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1st Amendment claim of fired Douglas County school employee will be heard by jury
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Approved, coloradopolitics.com, State

1st Amendment claim of fired Douglas County school employee will be heard by jury

By Michael Karlik | Colorado Politics A jury will decide whether a Douglas County charter school fired an employee because of her protected online speech about vaccinations, a federal judge ruled last month. At the same time, U.S. Magistrate Judge Scott T. Varholak determined Jennifer Webb's repeated reports of alleged financial improprieties were not protected by the First Amendment. Consequently, jurors would not evaluate whether Aspen View Academy retaliated against her for raising concerns of embezzlement. Webb was the business manager for Aspen View, an elementary and middle school in Castle Rock, between 2017 and 2021. Her job generally entailed bookkeeping and financial oversight. Webb soon became concerned about financial malfeasance by the school's principal, Robert Barbe...
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Political nonprofit tied to Jared Polis admits to violating state’s campaign finance laws, will pay $18K fine, reveal donors
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Approved, State, The Colorado Sun

Political nonprofit tied to Jared Polis admits to violating state’s campaign finance laws, will pay $18K fine, reveal donors

By Sandra Fish | The Colorado Sun A political nonprofit linked to Gov. Jared Polis has admitted to violating Colorado’s campaign finance laws and will pay an $18,000 fine and disclose its donors under a settlement agreement with state election officials. Boldly Forward Colorado, created in 2018 to pay for Polis’ transition team, donated nearly $352,000 last year to Property Tax Relief Now. That issue committee spent close to $3 million to promote Proposition HH, a ballot measure backed by Polis that would have overhauled Colorado’s property tax system and made big changes to state spending.  Voters overwhelmingly rejected the measure in the November 2023 election.  The Public Trust Institute, a conservative political nonprofit, filed the complaint against Boldly ...
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Biden was hour late to call with Hispanic lawmakers, ending after several denied questions, one asked him to withdraw
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Approved, National, TownHall.com

Biden was hour late to call with Hispanic lawmakers, ending after several denied questions, one asked him to withdraw

By Matt Vespa | TownHall.com One Democrat had the courage to tell Biden to his face that he needed to go. It was during a call with the Congressional Hispanic Caucus that quickly devolved into chaos, according to NOTUS. The president has been working to shore up support as significant swaths of the party have been shaken by his disastrous debate performance on June 27. Three-fourths of the country think Biden is too old to be effective, with the president’s approvals settling in the mid-30s. As of today, Donald Trump is heading toward reclaiming his old job.  READ THE FULL STORY AT TOWNHALL.COM
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Trump is back: Presidential hopeful reinstated by Meta on Facebook, Instagram
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Approved, Fox Business, National

Trump is back: Presidential hopeful reinstated by Meta on Facebook, Instagram

By Sarah Rumpf-Whitten  | Fox Business Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, announced that they will remove the longstanding restrictions placed on former President Trump's accounts. A Meta spokesperson confirmed to Fox News that the Big Tech giant will lift the bans placed on Trump's Meta accounts that have been in place since Jan. 2021. Meta said the restrictions on Trump's social media will be lifted in "the coming weeks." The change of heart came after Meta reassessed their "responsibility to allow political expression." READ THE FULL STORY AT FOX BUSINESS
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Bill would expand military death benefits for families of ROTC cadets
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Air Force Times, Approved, National

Bill would expand military death benefits for families of ROTC cadets

By Jonathan Lehrfeld | Air Force Times Parents of young officers in training and incoming recruits who died in connection with military activities want Congress to approve death benefits that others in the armed forces already receive. “It’s just been an absolute nightmare. There’s no aspect of our lives that are the same,” said Jessica Swan. Swan’s daughter, Mackenzie Wilson, 19, a student at Oregon State University and an Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps cadet, died in a vehicle accident in June 2022, while at an Air Force base in Idaho for a development program. Family members of active duty troops can collect financial compensation from the military after a service member dies. But Swan received nothing after her child’s death. Loved ones of those in ...
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RNC Chair Michael Whatley promises convention showcasing Trump’s strength, Biden’s weakness
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Approved, National, The Washington Times

RNC Chair Michael Whatley promises convention showcasing Trump’s strength, Biden’s weakness

By Seth McLaughlin | The Washington Times The head of the Republican National Committee says the challenges confronting Democrats this election cycle run far deeper than President Biden’s physical health. Michael Whatley, who took over the RNC in March, said the intense focus on Mr. Biden’s cognitive decline discounts the depth to which the Democratic vision has turned off voters of all stripes. “There’s not a single Democrat that they’re going to put in place of Joe Biden that’s going to change a single one of the policies that have absolutely crushed American families,” Mr. Whatley told The Washington Times in an interview Thursday. READ THE FULL STORY AT THE WASHINGTON TIMES
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‘Uncertainty’ hits Boulder Valley S.D. amid enrollment decline, new funding law and tax cap measure
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Approved, Boulder Reporting Lab, Local

‘Uncertainty’ hits Boulder Valley S.D. amid enrollment decline, new funding law and tax cap measure

By Jenna Sampson | Boulder Reporting Lab The Boulder Valley School District is set to spend over $550 million on operating expenditures next school year. In lockstep with declining enrollment, fixed costs continue to rise, increasing the cost per student. Boulder spends over $4,000 more per pupil than the state average of $15,000, with some schools allocating over $22,000 per student. This yearly enrollment decline of 1.5%, combined with a new funding law and a November 2024 ballot measure to cap property taxes — a major revenue source for BVSD — has sparked concerns about the district’s future budget. Although the new funding law may provide additional state aid, this will be offset by declining enrollment unless the district manages to reduce fixed costs. One potenti...
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State vet: 1.8 million head of poultry depopulated due to bird flu in Weld County
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Approved, State, thefencepost.com

State vet: 1.8 million head of poultry depopulated due to bird flu in Weld County

By Rachel Gabel  | The Fence Post The most recent report of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) has resulted in the depopulation of 1.8 million head of poultry at a commercial table egg facility in Weld County. Colorado State Veterinarian Dr. Maggie Baldwin said the state’s dairies and poultry facilities have cooperated with her office diligently to reduce the spread of HPAI. Baldwin said the monitoring, testing and reporting of HPAI in Colorado is a result of the cooperation between producers and partners, including the State Veterinarian’s office and is important to reduce the spread between dairies and poultry facilities. “Do I think Colorado has the most cases in the nation? No. Do I think Colorado has the most reported cases in the nation? Yes. Absolutely,” Baldwin said....
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Democrat U.S. Rep. Pettersen joins the fray of those asking Biden to ‘please pass the torch’
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Approved, kdvr.com, State

Democrat U.S. Rep. Pettersen joins the fray of those asking Biden to ‘please pass the torch’

By Morgan Whitley | Fox 31 News Rep. Brittany Pettersen, from Colorado’s 7th Congressional District, is the latest politician to call on President Joe Biden to step down as the Democratic candidate. On Friday, Pettersen posted a statement on her personal X account asking Biden to “please pass the torch.” Pettersen represents the 7th Congressional District of Colorado in Jefferson, Broomfield, Lake, Park, Teller, Chaffee, Fremont, and Custer County after being elected in 2022. READ THE FULL STORY AT FOX 31 NEWS
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Aurora police preparing to roll out auto theft tracking program
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Approved, denvergazette.com, Local

Aurora police preparing to roll out auto theft tracking program

By Kyla Pearce | Denver Gazette Aurora Police Department is preparing to roll out a new tracking program that would enable officials to locate stolen cars. The goal is to spread the program, called Metro Track, across the region to make it more powerful, APD Division Chief Mark Hildebrand said at a Thursday Public Safety, Courts and Civil Service Committee meeting. Metro Track, done in collaboration with the Colorado Auto Theft Prevention Agency (CATPA), is based on a similar program in Cook County, Illinois, and another similar program in Denver, called DenverTrack, Hildebrand said. Those interested in participating in the program can enroll with the police department, giving officers consent to track the car in the event that it gets stolen. READ THE FULL STORY AT THE DENVER ...
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