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Colorado Federal IT Worker Stole $1 Million From Federal Agency Through Fake Invoices
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CBS Colorado, Approved, State

Colorado Federal IT Worker Stole $1 Million From Federal Agency Through Fake Invoices

By Logan Smith | CBS Colorado A 55-year-old Colorado man who worked for the federal government was sentenced to prison this week for fraudulently diverting approximately $1 million from his employer for personal use. James Montoya, of Lakewood, was sentenced Tuesday to 41 months behind bars. He was also ordered to repay $1,122,009.47. Montoya was employed as an information technology specialist for the United States Geological Survey, which has offices in Lakewood. He was hired by the agency in 1996 and started working in an IT position in 2002.  A year later, Montoya began falsifying expense reports in order to shift money to personal PayPal accounts, per case documents. The activity wasn't noticed until 15 years later. Then, in 2023, an examination of employe...
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EPA Moves To Clarify Water Rules After Years Of Costly Confusion and Federal Overreach
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The Federalist, Approved, National

EPA Moves To Clarify Water Rules After Years Of Costly Confusion and Federal Overreach

By: Beth Brelje | The Federalist The soon-to-be-replaced significant nexus rule meant a ditch in a rainstorm or pooling water that occurs only in the rainy season could be grounds for the federal government preventing land use. The Trump administration is about to curb an overzealous Obama-era environmental regulation by revising the definition of “Waters of the United States” (WOTUS) under the Clean Water Act. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lee Zeldin and Adam Telle, assistant secretary of the Army for Civil Works, introduced a proposed WOTUS rule change Monday that is meant to establish a clear, durable definition of the rule that won’t be changed every time a new administration comes in. There will be 45 days of public comment on the propos...
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Sen. Graham Seeks Legal Path for Americans Targeted in Jack Smith Dragnet
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Just The News, Approved, National

Sen. Graham Seeks Legal Path for Americans Targeted in Jack Smith Dragnet

By John Solomon | Just the News Graham also made clear he intends to seek punishment against U.S. District Judge James , Boasberg. Sen. Lindsey Graham, the chairman of the Senate Budget Committee, tells Just the News he is planning to introduce legislation to allow any Americans, not just senators, whose privacy was violated by ex-Justice Department special counsel Jack Smith’s sweeping investigation into conservatives to sue the government for damages.During an interview on the John Solomon Reports podcast, the South Carolina Republican explained why senators slipped into last week’s spending bill that reopened the federal government a provision allowing eight senators whose phone records were subpoenaed by Smith to sue for damages. He also pushed back again...
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Full Steam Ahead on the America First Agenda
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Rocky Mountain Voice, Commentary, National, Top Stories

Full Steam Ahead on the America First Agenda

By Heidi Ganahl | Commentary, Rocky Mountain Voice A lot of good has already happened in Trump’s first year back. Donald Trump’s first year in the White House has delivered more progress than most presidents manage in an entire term. The border is tightening. Energy is coming back to life. Inflation is easing. America feels steady again. You can see it in people’s faces — a sense of relief, a little pride, a little hope after years of turbulence. But anyone who’s ever built anything knows early wins don’t carry you forever. Momentum is a start, not a finish. We’ve moved things forward, but keeping that ground and pushing it further is the real test. This is where you focus up and just do the work. The America First agenda works — and the next chapter must be about execution, ac...
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Seven States Fail to Agree on Colorado River Plan Before Key Deadline
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CBS Colorado, Approved, State

Seven States Fail to Agree on Colorado River Plan Before Key Deadline

By: Dillon Thomas | CBS Colorado The future of the Colorado River, and its use by seven states that rely on it, is still up in the air after negotiators failed to meet a deadline set by the federal government. The Upper Basin and Lower Basin states were asked to have a plan set for the future of the river by Tuesday night, as the current plans are set to expire by the end of 2026. The river is heavily utilized by the Lower Basin states, which make up Arizona, California and Nevada. Otherwise largely deserts, the Colorado River allows for both communities and agriculture to thrive in those states. The Upper Basin, consisting of Colorado, Utah and New Mexico, comparatively rely less heavily on the Colorado River even as populations continue to rise in those states. "We made an ag...
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Taxpayers Left Holding the Bag After $2 Billion Solar Project Fails
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Rocky Mountain Voice, Approved, Commentary, National

Taxpayers Left Holding the Bag After $2 Billion Solar Project Fails

By Greg Walcher | Commentary, GregWalcher.com A decade ago, three giant companies took advantage of federal incentives to build the world’s largest solar power plant in the Mojave Desert, known as Ivanpah. It was “the wave of the future,” a new technology that focuses 300,000 computer-controlled mirrors to reflect solar rays onto three boiler towers, each the height of a 40-story building. The water inside is heated to produce steam that can generate 392 megawatts, enough electricity to power 140,000 homes. Supposed to last 30 years or more, the technology is already considered obsolete. Obama Administration loan guarantees financed three-fourths of the $2.2 billion cost, making it a safe investment for the three owners – Google, BrightSource Energy, and NRG Energy. I wrote a column ...
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Government Shutdown Leaves Colorado Veterans Waiting for Help
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DENVER7, Approved, National

Government Shutdown Leaves Colorado Veterans Waiting for Help

By: Sophia Villalba | Denver7 DENVER — On this Veteran's Day, it's harder for our veterans to get the help they need during the federal government shutdown. The Veterans of Foreign Wars Office (VFW) in Denver said because of furloughs and building closures within the Veteran Affairs, it's harder for veterans to get benefits they've earned. That means any veterans trying to get new disability benefits are facing delays right now. It's particularly challenging for older veterans, and the VFW is trying to help as much as they can. The VFW's legislative director for Colorado said it is not that the VA is shutting people out, but it's taking longer to get things done. “Some of the older veterans are not as savvy with technology as other people, so that’s a major impact and that i...
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Police Union Slams Chicago for Refusing to Help ICE, Calls It ‘Violation of Duty’
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Fox News, Approved, National

Police Union Slams Chicago for Refusing to Help ICE, Calls It ‘Violation of Duty’

By Greg Wehner | Fox News National Fraternal Order of Police condemns reports officers were told not to assist surrounded agents The nation’s largest police union condemned reports that Chicago officers were told not to help ICE agents surrounded by protesters, calling it "shocking" and a violation of law enforcement’s duty to protect fellow officers in danger. Presidents of the National Fraternal Order of Police (FOP) and Illinois State FOP expressed shock at reports that Chicago's chief of patrol directed officers not to assist U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents as they were surrounded by protesters on Saturday. "Details are still emerging, but it appears that officers from the Chicago Police Department were ordered not to assist a group of I...
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Shutdown Spurs Trump’s Call to Restructure Washington Power
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Fox News, Approved, National

Shutdown Spurs Trump’s Call to Restructure Washington Power

By Emma Colton | Fox News President says shutdown allows administration to cut 'vast numbers of people' and programs. The federal government partially shut down early Wednesday after Democrats and Republicans failed to reach an agreement on a funding package. In the lead-up to the midnight deadline to pass a budget package, President Donald Trump warned the administration could make "irreversible" changes to the federal workforce, most notably through a new wave of fresh layoffs. The president has underscored that he and his allies did not want the government to shut down, but that it opened the door for some "good" that could come from it. Senate lawmakers failed to reach a spending agreement in time for the end of fiscal year 2025 Tuesday, after a short-term extension of fisc...
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DHS calls on sanctuary politicians to stop demonizing ICE as officer assaults soar 1,000%
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Washington Examiner, Approved, National

DHS calls on sanctuary politicians to stop demonizing ICE as officer assaults soar 1,000%

By Washington Examiner Staff | Washington Examiner The Department of Homeland Security called on Democratic politicians, legacy media outlets, and left-wing organizations to stop “demonizing DHS law enforcement.”  The request came less than a week after the assassination of conservative activist and Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk, as well as repeated attacks on Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers throughout the country, including two incidents over the last week. “This hateful rhetoric is inspiring political violence in our country and assaults against our brave DHS law enforcement,” read a release issued on Wednesday from the Department of Homeland Security. DHS Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs Tricia McLaughlin as...
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