Headlines Friday June 19, 2026
-
play_arrow
ICE activity in Denver and Longmont; 170,000 have voted in primaries so far; Colorado state budget improves KGNU News
ICE activity in Denver and Longmont
The Colorado Rapid Response Network (CORRN) has confirmed that ICE agents tackled a man yesterday in Denver. They report that around 9:15 a.m. yesterday at 77th and Vasquez Blvd, a group of at least three agents tackled a man onto the train tracks. They left without detaining him after seeing his identification. The incident was filmed by a witness.
CORRN has also confirmed ICE presence in Longmont yesterday morning. No detainments were made. They say around 7:00 a.m., a black Ford Explorer with tinted windows was parked at Tyler Ave and Spencer St.
CORRN says that its confirmers spoke to an agent inside the vehicle, who threatened to call the police on them, then left shortly after.
They reported a similar incident on Tuesday morning – a known ICE agent was parked on a residential street in Longmont and drove away after being questioned by CORRN confirmers.
CORRN is a coalition of organizations working together and with volunteers to verify and respond to ICE activity in the state.
170,000 have voted in primaries so far
Nearly 170,000 ballots have been returned so far for the primary election. Ballots must be returned by June 30th at 7pm when polls closed, either in person by mail or at a drop box.
So far only a fraction of the state’s 4 million registered voters have cast a ballot. Jefferson county has the most returns, more than 11,000, followed by Denver. Park County has the least – zero – followed by Montezuma County, which has four.
More Democratic ballots have been returned than Republican, but both parties have interesting and competitive primary races this cycle.
Every statewide office is up for election this fall.
Colorado state budget improves
State economic forecasters announced on Thursday that the Colorado state budget deficit is starting to improve.
This comes after state lawmakers have been forced to make nearly $2 billion in cuts over the past two years.
Legislative Council Staff reported that the state will end the fiscal year with a $116 million surplus, which will put lawmakers in a better situation going into next year. Still, the budget problems are not completely gone and lawmakers will need to consider making an additional $315 million cut to next year’s budget if they want to keep state reserve funds set to their current levels.
According to state economists, the two main reasons the budget situation improved were Trump’s Big, Beautiful Bill Act didn’t reduce collections as much as expected, and growing inflation since the start of the year had raised the TABOR cap, allowing the state to hold onto more tax revenue.
The state budget picture, however, is expected to deteriorate after 2027 when federal cuts to Medicaid and food stamp programs go into effect.
Alumnus sues CU for ending email program
A CU Boulder alumnus has filed a lawsuit against the university over its decision to end its Email for Life program, arguing that the institution has violated its contract with former students.
The university, citing rising costs and cybersecurity threats, announced earlier this year that it would be discontinuing the program that provides alumni access to their CU email addresses for life after graduation.
The lawsuit was brought by alumnus Rex Boge, who earned his undergraduate and law degree from the university. According to the lawsuit, students paid a nearly $70 “student computing fee,” which in part funded the program. The university currently pays roughly $70,000 to maintain the program, according to reporting by the Daily Camera.
The Email for Life program is scheduled to sunset on Aug. 31 after which time former students will lose access to their email accounts.
Demolition of Nederland’s Caribou Village starts this week
Debris from the devastating October fire that destroyed Nederland’s Caribou Village shopping center has been cleared away, and the demolition of the building’s remains are scheduled to begin this week.
Tebo Properties spokesperson Bill Rigler outlined the course of action, explaining that they aim to submit a comprehensive plan for a new shopping center in Nederland by the end of July, and break ground in September.
If the plan goes as intended, construction is projected to span between 9 and 15 months. However, Rigler acknowledged that winter weather could affect the timeline.
Regardless, they remain optimistic about completing all foundational work before the beginning of winter. Rigler mentioned that approximately 500 soil and air samples collected from the site revealed no traces of asbestos, a concern expressed by residents, particularly those residing downwind from the site.
However, the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment was unable to confirm this information. Demolition is scheduled to commence on Thursday and involves tasks such as dismantling the standing structure and removing the concrete foundations, as explained by Rigler.
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.
