By Quentin Young | editor
“Communities that haven't historically thought a lot about about heat now really have to ... When it starts to become a chronic issue for a community, then you really have to figure out how to live with this.”
– Sara Meerow, associate professor of geography at the University of Colorado Boulder
Crowds gathered in downtown Denver for Colorado Day celebrations commemorating the 150th anniversary of statehood on Aug. 1, 2026. (Photo by Chase Woodruff/Colorado Newsline)
By Chase Woodruff
A record number of Coloradans sought medical treatment for heat-related illnesses this summer, amid unprecedented extreme heat fueled by climate change — a trend that’s projected to continue to intensify for years to come, as governments around the world struggle to curb the greenhouse gas emissions pushing global temperatures higher and higher. Between May 3 and Aug. 8, a total of 1,124 patients in 18 of Colorado’s most populous counties were hospitalized or visited an emergency department or urgent care because of heat stroke, heat exhaustion or another heat-related illness.
The Colorado House of Representatives is pictured on the final day of the 2026 legislative session on May 13, 2026, at the Colorado Capitol in Denver. (Photo by Lindsey Toomer/Colorado Newsline)
By Sara Wilson
Colorado Rep. Mandy Lindsay told lawmakers on Friday that she did not fully understand the level of financial responsibility involved when she became co-chair of the House Democratic Caucus, and that there was an unset expectation around the accounting and organization of caucus funds. Lindsay, an Aurora Democrat, made the comments during the final day of an evidentiary hearing for an ethics complaint she is facing over alleged mismanagement of caucus funds.
Manny Rutinel speaks at his election night watch party after winning the Democratic nomination for Colorado's 8th Congressional District on June 30, at Las Dos Americas in Commerce City. (Photo by Lindsey Toomer/Colorado Newsline)
COMMENTARY
By Quentin Young
Colorado Rep. Manny Rutinel has done a one-eighty on factory farms, which he once said were “one of the largest sources of suffering on the planet.” The switch coincides with the Democrat’s run for Congress. He says his perspective has evolved. But factory farming isn’t the only topic he’s flip-flopped on. Others include fracking, single-payer health insurance, student debt and climate change. It might be hard for voters to believe Rutinel so sweepingly changed his mind in the name of truth rather than his rhetoric in pursuit of power.
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT
| By Chase Woodruff
Thanks for reading Newsliner. Did you know our weekend digest is also free? Sign up here. And if you enjoyed today’s edition, please forward to a friend. Increasing our readership helps us cover more news.