🎙️ The mayor on his 'Trumpian' critics

🪧 Data Center Debate Boils Over

Two days after Mayor Johnston announced a temporary moratorium on data center construction in Denver, dozens of neighbors and community activists showed up for a previously planned town hall to protest the ongoing construction of a CoreSite data center in Elyria-Swansea. CoreSite representatives were scheduled to attend, but backed out hours before citing safety concerns. The meeting ended when the audience erupted in chants of “shut it down.” [City Cast Denver]

• The big picture: President Trump commented on the data center debate in his State of the Union address Tuesday evening. He said he has told the big tech companies to build their own power plants in an effort to slow the increases in electricity costs associated with data centers. [Reuters]

🚒 Yesterday’s High Winds Spark 2 Grass Fires

Red flag conditions across Colorado yesterday led to a grass fire in Thornton and another in the Logan County town of Padroni on the Eastern Plains. Both fires forced evacuations and major road closures, including I-25 for several hours. As of late afternoon, the Thornton blaze was fully contained, but firefighters were still working on the Logan County fire. Five injuries were reported in Thornton; none in Logan County. [Loveland Reporter-Herald; Denver Post 🔒]

💬 More AI Regulations Coming Soon?

While state lawmakers are still debating the effects of Colorado’s AI disclosure law — which they passed in 2024 — a group of Democrats are pushing additional regulations at the Capitol this session aimed at protecting kids from reported risks of grooming and self harm. Their ideas include requiring chatbots to disclose that they are AI and banning the platforms from gamifying their chatbots with “points, rewards, badges, and leaderboards,” according to Healthier Colorado, which is backing the measure. [City Cast Denver]

🐴 Westernaires Drop Native American Dancing

The Golden-based youth education nonprofit and Stock Show staple will no longer teach Native American dancing. The Westernaires’ board informed its members last weekend, saying it was not their “preferred outcome.” The Denver Post reports that pressure from Stock Show leadership, including new CEO Wes Allison, played a part. Indigenous people have criticized the program for years for perpetuating harmful stereotypes. [Denver Post 🔒]

⏪ What Changed the Mayor’s Mind?

In recent weeks, Denver’s mayor has reversed course on a few major policies. So, we got him back on the podcast today to talk about what’s changed his mind. He explains what led to his new moratorium on data centers, his decision to replace Flock, and why he backtracked (again) on the Alameda Avenue safety project. [City Cast Denver 🎧]