🚨 Fired Denver cops rehired elsewhere

🚨 Fired Denver Cops Rehired Elsewhere

Back in March 2024, three Denver police officers were fired after leaked texts showed them joking about shooting up a migrant shelter. Now, two of those officers have been rehired by agencies in smaller Colorado towns that “believe in second chances.” [9News]

🧑‍⚖️ Judge Calls CO ICE Agents Unlawful

A federal judge has ruled that ICE agents have been carrying out unlawful warrantless arrests of immigrants by neglecting to first assess if the detainee is a flight risk. The ruling comes after immigrants rights groups sued the agency over multiple “indiscriminate” arrests. The judge ordered ICE agents in Colorado to start documenting legal justification for arrests of people without warrants. [CO Sun]

🔎 FBI Gets Involved in Lawmakers’ Social Media Video

Six Democratic members of Congress — including Aurora’s own Rep. Jason Crow — say the FBI has contacted them regarding a video the lawmakers made and released last week calling on U.S. military members to refuse “illegal orders” from the president. (To which President Trump accused the lawmakers of sedition “punishable by DEATH.”) The FBI’s involvement indicates a possible investigation into the event. [Denver Post 🔒]

😌 DIA Implements ‘Quiet Airport Policy’

Denver International Airport — one of the biggest and busiest airports in the world — wants to make your travel experience a little less stressful with a new noise reduction policy. Many loudspeaker announcements will now be relayed through text messages or posted on digital signs. Anything that must be broadcast will be kept “as brief and clear as possible.” [Denver Post 🔒]

Other DIA coverage:

• We recently went underground at DIA to investigate the airport’s most popular conspiracy theories.
• Traveling this holiday season? Check out these tips for navigating DIA.

The holiday shopping season is upon us, and finding gifts for everyone on your list can be overwhelming. To make things easier and more exciting, we asked our City Cast hosts and producers from across the network to share a shining example of a small business in their city with an online shop. Here’s how you can support small businesses and find a gift for just about everyone 🎁

🌶️ Denver: Roasted Green Chiles from LuLu Farms and Mauro Farms

You know that friend that moved out of Colorado and can’t stop talking about how they miss Pueblo chiles? Or maybe you want to share the spicy goodness with someone who’s never tried them. City Cast Denver host Bree Davies has a mission for you.

“If you want the thing that makes Colorado Colorado, it’s green chile. The DiSanti family grows, roasts, packages, and freezes chiles when the season is over.”Chiles from DiSanti farms might be tough to get a hold of for out-of-towners, so Bree recommends two other rad Colorado green chile purveyors, LuLu Farms and Mauro Farms.

🕯️ Nashville: A Candle from Nonprofit Thistle Farms

Candles make for a great gift, especially when they come from a company with a powerful story. City Cast Nashville host Marie Cecile Anderson shares more about this Nashville institution.

“Thistle Farms is a nonprofit dedicated to helping women survivors recover and heal from sex work, trafficking, and addiction. They have partnered with nearly 2,000 women across the world. Their products are incredible — from candles and essential oils to apparel and body lotions — and they ship nationwide, with sister stores across the country.”

🍸 D.C.: Politically-Themed Spirits from Republic Restoratives Distillery

As the nation’s capital, D.C. is the epicenter of politics and “that’s enough to drive anyone to drink,” says City Cast DC host Bridget Todd. So, why not make it a good drink?

Republic Restoratives is a queer woman-owned distillery with a very D.C. story: Co-founder Pia Carusone used to work in politics and left to start Republic Restoratives after the attack on her boss, former Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords. Plus, a portion of the sales go directly to Vote.org.

Bridget recommends the Fascist Tears Vodka for a martini “as dirty as Christina Aguilera in the 90s.”

🥩 Austin: Meat and Merch from Franklin Barbecue

Give the gift of Texas beef from James Beard award-winning Franklin Barbecue — the best in the country, according to Bon Appétit. Or take it from Anthony Bourdain and Barack Obama, who have both made the pilgrimage. Here’s what City Cast Austin host Nikki DaVaughn has to say.

“People line up before dawn just to get the opportunity to eat at Franklin, but why do that when you can have it shipped anywhere in the U.S. through GoldBelly? You can order everything from rubs, barbecue sauces, merch, and most importantly MEAT. All you have to do is reheat it and you can have something better than dry ass turkey for the holidays.”

Listen to the full podcast episode for more small business gift recommendations, plus stories of the worst gift each host has ever received 🎧