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Colorado Counties Push Back as CPW Rules Could Silence Local Voices
Colorado Politics, Approved, State

Colorado Counties Push Back as CPW Rules Could Silence Local Voices

By Marianne Goodland | Colorado Politics The September meeting of the Colorado Parks and Wildlife Commission will feature newly revised public‑comment rules — changes introduced by chair Jay Tutchton of Bent County, who announced them without first discussing the revisions publicly with the rest of the commission. Tutchton set forth the new rules as follows: The general public comment agenda item will be set at 60 minutes.  Virtual and in-person commenters will be called at random, replacing the previous first-come, first-served system of signing up and prioritizing in-person first opportunities.  The Commission will hear commenters in a two-thirds split, allowing only a third of the speakers to come from the online platform. Priority, in terms of receiving a...
Douglas County School Board To Put $54 Million Tax Request Before Voters in November
The Denver Gazette, Approved, Local

Douglas County School Board To Put $54 Million Tax Request Before Voters in November

By Nicholas Fogleman | The Denver Gazette The Douglas County School District board unanimously approved a resolution Tuesday to place a $54 million mill levy override on the November ballot, sending the funding request to voters after months of discussion about the district’s financial challenges. The proposed override comes as school districts across the Denver metro area grapple with budget pressures. Jefferson County Public Schools recently approved a $133 million mill levy override request for voters, citing similar concerns about funding and rising operational costs. The largest portion of Douglas County’s proposed measure, $21.4 million, would be dedicated to increasing compensation for teachers and staff by 4%. Throughout recent discussions, Superintenden...
Colorado Joins Lawsuit Challenging New Federal Mail Ballot Safeguards Ahead of Midterms
Colorado Politics, Approved, State

Colorado Joins Lawsuit Challenging New Federal Mail Ballot Safeguards Ahead of Midterms

By Thelma Grimes | Colorado Politics Colorado, along with 25 other states, filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Postal Service to challenge a new rule that seeks to restrict the mailing of ballots to American citizens in an eligible voters list. Colorado relies heavily on the mail-in ballot system. As do several states. The U.S. Postal Service recently laid out how it would implement the order, but time is running short to impose major changes with some states beginning to send mail ballots to voters in just a few weeks. A few days ago, the conservative majority of the Supreme Court had cleared the way for President Donald Trump’s executive order, which mandates the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to create those lists — to be give...
Lawsuit Accuses Colorado House Democrats of Retaliation and Politicized Workplace Oversight
Colorado Politics, Approved, State

Lawsuit Accuses Colorado House Democrats of Retaliation and Politicized Workplace Oversight

By Marianne Goodland | Colorado Politics A former legislative aide has filed a lawsuit alleging she was mistreated, illegally directed to perform campaign work and harmed by a House leadership structure she charged was fragmented, politicized and ineffective at protecting employees. The lawsuit, filed by Jennifer Chick, names Littleton Democratic Rep. Sheila Lieder, House Speaker Julie McCluskie of Dillon and House Majority Leader Monica Duran of Wheat Ridge as co-defendants. The lawsuit alleged that Lieder was “emboldened in her misconduct by the gratuitously complex and simultaneously ineffectual employee management system that Defendants McCluskie and Duran operated during the relevant time periods.” The time period was from December 2022 to Aug. 13, 2024, wh...
Colorado Gets $615 Million in Meta Child Safety Settlement, but Polis Says Parents Remain Essential
The Denver Gazette, Approved, State

Colorado Gets $615 Million in Meta Child Safety Settlement, but Polis Says Parents Remain Essential

By Thelma Grimes | The Denver Gazette The parent company of Facebook and Instagram will pay hundreds of millions of dollars to Colorado, part of an $18 billion multistate deal, in which the company also agreed to adopt extensive child-safety changes to its operations. The settlement ended a trial over teen social media addiction and settled claims filed by nearly every state. It resolved a pivotal case years in the making that sought to hold the tech giant accountable for the role its platforms played in allegedly undermining children’s mental health. The effort targeted features designed to hook young people’s attention. If approved by the court, the deal will stop an avalanche of litigation by states against Meta, although the company still faces lawsuits from indivi...
Antisemitism Concerns Follow Kiros Into Colorado Congressional Race
Axios Denver, Approved, State

Antisemitism Concerns Follow Kiros Into Colorado Congressional Race

By Esteban L. Hernandez | Axios Denver Some Jewish leaders in Colorado are calling for more engagement from congressional candidate Melat Kiros as she goes from political newcomer to frontrunner in the 1st District race. Why it matters: The tensions arrive amid heightened concern over antisemitic hate crimes locally and nationwide, as well as broader debate over where criticism of Israel ends and antisemitism begins. State of play: Brandon Rattiner, senior director at the Jewish Community Relations Council, says he wants Kiros to "have the political courage" to address concerns among Jewish constituents. Rattiner says Kiros should more directly acknowledge Jewish Coloradans who say they feel targeted by antisemitism and should make...
Is Colorado’s “final” Colorado River plan really final?
GregWalcher.com, Approved, Commentary, National

Is Colorado’s “final” Colorado River plan really final?

By Greg Walcher | Commentary, GregWalcher.com I heard about two lawyers that argued for over an hour. Finally, one said, “That’s my final word on the subject.” To which the other replied, “Oh, good. Now we can begin.” In politics, contentious agreements are a bit like that, too. There is really no such thing as a “final” agreement, only the agreement that’s in effect until the next meeting. The Bureau of Reclamation just released its “Final Environmental Impact Statement for the Post-2026 Operational Guidelines and Strategies for Lake Powell and Lake Mead.” It represents the government’s “final decision” on how it will manage the Colorado River over the next ten years. The first draft of the document was published in January, followed by months of public comments and meetings, an...
Why the AI Data Center Debate Is About More Than Energy and Water
Fox News, Approved, Commentary, National

Why the AI Data Center Debate Is About More Than Energy and Water

By Taylor Budowich | Commentary, Fox News A report found 61% of small-business owners using artificial intelligence to boost their operations. Everywhere you look, people are talking about artificial intelligence (AI). It’s on your TV. It’s on your radio. It’s on your social media feed. And it seems like Democrats and their media allies are doing their very best to scare you away from it by telling you that AI is going to destroy the environment, take your job and hike up your utility bills. But anytime Democrats and liberal journalists are in lockstep on an issue, that should set off your alarm bells – why do they want you to be scared? The reason is that left-wingers want to seize control of AI for their own political purposes. But don’t take my word for it...
Country Music Legend Dolly Parton Dies At 80
Daily Wire, Approved, National

Country Music Legend Dolly Parton Dies At 80

By Hank Berrien | Daily Wire The beloved star leaves behind a grieving nation. Dolly Parton, the towering queen of country music whose sky-high blonde wigs, razor-sharp wit, and world-class talent conquered pop culture and warmed millions of hearts, has passed away. She was 80. The tragic news was confirmed via an official Instagram video by her nephew, Bryan Seaver, on behalf of the Parton family. Parton’s death comes after a public struggle with her health. Fans were hit with a scare in September 2025 when she abruptly canceled a slated six-night Las Vegas residency at Caesars Palace. At the time, she cracked a classic Dolly joke to ease the blow, claiming it was just time for her “100,000-mile check-up” that didn’t involve her plastic surgeon. She...
Trump Administration Moves to Restrict Tax Benefits for Illegal Immigrants
The Federalist, Approved, National

Trump Administration Moves to Restrict Tax Benefits for Illegal Immigrants

By Samuel Kimzey | The Federalist We are witnessing a well-coordinated, multi-pronged strategy targeting the incentives that draw illegal aliens to the United States. Last week, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced new regulations to clarify existing federal law and prevent illegal aliens from collecting government benefits. Bessent wrote on X: “Under @POTUS, the days of illegal aliens collecting taxpayer-funded benefits are over. The federal law is clear, and @USTreasury is enforcing it. American taxpayers should not be forced to foot the bill for benefits going to those who are barred by law from receiving them. These proposed regulations end the abuse, protect the integrity of the tax system, and put Americans first.”  These new policies are c...