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El Paso County sought election-security funds while the state sued over the conditions
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Rocky Mountain Voice, State, Top Stories

El Paso County sought election-security funds while the state sued over the conditions

By Jen Schumann | Rocky Mountain Voice While Colorado was preparing to challenge new federal election-security requirements in court, the election office in the state’s most populous county was moving ahead with plans to strengthen its own election security under the same grant program. Six days before Attorney General Phil Weiser sued the Trump administration over election conditions attached to Homeland Security Grant Program funding, El Paso County Clerk Steve Schleiker submitted a $79,850 proposal seeking federal money for an independent review of his office's election security. The proposal isn't for new voting equipment. It would hire an outside firm to examine the county's election operation through cybersecurity testing, penetration testing, physical-security assessmen...
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Colorado sues over Trump election rules tied to homeland security grants
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Rocky Mountain Voice, State, Top Stories

Colorado sues over Trump election rules tied to homeland security grants

By Jen Schumann | Rocky Mountain Voice Colorado joined 24 other states and the District of Columbia on Thursday in suing the Trump administration over new rules that withhold a fifth of the state's counterterrorism grant money unless Colorado shows it meets five federal election requirements. One of the five requirements asks Colorado to plan a change state rules already require. The lawsuit was filed in U.S. District Court in Rhode Island, where judges ruled against DHS in two similar grant disputes last year. One of those decisions is on appeal.  Colorado sued DHS, FEMA, Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin and Robert J. Fenton, the senior official performing the duties of FEMA administrator. "We're suing again, and we'll win again, because the administrat...
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FEMA Approves Additional Fire Aid as Colorado Wildfires Burn Across State
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The Denver Gazette, Approved, State

FEMA Approves Additional Fire Aid as Colorado Wildfires Burn Across State

By Nicholas Fogleman | The Denver Gazette Gov. Jared Polis announced Sunday that FEMA approved a Fire Management Assistance Grant for the Willow fire as firefighting efforts continue across the state. The Willow fire has placed more than 1,500 people under mandatory evacuation orders and another 2,100 residents under pre-evacuation notices, according to the governor’s office. The fire, reported June 28, has burned almost 4,000 acres and is 1% contained. “This Federal Fire Management Assistance Grant will help our state take all necessary actions to protect Coloradans and communities,” Polis said in a statement. “Protecting lives, property, and businesses is our top priority.” READ THE FULL ARTICLE AT THE DENVER GAZETTE
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Congress Ends Historic DHS Shutdown Without Resolving Immigration Fight
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Politico, Approved, National

Congress Ends Historic DHS Shutdown Without Resolving Immigration Fight

By Jennifer Scholtes and Katherine Tully-McManus | POLITICO The House acted after weeks of delay to fund most Homeland Security agencies, which have gone unfunded for 76 days. On the 76th day since Department of Homeland Security funding lapsed, Congress passed a bill Thursday restoring the flow of federal dollars to most of its agencies — without solving any of the policy disagreements that led to the record-breaking shutdown. The House approved by voice vote the partial DHS funding measure the Senate passed more than a month ago. President Donald Trump is expected to swiftly sign the bipartisan legislation, fully funding the Coast Guard, TSA, Secret Service, FEMA and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, along with other offices within DHS that don’...
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DHS Report Finds FEMA Workers Logged Political Views of Hurricane Victims
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TownHall.com, Approved, National

DHS Report Finds FEMA Workers Logged Political Views of Hurricane Victims

By: Leah Barkoukis | Townhall Last year, when devastating hurricanes hit the southeast coast of the U.S., higher-ups in FEMA ordered workers to discriminate against houses that displayed Trump campaign materials on their properties. Marn'i Washington, a FEMA official who was fired after ordering her subordinates to skip pro-Trump houses, gave an interview after her dismissal and claimed such discrimination was not an "isolated incident."  "FEMA always preaches avoidance first and then de-escalation, so this is not isolated," Washington said. "This is a colossal event of avoidance not just in the state of Florida, but you will find avoidance in the Carolinas." FEMA did pause aid in North Carolina, citing concerns over an "armed militia” threatening workers in th...
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As Texas reels from deadly floods, Colorado rescue teams ready to deploy
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kdvr.com, Approved, National

As Texas reels from deadly floods, Colorado rescue teams ready to deploy

By Jacob Factor | Fox31 DENVER (KDVR) — A federal search and rescue task force made up of firefighters from Colorado agencies is preparing for potential deployment to Texas to assist in response efforts following catastrophic Fourth of July holiday weekend flooding that has claimed nearly 90 lives. Colorado Task Force 1 is supported by 23 different fire agencies across Colorado, including Denver and Colorado Springs fire departments and North, West and South Metro fire rescues, said in a Facebook post Monday morning its members had been advised of potential deployment to Texas. Team members, if activated, would work in water rescue and recovery. The devastating floods started early Fourth of July morning, and rescue efforts have been ongoing across several parts ...
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Gazette editorial board: Sanctuary policies cost Denver taxpayers—again
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Approved, denvergazette.com, Local, National

Gazette editorial board: Sanctuary policies cost Denver taxpayers—again

The Gazette editorial board | Denver Gazette Say what you will about the Trump administration, but give it credit for sparing U.S. taxpayers from bailing out cities whose sanctuary policies made them magnets for illegal immigration. The fact that Denver is among those cities isn’t Washington’s fault. It’s Mayor Mike Johnston’s. And the fact that Denver now likely won’t be reimbursed some or all of $32 million it had forced local taxpayers to pony up in welcoming the latest wave of illegal immigrants, as reported by The Gazette, is Johnston’s comeuppance. It’s also Denver taxpayers’ loss. The Mile High mayor who showboated before a congressional panel in Washington last March — and sanctimoniously pronounced, “… Denver made a choice as a city not to hate each other but to help e...
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FEMA employees fired over ‘egregious’ $59M payment for NYC migrants
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Approved, National, New York Post

FEMA employees fired over ‘egregious’ $59M payment for NYC migrants

By Patrick Reilly | New York Post Four Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) employees have been fired for sending $59 million to New York City to house and care for illegal migrants, according to the Department of Homeland Security. “Effective immediately, FEMA is terminating the employment of four individuals for circumventing leadership to unilaterally make egregious payments for luxury NYC hotels for migrants,” DHS officials said in a statement obtained by The Post. The firings, first reported by Fox, include FEMA’s Chief Financial Officer, two program analysts and a grant specialist. READ THE FULL STORY ON THE NEW YORK POST
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Musk alleges FEMA reimbursed NYC hotels $59 million for housing illegal immigrants
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Approved, National, Washington Examiner

Musk alleges FEMA reimbursed NYC hotels $59 million for housing illegal immigrants

By Anna Giaritelli | Washington Examiner Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency alleged that the Biden administration spent tens of millions of taxpayer dollars paying for “luxury hotels” in New York City, where thousands of illegal immigrants released into the United States from the southern border were housed. Musk said Monday morning on his social media platform X that his team just uncovered that the Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency dispatched $59 million this past week to reimburse New York City for the massive amount of money it spent housing illegal immigrants that traveled to the sanctuary city during the Biden administration. “The @DOGE team just discovered that FEMA sent $59M LAST WEEK ...
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Trump suggests getting rid of FEMA. What might it mean for Colorado?
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Approved, denvergazette.com, Local

Trump suggests getting rid of FEMA. What might it mean for Colorado?

By The Denver Gazette President Donald Trump on Friday said he is considering “getting rid of” the Federal Emergency Management Agency. “FEMA has been a very big disappointment," the Republican president said while on a first trip in North Carolina, which is reeling from Hurricane Helene. “It’s very bureaucratic. And it’s very slow. Other than that, we’re very happy with them.” The agency helps respond to disasters when local leaders request a presidential emergency declaration, a signal that the damage is beyond the state's ability to handle on its own. FEMA can reimburse governments for recovery efforts, such as debris removal, and it gives stopgap financial assistance to individual residents. READ THE FULL STORY AT THE DENVER GAZETTE
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