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Man arrested at Capitol with molotov cocktails wanted to kill Treasury Sec Scott Bessent
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Approved, National, The Post Millennial

Man arrested at Capitol with molotov cocktails wanted to kill Treasury Sec Scott Bessent

By Hannah Nightingale | The Post Millennial A Massachusetts man who was arrested at the US Capitol on Monday with Molotov cocktails and knives told authorities that he was there to kill Scott Bessent, who was confirmed as Secretary of the Treasury the same day, court documents filed on Tuesday revealed. According to the affidavit, Ryan Michael "Reily" English approached a Capitol Police Officer on Monday at around 3:12 pm near the South Door of the US Capitol Building and said "I’d like to turn myself in." English also revealed to the officer that he was in possession of multiple knives and two Molotov cocktails.  English was detained and a search uncovered a folding knife in English’s pants pocket, as well as two "destructive devices" in the inside pockets of his jacket tha...
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Junk fees are putting Coloradans in debt. Legislation may be coming to help
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Approved, State, Westword

Junk fees are putting Coloradans in debt. Legislation may be coming to help

By Catie Cheshire | Westword Jade Smith's Housing Choice Voucher covers rent at her Denver apartment and a utility stipend for her Xcel Energy bills, but she still owes her complex over $200. That's because Smith's apartment complex, like many others in Denver, charges "junk" fees beyond utilities and rent. According to Smith, her complex charges her $180 per month for line items such as pest control, real estate tax, common area maintenance and processing fees. Because Smith is still working through the paperwork to establish a disability income due to her spinal fusion and post-traumatic stress, she only makes $224 per month doing odd jobs. The lease for her southeast Denver apartment only hints at those charges through a clause saying she may be charged for “other” service...
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Four things to know about school choice enrollment in Colorado
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Approved, gazette.com, State

Four things to know about school choice enrollment in Colorado

By Eric Young | The Gazette Colorado families are able to attend any public school in the state for free, regardless of where they live through open enrollment. The application process for school choice is now underway for the 2025-2026 school year in El Paso County and here are four things families should know when applying. READ THE FULL STORY AT THE GAZETTE
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A full list of President Trump’s executive orders so far
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Approved, National, Rocky Mountain Voice

A full list of President Trump’s executive orders so far

By Rocky Mountain Voice Staff Since returning to office, President Donald Trump has signed a sweeping array of executive orders, setting the tone for his administration's priorities and charting a course for significant policy shifts. Here's a breakdown of the key actions organized into their respective areas: Appointments and Personnel President Trump wasted no time assembling his leadership team, announcing cabinet, sub-cabinet, and acting cabinet-level appointments, along with designating chairmen and acting chairmen for critical roles. Additionally, nominations for key positions were transmitted to the Senate, ensuring rapid action on his agenda. President Trump Announces Cabinet and Cabinet-Level Appointments President Trump Announces Sub-Cabinet Appointments Pr...
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Aurora to get rid of shelter, notice requirements for homeless camp abatements
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Approved, denvergazette.com, Local

Aurora to get rid of shelter, notice requirements for homeless camp abatements

By Kyla Pearce | The Denver Gazette Aurora city councilmembers passed an ordinance Monday night that gets rid of the requirement to provide shelter options and a 72-hour notice before abating homeless encampments. The ordinance, which was passed through a study session two weeks ago, prevailed with three 'no' votes from councilmembers Alison Coombs, Ruben Medina and Crystal Murillo. Prior to the ordinance's passage, city code read that "no city employee authorized to issue a citation shall issue a citation, make an arrest, or otherwise enforce this section against a person camping on public property unless the city has a shelter option available for the person ordered to move from the camp and the person has been offered placement in the shelter option." READ THE FULL STORY AT ...
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Federal committee calls for Denver mayor to testify on city’s sanctuary policies
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Approved, denvergazette.com, Local

Federal committee calls for Denver mayor to testify on city’s sanctuary policies

By Deborah Grigsby | The Denver Gazette The House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform investigating so-called "sanctuary" jurisdictions across the nation has called for Denver Mayor Mike Johnston to testify in Washington, D.C. “Denver is a sanctuary jurisdiction that refuses to fully cooperate with federal immigration enforcement,” Committee Chairman James Comer wrote in a letter to Johnston dated Jan. 27. “To provide much needed oversight of this matter, the Committee requests documents and information related to the sanctuary policies of Denver.” The letter called out Johnston by name: “Denver is a sanctuary jurisdiction under Colorado law, and Mayor Mike Johnston confirmed that he was prepared to go to jail to protect illegal aliens from federal immigration authorities...
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Colorado’s unemployment rate rises to 4.4%, the highest in three years
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Approved, State, The Colorado Sun

Colorado’s unemployment rate rises to 4.4%, the highest in three years

By Tamara Chuang | The Colorado Sun Colorado’s unemployment rate rose to 4.4% last month, up one-tenth of a percentage point and the highest in three years. At the same time, there are fewer job openings and fewer people filing to start a new business.  While that seems like the opposite direction state officials prefer, there were some positives and additional context to better understand what happened, Secretary of State Jena Griswold said during a news conference Monday.  “Job and GDP growth numbers are encouraging and indicate the economy is stabilizing after several years of inflation,” Griswold said. “Colorado remains in a strong economic position and the state and national outlook is positive.” READ THE FULL STORY AT THE COLORADO SUN
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Rep. Soper joining sex-assault victims to urge reform in addressing 400-day rape kit processing delays
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Approved, Rocky Mountain Voice, State

Rep. Soper joining sex-assault victims to urge reform in addressing 400-day rape kit processing delays

By Jen Schumann | Contributing Writer, Rocky Mountain Voice In Colorado, when someone is raped, it may take more than a year before a district attorney can assess the evidence and open an investigation. The problem is because of long delays in processing rape kits, which takes more than 400 days now, exceeding the state’s 90-day goal.  To put the rape kit backlog issue into perspective, investigations cannot begin without the results of the forensic analysis, making the overall delay even more damaging. "The longer we're delaying the ability for the criminal justice system to even begin — not just to complete a trial, but for law enforcement and prosecutors to start an investigation — justice is completely stalled," said Republican Rep. Matt Soper, who represents District 54 in th...
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U.S. Rep. Jeff Hurd joined by constituents while taking ceremonial oath of office
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Approved, Rocky Mountain Voice, State

U.S. Rep. Jeff Hurd joined by constituents while taking ceremonial oath of office

By Lindy Browning | Contributing Writer, Rocky Mountain Voice In consideration of constituents who elected him, and were not able to be at his swearing in, or who may have traveled to the inauguration, only to have it moved indoors, U.S. Rep. Jeff Hurd, R-3rd District, invited people to the U.S. District Court house on Monday, Jan. 27, to attend a ceremonial swearing into office. The Hon. Gordon Gallagher presided over the ceremony, where there was a standing-room only crowd.  “We are here today for the ceremonial swearing in of Congressman Jeff Hurd. I say ceremonial because the 119th Congress was officially sworn in several weeks ago in Washington, D.C., and he is already hard at work," Gallagher said. Judge Gallagher had obviously given a great deal of thought to his ceremon...
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Texas Republican: Selena Gomez’s ‘crocodile tears’ a ‘PR stunt’
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Approved, National, THE HILL

Texas Republican: Selena Gomez’s ‘crocodile tears’ a ‘PR stunt’

By Judy Kurtz | The Hill A Texas Republican is accusing Selena Gomez of crying “crocodile tears” in a since-deleted video of the star sobbing that was posted amid the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown.  “@SelenaGomez’s crocodile tears aren’t for deportations — it’s a PR stunt to distract @TheAcademy from Hispanics HATING her movie,” Rep. Monica De La Cruz (R-Texas) said on the social platform X on Monday. In the clip that had appeared on Gomez’s Instagram page before reportedly being removed on Monday, the “Only Murders in the Building” star was seen wiping away tears as she said, “All my people are getting attacked,” with an image of the Mexican flag appearing onscreen.  READ THE FULL STORY ON THE HILL
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