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Biology vs identity: SCOTUS to rule on transgender athlete bans
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Fox News, Approved, National

Biology vs identity: SCOTUS to rule on transgender athlete bans

By Paulina Dedaj , Bill Mears , Shannon Bream | Fox News Oral arguments centered on 2 cases in Idaho and West Virginia are expected to be heard in the fall The Supreme Court decided Thursday to review state bans on transgender athletes participating in public school sports. Oral arguments will likely be heard later this fall regarding two cases in Idaho and West Virginia. Both cases are focused on state laws that prevent biological males from competing on girls’ and women's sports teams. West Virginia, which enacted the "Save Women’s Sports Act" in 2021, is appealing a lower-court ruling that allowed transgender athlete Becky Pepper-Jackson to compete on the school’s cross-country and track teams. This past year, Pepper-Jackson qualified for the West Virginia gir...
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Rubio pulls the plug: State Department ends decades-old payout plan for underperforming diplomats
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The Daily Caller, Approved, National

Rubio pulls the plug: State Department ends decades-old payout plan for underperforming diplomats

By Reagan Reese | Daily Caller The State Department is ending a program that for decades has given benefits and funds to low-performing diplomats rather than phasing them out of the department, according to a memo obtained by the Daily Caller. Under the Annuity Exception, Foreign Service members have been able to remain on the State Department payroll beyond their scheduled departure from the administration, the internal memo explains. The memo states that the exception violates the Foreign Service Act of 1980, which dictates who receives retirement benefits. “This program is unfortunately the perfect example of the corruption, waste, and abuse that has gone unchecked at the State Department for far too long,” a senior State Department official told the Caller. “This program had s...
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Gazette editorial board: Congress should back Boebert’s bill to delist gray wolves—rural livelihoods matter
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denvergazette.com, Approved, National

Gazette editorial board: Congress should back Boebert’s bill to delist gray wolves—rural livelihoods matter

The Gazette editorial board | Commentary, Denver Gazette Congress should pass U.S. Rep. Lauren Boebert’s Pet and Livestock Protection Act of 2025, which would remove the gray wolf from the federal Endangered Species Act. This bill, co-sponsored by Rep. Tom Tiffany and Colorado’s Republican delegation — Reps. Jeff Crank, Gabe Evans, and Jeff Hurd — addresses a critical imbalance: protecting a thriving species at the expense of Colorado’s endangered farmers and ranchers. The gray wolf’s recovery is a success story, and delisting it federally is a step toward prioritizing human livelihoods while maintaining state-level management. The gray wolf, listed under the Endangered Species Act in 1978 when fewer than 1,000 roamed the lower 48 states, has rebounded impressively. By 2020, the U...
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High steaks for Independence Day: Colorado beef costs top national average
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Colorado Hometown Weekly, Approved, State

High steaks for Independence Day: Colorado beef costs top national average

By Miguel Otarola | Colorado Hometown Weekly The price of meat ahead of the Fourth of July weekend will be higher in Colorado supermarkets than in the rest of the country, according to an annual industry survey. Produced by the American Farm Bureau Federation, an agriculture lobbying group, the survey found that ground beef and pork chops were more expensive — and chicken breasts were cheaper — in Colorado than in other states. State and national economists attribute the surge in beef prices to fewer cows nationwide, a result of more than a decade of drought that has withered food supplies. “When that number shrinks, you have less calves being born to go down the supply chain and prices rise,” said Nathan DeLay, assistant professor of livestock economics at Colorado S...
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President Trump’s ‘Big, Beautiful’ bill heads to his desk after marathon House-Senate push
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Daily Wire, Approved, National

President Trump’s ‘Big, Beautiful’ bill heads to his desk after marathon House-Senate push

By Leif Le Mahieu | Daily Wire "Today we are laying a key cornerstone of America's new golden age."  The House passed President Donald Trump’s “Big, Beautiful Bill” on Thursday, overcoming significant Democratic opposition and internal Republican hesitancy to hand the president a major legislative victory.  The Republican-controlled House voted 218-214 to pass the measure shortly after Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) wrapped up an hours-long speech delaying the bill’s advancement. Trump, who imposed a July 4 deadline for its passage, is expected to sign the bill at the White House sometime on Friday.   “With one big, beautiful bill, we are going to make this country stronger, safer, and more prosperous than ever before. And every American is going to benefit fr...
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Garbo: America’s $16.4 billion wake-up call—the largest healthcare fraud in U.S. history
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Rocky Mountain Voice, Approved, Commentary, National, Top Stories

Garbo: America’s $16.4 billion wake-up call—the largest healthcare fraud in U.S. history

By C. J. Garbo | Guest Commentary, Rocky Mountain Voice The United States has just witnessed the largest healthcare fraud takedown in its history. Over 324 individuals - including 96 licensed medical professionals - stand accused of orchestrating and profiting from a sprawling $16.4 billion scheme that defrauded Medicare, Medicaid, and the American taxpayer.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kxp69sQDnlk This is not a bureaucratic misstep or clerical oversight. It is ideological rot - a moral collapse within a system trusted to care for the sick, the elderly, and the most vulnerable. Let’s begin with what is encouraging: this takedown required skill, intelligence, courage, and the mobilization of federal and state law enforcement at scale. Agents, prosecutors, analysts, an...
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Released, rearrested and now accused again: Roybal-Smith case ignites parole reform debate
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Top Stories, Approved, Rocky Mountain Voice, State

Released, rearrested and now accused again: Roybal-Smith case ignites parole reform debate

By Shaina Cole | Contributing Writer, Rocky Mountain Voice Denver Police arrested 38-year-old Ricky Lee Roybal-Smith early Monday morning, July 1, following the death of his cellmate at the Downtown Denver Detention Center. The alleged homicide came just hours after Roybal-Smith was jailed on unrelated charges—less than a day after two Aurora stabbings. Roybal-Smith’s criminal history spans nearly two decades and includes convictions for assault, felony menacing, DUI-related vehicular assault, and obtaining controlled substances by fraud. He’s also faced repeated parole violations and multiple arrests involving weapons. Despite this record, he was granted early release in 2023. Denver Police said deputies found an unresponsive man in a shared jail cell around 2:15 a.m. Monday. Off...
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Judge Clears Way to Deport Terror Suspect’s Family After Boulder Bombing
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Local, Approved, New York Post

Judge Clears Way to Deport Terror Suspect’s Family After Boulder Bombing

By Shane Galvin | New York Post The family of the Colorado terror suspect who injured 8 Israeli hostage supporters with homemade firebombs last month can be deported, a federal judge ruled on Wednesday. US District Court Judge Orlando Garcia dismissed Mohamed Sabry Soliman family’s legal challenge to their deportation — stating that the Trump administration has conducted normal and legal removal proceedings. Soliman’s wife and five children had sued to prevent expedited removal proceedings, but the judge ruled he “lacks jurisdiction to grant Petitioners the relief they seek.” Garcia’s decision superseded another court’s ruling last month, when Biden-appointed US District Court Judge Gordon Gallagher slammed the brakes on the Trump administration’s attempt to deport Soliman’s fa...
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RTD Crackdown: Board Strips Director of Duties Following Internal Probe
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Local, Approved, kdvr.com

RTD Crackdown: Board Strips Director of Duties Following Internal Probe

By Maddie Rhodes | KDVR Fox 31 DENVER (KDVR) — A Regional Transportation District director was stripped of several duties after an internal investigation found “unprofessional” and “demeaning” conduct with staff members. In a document FOX31 obtained, RTD Board Chair Bouquet on Friday, June 27, revoked several duties of JoyAnn Ruscha, RTD Director for District B who uses the pronoun they. The document included an investigation into Ruscha’s alleged actions, finding that they violated several agency and board values and guidelines. After the investigation, Ruscha was removed from the OSS committee chair position and as a member of the committee but can still attend any standing committee meeting as a non-voting director. They’re not eligible for director expense allocations or reimb...
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Colorado Lawmakers Reject Federal Overtime Exemption Prioritizing Revenue Over Relief
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State, Approved, Axios Denver

Colorado Lawmakers Reject Federal Overtime Exemption Prioritizing Revenue Over Relief

By John Frank | AXIOS President Trump's "big, beautiful bill" would make some overtime pay exempt from federal income taxes. Yes, but: Colorado won't do the same. State of play: State lawmakers tucked a little-noticed provision into a lengthy tax bill earlier this year to decouple from federal law when it comes to overtime pay, starting in 2027. This means you'll have to pay Colorado's 4.4% income tax on overtime wages, state legislative analysts confirmed, even with a federal exemption. Context: Colorado typically aligns with federal tax law, meaning if there are tax exemptions at the federal level, they would apply to state taxes. In this case, the state decided to break from federal law if the spending bill passes. What they're saying: Rep. Lorena Garc...
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