Colorado Business & Economy: Utilities & Cost Pressures: Colorado regulators approved an Xcel Energy rate hike, raising monthly bills for customers, adding to the squeeze from higher energy and living costs. Housing & Local Growth: Denver-area education and housing pressures keep showing up in policy fights, including a judge rejecting a gas challenge that would affect new building requirements and a push to cut red tape to speed business approvals in Douglas County. Energy & Water: Mineral-rights deals are unraveling in Colorado as companies back out, while drought and Colorado River cuts continue to threaten water-dependent operations and local economies. Legal & Corporate Watch: Meta Trial: Colorado AG Philip Weiser is among officials suing Meta over alleged harms to children online, as a landmark trial gets underway with claims of “don’t ask, don’t tell” youth-safety failures. Aerospace Trade Secrets: A Colorado judge dismissed a “copycat” trade-secrets suit involving an aerospace and defense manufacturer, a win for the defendants and a reminder of how hard these cases are to prove. Workforce & Training: Johnson Controls’ Denver-linked JCI Academy hit its 500th graduate milestone, underscoring continued demand for skilled technicians. Tech & Privacy: Flock Cameras: Flock Safety faces mounting scrutiny after allegations of police misuse of license-plate reader data; Denver ended its Flock agreement earlier this year.