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FEMA employees fired over ‘egregious’ $59M payment for NYC migrants
Approved, National, New York Post

FEMA employees fired over ‘egregious’ $59M payment for NYC migrants

By Patrick Reilly | New York Post Four Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) employees have been fired for sending $59 million to New York City to house and care for illegal migrants, according to the Department of Homeland Security. “Effective immediately, FEMA is terminating the employment of four individuals for circumventing leadership to unilaterally make egregious payments for luxury NYC hotels for migrants,” DHS officials said in a statement obtained by The Post. The firings, first reported by Fox, include FEMA’s Chief Financial Officer, two program analysts and a grant specialist. READ THE FULL STORY ON THE NEW YORK POST
HB 1131 is free-market solution to increase access to veterinarians, bill sponsor says
Approved, Rocky Mountain Voice, State

HB 1131 is free-market solution to increase access to veterinarians, bill sponsor says

By BRIAN PORTER | Rocky Mountain Voice House Bill 1131, described by a bill sponsor as a free-market solution to the state's growing veterinary shortage, appears to be fast-tracked to the Senate. On second reading Tuesday in the House, the bill by Democrat Rep. Andrew Boesenecker and Republican Rep. Dusty Johnson passed on an overwhelming voice vote. It was introduced Jan. 28. "We have seen a real need for veterinarians across the state, for both small [animals] and livestock," Johnson said. "[HB 1131] really does eliminate government overreach by removing caps for free-market students." The bill eliminates the cap on the number of students who may enroll in the Colorado State veterinary program and, as the bill's fiscal note points out, removes other financial limitations on t...
‘We’re about to get annihilated’: Musk, DOGE descend on consumer bureau
Approved, National, THE HILL

‘We’re about to get annihilated’: Musk, DOGE descend on consumer bureau

By  Julia Shapero  | The Hill The Trump administration is moving rapidly to gut the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), halting the agency’s work, cutting off its funding and shutting down its headquarters.  The push is not unlike the effort launched in the early years of President Trump’s first term to defang the agency, which has faced staunch opposition from Republicans throughout its brief existence.  However, as Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) sweeps into one agency after another with the directive to slash wide swaths of government funding, the new assault on the CFPB has sparked concerns from consumer advocacy groups and Democratic lawmakers about just how far the administration will go this time.  READ THE FULL STORY ON THE...
China expands influence near wealthy Florida enclave as migrants from communist country flood into US
Approved, Fox News, National

China expands influence near wealthy Florida enclave as migrants from communist country flood into US

By Sarah Rumpf-Whitten  | Fox News China's growing presence in America's backyard could grant the communist country access to Florida's coast, coinciding with a dramatic rise in Chinese national border encounters. The Caribbean region, also known as "America's third border" due to its proximity to the U.S., has been financially backed by China in maritime logistics and infrastructure projects in recent years.  "I think the Chinese are trying to gain influence in a region which is very close to the American homeland," Gordon G. Chang, an author and expert on U.S.-China relations told Fox News Digital.  READ THE FULL STORY AT FOX NEWS
New York court considers law that would allow 800,000 non-citizens to vote
Approved, Breitbart, National

New York court considers law that would allow 800,000 non-citizens to vote

By Alana Mastrangelo | Breitbart A staggering 800,000 non-citizens could reportedly be voting soon in New York City elections, as a court is considering legislation this week that would allow them to register to vote ahead of the city’s elections. A top New York court is set to hear arguments regarding the matter on Tuesday, according to a report by Politico. This comes after an appellate court struck down Democrats’ efforts to permit non-citizens to vote last year. If the initiative by Democrats is successful, around 800,000 non-citizens living in New York City will be allowed to vote in city-level elections, such as the upcoming mayoral election this November, the report noted. READ THE FULL STORY AT BREITBART
Motorists are paying the price — $11.4B annually, to be exact — for state’s crumbling roads
Approved, Rocky Mountain Voice, State

Motorists are paying the price — $11.4B annually, to be exact — for state’s crumbling roads

By Jen Schumann | Contributing Writer, Rocky Mountain Voice Colorado’s deteriorating roads are hitting residents — and their vehicles — hard, in Grand Junction costing drivers an average of $1,704 annually in extra repairs, fuel costs, congestion delays and crash-related expenses.  Statewide, the cost is estimated to be $11.4 billion a year, according to a January 2025 report by TRIP, a national transportation research nonprofit. Meanwhile, inflation and rising construction costs are chipping away at recent funding increases. Rocky Moretti, TRIP’s director of policy and research, highlighted the challenge: “Colorado, in 2021 — both through legislation in Colorado, but also through the federal bipartisan infrastructure legislation — was able to significantly increase investment in ...
Colorado universities are now closer to paying athletes. But the public may never know how much
Approved, State, The Colorado Sun

Colorado universities are now closer to paying athletes. But the public may never know how much

By Ben Markus | The Colorado Sun The University of Colorado Boulder would be able to pay football players and keep the individual dollar amounts secret under a bill that passed a key committee vote Thursday in the state House of Representatives. A bipartisan group of lawmakers on the House Education Committee advanced House Bill 1041 even as they continued to express concern about a provision of the measure exempting the contracts between players from public disclosure through the Colorado Open Records Act, known as CORA. “CORA is a really important tool, along with public procurement law, to help the public understand how money is being spent from its public institutions,” Rep. Jennifer Bacon, D-Denver, said before casting a “no” vote on the bill, which passed 9-4 late ...
Senate Republicans unveil constitutional amendment locking SCOTUS at nine justices
Approved, Courthouse News Service, National

Senate Republicans unveil constitutional amendment locking SCOTUS at nine justices

By Benjamin S. Weiss  | Courthouse News Senate Republicans on Friday offered a retort to months of Democrat scrutiny on the Supreme Court, introducing a constitutional amendment that would block lawmakers from adding more justices to the high court’s bench. The proposed amendment is the GOP majority’s first major legislative foray into the yearslong debate over the Supreme Court — and one that proponents say is a check on efforts to “pack” the bench with liberal-minded justices. “Democrats’ radical court-packing scheme would erase the legitimacy of the Supreme Court and destroy historic precedent,” said Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley, who joined Texas Senator Ted Cruz in unveiling the measure. READ THE FULL STORY AT COURTHOUSE NEWS
Colorado will continue closing coal-fueled electric plants in 2025, all by 2031
The Center Square, Approved, State

Colorado will continue closing coal-fueled electric plants in 2025, all by 2031

By Elyse Apel | The Center Square Colorado is slowly phasing out the last of its coal-fueled electrical power plants, even though they still generated a third of the state’s total in-state energy generation in 2023. The Colorado Department of Labor and Energy reports that 10 coal-fired units remain operational throughout the state. One of those 10 is scheduled to close by the end of this year, with the remaining nine units all set to close by the end of 2031. The department reports that the plants are closing for a “variety of reasons.” “The era of coal in Colorado appears to be ending, and that poses serious challenges to the workers and communities that rely on it,” it states. READ THE FULL STORY AT THE CENTER SQUARE
In Wheat Ridge, officials are combating traffic congestion with new continuous flow intersections
Approved, kdvr.com, Local

In Wheat Ridge, officials are combating traffic congestion with new continuous flow intersections

By Shaul Turner | Fox 31 News Denver’s increased traffic is affecting several communities around the metro area. Wheat Ridge will use continuous flow intersections (CFIs) to remedy backups along Wadsworth Boulevard between 38th and 44th streets. “It’s absolutely awful, it’s really impossible to get in here to get groceries,” one resident told FOX31. READ THE FULL STORY AT FOX 31 NEWS