Johnston Questioned in ‘Sanctuary City’ Hearing

Denver Mayor Mike Johnston was questioned by the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform yesterday about Denver’s status as a so-called “sanctuary city” for illegal migrants.

Johnston joined the mayors of Chicago, Boston, and New York in testifying before the committee about what’s been called an “abject failure to comply with federal law.”

Rep. Lauren Boebert, a member of the committee, accused Johnston of “shipping illegal aliens to Aurora” while crime increased. She also questioned a 2017 ordinance that prohibits city employees from asking about someone’s immigration status or reporting it to federal immigration authorities.

Throughout the hearing, Johnston insisted he would keep the city’s current policies, even facing arrest to defend them, though he denied having violated federal law.

CBI Director to Retire

Colorado Bureau of Investigation Director Chris Schaefer announced his retirement on Monday shortly after a series of investigations found allegations against the director lacked merit.

Allegations against Schaefer accused him of giving preferential treatment to an employee disciplined for using a racial slur, using discriminatory language himself, and of business misconduct.

Independent investigations found all allegations to be unfounded, concluding there was no wrongdoing on Schaefer’s part, the bureau stated in a press release.

In the same press release, Schaefer announced he will retire May 2. He emphasized he had always planned to retire following his 30-year anniversary with CBI and chose to delay the announcement until the investigations concluded.

BLM Horse Adoption Program Overturned

A federal judge in Colorado has shut down a controversial Bureau of Land Management (BLM) program that paid people $1,000 to adopt wild horses.

According to critics, the Adoption Incentive Program, which launched in 2019 to help manage horse populations, attracted adopters who pocketed the cash before selling the horses to slaughterhouses for additional profit.

In 2021, a lawsuit accused the program of violating environmental laws by launching without proper reviews or community input. On Monday, a judge agreed, ordering the BLM to shut down the program and complete proper assessments before introducing similar programs. 

BLM said it will rely more on methods like fertility control to manage horse populations in the future.

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➤ Douglas County: A 14-year-old boy who was reported kidnapped seven years ago was located in Highlands Ranch following the arrest of two suspects. (See Details)

➤ Weld County: Highway 34 was closed early yesterday morning while authorities investigated a possible pipe bomb in the vehicle of a man pulled over for speeding. (More)

➤ Mesa Verde: The body of an Indiana man who went missing over a year ago was located in Mesa Verde National Park on Friday. (More)

➤ Statewide: A bill that would prevent landlords from charging the family of a deceased tenant for unpaid rent has passed the State House. (See Details)

➤ Denver: An injured firefighter received $1,500 in gift cards to support his recovery, but couldn’t use them when DoorDash locked his account for “potential fraud.” (More)

➤ Aurora: In Tuesday’s joint session address to Congress, President Trump said the city of Aurora had “buckled under the weight of migrant occupation.” (More)

➤ Fresh Tape Media has announced a documentary series that will follow Colorado Avalanche captain Gabe Landeskog and his inspiring road to return to playing hockey at the NHL level. (More)

➤ Colorado Buffaloes stars Travis Hunter and Shedeur Sanders both visited the Cleveland Browns on an official top-30 visit on Wednesday. The Browns currently hold the No. 2 overall pick in the draft. (More)

➤ Colorado State men’s basketball rolled through San Jose State 83-56 on Tuesday night to set a program record with 15 conference wins in a single season. (More)

➤ Yesterday’s results: NBA | NHL | NCAAM | NCAAW | NCAAB | Soccer

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➤ Lunar Outpost, a Golden-based startup, developed a rover that will land on the moon’s south pole today via Intuitive Machines’ lunar lander. It will be the first ever commercial rover on the moon. (See Details)

➤ Blue Moon’s River North brewpub in Denver will close at the end of March. (More)

➤ Pueblo chile pepper farmers are facing threats of water scarcity due to pressure from cities and developers, according to a new documentary. (More)

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➤ The last day to visit the Ice Castles in Cripple Creek for the 2025 season is this Saturday. Weekend tickets range from $23-29. (See Details)

➤ Olde Town Arvada hosted its own Mardi Gras celebration on Fat Tuesday, featuring a brass band and New Orleans-style food. (Watch Video)

➤ Bishop Castle—a 16-story, historic stone castle built singlehandedly by Jim Bishop over 60 years—will be expanded by Bishop’s family after Jim’s passing last November, while remaining open for visitation. (See Photos)

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After this week’s launch of the Ohio Flyover, we’re curious: do you have any ties to Ohio?

1. Yes
2. No

Yesterday’s Results:

Do you like to fish?

1. I fish on occasion: 32%
2. Fishing isn’t my thing: 28%
3. I’m an avid fisher: 22%
4. I’ve never been fishing: 18%

How often does a blue moon occur?

Show me the answer