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DEI at a cost: Colorado schools caught in $70M federal freeze
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DEI at a cost: Colorado schools caught in $70M federal freeze

By Shaina Cole | Contributing Writer, Rocky Mountain Voice Colorado public schools are facing a $70 million funding freeze—part of a broader $6.8 billion nationwide hold triggered by the U.S. Department of Education. At the heart of the conflict are federal objections to DEI and LGBTQIA+ initiatives in schools, which have already led to lawsuits and pushed districts to search for new funding before fall. The freeze and federal justification The funding suspension follows executive orders issued by the Trump administration in early 2025. According to a July 2 notice sent to state education departments, the Department of Education is reviewing already-approved funds to ensure they align with new presidential priorities. Governor Jared Polis responded the same day, calling the act...
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Garbo: The Hippocratic Oath demands compassion—even for MAGA voters suffering from Texas floods
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Garbo: The Hippocratic Oath demands compassion—even for MAGA voters suffering from Texas floods

By C. J. Garbo | Guest Commentary, Rocky Mountain Voice The moment Dr. Christina B. Propst chose to mock flood-stricken Texans as “getting what they voted for,” she exposed a depth of moral bankruptcy that defies belief. In a now-deleted Facebook post under the name “Chris Tina,” she wished safety only for “children, non-MAGA voters and pets,” while implying that political affiliation should determine who deserves compassion amid a deadly disaster.  Her employer, Blue Fish Pediatrics, acted swiftly to dismiss her. But firing her is only the first step in addressing a breach that demands far stronger accountability. Propst’s remarks struck at the heart of medical ethics.  Every physician takes an oath to treat patients impartially, regardless of background or belie...
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Jeffco Kids First report reveals 33 staff misconduct cases in Jefferson County Schools
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Jeffco Kids First report reveals 33 staff misconduct cases in Jefferson County Schools

By Shaina Cole | Contributing Writer, Rocky Mountain Voice An alarming report released by Jeffco Kids First, a grassroots advocacy group led by teacher turned activist Lindsay Datko, has exposed 33 cases of sexual abuse and misconduct by staff in Jefferson County Public Schools since 2022. The article “33 Documented Sexual Abuse and Misconduct Cases in Jeffco Schools” presents a disturbing image of a district with systemic failures.  The data reveals a pattern of misconduct going unreported to the Colorado Department of Education. The scope of abuse: 33 cases and counting Superintendent Tracy Dorland has received pushback regarding the handling of these incidents, with critics citing inadequate communication and insufficient safety protocols. The report documents six ar...
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O’Donnell: The Strategic Plan that turned patriots into suspects remains unresolved
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O’Donnell: The Strategic Plan that turned patriots into suspects remains unresolved

By Mike O’Donnell | Guest Commentary, Rocky Mountain Voice In April of this year, the Director of National Intelligence, Tulsi Gabbard, declassified a June 2021 plan by the previous Biden administration to counter domestic terrorism. During his four-year term, President Biden repeatedly stated that “Domestic terrorism from white supremacists is the most lethal terrorist threat in the homeland.” Variations on this catchphrase were parroted by other senior politicians in the Biden circle—although never with any corroborating evidence. The declassified 15-page document, titled the Strategic Implementation Plan for Countering Domestic Terrorism, was intended to confront this supposedly lethal threat. This came even as the administration simultaneously opened the gates at the southern ...
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“They called us hateful”: Colorado parents see their story reflected in Supreme Court ruling
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“They called us hateful”: Colorado parents see their story reflected in Supreme Court ruling

By Jen Schumann | Rocky Mountain Voice When the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that public schools must allow parents to opt their children out of LGBTQ+ instruction that conflicts with their religious beliefs, BJ and Brecken Jones sat quietly in their living room—stunned, relieved and vindicated. “For years, we were treated like extremists for simply protecting our kids,” BJ said. “Now the Supreme Court says we were right all along.” For this Boulder County family, Mahmoud v. Taylor wasn’t just a legal case—it was a mirror.  Reading the Court’s opinion, BJ and Brecken saw their own experience reflected almost line for line. What they didn’t expect was that their quiet effort to opt out—rejected by school officials, scorned by activists and ultimately buried in district archi...
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DiGirolamo: The new Terminator is disguised as your teen’s ‘AI boyfriend’
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DiGirolamo: The new Terminator is disguised as your teen’s ‘AI boyfriend’

By John DiGirolamo | Guest Commentary, Rocky Mountain Voice Make The Terminator fiction again. Perhaps it’s not a coincidence that the movie was released in 1984. The Hollywood hit focused on the sinister power of artificial intelligence in the form of a killer cyborg robot who looked human.  With billions of online images, AI can use that data to easily generate realistic-looking people. It’s difficult to tell the difference between an AI created image vs. a real person. Unfortunately, people are using this powerful technology to exploit children, all while sitting in the comfort of their own chair.  Artificial intelligence has already wreaked havoc on today’s children. Digitally generated or altered images are commonly known as “deepfakes.” Here’s some examples of how ...
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Boll: A day camp in Paonia shows how far the agenda to sexualize kids has gone
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Boll: A day camp in Paonia shows how far the agenda to sexualize kids has gone

By Laureen Boll | Guest Commentary, Rocky Mountain Voice In the small, conservative town of Paonia, Colorado, with a population of just 1,500, a local organization is stirring debate with a new initiative aimed at children. The Learning Council, a tax-exempt nonprofit based in downtown Paonia, is hosting a "Sex Health Education Day Camp" for 10- to 13-year-olds on July 14–16.  Led by Alicia Michelsen, the organization’s executive director, the camp has raised eyebrows among some residents who question its motives and appropriateness, particularly given Michelsen’s history of pushing for controversial changes to local school curricula and a broader societal trend where adults seem increasingly focused on the sexuality of other people’s children. A Rejected Vision Fuels a New I...
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Garbo: Let the purists prune—a thought exercise in Republican renewal
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Garbo: Let the purists prune—a thought exercise in Republican renewal

By C. J. Garbo | Guest Commentary, Rocky Mountain Voice The below op-ed is a thought exercise - a structured hypothetical meant to test assumptions, reveal contradictions, and sharpen our understanding by playing out ideas to their logical end. It is not a forecast or a policy proposal. It’s a lens designed to examine the mindset, strategy, and consequences of a particular ideological posture within the Republican Party. Specifically, I explore what happens when purist Republicans are given full authority to define and reshape the party without reasonable question or resistance. No opposition, no internal debate, no moderating voices - just a blank check to purge, label, and remake the GOP according to their uncompromising standards.  Rather than argue with them, I follow the...
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Ganahl: Trump’s new MABA commission puts conservation back in the hands of the people
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Ganahl: Trump’s new MABA commission puts conservation back in the hands of the people

By Heidi Ganahl | Commentary, Rocky Mountain Voice While most folks were watching fireworks, President Trump was signing something far more lasting—an Executive Order that could reshape how we care for the land we love. It’s the kind of bold step we need to bring common sense back to how we manage the wild, wide-open spaces that make this country worth fighting for. The creation of the Make America Beautiful Again (MABA) Commission is about more than pretty trails and national parks. It’s about restoring common sense and local control in how we care for the land we love. As a board member of the American Conservation Coalition (ACC), I’ve long pushed for this kind of approach—where conservation doesn’t mean locking up our lands, but opening them to responsible use, careful steward...
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They never saw it coming: Kerrville flood sparks call for weather readiness
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They never saw it coming: Kerrville flood sparks call for weather readiness

By RMV Staff At least 82 people lost their lives in Kerrville when floodwaters tore through the area in the middle of the night. Families had no warning. Rain poured harder and faster than forecasted. In Kerrville, the flood was already doing damage before most people knew it was coming. Surging rapidly in the darkness, the Guadalupe River caught sleeping Texans off guard. A Western Colorado weather aficionado contacted RMV following the tragedy to urge more people to take advantage of advanced mobile tools. “As a weather enthusiast with 55 years of experience, I’ve seen major advances in the past decade, including apps that let you track storm signatures and receive early warning alerts,” he said. “Radar Omega puts that in the palm of your hands.” He described receiving an Eme...
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