Your Daily Guide

☕ Protesters Clash Over Anti-LGBTQ+ Coffee Shop

As thousands of Denverites enjoyed last weekend’s First Fridays Art Walk in the Art District on Santa Fe, the Denver Communists were there once again for their monthly protest against The Drip Café, a coffee shop who says it has a mission to help the homeless, but who is also run by the ministry group Recycle God’s Love, which publicly displays anti-LGBTQ+ views.

• Who’s protesting what? The Denver Alliance for Street Health Response and Vote No On 109 & 110, a group fighting against upcoming ballot initiatives that target trans youth, joined the Denver Communists in protest of Drip on Friday. The Denver Communists say they’ve been protesting outside Drip since it opened three years ago. Protesters say the coffee shop knowingly allows far-right activists and influencers to organize, which furthers attempts to make anti-LGBTQ+ views mainstream. [Instagram]
• A counter-protest got heated: The protest was met with a small counter-protest from supporters of The Drip Café. A right-leaning political influencer Corey Blair posted a video of himself on X being followed and antagonized by anti-Drip protesters. His caption reads “I buy a coffee, they follow me down the street. This is a targeted harassment campaign against anyone who disagrees with them.” [X; Westword]

🧑‍🚒 Colorado Lacks Firefighters, Funding, Survey Shows

Many of Colorado’s fire departments reportedly lack the resources they need to respond to wildfires adequately. In a survey of 122 departments (representing 36% of the departments in the state), 78.7 percent said they don't have the funding to hire enough firefighters to properly respond to disasters. They say they are short 2,126 firefighters, and more than six in ten say budget constraints make hiring additional personnel unlikely. Five people have lost their lives while fighting fires in Colorado so far this year. [Colorado DFPC; Axios; The Colorado Sun]

🛑 Officials Still Blocked From Investigating Tuberculosis at ICE Facility

The Adams County Health Department has still not gained access to the GEO Group-run immigration detention facility in Aurora to investigate its confirmed case of tuberculosis reported in June. County officials have no plans to pursue additional legal action against GEO Group because any efforts would likely get thrown out amid another, ongoing lawsuit. Specifically, GEO is suing Colorado over its new law increasing local authorities’ authority to conduct health and safety inspections at immigrant detention facilities.

• Why doctors want more info: It’s important to track anyone potentially exposed to tuberculosis, even if there are no active infections, because the bacterial disease can remain dormant in a person’s body for years before developing into an active infection. [The Colorado Sun; The Guardian; Colorado Public Radio]

🍺 Yak and Yeti Owner Barred From New Liquor Licenses for 2 Years

Dol Bhattarai — the registered owner of Ultra Lounge East, where a deadly shooting took place last month — is banned from acquiring new liquor licenses for the next two years, according to a settlement with the city’s licensing authority. Bhattari, who also owns the Indian-Nepalese restaurant Yak and Yeti, said he had leased the building to Ultra Lounge East’s operator Dionte Wilkins and was in the process of transferring the liquor license to Wilkins when the shooting took place. [Denverite]