Are Boebert’s Republican skeptics willing to elect a Democrat? 

Good morning, Colorado.

My wife turned on the movie “Signs” last night as I sat down to finally fill out my ballot. The movie was three-quarters of the way through by the time I finished. So. Many. Judges.

But don’t worry, I was sealing my ballot in time to still catch M. Night Shyamalan’s twist.

And with that, let’s head to the news.

THE NEWS

POLITICS & GOVERNMENT

Voters in Lauren Boebert’s new district are skeptical of her. Are their doubts big enough to elect a Democrat?

Most voters in Lauren Boebert’s new district are Republican die-hards, but they aren’t necessarily big fans of the U.S. representative, whose political and personal brands are both dominated by controversy. Will Democrat Trisha Calvarese be able to persuade them to try a change? Jesse Paul has more.

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• Colorado accidentally put voting system passwords online, but officials say election is secure. The passwords were one of two unique passwords needed to access Colorado’s voting systems, and are just one part of a layered security system.
• Colorado Democratic Party mailer in 3rd Congressional District appears aimed at boosting Libertarian candidate. The mailer labels Libertarian James Wiley as “the strongest Trump supporter in the race” and calls Republican Jeff Hurd “a corporate lawyer who won’t take a position on immigration or Trump,” Jesse Paul reports.
• Candidates in Colorado’s highly competitive 8th Congressional District walk the line on border security. The caution from the two candidates, both Hispanic, makes the 8th District something of a testing ground for efforts by both sides to appeal to Latino voters.
• The Unaffiliated ☀️Lawmakers expanded a property tax relief program. Few applied. Property values, of course, spiked as predicted. But very few homeowners turned to the program for help.

IMMIGRATION

Colorado’s immigration caseload is so backed up, there are 7,116 cases per judge

And 1,560 cases per attorney who practices immigration law. These terrible ratios are why advocates are calling for a major expansion of the legal defense fund. Read the final part of Jennifer Brown’s series looking at immigration court.

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• Part 1: Colorado has 78,000 immigration cases pending — and the worst rate of attorney representation in the nation. As tens of thousands of migrants have crossed the border and settled in Colorado, immigration cases have more than quadrupled in three years.
• Part 2: A day in immigration court in Aurora is filled with desperate pleas: “I’m asking you with all my heart.” Inside a concrete-walled courtroom at the ICE detention center, Judge Matthew Kaufman decided the fates of people from Venezuela, Colombia, the Dominican Republic, Belize, Mexico and Pakistan in a single morning.

ENVIRONMENT

Boulder delays grand opening of new trail after adorable baby burrowing owls move in

Boulder open space officials were all set to debut the new Vesper Trail this summer. Then they found some endangered baby owlettes sticking their heads out of prairie dog holes. Michael Booth has more on the adorable birds.

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THE COLORADO REPORT

• Colorado teen fights kidney failure after eating at McDonald’s three times. A high school freshman from Grand Junction is among 75 people sickened and 22 hospitalized in the deadly E. coli outbreak traced to contaminated onions.
  — 9News
• How much snow for Denver on Wednesday? “It’ll be mainly our central and southern mountains that get hit the hardest, but it will get very cold across the Denver metro area north to Colorado’s border as a freeze watch will take effect early Thursday.”
  — Denver 7
• Accessible voting machines mean more privacy and safety for voters with disabilities. Some forms of accessible voting machines have been around since the early 2000s, but upgraded versions have been introduced in the state within the past several years.
  — CPR News
• Here’s what to expect from the renovated Denver Central Library when it finally reopens. The fence around the nearly 70-year-old building is gone after more than four years, and Denver’s largest public library is set to fully reopen Sunday.
  — The Denver Post 🔑

🔑 = source has article meter or paywall

THE OPINION PAGE

COLUMNS

• When The Washington Post’s editorial voice is silenced, that speaks volumes. As Trump threatens authoritarianism, too many of democracy’s would-be defenders are just sitting it out.
  — Mike Littwin

The Colorado Sun is a nonpartisan news organization, and the opinions of columnists and editorial writers do not reflect the opinions of the newsroom. Read our ethics policy for more on The Sun’s opinion policy and submit columns, suggest writers or provide feedback at opinion@coloradosun.com.

SunLit

BOOKS

Park Hill Community Bookstore suggests titles from mystery to memoir

Each week as part of SunLit — The Sun’s literature section — we feature staff recommendations from bookstores across Colorado. This week, the staff from Park Hill Community Bookstore in Denver recommends:

• “All the Colors of the Dark,” by Chris Whitaker, a small-town mystery tinged with heartache
• “The Ice Cream Queen of Orchard Street,” by Susan Jane Gilman, a novel of immigrant success with a cherry on top
• “Kaffir Boy: An Autobiography,” by Mark Mathabane, an inspiring memoir made in South Africa

Read what the bookstore staff had to say about each. Pick up a copy and support your local bookstores at the same time.

RECOMMENDATIONS

Catch you back here tomorrow.

— Danika & the whole staff of The Sun

Corrections & Clarifications

Notice something wrong? The Colorado Sun has an ethical responsibility to fix all factual errors. Request a correction by emailing corrections@coloradosun.com.

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