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Colorado Democrats to hold vacancy elections to fill two Senate seats
Approved, coloradopolitics.com, State

Colorado Democrats to hold vacancy elections to fill two Senate seats

By Marianne Goodland | Colorado Politics With the state's new legislative session slated to get under way on Jan. 8, Democrats currently have to vacancy seats to fill in Senate Districts 29 and 31. Respective vacancy committees have scheduled elections to be held in early January. Denver Democrats on Monday announced they will hold a vacancy election on Tuesday, Jan. 7 to choose a replacement for Sen. Chris Hansen, D-Denver. Hansen announced he would resign his Senate District 31 seat, effective Jan. 9, the day after the start of the 2025 General Assembly. He's taken a job as CEO of La Plata Electric in Durango. READ THE FULL STORY AT COLORADO POLITICS
Heatherly & Lundberg: It is time to downsize the Administrative State in Colorado, too
Approved, Commentary, Rocky Mountain Voice

Heatherly & Lundberg: It is time to downsize the Administrative State in Colorado, too

By Former Sen. Kevin Lundberg and Charles Heatherly | Guest Commentary, Rocky Mountain Voice It’s not news that America’s $6 trillion federal Administrative State is targeted for radical downsizing by President Donald J. Trump. What is also not news is that Colorado’s progressives will oppose most of the President’s policies and probably think that Colorado can escape the oncoming Trump deregulation bulldozer. The far more interesting question is, will the Colorado Republican Party get its act together in time to partner with the Trump Administration’s initiatives as they impact the federal Administrative State’s appendages in Colorado. It is already clear from the character and fast pace of President-elect Trump’s agency appointments that his rhetoric likely will be followed quic...
Altoona, Penn., police detain suspect in CEO killing; has similar, rare gun and fake ID
Approved, National, Newsmax

Altoona, Penn., police detain suspect in CEO killing; has similar, rare gun and fake ID

By Newsmax Pennsylvania police have detained a man they view as a "person of interest" and that they suspect is the killer of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson. An NYPD police source confirmed to Newsmax that Altoona, Penn., police on Monday took in for questioning a man located at a McDonald's after a local citizen notified police. The man was found sitting in the restaurant. He was found to have a gun similar to the type believed to be used in the murder of Thompson. READ THE FULL STORY AT NEWSMAX
‘Person of interest’ in fatal shooting of UnitedHealthcare CEO an anti-capitalist
Approved, National, New York Post

‘Person of interest’ in fatal shooting of UnitedHealthcare CEO an anti-capitalist

By Joe Marino and Kate Sheeshy | New York Post The person of interest nabbed in the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson is an anti-capitalist Ivy League grad who liked online quotes from “Unabomber’’ Ted Kaczynski — and apparently hated the medical community because of how it treated his sick relative, law-enforcement sources told The Post on Monday. Tech whiz Luigi Mangione, 26, of Towson, Md., has not been charged but was taken into custody Monday morning at a McDonald’s in Altoona, Penn., after an intense manhunt following the coldblooded execution of Thompson outside a Manhattan hotel last week, sources said. The former prep-school valedictorian was caught with a gun, silencer, four fake IDs with names used during the killer’s stint in ...
Manhattan jury finds Daniel Penny not guilty in NYC subway chokehold death
Approved, National, The Daily Caller

Manhattan jury finds Daniel Penny not guilty in NYC subway chokehold death

By Justin Bailey | Daily Caller A Manhattan jury has found Daniel Penny not guilty on criminally negligent homicide in the death of Jordan Neely. Marine veteran Penny, 26, placed 30-year-old Neely in a chokehold after the older man began acting erratically on a New York City subway, according to law enforcement. Witnesses said Neely, a homeless man, was yelling and acting erratically on the F train after boarding, adding that they felt threatened by his behavior. Prosecutors said Penny held Neely in a chokehold for approximately six minutes. The more serious charge of second-degree manslaughter was dismissed last week after the jury was hung. READ THE FULL STORY AT THE DAILY CALLER
Lara Trump stepping down as RNC Co-chair amid U.S. Senate bid speculation
Approved, Breitbart, National

Lara Trump stepping down as RNC Co-chair amid U.S. Senate bid speculation

By Simon Kent | Breitbart Republican National Committee (RNC) co-chair Lara Trump is stepping down from her party role as she considers replacing Florida Sen. Marco Rubio (R), whom her father-in-law, President-elect Trump, picked for secretary of state. “It is something I would seriously consider,” she told the Associated Press in an interview, referring to serving in the Senate.  “If I’m being completely transparent, I don’t know exactly what that would look like. And I certainly want to get all of the information possible if that is something that is real for me,” Trump added. READ THE FULL STORY AT BREITBART
Harris won female cat owners, but Trump got the dog owner vote: AP VoteCast
Approved, ASSOCIATED PRESS, National

Harris won female cat owners, but Trump got the dog owner vote: AP VoteCast

By  Linley Sanders, Humera Lodhi and Annie Ng | AP The lead-up to the 2024 election was all about cat owners — but in the end, the dogs had their day. President-elect Donald Trump won slightly more than half of voters who own either cats or dogs, with a big assist from dog owners, according to AP VoteCast, a survey of more than 120,000 voters. Dog owners were much more likely to support Trump over Vice President Kamala Harris. Cat owners, meanwhile, were split between the two candidates. About two-thirds of voters said they own a dog or cat, but pet owners don't usually get much attention from politicians. That is, until this year, when then-vice presidential candidate JD Vance's old comments about “childless cat ladies” briefly became a campaign issue — and Taylor Swift signed he...
U.S., Israel conduct dozens of strikes, hit more than 75 targets in wake of Syria’s regime collapse
Approved, National, The Daily Caller

U.S., Israel conduct dozens of strikes, hit more than 75 targets in wake of Syria’s regime collapse

By John Oyewale | Daily Caller The U.S. and Israel conducted dozens of airstrikes Sunday on targets in Syria following the dramatic collapse of the ruling Assad regime and amid concerns radical and terrorist groups could exploit Syria’s current situation. The U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) announced it hit over 75 “known [Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham] ISIS camps and operatives in central Syria” using precision airstrikes. CENTCOM added that it struck the targets to “disrupt, degrade, and defeat ISIS” and render it incapable of exploiting the nation’s current state to regroup in central Syria. There was no indication of civilian deaths from the strikes, CENTCOM noted. READ THE FULL STORY AT THE DAILY CALLER
Property owners in Denver to pay fees for own sidewalks beginning Jan. 1
Approved, kdvr.com, Local

Property owners in Denver to pay fees for own sidewalks beginning Jan. 1

By Heather Willard | Fox 31 News Denver will begin charging property owners in 2025 for sidewalks across the city, and most will be charged a flat fee of $150 each year — but there are exceptions. The sidewalk fees will be used to fund repair and construction programs in the city. The fee was initially approved by voters in 2022 and faced a few setbacks as the city ironed out how the fee would be implemented. Property owners subject to the fee will be charged the first half of the annual fee during the first six months of the year and then will face the second portion of the fee in the second half of the year. READ THE FULL STORY AT FOX 31 NEWS
Davis & Hansen: Why we’re fighting for an NCA and against a National Monument
Approved, Commentary, Rocky Mountain Voice

Davis & Hansen: Why we’re fighting for an NCA and against a National Monument

By Cody Davis and Sue Hansen | Guest Commentary, Rocky Mountain Voice The Dolores River is a hidden gem nestled against the Rocky Mountains, and has long been cherished by Coloradans — from ranchers and grazers to recreationists and sightseers — who have enjoyed its pristine beauty and breathtaking views. For decades, local residents have successfully stewarded and protected these lands, proving that conservation thrives under local care and control. However, as we’ve seen elsewhere in Colorado, National Monument designations often shift decision-making from West Slope communities to Washington, D.C., bureaucrats. We believe there’s a better way forward. In recent weeks, there’s been a lot of conversation about the future of the Dolores River and whether a National Conservation Ar...