Thursday, July 9, 2026

Good Morning! On this day in 1908, delegates at the Democratic National Convention in Denver formally placed William Jennings Bryan's name in nomination for president at the city's brand-new Municipal Auditorium. It was the first major party national convention ever held in a Western state.

Two Colorado cities just earned bragging rights as some of the nation's safest places to drive. See which ones made the top 10 in the rankings below.

How would you rate the drivers where you live? Hit reply and let us know!

More than half of retirees in the last five years say they regret how they planned, and it's usually not the mistakes you'd expect. Experts say the ones that quietly derail retirement stay hidden until after the paycheck stops, when a handful of overlooked missteps start compounding at the worst possible time. In today's Flyover Podcast, Amy breaks down the five most common retirement mistakes and how to sidestep them before they cost you. Tune in here to learn more!

Today's sponsor, AirCar, is giving investors a chance to get in early on its vertically integrated flying car company, with a limited-time offer of 10% bonus shares before the current funding round closes.

Beulah Volunteer Firefighters Hold Line

Beulah's 22-person volunteer fire department is credited with keeping the town from burning to the ground as the Aspen Acres Fire bore down on it.

As the wind shifted the flames toward town, crews went door to door getting residents out, putting lives ahead of property.

Several firefighters kept working even after their own homes burned, including a mother-daughter team, volunteers Rosie Freeman and Hailey Wilcox.

Department spokeswoman Jill Laca, whose husband and son were both battling the fire, said she cared only about their safety: "I only want the heartbeats."

Volunteers held Beulah for about a week before additional resources arrived. The fire, now the seventh-largest in state history, has grown past 93,000 acres, with some evacuation orders beginning to lift.

Waymo Begins Driverless Denver Rides

Waymo will begin sending its vehicles through Denver with no human behind the wheel later this month, though for now only its own employees can ride.

The Alphabet-owned company announced the move Wednesday, saying employee rides are the next phase before opening the service to the public later this year.

Service will be limited at first to the RiNo, Baker, and Cherry Creek neighborhoods, with Denver International Airport a longer-term goal.

Denver is one of Waymo's first cold-weather markets and will be among the first to see the new Ojai, a vehicle built on Geely's all-electric Zeekr platform with Waymo's sixth-generation self-driving system and features designed for snow.

Colorado among States Suing Meta

Colorado is one of four states set to take Meta to trial in August over claims that Facebook and Instagram were designed to addict young users.

The other plaintiffs are California, Kentucky, and New Jersey, and the trial will be held in Oakland, California.

In a court filing, Meta said the states are seeking $1.4 trillion in penalties, a figure near the company's roughly $1.5 trillion market value. It argued a sanction that size has "no analog" in the history of consumer-protection enforcement.

Meta denies the allegations, arguing social media addiction is not an established psychiatric condition and that it did not market Facebook and Instagram exclusively to children under 13. The states say they calculated penalties based on the estimated number of teens and young users affected by Meta's actions.

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➤ Jefferson County: Brent Metz was sentenced to four years of probation and three months of work release for shooting a 17-year-old who was looking for a homecoming photo location in 2024. The former Mountain View councilman was convicted of third-degree assault and illegal discharge of a firearm. (More)

➤ Windsor: The town temporarily closed Windsor Lake after testing confirmed a toxic blue-green algae bloom. Swimming, tubing, and water skiing are banned until further notice, and officials warn the cyanobacteria can pose health risks to people, pets, and wildlife. (More)

➤ Arapahoe County: South Metro Fire Rescue crews rescued an 18-year-old woman trapped in an abandoned missile silo near the Arapahoe County Fairgrounds early Wednesday after she climbed into the site with two other teens. Authorities are investigating, and the teens could face trespassing charges. (More)

➤ Vail: Police are searching for a man who burglarized the Del Toro restaurant in West Vail early Monday, making off with about $6,700 in cash and a $1,200 bottle of tequila. Security footage caught him wearing a red jacket, light-colored pants, and a baseball cap. (More)

➤ Mesa Verde: The lightning-sparked Long Canyon Fire closed the Long House and Step House cliff dwellings and the Wetherill Mesa area to visitors at Mesa Verde National Park. The fire was about a half-acre Tuesday, and most of the park remains open. (More)

➤ Statewide: Vitalant honored a Colorado woman who became the state's first female 90-gallon blood donor after more than 50 years of giving. She began donating in 1975 and hopes to reach 100 gallons. (More)

➤ Aspen: Aspen Snowmass is auctioning more than 100 retired Bell Mountain and Little Nell ski-lift chairs through July 19, with bids starting at $250. The resort will also donate 24 chairs to local organizations for charity auctions and public display. (See List)

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➤ Sean Payton revealed that he considered stepping aside as Broncos head coach so Denver could hire Bill Belichick long enough to break Don Shula's all-time wins record. The plan, of course, never made it past the idea stage. (More)

➤ Deion Sanders said at Big 12 Media Days this week that he partly attributes Colorado's 3-9 season to his bladder cancer diagnosis but says he's healthy and optimistic heading into 2026. (More)

➤ The Rockies earned a C-minus in ESPN's midseason MLB grades, a low mark by most standards but a sign of real progress for a team that lost 119 games last year. (More)

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➤ Apple signed a more than $30 billion multiyear deal with Broadcom to design and produce over 15 billion U.S.-made wireless connectivity chips, including a $1.5 billion investment to expand Broadcom's Fort Collins manufacturing facility. (More)

➤ Castle Rock hit pause on drone delivery after the town council voted 6-0 Tuesday to freeze all applications while it drafts regulations, as Walmart weighs launching deliveries from its Sam Walton Lane store. (More)

➤ Sadboy Creamery, the popular Denver ice cream maker known for its Monday online flavor drops, is building its first storefront at 1502 N. Marion St., just off East Colfax. The shop, expected to open in September, will expand production and add walk-in sales of pints and other frozen treats. (More)

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The Flying Car Market Is Growing 550% By 2030

There's a pattern to the way new markets take off. First they're dismissed, then they're debated, then they're obvious. By then, the early opportunity is gone. The flying car market is somewhere between the first two stages, which is exactly where you want to be.

In 2024, the global eVTOL market was worth $4.4 billion. By 2030, it's projected to hit $28.6 billion. That's 550% growth in six years.

Most retail investors will watch it happen from the sidelines. A few will get in now.

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➤ Morris, the alligator made famous in Happy Gilmore who died last year at the Colorado Gator Farm in Mosca, is now on display after being preserved through taxidermy so he can, in the farm's words, "continue to scare children for years to come." The 640-pound reptile was believed to be at least 80 years old. (More)

➤ Sunset watchers in Denver have reached a seasonal milestone: Wednesday brought the year's last sunset at 8:30 p.m. or later, closing a three-week stretch of long evenings. Sunsets will remain in the 8 p.m. hour until Aug. 11 before continuing their steady march earlier. (More)

➤ Fort Collins and Colorado Springs landed in Allstate's 2026 Best Drivers Report's top 10, ranking No. 2 and No. 8, respectively. Fort Collins drivers average nearly 15 years between collisions, while Colorado Springs drivers average nearly 13 years. (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. Clicking the links will take you directly to these stories:

➤ More than half of retirees regret their planning, undone by five mistakes they never saw coming. (See List)

➤ Search crews have found the Boeing 737 cargo plane that vanished in the Arabian Sea. (Hear Details)

➤ Nike is being sued for allegedly copying 7-Eleven's trademark colors days before the shoe's launch. (Listen Now)

Morris the gator appeared in the Adam Sandler comedy Happy Gilmore. What's your favorite Adam Sandler movie?

Yesterday's Results:

Do you play golf?

Not my game: 43%
Every chance I get: 20%
A few rounds a year: 19%
Only mini-golf: 18%

Mesa Verde National Park in southwestern Colorado is famous for its cliff dwellings, including Cliff Palace, the largest cliff dwelling in North America. Which ancient people built them?

Show me the answer

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