State budget gap gets even wider

Good morning, Sunriser readers! I’m on the road to Pueblo, which means this intro is actually coming to you from a past Parker. Past Parker is sitting on her couch, kind of sleepy and full of kung pao tofu (h/t to Sun editor Lance Benzel who recommended the recipe).

That’s actually what I want to talk about this morning: tofu. Or, recipes in general. One of my natural responses to chaotic times is to cook more. It started when I was in grad school, overworked and underslept, just looking for something to do with my hands. Since then, it’s become sort of a comfort activity that helps me turn the volume down a couple notches at the end of the day. Some people flip on a nature documentary, others go for a walk. I open the New York Times cooking app and start filing away recipes in my little digital recipe box. And lately I’ve got a lot of dishes saved up.

Let’s see what our reporters have whipped up for you this morning.

Parker Yamasaki

Reporter

THE NEWS

POLITICS AND GOVERNMENT

Colorado’s budget hole is now $1.2B, as Medicaid costs continue to climb

A few months ago, lawmakers were already bracing for the task of cutting $1 billion from the state’s budget for the next fiscal year, which begins July 1. Now, as Brian Eason reports, higher-than-expected Medicaid costs with no relief in sight added a 20% increase to the gap lawmakers were already struggling to bridge.

READ MORE

• What comes next for Colorado’s health insurance programs for immigrants? Under the Biden administration, tens of thousands of residents in Colorado used state programs and federal funding to obtain insurance for themselves and their kids. John Ingold reports on what’s next for the programs under President Trump.
• Effort to reduce base pay for tipped workers in Denver, Boulder clears first Colorado Capitol hurdle. House Bill 1208 would lower tipped-worker pay by as much as $4 an hour in Denver, but restaurateurs say that reduction would go far in helping keep eateries in business. Tamara Chuang reports on the hours of committee testimony and what’s next for the bill.

SPORTS

Curling teams are battling in Colorado this week for a spot at the 2026 Olympics

From ancient Scottish highlands to the outskirts of Lafayette, the sport of curling’s long evolution is picking up speed like a stone on a well-swept guide path. Dan England caught up with some of the passionate part-time curlers who are hoping to toss and sweep their way to Milan.

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• ​​Broomgate: A Curling Scandal. Even if curling doesn’t have a special place in your heart, this short podcast from the CBC is an entertaining look at what happened when someone made a broom that was so good at doing its job that it almost broke the entire sport.
  — CBC Radio

WATER

February storms offer some relief from dry Colorado River conditions, but water outlook remains poor

Snow, snow everywhere but not enough drops to drink. Water reporter Shannon Mullane breaks down the latest snowpack reports that do not bode well for a healthy runoff season.

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CULTURE

One Colorado family’s long Marshall fire journey told in 17-minute documentary screening in Golden

After Heather Szucs lost her home in the Marshall fire, the lists began to weigh on her. Lists of items to refill a home after losing it to the fire, lists of paperwork to keep up with insurance claims and more. Parker Yamasaki writes that the process of rebuilding is documented in a short film, “Way the Wind Blows,” which will get a screening this weekend at the Colorado Environmental Film Festival in Golden.

READ MORE

MORE NEWS

• Jury finds former Clear Creek sheriff’s deputy guilty of criminally negligent homicide in Christian Glass’ death. A Clear Creek County jury found Andrew Buen, a former sheriff’s deputy, guilty after 8 hours of deliberation.
• Skier caught, killed in avalanche near Silverton in southwestern Colorado. The death of a 41-year-old woman from Crested Butte represents the second backcountry avalanche fatality in Colorado this winter.
• Fact Brief ☀️ Is Leadville the highest city in the US? Yes. Leadville is perched at 10,152 feet above sea level, making it the highest incorporated city in the nation.

Section by Eric Lubbers | CTO & Newsletter Wrangler

THE COLORADO REPORT

• Tenderfoot briefly dubbed “Money Mountain.” Salida woke up to an altered Tenderfoot Mountain yesterday after someone added what appeared to be multiple white sheets laid in two lines turning the “S” into a “$.”
  — The Mountain Mail
• ICE raid rumors on social media stir fear in Colorado mountain towns. Here’s how advocacy groups are fighting back. As false or misleading reports of immigration raids have caused chaos in some communities, advocates are putting effort into the Colorado Rapid Response Network — formed in 2017 during the first Trump administration — as a way to track, verify and confirm ICE raids in immigrant communities.
  — Post-Independent
• Crocs predicts tariffs on Mexico, China imports would cost it millions in profits. Executives from the Niwot-based footwear company predicted profits would dip by as much as $11 million in fiscal year 2025 as a result of the Trump administration’s increased tariffs on China, Mexico and Canada.
  — Denver Business Journal ????
• An underground fire near Boulder that burned for nearly a century is finally out. Crews working near Boulder spent the past few months extinguishing an unusual fire: It was an underground blaze left over from the area’s coal mining days more than a century ago.
  — KUNC
• MedRide temporarily reinstated as a Medicaid provider in Colorado. On Thursday, one of Colorado’s largest medical transportation providers was cleared to drive Medicaid patients again after a federal investigation, suspension and cancellation of the state’s contract caused confusion among patients.
  — KKTV
• Silver fox cruises by Horsetooth Reservoir. It’s photos of a rare silver fox, I don’t need to do much more of a sales pitch, do I?
  — Larimer County Natural Resources on Facebook

???? = source has article meter or paywall

Section by Eric Lubbers | CTO & Newsletter Wrangler

THE OPINION PAGE

CARTOONS

In “What’d I Miss?” the cartoonists imagine the verbal gymnastics confronting TV guests of a certain persuasion in the current political climate.

CARTOON

Drew Litton observes that despite all that’s happening, from weather to the end of the football season to politics, things just might be about to get worse.

CARTOON

The Colorado Sun is a nonpartisan news organization, and the opinions of columnists and editorial writers do not reflect the opinions of the newsroom. Read our ethics policy for more on The Sun’s opinion policy and submit columns, suggest writers or provide feedback at opinion@coloradosun.com.

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Podcast Playlist

CONVERSATION

Each weekday The Daily Sun-Up podcast brings you a thoughtful conversation and headlines of the day. We keep it tight so you can listen on the go, or stack up a few and tune in at your leisure. Download the Sun-Up for free on your favorite podcasting app, including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube or RSS to plug into your app. Check out this week’s lineup from The Sun team:

• Private equity and child care, an interesting intersection. Sun education reporter Erica Breunlin talks with Chalkbeat Colorado senior reporter Ann Schimke about the private equity footprint across the state’s child care and why lawmakers want guardrails.
  LISTEN
• Colorado ski season in full stride. Sadly, the winter season for most resorts is past the halfway mark. But don’t worry, Sun outdoors reporter Jason Blevins has a wrapup of the latest stories that are shaping the Colorado slopes, including the sale of Powderhorn.
  LISTEN
• Who’s behind the Colorado bill to change wages for tipped workers? Business reporter Tamara Chuang is following the House bill that would lower the minimum wage for restaurant workers who make tips. She breaks down who’s for and against it.
  LISTEN
• What are Colorado’s best songs? Certainly a topic of conversation for any party. Colorado Music Experience director G. Brown talks about his picks of the top 50 Colorado-connected songs with Sun reporter Kevin Simpson.
  LISTEN
• Climate and health news all in one podcast. The feds want to build a major power line project through southeastern Colorado, meanwhile the new administration is targeting gender-affirming care. Sun reporters John Ingold and Parker Yamasaki have more.
  LISTEN

????️ Remember, you can ask Siri, Alexa or Google to “play the Daily Sun-Up podcast” and we’ll play right on your smart speaker. As always we appreciate your feedback and comments at podcast@coloradosun.com.

Section by David Krause | Editor

Here’s a gift link to the above mentioned tofu. I couldn’t leave you hanging like that.

— Parker & the whole staff of The Sun

The Colorado Sun is part of The Trust Project. Read our policies.

Corrections & Clarifications

Notice something wrong? The Colorado Sun has an ethical responsibility to fix all factual errors. Request a correction by emailing corrections@coloradosun.com.