Good morning, Colorado.
Before moving to Colorado, I ventured out on the occasional hike and would say I was solidly outdoorsy-ish. But the idea of strapping on a backpack half the length of my body and setting off into the unknown was completely foreign. I barely camped growing up so “rugged” is just about the last word anyone would use to describe me.
That’s all starting to change. This past weekend, I survived my second backpacking trip — the first I completed with most of my own equipment. It was beautiful and grueling and full of moments of great awe and even greater regret. Me being me, I packed a little bit like I was going to a hotel. Too many clothes and layers, for sure. In my defense, I wanted options for warmth for my dog and me since you never know what the Colorado weather forces will whip up.
I had major second thoughts about bringing all those options while lugging 35 pounds of my belongings on my back 7 miles into the wilderness with slight elevation gains. My much-more-experienced friends swooped in, doing what they could to lighten my load and carry a few items to our camp site for me. We even dumped my entire backpack on the trail at one point to repack everything more efficiently in hope of redistributing the weight. It helped and, without them, I would have turned around, declared myself a lifelong hotel person and abandoned the idea of backpacking ever again.
Instead, I conquered the trail and am all the more rugged for it. I learned so many lessons along the way — and am still so sore — but am stoked to backpack many more times. Just never again with 35 pounds in tow.
Now, let’s unpack today’s news, shall we?
Erica Breunlin
Education Reporter
THE NEWS
HEALTH
Colorado health insurers propose huge price increases following passage of GOP’s federal spending bill
The website for Connect for Health Colorado, the state’s health insurance exchange. (John Ingold, The Colorado Sun)28.4%
Average increase Colorado insurers are asking for in health insurance premiums next year
Colorado health insurers have proposed huge price increases for next year for people who purchase coverage on their own — a consequence, state officials say, of the recently passed One Big Beautiful Bill Act tax and spending law. John Ingold looks at the numbers announced by the Colorado Division of Insurance, which includes increases above 38% on the Western Slope.
READ MORE
—
WATER
Lake Powell forecasts show hydropower generation is at risk next year as water levels drop
An employee with the Bureau of Reclamation rides past hydropower turbines at Glen Canyon Dam on the Utah-Arizona border. Hydropower generation at the dam has fallen along with water levels at Lake Powell during the past two decades of drought. (Shannon Mullane, The Colorado Sun)“If next year is below average, then we’re setting ourselves up for some very difficult decisions in the basin.”
— Eric Kuhn, former general manager of the Colorado River District
If the West stays really dry, federal officials are predicting Lake Powell’s water levels could fall below critical elevations to create electricity within two years. Western states that rely on the water say they are back in the near-crisis conditions of 2021 and 2022. Shannon Mullane dives into the latest water warning.
READ MORE
POLITICS AND GOVERNMENT
7th Democrat enters Colorado race to unseat Republican U.S. Rep. Gabe Evans
Evan Munsing (Handout)Evan Munsing is a Marine veteran who works in finance. He’s never held elected office before, but he thinks that’s an advantage in the crowded primary field. The district spans Denver’s northern suburbs along U.S. 85 into Greeley. As Jesse Paul reports, the outcome of the 2026 race could determine which party controls the U.S. House.
READ MORE
COLORADANS
Rescue Thyme: How a Summit County nonprofit found a lost foster dog after 13 dangerous days on the run
Greg Shoenfeld of Summit Lost Pet Rescue reunites July 15 with Thyme. After nearly two weeks lost and injured in the wild, the resilient pup was rescued by a team of 20 Summit Lost Pet Rescue volunteers and is now recovering at the Summit County Animal Control & Shelter. (Joe Kusumoto, Special to the Colorado Sun)1,200
Animals Summit Lost Pet Rescue has found and reunited with owners
Born out of a Facebook page five years ago, Summit Lost Pet Rescue is like a traditional search and rescue team, but for lost and missing four-legged animals instead of people. The group has reunited hundreds of animals with their humans. As Lu Snyder found out, the large majority have been dogs and cats, but there have been a few horses, donkeys and llamas, a parrot, snake and turtle, too.
READ MORE
MORE NEWS
Nebraska sues Colorado over construction to pull water from South Platte River. The Perkins County Canal Project has generated tension between the states since 2022. Attorney General Phil Weiser threatened legal action over Nebraska’s use of eminent domain. The Temperature | Gender-affirming care under investigation. Plus: Worries over health care affordability increase in Colorado.Section by David Krause | Editor
COLORADO REPORT
Mike vs. Mike: Aurora and Denver mayors address “tension” between their two cities. The mayors made a rare joint appearance at the State of the Cities event. Denver’s Mike Johnston immediately downplayed the tension, saying that his office door is always open to Aurora. Mike Coffman disagreed.— Denverite EPA signals opposition to Colorado’s plan to close coal power plants. The EPA published a notice in the Federal Register that it intends to deny Colorado’s plan to shutter coal-fired power plants as part of the state’s strategy to reduce the regional haze.— The Denver Post ? Breckenridge Tourism Office ups efforts to attract tourists as visitation lags behind mountain town competitors. With summer tourism numbers continuing on an unfavorable trend, the Breckenridge Tourism Office is changing course. It is reallocating $300,000 of its budget to go toward marketing efforts, turning to the business community for suggestions and offering lodging promotion deals.— Summit Daily Judge sides with River District in Grand County dam case. The Colorado River District’s win in dispute with Denver Water over Ritschard Dam comes at a pivotal time for Colorado water managers that underscores the simmering tension that remains between the Western Slope and Front Range.— Aspen Journalism Beverage giant halts $500 million Denver plant project. Coca-Cola canceled plans for a new bottling facility near Denver International Airport, but is looking at other sites in the state.— 9News
?=source has article meter or paywall
Section by David Krause | Editor
What’s Happening
July 17-23
Still from “Western Fronts: Cascade Siskiyou, Gold Butte, Grand Staircase-Escalante, and Bears Ears” by artist Rick Silva, 2018. The work is part of RedLine Contemporary Art Center’s “Mutual Terrain” exhibition, a group show during the Denver Month of Video. (Photo provided by RedLine Contemporary Art Center)Denver Month of Video. Nights in downtown Denver may feel a little more dynamic than usual throughout the month of July, also known as the Month of Video, also known as .MOV.
The Denver Month of Video is a biannual festival that doubles as a curatorial platform, making space for video-based art installations and events all around the city.
Check out the rotating projections on the D&F clocktower, or visit one of six LED screens around town for a sample of the curators’ — and festival founders’ — film tastes. Video exhibitions at The Storeroom, Squirm Gallery, Dikeou Collection, Redline Contemporary Art Center, Rainbow Dome and Friend of a Friend Gallery open throughout the month on a rolling basis, with special events on opening nights. On Friday, “Free Hors d’oeuvres,” a video game exhibition, opens at Rainbow Dome with a range of works, from low-fi 2D games to highly detailed first-person POV pieces, including a game about the experience of visiting a gallery.
On Saturdays the festival hosts one-off screenings of works. This weekend, you can watch a compilation of animated shorts at Rainbow Dome that, according to the festival founders, “escaped the confinement of our curatorial ideas.” All events are free.
Free; July 1-31; Various locations in Denver
Royal Gorge Whitewater Festival. Enjoy summer flows on the Arkansas in Cañon City at the 16th annual whitewater festival, a mix of river competitions, live music and shoreside festivities like yoga and wiener dog races for the land dwellers. $10; July 18 and 19; Centennial Park, Cañon City Crested Butte Wildflower Festival. The best time to see the blooms can vary from year to year, but the annual wildflower festival is about more than just petal peeping. From now until Sunday, sign up for a variety of hikes, photography sessions and art classes. Various prices; July 11-20; Crested Butte Mixed Taste. Presented by the Museum of Contemporary Art, Denver, the mixed taste series presents two expert speakers who give presentations on unrelated topics, and then work with facilitator Bobby LeFebre and the audience to find the connecting threads. Next Wednesday’s topics are dance marathons and the Pueblo Revolt, a 1680 rebellion against Spanish rule in present day New Mexico. $22; 7 p.m., July 23; MCA Denver at the Holiday Theater, 2644 W. 32nd Ave., DenverSection by Parker Yamasaki | Reporter
Thanks for getting a jump-start on the day with us. We’ll see you back here tomorrow morning!
— Erica & the whole staff of The Sun
The Colorado Sun is part of The Trust Project. Read our policies.
Corrections & Clarifications
Notice something wrong? The Colorado Sun has an ethical responsibility to fix all factual errors. Request a correction by emailing corrections@coloradosun.com.
Hence then, the article about big beautiful health insurance increases was published today ( ) and is available on Colorado Sun ( Middle East ) The editorial team at PressBee has edited and verified it, and it may have been modified, fully republished, or quoted. You can read and follow the updates of this news or article from its original source.
Read More Details
Finally We wish PressBee provided you with enough information of ( Big, beautiful health insurance increases )
Also on site :