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Federal Challenge Puts Colorado AI Antidiscrimination Law on Hold
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Telehealth, Approved, State

Federal Challenge Puts Colorado AI Antidiscrimination Law on Hold

By: Julia Ivanova, PhD, MA | TeleHealth Key Takeaways Colorado’s first-in-the-nation AI law was significantly revised after legal challenges from Elon Musk’s xAI and the U.S. Department of Justice, highlighting growing tensions between AI oversight and innovation. The dispute could shape how healthcare AI is regulated nationwide, particularly for systems used in patient access, care management, insurance decisions, remote monitoring, and clinical operations. As federal AI policy remains fragmented, states are increasingly developing their own governance frameworks, creating compliance uncertainty for clinicians, healthcare organizations, and digital health companies operating across multiple jurisdictions. After the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) filed&n...
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Colorado Supreme Court Orders Hospital To Resume Transgender Treatments For Minors
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Colorado Politics, Approved, State

Colorado Supreme Court Orders Hospital To Resume Transgender Treatments For Minors

By Michael Karlik | Colorado Politics The Colorado Supreme Court, by a 5-2 vote, ordered Children’s Hospital Colorado on Monday to resume providing certain medical services to a group of transgender plaintiffs, which it had ceased in the face of funding threats from the federal government last year. The unusual appeal before the Supreme Court stemmed from a trial judge’s rejection of a preliminary injunction to four trans plaintiffs who are minors seeking treatment from Children’s Colorado. The plaintiffs filed a class action alleging that the cessation of services based on their status violates the Colorado Anti-Discrimination Act. While multiple considerations inform whether a judge should grant an injunction, the Supreme Court’s majority concluded the plaintiffs wer...
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Texas Children’s Hospital Settlement Signals Shift in Youth Gender Care Debate
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The Daily Signal, Approved, National

Texas Children’s Hospital Settlement Signals Shift in Youth Gender Care Debate

By Joshua Arnold | The Daily Signal THE WASHINGTON STAND—The U.S. Department of Justice on Friday announced a settlement with Texas Children’s Hospital (TCH) in which the hospital not only committed to never again carry out gender transition procedures on minors, but also agreed to open the nation’s first detransitioner clinic and fully fund it for five years. TCH gained notoriety in 2023 when a whistleblower provided evidence that the hospital continued to secretly administer gender transition hormones to minors, even after the Texas legislature had made it illegal. “Today’s resolution protects vulnerable children, holds providers accountable, and ensures those harmed receive the care they need,” said Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche....
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Federal Agencies Failed To Stop Nearly $186 Billion In Improper Payments
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The Federalist, Approved, National

Federal Agencies Failed To Stop Nearly $186 Billion In Improper Payments

By Christopher Jacobs | The Federalist Will the public sector ever come to grips with the scale of the problem? The past year-plus has seen a focus on fighting fraud within government programs seemingly unprecedented in recent history. Yet, like the mythical Sisyphus pushing his rock uphill or the many-headed ancient Hydra, each success is seemingly matched by yet another scandalous source of government corruption. Multiple reports in recent weeks show how reformers have their work cut out for them. On the federal level, improper payments continued to grow (although the most recent fiscal year examined included the final months of the Biden administration). Meanwhile, state Medicaid programs have not fully complied with a federal requirement designed to gua...
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RFK Jr Launches Major Push To Reduce Antidepressant Overprescribing
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The Christian Post, Approved, National

RFK Jr Launches Major Push To Reduce Antidepressant Overprescribing

By Jon Brown | The Christian Post Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced a sweeping new initiative earlier this week to reduce what he characterized as the overprescription of antidepressant selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and other psychotropic medications, especially for children. "Psychiatric medications have a role in care, but we will no longer treat them as the default," Kennedy said at a Monday summit on mental health and overmedicalization hosted by the Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) Institute in Washington, D.C. "We will treat them as one option, to be used when appropriate, with full transparency and with a clear path off when they are no longer needed." The plan being rolled out by HHS emphasiz...
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Polis Signs Sweeping Colorado Law Changes Affecting Farms Schools And Public Office
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Colorado Politics, Approved, State

Polis Signs Sweeping Colorado Law Changes Affecting Farms Schools And Public Office

By Marianne Goodland | Colorado Politics Gov. Jared Polis signed 25 bills into law Monday, bringing changes that will affect workers, families, schools, and local governments across Colorado. The new laws deal with a range of issues – from overtime rules for farmworkers to limits on lawmakers holding multiple offices, along with school safety upgrades and new standards for dementia care facilities. These measures — some technical, others sweeping — reflect the wide array of issues lawmakers tackled during a session defined by tight budgets and competing priorities. No double-dipping As introduced, Senate Bill 59 would have prohibited state lawmakers — including newly elected members of the Colorado General Assembly — from holding a second elected office a...
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Democratic Governor Hopefuls Debate Housing Health Care And Youth Issues
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Fox21, Approved, State

Democratic Governor Hopefuls Debate Housing Health Care And Youth Issues

By Carolynn Felling | FOX21 News (COLORADO SPRINGS) — Sen. Michael Bennet and Attorney General Phil Weiser debated in Colorado Springs on Sunday, May 3, outlining their distinct visions for addressing Colorado’s cost-of-living crisis. The two candidates are running for the governor’s office in the upcoming June primary election. Their campaigns show differences in strategies to tackle issues like housing affordability, health care costs, and support for the next generation. Both Sen. Bennet and Attorney General Weiser acknowledge the critical urgency of Colorado’s affordability challenges. However, their proposed solutions present divergent paths for the state’s future. Their debate highlighted a division on how to best move Colorado forward. The debate brought ...
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Colorado Medicaid Cuts Force Aurora Mental Health Provider To Lay Off Over 100 Workers
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Colorado Politics, Approved, Local

Colorado Medicaid Cuts Force Aurora Mental Health Provider To Lay Off Over 100 Workers

By Marianne Goodland | Colorado Politics A nonprofit that provides services through 11 mental health centers in Aurora announced Thursday that it is eliminating 111 jobs effective June 30, the result of federal and state budget reductions. Aurora Mental Health & Recovery said the positions being eliminated are mostly administrative and support service jobs. That includes 91 jobs currently held by AMHR employees. Four are clinical positions. The nonprofit also announced it is eliminating programs that no longer have sustainable funding, including behavioral health services at its Mrachek House; the youth leadership academy, adult education and victim assistance at the Cultural Development & Wellness Center; and the Aurora Sustained program within its fore...
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State Budget Passes With Medicaid Reductions And Broad Spending Cuts
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CBS Colorado, Approved, State

State Budget Passes With Medicaid Reductions And Broad Spending Cuts

By Shaun Boyd | CBS Colorado The state Senate gave final approval Thursday to a new state budget. It came in at just under $47 billion, an increase of about $3 billion over last year. The discretionary portion of the budget -- the general fund -- is $17.4 billion. While lawmakers avoided cuts to K-12 education and higher ed, most state departments saw reductions, with the agency in charge of Medicaid taking the biggest hit. Medicaid spending makes up about 40% of this year's budget. It has been increasing dramatically over the last few years, in part because the legislature has expanded the services it covers. READ THE FULL ARTICLE AT CBS COLORADO
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Colorado budget battle reveals deep divide over spending priorities
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Complete Colorado, Approved, Commentary, State

Colorado budget battle reveals deep divide over spending priorities

By Rep. Scott Bottoms | Commentary, Complete Colorado Nearly two millennia ago Jesus of Nazareth said, “where your treasure is, there will your heart be also” (Matthew 6:21). Colorado’s Capitol is a long way in space and time from ancient Israel, but the principle remains and is often illustrated during the legislature’s annual budget week. We see where people’s values are by programs that lawmakers do – or do not – fund. The first observation about budget week is a broad one: Governor Polis and majority Democrats like to make a distinction between Washington DC and Denver. They speak of the ‘Colorado way’ so as to suggest that the dirty and deceitful politics of the national capitol never make their way to the state one. Don’t believe it. Here’s an example: with all the talk of ...
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