Rocky Mountain Voice

Menu

Blog

After 30 years of bloodshed, Congo and Rwanda sign U.S.-brokered peace pact
No Comments
U.S. News & World Report, Approved, National

After 30 years of bloodshed, Congo and Rwanda sign U.S.-brokered peace pact

By Associated Press via U.S. News & World Report The Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda have signed a peace deal facilitated by the U.S. to help end the decades-long, deadly fighting in eastern Congo WASHINGTON (AP) — The Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda on Friday signed a peace deal facilitated by the U.S. to help end the decades-long deadly fighting in eastern Congo while helping the U.S. government and American companies gain access to critical minerals in the region. Secretary of State Marco Rubio called it “an important moment after 30 years of war.” Earlier Friday, President Donald Trump said at a news conference that he was able to broker a deal for “one of the worst wars anyone’s ever seen.” “I was able to get them together and sell i...
Read More
Colorado River Basin states inch toward fragile water compromise as federal deadlines approach
No Comments
The Colorado Sun, Approved, National

Colorado River Basin states inch toward fragile water compromise as federal deadlines approach

By Shannon Mullane | Colorado Sun The federal government laid out firm deadlines for the process to decide how to manage the river’s future. As the negotiations continue, environmental conditions in the basin worsen. Colorado River Basin states are almost, sort of, close to a small compromise in their negotiations that focuses on matching reservoir releases more closely to the river’s actual flow. Colorado water watchers seem to be rolling with it — so far.  Top negotiators in Colorado and six basin states offered a glimpse into the high-stakes talks for the first time in months during several water meetings this week. The states are negotiating how to manage the future water supply for 40 million people once the existing rules expire in 2026.  The opposing sides in the ne...
Read More
Hunter: ‘Real people doing real things’—NoCo Legislative Wrap-Up rallies the grassroots
No Comments
Rocky Mountain Voice, Commentary, Local, Top Stories

Hunter: ‘Real people doing real things’—NoCo Legislative Wrap-Up rallies the grassroots

Drake Hunter | Commentary, RMV NE CO Newsroom, Rocky Mountain Voice Last night’s Northeast Colorado Legislative Wrap-Up at Rez Church in Loveland wasn’t just a review of bills and budgets—it was, for many of us, a clear-eyed call to civic action. Several hundred attendees gathered to hear from elected officials representing Colorado’s northeastern counties, including a few rising voices in the state’s Republican ranks. Among them were Reps. Ryan Gonzalez and Carlos Barron, two principled young leaders quickly gaining traction with voters across Colorado. The event was thoughtfully organized by NoCo Wrap-Up, marking its inaugural year. Well-coordinated and engaging, it was also refreshingly focused on substance over spectacle. It set a high bar and laid the foundation for what many...
Read More
President Trump scores major SCOTUS win: nationwide injunctions limited in birthright battle
No Comments
Daily Wire, Approved, National

President Trump scores major SCOTUS win: nationwide injunctions limited in birthright battle

By Mairead Elordi | Daily Wire Lower courts have blocked Trump's executive orders nationwide. The Supreme Court handed down an opinion on Friday in a case regarding President Donald Trump’s executive order on birthright citizenship, ruling that lower courts do not have the unilateral authority to block Trump’s agenda. The justices ruled 6-3 along ideological lines, allowing Trump to try to end birthright citizenship in some parts of the country while legal challenges against his order proceed in others. The ruling did not address the question of birthright citizenship itself, which is the practice of granting automatic citizenship rights for babies born on United States soil, regardless of their parents’ citizenship status. Previously, lower courts in Maryland, Mas...
Read More
The $13 billion cost of fentanyl to Colorado’s families, budgets and communities
No Comments
Rocky Mountain Voice, State, Top Stories

The $13 billion cost of fentanyl to Colorado’s families, budgets and communities

By Shaina Cole | Contributing Writer, Rocky Mountain Voice Each Colorado taxpayer carries the burden of the fentanyl crisis, and in 2024, that amounted to about $2,220 per resident. A June report from the Common Sense Institute estimated the total cost for Colorado at $13.1 billion. This financial burden becomes reality in emergency healthcare services, preventative programs and lost productivity. But there’s also the deep emotional toll on families shattered by addiction and loss. Despite rising pressure to prevent overdose deaths and target traffickers, a 2024 bill to increase penalties for fentanyl possession and distribution stalled at the Capitol. The synthetic opioid is often cut into cocaine or fake pills, catching users off guard—many don’t know they’ve taken it until ...
Read More
Colorado Teen Rescued in Las Vegas, Authorities Suspect Human Trafficking
No Comments
Local, Approved, kdvr.com

Colorado Teen Rescued in Las Vegas, Authorities Suspect Human Trafficking

By Heather Willard | KDVR Fox31 DENVER (KDVR) — A 14-year-old girl is safe and two men are facing charges after law enforcement found her Wednesday in Las Vegas, and police say a third suspect is under investigation. The girl was last seen by her family June 15 and was still in Las Vegas when police provided an update in the case Thursday. The Aurora Police Department said Christian Williamson, 26, and Cameron Scruggs, 25, face charges in the case. Williamson was arrested in Kremmling, while Scruggs was arrested in Las Vegas. Williamson is facing charges of internet sexual luring of a child and internet sexual exploitation of a child. Scruggs is facing one charge of kidnapping out of Colorado and statutory sexual seduction by a person 21 or older out of Nevada. Police are also ...
Read More
Denver Smash-and-Grabs Surge as Soft-on-Crime Policies Backfire
No Comments
Local, Approved, kdvr.com

Denver Smash-and-Grabs Surge as Soft-on-Crime Policies Backfire

By Alliyah Sims | KDVR Fox31 DENVER (KDVR) — A Denver liquor store in the Sunnyside community has become the latest target of a bold smash-and-grab. The burglary happened in the early morning hours in the 2700 block of West 38th Street and it was all captured on surveillance video. Police are now hoping to catch the suspects, who appear to be teens, while neighboring businesses are sharing their concerns. The owner of the latest smash and grab did not want to speak on camera out of fear of retaliation, but nearby business owners told FOX31, they experienced a similar fate. For Ram, owner of Federal Cut Rate Liquors, running his small business at the intersection of 37th and Federal is his livelihood. “Been here almost 10 years,” he said. That’s why it was hard for him to ...
Read More
Givas: Dem Governor Hobbs Pushes Arizona to Brink of Shutdown in Veto Frenzy
No Comments
Approved, National, The Western Journal

Givas: Dem Governor Hobbs Pushes Arizona to Brink of Shutdown in Veto Frenzy

By Nick Givas | Commentary, The Western Journal Arizona Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs continued to exercise her veto pen at record speed by tossing out two Republican-passed budgets on Wednesday, setting up a potential government shutdown. “Governor Katie Hobbs vetoed partisan, sham budgets passed by House Republicans after the majority caucus wasted days bringing the State to the brink of a government shutdown,” a statement on her office website read. “In her veto letters, she highlighted the shortfalls of their reckless and partisan budgets and called on the House Republicans to end the political games,” the statement added. “The vetoes come after Governor Hobbs repeatedly made it clear she would not sign the sham budgets that shortchange public safety, childcare, and the state...
Read More
‘Biology Matters’: El Paso County Schools Join Lawsuit Defending Girls’ Sports
No Comments
Local, Approved, gazette.com

‘Biology Matters’: El Paso County Schools Join Lawsuit Defending Girls’ Sports

By Eric Young | The Gazette Another prominent school district and a prominent charter school in El Paso County are taking on the state over a newly adopted athletics policy. Academy D-20’s Board of Education voted unanimously to adopt a resolution to direct the district to draft and implement a policy classifying access to locker rooms, restrooms and athletic participation as being based on biological sex during a special meeting June 17. Two days later, the board voted to authorize D-20 to join a lawsuit filed by neighboring D-49 against Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser, the Colorado Civil Rights Division and the Colorado High School Activities Association (CHSAA) last month. The board of directors for The Classical Academy, a charter school authorized by D-20, voted to j...
Read More
Hegseth Was Right: Trump’s Iran Strike Hit Harder Than the Media Wants You to Know
No Comments
National, Approved, Washington Examiner

Hegseth Was Right: Trump’s Iran Strike Hit Harder Than the Media Wants You to Know

By Byron York | Washington Examiner HEGSETH IS RIGHT. This newsletter has often noted a peculiar feature of some media coverage of President Donald Trump: When Trump or Republicans say something, many reporters and commentators reflexively seek to knock it down. When Trump or Republicans say A, they immediately say not-A. Do Trump and his GOP allies say former President Joe Biden seems out of it? Then Biden must be just fine. On Thursday, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth offered his own description of the phenomenon when he was addressing media coverage of the effectiveness of the U.S. bombing attack on Iran’s nuclear weapons program. Trump has said the raid was a huge success and that U.S. bombers “completely demolished” and “obliterated” Iran’s nuclear sites. Almost immediately, som...
Read More