Saturday, June 6, 2026

Good Morning! On this day in 1944, Allied forces launched the D-Day invasion at Normandy—the largest seaborne invasion in history and the turning point of World War II in Europe. Colorado’s 10th Mountain Division trained at Camp Hale for the brutal winter campaigns that followed.

A fast food restaurant is taking a victory lap after the candidate it endorsed beat a Trump-backed rival, handing the president his first major statewide primary loss of the 2026 midterms. So how did a burger chain end up in a governor’s race, and why is it bragging now? Today on The Flyover Podcast, Amy digs into the story and the politics behind it. Tune in here!

Today’s sponsor, EnergyX, is positioning itself at the center of America’s growing lithium boom with patented extraction technology, major industry backing, and access to millions of tons of untapped lithium reserves across the Americas.

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.

Colorado’s Drought Emergency Is Official

Gov. Jared Polis declared a statewide drought emergency Thursday, activating Phase 3 of Colorado’s Drought Response Plan.

The declaration covers every county in the state and unlocks additional resources to help agriculture, municipalities, and water users manage worsening conditions. Record-low snowpack and above-average temperatures have pushed Colorado into one of its worst droughts on record.

“Activating Phase 3 allows us to better coordinate agencies, prepare for worsening conditions, and support Colorado communities,” Polis said. The move follows a drought task force recommendation the governor acted on within days.

This weekend fire weather warnings have been issued for the Western Slope, with temperatures in the 90s and critically dry conditions raising wildfire risk across the region.

McClain Paramedics Get New Trial

The Colorado Court of Appeals has reversed the criminally negligent homicide convictions of two former Aurora paramedics in the 2019 death of Elijah McClain.

Citing errors in the jury instructions, the court ordered new trials for Jeremy Cooper and Peter Cichuniec. Cichuniec’s separate conviction for second-degree felony assault was upheld by the court.

McClain died in August 2019 after Aurora police officers restrained him and paramedics injected him with a dose calculated for someone twice his actual weight. The case drew national attention and became a focal point of the 2020 protests over policing.

New trials will again put Aurora’s emergency response practices under scrutiny. Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser, who prosecuted the case as a special prosecutor, said his office will appeal the ruling to the Colorado Supreme Court.

Colorado Ski Season Hits 35-Year Low

Colorado ski resorts logged just 10.5 million skier visits in 2025-26—the lowest since 1991-92 and a 24% plunge from the prior year’s 13.8 million.

The collapse is directly tied to the same drought that Polis declared an emergency Thursday. Record-low snowpack left slopes bare for weeks, shrinking the average season from 144 days to just 129. Vail CEO Rob Katz called it “one of the most challenging winters in history.”

Some Colorado pass holders simply headed east as Vermont resorts reported gains. The state’s ski industry, which generates billions annually, has never seen a single-season drop this steep.

Whether this is a one-year anomaly or the start of a troubling trend is the question the industry is now asking. The drought emergency makes a quick rebound look unlikely.

The Hidden Cost of ChatGPT: A Lithium Crisis

That ChatGPT answer you just got? It ran on electricity. A lot of it.

OpenAI’s data centers consume more power than some small countries, and every one of them runs rows of lithium-ion battery backup systems to keep servers alive if the grid hiccups.

The world isn’t producing enough lithium to keep up. And one company is making major moves to fill the gap.

EnergyX just announced plans for a second lithium project in the United States, sitting on approximately 2.4 million tons of lithium in Utah. They’re projecting $600M+ in annual revenue at full scale, and retail investors can currently claim an early-stage stake.

Here’s why the timing matters.

Demand is projected to hit 5.5 million tons by 2040. And that was before the AI buildout got priced in.

McKinsey now projects battery demand growing 30% annually through 2030. The supply gap is widening and not going away.

EnergyX is positioned at the center of it.

Invest before the 7/16 deadline.

➤ Denver: A new investigation found a housing-and-cash program has been allegedly exploiting Colorado’s homeless to generate Medicaid reimbursements, channeling millions through private operators while leaving participants without a clear path to stability. (More)

➤ Colorado River: Scientists warn the system is on track for a “system crash” that could threaten Lake Powell and Lake Mead within two years if drought continues. (More)

➤ Grand Junction: City Council voted 5-2 Wednesday night to tighten camping ordinance restrictions on public spaces after hours of public comment, a contentious decision in the Western Slope’s largest city. (More)

➤ Aurora: An Arapahoe County juvenile led deputies on a chase this week on an e-bike before deputies released dashcam video as a warning to parents. It’s the latest in a series of incidents highlighting growing enforcement challenges around e-bikes in the metro area. (More)

➤ Statewide: Colorado Parks and Wildlife received two competing bids to manage statewide search and rescue operations after the Colorado Search and Rescue Association declined to submit a proposal, leaving the future of hundreds of annual rescues in transition. (More)

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➤ Colorado golf is booming—rounds played jumped nearly 8% last year—and state PGA officials say they’re in talks to bring a pro tour event back to the state. (More)

➤ Nuggets guard Jamal Murray declined the three-year commitment Team Canada now requires for playing on its national basketball team, meaning he won’t be competing at the 2028 Olympics. (More)

➤ Former Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders took first-team reps for the first time at Browns OTAs this week, a visible shift in a quarterback competition with Deshaun Watson. (More)

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Discovered: 328 Years Worth of Lithium

The United States just discovered a massive lithium reserve in the Appalachia region, a 328-year supply based on America’s 2025 import totals.

With Morgan Stanley forecasting an 80,000-ton shortage this year alone, the sooner we can tap into it the better.

For companies like EnergyX, that spells opportunity.

Their patented technology can recover lithium 500X faster than traditional methods. It’s why industry leaders like General Motors have already invested.

Now, they hold rights to up to 13 million tons of untapped lithium across the Americas. And they just announced plans for their second U.S. lithium production facility.

All of which puts them on the short list of companies capable of turning massive reserves into fast results.

Claim your piece of this lithium boom as an early-stage EnergyX investor before the 7/16 deadline.

➤ Nitty Gritty Dirt Band is planning a stop in Denver as part of its farewell tour. The Americana band is famous for its holiday song, “Colorado Christmas.” (More)

➤ This Weekend brings Get Outdoors Day events across Colorado and the Pikes Peak Regional History Symposium in Colorado Springs—both free and family-friendly options. (More)

➤ Spinney Mountain State Park in Lake George has opened its annual northern pike management tournaments through September 30, offering a chance to fish one of Colorado’s most scenic high-altitude reservoirs while helping restore the native fishery. (More)

Flying together with our sponsor

➤ Scientists are taking a closer look at a little-known herb after studies suggested it may help reactivate dormant hair follicles, even later in life. What surprised researchers most wasn’t just the results…It was that this herb outperformed some of the most popular commercial hair growth treatments. Read the full story here.