Your Daily Guide

🎤 Mayor’s Speech Focuses on Housing, Childcare, and a New Era

Mayor Mike Johnston gave his annual State of The City address on Tuesday evening at the National Western Center, focusing on the big wins of his first three years in office, announcing a few new policy programs, and laying the groundwork for a reelection campaign in 2027 (though he has not formally filed) He was interrupted on multiple occasions by hecklers, but Johnston brushed them off, saying “dissent is part of governing.” [YouTube]

• Childcare for all families: Johnston said that, if reelected for a second term, he would start a task force and listening tour to work toward making universal childcare a reality. He hopes this will “chart the path to make care affordable and accessible for every Denver family within the next five years."
• A new “Mile High” plan: Mayor Mike Johnston also shared a plan to build 20,000 new housing units along the “Mile High Line,” his name for a group of seven major developments near the light rail that he wants to link by bike and pedestrian paths. [Denver Post 🔐]
• An “equity strategy”: The mayor said of the Mile High Line, “These projects will be shaped by community voices and guided by one promise — that the people who make these neighborhoods what they are must be able to stay and share in what comes next.”
• Today on City Cast Denver: Denver Post city government reporter Elliott Wenzler joins host Bree Davies to break down the speech.

🚫 ICE Arrests Woman at DIA in Viral Video

Chantal Alejandra Morales Rojas, a California resident attempting to fly home on a Southwest flight, was removed from a jetway at DIA and taken into ICE custody on Monday. A passenger on the same flight recorded a video of Rojas being arrested, which is now circulating on social media. Advocates for Rojas say she had a work permit and a pending asylum case, and the Department of Homeland Security says that Rojas, who is originally from Ecuador, overstayed her visa. It’s not clear where Rojas was taken but she reportedly remains in ICE custody. [Instagram; Denver Post 🔒]

🌱 Cannabis Consumption Lounge to Close in RiNo

The owner of Tetra Lounge, Denver’s first cannabis consumption lounge that opened in 2018, has announced that the business will vacate their RiNo space on August 10. Over the years, the Denver Department of Licensing & Consumer Protection has accused Tetra of violating regulation numerous times. Tetra said it plans to re-open in a different space, offering expanded cannabis-friendly opportunities and events. [Westword; Business Den]

😔 Mother of Child Killed on Veo Bike Calls for Greater Safety

Tiffany Winston, the mother of a 13-year-old boy killed on a Veo scooter, is speaking out about the company’s lack of safety protections for minors. “If you do not know traffic laws, and kids don’t, you should not be able to access the bikes so easily,” Winston said. Her son, Dequan Harris, was hit by a car on May 7 and died a month later. [Denver Gazette 🔒]