Mornin’, Colorado! Plenty of news outlets are serving up Mueller Time today (Vox has an explainer of the Attorney General’s investigation summary, if you weren’t chugging the story over the weekend), but we’ve got a wonderfully zesty Sunriser — with notes of creativity and revenge — on tap for you this morning.
But, first, I want to tell you about an awesome new offering from The Colorado Sun. Or, specifically, I should say it’s from outdoors writer extraordinaire Jason Blevins. The Outsider is Jason’s insightful and playful newsletter covering everything alfresco — from the recreation industry to outdoor culture to riffs on his favorite ski movie.
Read the first newsletter here. We’ll have another freebie later this week. After that, you’ll need to be a Newsletters+ member to keep getting this weekly nugget of elevated goodness.
Not a member yet? Join up here.
Already a Newsletters+ member? Head here or go to “Manage Newsletters” in your account to opt-in for free.
OK, business matters over. Let’s land this McTwist, shall we?
Committees are forming and fundraising messages are going out, and that means it’s looking increasingly likely that recall season will soon be upon us. Critics of the state’s Democratic leadership point to the national popular vote, “red flag”, and oil and gas bills as reasons to recall the governor or state legislators. A lawmaker who could find herself in the crosshairs, though, says the threat of recalls is an intimidation tactic.
>> Read John Frank’s explanation of the recall movement, including why Colorado’s recent history gives the recall threats extra oomph.
The head of Denver’s Museum of Contemporary Art is stepping down. Whatever comes next — and he’s not saying — is sure to be unexpected.
As the director and “chief animator” of MCA Denver, Adam Lerner didn’t just zig or zag — he created whole new moves for a small museum looking to make big statements. He dared to risk turning off funders. He invited in teens to make the museum an unlikely hangout. He embraced the art of Mark Mothersbaugh of Devo, and he made space for a tattoo artist to ink people in a gallery. Now that Lerner is leaving, a nationwide community of creatives is watching to see what he does next.
>> Read Joanne Ostrow’s wonderfully detailed profile of Lerner, complete with hilarious quotes from the man himself.
Sun contributor Sandra Fish explains a bill that would require more frequent disclosures by lobbyists in Colorado, following up on an analysis she did about how difficult it is to track what all those lobbying dollars at the state Capitol are paying for.
Jason Blevins reports that two months after the sheriff in San Miguel County warned skiers and snowboarders about the risks of ducking rope lines to get into the backcountry, a group of snowboarders did just that and triggered an avalanche that killed a Telluride man, according to the final report on the slide. Meanwhile, the sheriff’s investigation continues.
More and more Colorado schools are putting in washers and dryers and allowing students to use them during the school day, hoping to create a homey environment that keep kids in the classroom and not staying at home out of embarrassment over dirty clothes. Via our friends at Chalkbeat.
More cartoons from The Colorado Sun opinion page.
George Brauchler, the district attorney for Arapahoe, Douglas, Elbert and Lincoln counties, explains why he thinks Colorado needs a red flag gun law — but not the one being debated at the Capitol this session.
Staying at the Capitol, University of Denver professor Jennifer C. Greenfield argues that the bill on paid family leave isn’t an entitlement, it’s an important pro-family insurance policy.
Mario Nicolais looks at the strikes by Denver teachers and King Soopers employees and asks what it means if unions are regaining their mojo.
An education-funding twofer: Philip DiStefano, the longtime chancellor at the University of Colorado, writes that federal funding for university research — which is on the chopping block in President Donald Trump’s latest proposed budget — is crucial to innovative public-private partnerships such as SpaceX. Daniel Baer, the former head of Colorado’s Department of Higher Education, says the state’s proposed increase in funding for colleges and universities is welcome news but the state also needs to make sure higher ed is accessible to all.
The managers of Patagonia’s stores in Denver and Boulder have a piece urging politicians to listen more to calls for public-lands access and protection.
If you’re an Apple News user, good news! You can read The Colorado Sun in the app. On your phone, just head to coloradosun.com/applenews or search for “The Colorado Sun” and add us to your favorite sources.
The Thing: The Colorado Historic Newspapers Collection.
Like a time machine that can instantly transport you to Colorado’s earliest years, the collection is one of the best places to read the first drafts of our state’s history. And, even better, it’s free and online at www.coloradohistoricnewspapers.org.
The collection is a service of the Colorado State Library, which has scanned more than 1.4 million newspaper pages from more than 335 publications — starting before Colorado was even a state. That means you can read how the Denver Daily Times, on the day after Colorado gained statehood in 1876, immediately began touting us as a swing state — “It is an extraordinary situation that a people should be called upon so early to decide, by their own votes, matters of so great interest.” Or, less amusing, how the Rocky Mountain News covered the Sand Creek Massacre — “The Savages Dispersed!” declared the headline.
If you have a research project that you’re working on or you just have a curious itch to scratch, it may become your new favorite website.
REMINDER: If you have something that you just can’t stop raving about that you’d like to share, send us an email at things@coloradosun.com and you could be published in a future Sunriser!
Hey, congratulations on making it to the bottom of loooong Sunriser! Add that to your growing list of accomplishments for the week and don’t forget to tell your friends, family, co-workers and co-conspirators about The Sun. Thanks for reading!