Colorado officials are clashing with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. — just as the state confronts its first measles case of the year.

State of play: Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser yesterday co-led a coalition of two dozen states in suing HHS and RFK Jr. over the sudden termination of $11 billion in public health grants — including more than $229 million earmarked for Colorado.

• That money funded vaccine programs, emergency preparedness and infectious disease surveillance. Cuts "will cause untold damage to Colorado," Weiser said in a statement.

Driving the news: The lawsuit comes one day after Colorado confirmed its first measles case since 2023 in an unvaccinated adult in Pueblo who recently traveled to Mexico. State health officials are now scrambling to trace exposures, warn providers and up immunizations.

• Compounding tensions, Kennedy has touted vitamin A as an effective measles treatment — a claim that Colorado health officials yesterday cautioned as potentially misleading and dangerous.

What they're saying: "The MMR vaccine is the one really effective strategy we have," state epidemiologist Rachel Herlihy told Axios Denver.

• She acknowledged vitamin A can play a "limited role" in improving outcomes for severely ill children, but emphasized it's "not preventive" and should only be used under medical supervision due to serious toxicity risks.

What we're watching: HHS began laying off 10,000 staff yesterday — a move that could hamper national preparedness as diseases like measles and avian flu gain ground.

• Colorado's chief medical officer, Ned Calonge, told Axios Denver the state is still assessing the fallout. "We have insufficient information to … predict whether [those job cuts] will have an impact on Colorado's ability to respond."

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Colorado's K-12 measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccination rate dropped to 93.6% in the 2023-24 school year.

• That's the lowest level since at least 2017, per the latest state data.

U.S. Rep. Brittany Pettersen yesterday celebrated a rare bipartisan victory in Congress.

The big picture: The Lakewood Democrat joined U.S. Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-Fla.) in backing a resolution to allow members who are new parents to vote by proxy — despite House Speaker Mike Johnson's (R-La.) attempt to block it.

Why it matters: The proposed resolution marks a tentative victory for Pettersen and other parents or aspiring parents serving in Congress.

Between the lines: It's a major loss for Johnson, whose attempts to snuff out the resolution angered some Republicans as it tied proxy voting to a bill prohibiting non-citizens from voting in federal elections.

• Nine House Republicans yesterday rejected Johnson's attempt to block the resolution.

State of play: Pettersen lobbied for the rule change before giving birth to her second child on Jan. 25, introducing the bipartisan resolution alongside Luna and U.S. Reps. Sara Jacobs (D-Calif.) and Mike Lawler (R-N.Y.) weeks prior.

• The proposal would allow remote voting for new mothers and fathers for three months after their child is born.

What they're saying: "Don't f— with moms," Pettersen reportedly said yesterday alongside Luna, who's also a mother, in addressing Johnson.

What's next

Most major U.S. cities are suffering from longer allergy seasons amid human-caused climate change — but not Denver, a new analysis finds.

Driving the news: The freeze-free growing season lengthened between 1970 and 2024 in nearly 90% of the 198 cities analyzed by Climate Central, a research and communications group.

Yes, but: Not Denver.

• The number of consecutive freeze-free days fell in Denver (-8) along with the Grand Junction area (-9).
• Those days in Colorado Springs, however, grew (5).

How it works: Climate Central uses the freeze-free period — the number of consecutive days with minimum temperatures above 32°F — as a proxy for allergy season.

• Above-freezing temperatures allow for better plant growth and thus the release of more sneeze-inducing pollen.

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🍺 Great Divide, one of Denver's oldest breweries, was acquired by Wilding Brands, the new — and local — company formed through the merger of Denver Beer Co. and Stem Ciders. (DBJ 🔑)

✈️ Denver City Council yesterday approved a $15 million contract to study widening Peña Boulevard, Esteban reports.

🚍 The state will provide $100 million for bus-rapid transit projects in Denver and other parts of the Front Range, with money from Uber and Lyft ride fees potentially helping cover costs. (CPR)

⚖️ Five Colombian nationals are in federal custody after Aurora police executed a search warrant last month in connection to two dozen residential burglaries. (9News)

👀 A passenger on the American Airlines flight that caught fire in March after landing at DIA is suing the airline. (Denver Post 🔑)

💼 Confidence among Colorado business owners has dropped sharply due to the Trump administration's policies, including tariffs, according to a quarterly report from the University of Colorado's Leeds School of Business. (CPR)

🗓️ Mark your calendar with our Event Board.

Phoenix Global Forum at Phoenix Convention Center April 8-9: Join them for two days of discussion on AI, biotech, space and more. Register now.

Hosting an event? Email [email protected].

Colorado brought its A-game to April Fools' Day yesterday.

🖼️ Gov. Jared Polis unveiled his "new official gubernatorial portrait" in the state Capitol (pictured above) that would make "South Park" proud.

🎸 Red Rocks rebranded as Blue Rocks, claiming it had been coated in an eco-friendly dye to match Denver's blue public art obsession.

🐴 Denver International Airport said it was hiring a handler for Blucifer to manage his "extremely busy tour and photography schedule" and keep him looking sharp.

👟 Colorado Springs announced plans to install an escalator next to the 2,744-step Manitou Incline — complete with a straight-faced quote about accessibility that fooled a certain Axios Denver reporter who shall remain nameless (... OK, it was me).

The bottom line: Well played, Colorado. Well played.