The Colorado Flyover

Wednesday, December 17, 2025

Good Morning! On this day in 1962, President John F. Kennedy lit the National Christmas Tree—a 72-foot spruce harvested from Poncha Pass near Salida and transported over 2,000 miles by train to Washington, D.C. See historical photos here.

Did you or someone you know get married in 1953—and lose a wedding ring? If so, a good Samaritan in Boulder may have found it. Find out more in Et Cetera.

Later today: watch for a partner message from Elf Labs on why Disney’s $1 billion AI deal matters, and what it could mean for you as an investor.

If you’re watching how AI is reshaping entertainment and wondering where everyday investors fit in, today’s sponsor, Elf Labs, shows how the game may be opening up beyond Hollywood’s inner circle.

Take The Flyover with you. Busy day? Listen to our daily 15-minute podcast while commuting, cooking, or walking the dog—your Flyover fix, anywhere.

DIA Lease Denied Over ICE Flights

Denver City Council voted 11-1 on Monday to reject Key Lime Air’s lease expansion at Denver International Airport (DIA) over objections to the airline’s contract with ICE.

The Englewood-based airline has flown cargo service from DIA since 2006. Without the lease for 1,200 square feet of storage space, it can still use the airport’s common-area cargo apron.

Key Lime reportedly began transporting detainees for ICE in September, though it’s unclear if DIA is used for the flights. News of the affiliation has sparked multiple protests.

While all 12 council members condemned Key Lime’s collaboration with ICE, many—including Kevin Flynn, the sole yes vote—acknowledged that DIA stands to lose federal grants over the largely symbolic lease denial.

Missing Girls Found Safe After Search

Two 13-year-old girls went missing from a school in Elbert, southeast of Denver, Monday evening, triggering an overnight search and prompting the rural school district to cancel Tuesday classes.

The girls had been visiting from Colorado Springs for away basketball games. Investigators said they left the school around 5 p.m. without cellphones and weren’t dressed for the weather.

A search-and-rescue effort involving ground teams, K9 units, ATVs, and drones began soon after. As temperatures dropped, urgency grew, but the search was called off just before midnight.

They were found safe around 9 a.m. Tuesday, several miles west of the school, at the home of a rancher who had sheltered them. Officials said they “will be OK” and were reunited with their families.

Boulder Hanukkah Celebration Honors Victims

Members of the Jewish community gathered in Boulder on Monday to celebrate Hanukkah and honor the victims of two terror attacks: the Dec. 14 shooting in Sydney, Australia, and the June 1 firebombing at Boulder’s Pearl Street Mall.

Hundreds gathered for the annual menorah lighting at Pearl Street Mall, where speakers offered words of peace, strength, and solidarity with victims of both attacks.

Rabbi Yitzchok Moully, an artist originally from Australia, built a 7-foot-tall stainless steel menorah after the June attack—a symbol intended to promote healing and positivity in the wake of the two tragedies.

Other public menorah lightings, many with added security, are taking place across Colorado this week.

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What Disney’s $1 Billion AI Deal Means for Investors

Disney just signed a $1 billion deal with OpenAI. The three-year licensing agreement will enable users to generate characters from Marvel, Star Wars, and Pixar using AI.

But the real story today is the future of AI and IP, and how much legacy studios will pay to get in.

For as long as the $2 trillion entertainment industry can remember, IP deals like this one have been a walled garden for a handful of billion-dollar studios. Disney buys Marvel for $4 billion. Universal buys DreamWorks for $1 billion. Now Disney invests $1 billion into OpenAI. It’s like a poker game where the minimum buy-in is the GDP of a small island nation.

But the game is now changing.

While Hollywood giants scramble for their place in the AI future, one $6 billion IP powerhouse team already owns over 500 trademarks and copyrights, including iconic characters such as Cinderella, Snow White, Pinocchio, Peter Pan, Rapunzel, and many more.

Their use of AI and other next-gen patented tech is on another level. They’re bringing their characters off the screen and into your living room with 3D holograms, headset-free VR, and AI-powered talking toys. And they’re giving everyday investors access as they do it.

Note: This company is not affiliated with Disney.

They spent a decade building this portfolio. Now they have a team that has executed $6 billion in merchandising deals in their careers, and they have already earned $15 million in royalties for Elf.

Their proprietary interactive content, built on 12 cutting-edge tech patents, has just secured a $200 million TV distribution deal.

As giants like Disney reveal their cards, everyday investors finally have a seat at the table.

Invest in Elf Labs by tonight at 11:59 p.m. PST and get up to 25% bonus shares.

➤ Front Range: Xcel Energy power shutoffs could take place in several counties today due to extreme fire danger and strong downslope winds. (How to Prepare)

➤ Statewide: President Trump last week signed an executive order creating a single federal rulebook for artificial intelligence, aiming to override a “patchwork” of state laws. His order cites a new Colorado law, not yet in effect, as one that risks forcing “ideological bias” on AI models. (See Order)

➤ Windsor is home to the least safe drivers in the state, with an incident rate of 23 per 1,000 drivers, according to a new report. Centennial has the lowest rate statewide, at 4.6 incidents per 1,000 drivers. (See List)

➤ Denver: A coalition of law firms filed a lawsuit against Hinge, a dating app, alleging the platform failed to ban a local cardiologist who allegedly used it to find, drug, and assault multiple women. (More)

➤ Commerce City: Police arrested a man who allegedly crawled under a gate into the department’s parking lot, stole a patrol vehicle, and took it on a “joy ride” while not wearing any clothes. (More)

➤ Vail: Two men fell off a ski chair lift at Vail Mountain on Monday. Both were hospitalized with unknown injuries. (More)

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➤ The Denver Broncos ranked No. 2 in NFL.com’s latest Power Rankings, trailing only the NFC-leading LA Rams for the top spot. (More)

➤ Colorado State will retain defensive coordinator Tyson Summers through next season despite being a holdover from the Jay Norvell coaching era. Summers served as interim head coach to close out the 2025 season before the Rams hired Jim Mora. (More)

➤ A new study showed that sports and sporting events generate up to $280 million annually for the region surrounding Colorado Springs, with nearly 2,000 full-time jobs directly supporting the local sports economy. (More)

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➤ AT&T Stadium in Texas, host of nine 2026 FIFA World Cup matches, plans to import refrigerated grass grown at a Colorado farm ahead of the games kicking off in June. (See Details)

➤ Two Colorado spas—Spa at The Little Nell in Aspen and the Spa and Salon at St Julien in Boulder—land on a new list of the 42 best spas in the world. (See List)

➤ A new lawsuit brought by an environmental group claims Colorado is nearly 18 months behind on deadlines to regulate air pollution at Cargill’s slaughterhouse and meatpacking plant in Fort Morgan. (More)

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The $4B Deal Everyday Investors Missed

In 2012, Disney acquired Lucasfilm for $4 billion—one of the most profitable entertainment deals ever made.

But everyday investors never had the chance to participate, missing the upside.

Elf Labs spent a decade securing over 500 trademarks and copyrights featuring Cinderella, Snow White, and other iconic characters to ensure that these dynamic changes.

The company is building a tech-powered character universe, using AI, immersive technology, and 12 patents to activate these globally recognized characters across entertainment, gaming, and consumer products—a market estimated to be worth over $2 trillion.

Analyst interest increased even before any national rollout, following multiple unsolicited offers exceeding $70 million.

And unlike the Lucasfilm deal, investors can get in while the company is still private.

Timing matters here—a limited allocation remains, and up to 25% bonus shares expire tonight.

Invest in Elf Labs by tonight at 11:59 p.m. PST and get 5% bonus shares.

This is a paid advertisement for Elf Lab’s Regulation CF offering. Please read the offering circular at https://www.elflabs.com/

➤ Ice Castles—a seasonal exhibition of ice-sculpted towers, tunnels, slides, and fountains lit by color-changing lights—opens for the season in Silverthorne on Friday. (See Details)

➤ Boulder police are looking for the rightful owner of a wedding ring with the date June 6, 1953, and the couple’s initials engraved on the inside. (See Details)

➤ Socks, a cat that has lived near Coors Field for 10 years but went missing more than a month ago, was reportedly spotted this week, giving hope to concerned community members. (More)

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