Rocky Mountain Voice

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First bills of special session released by sponsors, including five by Republicans
Approved, Rocky Mountain Voice, State

First bills of special session released by sponsors, including five by Republicans

By BRIAN PORTER | Rocky Mountain Voice Nine bills in the Colorado House and two more in the Colorado Senate are set to be introduced in the special session of the 74th General Assembly, along with others which have not been pre-released. The special session, called by Gov. Jared Polis, opened at 10 a.m. Monday. The special session has a singular purpose to address property tax in an effort for lawmakers to avoid citizen-led Prop. 108 and Constitutional Amendment 50 from reaching the ballot. Following is a glance at the Republican bills set to be introduced: Senate Bill 24B-0009, by Republican Sens. Mark Baisley and Kevin Van Winkle, would require the property tax levy of a special taxing district to be calculated by dividing the actual value of the property by the total actual ...
Father of Trump shooter, Thomas Matthew Crooks, retains top criminal lawyer amid escalating FBI probe into his involvement
Approved, Daily Mail, National

Father of Trump shooter, Thomas Matthew Crooks, retains top criminal lawyer amid escalating FBI probe into his involvement

By Laura Collins | Daily Mail The parents of Trump shooter Thomas Crooks have hired a team of powerhouse attorneys as the FBI continues to investigate just how much they knew ahead of their son's assassination attempt on the former president, DailyMail.com can exclusively reveal. The development comes as one family member shared with DailyMail.com that the FBI, 'still very much has questions' regarding how much the killer's parents knew – while revealing that his father Matthew Crooks, 53, is a gun enthusiast who has sold firearms to relatives in the past. Speaking to DailyMail.com, the family member who asked not to be named said, 'The FBI still very much has questions about how much they knew and how he [Thomas] slipped through the net.' READ THE FULL STORY AT ...
Olohan: Harris plays coy on child gender transitions, but far-left groups endorsing child sex changes have her back
Approved, Commentary, National, The Daily Signal

Olohan: Harris plays coy on child gender transitions, but far-left groups endorsing child sex changes have her back

By Mary Margaret Olohan | Daily Signal Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris has avoided addressing whether she supports transgender surgeries for minors—a far-left position that most Americans do not support. Yet a number of LGBTQ groups that endorse attempted gender transition procedures for children are eagerly backing Harris and her running mate Tim Walz. A few of these top LGBTQ groups are the American Civil Liberties Union, GLAAD, Advocates for Trans Equality, and the Human Rights Campaign. These organizations, which did not respond to requests for comment, warn against “anti-LGBTQ” legislation, citing fears that Republican politicians will protect children from transgender procedures, classroom discussions of gender and sexuality, and inappropriate drag perf...
‘Handouts don’t help’: How a Colorado county reduced homelessness by 86% in 2 years
Approved, denvergazette.com, Local

‘Handouts don’t help’: How a Colorado county reduced homelessness by 86% in 2 years

By Noah Festenstein | Denver Gazette Amid a homeless crisis plaguing Colorado’s most populated city, a county just south of Denver claims to have found an effective solution to curbing homelessness in its communities. In a campaign to mitigate homelessness, Douglas County officials emphasized one simple message: “Handouts don’t help.” They urged residents, for example, against giving money to homeless people on roadways or sidewalks. From 2022 to 2024, Douglas County witnessed a steep drop in homeless people living on the streets, from 43 to six, according to a recent point-in-time count report conducted by several local third party nonprofits. READ THE FULL STORY AT THE DENVER GAZETTE
ABC News Host Tried to Spin Kamala’s Health Care Policy in Front of This GOP Senator. It Got Messy.
Approved, National, TownHall.com

ABC News Host Tried to Spin Kamala’s Health Care Policy in Front of This GOP Senator. It Got Messy.

By Matt Vespa | Town Hall ABC News host Jonathan Karl tried to sell Sen. Tom Cotton some pure snake oil about Kamala Harris, but the Arkansas Republican wasn’t having any of it. Karl got dragged for trying to spread fake news about the vice president’s agenda, which the media is desperately trying to rework as a moderate plan for our nation’s future. Cotton said that Harris wants to eliminate private health care plans, which Karl said isn’t true.  Cotton then ran a clinic on Harris, who hasn’t disavowed this part of her 2020 platform. Also, he pointed out in the previous interview that Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) carried an aura of disappointment that Harris was trying to moderate her positions instead of running on a hardcore communist agenda that we all know she has in store for the...
Bringing back the speakeasy, ‘Lincolns’ opens in Denver with super-secret location
Approved, kdvr.com, Local

Bringing back the speakeasy, ‘Lincolns’ opens in Denver with super-secret location

By Maddie Rhodes | Fox 31 News A new bar just opened in downtown Denver as a basement lounge with drinks costing only $5, and that’s including tax. The only catch is the bar is hidden, so you’ll have to find it yourself. The bar, known as Lincolns, has no extra hidden fees for the $5 drinks. It keeps it honest, just like Abraham Lincoln, hence the name, owner Mark Ohlson told FOX31. “Lincolns is where the lawyer, hipster, electrician and college student all meet in agreement around what the value of a dollar is,” Ohlson said. READ THE FULL STORY AT FOX 31 NEWS
Whooping cough cases have tripled in Colorado since 2023, according to CDC
Approved, CBS Colorado, State

Whooping cough cases have tripled in Colorado since 2023, according to CDC

By Justin Adams | CBS Colorado Whooping cough cases in Colorado have tripled, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.' As of Aug. 3, Colorado has had 333 confirmed cases of the respiratory disease that is also known as pertussis. At this time last year, Colorado had only seen 90 cases. "It's one of the ones that can easily spread and spread rapidly," said Joyce Bertram, School Director at Bethany Busy Bee Early Learning Center. Whooping cough is one of the most dangerous, preventable respiratory diseases. It's also a highly contagious bacterial disease that spreads through the air when an infected person coughs or sneezes. This is one reason why Bertram takes extra precautions around the infants she watches. READ THE FULL STORY AT CBS COLORADO
Secret Service ending protection for RFK Jr.
Approved, National, New York Post

Secret Service ending protection for RFK Jr.

By Joe Marino and Ryan King | New York Post The Secret Service has ended its protection of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. after the political scion suspended his presidential campaign. President Biden, 81, had instructed the protective agency to provide security for Kennedy, 70, last month after the failed assassination attempt against former President Donald Trump, 78. Kennedy had publicly and privately lobbied for Secret Service protection for months, citing various security scares and suggesting that political motivations were behind the delay in his getting it. At one point, Kennedy’s legal team claimed to have received evidence of 34 instances of threats or concerning screeds against him, Newsweek reported. Kennedy’s uncle President John F. Kennedy and father Bobby K...
RFK Jr.’s Speech Focused on American Values, Not Party Lines
Approved, National, The Federalist

RFK Jr.’s Speech Focused on American Values, Not Party Lines

By Margot Cleveland | The Federalist The reasons Robert Kennedy Jr. gave for limiting his campaign and endorsing Donald Trump aren’t matters of partisanship or policy, but a matter of survival for our constitutional republic. Robert F. Kennedy Jr. excoriated the Democrat Party, U.S. government, and our supposedly free press during his Friday press conference. Kennedy’s announcement that he will remove his name as a candidate for president in swing states and endorses Donald Trump brought cheers from Trump supporters and derision from Democrat die-hards. But what does the alliance between Trump and Kennedy mean to the future of the Republican platform? Properly understood, nothing. Friday’s speech was not about the policies of the Grand Old Party any more than it was about wheth...
Should Colorado’s constitution protect school choice? Voters will decide in November.
Approved, State, The Colorado Sun

Should Colorado’s constitution protect school choice? Voters will decide in November.

By Erica Breunlin | The Colorado Sun Colorado voters will decide whether they want to protect the right to school choice in the state constitution in November after a measure with that goal qualified for the ballot Friday. Put forth by conservative political nonprofit Advance Colorado Action, Initiative 138 sets out to reinforce parents’ ability to send their children to any public school, charter school, private school or homeschooling program they want. But some education advocates and policy experts see it as a stepping stone toward a state voucher program in disguise. Voucher programs give parents public dollars to enroll their kids in private schools, including those with a religious affiliation. READ THE FULL STORY AT THE COLORADO SUN