Saturday, June 20, 2026

Good Morning! On this day in 1859, Horace Tabor arrived in Denver from Kansas, having joined the Colorado gold rush. His prospecting, merchandising, and grubstaking in early mining camps and Leadville helped him achieve phenomenal financial success.

The government quietly changed three retirement rules this past year, and the shifts drew almost no public attention. What just changed about how much of your Social Security check is actually safe? Who suddenly stands to gain money that the government kept from them for decades? And could the rules around your retirement savings shift in ways most people haven't caught yet? On today's episode of The Flyover Podcast, Amy Hess breaks down all three, plus explains the clawback rate that seemingly nobody can keep track of. Tune in Here!

Today's sponsor, EnergyX, is positioning itself to help meet soaring lithium demand from AI data centers, electric vehicles, and energy storage with patented extraction technology, major lithium holdings, and backing from industry leaders like General Motors and POSCO.

State Injecting $11M to Protect Wildlife

Colorado Parks and Wildlife is putting $11 million on the table for private landowners who agree to protect wildlife habitat or open their property to public recreation, kicking off the 2026 cycle of its Colorado Wildlife Habitat Program this week.

The two-decade-old program funds conservation easements, public-access easements, and outright land purchases, and CPW says it has already invested more than $213 million to protect nearly 350,000 acres of habitat, secure roughly 200,000 acres of public hunting and fishing access, and add 393 miles of stream frontage for anglers.

The money comes from Habitat Stamp sales, hunting and fishing license revenue, and the agency's partnership with Great Outdoors Colorado, with applications due October 15.

State Patrol Fires Trooper over Taser

The Colorado State Patrol fired a trooper who tasered a driver seven times during a 2024 traffic stop in Saguache County.

Investigators concluded Trooper Amber Garcia used excessive force, but the agency said it fired her last year for falsifying Taser-certification records and being untruthful. CSP found Garcia was not certified or authorized to carry the weapon she fired.

Dashboard and body-camera video showed Travis Tomlinson, 34, walking back to his SUV when Garcia fired without warning; three to four shocks came after he was incapacitated. Charges against Tomlinson were dismissed, and he has filed a federal lawsuit alleging Garcia violated his rights.

District Attorney Anne Kelly declined to charge Garcia, calling the force justified, and disputes the State Patrol's finding that Garcia was untruthful. Two months after the firing, Kelly hired Garcia as an investigator, saying she has "no concerns" about the former trooper's credibility.

Climber Beats Two Tough Colorado Boulders

Twenty-three-year-old American climber Noah Wheeler took down two of the world's hardest boulder problems in just four days in the Colorado high country.

On June 13 he made only the second-ever ascent of Brace for the Cure (V16/8C+), which he called perhaps the most "finger-intensive climb" he's ever attempted.

On June 16 he sent Daniel Woods' Creature from the Black Lagoon (V16), both in the alpine boulder fields of Rocky Mountain National Park's Chaos Canyon. Watch the climbs here.

The double-V16 stretch caps a blistering month as Wheeler logged the seventh ascent of Burden of Dreams (V17/9A) in Finland and Big Arms (V14/15) at Lincoln Lake in May.

Flying together with our sponsor

AI Has an 80,000-Ton Lithium Problem

From AI data centers to EVs, energy storage demand is exploding, and lithium powers it all.

Now Morgan Stanley estimates the market will face an 80,000-ton shortfall this year alone. With 5X lithium demand growth expected by 2040, the deficit is just starting.

Great timing for EnergyX. Their patented tech can recover up to 3X more lithium than traditional methods in a fraction of the time.

This has earned them a $1B private valuation and investment from leaders like General Motors and POSCO. Now, they hold rights to up to 13M tons of lithium across North and South America.

Join 50K investors and buy private EnergyX shares. But don’t wait: July 16 is the final day to invest.

➤ Boulder: The Anti-Defamation League filed a federal civil rights complaint against the Boulder Valley School District, alleging years of antisemitic harassment of a Jewish student at Southern Hills Middle School went unaddressed, including a December assault that prompted a police referral. (See Details)

➤ Colorado Springs: A judge declined to vacate the murder conviction of Deborah Nicholls, imprisoned more than 20 years in the fire deaths of her three children, despite prosecutors and defense lawyers agreeing she deserves a new trial. (More)

➤ Telluride: A 58-year-old Phoenix man suffered non-life-threatening injuries when his SUV rolled off a switchback near the top of Imogene Pass on Thursday, after driving over from the Ouray County side onto the still-closed, icy Telluride side that officials warn isn't open to vehicles yet. (More)

➤ Loveland: A district attorney has dropped the arson charge against Jason Hobby in the 2024 Alexander Mountain fire, which burned nearly 10,000 acres and destroyed more than 50 structures. New evidence showed he likely didn't start it. (More)

➤ Thornton: Colorado's hockey community, led by the DAWG Nation Hockey Foundation, is rallying around 19-year-old Anze Nelimark, raising money for his first year of college after his parents and 13-year-old brother were killed in May. (More)

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➤ The University of Colorado Colorado Springs won its first Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference All-Sports Cup this year, powered by regular-season RMAC titles in women’s indoor and outdoor track and field, men’s indoor track and field, women’s lacrosse, men’s soccer, and volleyball. (More)

➤ Colorado State unveiled a new basketball court design for Moby Arena featuring dual ram horn shadows on each side of the court and the traditional CSU logo at midcourt. (See Court)

➤ Ultimate frisbee players at Denver Public Schools are seeking approval for the sport to count toward physical education credit, a move aimed at expanding access to the sport for the fall semester. (More)

➤ Yesterday’s Results: World Cup | MLB | WNBA | Golf

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Exxon Has an Unlikely New Competitor

Energy giants like Exxon have been buying up land in America’s lithium hotspot. Now they’ve got a new neighbor.

EnergyX has acquired the rights to nearly 50K lithium-rich acres right next door. It’s not just the acres turning heads, either.

Their tech can recover up to 3X more lithium than traditional methods. They just brought America’s largest lithium facility of its kind online. Now, with backing from the DoE, General Motors, and POSCO, they’re advancing America’s next major lithium supply.

50K people have already invested. Join them as an EnergyX shareholder by the July 16 investment deadline.

➤ The pink touring Hello Kitty Truck stops in Colorado on four Saturdays this summer, starting at Park Meadows in Lone Tree today. (See Schedule)

➤ Howard, the beloved 70-to-80-pound tortoise and longtime mascot of the Scales 'N Tails pet store in Colorado Springs, was found safe Thursday night and a suspect arrested. He was snatched from his outdoor pen, and the community flooded police with tips. (More)

➤ Colorado is celebrating Juneteenth weekend, from a music festival and parade in Five Points to events in Centennial, Aurora, Longmont, Greeley, Fort Collins and Colorado Springs. (More)

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The following stories are featured exclusively on The Flyover Podcast—a daily show that gives you the most important headlines in under 15 minutes, straight from the heart of the country. Clicking the link will take you directly to these stories:

➤ The government quietly changed three retirement rules this past year, and a single Social Security check is the first thing affected. (Hear More)

➤ Authorities say a Mexican mayor staged her own kidnapping to embezzle roughly $2 million in government funds. (Listen Now)

➤ A Michigan plumbing crew on an emergency call found an engagement ring that had been missing for more than a decade. (Podcast Available)

Do you boulder?

Yesterday's Results:

Have you ever been whitewater rafting?

Yes, a few times: 29%
Yes, once or twice: 29%
No, never: 29%
Yes, a lot: 13%

Colorado is home to the tallest of a certain natural feature in all of North America. What is it?

Show me the answer

Energy Exploration Technologies, Inc. (“EnergyX”) has engaged Flyover to publish this communication in connection with EnergyX’s ongoing Regulation A offering. Flyover has been paid in cash and may receive additional compensation. Flyover and/or its affiliates do not currently hold securities of EnergyX. This compensation and any current or future ownership interest could create a conflict of interest. Please consider this disclosure alongside EnergyX’s offering materials. EnergyX’s Regulation A offering has been qualified by the SEC. Offers and sales may be made only by means of the qualified offering circular. Before investing, carefully review the offering circular, including the risk factors. The offering circular is available at invest.energyx.com/. Comparisons to other companies are for informational purposes only and should not imply similar results. Past performance is not indicative of future results. Market shortfall are forward‑looking estimates and are subject to substantial uncertainty. Investments in private placements, and start-up investments in particular, are long-term, illiquid, speculative and involve a high degree of risk and those investors who cannot afford to lose their entire investment should not invest in start-ups.

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