Author name: External Outlet

Ratepayer risk? State law forces Xcel into costly ‘Markets+’ grid deal

The Colorado Sun, Approved, State / / , , , , ,

Xcel Energy’s plan to join a short-term, wholesale electric market is drawing fire from critics who, in hearings before state regulators this week, said that the price tag is too high and the benefits are minimal.

The market for purchasing day-ahead power Xcel Energy wants to join, Markets+, is run by the Southwest Power Pool, or SPP, whose grid stretches across all or parts of 14 states from Texas to North Dakota.

In hearings before the Colorado Public Utilities Commission, business and consumer groups are challenging the $30 million in upfront costs to join Markets+ and Xcel Energy executives are defending it as the best economic and operational choice.

Ratepayer risk? State law forces Xcel into costly ‘Markets+’ grid deal Read More »

Polis’ $10M ‘bridge to nowhere’ sparks public backlash

Axios Denver, Approved, State / / , , , , ,

To celebrate Colorado’s 150th birthday, Gov. Jared Polis wants to build a pedestrian bridge to nowhere.

Why it matters: The project — financed with public and private dollars — is generating significant opposition from those who say it would serve little purpose and upset the aesthetics of downtown Denver.

Polis’ $10M ‘bridge to nowhere’ sparks public backlash Read More »

$1B in home loans: Company markets mortgages to illegal immigrants

Daily Wire, Approved, National / / , , , , ,

After decades of mass illegal immigration into the United States, untold millions of illegal aliens have settled throughout the country, competing with Americans for government benefits, jobs, and now, for homes.

For most illegal aliens, obtaining a mortgage from a traditional bank — without a social security number or a credit score — is nearly impossible. But as millions of illegal aliens flooded the country, a new industry has cropped up to capitalize on the new customer base, selling financing catered to the illegal population.

$1B in home loans: Company markets mortgages to illegal immigrants Read More »

El Paso County defies state sanctuary push, gives deputies ICE powers

denvergazette.com, Approved, Local / / , , , , , , , ,

On a day when the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office announced the transfer of 16 people to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, its sheriff, Joe Roybal, said Tuesday he intends to enter an agreement that will give his deputies specified powers of an ICE agent.

The 287(g) program authorizes ICE to delegate to state and local law enforcement officers the authority to perform certain immigration officer functions under the agency’s direction and supervision, according to the Immigration and Nationality Act. 

The program has three models that local law enforcement agencies can enter into, each that gives the agency distinct powers. A spokesperson for the Sheriff’s Office said they are not ready to comment on which model Roybal would enter into.

El Paso County defies state sanctuary push, gives deputies ICE powers Read More »

Garbo: Fear Is Not a Strategy And It’s Killing the Republican Party

Rocky Mountain Voice, Approved, Commentary, State, Top Stories / / , , , , ,

There’s a growing tone in parts of the Republican Party – loud, bitter, and angry. It presents itself as strength, as boldness, as “fighting back.” But listen closely, and you’ll hear something else beneath it: fear.

You see it in the endless purity tests.

In the public shaming of fellow Republicans.

In the weaponized use of the word “RINO.”

In the obsession with rooting people out instead of bringing people in.

This isn’t what strength looks like. It’s what fear looks like when it’s dressed in patriotism and broadcast through a megaphone.

Garbo: Fear Is Not a Strategy And It’s Killing the Republican Party Read More »

RMV keeps expanding its mission to inform, empower–and engage

Rocky Mountain Voice, Local, Top Stories / / , , , , , , , ,

At a recent Morgan County GOP gathering, RMV Ambassador Drake Hunter announced that Rocky Mountain Voice is expanding into Northeast Colorado with a new newsroom in Fort Morgan – part of a broader effort to support civic engagement and community journalism.

“Rocky Mountain Voice isn’t just growing – it’s reaching communities across Colorado to ensure local voices are heard,” said Hunter. “By establishing newsrooms and encouraging engagement, we’re creating a space where citizens can be informed, connected, and empowered.”

RMV keeps expanding its mission to inform, empower–and engage Read More »

Gabel: State land board pick once cheered eco-terrorism—now she could control 2.8M acres

denvergazette.com, Approved, State / / , , , , , ,

Much of the land around Vail that is now developed as resorts, ski slopes, and golf courses first belonged to sheep ranchers with Greek roots. By the 1960s, development was pushing them out of the valley and activists were bemoaning the negative effect on wildlife that took place when livestock grazing was replaced by progress.

In 1998, Vail Resorts was on the cusp of developing 2,2oo acres of backcountry. The plan riled activists, especially those devoted to preserving the habitats of elk and Canada Lynx that thrived before development came to town.

Members of the radical Earth Liberation Front (ELF) and the now-defunct Rocky Mountain Animal Defense (RMAD) marched and chanted through Vail with police on their tails, wielding decibel meters. According to 1998 reporting by Alex Markels, RMAD activists spotted a woman emerging from a fur salon wearing a mink coat, and an altercation ensued. An RMAD member told the woman, “You’d look a lot sexier without 65 dead animals on your back!”

Gabel: State land board pick once cheered eco-terrorism—now she could control 2.8M acres Read More »

Chai: Big lies about the Big Beautiful Bill? Miller says facts say otherwise

Approved, National, The Western Journal / / , , , , , ,

They often say light is the best disinfectant, and whomever “they” are, they’re right.

In a related note, it’s pretty clear that most Americans — this writer included — are in the complete dark about the “Big Beautiful Bill” that keeps making the headlines.

If you were to consume your news exclusively from the establishment (my sincerest condolences if that’s the case), you would think the bill was some sort of hypothetical bogeyman, a looming Sword of Damocles over the U.S. economy.

Chai: Big lies about the Big Beautiful Bill? Miller says facts say otherwise Read More »

SB276 would fine deputies $50K for helping ICE—Sheriff Mikesell says enough is enough

denvergazette.com, Approved, Local, State / / , , , , , , ,

Teller County Sheriff Jason Mikesell is so concerned about the effects of Colorado Senate Bill #276 he appealed in a letter to Immigration and Customs Enforcement last week.

The bill, if signed by Gov. Jared Polis, prohibits law enforcement from sharing information with the federal government about illegal immigrants who have committed crimes.

At issue is the bill’s interference with Mikesell’s 287(g) agreement with ICE.

SB276 would fine deputies $50K for helping ICE—Sheriff Mikesell says enough is enough Read More »

DOGE flags $370B in waste: Social Security purges 12.3M phantom accounts aged 120+

Breitbart, Approved, National / / , , , , , , ,

The discrepancies in the Social Security figures and the alarming ages of some of the individuals listed have garnered national attention over the last several months.

As a result, in March DOGE began to update the American people on the massive cleanup begun by Social Security. In a March 18 update, DOGE said Social Security had marked 3.2 million social security number holders aged 120 or older as deceased, warning that there was still more work to be done.

DOGE flags $370B in waste: Social Security purges 12.3M phantom accounts aged 120+ Read More »