🎃 The pumpkin spice latte battle begins!

🎃 The Hunt for Denver’s Best Pumpkin Spice Latte

Our very own creative producer Olivia Jewell Love is on a mission to find Denver’s best pumpkin spice latte. Each week, she will put two local pumpkin spice lattes (or other pumpkin-themed seasonal beverages) head to head, with the winner moving on to face the next week’s new challenger. Only one local coffee shop will take home the PSL crown!

• The criteria: This isn’t just a sip and vibes competition. Olivia is judging each drink on four categories: pumpkin flavor, creativity, toppings and overall taste.
• Who’s up first?: The first matchup is Little Finch vs. Bardo Coffee House, and we’re not spoiling it here! Watch Olivia’s first pumpkin spice showdown on our socials to find out! Let us know which Denver PSL she should try next!

🏔️ St. Mary’s Glacier Has Left the Chat

St. Mary’s Glacier, which is technically a snowfield, has completely melted for the first time on record, leaving behind rocks and a small stream where year-round snow once sat. The popular spot near Idaho Springs was hit by an exceptionally dry winter followed by a hot summer. Scientists say a snowy winter could bring the snowfield back temporarily, but years when it survives through September are expected to become less common. [CPR]

• Recommended Reading: Outside writer Frederick Dreier reflects on what it means to lose a familiar piece of Colorado’s landscape after years of visiting St. Mary's himself. [Outside]

🫁 Did Someone Tamper With UCHealth’s Oxygen Supply?

UCHealth University of Colorado Hospital is tightening security after someone intentionally disrupted its primary oxygen supply earlier this month, according to hospital officials. The Aurora hospital had to move patients onto its backup oxygen system after alarms alerted staff to falling pressure. UCHealth says patient care was not affected, and authorities are investigating how someone gained access to the outdoor oxygen storage area. [9News]

🏳️‍⚧️ Should Denver Rethink What Gender Data it Keeps?

Denver City Council is considering limits on how the city collects, keeps and shares certain information about sex, sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression. Under the proposed ordinance, voluntarily collected information could only be kept for 30 days, while information the city is legally required to collect would be exempt. [Denver7]

• Why now? Sponsors Stacie Gilmore and Shontel Lewis, who is also running for mayor, say their goal is to prevent information from being shared in ways that could be used in investigations targeting trangender and gender-expansive people. If approved, Denver would be the first Colorado city with such a policy. The bill is scheduled for its first City Council reading Sept. 28.

😷 Tuberculosis is Back at Aurora’s ICE Detention Center

A housing unit at the GEO Group-run immigration detention center was quarantined earlier this month after detainees were told they had been exposed to tuberculosis. The three-day quarantine reportedly began Sept. 11 and included testing dozens of men in the unit, but local health officials say they have not received information about a new case. This comes three months after a detainee tested positive for tuberculosis in June, setting off a dispute between state health inspectors and the facility that is still being challenged in federal court. [Denver Post 🔒]