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Xcel Energy’s Plans for 2026 Rate Hike Draws Pushback from Communities
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DENVER7, Approved, State

Xcel Energy’s Plans for 2026 Rate Hike Draws Pushback from Communities

By Claire Lavezzorio | Denver7 Denver7 is listening to the community after Xcel Energy announced proposed rate hikes. COMMERCE CITY, Colo. — Denver7 is listening to the community after Xcel Energy announced Friday it wants to increase electric rates in Colorado by nearly 10% in 2026. Commerce City resident Lucy Molina told Denver7 it's going to force some families to make difficult choices. "Do I pay my electric bill, or do I eat?" said Molina. Robert Kenney, President of Xcel Energy Colorado, told Denver7 Friday that the increase is to recover investments in safety and reliability, like transmission, distribution, and generating facilities the company has made over the past 3 years. The average residential customer would see their bill increase $9.94 per mont...
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Denver Home Values Slipping Faster Than Any Major U.S. City
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DENVER7, Approved, Local

Denver Home Values Slipping Faster Than Any Major U.S. City

By Scripps News Group | Denver7 Zillow said the trend reflects affordability pressures, high mortgage rates and weakening demand across large swaths of the country. DENVER — Denver is leading the U.S. housing downturn, with 91% of homes losing value over the past year, according to new Zillow data. The Denver metro area posted the broadest declines of any large city, outpacing Austin (89%), Sacramento (88%), and both Phoenix and Dallas (87%). Nationwide, more than half of American homes—53%—saw their Zestimate values fall as of October 2025, a sharp rise from just 16% a year earlier. It marks the highest share of homes losing value since April 2012. Zillow said the trend reflects affordability pressures, high mortgage rates and weakening demand across large swaths of the c...
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Advocates Urge State Leaders To Protect Vulnerable Residents From Budget Reductions
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DENVER7, Approved, State

Advocates Urge State Leaders To Protect Vulnerable Residents From Budget Reductions

By: Colette Bordelon | Denver7 For the second year in a row, Colorado is staring down a daunting budget deficit — and the governor believes cuts to Medicaid are one solution to balancing the budget. DENVER — With a budget deficit looming over the State of Colorado next year, one program in particular is under the microscope: Medicaid. A special session tackled some of the anticipated $1.2 billion budget shortfall, which was created in part by tax changes made in President Donald Trump's One Big Beautiful Act (H.R.1). As a result, Colorado will collect less revenue than expected when lawmakers approved the state budget in May. Some of that $1.2 billion revenue loss was absorbed by the state education fund and the affordable housing fund. Around $300 million that...
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Salida Police Hunt Suspects Tied to Violent Home Invasion and Venezuelan Gang Activity
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DENVER7, Approved, Local

Salida Police Hunt Suspects Tied to Violent Home Invasion and Venezuelan Gang Activity

By: Jeff Anastasio | Denver7 Salida police investigating a home invasion by suspects with alleged ties to a Venezuelan gang have connected the incident to an earlier assault in Buena Vista. Three suspects remain at large. SALIDA, Colo. – Police in Salida investigating a home invasion in which the victims were held at gunpoint against their will by suspects with alleged ties to a Venezuelan gang have connected the incident to an earlier assault in Buena Vista. According to the Salida Police Department, in the early morning hours of November 2, “multiple armed individuals” assaulted the two victims for around 20 minutes after forcing their way into the house before fleeing to the Denver Metro area. During the initial investigation, Salida police connected the home invasion susp...
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Colorado Moves to Enforce Major Utility Emissions Cuts Despite Cost Concerns
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DENVER7, Approved, State

Colorado Moves to Enforce Major Utility Emissions Cuts Despite Cost Concerns

By: Shannon Ogden | Denver7 The PUC will require utilities like Xcel Energy to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 41% by 2035. DENVER — Environmental groups are celebrating a win in Colorado after the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) agreed to tougher standards on greenhouse gas emissions from Colorado utilities like Xcel Energy. At a meeting Wednesday, commissioners decided to require utilities to reduce these pollutants by 41% by 2035. Sierra Club Colorado was one of the groups arguing for these higher reductions. "I think we should feel proud that we pushed them on this. I think we're really happy with the 41% because it keeps us moving," said Sarah Tresseder, energy organizer of Sierra Club Colorado.  In 2021, Colorado passed the first-in-the-nation "Clean Heat Law" r...
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Supreme Court Casts Doubt on GEO Group’s Immunity Claim in ICE Labor Case
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DENVER7, Approved, National

Supreme Court Casts Doubt on GEO Group’s Immunity Claim in ICE Labor Case

By: Jessica Porter | Denver7 WASHINGTON, D.C. — The U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments Monday in a class action lawsuit by immigrants against the Aurora U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Detention Center owned by The GEO Group Inc. The original lawsuit was brought in 2014 by Alejandro Menocal, a former detainee at the GEO ICE Detention Facility in Aurora, alleging forced labor in violation of the Trafficking Victims Protection Act. Menocal said he and other detainees were required to do unpaid janitorial work and threatened with solitary confinement if they refused. Detainees were paid just $1 a day for voluntary work, such as cutting hair or cooking. In court Monday, the GEO group argued that it has immunity from litigation as a government contractor....
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Government Shutdown Leaves Colorado Veterans Waiting for Help
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DENVER7, Approved, National

Government Shutdown Leaves Colorado Veterans Waiting for Help

By: Sophia Villalba | Denver7 DENVER — On this Veteran's Day, it's harder for our veterans to get the help they need during the federal government shutdown. The Veterans of Foreign Wars Office (VFW) in Denver said because of furloughs and building closures within the Veteran Affairs, it's harder for veterans to get benefits they've earned. That means any veterans trying to get new disability benefits are facing delays right now. It's particularly challenging for older veterans, and the VFW is trying to help as much as they can. The VFW's legislative director for Colorado said it is not that the VA is shutting people out, but it's taking longer to get things done. “Some of the older veterans are not as savvy with technology as other people, so that’s a major impact and that i...
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Colorado Counties Push Back on Polis Over Costly ‘Unfunded Mandates’
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DENVER7, Approved, State

Colorado Counties Push Back on Polis Over Costly ‘Unfunded Mandates’

By: Allie Jennerjahn | Denver7 In Mesa County alone, Commissioner Bobbie Daniel tracked down almost $10 million a year in unfunded mandates. DENVER — More than 40 Colorado counties have voiced concerns to Governor Jared Polis about laws being passed without funding. They claim it's putting a burden on local governments, and in some cases, leave taxpayers to foot the bill. The concern started in Mesa County when Commissioner Bobbie Daniel started to notice "unfunded mandates" getting brought up constantly when discussing budget. "I asked, 'Anyone tracking this? Is this something that we're, collectively as an organization, tracking?' And no, and we weren't at the time," Daniel said. "And so I said, "Let's continue looking at this. Let's track it and see what we come up with.'"...
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Colorado Businesses Warn State Policies Threaten Economic Future
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DENVER7, Approved, State

Colorado Businesses Warn State Policies Threaten Economic Future

By Dan Grossman | Denver7 The sentiment comes from the latest Colorado Businesses Roundtable fall outlook survey and points to Colorado's affordability issues and regulatory environment. DENVER — Colorado businesses said they’re almost twice as worried about our state’s economic future as they are about the nation’s. This is from the Colorado Business Roundtable survey that just came out. The survey asked 50 business executives about what’s concerning them. The responses point toward Colorado’s affordability issues and policies supporting workers. “What we've been seeing over time is really the layering on effect of regulation, rules for businesses that really add a cost of doing business to Colorado,” Colorado Business Roundtable President Debbie Brown said. “When the eco...
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Weiser Sues to Keep U.S. Space Command in Colorado, Claims Political Retaliation
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DENVER7, Approved, State

Weiser Sues to Keep U.S. Space Command in Colorado, Claims Political Retaliation

By: Óscar Contreras | Denver7 The lawsuit, which the AG says is in response to an unconstitutional action by the federal government, is the latest in a series of developments Denver7 has been reporting over the past several years DENVER — Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser said Wednesday he has filed suit against the Trump administration to prevent it from relocating U.S. Space Command from Colorado Springs to Huntsville, Alabama. At a virtual news conference earlier in the day, Weiser said President Trump’s decision last month to move command headquarters from Colorado was unconstitutional and unlawful as it violates federal law requiring public notices and reports to Congress before moving a major military headquarters location. Weiser the lawsuit was also chal...
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