🐫 Welcome to Wednesday, folks!

🌦️ Today's weather: Mostly sunny, with a slight chance of showers. High of 90.

🎂 Happy birthday to our member Alice Luknic!

Today's newsletter is 963 words — a 3.5-minute read.

Colorado's vaccination rates for kindergartners dipped across the board in the 2025-26 school year, while exemptions continued their post-pandemic rise, new CDC data shows.

Why it matters: The state's vaccination rates are among the nation's lowest, and public health officials worry about the possibility of outbreaks at schools and beyond.

By the numbers: Last school year, Colorado kindergartners' measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) coverage was 87.7%.

• Polio was 87.3%.
• Diphtheria, tetanus and acellular pertussis (DTaP) was 86.9%.
• Only hepatitis B topped 90%.

The number of parents claiming exemptions rose to 4.7%, or roughly 2,800 children, CDC data shows.

• The vast majority were non-medical exemptions, which remain accessible despite efforts to limit them.

The intrigue: Herd immunity is 95% coverage for core vaccines, such as MMR, per public health officials.

What they're saying: Colorado officials are working to improve immunization rates by sending reminders and taking a mobile vaccine bus to dozens of school-focused events.

Yes, but: Obstacles remain, Rachel Herlihy, a state epidemiologist, tells us. Multiple factors are driving numbers lower, but misinformation is key.

• "There's been growing confusion for parents about where to find trusted sources of information about vaccinations," she said.
• "They're hearing multiple competing voices."

The big picture: Colorado's vaccination rates for DTaP and polio are the fifth-lowest in the nation among states that report the data. For MMR, the state is sixth-lowest, an Axios analysis finds.

Send to a kindergarten parent

Before George Markert agreed to join the Republican ticket as lieutenant governor, he questioned Victor Marx about his controversial past.

What he's saying: Markert, a 54-year-old retired Marine colonel, left convinced Marx is the right person for the job.

• "He actually was very open," Markert told Axios in an exclusive interview. "There's a lot of misinformation pushed around about him."

Why it matters: With Marx's backstory looming over the campaign, Markert is emerging as a key validator for a ticket with two political outsiders in a contest that Republicans haven't won in two decades.

The big picture: Marx interviewed more than a dozen potential running mates before selecting Markert on July 31, saying the state "needs experienced leaders who know how to execute."

• They face Democrat Phil Weiser, the current attorney general, and Jefferson County Commissioner Lesley Dahlkemper, who bring significant experience in state and local government.

State of play: Marx is poised to give Markert a broad role in the administration if they win in November.

• Markert says his extensive background in logistics would put him at the center of the campaign's priorities: affordability, public safety and government accountability.

Full story

Colorado communities are taking dramatically different approaches to the boom in data center development, with a patchwork of moratoriums, incentives and new restrictions.

Why it matters: The local experimentation is filling a vacuum left by state lawmakers, who failed last legislative session to agree on how Colorado should regulate the resource-hungry facilities.

State of play: The fragmentation sets up another potential fight at the state Capitol next year over how to capture the upside of data center development without saddling communities with their enormous electricity, water and infrastructure demands.

The latest: Denver — which already has 50 data centers — halted new development until May 21, 2027, as it writes new rules.

• City leaders announced yesterday they'll recruit members starting Friday for a working group representing utilities, labor, industry, advocacy groups and residents to recommend policies governing future development.

Elsewhere, communities are charting their own course:

• Aurora rejected a moratorium this month but is developing stricter operating standards.
• Colorado Springs issued new guardrails last Friday that require developers to cover infrastructure costs, conserve water and mitigate noise.
• Douglas County this month approved a $19 million tax rebate for a data center under construction in Parker.
• Weld County, meanwhile, has repeatedly issued stop-work orders against Global AI over unauthorized construction at a proposed data center near Windsor that could become the state's largest, CPR reports.

Full story

💰 Boulder residents can score a $200 bonus from Airbnb to list their homes during the Sundance Film Festival next January. (Axios Boulder)

⛷️ Vail Resorts announced tentative opening dates for Breckenridge (Nov. 6), Vail (Nov. 13), Beaver Creek (Nov. 25), Crested Butte (Nov. 25) and Keystone (as early as October), in anticipation of the upcoming Super El Niño bringing blockbuster snowfall, John reports.

🏥 UCHealth University of Colorado Hospital in Aurora hasn't been reimbursed in 10 months by the Department of Homeland Security for care provided to immigrants detained at the Aurora detention center. (CPR)

The Denver Museum of Nature & Science is ready to reveal its $20 million glow-up on Sept. 1.

The big picture: Renovations to the Sturm Family Wing, which began in April 2025, transformed the theater, lobby and plaza.

Zoom in: The revamped plaza adds flexible outdoor space for gatherings, events and performances, plus infrastructure for year-round use.

• The lobby improves access to the Sturm Infinity Theater and doubles as a private event space.
• Accessibility upgrades include ramps and a sidewalk connecting nearby neighborhoods and bus riders to the museum.

Flashback: The project was funded by the locally based Sturm Family Foundation — the largest private donation in the museum's history.

What's next: The museum will celebrate with a free grand opening from 4-9pm Sept. 1.

Tell a museum-goer

🎿 John is buying an Epic Local pass and getting hyped for the season.

🌅 Alayna is exploring this interactive map that shows when the last 8pm sunset of the year is for every U.S. county.

🥩 Esteban is eating these Beyond Steak seared tips.

Thanks to our editor, Gigi Sukin.