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Lobue: Since Biden inherited the Trump boom, the whole economy’s gone bust
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Approved, Commentary, The Federalist

Lobue: Since Biden inherited the Trump boom, the whole economy’s gone bust

By JOSEPH LOBUE | The Federalist For years, President Joe Biden was flying west to east with the prevailing winds, economically speaking. During Covid, politicians (primarily Democrats) closed down large portions of the economy. When Covid ended, the economy “grew” because that’s what happens when you go from a partially closed economy to an entirely open one. Why economists fail to recognize this easy-growth environment is befuddling. Now, in rapid succession, we have a weak GDP report, poor jobs and unemployment reports, another terrible fiscal report, and more awful inflation reports. Horrible data that even the pro-Biden media can’t cover up. The truth is that Biden’s economic numbers were never any good. And now that the easy-growth environment of the post-Covid era is well b...
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Broncos’ 2024 schedule to be announced Wednesday
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Approved, DenverBroncos.com, Local

Broncos’ 2024 schedule to be announced Wednesday

By Aric DiLalla | DenverBroncos.com The Broncos' 2024 schedule is almost here. The NFL announced Monday that the 2024 schedule will be released on Wednesday, May 15 at 6 p.m. MT. Denver's entire 17-game regular-season slate will be announced on DenverBroncos.com, the Broncos' mobile app, the Broncos' social channels, NFL Network, NFL.com, the NFL app and NFL+. Ahead of the full announcement, the NFL revealed the Chiefs will kick off the season against the Ravens on Thursday, Sept. 5.  READ THE FULL STORY AT DENVERBRONCOS.COM
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Eight measures expected to make November ballot, dozens more possible
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Approved, State, Westword

Eight measures expected to make November ballot, dozens more possible

By Hannah Metzger | Westword The list of ballot measures awaiting Colorado voters in November is growing. State lawmakers voted to send five measures to the ballot before the Colorado Legislature adjourned on May 8, adding to two citizen-initiated measures that had already officially qualified for the ballot: an effort to include economic impact statements before the questions on ballot measures, and another to cap property tax revenue increases at 4 percent each year. The five legislative ballot proposals would let the state keep all sports betting tax revenue to fund water projects; create an excise tax for gun and ammo purchases to fund victim services; remove the ban on same-sex marriage from Colorado's constitution...
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Wolverine reintroduction legislation is ‘completely opposite’ of Colorado’s ballot–driven wolf plan
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Approved, State, The Colorado Sun

Wolverine reintroduction legislation is ‘completely opposite’ of Colorado’s ballot–driven wolf plan

By Jason Blevins | Colorado Sun A new predator could be coming to Colorado’s high country but supporters are promising this reintroduction will be different.  Colorado lawmakers have overwhelmingly approved the return of wolverines to Colorado’s alpine landscape, with a plan “that is completely opposite from the wolf reintroduction process,” said Sen. Dylan Roberts, a Democrat from Avon who co-sponsored the legislation with Sen. Perry Will, a Republican from New Castle.  Roberts said the pair’s Senate Bill 171 marks “a responsible way to do wildlife reintroduction.” The bill is heading to Gov. Jared Polis’ desk for final approval. If signed, the effort will mark the first-ever attempt to restore wolverines to a native range.   READ THE FULL STORY AT THE COLORADO SUN...
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Planet Fitness makes a risky pricing move that can discourage membership
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Approved, National, The Street

Planet Fitness makes a risky pricing move that can discourage membership

By Patricia Battle | The Street Planet Fitness  (PLNT) is making a major change that it hasn’t made in 26 years, and customers may not be too happy about it. The company announced during a recent earnings call that it will be hiking the price for its cheapest membership by $5 after piloting the change in different markets and hinted that more price increases may be on the way. “For the past several months, we have had three different groups of stores testing three different prices for our Classic Card membership,” said Planet Fitness Chief Financial Officer Tom Fitzgerald during a May 9 earnings call. “Based on those test results, we have decided to increase the price from $10 to $15 to further enhance the average unit volumes for our stores.” The price in...
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Trump-era tax cuts becoming important 2024 election year issue
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Approved, National, The Center Square

Trump-era tax cuts becoming important 2024 election year issue

By Casey Harper | The Center Square The sweeping Trump-era tax cuts in the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 are set to expire next year, setting up the tax debate as a potentially key political issue this election year. While illegal immigration and inflation top Americans’ list of concerns, both parties are increasingly talking about the Trump-era tax cuts, which President Joe Biden has said he will allow to expire next year. President Donald Trump, meanwhile, has promised more tax cuts if elected. “You’re all getting the biggest tax cuts because we’re doing additional cuts and a brand new Trump economic boom like you’ve never seen before,” Trump told supporters at a South Carolina rally in February. READ THE FULL STORY AT THE CENTER SQUARE
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Denver teachers bear the brunt of layoffs amid declining enrollment
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Approved, denvergazette.com, Local

Denver teachers bear the brunt of layoffs amid declining enrollment

By Nicole C. Brambila | Denver Gazette Faced with declining enrollment and tight campus budgets, school leaders across Denver Public Schools have laid off more than 900 teachers since 2022, The Denver Gazette has learned. Over the same period, school leaders cut just 16 assistant principals, district data obtained under the Colorado Open Records Act (CORA) shows. Although teachers account for roughly 40% of district employees, they comprise — on average — 65% of the annual staff reductions. This suggests teachers are bearing the brunt of district layoffs. And parents have cried foul. READ THE FULL STORY AT THE DENVER GAZETTE
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Colorado Republicans celebrate policy wins in 2024 legislative session
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Approved, coloradopolitics.com, State

Colorado Republicans celebrate policy wins in 2024 legislative session

By Marianne Goodland | Colorado Politics House and Senate Republicans celebrated big policy wins during the 2024 legislative session, in particular focusing on property taxes and an income tax rate reduction. "I'm very happy at what our caucus was able to do," said House Minority Leader Rep. Rose Pugliese of Colorado Springs, who added that Republicans accomplished much in the 2024 session. Pugliese cited housing measures with Republican sponsorship, including include House Bill 1152, the accessory dwelling unit bill, and House Bill 1308, which would push the state's Division of Housing to move a little faster in releasing resources for affordable housing development. Pugliese also pointed to the income tax rate reduction in Senate Bill 228, which will lower the rate from 4.4% ...
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Southwest Airlines makes a huge change to its loyalty program
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Approved, National, The Street

Southwest Airlines makes a huge change to its loyalty program

By Daniel Kline | The Street Southwest Airlines does not offer some of the perks that other airlines offer.  The airline does not offer business- or first-class seating, so it can't reward its most loyal passengers by bumping them up to better seats. In fact, the airline has built its entire system around a fairly democratic seating policy, where everyone gets treated mostly the same. Nobody gets an assigned seat and most passengers get their places in the three-tiered regular boarding system when they check in 24 hours before their flights. Top-tier members of Rapid Rewards, the airline's loyalty program, do get checked in earlier than other passengers. And if an A-List or higher member does not get an A group boarding position, they can board after the As and before the ...
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Fentanyl coming to U.S. becoming more deadly, DEA says
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Approved, Colorado Springs Gazette, National

Fentanyl coming to U.S. becoming more deadly, DEA says

By Brett Rowland | Colorado Springs Gazette The illicit fentanyl coming from Mexican cartels is becoming more dangerous, according to the Drug Enforcement Administration. The purity level of illicit fentanyl in the U.S. drug market has increased and the amount of fentanyl found in counterfeit prescription pills has increased, making the nation's top drug threat even more dangerous, according to the DEA's most recent National Drug Threat Assessment. A lethal dose of the potent opioid is about 2 milligrams, depending on the opioid tolerance of the user. In 2022, the average fentanyl pill contained 2.4 milligrams of fentanyl, according to analysis by DEA forensic chemists who test random samples of the fentanyl seized in the U.S. Overall, the tested samples ranged from a low of .0...
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