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Former Colorado Teacher Of The Year Finalist Sentenced To 14 Years In Student Abuse Case
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CBS Colorado, Approved, Local

Former Colorado Teacher Of The Year Finalist Sentenced To 14 Years In Student Abuse Case

By Logan Smith | CBS Colorado A finalist for 2025 Colorado Teacher of the Year violated the terms of her probation and continued to contact one of her former students after she'd been criminally charged for having a relationship with the student and fired from her teaching position, according to a court document. Tera Johnson-Swartz was sentenced on March 19 to 14 years in the Colorado Department of Corrections. Two cases were filed against her - the first following a grand jury investigation into the relationship, the second after detectives learned that Johnson-Swartz was trying to maintain contact with the student. The student confirmed those attempts, according to the arrest affidavit in the second case. In an interview, the student said his former teacher walked u...
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FCC Bans Foreign Routers Over Chinese Cyber Threat Concerns
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Just The News, Approved, National

FCC Bans Foreign Routers Over Chinese Cyber Threat Concerns

By Steven Richards | Just the News The Intelligence Community previously assessed that Chinese hackers were burrowing into U.S. network infrastructure to lie in wait for future attacks. The problem might be found in the countries of origin were routers are manufactured. The Federal Communications Commission took radical action this week to ban the import of internet routers manufactured in foreign countries, citing the unacceptable security risks posed by Chinese hackers to U.S. critical infrastructure. Internet routers connect computers, cellphones, and other electronic devices to the internet. In the modern, digital economy, routers are everywhere, used by citizens, businesses, schools, utility providers, emergency services, and the U.S. military. More than 90% of ...
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HB26-1240: Colorado Democrats Expand Tax Giveaways—and Eat Your TABOR Refund
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Colorado Accountability Project, Approved, Commentary, State

HB26-1240: Colorado Democrats Expand Tax Giveaways—and Eat Your TABOR Refund

Cory Gaines | Commentary, Colorado Accountability Project HB26-1240 (linked first below) is a great example of tax policy which mimics a dynamic I have seen with other policy such as gun control. Rather than taking all in one big shot, something that would get all kinds of undue attention, you take in a piecewise manner. E.g. in year 1 you get red flag laws passed, but they’re limited so as to not cause too much heartburn. When that settles down, you can then spend subsequent years making additions to that first law. In the case of HB26-1240, you start by offering expanded tax credits to people and then you expand the credits further. In order to fully appreciate what I mean, we have to do some background first. Colorado’s Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) is another ...
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Travel Disruptions Spur Senate To Pass Partial DHS Funding After Weeks Of Gridlock
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NBC News, Approved, National

Travel Disruptions Spur Senate To Pass Partial DHS Funding After Weeks Of Gridlock

By Owen Hayes, Brennan Leach, Sahil Kapur and Lauren Zola | NBC News The measure, passed unanimously early Friday after a marathon session, still needs to get through the Republican-led House before it can get to Trump's desk. WASHINGTON — The Senate agreed unanimously early Friday to fund the Department of Homeland Security, but without funding for immigration enforcement and deportation operations. Senators approved the package at 2:20 a.m. by voice vote following a marathon session. The 42-day funding lapse has seen them go without pay, leading many to call out of work and causing long lines at airports. While the measure still needs to pass the House, the Senate vote paves the way to allow airports to fully function again. The legislation would...
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Polis Moves Colorado Into WHO Network After US Withdrawal
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DENVER7, Approved, State

Polis Moves Colorado Into WHO Network After US Withdrawal

By Óscar Contreras | Denver7 The move is the latest in a series of actions Colorado has undertaken amid shakeup in federal health policy. DENVER — Colorado has been accepted into a network of more than 360 institutions as the state seeks to stay ahead of emerging public health threats following the withdrawal of the U.S. from the World Health Organization earlier this year. “We are thrilled to join the World Health Organization’s GOARN network, especially during a time when federal public health guidance is becoming less consistent,” Gov. Jared Polis said in a statement Wednesday. “Disease does not stop at borders, and this partnership helps ensure Colorado is better prepared to protect people and respond quickly to emerging threats.” The WHO’s Global Out...
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Cherry Creek Schools Face Scrutiny After 14 Contracts Signed Improperly
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DENVER7, Approved, Local

Cherry Creek Schools Face Scrutiny After 14 Contracts Signed Improperly

By Natalie Chuck | Denver7 Revelation comes just months after the former superintendent resigned and his wife, the head of human resources, was place on administrative leave amid an ongoing investigation. GREENWOOD VILLAGE, Colo. — Denver7 Investigates has learned that 14 employment contracts, totaling hundreds of thousands of dollars, were signed improperly in the Cherry Creek School District. The revelation comes after one parent and district alum filed an open records request to see an interim superintendent's contract. "I wanted to see what the terms of his contract were," parent Molly Lamar told Denver7 Investigates. The contract for Toby Arritola, who was previously the district's executive director of strategic initiatives, was signed Feb. 2...
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Colorado Lawmakers Debate Future Of Utilities Commission And Energy Policy
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Pueblo Today, Approved, State

Colorado Lawmakers Debate Future Of Utilities Commission And Energy Policy

By Pueblo Today Staff | Pueblo Today Decision could impact clean air, water, and energy costs for residents. Colorado lawmakers are considering whether to reauthorize the state's Public Utilities Commission, which regulates energy, water, and other utilities. Advocates argue the commission plays a crucial role in promoting clean energy and protecting vulnerable communities from pollution, but past decisions have also favored the interests of investor-owned utilities over the public. Why it matters The Public Utilities Commission's decisions have a direct impact on air quality, water quality, and energy costs for Colorado residents, especially in communities like Pueblo and Commerce City that already face higher levels of pollution and health issues. Reauthorizin...
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Senate Bill 135 Raises New Questions About TABOR Limits And Taxpayer Protections
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Complete Colorado, Approved, Commentary, State

Senate Bill 135 Raises New Questions About TABOR Limits And Taxpayer Protections

By Nash Herman | Commentary, Complete Colorado Claims that Senate Bill 26-135 could permanently eliminate the refund of overcollected revenue under Colorado’s Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights (TABOR) amendment may at first blush sound hyperbolic, but they are not. Let me explain.  Beyond handing progressive legislators a blank check to cover up their own overspending, the new TABOR revenue limit creates a perverse incentive to limit both fiscal transparency and voter consent.  TABOR working just fine  TABOR’s existing formula limits annual growth of a portion of the state budget to a combination of population growth plus inflation.  This formula allows government to reasonably grow and accounts for factors not directly wit...
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Federal Decree Limits Government Role In Social Media Moderation
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Just The News, Approved, National

Federal Decree Limits Government Role In Social Media Moderation

By Greg Piper | Just the News 10-year agreement binds surgeon general, CDC, DHS's Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency. Feds agree not to stop Louisiana, Missouri and individual plaintiffs from seeking attorney's fees as "prevailing parties." Nearly two years after the Supreme Court killed free speech, in the telling of future National Institutes of Health Director Jay Bhattacharya, by letting the Biden administration resume pressuring tech platforms to censor disfavored narratives on COVID-19, elections and Hunter Biden, the Trump administration has made the plaintiffs' wildest dreams come true. U.S. District Judge Terry Doughty, who imposed the sweeping preliminary injunction on the feds before the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals n...
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What are biodiversity credits, and how are they being used in Colorado?
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Colorado Accountability Project, Approved, Commentary, State

What are biodiversity credits, and how are they being used in Colorado?

Cory Gaines | Commentary, Colorado Accountability Project I watched something on Facebook recently, one of those "I'm going to tell you the truth" kinds of videos. I didn't copy the link. It's not worth referring back to anyway. The gist of the video is simple: the man in the video claims that part of the reason for species reintroduction (he is not from Colorado, nor talking about Colorado) is so that the landowners can make big money selling biodiversity credits. I asked every land conservation trust I could find an email for and, with one exception, could not find one that admitted to selling biodiversity credits. A lot of the ones that emailed me back said that no market for selling them exists as of yet in Colorado. This doesn't mean that the topic has no value; it...
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