ICE detained 2 in Frederick; Mixed year for labor policy; Feds release $47 million in environmental funding for CO

Headlines Friday, May 15, 2026

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    ICE detained 2 in Frederick; Mixed year for labor policy; Feds release $47 million in environmental funding for CO KGNU News

 

ICE detained 2 people in Frederick

Yesterday morning, ICE detained two people in Frederick, Colorado.

According to the Colorado Rapid Response Network (CORRN) the detainments happened on a job site near Poudre St. and Crystal Avenue. Multiple eye witnesses told them that around 8 a.m., six agents in vests arrived in a dark gray Subaru, a black Ford Expedition and a dark gray Ford F-150. They said the agents took two people from the worksite without showing any warrants or documentation.

CORRN is working to identify the two individuals, and asks anyone with further information about the incident to call their Rapid Response Hotline.

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Legislative session was a mixed year for labor policy

Democrats dominate both chambers of the state legislature and the governor’s office. But for policy on flagship Democrat issues like labor, the record this year was mixed.

Moderate Democrats killed a progressive proposal for state worker safety protections meant to fill a gap left by weakening federal regulations. Faced with competing bills on farm worker rights, Democrats also opted to reduce overtime pay instead of expanding it. And lawmakers dramatically scaled down a bill to protect workers in extreme temperatures, stripping it of its most significant parts.

Progressive Democratic Senator Katie Wallace of Longmont said she’s disappointed, but she still thinks the democrats are “the party of workers and the folks uplifting their voices the best in the political space.”

Democrats did pass a bill to force meatpacking companies to pay for safety equipment and let workers take bathroom breaks during a shift. Another proposal to make it easier to form a union is headed to the governor. But he is expected to veto it.

This story was reported by Rae Solomon for the Colorado Capitol News Alliance.

 

Feds release $47 million in environmental funding for Colorado

President Trump’s office has released $47 million intended for Colorado River Basin drought relief projects, which had been frozen for nearly two years.

In the final working hours of the Biden administration, the Bureau of Reclamation announced nearly $388 million for drought relief projects in Colorado and nearby states that rely on the Colorado River for water.

When the next administration came in power, President Trump froze this projected spending as part of his first day’s executive orders, and directed several agencies to review the projects to ensure they aligned with the administration’s policies.

Newly funded projects range from wetland restoration and floodplain improvements on managed land in western Colorado, to watershed health and maintenance on the Southern Ute Reservation in southwestern Colorado. Several frozen projects remain unfunded, awaiting federal approval.

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Chronic wasting disease found in National Elk Refuge

The National Elk Refuge in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, provides winter habitat for one of the largest elk herds in the country, with thousands of animals gathering there each year.

Now, for the first time, chronic wasting disease has been detected on the refuge.

Teddy Collins with the Greater Yellowstone Coalition says it was not a matter of if, but when. “I’m not that emotional because I knew this day was coming,” said Collins.

In recent years, the always fatal, highly contagious neurological disease has rapidly encroached on Wyoming’s largest feed ground. Collins says it remains to be seen how quickly it will spread and kill elk.

“We cannot keep operating in the status quo when the science clearly states that feeding operations, whether it’s state-run feed grounds or the National Elk Refuge, these feeding efforts will have negative impacts on Wyoming’s elk herds,” he said.

In a press release, the state and feds said refuge staff will increase monitoring, reevaluate some existing programs, and put in more biosecurity protocols to help keep people and wildlife safe. In past years, the state has announced steps to reduce elk’s reliance on feed grounds so elk don’t unnaturally crowd during winter.

This story was reported by Sophia Boyd Fliegel for KHOL and Rocky Mountain Community Radio.

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Candidate forums this weekend

This Sunday, the Democratic Women of Boulder County will host a town hall with gubernatorial candidate Phil Weiser. It will be an opportunity to hear from Weiser, the state’s Attorney General since 2019, as he competes against Senator Michael Bennet for the Democratic party’s nomination in the June 30 primary. The town hall will be at 1pm at the Avalon Ballroom in Boulder and will be moderated by KGNU.

At 3 pm, also on Sunday, Weiser will join Bennet, as well as A.G. candidates David Seligman, Hetal Doshi and Michael Dougherty, at a nonpartisan accountability session in Lakewood.

Coloradans for the Common Good and Mountain Voices Project will ask the candidates yes or no questions centered around a community‑driven agenda including workers’ rights, affordable housing, protection of immigrants, healthcare access and other priorities. That event will take place at the Shepherd of the Hills Presbyterian Church in Lakewood.

PHIL WEISER TOWN HALL

ACCOUNTABILITY SESSION 

 

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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