Monday, January 12, 2026

Good Morning! On this day in 1999, Bill Owens assumed office as the 40th Governor of Colorado. Re-elected in 2002, Owens’ two terms mark the most recent Republican governorship in state history.

Colorado’s attorney general says a series of federal decisions impacting the state is retribution for imprisoning former elections clerk Tina Peters. Gov. Jared Polis, meanwhile, says he’s considering clemency for Peters in his final year as governor. Find the details below.

Former Trump administration official Steve Bannon is laying the groundwork for a presidential run in 2028. How serious is he? Listen to Ayla Brown as she breaks down Bannon’s not-so-quiet moves toward a run in 2028 in today’s Flyover Podcast episode. Watch it here.

As AI reshapes the global economy beyond just chips, today’s sponsor EnergyX is positioning itself at the center of the massive lithium demand powering the next wave of innovation.

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.

Weiser Accuses Trump of ‘Revenge Campaign’

A federal judge on Friday temporarily blocked the Trump administration from freezing child care and social services funds in Colorado and four other Democrat-led states.

Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser and others sued to reverse the freeze, calling it unconstitutional and politically motivated. This marks Weiser’s 50th lawsuit against the administration.

Separately, Weiser amended his lawsuit over the relocation of U.S. Space Command, now alleging the move is part of a “revenge campaign” meant to punish Colorado for refusing to release Tina Peters from prison.

Other federal actions named in the updated lawsuit include cancellation of transportation and energy funds, denial of disaster assistance, and plans to dismantle a national climate lab in Boulder.

ICE Protests Held Across State

Anti-ICE protests broke out across the state and nation over the weekend following the fatal officer-involved shooting of Renee Good, a Colorado native, in Minneapolis.

Hundreds gathered at more than 30 demonstrations statewide, including outside the State Capitol and in communities along the Front Range.

In Grand Junction, hundreds of attendees joined in a silent protest calling for the abolition of ICE. In Colorado Springs, Good’s hometown, community members marched with similar demands.

While protests in Colorado remained peaceful, some in Minneapolis and other cities led to arrests for assault and obstruction.

Gas Pumps Contaminated

Hundreds of thousands of gallons of diesel fuel were mistakenly mixed into unleaded gasoline and distributed to gas pumps in the Denver area last week.

The diesel-contaminated fuel originated from an HF Sinclair terminal and was sent to Costco, King Soopers, and Murphy Express locations between Wednesday afternoon and early Thursday, officials said. Here’s a map of confirmed locations.

Putting diesel in a gas-powered car causes immediate issues, often disabling the engine. Many of the impacted drivers are waiting to find out if they’ll be reimbursed for the costly repairs.

It’s not clear how the mistake occurred. Officials said Friday all the affected pumps should be pumping the correct fuel within 24 to 36 hours.

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Nvidia’s Not the Only Winner of the AI Boom

The AI boom’s demand for chips turned Nvidia into the most valuable company on the market. But chips won’t be the only winner.

Keeping these AI processors running is creating substantial new demand for lithium. Google alone needs 100+ million lithium-ion cells to power its AI data centers.

With experts forecasting 5X lithium demand growth by 2040, it’s no wonder 40,000+ investors backed EnergyX. Their patented tech can recover 3X more lithium than traditional methods. That’s already earned investment from giants like General Motors and POSCO.

Now, they’re moving toward commercial production. With 100,000+ acres of lithium deposits in Chile, that’s a potential $1.1B in annual revenue opportunity at projected market prices.

Invest in this boom as an early-stage EnergyX shareholder today.*

➤ Statewide: The Bureau of Reclamation released a draft of options for managing the Colorado River. It’s the latest step in a contentious, yearslong process to replace expiring rules for the seven-state water supply. (More)

➤ Hudson: Documents show federal officials have contracted with GEO Group to operate a dormant local prison as an ICE detention center. The terms of the contract remain undisclosed. (More)

➤ Grand Junction: A judge declared a mistrial Friday in the case of Patrick Egan, a man accused of assaulting a local news reporter in 2024, after concerns were raised about his competency to stand trial. (See Details)

➤ Mesa County: Gov. Jared Polis suggested in an interview that he’s considering clemency for former county clerk Tina Peters as he begins his final year in office. (More)

➤ Ouray received 18.5 inches of snow during last week’s storms, followed by 14.4 inches at Rabbit Ears Pass and 14.3 inches in Sawpit. (See List)

➤ Pueblo County: Two people were killed when a home exploded Thursday afternoon. The exact cause is unknown, but the explosion has been deemed accidental. (More)

➤ Rocky Mountain National Park: Three people skiing in the Haiyaha Couloir on Saturday triggered an avalanche, which briefly buried and injured one of the skiers. (See Details)

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➤ Colorado men’s basketball narrowly lost to No. 14 Texas Tech on Saturday, 73-71. Colorado State defeated UNLV, 70-62, on Friday night. (See Scores)

➤ The Rockies traded for Arizona outfielder Jake McCarthy, sending minor league pitcher Josh Grosz in return. (More)

➤ Boo Carter, the third-ranked safety in the transfer portal, has committed to Colorado. (More)

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➤ The Environmental Protection Agency rejected Colorado’s regional haze plan, saying the state unlawfully included planned coal plant closures in its proposal, which the agency said could threaten grid reliability. (See Details)

➤ Telluride Ski Resort began reopening Saturday after its ski patrol union and resort ownership reached a contract agreement, ending a 13-day strike. (See Details)

➤ Maize, a new Mexican restaurant opening in Denver this spring, will feature the first tasting menu from the chefs behind Michelin-starred Alma Fonda Fina and Mezcaleria Alma. (More)

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Investors Can’t Get Enough of This Precious Metal

The price of lithium recently hit its highest levels since late 2023.

No surprise with experts expecting demand to jump 30-40% next year and Google deploying 100+ million lithium-ion cells to help power their AI data centers.

Even less surprising? 40,000+ people joined General Motors as early-stage EnergyX investors to get a piece of this boom. Their patented tech recovers up to 3X more lithium than traditional methods. It’s more than the tech turning heads, though.

They’re moving toward commercial production on 100,000+ acres of lithium-rich Chilean land, a potential $1.1B annual revenue opportunity at projected market prices. Next up? ~50,000 acres of deposits in Arkansas and Texas.

Become an early-stage EnergyX investor today.

Comparisons to other companies are for informational purposes only. Past performance is not indicative of future results.
Energy Exploration Technologies, Inc. (“EnergyX”) has engaged The Flyover to publish this communication in connection with EnergyX’s ongoing Regulation A offering. The Flyover has been paid in cash and may receive additional compensation. The Flyover and/or its affiliates do not currently hold securities of EnergyX.
This compensation and any current or future ownership interest could create a conflict of interest. Please consider this disclosure alongside EnergyX’s offering materials. EnergyX’s Regulation A offering has been qualified by the SEC. Offers and sales may be made only by means of the qualified offering circular. Before investing, carefully review the offering circular, including the risk factors. The offering circular is available at invest.energyx.com/.

➤ Cowboys and longhorns took over downtown Denver during the 120th National Western Stock Show’s kickoff parade and cattle drive. (See Photos)

➤ Ice Castles in Cripple Creek celebrated its opening weekend Saturday, welcoming hundreds of guests to explore its immersive icicle sculptures, join enchanted scavenger hunts, and take photos with an ice queen. (See Photos)

➤ A 3-year-old boy completed the Manitou Incline without any help, climbing all 2,700-plus steps while his mother hiked a short distance behind him. (See Video)

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