Friday, May 22, 2026

Good Morning! On this day in 1878, the Colorado Central Railroad reached Central City, marking a major milestone for the Golden-based railroad after a nationwide depression put development on a five-year hiatus.

State Democrats have voted to formally censure Gov. Jared Polis—banning him from future party events—over his controversial decision to reduce former clerk Tina Peters’ prison sentence. Find out more in our Top Stories.

The Democratic National Committee just released its long-buried 192-page autopsy of the 2024 election. What went wrong? Who was to blame for their losses? While the report assigns blame across the board, it leaves some of the biggest questions still unanswered. On The Flyover Podcast, Ayla Brown shares the 5 biggest revelations from the report, what it quietly leaves out, and how both sides are reacting. Tune in here!

Today’s sponsor, RAD Intel, is drawing attention for its explosive growth and AI-powered marketing platform, already being used by Fortune 1000 brands to predict campaign performance before ad dollars are spent.

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.

Polis Censured by Own Party

State Democrats voted Wednesday night to formally censure outgoing Gov. Jared Polis, barring him indefinitely from party events, after he commuted Tina Peters‘ prison sentence last week.

Peters, a former Mesa County clerk, was serving a nine-year sentence for breaching election data in an effort to uncover voter fraud. Polis cut the sentence in half, making her eligible for parole June 1.

The censure resolution condemned Polis’ move as inconsistent with the party’s “commitment to democratic institutions, election integrity, and public accountability.”

More than 700 Democrats had signed a petition urging the rebuke. His censure bars him from party functions as a featured speaker or official representative until the committee acts again.

In an interview, Polis said he didn’t regret the decision.

Storms Hit Plains, Urban Corridor

Hail and high winds pummeled the Eastern Plains and Front Range yesterday.

Severe thunderstorms and golf ball-sized hail were expected east of Denver International Airport. Damaging gusts above 50 mph and an isolated tornado were also possible, particularly for communities east of Interstate 25.

More active weather is returning through the holiday weekend, forecasters warn. Communities from Pueblo east to Lamar face the greatest exposure.

Large hail can dent cars, crack windshields, and destroy crops. The Eastern Plains sit in a primary hail corridor known as Hail Alley.

Memorial Day I-70: Brace for Gridlock

The Interstate 70 corridor is expected to see more congestion this Memorial Day Weekend than last year’s, with CDOT projecting high tunnel traffic starting Friday afternoon.

Last year, roughly 41,000 vehicles pushed through the Eisenhower-Johnson Memorial Tunnels the Friday before Memorial Day. Of those drivers, 24,800 were westbound.

CDOT is suspending all statewide construction and maintenance projects from noon Friday through Tuesday morning to clear the road. Mountain-bound travelers are advised to leave before 10 a.m. Friday or after 7 p.m. to beat peak congestion.

The JUCO World Series also opens in Grand Junction this weekend, adding cyclists and pedestrians to already-busy Western Slope streets amid a holiday driving surge.

Help Us Test Flyover Updates

Several days ago, we announced something new coming to The Flyover: Flyover Updates, a quick afternoon message with the top breaking stories of the day, delivered straight to your phone while the news is still happening.

The response so far has been encouraging.

Before we officially launch in June, we’re inviting The Colorado Flyover readers to help test the experience and give us feedback.

Here’s what you can expect:

• A simple afternoon text message
• The biggest developing stories you haven’t seen yet
• No apps, clutter, or endless notifications
• The same straightforward Flyover reporting you already trust

A lot happens between this morning’s edition and tomorrow’s. Flyover Updates is designed to help you stay informed without spending all day chasing headlines.

If you’d like to be part of our early test group, sign up here.

We’d love to have you help shape what Flyover Updates becomes before the full launch.

Thank you for reading The Colorado Flyover and being part of what we’re building.

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➤ Statewide: Colorado’s 2026 legislative session wrapped with bipartisan public safety measures, including reforms to competency restoration, new mental health courts, and expanded law enforcement accountability. (More)

➤ Pueblo: The Colorado Bureau of Investigation has identified 18 of 24 bodies from the Davis Mortuary investigation, with the latest nine confirmations made using forensic genetic genealogy. (More)

➤ Monument: Four suspects were arrested—one by a specialized unit in Colorado Springs—following a shots-fired incident at a Jackson Creek neighborhood home. (More)

➤ Commerce City: Police are sounding the alarm about a recent increase in copper-related thefts, saying multiple people tampered with several electrical boxes throughout the city last month. (More)

➤ Rocky Mountain National Park: Trail Ridge Road is expected to remain closed this Memorial Day Weekend due to heavy snow. (More)

➤ High Country: Forestry officials say they’re seeing an uptick in the activity of mountain pine bettles, a pest known for killing large swaths of pine trees during major outbreaks. (More)

➤ The Avalanche host Game 2 of the Western Conference Finals tonight after losing Game 1 to the Golden Knights on Wednesday. Defenseman Cale Makar is still listed as day-to-day with an upper body injury. (More)

➤ Broncos assistant general manager Reed Burckhardt is one of five finalists for the Minnesota Vikings’ GM opening. He spent 13 seasons in the Vikings’ scouting department before joining Denver. (More)

➤ Grand Junction’s sports commission has taken over negotiations to host an airplane racing competition after the city council passed on a $1.2 million investment pitch last month. The event could come to western Colorado as early as spring 2027. (More)

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➤ Colorado ranked 41st among states in year-over-year job growth through March 2026, with private-sector jobs declining 0.2% and nonfarm jobs down by 0.3%. (More)

➤ Red Rocks Amphitheatre will undergo a $35.1 million renovation of its backstage and dressing room areas, funded by the voter-approved Vibrant Denver Bond, beginning next year. (More)

➤ Casa Bonita owners Matt Stone and Trey Parker of South Park fame joked in an interview about regretting their purchase of the iconic Lakewood restaurant, saying the renovation cost about $50 million. (More)

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RAD Intel shares are currently available at $0.95 through an SEC-qualified offering, but the current window is closing.

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➤ More than 50,000 runners will hit city streets Monday for the Bolder Boulder 10K, one of the world’s largest timed road races, with road closures in effect across the course. (More)

➤ The Territory Days festival returns to Old Colorado City’s West Colorado Avenue this weekend, with three days of food, crafts, live music, and western heritage celebrations. (More)

➤ Memorial Day Weekend events across Colorado include Avalanche watch parties in Denver, the Boulder Creek Festival, and more. (More)

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