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Denver advances NWSL stadium plan with unclear funding, councilwoman warns of tradeoffs
Approved, denvergazette.com, Local

Denver advances NWSL stadium plan with unclear funding, councilwoman warns of tradeoffs

By Deborah Grigsby | Denver Gazette Members of the Denver City Council approved an intergovernmental agreement between the city and the Broadway Station Metropolitan District, which moves the city closer to having a National Women’s Soccer League stadium at Santa Fe Yards at a potential price tag of $70 million. That price tag still needs the council's final approval in a vote expected several months away. The City Council chambers erupted in applause on Monday after the 11-1 vote, which followed an extended discussion of the agreements and what exactly the city is “on the hook for.” Although approval of the IGA does not obligate the city to the funding, according to City Attorney Brad Neiman, it provides the framework for the public-private partnership discussion to move forwa...
Danielle Jurinsky, GOP candidates dominate early fundraising in Aurora Council race
Approved, denvergazette.com, Local

Danielle Jurinsky, GOP candidates dominate early fundraising in Aurora Council race

By Kyla Pearce | Denver Gazette Republican incumbents are leading the fundraising race for the Aurora City Council election, which now has a pool of 17 candidates for five seats. City Council seats up for election are Wards I, II and II and two at-large. A majority of the candidates are running for Ward I and the two at-large seats.  Incumbent Danielle Jurinsky, who is running to keep her at-large seat, has raised over four times the amount of the next highest fundraising candidate.  Jurinsky's campaign has a total of almost $185,000 in contributions, according to Aurora's campaign finance system. Jurinsky's campaign has had a total of 486 contributions, 107 of which were the full possible amount of $1,150.  In 2023, the Aurora City Clerk's Office adjusted the...
Trump Justice Department cuts transgender grants, will use money to fund law enforcement
Approved, Daily Wire, National

Trump Justice Department cuts transgender grants, will use money to fund law enforcement

By Mary Margaret Olohan | Daily Wire WASHINGTON—The Department of Justice is taking funds that it formerly granted to groups supporting transgender ideology and diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives, and using these funds to support United States law enforcement, documents obtained by The Daily Wire show. The move is reflective of President Donald Trump’s aggressive push to weed out government use of taxpayer funding for woke or ideological purposes. That’s particularly significant in the Department of Justice, where, under President Joe Biden’s administration, Americans were targeted and investigated for practicing their faith, participating in peaceful pro-life protests, or pushing back against explicit gender ideology and sex education in schools. After news broke that ...
House Republicans pass $4 trillion tax cut out of committee as members debate SALT cap
Approved, National, Washington Examiner

House Republicans pass $4 trillion tax cut out of committee as members debate SALT cap

By Zach Halaschak | Washington Examiner House Republicans on the Ways and Means Committee voted their tax legislation out of committee on Wednesday, moving one step closer to enacting a sweeping fiscal bill that would enact much of President Donald Trump’s domestic agenda. The fate of the bill on the House floor, though, was unclear, as members were still debating deductions for state and local taxes, as well as the amount of spending cuts to be included in the larger legislative package. The committee voted 26-19 to approve the tax part of the legislation after a marathon markup meeting that lasted more than 17 hours. During the markup, Democrats offered up several amendments that were batted down, but this allowed them to air out criticisms of the tax cu...
After bullets fly, Denver LoDo residents demand crackdown on downtown crime hub
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After bullets fly, Denver LoDo residents demand crackdown on downtown crime hub

By Alliyah Sims | Fox31 DENVER (KDVR) — Residents living near 19th and Market Street in the lower downtown area say they have had enough with the crime happening in their community. They say in the past six weeks alone, there have been back-to-back shootings and they fear leaving their own homes. The fear stems from a public parking lot located right across the street, where they say illegal activity happens. Just last week, police investigated a shooting in the area that injured four people. No word on any arrests, but the video shows a person being lifted off a sidewalk as people took cover. In the last six months, according to Denver Police crime data, there have been at least five aggravated assaults, with at least two shootings ending with windows being shot thro...
Trump imposes more sanctions on Iran after 4th round of nuclear talks
Approved, Breitbart, National

Trump imposes more sanctions on Iran after 4th round of nuclear talks

By Frances Martel | Breitbart The U.S. Treasury Department announced sweeping sanctions on Tuesday against a network of corporations accused of helping Iran avoid sanctions on its oil industry by obscuring the true origin of the product. The move followed a separate round of sanctions on Iranian citizens accused of helping Iran expand its illicit nuclear weapons program on Monday — and, notably, a fourth round of negotiations between representatives of the Iranian regime and the administration of President Donald Trump that took place on Sunday. Iranian officials have repeatedly stated the objective of the talks is to convince Washington to drop sanctions on the country so the regime, the world’s premier state sponsor of terrorism, can continue to enrich itself, while the Trump admin...
Trump signs agreements with Qatar on defense and Boeing purchases
Approved, Fox News, National

Trump signs agreements with Qatar on defense and Boeing purchases

By Anders Hagstrom  | Fox News President Donald Trump on Wednesday signed a series of agreements with Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani in Doha, Qatar. The agreements involved a purchasing agreement by Qatar for Boeing aircraft, as well as letters of intent and "joint cooperation" between Qatar and the U.S. The emir also signed an intent agreement to purchase MQ-9 drone aircraft. Al Thani said he had a "great" conversation with Trump prior to the signing ceremony on Wednesday, adding that the agreements have elevated the U.S.-Qatar relationship to "another level." READ THE FULL STORY AT FOX NEWS
Colorado Springs City Council passes third resolution rejecting sanctuary city label
Approved, denvergazette.com, Local

Colorado Springs City Council passes third resolution rejecting sanctuary city label

By Brennen Kauffman | Denver Gazette Colorado Springs is still not a "sanctuary city." The City Council drove the point home on Tuesday morning by passing a resolution affirming the stance. The resolution introduced by Councilmember Roland Rainey was along similar lines as resolutions the council passed in both February and September 2024 saying the city was not a sanctuary city. The council statements do not change any city laws or ordinances. Four new council members have joined the dais since the last version of the proclamations, including Rainey and Gold, but the outcome of the vote was along similar lines. The resolution passed 7-2 with opposition from Nancy Henjum and Kimberly Gold, who said the city should use funding to support law enforcement instead of words. ...
Polis signs sweeping election bill modeled on federal law—GOP calls it unnecessary
Approved, denvergazette.com, State

Polis signs sweeping election bill modeled on federal law—GOP calls it unnecessary

By Marissa Ventrelli | Denver Gazette Gov. Jared Polis signed a trio of election-related bills into law on Monday, including a measure sponsors say will "safeguard voting rights in Colorado amid federal uncertainty." Senate Bill 001, sponsored by Sen. Julie Gonzales, D-Denver, and Reps. Jennifer Bacon, D-Denver, and Junie Joseph, D-Boulder, implements a state-level version of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, which banned certain discriminatory voting practices.  Several states, including Colorado, are considering their own version of the Voting Rights Act: Alabama, Arizona, Florida, Illinois, Maryland and New Jersey. Meanwhile, Washington and New York have already passed a state-version of the federal law. Gonzales said Senate Bill 001 mirrors the federal Voting Ri...
Denver approves executive pay hikes while facing budget shortfall and reserve drop
Approved, Local, Rocky Mountain Voice, Top Stories

Denver approves executive pay hikes while facing budget shortfall and reserve drop

By Shaina Cole | Contributing Writer, Rocky Mountain Voice A set of salary increases for top Denver officials is drawing criticism, as the city faces continued financial strain and modest pay growth for most employees. The raises are included in the 2025 budget—totaling $1.76 billion—which the Denver City Council approved on November 12, 2024.  On May 6, the City Council’s Finance & Governance Committee approved nearly $500,000 in pay increases for 12 charter-appointed department heads. These changes are expected to add over $216,000 to general fund expenditures this year, with individual increases ranging from 4% up to an eye-catching 43%. The new salaries are scheduled to take effect on July 1. The move has sparked frustration among some observers, who point to small...