News


Feds to impose new cuts on lower Colorado River states amid climate-fueled megadrought
Glen Canyon Dam holds back the waters of Lake Powell near Page, Arizona, on Feb. 2, 2025. (Photo by Spenser Heaps for Utah News Dispatch)

Feds to impose new cuts on lower Colorado River states amid climate-fueled megadrought

Federal officials finalized a temporary Colorado River management framework that could impose major new water cuts on Arizona, California and Nevada while negotiations continue. The plan underscores the growing impact of climate-driven drought across the Southwest.
By Colorado Newsline 3 min read
Fifty for 150: First peach trees planted on Western Slope of Colorado in 1882
A group of workers pack peaches at B.F. West’s Ranch in Palisade in 1907. (Courtesy of Denver Public Library Special Collections, MCC-1124)

Fifty for 150: First peach trees planted on Western Slope of Colorado in 1882

The first peach trees planted near present-day Palisade in 1882 helped launch one of Colorado's most iconic agricultural traditions. Discover how early orchard experiments grew into a $36 million industry and made Palisade peaches famous across the state.
By Colorado Newsline 2 min read
Fallout from student column sparks press freedom scrutiny in Grand Junction
Eli Shultz, left, and Alek Purser, right, former student journalists with Grand Junction High School’s Orange & Black student newspaper, pose outside the school Monday. (Photo by Sharon Sullivan/Colorado Newsline)

Fallout from student column sparks press freedom scrutiny in Grand Junction

The reassignment of Grand Junction High School's student newspaper advisor following publication of a student opinion column about Gaza has drawn scrutiny from free speech advocates and raised questions about student press freedom under Colorado's New Voices law.
By Colorado Newsline 5 min read
Democratic nominees for Congress​ in Colorado outraise Republican rivals
Republican U.S. Rep. Gabe Evans, left, and Democratic state Rep. Manny Rutinel, right. (Colorado Newsline photos)

Democratic nominees for Congress​ in Colorado outraise Republican rivals

Colorado’s Democratic nominees for Congress have outraised their Republican rivals by a 2-to-1 margin in the 2026 election cycle. However, expensive head-to-head primary battles have left some key Democratic challengers at a steep financial disadvantage heading into the general election.
By Colorado Newsline 3 min read
New Roan Plateau Drilling Proposal Rekindles Conservation Fight on the Western Slope
A view of the proposed leasing sites on the Roan Plateau from an EcoFlight airplane this week. Credit: Courtesy of EcoFlight

New Roan Plateau Drilling Proposal Rekindles Conservation Fight on the Western Slope

A proposed new round of oil and gas leasing on the Roan Plateau is renewing debate over energy development, wildlife habitat, and public lands. Conservation groups are urging federal officials to protect one of the Western Slope's most ecologically significant landscapes.
By Aspen Journalism 9 min read
Western Slope lawmakers take Colorado River managers to task
The main boat ramp at Wahweap Marina was unusable due to low water levels in Lake Powell in December 2021. Water levels are projected to soon fall even lower than this at the nation’s second-largest reservoir. Credit: Heather Sackett/Aspen Journalism

Western Slope lawmakers take Colorado River managers to task

Western Slope lawmakers sharply questioned state water officials over Colorado's Colorado River negotiations, expressing concern that stalled talks with Lower Basin states could lead to costly litigation and future water restrictions.
By Aspen Journalism 7 min read
Affordable Healthcare Emerges as a Voter Priority in Purple Nevada
Nevada Gov. Joe Lombardo, a Republican, is running for reelection in a tight race against Democratic state Attorney General Aaron Ford in one of 39 U.S. gubernatorial elections to be decided in November. (Ronda Churchill/Bloomberg via Getty Images; Las Vegas Review-Journal file/Tribune News Service via Getty Images)

Affordable Healthcare Emerges as a Voter Priority in Purple Nevada

Medicaid cuts, work requirements, SNAP changes, and rising health insurance costs are shaping Nevada’s governor race, where voters facing coverage losses could make health care affordability a defining issue.
By KFF Health News 6 min read
Resources available for Coloradans affected by wildfires around the state
A view of the Aspen Acres Fire west of Pueblo, posted July 6, 2026. (Courtesy of Aspen Acres Fire Incident Management Team Facebook/Gary Mobbs)

Resources available for Coloradans affected by wildfires around the state

As major wildfires burn across Colorado, residents can find evacuation shelters, emergency housing, disaster recovery help, 211 referrals, fire restriction updates, and donation funds for communities affected by the Aspen Acres, Gold Mountain, Snyder, Ferris, Willow, and Big Sheep fires.
By Colorado Newsline 3 min read
How democratic socialist Melat Kiros stunned Colorado politics with congressional primary win
Melat Kiros, a democratic socialist and first-time candidate, speaks to supporters in Denver after unseating longtime Democratic Rep. Diana DeGette in Colorado’s 1st Congressional District on June 30, 2026. (Photo by Chase Woodruff/Colorado Newsline)

How democratic socialist Melat Kiros stunned Colorado politics with congressional primary win

Melat Kiros’ primary win over longtime U.S. Rep. Diana DeGette marks a major shift in Denver politics, powered by young voters, grassroots organizing, democratic socialist networks, and frustration with establishment Democrats.
By Colorado Newsline 15 min read
Colorado River experts say agriculture must make permanent cuts to water use
This field of alfalfa near Carbondale is grown with water from the Crystal River. Some Colorado River experts are advocating for a permanent reduction in the use of water by agriculture. Credit: Heather Sackett/Aspen Journalism

Colorado River experts say agriculture must make permanent cuts to water use

Colorado River experts say cities alone cannot conserve enough water to stabilize the basin, reviving debate over permanent agricultural water reductions, federal buyouts, and how to protect rural communities tied to farming and ranching.
By Aspen Journalism 8 min read
Affordability tax credit likely not available for Colorado families in next two years
The Colorado Capitol is pictured on the opening day of the Colorado Legislature, Jan. 14, 2026. (Photo by Lindsey Toomer/Colorado Newsline)

Affordability tax credit likely not available for Colorado families in next two years

Colorado families may not receive the full Family Affordability Credit for the next two tax years after state economists projected revenue growth below the level needed to activate it. The credit helped reduce child poverty in 2025, but budget pressures remain.
By Colorado Newsline 3 min read
Favored in Colorado Senate primary, Hickenlooper declines to debate challenger Gonzales
 A supporter of state Sen. Julie Gonzales' campaign for U.S. Senate films a video asking a question to a cardboard cutout of Gonzales' primary opponent, U.S. Sen. John Hickenlooper, at the Colorado Democratic Party's DemFest event in Denver on June 6. (Photo by Chase Woodruff/Colorado Newsline)

Favored in Colorado Senate primary, Hickenlooper declines to debate challenger Gonzales

As the June 30 primary approaches, incumbent U.S. Senator John Hickenlooper is facing sharp criticism for skipping at least seven scheduled debates and forums with progressive challenger Julie Gonzales, mirroring the "Cardboard Cory" evasion tactics of the 2020 election.
By Western Slope Trellis Staff 5 min read
Anguished Parents. Doctors in Tears. Utah’s Long Measles Outbreak Takes a Toll
Kandace Hyland, a marketing director in Utah, was surprised to learn that daycare staff in the state don’t have to be vaccinated against measles, even amid an ongoing outbreak. “I’m nervous sending her to daycare every day,” she says of her baby. (Amy Maxmen/KFF Health News)

Anguished Parents. Doctors in Tears. Utah’s Long Measles Outbreak Takes a Toll

Utah’s prolonged measles outbreak is straining doctors, parents and public health officials as falling vaccination rates force a shift from containing each case to managing broader community spread.
By KFF Health News 18 min read