Headlines Wednesday, Feb. 25, 2026
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Sundance dates and venues announced; Colorado Dems against immigration detention facility; U.S. Forest Service to issue $182 million in retroactive payments KGNU News
Sundance Festival dates and venues announced
On Tuesday, Sundance Festival officials announced that the festival will start on Jan. 21, and run until Jan 31. The officials also announced the venues, which include the Cinemark Century in Boulder, the Boulder Theater, Boulder High School auditorium, and the Casey Middle School auditorium. Various CU spaces, like Macky Auditorium will also act as venues for the festival.
The Sundance Film Festival is the largest independent film festival in the United States. 2027 will be the first time the festival is held in Boulder, after 47 years in Utah.
Colorado Democrats ask to abandon immigration detention facility
Colorado’s Congressional Democrats are asking federal officials to abandon plans for a new immigration detention facility in Weld County. Senators John Hickenlooper and Michael Bennet, and Representative Brittany Pettersen all signed a letter sent Tuesday to the Department of Homeland Security and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
Colorado’s delegates say they oppose expanding ICE detention in Colorado. The letter cites documents obtained by ACLU Colorado in January showing federal interest in reviving the Hudson Correctional Facility for ICE use. The letter asks for a federal response by March 13th.
This story was reported by the Colorado Capital News Alliance.
U.S. Forest Service to issue $182 million in retroactive payments
Following the signing of the Secure Rural Schools Reauthorization Act in Dec. 2025, the U.S. Forest Service will issue $182 million in payments for 2024.
These funds will be vital in securing essential services to rural communities.
The program is seen as a lifeline for struggling communities across Western Colorado. Colorado Congressman Joe Neguse said, “I look forward to continuing to see it expand possibilities for the people I’m honored to represent, from Grand County to Eagle County and everywhere in between.”
More information can be found by visiting the USFS’s Secure Rural Schools Program webpage.
Kipp to serve as Democrat President Pro Tem
Colorado Senate Democrats have elected Senator Cathy Kipp of Fort Collins to serve as President Pro Tempore. The position is one of the top leadership positions in the chamber and fills in for the Senate President when needed. It was left vacant after former Senator Dafna Michaelson Jenet resigned earlier this month to take a job with a local nonprofit. Kipp will serve in the role through the end of the current General Assembly.
This story was reported by the Colorado Capital News Alliance.
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.
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02-02-26-Headlines KGNU News





