Photo by Steven Nasada

We barely got a day’s rest. When you’re in the business of journalism, things move fast, you expect that. But after our recent big court victory (which we shared in detail in the last issue), we felt like maybe things in the courts were swinging back towards common sense and decency and we wouldn’t have to worry about the judicial branch as much. But then the United States Supreme Court decided they had seen enough of the Voting Rights Act and, in doing so, not only tanked the representation of millions of Americans but ratcheted up our collective stress levels. It’s not a surprising decision (unfortunately), and it points to the fact that we can’t ever stop fighting.

Thankfully, we’ve got a pretty nice platform here for that fight. One that you’re an important part of. Yes, we’re on the streets asking the questions and writing the stories. But you’re reading them, sharing them, taking the next steps like going to community government meetings, visiting farmers’ markets, taking part in a protest. Together we’re working to keep people accountable, to shine a light on corruption and misdeeds, to fight for our neighbors, to push back on fascism. 

As these court cases have shown us, we’re in a “one step forward, two steps back” world. And of course, what’s important is that we take those backwards steps for what they are, just a setback, and we keep pushing forward. For us, that means digging in and continuing to tell the important stories because now, perhaps more than ever, local journalism is a vital resource.

With 85% of U.S. media now controlled by six major conglomerates, what we’re served often protects those in power—or worse, isn’t journalism at all. You’ve heard us say it, but it’s important enough to repeat: Yellow Scene is the last locally owned, independent publication serving all of Boulder County. Even though it could ease the financial challenges of independent media, we refuse pay-to-play content and hold ourselves to high standards. 

Those standards aren’t just what we expect from ourselves, we know that they are what the community expects from us. When you become a sustaining member, you’re voicing your support of those standards and helping us to maintain them. We invite you to become a monthly sustaining member to keep us coming to your mailbox with stories that matter.

Let’s keep this fight going. Together.

Yellow Scene’s 2026 Summer Support Drive is underway with a goal of 1,000 Sustaining Supporters by summer’s end.

For 26 years, we have remained fiercely independent, free from sponsored content and outside editorial influence.

Reader-driven support keeps local journalism unbossed, unbought, and our journalists fed. Become a sustaining supporter for $8/month and get Yellow Scene delivered to your home.

Join the Summer Support Drive and keep local journalism strong.

The post Editor’s Note: Back in the Fight appeared first on Yellow Scene Magazine.

There were two big events in April that have helped to illustrate our goals as local journalists. We hosted our annual SuperKids Expo (more on that next issue), where we celebrated who we are as a community today, and we see in the eyes of our youngest residents who our community is going to be.

But it was something else that created a reason to celebrate, not just for us, but for the community — we won an appellate court case in a 3-0 decision (in baseball terms, a shutout). Back in 2024, we requested all of the police body camera footage from the City of Boulder related to the officer-involved shooting of Jeanette Alatorre on December 17, 2023. Sure, the city said, only it will cost you around three thousand dollars. (That number would later inexplicably triple.)

Here’s the thing. There is a law in Colorado known as ELEIA or the Enhance Law Enforcement Integrity Act. That law does not permit agencies from charging fees before releasing certain types of footage. In fact, they can only slightly delay releasing video clips if there is an active investigation that the footage would be relevant to. The Boulder police department did not relent and so we took them to court in 2024. We won the case. The city appealed. And this month we won again. 

The Colorado Court of Appeals found that the Boulder police department in fact can not charge for this type of footage. As Yellow Scene attorney Matt Simonsen said in his arguments before the court “I would certainly hope that when there is a complaint of police misconduct that there are public employees reviewing this video for other purposes than just to blur it.” 

To say that we were overjoyed at winning the appeal would be an understatement. It’s also important to understand that when we say “we won this case” we mean it as what is often called the “Royal We.” Yes, this case was spurred by our desire to find the truth in a tragedy but the ruling will affect all of us. It’s a win for accountability, for equality, and for truth. And those are three things that sorely need a mark in the Win column now. It means that misdeeds can’t be hidden behind a paywall, that family members can regain a little faith in the follow-up of an incident, and that we can collectively watch for the truth, not settle for the official version of what they want that truth to be. You can follow that thought a little deeper with John Oliver in his Last Week Tonight segment on Bodycams.

When the verdict was announced we celebrated a victory for all of us. And then we got back to work because that’s what we do. And we do it best when we do it together so please keep reading, share the stories that matter to you with friends and family and become a sustaining member to keep those stories coming.

If that win does anything, it shows the power of local journalists who will scrape and fight for the truth.

Like journalism like this? Consider becoming a sustaining supporter — and get our print edition delivered to your home each month.

Democracy needs journalism more than ever. For 25 years, we’ve told the truth — your support helps us keep doing it for the next four and beyond. Administrations come and go. Our team stays ready to lead, no matter who’s in charge.

The post Editor’s Note: A Victory for the Community appeared first on Yellow Scene Magazine.

The post Editor’s Note: Now What? appeared first on Yellow Scene Magazine.

The post Editors Note: A Word from Our Staff appeared first on Yellow Scene Magazine.

Earlier this month, we reported on The debate surrounding House Bill 1208, legislation affecting tipped minimum wage in Colorado. Since publication, Rep. Steve Woodrow, a Colorado state representative and one of the bill’s sponsors, criticized our reporting. In the interest of transparency and accountability, we are publishing his full response and explaining where we believe his critique falls short.

Rep. Woodrow wrote:

“Respectfully, this is very strange ‘reporting.’ HB25-1208 was passed back in April. The version that passed doesn’t lower anyone’s wage. It DOES allow local governments to adjust their tip credit to ensure that mandatory local minimum wage increases don’t force restaurants to keep raising menu prices, furlough workers, cut shifts, eliminate benefits, and close entirely. Why the author didn’t reach out to me or the other sponsors to discuss this, and why this is being published with grossly inaccurate information months after the bill was already passed into law, is bizarre to say the least.”

First, our reporting is consistent with coverage from peer outlets including the Colorado Sun and Boulder Reporting Lab, both of which are cited in the article. While each outlet emphasized different aspects of the bill, our framing was well within the mainstream of how this legislation has been covered. The suggestion that our reporting was unusually inaccurate or outside the norm is not supported by the broader media record.

Rep. Woodrow also takes issue with the timing of the article. While HB 1208 passed earlier this year, our article clearly notes that the bill was introduced in early 2025. Our reporting focused on the ongoing divide between labor organizations, restaurant owners, and policymakers, not simply the legislative vote. We published less than two weeks after a protest planned around a Nov. 20 public hearing involving labor groups. Passage of a bill does not end its public impact. The conflict, organizing, and community response around this legislation have continued, and that discourse warranted coverage. Our newsroom does not aim to be a breaking news outlet. We prioritize follow-up reporting that examines consequences and unresolved tensions after a bill becomes law.

On accuracy, our reporting is careful because the policy itself is nuanced. We explicitly state that the bill does not reduce the total wages tipped workers are legally entitled to earn. We also report that it allows cities to lower the guaranteed hourly base pay for tipped workers, increasing reliance on tips and exposing workers to greater income instability. That characterization is accurate. Rep. Woodrow’s own explanation reflects this reality. When he argues the bill prevents restaurants from raising menu prices or cutting costs elsewhere, he is acknowledging that the policy reduces labor expenses. That reduction comes through changes to wage structure.

Rep. Woodrow also criticizes our sourcing. While we did not directly interview him or every single sponsor of the bill, we extensively quoted Sen. Judy Amabile of Boulder, a bill sponsor, whose comments are among the most frequently cited in the article. We included her arguments that the bill could prevent restaurant closures, rising prices, and job losses. We also included responses from labor advocates and studies that challenge those claims. Presenting competing evidence and allowing readers to draw their own conclusions is the purpose of this reporting.

We have published positive coverage of Sen. Amabile in the past, and even endorsed her. Rep. Woodrow’s response reads this article as partisan rather than analytical. Our intent was not to take a side, but to document an ongoing conflict tied to a broader national debate between restaurant owners and labor advocates. Rep. Woodrow may disagree with our framing, but we reject the characterization of our reporting as strange or misleading.

The ones who dared to fight City Hall.

 When Boulder denied public access to police body-cam footage, we took it to court. Our fight for transparency is now before the Colorado Supreme Court — because accountability doesn’t stop at the city line.

Through December 31, every gift to Yellow Scene will be matched — dollar for dollar — through the Colorado Media Project’s Matching Grant. Give & Get Democracy this Holiday Season. Your $8 recurring monthly support not only gets you YS delivered to your house, but it’s matched for the entire year, bringing that $8/month to $192.

Because Independent journalism isn’t just about telling stories. It’s about protecting your right to know, holding power accountable, and keeping democracy in the light. This is #newsCOneeds Becoming a sustaining supporter today for $8 a month!

The post Editor’s Note: Why We Stand by Our Boulder Tipped Wage Reporting appeared first on Yellow Scene Magazine.

On October 1st, a congressional stalemate triggered a record-setting government shutdown, leaving roughly 730,000 federal employees without pay.

Around the same time, Amazon announced massive layoffs that cut 140,000 corporate positions. Despite the assumption that white-collar work comes with financial safety nets, many families had little or no cushion to soften the blow. The sudden spike in job loss put real strain on our communities.

At least there are government services to help in moments like these—right?

On October 26th, families learned that the Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program (SNAP) would not renew in November. By then, many households had already stretched their food budgets to the limit. SNAP supports 4.2 million families—most of them employed, woven into their communities, working hard but facing barriers that wages alone can’t bridge.

I know this because my family is one of them.

Six months ago, an unexpected shift in our lives left me working two jobs with two very young children. Every week is a delicate calculation: work more and pay more for childcare, or save on childcare and lose income. SNAP ensures that even when I’m exhausted and stretched thin, I can put healthy meals on the table without spending hours of my limited time in line at the food bank. If I had a choice, of course I wouldn’t want to rely on assistance—but I will always choose feeding my children over feeding my pride.

On October 26th, after reading the announcement, I sat on the floor, cried, and tried to figure out how to make $33.17 last. I stared down the upcoming holidays, car registration, mortgage, credit cards. What bill could I afford to fall behind on so my kids could keep eating?

But as any parent of young children knows, you don’t stay on the floor for long. Once I pieced together a plan, I got up and dove into Halloween preparations.

On October 31st, I walked through our neighborhood with the cutest owl and dinosaur you can imagine. As we went door to door, I noticed something remarkable: many neighbors had not just candy, but real food—mac and cheese, soup, boxes of pasta, milk, juice—set out discreetly for adults to take. Our community had quietly come together to support one another when our government could not. That same night, judges filed petitions challenging the executive order, reflecting that same spirit of care and resistance.

By November 12th, the shutdown ended, SNAP was restored, and life in Washington returned to “business as usual.” But taking away pay or benefits— even briefly—has lasting consequences. Millions of Americans live paycheck to paycheck, many barely scraping by. These disruptions are not political strategy; they are direct harms to vulnerable families.

This holiday season, whether you find yourself donating to a food bank or relying on one, I hope you know this: your value is not measured by your income or your circumstances.. You are worth far more than your tax dollars.

Like Journalism Like this? Consider becoming a Sustaining Supporter, and we can cover even more.

Democracy needs journalism more than ever. For 25 years, we’ve told the truth — your support helps us keep doing it for the next four and beyond. Administrations come and go. Our team stays, ready to lead no matter who’s in charge.

Plus you get the hard copy delivered to your home—reading is good.

Democracy needs journalism more than ever. We’ve been telling the truth for 25 years. Your support helps us keep telling it for at least the next four years.

The post EDITORS NOTE: Let them eat candy appeared first on Yellow Scene Magazine.