Rocky Mountain Voice

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U.S. Senate confirms Brooke Rollins to lead USDA
Approved, National, THE HILL

U.S. Senate confirms Brooke Rollins to lead USDA

By Al Weaver  | The Hill Democrats agreed to condense floor time for the nomination after she was voted unanimously out of the Senate Committee on Agriculture.  Rollins is expected to work with lawmakers on the farm bill, which has stalled out in recent months, and on priorities related to doling out billions of dollars in assistance for farmers. She also received wide backing from major farm organizations.  Although she does not have a background in agriculture, Rollins headed the Domestic Policy Council under Trump’s first term and was part of the Office of American Innovation, which was shuttered by President Biden’s White House. She also led the America First Policy Institute after Trump’s 2020 loss.  READ THE FULL STORY AT THE HILL
Douglas Co. declares support for bill allowing Colorado law enforcement to work with ICE
Approved, denvergazette.com, Local

Douglas Co. declares support for bill allowing Colorado law enforcement to work with ICE

By Noah Festenstein | The Denver Gazette Douglas County law enforcement officials on Wednesday declared support for legislation to flip a state law that has barred local officials from working with federal immigration agents. If approved by the Democrat-controlled legislature, it would reinstate a bill allowing local law enforcement to work with federal immigration officials with a focus on those who commit crimes. That bill was repealed in 2013. State Sen. Mark Baisley, Rep. Max Brooks and Rep. Chris Richardson are trying to garner support for Senate Bill 25-047 but realize it will be difficult to get it passed. READ THE FULL STORY AT THE DENVER GAZETTE
Aurora police see 80% increase in ‘puffing’ car thefts, an illegal activity in state law
Approved, kdvr.com, Local

Aurora police see 80% increase in ‘puffing’ car thefts, an illegal activity in state law

By Rachel Saurer | KDVR-TV Fox 31 News While Colorado continues to see frigid temperatures across the state, police are warning drivers about the dangers of “puffing.” The Aurora Police Department has reported an 80% increase in thefts from puffing compared to the same time in 2024. From January to February 2025, the department has seen 30 cases. The month before that, they saw 15. “That number is probably going to go up in our next reporting period just because of the very cold days that we are experiencing right now,” said Agent Matthew Longshore, a spokesperson for Aurora police. READ THE FULL STORY AT KDVR-TV FOX 31 NEWS
Aurora City Council Member: Leaks Interfered with Immigration Raids
Approved, Breitbart, Local, National

Aurora City Council Member: Leaks Interfered with Immigration Raids

By Hannah Knudsen | Breitbart Leaks have interfered with the work of border czar Tom Homan, Aurora City Council Member Danielle Jurinsky said during an appearance on Breitbart News Daily. Jurinsky is the councilwoman who blew the lid off the violent gang activity of Tren de Aragua in her city, despite constant smears against her and denials from officials. But, she was proven to be right, and now, Homan is on the case. While there have been arrests, however, some of the operations have been delayed or thwarted due to leaks, she revealed. “I heard it was over 100 people arrested,” host Mike Slater said. “But then I heard that it was leaked beforehand, and they went, they knocked on some doors, and they were empty.” READ THE FULL STORY AT BREITBART
‘Top 10’ are now in ICE custody for drug trafficking, other violent crimes
Approved, CBS Colorado, State

‘Top 10’ are now in ICE custody for drug trafficking, other violent crimes

By Tori Mason | CBS Colorado The Drug Enforcement Administration is working with other federal agencies on immigration enforcement in Colorado. In the last 2.5 weeks, the DEA Rocky Mountain Field Division has made over 90 arrests. Some of the suspects were involved in trafficking fentanyl and methamphetamine, while others had committed violent offenses both in the U.S. and in their home countries. The DEA provided a list of "Top Ten" arrested suspects who are now in ICE custody. They're from several countries including Honduras, Cuba, El Salvador and Venezuela. Special Agent Jonathan Pullen with the DEA's Rocky Mountain Field Division provided an update on Operation Return to Sender. He says the collaborative effort with federal agencies has allowed the DEA and other agencies to m...
HHS splurged more than $22B on grants for migrants — including cash for cars, home loans and startups
Approved, National, New York Post

HHS splurged more than $22B on grants for migrants — including cash for cars, home loans and startups

By Josh Christenson | New York Post The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) ramped up grants for migrants from 2020 to 2024 — which included cash assistance to buy cars, homes and even build credit for startup businesses, according to a shocking watchdog report that found taxpayers were left on the hook for $22.6 billion. HHS’ Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) — which came under fire last year for having lost track of 32,000 migrant kids in the US — handed out the high sum to a host of nonprofits, effectively acting as a “giant magnet” for those crossing the US border and claiming asylum, auditors from the money monitor OpenTheBooks revealed exclusively to The Post. Tasked with settling migrants, asylum seekers and other refugees in America, ORR d...
Officials at one Colorado school district help student declare herself homeless before moving in with teacher
Approved, CBS Colorado, Local

Officials at one Colorado school district help student declare herself homeless before moving in with teacher

By Shaun Boyd | CBS Colorado The Jefferson County School District is apologizing to the parents of a Columbine High School student after school officials helped the student lie on a federal form and then hid it from her parents so she could move in with a teacher. According to investigators hired by the district, the student - a 17-year-old female - was involved in an inappropriate relationship with social studies teacher Leann Kearney. They say Kearney was "grooming" the girl.  Heather McCormick is friends with the girl's mom and says there were red flags long before the district hired investigators, "There's this icky feeling that something is wrong and as it progressed it only got worse. Not a single person stood up and said something doesn't seem right and reached out to ...
Aurora passes ordinance that removes warning time before homeless camp sweeps
Approved, coloradopolitics.com, Local

Aurora passes ordinance that removes warning time before homeless camp sweeps

By Kyla Pearce | Colorado Politics, via The Denver Gazette Aurora lawmakers officially passed an ordinance in a final vote Monday night that gets rid of requirements to provide shelter options and 72-hour notice before sweeping homeless encampments. The ordinance, which was passed in an initial vote at the last council meeting and in a final vote Monday night, prevailed with three 'no' votes from councilmembers Alison Coombs, Ruben Medina and Crystal Murillo. Previously, city code read that "no city employee authorized to issue a citation shall issue a citation, make an arrest, or otherwise enforce this section against a person camping on public property unless the city has a shelter option available for the person ordered to move from the camp and the person has been offered plac...
Douglas Co. leaders weigh which three Highlands Ranch schools to close while prioritizing safety, continuity
Approved, State, The Colorado Sun

Douglas Co. leaders weigh which three Highlands Ranch schools to close while prioritizing safety, continuity

By Erica Breunlin | The Colorado Sun As Douglas County School District leaders and board members weigh closing three schools in Highlands Ranch, they’ll prioritize keeping together groups of students and staff from individual schools, ensuring student safety in traffic zones and analyzing current and future enrollment projections. Those are among the parameters the board approved Tuesday to guide them in determining which schools to close beginning in the 2026-27 school year from a list of 16 schools. READ THE FULL STORY AT THE COLORADO SUN
Judge won’t halt Trump, Musk federal worker buyout program
Approved, National, THE HILL

Judge won’t halt Trump, Musk federal worker buyout program

By Rebecca Beitsch | The Hill A federal judge declined to further pause a federal government buyout program, enabling the government to forge ahead with its “Fork in the Road” program. U.S. District Court Judge George O’Toole had extended the time frame for federal employees to decide whether to take the unusual offer, which gives employees eight months of pay and benefits if they wish to depart government. In a Wednesday ruling, O’Toole found that the unions who had sued over the directive did not have standing to do so. READ THE FULL STORY AT THE HILL