PEAK TO PEAK — Most weeks I feel like we do a phenomenal job of covering the local news. For the last year, I have also felt like we have done an amazing job taking national news and sharing how it affects us here in the Peak to Peak region. Christopher Kelley has been covering news for The Mountain-Ear since January of 2021. He covers all of your local news of Nederland, including local government.
In February of 2025, Kelley started to write a column called the Peak Report. The Peak Report started as a weekly column to address the impact of Federal level government decisions and how they impact local communities.
The first Peak Report, “Federal funding freeze,” is located here: https://www.themtnear.com/stories/peak-report-federal-funding-freeze,28932? Give it a read to see where it all started. Since then we have published 27 additional reports.
As many of you know, we cover local news. In fact you could call it “hyper local news.” That’s the way we look at it. These Peak Reports take your national news and turn them into local news.
Here are some of the stories we believe are worth another read, or a first read if you missed them.
Voting with your dollars (3/6/2025)
https://www.themtnear.com/stories/peak-report-voting-with-your-dollar,32492?
Chris Kelley discusses the opposition to unpopular proposed economic policies, including cuts to the federal workforce being made by Elon Musk and DOGE, and Trump’s tariffs on Canada, Mexico, and China.
Mayor Mike goes to Washington (3/15/2025)
https://www.themtnear.com/stories/peak-report-mayor-mike-goes-to-washington,33559?
Denver Mayor Mike Johnston went before the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform at Capitol Hill to testify in an investigation into “sanctuary cities,” along with a number of other mayors of “blue” cities. The purpose of the investigation was to hear the mayors’ testimony and build a case for the administration to deny federal grants to sanctuary cities.
Hands Off! (4/10/2025)
https://www.themtnear.com/stories/peak-report-hands-off,37431?
Colorado joined the rest of the country on Saturday, April 5, 2025, in holding peaceful protests under the banner of “Hands Off!”, an organized national movement against President Donald J. Trump’s and Elon Musk’s perceived “power grab” of American democracy.
Nederland’s Hands Off! protest was organized by the Mountain Forum for Peace (MFP), who were already in the process of forming a movement in support of Ukraine when they decided that the Trump Administration’s foreign relations were enough of an affront to American and humanitarian ideals to constitute a protest.
Polis signs transgender rights bill (5/22/2025)
https://www.themtnear.com/stories/polis-passes-transgender-rights-bill,43510?
The bill, titled “Legal Protections for Transgender Individuals,” defines deadnaming and misgendering as discriminatory acts, and prohibits such acts in “places of public accommodation.” Section 2 also states that a court can consider deadnaming, misgendering, and threats related to gender-affirming healthcare as “coercive control,” which should be a factor in determining parental responsibilities in such cases.
Colorado prepares after Operation Midnight Hammer (6/26/2025)
https://www.themtnear.com/stories/colorado-prepares-after-operation-midnight-hammer,47973?
Operation Midnight Hammer began at midnight Eastern time on Friday. As the early hours of Saturday, June 21, 2025, began, over 125 aircraft, launched from the Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri.
Colorado officials have spoken out and, perhaps unsurprisingly, are split along party lines on the foreign escalation. Governor Polis added that the state’s law enforcement agencies are “actively monitoring” for any heightened threats, echoing warnings issued on Sunday from the U.S. Departments of State and Homeland Security regarding possible heightened terrorist activity around the country.
Buying good press (8/28/2025)
https://www.themtnear.com/stories/buying-good-press,55719?
On August 19, 2025, it was announced that Nexstar Media Group has entered into the process of acquiring TEGNA for $6.2 billion, a consolidation of 64 television stations. Despite Nexstar promoting the acquisition as a way to preserve “high quality local journalism and diversity of opinion,” those opposed to the acquisition, including Colorado Senator Michael Bennet and Denver Mayor Mike Johnston, believe that Nexstar’s commitment to “synergy,” “profitability,” and to its shareholders will ultimately trump their dedication to local voices and civic responsibility.
Losing Space Command (9/11/2025)
https://www.themtnear.com/stories/losing-space-command,57359?
On Tuesday, September 2, 2025, President Donald J. Trump announced in a press conference his decision to relocate the U.S. Space Command (SPACECOM) headquarters out of Colorado and off to Alabama.
“We love Alabama. I only won it by about 47 points. I don’t think that influenced my decision, though,” Trump said from the Oval Office.
“The problem I have with Colorado, one of the big problems, they do mail-in voting,” Trump continued. “They went to all mail-in voting, so they have automatically crooked elections.”
Political violence (9/25/2025)
https://www.themtnear.com/stories/political-violence,59604?
“We can do this the easy way or the hard way,” Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Brendan Carr said.
He was referring to using his position to force legacy media companies, namely Comcast and Disney, into capitulation with President Donald J. Trump’s demands to censor free speech.
The order came just after television host Jimmy Kimmel said in his monologue that Tyler Robinson—the Utah native who shot influencer and political commentator Charlie Kirk—was right-wing.
“We hit some new lows over the weekend with the MAGA gang desperately trying to characterize this kid who murdered Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them, and doing everything they can to score political points from it,” Kimmel said.
President of War (10/9/2025)
https://www.themtnear.com/stories/president-of-war,61865?
On Tuesday, September 30, 2025, “Secretary of War” Pete Hegseth and President Donald J. Trump held a meeting of the U.S. Military’s top officers at the Quantico Marines base in Virginia, during which Hegseth laid out new standards to be implemented, and President Trump signaled a “War at Home” against perceived “domestic terrorists.”
NSPM (National Security Presidential Memorandum) 7, provides more detail on what the Trump administration hopes to classify as terrorist activity. Behaviors that will be identified as domestic terrorism include: anti-police and anti-ICE sentiment and activities; the justification of murder “under the umbrella of anti-fascism and anti-American principles”; and anything that undermines “American values,” which include “free speech, citizenship, the rule of law, patriotic and familial devotion, and love of God.”
Shutdown affects health and human services (10/23/2025)
https://www.themtnear.com/stories/shutdown-affects-health-and-human-services,64622?
The United States Government has been shut down since October 1, 2025—22 days—beating the Winter 1995/1996 shutdown under President Bill Clinton, but still a week and a half behind the 35-day record from Winter 2018/2019, under President Donald J. Trump. The shutdown occurred after Democrats refused to vote for dramatic cuts in food and health benefits.
Boulder County, as well as Boulder Valley School District, are reporting that 298,000 Colorado families will lose some or all of their SNAP benefits.
Shutdown continues, communities endure (11/6/2025)
President Donald J. Trump lobbed Truth Social posts throughout Tuesday night, angrily denouncing the “blue wave” of Democratic victories that swept through the country.
These included a monumental mayoral race in New York City, races for governor in New Jersey and Virginia, and a vote in California approving Proposition 50.
Trump and the Republican Party refused to tap an emergency contingency fund that could have funded $4.65 billion of the $8 billion required to continue SNAP through November.
Colorado representatives have spoken up against these actions by the Trump Administration and launched an immediate response, with the Joint Budget Committee recently approving Governor Jared Polis’s request to fund Colorado food assistance programs with $10 million from the state’s reserves.
There were also two major propositions on Colorado voters’ ballots this November that involved bolstering programs aimed at feeding children. Both passed with strong majorities.
The unraveling will be televised (11/27/2025)
https://www.themtnear.com/stories/the-unraveling-will-be-televised,70822?
“We know you are under enormous stress and pressure right now. Americans trust their military, but that trust is at risk.”
These are words from a video released by Democratic members of Congress, including Senators Mark Kelly of Arizona and Elissa Slotkin of Michigan, and Representatives Chris Deluzio of Pennsylvania, Maggie Goodlander of New Hampshire, Chrissy Houlahan of Pennsylvania, and Jason Crow of Colorado, through public media channels on November 18.
“No one has to carry out orders that violate the law or our Constitution," the six veterans said. "Whether you’re serving in the CIA, the Army, the Navy, the Air Force, your vigilance is critical. And know that we have your back.”
President Trump reacted to the Democrats’ video by posting on his Truth Social platform: “SEDITIOUS BEHAVIOR, punishable by DEATH!” A proceeding post by the President read: “HANG THEM GEORGE WASHINGTON WOULD!!”
Since the blowback from the initial video, Crow has followed up with an interview with Fox News, where he listed the specific policies of the Trump Administration that he believes are unlawful.
“It’s very telling that President Trump and those around him think it’s criminal simply for asking people to follow the law,” Crow said. “This moment requires moral clarity. Every American, regardless of your background, should unite and reject his calls for political violence.”
ICE by the numbers (1/29/2026)
https://www.themtnear.com/stories/ice-by-the-numbers,80180
It has been disclosed that so far in 2026, the actions of US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) have caused the deaths of nine people: Alex Pretti, Renee Nicole Good, Keith Porter, Parady La, Heber Sanchaz Domínguez, Victor Manuel Diaz, Luis Beltran Yanez-Cruz, Luis Gustavo Nunez Caceres, and Geraldo Lunas Campos.
ICE is already operating heavily in Colorado, though not without opposition. Protests and legal action have been mounting against a potential new detention center in Hudson, and local lawmakers are pushing to pass a law which would prohibit ICE agents from wearing masks.
Both Colorado Senators, Michael Bennet and John Hickenlooper, have stated their intentions to block the proposed $64 billion in DHS funding and $10 million in ICE funding. Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser and his office have provided citizens the opportunity to log complaints about federal agents’ conduct using the state’s public complaint system, found here: coag.gov/file-complaint.
We are extremely proud of our award-winning reporter Chris Kelley, and enjoyed our look back at his exemplary work over the last year. He brings the same keen eye to his coverage of local politics every week in The Mountain-Ear. We hope you will continue to appreciate his work as much as we do.
