Wildfire & Air Quality: As Colorado’s fire season stays primed for extreme behavior, smoke and ozone are pushing health alerts across the Front Range and Northern Colorado, with officials urging people to check daily air quality and limit outdoor exertion for sensitive groups. Fireworks Under Restrictions: With drought and active blazes driving crackdowns, Jefferson County is enforcing Stage 2 rules that ban personal fireworks (with fines up to $600), while Englewood is still deciding whether to hold its July 4 show. On the Western Slope, Gunnison, Meeker, Bayfield and Cortez are planning professional fireworks despite nearby fire danger. Colorado River Crisis: A new documentary, “The Great Depletion,” spotlights the Colorado River crisis as decision-makers race toward an October plan; meanwhile, Native American water rights progress is stalled as Upper Basin states block a settlement that would bring running water to northern Arizona tribes. Packaging & Pollution Policy: A coalition of state attorneys general is challenging California’s packaging and plastics EPR law in federal court, adding to the growing legal fight over producer responsibility rules. EV Battery Recycling: Colorado’s new law aims to require EV battery reuse, repurposing and recycling, signaling tighter materials management as the state expands sustainability rules.