⚡ Xcel’s not sorry

👀 The 21 Most Influential Denverites of the 21st Century (So Far)

Who has made the biggest impact on the Mile High City in the last 25 years? From powerful politicians to the movers and shakers with money and clout, the City Cast Denver crew breaks down who we think are the 21 most influential Denverites of the 21st Century. [City Cast Denver 🎧]

⚡ Xcel Defends Power Shutoff Decisions

Despite backlash from the public and local leaders, Xcel Energy stands by its decision to preemptively cut off power to tens of thousands of Front Range residents during two recent wind storms. In front of Colorado’s Joint Energy Committee last week, Xcel president Robert Kenney promised to fine tune the process, but some lawmakers questioned the weight of the costs against the perceived risk. [Axios Denver]

• Have thoughts? The Colorado Public Utilities Commission, which oversees Xcel, is also accepting public feedback on the issue.
• Bad timing: More than 195,000 Xcel customers — including the Denver airport — lost power over the weekend thanks to a failed transformer.

💬 Broomfield Brewery Blasted for ICE Joke

Wonderland Brewing Co. sparked online outrage over the weekend for a post last Friday that jokingly referenced the song “Ice Ice Baby” by Vanilla Ice. The post was published while businesses across the Denver metro shut their doors for the day as part of a nationwide protest against ICE. This online situation grew into a social media spectacle as the business doubled down on its stance. The top comment on the most recent post reads: “The crashout is real.” [Westword]

🧑‍⚖️ Judge Orders ICE to Allow Unannounced Lawmaker Visits

For a second time, a federal judge granted a temporary restraining order blocking ICE’s attempts to implement a policy requiring seven days’ notice from members of Congress before they visit a detention center. The agency tried to circumvent the judge’s original ruling, but the judge maintained her position. A permanent ruling will be decided as part of a broader lawsuit filed by a group of Colorado lawmakers. [Denver Post 🔒]

• Catch up: The lawsuit was filed last summer by Colorado Rep. Jason Crow — who was joined by 11 other Democratic lawmakers — after he was turned away by immigration authorities at the Aurora detention center on a surprise visit.

A recent Op Ed piece from local food critic Allyson Reedy had us pondering the prices of takeout in Denver. Is it just us, or does the sky-high cost of ordering a meal to-go outweigh the convenience? You can hear our full analysis of this dining debacle on the City Cast Denver podcast, where we also requested some recommendations for Denver’s most affordable meals ⬇️

“Here's my rec: Rise & Shine — for $10 you can get coffee and a biscuit + tip and have yourself a nice lil breakfast from a local spot.” — Kirsten E.

“Sidewok Cafe on West Colfax is our go-to for Chinese takeout. They have free delivery (not sure the radius). We get the Family Special Dinner for 3, which includes three entrees of your choice, three different types of appetizers, three servings of soup, and sides of rice, all for $54. For my husband and me, it is enough food for at least three meals. … And if you order Little India online for pickup, at the bottom of each entree is an option to select a free cocktail!” — Anonymous

“I know sushi isn’t considered ‘cheap’ but Jett Sushi is the most affordable and delicious spot I’ve found when I get the craving! … And New China City on Colfax and Havana has super affordable takeout Chinese food!” — @concrete_hailey

“Wyman’s #5 on 13th, on Tuesdays they do $2 pints of Bud Light and $2 slices of pizza. … La Diabla, on Wednesdays they do two street tacos and a margarita for $5.” — Tim in Cheesman Park

“I thought a cool way to frame what it means for food to be cheap was this article from Grub Street. They peg the upper limit of a "cheap eat" at the hourly minimum wage (pre tax and tip) for the city you're in. If you think about eating in Denver that way, in 2026 you'd be looking for places where you could get something good and filling for under $19.29.

I know that's a hard number to get to for a lot of great restaurants, but I think it's still really doable in Denver for some great meals, like:

• A brisket sloppy joe with two sides at Smoking Yards ($14.99)
• A carnitas pambazo at La Diabla ($18)
• Tikka Masala Chicken Cheesesteak and curly fries at Gaia Masala Burger ($19)
• Literally the whole menu at D'Corazon”

— Chris H.