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Marijuana user cannot be banned from gun ownership, U.S. court rules
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Approved, denvergazette.com, State

Marijuana user cannot be banned from gun ownership, U.S. court rules

By Nate Raymond | Denver Gazette A U.S. appeals court on Wednesday ruled that a pot-smoking gun owner in Texas cannot be prosecuted for violating a federal ban on users of illegal drugs owning firearms, saying it is unconstitutional to disarm her based on her past drug habits. The New Orleans-based 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals said the prosecution had violated Paola Connelly's right to keep and bear arms under the U.S. Constitution's Second Amendment citing a landmark 2022 U.S. Supreme Court ruling that expanded gun rights. "Marijuana user or not, Paola is a member of our political community and thus has a presumptive right to bear arms," U.S. Circuit Judge Kurt Engelhardt, an appointee of Republican former President Donald Trump, wrote for a three-judge panel. READ THE FU...
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If Senate approves measure, property tax special session could be over except governor’s signature
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Approved, kdvr.com, State

If Senate approves measure, property tax special session could be over except governor’s signature

By Gabrielle Franklin | Fox 31 News A property tax agreement is one step closer to passing after it cleared the House floor in a vote of 45-18, but not without pushback. The measure had served as a negotiation between some state lawmakers and supporters of statewide ballot initiatives 50 and 108. The pre-negotiated property tax agreement designed to slow property tax increases cleared the House without much opposition recorded in the final vote, but before members voted, lawmakers on both sides of the aisle let leaders know they did not like the way this bill came to be. Democrat and Republican members of the House stood in solidarity as representatives voiced frustrations about the process that got the bill on the floor, calling out the governor and leadership for negotiating dea...
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DIA in ‘final phase’ of construction, but finished look will take years
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Approved, kdvr.com, Local

DIA in ‘final phase’ of construction, but finished look will take years

By Maddie Rhodes | Fox 31 News The Denver International Airport is undergoing some renovations, including one major project that has left the airport under construction since 2018. While the project is in its final stages, there are still a few more years to go. DIA has been working on one major project for over three years: The Great Hall Project — a plan that aims to accommodate the airport’s growing size. While it might feel like there has been construction inside the airport for a long time, many visible parts of the project should wrap up within the next year, according to DIA spokesperson Michael Konopasek. READ THE FULL STORY AT FOX 31 NEWS
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Coloradans upset as slowdowns and speed restrictions continue on RTD light rail lines
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Approved, CBS Colorado, Local

Coloradans upset as slowdowns and speed restrictions continue on RTD light rail lines

By Ashley Portillo | CBS Colorado It has been a long, frustrating summer for riders on RTD's light rail system, with multiple disruptive repair projects underway. The mass transportation system is undergoing a construction blitz, trying to make up for years of delayed maintenance in one summer. There is still no timeline for when the repairs will be finished. Currently, there are four different areas where the track is in such rough shape that trains have to slow down to just 10 miles per hour. These include slow zones on the D, E, H, and R lines. The delays have had a cascading effect on the light rail system all summer. Those who regularly travel to and from the southern part of the metro area have been heavily impacted. Most of the D line, which provides service to Littleton, i...
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Smrz: Venezuelan Gang Expands In Denver
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Approved, Commentary, Rocky Mountain Voice, State

Smrz: Venezuelan Gang Expands In Denver

By Jimmy Smrz | Commentary, Rocky Mountain Voice Denver is facing an unprecedented threat as the Venezuelan criminal gang Tren de Aragua (TDA) expands its operations into the city. Notorious for its involvement in extortion, kidnapping, and murder, TDA has given its members a “green light” to attack and open fire on Denver police officers, sparking serious concerns about the safety of the city. With local law enforcement already stretched thin by budget cuts and escalating crime, Denver's Mayor Mike Johnston and the city seem ill-prepared for this threat. Global Cartel, Local Consequences TDA’s influence reaches far beyond Venezuela, where it has operated with impunity, and is now taking root in U.S. sanctuary, cities including New York, Chicago, and ...
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US judge tosses machine gun possession case, calls ban unconstitutional
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Approved, denvergazette.com, National

US judge tosses machine gun possession case, calls ban unconstitutional

By Nate Raymond | Denver Gazette A federal judge has dismissed charges against a Kansas man for possessing a machine gun, saying prosecutors failed to establish that a federal ban on owning such weapons is constitutional. The decision by U.S. District Judge John Broomes in Wichita on Wednesday appeared to mark the first time a court has held that banning machine guns is unconstitutional after the conservative-majority U.S. Supreme Court in 2022 issued a landmark ruling that expanded gun rights. In that ruling, New York State Rifle & Pistol Association v. Bruen, the Supreme Court established a new test for assessing firearms laws, saying restrictions must be "consistent with this nation's historical tradition of firearm regulation." The Supreme Court clarified that standard ...
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Property tax bill passes Colorado House during special session
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Approved, CBS 11 KKTV, State

Property tax bill passes Colorado House during special session

By Tony Keith | CBS11 The Colorado House passed HB24B-1001 on Wednesday hoping it will help reduce property taxes. News releases from both House Democrats and House Republicans shared their take on the legislation. ”We are committed to making Colorado a more affordable place to live, and with this bill we’re delivering additional property tax relief in a responsible way while protecting funding for our schools, parks, libraries and community institutions,”said Speaker Julie McCluskie, D-Dillon.“Two initiatives from wealthy special interests on the November ballot would de-fund schools, lengthen emergency response times, and strip health care away from our most vulnerable Coloradans. Stopping these measures with small changes to the bipartisan property tax package from last session...
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Fremont County Commissioners against initiative that would prohibit hunting of mountain lions
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Approved, Canon City Daily Record, Local

Fremont County Commissioners against initiative that would prohibit hunting of mountain lions

By Carie Canterbury | Canon City Daily Record During Tuesday’s meeting, the Fremont County Board of Commissioners approved a resolution opposing Colorado Ballot Initiative 91, which would prohibit the hunting of mountain lions. The resolution states that “respectful and responsible hunting is a time-honored tradition in Colorado and it is the policy of the state of Colorado that the state’s wildlife and their environment are to be protected, preserved, enhanced, and managed for the use, benefit, and enjoyment of the people of this state and its visitors.” It goes on to read that “an unmanaged population of large predators will inevitably lead to increased human conflict, on both agricultural and residential lands” and “sapient citizens need look no further than the bloody and fin...
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Tren de Aragua Gang expands to Denver and Aurora, unleashing chaos in sanctuary cities
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Approved, Fox News, State

Tren de Aragua Gang expands to Denver and Aurora, unleashing chaos in sanctuary cities

By Christina Coulter | Fox News Although Denver's suburbs don't share its sanctuary city policies, the influx of migrants into the Mile High City has spilled outward. Now, its neighbors are facing an unprecedented wave of activity from a notorious Venezuelan prison gang.  Officials from Aurora, about nine miles east of Denver, told Fox News Digital the Tren de Aragua gang has gained a strong foothold in their city, commandeering apartment complexes and drumming up violent crime and sex trafficking.  "We currently have entire complexes under gang control — complexes where staff have been beaten up, they've been threatened, their families have been threatened [and] complexes where there are no staff left on the property," Aurora City Council Member Dani...
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Special council Jack Smith springs another indictment on Trump
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Approved, National, The Daily Signal

Special council Jack Smith springs another indictment on Trump

By Fred Lucas | Daily Signal In an attempt to salvage his prosecution against Donald Trump, special counsel Jack Smith secured a reindictment Tuesday against the 45th president on four felony charges in his Washington, D.C., election interference case.  The case revolves around Trump’s various challenges to the 2020 election outcome, most notably his effort to prevent Congress from certifying Joe Biden’s Electoral College victory on Jan. 6, 2021. The Washington federal grand jury’s new 36-page indictment is similar to the previous indictment in the case. However, in early July, the U.S. Supreme Court determined Trump had immunity for actions taken in his official capacity as president. The new indictment is Smith’s attempt to recast his case in light of the court’s ...
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