City Cast Denver
💰 Gov. challenges Denver on tipped minimum wage
June 6, 2025 · — McKenna Harford
We made it to Friday! How would you rank Rocky Mountain National Park for hiking? AllTrails puts RMNP third for hikers on a list analyzing national parks 👟🌲🏅
What's CITY Talking About?
💰 Polis Signs Tipped Minimum Wage Bill
The contentious new law allows local governments to adjust the subminimum wage paid to tipped workers in restaurants. In a signing statement, Gov. Polis said if cities like Denver and Boulder don’t utilize the new law to make changes, the legislature may return to the issue again next year. [Denver Post 🔒]
🏳️⚧️ Ballot Initiatives Targeting Trans Youth Move Forward
The initiatives would ban trans athletes in school sports and ban gender-affirming surgeries for people under 18. The backers of the potential ballot measures have to complete one more procedural element before they can begin collecting signatures. [CPR]
⚖️ Did the MyPillow Guy Defame A Local Elections Company Employee?
MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell is on trial this week for a defamation case related to his allegations that the 2020 presidential election was rigged. The federal case is playing out both inside and outside the downtown Denver courtroom as Lindell continues to court attention with his behavior. [City Cast Denver 🎧]
🏛️ Judge Rules Against Transportation Funding Pause
A federal judge paused the Trump administration’s plan to withhold funding for transportation projects over cities’ diversity, equity, and inclusion policies. Around $600 million in grants for Denver projects are impacted by the decision. [Denverite]
🚨 Whistleblower Says Polis Urged ICE Cooperation
A lawsuit alleges that President Donald Trump issued a secret subpoena for information related to unaccompanied immigrant children and Gov. Jared Polis ordered state officials to release the information or face termination. State officials worry that complying with the subpoena will violate state law and put minors at risk of deportation. [The Lever]
Where Is It?
Last week’s answer: Louisiana and Pearl Street RTD Station
The leaf sculpture, called “Jurassic Leaves,” was created by artist Mark Leese at JunoWorks. The metal-sculpters also created the red diamonds in Burns Park and the clouds at the Denver Children’s Museum.
📣 A special shoutout for this week’s correct guessers:
- Keith S. was the first to write in with the correct answer!
- But Laurel V., Nico D., Karl H., David W., Ellie S., and 20 others weren’t far behind!
This Week’s Photo:
🕵️ Do YOU know where this forest tea party is? Be among the first to respond with the right answer and you’ll get a special shoutout in next Friday’s newsletter!
📸 Want to submit a photo? Send me a snapshot of somewhere in Denver, and I’ll consider it for an upcoming photo trivia segment!
What To Do
Friday, June 6
- 🇬🇷 Greek Festival | 11 a.m.-11 p.m. | $5 | Assumption of the Theotokos
- 🎷 First Friday Jazz | 5:30-7 p.m. | Free | Sonny Lawson Park
- 🎶 Chuck Sitero and David Tiller Live | 6-8 p.m. | Free | Spirit Hound Distillers
- 🎤 Eddie Pepitone Comedy Show | 7:30 p.m. and 9:45 p.m. | $22.50 | Denver Comedy Underground
- 👫 Control Freak Puppet Show | 6:30 p.m. | $20 | The People’s Building
- 🎭 Spectacle Immersive Art Installation | 8 p.m. | $20 | Redline Contemporary Art Gallery
Saturday, June 7
- 🪶 Arvada Powwow | 10 a.m.-8 p.m. | Free | Arvada Center for the Arts and Humanities
- 🍼 Maternal Health Resource Fair | 10 a.m.-2 p.m. | Free | Paris School
- 🚂 Colorado Railroad Museum Volunteer Fair | 10 a.m.-2 p.m. | Volunteer | Colorado Railroad Museum
- 🎶 Celebrate Jeff Park at Federal | 10 a.m.-4 p.m. | Free | 25th Avenue and Federal Boulevard
- 🚣 Safe Summer Kick-Off | 10 a.m.-3 p.m. | Free | Garfield Lake Park
- 🎨 Denver Chalk Art Festival | 10 a.m.-8 p.m. | Free | 123 W 12th Avenue
- 🌈 Edgewater Pride Party | 10:30 a.m.-3p.m. | Free | Edgewater Public Market
- 🇬🇷 Greek Festival | 11 a.m.-11 p.m. | $5 | Assumption of the Theotokos
- 🍻 Colfax Bar Crawl | 4 p.m. | $12.51 | Squire Lounge
- 🎭 Spectacle Immersive Art Installation | 5:30 p.m. | $20 | Redline Contemporary Art Gallery
- 🔎 Dinner Detective Murder Mystery | 6-9 p.m. | $77.08 | Embassy Suites Denver Downtown
- 🎤 Eddie Pepitone Comedy Show | 7:30 p.m. and 9:45 p.m. | $22.50 | Denver Comedy Underground
Sponsored Content
Navigating Denver Real Estate
Q - What are some unexpected costs of being a homeowner vs a renter? Benefits?
— Bree Davies, City Cast Denver podcast host
A: Owning a home may come with surprise costs—maintenance, taxes, insurance—but tools like a Home Warranty can help. The upside? You build equity. A $500K home appreciating to $650K in 10 years means $150K in growth. In Denver, gains are often higher. Rent pays someone else’s mortgage, building their wealth, not yours.
Do you have a question about Denver real estate? Submit your questions for Elizabeth Martinez HERE, and she might answer in next week’s segment. Curious about building equity or whether buying makes sense for you? Let’s chat—I'd love to help you explore your options. – Elizabeth
Have a great weekend! And a correction: We misspelled Adam Cayton-Holland’s name in an event posting on Thursday. Thank you to the reader who noticed and reached out! We apologize for the error.
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