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Colorado Gets $615 Million in Meta Child Safety Settlement, but Polis Says Parents Remain Essential
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The Denver Gazette, Approved, State

Colorado Gets $615 Million in Meta Child Safety Settlement, but Polis Says Parents Remain Essential

By Thelma Grimes | The Denver Gazette The parent company of Facebook and Instagram will pay hundreds of millions of dollars to Colorado, part of an $18 billion multistate deal, in which the company also agreed to adopt extensive child-safety changes to its operations. The settlement ended a trial over teen social media addiction and settled claims filed by nearly every state. It resolved a pivotal case years in the making that sought to hold the tech giant accountable for the role its platforms played in allegedly undermining children’s mental health. The effort targeted features designed to hook young people’s attention. If approved by the court, the deal will stop an avalanche of litigation by states against Meta, although the company still faces lawsuits from indivi...
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Why the AI Data Center Debate Is About More Than Energy and Water
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Fox News, Approved, Commentary, National

Why the AI Data Center Debate Is About More Than Energy and Water

By Taylor Budowich | Commentary, Fox News A report found 61% of small-business owners using artificial intelligence to boost their operations. Everywhere you look, people are talking about artificial intelligence (AI). It’s on your TV. It’s on your radio. It’s on your social media feed. And it seems like Democrats and their media allies are doing their very best to scare you away from it by telling you that AI is going to destroy the environment, take your job and hike up your utility bills. But anytime Democrats and liberal journalists are in lockstep on an issue, that should set off your alarm bells – why do they want you to be scared? The reason is that left-wingers want to seize control of AI for their own political purposes. But don’t take my word for it...
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Douglas County Weighs Data Center Incentive as Front Range Restrictions Grow
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The Denver Gazette, Approved, Local

Douglas County Weighs Data Center Incentive as Front Range Restrictions Grow

By Nicholas Fogleman | The Denver Gazette At a time when Denver and Front Range governments are restricting or banning data center development, Douglas County commissioners are poised to approve a $19.3 million tax rebate agreement Tuesday for a new data center under construction in Parker. The contrasting approaches are occurring as the debate over data centers has taken center stage in Colorado and elsewhere in the country. Critics seek moratoriums or even a complete ban, citing worries about water and energy consumption, while proponents argue they bring in jobs and new revenue, not to mention their national security implications — America, they say, should not cede the battle for AI infrastructure dominance to global competitors. The proposed agreement would...
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Tech Leaders Say Misinformation Is Driving Resistance to Data Centers
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Just The News, Approved, National

Tech Leaders Say Misinformation Is Driving Resistance to Data Centers

By Christina Park | Just the News Facing NIMBY: Industry experts and lawmakers are pushing back against "disinformation" about data centers, arguing that they are vital for American jobs and technological leadership. State lawmakers and big tech are pushing back against misinformation surrounding data centers. Once welcomed for their local economic benefits, they say these facilities now face resistance due to fear and disinformation over water and electricity consumption, complicated by a global AI race against China. “What I want to do, and what President Trump wants to do is make sure we dominate the next revolution in technology, which is of course, AI and data centers,” economist Stephen Moore told the Just the News, No Noise show at the American ...
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Colorado Falls to Lowest Ever CNBC Business Ranking
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The Sum & Substance, Approved, State

Colorado Falls to Lowest Ever CNBC Business Ranking

By Ed Sealover | The Sum & Substance As business leaders warn of an eroding atmosphere, Colorado has plummeted to its lowest spot in the 20-year history of CNBC’s Top States for Business rankings, placing the one-time national model now firmly in the middle of the pack among states. The financial-news network, whose rankings are widely cited by business and economic-development leaders, dropped Colorado this year from No. 11 to No. 25 on its list and noted that it’s now the second-most expensive state for living, behind only California. Though it improved its rankings in technology and innovation versus 2025, the Centennial State fell or remained even in every other category, now ranking in the bottom half of states in areas like business friendliness and infras...
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An open letter to Elon Musk
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Rocky Mountain Voice, Commentary, National, Top Stories

An open letter to Elon Musk

By C. J. Garbo | Guest Commentary, Rocky Mountain Voice Dear Elon, You do not know me. I am one of millions of Americans who will likely never meet you, never stand on a launch pad, never design a rocket engine, never build a global company, and never appear in the history books. Yet I owe you a debt of gratitude. Not because of your wealth. Not because of your fame. Not because I agree with every decision you have ever made. I owe you gratitude because your success serves as evidence. Evidence that reality still rewards excellence. Evidence that competence still matters. Evidence that discipline, sacrifice, intelligence, and relentless effort can still bend the world toward something better. That evidence has become increasingly valuable. Everywhere I loo...
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Colorado Springs Bucks State Trend on Data Centers With Project Taurus Approval
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The Denver Gazette, Approved, State

Colorado Springs Bucks State Trend on Data Centers With Project Taurus Approval

By Alexander Edwards | The Denver Gazette Data centers have been thrust into the limelight in the past 12-18 months as more companies seek to build them while concerns grow about their use of natural resources. That’s led some Colorado communities to reject data centers, while others welcome them in hopes of economic gains. As Colorado Springs forges ahead with Project Taurus, a planned AI data center being built in an old computer chip manufacturing facility at 1615 W. Garden of the Gods Road, other locations in Colorado have imposed temporary moratoriums on data centers. Larimer County imposed a moratorium on data centers that expires on Aug. 25. On May 18, the Denver City Council unanimously approved a one-year moratorium on new dat...
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Longmont Approves Data Center Restrictions to Safeguard Power and Water
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DENVER7, Approved, Local

Longmont Approves Data Center Restrictions to Safeguard Power and Water

By: Maggie Bryan | Denver7 Longmont City Council voted 6–1 Tuesday night to ban hyperscale data centers, capping facilities at 5% of regional grid capacity or 100 megawatts, whichever is lower. LONGMONT, Colo. — Longmont is drawing a line against hyperscale data centers, passing an ordinance Tuesday night that sets limits on facility energy consumption to protect the city's power grid, water supply, and neighborhoods from impacts seen elsewhere across the country. In a 6-1 vote, Longmont City Council passed a city ordinance capping data center energy usage at either 5% of the region's grid capacity or 100 megawatts, whichever is lower. City staff said 100 megawatts is enough to power between 10,000 to 30,000 homes on a hot summer day. Longmont joins a growing ...
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Denver Schools Approve Full-Day Cell Phone Ban Beginning Next Year
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DENVER7, Approved, Local

Denver Schools Approve Full-Day Cell Phone Ban Beginning Next Year

By: Maggie Bryan | Denver7 Denver Public Schools adopted a new policy banning student use of cell phones and other personal communication devices during school hours. DENVER — Denver Public Schools will ban student cell phones and other communication devices for the entire school day starting next school year, after the DPS Board of Education voted unanimously to adopt the new policy Monday night. The ban covers the use of cell phones, smart or electronic watches, wireless earbuds, personal tablets, laptops, and any other personally owned portable electronic communication devices. The policy was drafted in response to a state law requiring school districts to implement a policy by July 1 concerning student device use during the school day. A DPS survey sent to...
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When systems fail: A contested Colorado convention raises broader questions about your digital life
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Rocky Mountain Voice, State, Top Stories

When systems fail: A contested Colorado convention raises broader questions about your digital life

By Jen Schumann | Rocky Mountain Voice A hospital cancels surgeries. Not because of a storm. Not because of a staffing shortage. Because a cyberattack forced it to. “They had to block Stryker from coming into their network and cancel all of the surgeries that required that robotic device,” said Maria Orms, a cybersecurity professional who was a gubernatorial candidate at the April 11 assembly.  “That could cause someone to die.” This wasn’t just a what-if. In March, there was a cyberattack tied to an Iran-linked hacking group that hit companies in the medical technology space, including Stryker and Intuitive Surgical. What that meant in practice wasn’t always clear in the moment. But hospitals rely on those systems every day—robotic platforms, connected net...
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