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Colorado - Thu. 11/05/26 |
A Free Business Publication from Alpine Bank
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COLORADO ELECTION RESULTS STILL NOT COMPLETE, AN UPDATE
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As of 5 p.m. on Wednesday night, there still were some statewide elections in Colorado without declared victors. Here is an update on several fronts:
U.S. House of Representatives
- District 3, Western Colorado and Pueblo: Republican Jeff Hurd holds a 49.2 percent-47.6 percent advantage over Democrat Dwayne Romero, with a lead of 5,013 votes
- District 4, Eastern Colorado: Democrat Eileen Laubacher holds a 49.2 percent-47.7 percent advantage over Republican Lauren Boebert, by a margin of 5,030 votes
- District 5, El Paso County: Democrat Jessica Killin holds a 50.9 percent-45.8 percent advantage over Republican Jeff Crank, with a margin of 13,381 votes
Statewide Constitutional Amendments (most required a 55 percent vote to be enacted, though Amendment 87 only needs a majority vote because it does not call for adding any language to the state constitution)
- Amendment 81 (Law Enforcement Communication with Federal Immigration Authorities): No 55 percent, yes 45 percent - Declared as defeated
- Amendment 82 (Constitutional Right to Purchase and Sell Natural Gas): 54 percent no, 46 percent yes – Declared as defeated
- Amendment 83 (Constitutional Right to Hunt and Fish): No 55 percent, Yes 45 percent -declared as defeated
- Amendment 84 (Mail Ballot Voter Identification): No 63 percent, Yes 37 percent - declared as defeated
- Colorado Amendment 85 (Plain Language Ballot Titles): Yes 51 percent, No 49 percent
- Amendment 86 (Requirements for Off-Cycle Congressional Redistricting): No 53 percent, Yes 47 percent
- Amendment 87 (Graduated Income Tax): Yes 50.4 percent, No 49.6 percent
Other statewide issues
- Proposition NN (Using Tabor Act refunds in support of K-12 education) declared passed: margin 55.6 percent-44.3 percent
Major transportation issues
- Front Range Rail District: Voters in Adams, Arapahoe, Boulder, Broomfield, Denver, Douglas, El Paso, Jefferson, Larimer, Las Animas, Pueblo and Weld counties voted on Issue 7A to add a .333 percent sales tax – 3.3 cents on a $10 purchase – in communities in the district to build, maintain and run a rail line between Pueblo and Fort Collins by adding or upgrading train stations in Littleton, Sterling Ranch in Douglas County, Colorado Springs and Pueblo. It passed by a margin of 56 percent to 44 percent
- In northwest Colorado, voters in the Yampa Valley Regional Transportation Authority district, which includes the city of Steamboat Springs, and unincorporated Routt County, Hayden, Oak Creek, Yampa and Craig, voted on a measure to approve a half-cent tax to fund the Yampa Valley RTA. The measure passed by a 57 percent-43 percent margin
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MARKETS LOVE CERTAINTY, DOW ZOOMS UP 1,500 POINTS, OIL GOES LOWER
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Stocks ripped higher on Wednesday as a decisive victory by Democrats in the U.S. midterm elections removed the political uncertainty risk hanging over Wall Street. The Dow Jones Industrial Average traded 1,514 points, or 2.9 percent, higher. The 30-stock index moved back above 53,000 for the first time since Sept. 8. The S&P 500 gained 1.7 percent, while the Nasdaq Composite jumped 1.9 percent. Stocks extended their gains after U.S. crude oil fell more than 8 percent as Vice President JD Vance blamed the Iran war for the election losses the Republican party suffered Tuesday.
Brent futures traded more than 8 percent lower. Stock futures reversed initial losses and turned higher overnight as investors embraced the certainty offered by the decisive results. Investors also warmed to the prospect of policy gridlock under a divided government, which can curb excess spending and create a more predictable outlook for markets. The VIX, which measures expectations for volatility, sank 16 percent.
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TUESDAY’S ELECTION BROUGHT SOME “FIRSTS” IN SEVERAL STATES
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For the first time in U.S. history, a record five Black governors will serve at the same time following last night’s elections:
- Georgia’s Keisha Lance Bottoms, a Democrat, who will be the nation’s first female Black governor
Other first Black governors elected:
- Wisconsin Democrat David Crowley
- Florida Republican Byron Donalds
- Nevada Democrat Aaron Ford
- Democrat Wes Moore won reelection in Maryland, where he’s been the governor since 2023.
Other firsts:
- In Texas, Democrat Gina Hinojosa will be the state’s first Latina governor
- Ohio will also have its first female governor in Democrat Amy Acton
- New Mexico’s Deb Haaland, former secretary of the interior under the Biden administration, will be the first female Native American governor in U.S. history
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CANADA LOOKING TO EXPAND VANCOUVER PORT TO INCREASE NON-U.S. EXPORTS
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Canada has declared the expansion of the country’s busiest port in Vancouver, British Columbia a national priority if the country is to reach its goal of doubling non-U.S. exports in the next ten years (by 2035). The declaration means that officials are tasked with determining how the expansion proceeds and under what conditions, as opposed to whether it requires approval, with the final investment decision from the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority by mid-2027. The authority, which manages the Vancouver port, said the expansion project would increase container capacity by about 50 percent, through a new landmass and wharf structure covering 300 acres.
This additional capacity could support annual trade of 100 billion Canadian dollars (US$71.5 billion). Officials peg the project’s cost at C$5.9 billion, or about US$4.2 billion. The port authority said the Vancouver terminal currently handles more than C$1 billion in commerce daily, and more cargo than the next five largest Canadian ports combined.
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THE ULTIMATE LOCATION FOR CELEBRATING DÍAS DE LOS MUERTOS
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Días de Los Muertos, or Days of the Dead, is a traditional two-day celebration in Mexico on Nov. 1 and 2. However, in one small mountain town it is commemorated for 10 days. That town is Metlatónoc, a remote Indigenous town reached by winding dirt roads where ancestral beliefs remain woven into daily life. Metlatónoc is home to an Indigenous people known as Na Savi, or People of the Rain, and for this Mixtec group, death is not an ending but a passage to a place where the dead dwell. The 10-days celebrate the departed returning to visit the living. The celebration starts on Oct. 24, when families summon the recently departed, followed by those lost for many years on Oct. 28. On Oct. 31, the spirits of children are called home. Everyone else is summoned the next day before they all depart on Nov. 2.
Inside homes, elaborate altars stand beneath arches of brilliant orange marigolds, the flower long associated with the passage between life and death. Fruit and sugared bread hang from the arches, their scents joining the flowers to guide loved ones home. Under the arches, photographs of the departed stand among tamales, atole (a warm, thick corn drink) and other foods the dead once enjoyed. Tiny, coin-sized tortillas for children and pets that have passed. Cigarettes for those who smoked.
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WILL THE SKY FULL OF SATELLITES BLOCK OUT A STARRY NIGHT
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The $800 million U.S.-taxpayer-funded telescope at the Vera C. Rubin Observatory at the edge of Chile’s Atacama Desert just opened with the promise of providing a groundbreaking “survey” of the universe, the most comprehensive catalog of its galaxies, asteroids, supernovas and black holes ever completed. But Rubin’s scientists have encountered a problem. Fast-moving, light-reflecting satellites are leaving white streaks across their photographs. Around the world, scientists warn that these orbiting machines will make it increasingly difficult to do astronomical research from Earth—and, eventually, will render the night sky unrecognizable.
There are now more than 17,000 active satellites in orbit, compared with around 1,000 a decade ago, said Jonathan McDowell, an astrophysicist who has cataloged every orbital rocket launch since 1957. A decade from now, he estimates, there will probably be over 100,000. Currently, satellites are mainly used for telecommunications. The majority are owned by Starlink, which provides internet connectivity around the world. In the future, as it becomes cheaper to launch material into space, more companies and governments will launch their own satellites. Blue Origin, Google, Cowboy Space and others have all said they plan to build orbital data centers, which would likely consist of hundreds of thousands of satellites.
SpaceX says its “Starmind” orbital data center would have over a million satellites. Satellites now aren’t very large. Starlink’s satellites are about four square meters in size, roughly equivalent to a king bed. But satellites involved in orbital data centers would be much larger. Astronomers at the Rubin Observatory just started their 10-year survey of space but remain concerned that it may end early. Not only do satellites leave streaks across the telescope’s photographs, but megaconstellations of satellites could scatter so much light that it would brighten the entire sky.
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COLLINS DICTIONARY WORD OF THE YEAR 2026: “MOGGING”
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The popular online Collins Dictionary announced that its 2026 Word of the Year is “mogging.” Dictionary experts said Tuesday that the word is a slang word meaning to outshine someone or something and is most often used by young people “in a playful and ironic way when someone is upstaged.” It has become mainstream and saw a 210 percent increase in usage in 2026. Other new and notable entries include “firewaves,” defined as a series of urban wildfires in a short space of time, and “P(doom),” an estimation of the probability that artificial intelligence will bring about the collapse of human civilization.
- The dictionary said that its experts monitor the 27-billion-word database, which draws from sources including social media, to create its annual list of words that reflect the ever-evolving English language.
- The 2026 list includes “carspreading,” which refers to the tendency of manufacturers to build cars that are longer, wider and heavier, and “fricy,” describing trendy food or drinks that are both fruity and spicy.
- Other new entries were “ghost jobs” — jobs that are advertised without any intention to appoint anyone — and “friendslop,” a type of low-budget, independently produced video game played among friends.
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LA PLATA OPEN SPACE CONSERVANCY HERE TO HELP
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The folks at the La Plata Open Space Conservancy recognize that the ongoing flooding has affected people in different ways. Some are dealing with significant damage to their homes, properties, and livelihoods, while others are helping family, friends, kids, and neighbors navigate the aftermath. Recovery will take time. The LPOSC has compiled a list of flood recovery resources, including assistance with cleanup, housing, food, financial support, and emotional well-being. If you need someone to listen, you are welcome to call or text 970-259-3415. The Grief Center of Southwest Colorado is offering emotional support at 970-403-5230. The Disaster Distress Helpline is also available by calling or texting 800-985-5990.
Resources:
- Colorado Responds: Centralized flood recovery resources for Southwest Colorado, including emergency shelter, financial assistance, property cleanup, temporary housing, donations, and volunteer opportunities. Coordinated through Colorado Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (COVOAD); hcoresponds.org/26swfloods
- 211 Colorado: Connects residents with food, shelter, emergency supplies, housing, financial assistance, and other recovery services. Phone: 211; 211colorado.org
- La Plata County Flood Information and Resources: County emergency management information, including evacuation notices, emergency shelter, sandbag locations, road closures, livestock assistance, cleanup services, donations, and volunteer opportunities; 970-385-8700; laplatadems.org/lpc-flood-resources
- La Plata County Flood Updates: Official county information on flood recovery, property cleanup, water safety, mold prevention, road conditions, and available assistance; lpcgov.org/flood
- La Plata County Human Services: Assistance and referrals for families affected by flooding, including access to available county human services programs; 970-382-6150; lpcgov.org
- Durango Chamber of Commerce Flood Resources: Information on financial assistance, property cleanup, emergency housing, community relief funds, Red Cross services, and business recovery loans; durangobusiness.org/flood-resources
- Pagosa Springs Flood Recovery: Local information on damage reporting, cleanup assistance, financial resources, emergency services, and recovery updates; pagosasprings.co.gov/349/October-2026-Flood-Recovery
- Archuleta County Flood Recovery Resources: Local organizations providing food assistance, emergency supplies, community support, and opportunities to donate or volunteer in Pagosa Springs and surrounding areas; archuletacounty.gov/2026/11/compiled-resources-ways-to-help-services-area-flooding
- Archuleta County Emergency Flood Assistance and Shelter: Information on emergency shelter, immediate assistance, and services available to residents affected by flooding; archuletacounty.gov/2026/11/critical-flood-assistance-shelter-information
- Crisis Cleanup: Connects homeowners affected by flooding with volunteer crews for debris removal, muck-out, and cleanup. Assistance depends on volunteer availability; 970-283-7325; crisiscleanup.org
- American Red Cross: Emergency assistance for eligible flood-affected households, including potential financial assistance and connections to additional recovery services; 970-242-4851; redcross.org
- FEMA National Flood Insurance Program: Guidance for flood insurance policyholders on filing claims, documenting property damage, working with insurance adjusters, beginning repairs, and requesting advance payments; floodsmart.gov/recover/start-a-claim
- Airbnb.org Temporary Housing: Temporary lodging credits of up to 28 nights may be available to qualifying households whose primary residences are within mandatory evacuation zones. Contact 211 Colorado to inquire about eligibility and registration; 866-760-6489, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Credit assistance: 650-249-3243; contact@airbnb.org; airbnb.com/e/how-to-use-airbnb-org-credit
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MARKET UPDATE - 11/04/2026 Close
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(Courtesy of Alpine Bank Wealth Management*)
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Canadian dollar (per U.S. dollar)
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Mexican peso (per U.S. dollar)
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30-year fixed mortgage rate (Freddie Mac 10/29/2026)
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*Not FDIC insured. May lose value. Not guaranteed by the bank.
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Alpine Bank is an independent, employee-owned organization with headquarters in Glenwood Springs and banking offices across Colorado's Western Slope, mountains and Front Range. Alpine Bank serves customers with retail, business, wealth management*, mortgage and electronic banking services. Learn more at alpinebank.com.
*Alpine Bank Wealth Management services are not FDIC insured, may lose value and are not guaranteed by the bank.
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