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Epstein drama shadows Congress as funding fight heats up
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Washington Examiner, Approved, National

Epstein drama shadows Congress as funding fight heats up

By Rachel Schilke | Washington Examiner The House returns to Washington in September, and headlines indicate they will not be bored. In the month since congressional lawmakers left Capitol Hill to return to their home districts and states, both Democrats and Republicans have been plagued by contentious topics and social issues that threaten to cast a shadow over official business. After passing President Donald Trump‘s major tax and spending cuts bill, Republicans left town and hit the road to promote the “big, beautiful bill.” At times, centrist lawmakers have been hit with angry constituents as Democrats continue to message that the tax legislation benefits the wealthy at the expense of the middle class. But on their way out of Was...
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USDA disaster aid available for Colorado producers after wildfire losses
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The Fence Post, Approved, State

USDA disaster aid available for Colorado producers after wildfire losses

By USDA | The Fence Post Agricultural operations in Colorado have been significantly impacted by recent wildfires. The U.S. Department of Agriculture has technical and financial assistance available to help farmers and livestock producers recover from these adverse weather events. “USDA has a suite of programs to support farmers and ranchers as they recover from disasters,” said Farm Production and Conservation Deputy Under Secretary Brooke Appleton. “I encourage impacted producers to contact their local USDA Service Center to report losses and learn more about program options available to assist in their recovery from crop, range, and forestland, infrastructure, and livestock losses and damages.”   Producers who experience livestock deaths in excess of normal mortality ...
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State Report Highlights Progress and Ongoing Challenges in Colorado Schools
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kdvr.com, Approved, State

State Report Highlights Progress and Ongoing Challenges in Colorado Schools

By KDVR Staff | KDVR Fox 31 DENVER (KDVR) — A total of 55% of Colorado school districts received an accredited or higher rating for the 2025-2026 school year in the preliminary school and district accountability frameworks released Wednesday by the Colorado Department of Education. The frameworks are used to accredit school districts and assign school ratings by measures such as graduation rates, academic achievement and growth, according to the CDE, which said this year’s preliminary frameworks were based on data from 2024-2025. “The steady progress in the school and district frameworks is a testament to the dedication and hard work of our students, staff, and communities over the past few years,” said Colorado Education Commissioner Susan Córdova, in a statement. The 55% acc...
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Mile High City food scene sees turnover with August openings and closings
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Westword, Approved, Local

Mile High City food scene sees turnover with August openings and closings

By Patricia Calhoun | Westword Noble Riot, Pandemic Donuts and Milk T Boba House all closed on the last weekend of the month. After a summer of long-anticipated openings (Bear Leek, Pig and Tiger, Fortezza in the former home of Farow in Niwot) and much-publicized closings (the Hornet, Middleman), August ended with a surprise: Noble Riot, the spinoff from the owners of Nocturne that was named one of 2021's Best Bars in America by Esquire (and won top honors for Best Fried Chicken in the Best of Denver 2023), shuttered its brick-and-mortar location in RiNo on August 30, after six years. "This was an incredibly tough decision, and one I didn't make lightly," says Troy Bowen, co-founder and owner of Noble Riot. "I am immensely proud of what we built ...
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Victims Urge Accountability as Weld County Ex-Coach Awaits Sentencing in Child Sex Abuse Case
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Local, Approved, kdvr.com

Victims Urge Accountability as Weld County Ex-Coach Awaits Sentencing in Child Sex Abuse Case

By Hanna Powers | KDVR Fox 31 WELD COUNTY, Colo. (KDVR) — A former basketball coach in Weld County has been convicted of sexually abusing multiple players and is now awaiting sentencing. George “JR” Sagner was found guilty on multiple felony counts, including sexual assault on a child by one in a position of trust. Prosecutors said Sagner used his role as a coach to groom and abuse players for years. He is scheduled to be sentenced in January and faces a minimum of 12 years and up to more than 100 years in prison. The case began with a Safe2Tell tip in 2022, but court records show allegations stretching back to 2012. During a trial that wrapped up last week, jurors heard weeks of testimony about a pattern of abuse that took place during practices, in cars and at Sagner’s home. ...
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Coloradans Priced Out of Housing as Costs Outpace Earnings
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State, Approved, kdvr.com

Coloradans Priced Out of Housing as Costs Outpace Earnings

By Spencer Kristensen | KDVR Fox 31 DENVER (KDVR) — A report from the Common Sense Institute, a conservative-leaning research organization, revealed that the majority of Colorado residents are being priced out of the opportunity of owning a home. The report called “Colorado’s Housing Affordability Mismatch” was created by CSI’s Chief Economist Steven Byers and states that it analyzes the growing disparity between what Coloradans can afford and what’s actually available in the housing market. The report listed several findings, including: 60% of households in Colorado cannot afford the average home in the state, which is an increase from the 2010 figure of 47% 40% of households can only afford homes under $300,000, which accounts for only 15% of the houses statewide Color...
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Section 8 Pays Colorado Rents Near $4,000 Per Month as Critics Call for Reform
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State, Approved, The Center Square

Section 8 Pays Colorado Rents Near $4,000 Per Month as Critics Call for Reform

By Kenneth Schrupp | The Center Square (The Center Square) - Taxpayers are covering rents of up to $3,879 per month in Colorado, leading taxpayer advocates to question the growing duration of federal Section 8 housing choice voucher (HCV) usage. "Section 8 needs to focus on lifting people out of the trap of poverty, not putting them into the lap of luxury," said National Taxpayers Union president Pete Sepp in an interview with The Center Square. "It's unfair to ask taxpayers who can't afford mortgages or rents of nearly $4,000 per month to foot the bill for subsidies amounting to that much." HCV recipients remain in the program for an average of 15.1 years – that’s up from an average of 12.4 years in 2000, according to a 2024 federal report. When asked about a 2026 budget propo...
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From hunting to fitness: How MAHA unites unlikely allies in Colorado
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The Colorado Sun, Approved, Commentary, State

From hunting to fitness: How MAHA unites unlikely allies in Colorado

By Gary Wockner | Commentary, The Colorado Sun Make America Healthy Again rings true to Coloradans across the political spectrum and can accelerate other conversations Amid the toxic partisan chaos dragging down the American political system, I’ve definitely moved toward the middle. Like me, the vast majority of Coloradans are registered to vote as “unaffiliated” with either party, and for whatever reason, likely hold values that are independent and varied, rather than strictly holding to one party’s line. It’s been fascinating to watch the growth of the “Make America Healthy Again” movement, or MAHA, nationally and here in Colorado, which seems to cross all over political boundaries as well. On Aug. 11, The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal&nb...
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Conservative message struggles as Gen Z buys into Democratic narrative
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The Western Journal, Approved, Commentary, National

Conservative message struggles as Gen Z buys into Democratic narrative

By Nick Givas | Commentary, The Western Journal A Yale Youth Poll from the spring of 2025 found that voters between the ages of 18 and 21 favored Republican candidates by double digits, which could be a sign that Democrats are finally slipping with America’s younger demographic. The survey revealed that although young people between the ages of 22 and 29 favored the Democratic candidate in their home congressional district for the 2026 election by a margin of about six points, those aged 18 and 21 favored the Republican candidate in their home district by almost 12 points. That’s a massive shift from years past, when younger voters in high school and college were virtually a lock for liberals. Has the left finally gone too far? In a piece outlining the poll ...
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When the world mocks prayer Christians must pray even harder
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The Federalist, Approved, Commentary, National

When the world mocks prayer Christians must pray even harder

By Theodore Hoham | Commentary, The Federalist This week, we join with the universal church in praying for the students and families of Annunciation Catholic School in Minneapolis after another shooting targeted at Christians. It’s horrifying to hear about another act of violence against children who bear the name of Christ. It’s also horrible to realize we’ve somehow become accustomed to hearing about such things. Increasingly, it seems that these “random acts” are not random at all but intentionally directed at those little ones who confess faith in Jesus Christ and in the truth of his holy Word. This shouldn’t come as a surprise, for our Shepherd has told us that “a servant is not greater than his master. If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you” (John 15:20)....
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