Rocky Mountain Voice

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In Senate confirmation hearing, Pete Hegseth comes out swinging against anonymous smears
Approved, Breitbart, National

In Senate confirmation hearing, Pete Hegseth comes out swinging against anonymous smears

By Kristina Wong | Breitbart Defense Secretary Nominee Pete Hegseth came out swinging hard during his confirmation hearing on Tuesday against the orchestrated smear campaign against him pushed by the mainstream media. “A small handful of anonymous sources were allowed to drive a smear campaign and agenda about me, because our left wing media in America today, sadly, doesn’t care about the truth. All they were out to do [was] to destroy me. And why do they want to destroy me? Because I’m a change agent and a threat to them, because Donald Trump was willing to choose me, to empower me, to bring the Defense Department back to what it really should be, which is war fighting,” Hegseth said. “So I’m willing to endure these attacks, but what I will do is stand up for the truth and for my...
Two Texas Democrats join GOP to ban biological males from girls’ school sports
Approved, Fox News, National

Two Texas Democrats join GOP to ban biological males from girls’ school sports

By Elizabeth Elkind | Fox News Two House Democrats have voted alongside Republican lawmakers to ban athletes born male from participating on girls' school sports teams. The Protection of Women and Girls In Sports Act, led by Rep. Greg Steube, R-Fla., would amend federal law to specify that student athletes must participate in school sports teams that coincide with their gender at birth.  Reps. Henry Cuellar, D-Texas, and Vicente Gonzales, D-Texas, were the lone Democrats to vote for the bill when it passed 218 to 206. Rep. Don Davis, D-N.C., voted "present." READ THE FULL STORY AT FOX NEWS
Walcher: The unproud Western legacy of Jimmy Carter
Approved, Commentary, Greg Walcher

Walcher: The unproud Western legacy of Jimmy Carter

By Greg Walcher | Guest Commentary, Rocky Mountain Voice Alaska comprises nearly 20 percent of the entire U.S. at more than 665,000 square-miles, and is the richest state in natural resources. Yet it remains the most sparsely populated state, partly because of its isolation and weather, but largely because the federal government owns most of it: 406,000 square-miles. The U.S. purchased Alaska in 1867 specifically because of its vast resources, especially energy, which benefited the state and country for decades. But in the late 1970s, just after completion of the Trans-Alaska Pipeline, the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act was passed, with the goal of preventing further development of those resources. It set aside 245,312.5 square-miles (157 million acres) for specia...
In suit with McDonald’s, plaintiffs claim   race-based Hispanic-only scholarship is unconstitutional
Approved, National, Washington Examiner

In suit with McDonald’s, plaintiffs claim race-based Hispanic-only scholarship is unconstitutional

By Emily Hallas | Washington Examiner A civil rights organization filed a lawsuit against McDonald’s over concerns the company’s scholarship program for high schoolers discriminates against non-Hispanic students.  The American Alliance for Equal Rights mounted the challenge to McDonald’s HACER program over the weekend, arguing that denying aid on the basis of race is unconstitutional. The group alleged that the scholarship initiative, which has handed out $33 million in funding to thousands of Latino students, violates the United States’s civil rights laws because it doesn’t offer the same opportunities to non-Hispanic students.  AAER filed the lawsuit after a high school senior from Arkansas was turned down for the HACER program because she was ...
Trump says he’s creating ‘External Revenue Service’ for tariffs
Approved, National, THE HILL

Trump says he’s creating ‘External Revenue Service’ for tariffs

By  Alex Gangitano | The Hill President-elect Trump said Tuesday he wanted to create an “External Revenue Service” to collect tariffs and other revenue from foreign countries, comparing it to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), which collects taxes from Americans. “For far too long, we have relied on taxing our Great People using the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). Through soft and pathetically weak Trade agreements, the American Economy has delivered growth and prosperity to the World, while taxing ourselves,” Trump said on Truth Social. “It is time for that to change. I am today announcing that I will create the EXTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE to collect our Tariffs, Duties, and all Revenue that come from Foreign sources.” READ THE FULL STORY AT THE HILL
Ben Van Dyke wants to be voice of reason and of the people on Grand Junction City Council
Approved, Local, Rocky Mountain Voice

Ben Van Dyke wants to be voice of reason and of the people on Grand Junction City Council

By Lindy Browning | Contributing Writer, Rocky Mountain Voice Independent-minded, solution-oriented, and practical pragmatism is what Ben Van Dyke says is missing on the current Grand Junction City Council. He intends to change all that, for the residents and businesspeople in Grand Junction, if he is elected to City Council in April. “I never thought that I would run for any political office, it was never something I had thought about until the disastrous way the Council handled the unhoused in our community, and then watched as they created another disaster with 4th and 5th Streets,” Van Dyke said. Van Dyke is a fourth-generation resident of Grand Junction, and his roots run deep in the Grand Valley. He is a father, husband and business owner. Since the late 1960s, his fam...
Final phase of Grand Junction downtown parking updates to be rolled out this week
Approved, KKCO-TV Grand Junction, Local

Final phase of Grand Junction downtown parking updates to be rolled out this week

By Kacie Sinton | KKCO-TV 11 News The City of Grand Junction is making some changes to parking in the downtown area. Starting this week, the final phase of updates will be rolled out to downtown parking. Grand Junction workers will be installing 17 kiosks around various downtown parking lots. Officials will also begin allowing 10-hour parking for people with applicable permits at 600 Rood Avenue and 500 Ute Avenue, plus four-hour parking in the 400, 500, and 600 blocks of Colorado Avenue. READ THE FULL STORY AT KKCO-TV 11 NEWS
Schools with declining enrollment brace for “gut punch” from governor’s budget
Approved, State, The Colorado Sun

Schools with declining enrollment brace for “gut punch” from governor’s budget

By Erica Breunlin | The Colorado Sun School districts in urban, suburban and rural parts of Colorado fear serious funding cuts — amounting to as much as 30% of their total budget — that could force tough decisions next year under Gov. Jared Polis’ latest budget proposal. The prospect of less funding for those districts adds another complication to the school finance puzzle as district leaders in the upcoming months begin piecing together their budgets. Not only are districts grappling with rising costs driven by inflation, but they have also had to figure out how to sustain — or eliminate — programs, resources and staff positions they funded with federal COVID relief dollars that expired in September. READ THE FULL STORY AT THE COLORADO SUN
Johnson’s Corner, home of the giant cinnamon roll, has closed for business
Approved, CBS Colorado, Local

Johnson’s Corner, home of the giant cinnamon roll, has closed for business

By Jesse Sarles | CBS Colorado A popular truck stop in northern Colorado is going through some changes. The restaurant at Johnson's Corner closed suddenly over the weekend. The diner-type eatery off Exit 254 opened in the 1950s and became known to travelers on Interstate 25 over the decades as a great place to get large cinnamon rolls. Ten years ago TravelCenters of America purchased the restaurant and recently it faced a big challenge to its business with the opening of Colorado's first Buc-ee's truck stop not far down the interstate in Johnstown.   READ THE FULL STORY AT CBS COLORADO
Senate Bill 25-005 would unwind labor compromise, prompt ‘right to work’ initiative
Approved, completecolorado.com, State

Senate Bill 25-005 would unwind labor compromise, prompt ‘right to work’ initiative

By Sherrie Peif | Complete Colorado Colorado workers and their employers have lived in relative peace under a deal struck more than 80 years ago that stopped years of violence over salary and working conditions. Colorado Democrats want to unravel that deal, but one local policy influencer isn’t going to let it pass without a fight. Jon Caldara, president of the Independence Institute*, has filed a ballot initiative that won’t only unravel Senate Bill 25-005, should it pass, but it would also make Colorado what’s called a “right-to-work” state, giving employees the right to refuse to join unions, and denying unions the ability to force non-union employees to still pay dues. READ THE FULL STORY AT COMPLETE COLORADO