The Mountain Minute: 8/27/2025

🎧 Mountain Minute – August 27
From gun rallies to budget battles, today’s headlines show who really runs Colorado — the people, or the politicians. Here’s your sharp, unfiltered roundup.

Colorado News:
🔹 Shots for Freedom – Gun owners rallied in Denver to push back against new restrictions, warning that lawmakers are targeting the wrong people and putting Second Amendment rights at risk.
Read more: https://rockymountainvoice.com/2025/08/26/shots-for-freedom-colorado-gun-owners-rally-to-push-back-against-new-restrictions/

🔹 Littleton stands up – Citizens forced changes to a development plan, proving grassroots power can still beat Polis’ big-government push.
Read more: https://rockymountainvoice.com/2025/08/26/littleton-proves-citizen-power-still-matters-in-polis-colorado/

🔹 Wildfire crisis – The Lee Fire near Meeker is now the 4th-largest in state history. Fire departments statewide warn they’re underfunded and understaffed as the threat grows.
Read more: https://rockymountainvoice.com/2025/08/26/lee-fire-near-meeker-grows-to-fourth-largest-in-colorado-history/
Read more: https://rockymountainvoice.com/2025/08/26/fire-departments-across-state-face-major-staffing-and-equipment-shortfall/

🔹 Budget battle – Democrats push business tax hikes to plug the deficit, while Polis’ hiring freeze stretches state workers thin.
Read more: https://rockymountainvoice.com/2025/08/26/democrats-push-business-tax-increases-to-fill-state-budget-gap/

🔹 Immigration fight – Polis insists Colorado isn’t a sanctuary state, but critics point to laws that say otherwise.
Read more: https://rockymountainvoice.com/2025/08/26/polis-says-colorado-isnt-a-sanctuary-state-but-the-laws-say-otherwise/

🔹 Campus shift – DU scales back DEI programs under federal pressure.
Read more: https://rockymountainvoice.com/2025/08/26/du-scales-back-dei-programs-to-avoid-losing-federal-funding/

🔹 Bright spots – Youth suicides are down 20% year-over-year, and alcohol use is falling fast — though Colorado still ranks high in cannabis and cocaine use.
Read more: https://rockymountainvoice.com/2025/08/26/colorado-sees-20-drop-in-youth-suicides-year-over-year/
Read more: https://rockymountainvoice.com/2025/08/26/colorado-sees-one-of-the-nations-largest-drops-in-alcohol-use/

National News:
🔹 Organ crisis – Families across America wait as the system struggles to keep up with life-saving transplants.
Read more: https://rockymountainvoice.com/2025/08/26/when-will-the-call-come-one-mans-wait-and-the-organ-crisis-in-america/

🔹 West Coast warning – Critics say Colorado, Oregon, and Washington are following California’s failed path of crime, costs, and regulations.
Read more: https://rockymountainvoice.com/2025/08/26/progressive-policies-pull-colorado-oregon-and-washington-down-californias-path/

🔹 Visa pause – Trump halts immigrant trucker visas after a deadly crash. Supporters call it a safety win for American workers; critics call it punitive.
Read more: https://rockymountainvoice.com/2025/08/26/english-skills-safety-concerns-fuel-support-for-trumps-visa-pause/

📲 Full stories at RockyMountainVoice.com
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Stay sharp, stay bold, and stay in the fight.