Outside Denver City Hall, community organizer Nita Gonzales called the allegations against César Chávez in a bombshell report nauseating.

Zoom in: The daughter of Chicano Movement titan Rodolfo "Corky" Gonzales, Nita Gonzales said she met Chávez as a teenager when he worked with her father's Denver-based Crusade for Justice.

• "I have a daughter. I have nieces. I was heartbroken," she tells us.

Why it matters: The allegations — that Chávez spent years grooming and sexually abusing women and girls — upend his towering legacy among Latinos, including countless Chicanos in Denver inspired by his work advocating for civil and labor rights.

Driving the news: Mayor Mike Johnston said yesterday the city would rename the northwest Denver park bearing Chávez's name. The park's sign, a plaque and Chávez's bust were removed.

• The city also plans to observe Si Se Puede Day on March 31 instead of César Chávez Day to recognize the people behind the Chicano Movement. The new name draws from a popular chant meaning "Yes We Can."

Between the lines: Multiple speakers yesterday acknowledged sexual assault survivors and praised Chávez's alleged victims — including longtime labor leader Dolores Huerta — for coming forward.

What they're saying: A teary-eyed City Council President Amanda Sandoval said the movement for labor rights and equity is bigger than any one person.

• "For many of us, this is not just news — this touches our history, our identity, and the stories we were raised on," Sandoval said.

What's next

Colorado lawmakers learned yesterday that the state's fiscal picture is worse than previously known, raising the prospect of even deeper budget cuts.

Why it matters: The bad news appeared in two economic forecasts that shape the annual state budget.

What they're saying: "Today's economic forecast is nothing short of devastating. Between rising prices, federal cuts to essential programs and global uncertainty, the state budget is getting squeezed from all sides," budget writer Sen. Jeff Bridges (D-Greenwood Village) said in a statement.

Here's a peek at what's driving the outlook.

🪓 $1.1B: The state budget deficit in the current fiscal year, which grew $613 million in the latest March projections compared with December's outlook, according to legislative economists.

🪓 🪓 $1.5B: The budget deficit for next fiscal year, 2026-27, based on anticipated spending. It's $643 million greater than previously anticipated.

✂️ One Big Beautiful Bill Act: The tax cuts for businesses in President Trump's 2025 spending bill are contributing to the decline in state tax revenue and budget deficits, economists reported.

• Business income tax collections are expected to decrease $183 million in the current fiscal year and by $438 million in the next, starting July 1.

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Eight states, including Colorado, sued to block the massive $6.2 billion merger of Nexstar and Tegna that could create the largest local broadcast company in the country.

Why it matters: The deal, which would require lifting the limit on television station ownership, is a litmus test for the Federal Communications Commission's deregulation drive.

• FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr has signaled he supports the transaction.

What they're saying: "The proposed Nexstar/Tegna merger would give Nexstar control over an astonishing number of television stations across the nation, including KUSA and KDVR in Denver," Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser said in a statement.

Driving the news: Colorado and the seven other states argue in their Wednesday filing that "eliminating independent news operations will diminish diversity in news coverage," which is "critical to the ability of an informed citizenry to participate in local governmental and community activities."

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✈️ DIA's general counsel is accusing Mayor Mike Johnston and city officials of misconduct related to a property swap for the Park Hill golf course and a ban on Key Lime Air. The mayor's office denies the allegations. (Denver Post 🔑)

⚖️ A federal class action lawsuit against the Polis administration says officials are detaining children for weeks or months, violating their constitutional rights, John reports.

👀 The Polis administration is asking state lawmakers to open a new prison — possibly two — to handle a projected growth in inmates. (Colorado Sun)

🚩 The state's Independent Ethics Commission cleared Department of Natural Resources director Dan Gibbs of wrongdoing related to a contract the agency awarded to the Keystone Policy Center, where his wife worked, John reports.

Popularized on TikTok, the "extreme day trip" is a budget-friendly way to take a vacation without paying for a hotel.

Zoom in: I thought I'd try an extreme vacation for $100 from North Texas to Denver, taking advantage of low-cost airfare (before the war in Iran drove up jet fuel prices).

How it worked: I booked a $46 same-day round-trip flight from Dallas to Denver on Frontier Airlines, leaving at 6am and returning at 9pm.

• That left me with $54 for everything else: meals, transportation, activities and whatever unexpected expenses came up.

My first stop was Union Station, where I grabbed a $4 coffee at Pigtrain Coffee Co. before taking in the sights on foot, including Coors Field.

• At 11am, I met up with Axios Denver's Esteban at Tequila + Tacos, where I ordered a Sonoran-style bacon-wrapped hot dog topped with borracho beans and fresh slaw.
• It was delicious — surprisingly filling — and cost $13.41.

Follow the money: All in, the trip was $91.41 — $46 for the flight, $18 for parking, $10 for the train, $4 for coffee and $13.41 for lunch.

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