in what the AG describes as a “revenge campaign.”
Governor Jared Polis has suggested he may consider commuting the sentence; however, state election officials are urging him to stand firm to avoid validating election denialism. Peters is set to remain in prison until her first parole eligibility in late 2028.
DOJ Escalates Investigation into Lawmakers Over Military “Illegal Orders” Video
Colorado Representative Jason Crow and five other lawmakers are under investigation by the U.S. Attorney’s Office. The probe stems from a video they released advising military members to refuse “illegal orders.”
President Trump has labeled the message “seditious,” and claimed on his social media that it is “punishable by death”. Federal prosecutors are now seeking formal interviews with the group. Meanwhile, the Pentagon is attempting to retroactively demote Arizona Senator Mark Kelly for his participation.
The parties involved call the investigation a “weaponization” of the government meant to silence dissent. They maintain that advising troops to uphold the law is protected free speech.
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.
Starbucks Red Cup Day Strike
Unionized Starbucks employees are going on strike today along the front range. The movement comes as an effort to force the company to comply with recognition of Starbucks workers legal right to collective bargaining.
Starbucks Workers United represents over 12,000 workers in 550 unionized stores across the country. Starbucks Workers United says after six months of negotiations, there has not been noticeable change in: better hours to improve staffing, increased pay, and resolving unfair labor practices on the part of the company.
For Starbucks, they say the company has shown up to the negotiation table in good faith and the union is the one who stepped away from negotiations.
The union has voted to approve the strike today; one of the first Starbucks locations to unionize is in Lafayette and will picket outside the South Boulder Location. Fifteen other Colorado locations are affiliated with Starbucks Workers United, including stores in Boulder, Denver, and Fort Collins.
No Plan for River Deadline (RMCR Spots)
There’s still no plan for how the seven states that use water from the Colorado River will allocate the scarce resource after 2026.
Tuesday (11/11) marked a deadline set by the federal government for the states to share a framework for new operating guidelines… another deadline that’s come and gone with no agreement.
The Department of Interior, the Bureau of Reclamation, and the seven states issued a statement saying that they were making progress on negotiations, but more work is needed.
Chris Winter is an environmental attorney at C-U Boulder’s school of law.
Ahead of the deadline, he said the Colorado River is in a new era, defined by climate change and a scarcity of resources, which demanded urgent action.
[Tape name: River Deadline Passes BITE]
[Tape length: :15]
[Incue: And the best way that we]
[Outcue: use to fit the supply.]
“And the best way that we can prepare to move forward in this new reality is for the states to reach agreement amongst themselves and to compromise on how we’re gonna adapt water use to fit the supply.”
He says water users in the Southwest can plan around scarcity, but they need certainty from the states about what that scarcity will look like.
Upper and lower basin states have been unable to agree on who will see cutbacks, and how to define shortages.
Polis Unveils Plan to Close the Budget Gap (CCNA)
Governor Jared Polis unveiled his proposal to close a nearly 850 million dollar budget shortfall.
One of Polis’ ideas is to cut Medicaid provider rates for some services. His plan would still increase medicaid spending overall but Polis says if the costs don’t slow down it will crowd out other critical parts of the state’s budget.
We think highways and roads are important. We think public safety is important. We think agriculture’s important, all the other great things that the state does…any item that grows faster than other items is one that you look at with the magnifying class.
Budget committee members in both parties pushed back against some of Polis’s ideas, which serve as the starting point for a balanced state budget lawmakers must write and pass.
HOST TAG: That was Bente [BEN tuh] Birkeland for the Colorado Capitol News Alliance
Boebert in Situation Room
https://coloradosun.com/2025/11/12/lauren-boebert-white-house-situation-room-meeting/
U.S. Representative Loren Boebert from Colorado’s District 4 met with the Trump administration in the situation room yesterday. The white house had Boebert in the room to discuss her support of a bill that will force the justice department to release all classified documents related to convicted sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said the conversation was part of a White House effort to have Boebert and at least one other republican congresswoman no longer back the bill.
Boebert exited the situation room saying over social media QUOTE, “…together we remain committed to ensuring transparency for the American people.” In addition to Boebert, Trump has also contacted representative Nancy Mace from South Carolina about flipping her position on the bill.
Columbine Valley Officer Punished for Using AI for Theft Case with Extra Training
https://coloradosun.com/2025/11/12/columbine-valley-office-flock-camera-extra-training/
Police Sergeant Jamie Milliman from Denver who wrongfully accused a woman of stealing a package is being disciplined with extra training. Sergeant Milliman used guidance from AI-powered Flock license plate readers as evidence she had taken a package with contents worth about 25 dollars.
The Colorado Sun received notice of sergeant milliman’s discipline yesterday which reasoned he was ‘unwilling to de-escalate’. Milliman showed up to Chrisanna Esler’s house with court summons in hand – pointing to AI-assisted video as irrefutable evidence for Esler’s appearance in court.
Esler was forced to prove her innocence, affirming with evidence of her whereabouts via apps on her phone that she was innocent. On Oct.15, two weeks after sergeant milliman served Esler her summons, the Denver Police department said they were able to drop her case.
The disciplinary action comes as rallies have been held in Denver protesting the recently renewed contract between Flock surveillance systems and Denver Police. Those protesting say AI-assisted surveillance can lead to worse incidence than Esler’s. Denver police has affirmed that AI-powered surveillance has assisted them in many investigations.
Starbucks Red Cup Day Strike
Unionized Starbucks employees are going on strike today along the front range. The movement comes as an effort to force the company to comply with recognition of Starbucks workers legal right to collective bargaining.
Starbucks Workers United represents over 12,000 workers in 550 unionized stores across the country. Starbucks Workers United says after six months of negotiations, there has not been noticeable change in: better hours to improve staffing, increased pay, and resolving unfair labor practices on the part of the company.
For Starbucks, they say the company has shown up to the negotiation table in good faith and the union is the one who stepped away from negotiations.
The union has voted to approve the strike today; one of the first Starbucks locations to unionize is in Lafayette and will picket outside the South Boulder Location. Fifteen other Colorado locations are affiliated with Starbucks Workers United, including stores in Boulder, Denver, and Fort Collins.
No Plan for River Deadline (RMCR Spots)
There’s still no plan for how the seven states that use water from the Colorado River will allocate the scarce resource after 2026.
Tuesday (11/11) marked a deadline set by the federal government for the states to share a framework for new operating guidelines… another deadline that’s come and gone with no agreement.
The Department of Interior, the Bureau of Reclamation, and the seven states issued a statement saying that they were making progress on negotiations, but more work is needed.
Chris Winter is an environmental attorney at C-U Boulder’s school of law.
Ahead of the deadline, he said the Colorado River is in a new era, defined by climate change and a scarcity of resources, which demanded urgent action.
[Tape name: River Deadline Passes BITE]
[Tape length: :15]
[Incue: And the best way that we]
[Outcue: use to fit the supply.]
“And the best way that we can prepare to move forward in this new reality is for the states to reach agreement amongst themselves and to compromise on how we’re gonna adapt water use to fit the supply.”
He says water users in the Southwest can plan around scarcity, but they need certainty from the states about what that scarcity will look like.
Upper and lower basin states have been unable to agree on who will see cutbacks, and how to define shortages.
Polis Unveils Plan to Close the Budget Gap (CCNA)
Governor Jared Polis unveiled his proposal to close a nearly 850 million dollar budget shortfall.
One of Polis’ ideas is to cut Medicaid provider rates for some services. His plan would still increase medicaid spending overall but Polis says if the costs don’t slow down it will crowd out other critical parts of the state’s budget.
We think highways and roads are important. We think public safety is important. We think agriculture’s important, all the other great things that the state does…any item that grows faster than other items is one that you look at with the magnifying class.
Budget committee members in both parties pushed back against some of Polis’s ideas, which serve as the starting point for a balanced state budget lawmakers must write and pass.
HOST TAG: That was Bente [BEN tuh] Birkeland for the Colorado Capitol News Alliance
Boebert in Situation Room
https://coloradosun.com/2025/11/12/lauren-boebert-white-house-situation-room-meeting/
U.S. Representative Loren Boebert from Colorado’s District 4 met with the Trump administration in the situation room yesterday. The white house had Boebert in the room to discuss her support of a bill that will force the justice department to release all classified documents related to convicted sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said the conversation was part of a White House effort to have Boebert and at least one other republican congresswoman no longer back the bill.
Boebert exited the situation room saying over social media QUOTE, “…together we remain committed to ensuring transparency for the American people.” In addition to Boebert, Trump has also contacted representative Nancy Mace from South Carolina about flipping her position on the bill.
Columbine Valley Officer Punished for Using AI for Theft Case with Extra Training
https://coloradosun.com/2025/11/12/columbine-valley-office-flock-camera-extra-training/
Police Sergeant Jamie Milliman from Denver who wrongfully accused a woman of stealing a package is being disciplined with extra training. Sergeant Milliman used guidance from AI-powered Flock license plate readers as evidence she had taken a package with contents worth about 25 dollars.
The Colorado Sun received notice of sergeant milliman’s discipline yesterday which reasoned he was ‘unwilling to de-escalate’. Milliman showed up to Chrisanna Esler’s house with court summons in hand – pointing to AI-assisted video as irrefutable evidence for Esler’s appearance in court.
Esler was forced to prove her innocence, affirming with evidence of her whereabouts via apps on her phone that she was innocent. On Oct.15, two weeks after sergeant milliman served Esler her summons, the Denver Police department said they were able to drop her case.
The disciplinary action comes as rallies have been held in Denver protesting the recently renewed contract between Flock surveillance systems and Denver Police. Those protesting say AI-assisted surveillance can lead to worse incidence than Esler’s. Denver police has affirmed that AI-powered surveillance has assisted them in many investigations.
Starbucks Red Cup Day Strike
Unionized Starbucks employees are going on strike today along the front range. The movement comes as an effort to force the company to comply with recognition of Starbucks workers legal right to collective bargaining.
Starbucks Workers United represents over 12,000 workers in 550 unionized stores across the country. Starbucks Workers United says after six months of negotiations, there has not been noticeable change in: better hours to improve staffing, increased pay, and resolving unfair labor practices on the part of the company.
For Starbucks, they say the company has shown up to the negotiation table in good faith and the union is the one who stepped away from negotiations.
The union has voted to approve the strike today; one of the first Starbucks locations to unionize is in Lafayette and will picket outside the South Boulder Location. Fifteen other Colorado locations are affiliated with Starbucks Workers United, including stores in Boulder, Denver, and Fort Collins.
No Plan for River Deadline (RMCR Spots)
There’s still no plan for how the seven states that use water from the Colorado River will allocate the scarce resource after 2026.
Tuesday (11/11) marked a deadline set by the federal government for the states to share a framework for new operating guidelines… another deadline that’s come and gone with no agreement.
The Department of Interior, the Bureau of Reclamation, and the seven states issued a statement saying that they were making progress on negotiations, but more work is needed.
Chris Winter is an environmental attorney at C-U Boulder’s school of law.
Ahead of the deadline, he said the Colorado River is in a new era, defined by climate change and a scarcity of resources, which demanded urgent action.
[Tape name: River Deadline Passes BITE]
[Tape length: :15]
[Incue: And the best way that we]
[Outcue: use to fit the supply.]
“And the best way that we can prepare to move forward in this new reality is for the states to reach agreement amongst themselves and to compromise on how we’re gonna adapt water use to fit the supply.”
He says water users in the Southwest can plan around scarcity, but they need certainty from the states about what that scarcity will look like.
Upper and lower basin states have been unable to agree on who will see cutbacks, and how to define shortages.
Polis Unveils Plan to Close the Budget Gap (CCNA)
Governor Jared Polis unveiled his proposal to close a nearly 850 million dollar budget shortfall.
One of Polis’ ideas is to cut Medicaid provider rates for some services. His plan would still increase medicaid spending overall but Polis says if the costs don’t slow down it will crowd out other critical parts of the state’s budget.
We think highways and roads are important. We think public safety is important. We think agriculture’s important, all the other great things that the state does…any item that grows faster than other items is one that you look at with the magnifying class.
Budget committee members in both parties pushed back against some of Polis’s ideas, which serve as the starting point for a balanced state budget lawmakers must write and pass.
HOST TAG: That was Bente [BEN tuh] Birkeland for the Colorado Capitol News Alliance
Boebert in Situation Room
https://coloradosun.com/2025/11/12/lauren-boebert-white-house-situation-room-meeting/
U.S. Representative Loren Boebert from Colorado’s District 4 met with the Trump administration in the situation room yesterday. The white house had Boebert in the room to discuss her support of a bill that will force the justice department to release all classified documents related to convicted sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said the conversation was part of a White House effort to have Boebert and at least one other republican congresswoman no longer back the bill.
Boebert exited the situation room saying over social media QUOTE, “…together we remain committed to ensuring transparency for the American people.” In addition to Boebert, Trump has also contacted representative Nancy Mace from South Carolina about flipping her position on the bill.
Columbine Valley Officer Punished for Using AI for Theft Case with Extra Training
https://coloradosun.com/2025/11/12/columbine-valley-office-flock-camera-extra-training/
Police Sergeant Jamie Milliman from Denver who wrongfully accused a woman of stealing a package is being disciplined with extra training. Sergeant Milliman used guidance from AI-powered Flock license plate readers as evidence she had taken a package with contents worth about 25 dollars.
The Colorado Sun received notice of sergeant milliman’s discipline yesterday which reasoned he was ‘unwilling to de-escalate’. Milliman showed up to Chrisanna Esler’s house with court summons in hand – pointing to AI-assisted video as irrefutable evidence for Esler’s appearance in court.
Esler was forced to prove her innocence, affirming with evidence of her whereabouts via apps on her phone that she was innocent. On Oct.15, two weeks after sergeant milliman served Esler her summons, the Denver Police department said they were able to drop her case.
The disciplinary action comes as rallies have been held in Denver protesting the recently renewed contract between Flock surveillance systems and Denver Police. Those protesting say AI-assisted surveillance can lead to worse incidence than Esler’s. Denver police has affirmed that AI-powered surveillance has assisted them in many investigations.





