🌲 Would you boycott REI?

🌎 It’s Earth Day

The first official Earth Day was held on April 22, 1970, to raise public awareness of the link between environmental pollution and human health. More than half a century later, Earth Day 2026 shines a light on issues like the water restrictions Denver is facing brought on by extreme drought, and the raised risks of wildfires along the front range (and beyond). Unfortunately, the ripple effects of drought on nature, animals, and people are long and wide. The good news? Today is a great day to get informed. [Earthday.org, Denver Water, Drought.gov, Denver7]

• Draining Antero Reservoir: Park County’s Antero Reservoir, a popular destination for fishing and camping, will close soon as Denver Water officials move its water to Cheeseman Reservoir. This is an effort to conserve what’s left in Antero Reservoir, which is evaporating faster than all of the other bodies of water Denver Water oversees. Antero Reservoir is a drought reservoir, meaning it's designed to provide water in a time of low supply. However, it hasn’t been drained since 2002. [KOAA News]
• Colorado crops in jeopardy: Agriculture is a fundamental part of Colorado’s economy, generating $47 billion every year and providing fresh fruits, vegetables, and meat to residents throughout the state. Farmers and ranchers say that persistent drought conditions threaten their July harvest, especially for crops like wheat, which rely on natural rainfall. [KDVR, Colorado.gov]
• The drought domino effect: The drought is compounding with high fuel and fertilizer prices, along with low commodity prices, to threaten not only farmer’s crops, but their own livelihoods. In Southeastern Colorado, some ranchers create their own water filtration systems. This makes their own groundwater drinkable, but it’s an expensive short-term solution that many in the Arkansas Valley can’t afford, creating inequity and uncertainty. [Colorado Public Radio]
• What can you do? Following rules for water restrictions and adhering to fire bans can help prevent wildfires, which not only threaten wilderness, life, and property — but also the quality of our drinking water. [Denver Water, Denver7]

🌲 Would You Boycott REI?

After the latest round of contract negotiations in late February ended at an impasse, an “overwhelming majority” of unionized REI workers voted to authorize a boycott of the outdoor retailer if an agreement isn’t reached by May 1, according to the UFCW. If negotiations don’t resume by then, the union could call for a boycott during the REI Anniversary Sale, the chain’s biggest sale of the year, which runs May 16 to May 26. This past Saturday, union supporters dropped a banner outside the flagship store that read “REI Co-op, time’s up. Fair contract, or BOYCOTT.” [UFCW; Instagram]

• Notably, no Colorado REI stores, including the Denver flagship store, are currently part of the union.

👎 Bank Merger Sparks Mass Layoffs

777 employees at the former FirstBank headquarters in Lakewood will lose their jobs on June 30. The layoffs come after PNC Bank acquired FirstBank in September 2025, a move that earned PNC 70 branches to make it one of the largest banks in Colorado. [CBS News]

🔌 No Power Shutoffs, For Now

Denver will get a break from Xcel’s planned power shutoffs, who announced that they’ll focus on preventing wildfires in Alamosa, Conejos, Costilla, and Rio Grande counties by shutting off power there instead. Areas of Southern Colorado are facing exceptional drought and optimal wildfire conditions. [CBS News]

🥛 Got Milk?

Over the weekend, a man calling himself the “Bovine Baron” held a milk-chugging challenge in Observatory Park and the results were disgusting. Then, Sadboy Creamery – an online small-batch ice cream outfit known for selling out of hundreds of pints within minutes of new flavors dropping – is officially moving into a brick and mortar. Is this purveyor of unique ice cream worth the hype? [City Cast Denver 🎧]