Ryan Spencer
@summitspencer.bsky.social
Journalist for Colorado Rocky Mountain newspapers. 🏕️🏔️⛷️ Lover of the great outdoors.
Reposted by Ryan Spencer
Flashbangs burn hotter then lava.
They've caused serious burns, severed hands, and even killed.
*That's* what ICE just tossed into a car full of kids.
Here's our investigation from 2015, by @juliaangwin.com:
www.propublica.org/article/flas...
They've caused serious burns, severed hands, and even killed.
*That's* what ICE just tossed into a car full of kids.
Here's our investigation from 2015, by @juliaangwin.com:
www.propublica.org/article/flas...
January 15, 2026 at 12:25 PM
Flashbangs burn hotter then lava.
They've caused serious burns, severed hands, and even killed.
*That's* what ICE just tossed into a car full of kids.
Here's our investigation from 2015, by @juliaangwin.com:
www.propublica.org/article/flas...
They've caused serious burns, severed hands, and even killed.
*That's* what ICE just tossed into a car full of kids.
Here's our investigation from 2015, by @juliaangwin.com:
www.propublica.org/article/flas...
Reposted by Ryan Spencer
This is 10th-grader Arnoldo Bazan.
A citizen.
Immigration agents grabbed him and put him in a chokehold.
"We're from the United States bro!' he screamed.
Agents took and sold his phone
And when he finally got home hours later, his shirt was ripped, he neck had angry, red welts, and he sobbed.
A citizen.
Immigration agents grabbed him and put him in a chokehold.
"We're from the United States bro!' he screamed.
Agents took and sold his phone
And when he finally got home hours later, his shirt was ripped, he neck had angry, red welts, and he sobbed.
January 13, 2026 at 10:20 PM
This is 10th-grader Arnoldo Bazan.
A citizen.
Immigration agents grabbed him and put him in a chokehold.
"We're from the United States bro!' he screamed.
Agents took and sold his phone
And when he finally got home hours later, his shirt was ripped, he neck had angry, red welts, and he sobbed.
A citizen.
Immigration agents grabbed him and put him in a chokehold.
"We're from the United States bro!' he screamed.
Agents took and sold his phone
And when he finally got home hours later, his shirt was ripped, he neck had angry, red welts, and he sobbed.
Reposted by Ryan Spencer
She was not alone.
Immigration agents have shot at least 14 people over the past year. That includes:
-3 people who were observing ICE.
-5 people who were driving away.
-4 people who’ve been killed.
-5 people injured.
www.thetrace.org/2025/12/immi...
Immigration agents have shot at least 14 people over the past year. That includes:
-3 people who were observing ICE.
-5 people who were driving away.
-4 people who’ve been killed.
-5 people injured.
www.thetrace.org/2025/12/immi...
January 8, 2026 at 12:33 AM
She was not alone.
Immigration agents have shot at least 14 people over the past year. That includes:
-3 people who were observing ICE.
-5 people who were driving away.
-4 people who’ve been killed.
-5 people injured.
www.thetrace.org/2025/12/immi...
Immigration agents have shot at least 14 people over the past year. That includes:
-3 people who were observing ICE.
-5 people who were driving away.
-4 people who’ve been killed.
-5 people injured.
www.thetrace.org/2025/12/immi...
Blue Valley Ranch, which stocks and feeds fish on its stretch of river, pushed back on the fish survey’s conclusion
www.skyhinews.com/news/colorad...
www.skyhinews.com/news/colorad...
Survey of Colorado Gold Medal fishing location on Blue River cites fish feeding as possible reason for river health decline
A Colorado Parks and Wildlife fish survey along the Lower Blue River cites a billionaire landowner’s practice of feeding fish — rather than overfishing — as the likely cause of increasing fish mortali...
www.skyhinews.com
January 4, 2026 at 6:36 PM
Blue Valley Ranch, which stocks and feeds fish on its stretch of river, pushed back on the fish survey’s conclusion
www.skyhinews.com/news/colorad...
www.skyhinews.com/news/colorad...
Reposted by Ryan Spencer
This is a tired strategy: accuse journalists seeking response and more information of "stalking" and "harassment"... rather than engage even to simply offer a "no comment." People in power, especially taxpayer-funded ones, should have to answer questions: www.propublica.org/article/prop...
Our Reporters Reached Out for Comment. They Were Accused of Stalking and Intimidation.
Our journalists reach out to people they’re writing about to ensure fairness. But in this environment, they’ve found their efforts to do so are more likely to be vilified than appreciated.
www.propublica.org
December 30, 2025 at 5:54 PM
This is a tired strategy: accuse journalists seeking response and more information of "stalking" and "harassment"... rather than engage even to simply offer a "no comment." People in power, especially taxpayer-funded ones, should have to answer questions: www.propublica.org/article/prop...
Another day, another hurdle to getting public records in Colorado.
At least two sheriff's offices are requiring that journalists like myself either get a notarized signature or show up in person to collect records. That additional expense is not required by law.
coloradofoic.org/attorney-for...
At least two sheriff's offices are requiring that journalists like myself either get a notarized signature or show up in person to collect records. That additional expense is not required by law.
coloradofoic.org/attorney-for...
Attorney for 9NEWS and Colorado Public Radio: Requiring notarization of records request forms an ‘unreasonable hurdle’ - Colorado Freedom of Information Coalition
A Weld County Sheriff’s Office requirement that records request forms be notarized “creates an arbitrary and unreasonable hurdle” and “does not serve any legitimate government interest,” a letter from an attorney for two news organizations says.
coloradofoic.org
December 17, 2025 at 3:40 PM
Another day, another hurdle to getting public records in Colorado.
At least two sheriff's offices are requiring that journalists like myself either get a notarized signature or show up in person to collect records. That additional expense is not required by law.
coloradofoic.org/attorney-for...
At least two sheriff's offices are requiring that journalists like myself either get a notarized signature or show up in person to collect records. That additional expense is not required by law.
coloradofoic.org/attorney-for...
Reposted by Ryan Spencer
"The newspaper industry served as a feeder for our entire news media ecosystem. So when we lose those newspapers, we've lost that journalism. In the early 2000s, we had 40 journalists per 100,000 people. We're now down to 8 journalists per 100,000 people," says @victorpickard.bsky.social.
December 16, 2025 at 7:12 PM
"The newspaper industry served as a feeder for our entire news media ecosystem. So when we lose those newspapers, we've lost that journalism. In the early 2000s, we had 40 journalists per 100,000 people. We're now down to 8 journalists per 100,000 people," says @victorpickard.bsky.social.
Reposted by Ryan Spencer
It's simple — @propublica.org workers should not be replaced by artificial intelligence. Our contract proposal specifically says that generative artificial intelligence ("GAI") should not be used to replace employees. Management struck out this entire section in their response to our proposal.
December 3, 2025 at 9:46 PM
It's simple — @propublica.org workers should not be replaced by artificial intelligence. Our contract proposal specifically says that generative artificial intelligence ("GAI") should not be used to replace employees. Management struck out this entire section in their response to our proposal.
Reposted by Ryan Spencer
One of my underlying working models for non-profit news is that nobody is in competition with each other. We should all be co-operative. We should be open sourcing code, sharing wins and losses, and doing as much as possible to lift each other up - out in the open so newcomers can benefit too.
November 6, 2025 at 2:31 PM
One of my underlying working models for non-profit news is that nobody is in competition with each other. We should all be co-operative. We should be open sourcing code, sharing wins and losses, and doing as much as possible to lift each other up - out in the open so newcomers can benefit too.
Just months after the federal government closed on a land exchange with a billionaire, a proposal to institute a permit system on the Blue River has ignited a conversation about river access and fishery health in Colorado.
www.summitdaily.com/news/colorad...
www.summitdaily.com/news/colorad...
A billionaire, a land swap, gold medal fishing, ‘dinosaur’ trout and a permit proposal anglers are calling a ‘bait and switch’ in Colorado
Just months after the federal government closed on a land exchange with a billionaire, a proposal to institute a permit system on the Blue River has ignited a conversation about river access and fishe...
www.summitdaily.com
October 28, 2025 at 4:44 PM
Just months after the federal government closed on a land exchange with a billionaire, a proposal to institute a permit system on the Blue River has ignited a conversation about river access and fishery health in Colorado.
www.summitdaily.com/news/colorad...
www.summitdaily.com/news/colorad...
Reposted by Ryan Spencer
Simultaneously extremely nerdy and extremely badass
July 8, 2025 at 7:16 PM
Simultaneously extremely nerdy and extremely badass
Reposted by Ryan Spencer
BREAKING: Scientists are staging a “science fair” in the lobby of a Congressional building to tell elected officials about the critical knowledge the US will lose because their research grants have been canceled.
July 8, 2025 at 3:31 PM
BREAKING: Scientists are staging a “science fair” in the lobby of a Congressional building to tell elected officials about the critical knowledge the US will lose because their research grants have been canceled.
Denver's warming stripes, a visual representation of longterm climate changes. Each stripe represents a year, with red being warmer than average years and blue being below average years. Notice that the stripes become more consistently red as it approaches 2024.
June 18, 2025 at 7:01 PM
Denver's warming stripes, a visual representation of longterm climate changes. Each stripe represents a year, with red being warmer than average years and blue being below average years. Notice that the stripes become more consistently red as it approaches 2024.
Reposted by Ryan Spencer
Trump says farmers are "being hurt badly" by deportations. "You go into a farm and you look and people, they've been there for 20 or 25 years and worked great and the owner of the farm loves them and you're supposed to throw them out?"
"We can't do that to our farmers and leisure, too, hotels."
"We can't do that to our farmers and leisure, too, hotels."
June 12, 2025 at 5:26 PM
Trump says farmers are "being hurt badly" by deportations. "You go into a farm and you look and people, they've been there for 20 or 25 years and worked great and the owner of the farm loves them and you're supposed to throw them out?"
"We can't do that to our farmers and leisure, too, hotels."
"We can't do that to our farmers and leisure, too, hotels."
Reposted by Ryan Spencer
Breaking @propublica.org: Bukele of El Salvador has become one of Trump’s favorite authoritarians, and Trump touts him as a foe of MS-13. But a US investigation has found evidence he has colluded with the gang, even paying it for votes.
www.propublica.org/article/buke...
www.propublica.org/article/buke...
“Delay, Interfere, Undermine”
President Donald Trump has praised Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele as a crime fighter, but new reporting based on interviews and documents reveals how senior Salvadoran officials have impeded a U.S....
www.propublica.org
June 12, 2025 at 9:41 AM
Breaking @propublica.org: Bukele of El Salvador has become one of Trump’s favorite authoritarians, and Trump touts him as a foe of MS-13. But a US investigation has found evidence he has colluded with the gang, even paying it for votes.
www.propublica.org/article/buke...
www.propublica.org/article/buke...
Reposted by Ryan Spencer
The major US government website Climate.gov, which supports public education on climate science, looks likely to be shuttered after almost all of its staff were fired, the Guardian has learned.
Major US climate website likely to be shut down after almost all staff fired
Exclusive: Climate.gov, which supports public education on climate science, will soon no longer publish new content
www.theguardian.com
June 11, 2025 at 4:28 PM
The major US government website Climate.gov, which supports public education on climate science, looks likely to be shuttered after almost all of its staff were fired, the Guardian has learned.
Just months after the Trump Administration gave U.S. Forest Service employees the option to voluntarily resign, the agency’s chief is asking those who resigned to return for the wildfire season.
www.summitdaily.com/news/us-fore...
www.summitdaily.com/news/us-fore...
US Forest Service chief asks wildfire employees who took voluntary resignation to ‘come back’
Just months after the Trump Administration gave federal employees the option to voluntarily resign, the U.S. Forest Service is asking those who resigned to return to work for the wildfire season. Fore...
www.summitdaily.com
June 11, 2025 at 9:35 PM
Just months after the Trump Administration gave U.S. Forest Service employees the option to voluntarily resign, the agency’s chief is asking those who resigned to return for the wildfire season.
www.summitdaily.com/news/us-fore...
www.summitdaily.com/news/us-fore...
Reposted by Ryan Spencer
I think this might be the most important part of this piece by @mmasnick.bsky.social on the Piker/CBP story 👇
May 13, 2025 at 6:54 PM
I think this might be the most important part of this piece by @mmasnick.bsky.social on the Piker/CBP story 👇
Reposted by Ryan Spencer
The great @mariahblake.bsky.social has written a powerful new book about the campaign to hide the dangers of forever chemicals.
The Washington Post called it “riveting,” a “deft chronicle of one of the greatest moral scandals of our time,” and “a book that none of us can afford to miss.”
The Washington Post called it “riveting,” a “deft chronicle of one of the greatest moral scandals of our time,” and “a book that none of us can afford to miss.”
May 7, 2025 at 3:29 PM
The great @mariahblake.bsky.social has written a powerful new book about the campaign to hide the dangers of forever chemicals.
The Washington Post called it “riveting,” a “deft chronicle of one of the greatest moral scandals of our time,” and “a book that none of us can afford to miss.”
The Washington Post called it “riveting,” a “deft chronicle of one of the greatest moral scandals of our time,” and “a book that none of us can afford to miss.”
Reposted by Ryan Spencer
One of the most shocking things I have read for a while:
t.co/lg46ijHLDF
t.co/lg46ijHLDF
April 23, 2025 at 11:55 AM
One of the most shocking things I have read for a while:
t.co/lg46ijHLDF
t.co/lg46ijHLDF
Reposted by Ryan Spencer
The federal government plans to eliminate services for LGBTQ youth who call 988, the national suicide and crisis hotline, according to a Health and Human Services budget draft leaked last week.
HHS plans to cut the national suicide hotline’s program for LGBTQ youth
In February, the program received an average of 2,100 contacts per day.
www.motherjones.com
April 22, 2025 at 7:14 PM
The federal government plans to eliminate services for LGBTQ youth who call 988, the national suicide and crisis hotline, according to a Health and Human Services budget draft leaked last week.
Reposted by Ryan Spencer
Trump Laid Off Nearly All the Federal Workers Who Investigate Firefighter Deaths
www.propublica.org/article/trum...
www.propublica.org/article/trum...
Trump Laid Off Nearly All the Federal Workers Who Investigate Firefighter Deaths
The cuts, which are part of Trump’s slashing of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, will also halt a first-of-its-kind study of the causes of thousands of firefighters’ cancer c...
www.propublica.org
April 21, 2025 at 11:18 PM
Trump Laid Off Nearly All the Federal Workers Who Investigate Firefighter Deaths
www.propublica.org/article/trum...
www.propublica.org/article/trum...
Reposted by Ryan Spencer
Hubble is going on 35 years old, and it's STILL taking incredible images 🤩
Some of the most recent captures from Hubble:
Some of the most recent captures from Hubble:
April 10, 2025 at 3:19 AM
Hubble is going on 35 years old, and it's STILL taking incredible images 🤩
Some of the most recent captures from Hubble:
Some of the most recent captures from Hubble:
Reposted by Ryan Spencer
NEW: Trump Said Cuts Wouldn’t Affect Public Safety. Then He Fired Hundreds of Workers Who Help Fight Wildfires.
Trump Said Cuts Wouldn’t Affect Public Safety. Then He Fired Hundreds of Workers Who Help Fight Wildfires.
The White House and DOGE have sought to eliminate thousands of jobs from the Forest Service. The wildland firefighting force is one of many targets within the agency.
www.propublica.org
April 7, 2025 at 11:39 AM
NEW: Trump Said Cuts Wouldn’t Affect Public Safety. Then He Fired Hundreds of Workers Who Help Fight Wildfires.
Reposted by Ryan Spencer
One top insurer has warned that they will no longer be able to provide cover for many climate risks - which will have knock-on effects on lots of other financial instruments. #Climate
Climate crisis on track to destroy capitalism, warns top insurer
Action urgently needed to save the conditions under which markets – and civilisation itself – can operate, says senior Allianz figure
www.theguardian.com
April 4, 2025 at 3:10 AM
One top insurer has warned that they will no longer be able to provide cover for many climate risks - which will have knock-on effects on lots of other financial instruments. #Climate