INSIDER
An Alabama judge appoints a mediator in a long-running medical marijuana dispute
Read full article: An Alabama judge appoints a mediator in a long-running medical marijuana disputeA judge has appointed a mediator to try to negotiate an end to a long-running dispute over who gets licenses to grow and sell medical marijuana in Alabama.
New Zealand edges England by 1 run in test cricket thriller
Read full article: New Zealand edges England by 1 run in test cricket thrillerNew Zealand has completed a dramatic fightback on the last day to beat England by 1 run in Wellington and become only the fourth team in history to win a cricket test after being forced to follow-on.
'Happy' and 'mad': 2 visions in Colorado governor's race
Read full article: 'Happy' and 'mad': 2 visions in Colorado governor's raceColorado's Democratic governor, Jared Polis, has emphasized in his reelection campaign his efforts to ease inflation’s burdens on families and fight crime while touting first-term triumphs in health care affordability, public education funding and climate policy.
Ute Indian Tribe criticizes Biden monument on ancestral land
Read full article: Ute Indian Tribe criticizes Biden monument on ancestral landA Utah-based Native American tribe that frequently has sparred with President Joe Biden criticized the White House again for not adequately consulting its leaders ahead of this week’s creation of a national monument on ancestral lands in Colorado.
Haaland: US expanding Native American massacre site
Read full article: Haaland: US expanding Native American massacre siteInterior Secretary Deb Haaland has announced an expansion of a National Park Service historical site dedicated to the massacre by U.S. troops of more than 200 Native Americans in what is now southeastern Colorado.
Deputy elections clerk in Colorado to testify against boss
Read full article: Deputy elections clerk in Colorado to testify against bossA Colorado woman has struck a plea deal to testify against her boss, who became a hero to election conspiracy theorists after she was charged with breaking into her county’s voting system.
Federal prosecutor: Dentist confessed to wife's safari death
Read full article: Federal prosecutor: Dentist confessed to wife's safari deathA wealthy dentist accused of killing his wife during an African safari and later collecting nearly $5 million in insurance proceeds admitted to the killing to his longtime lover, a federal prosecutor told a jury Wednesday.
Buffalo shooter's previous threat raises red-flag questions
Read full article: Buffalo shooter's previous threat raises red-flag questionsA warning about possible violence last year involving the 18-year-old now being held in the Buffalo, New York, supermarket shooting is turning attention to New York's “red flag” law.
Utah senator blocks internment camp designation, draws ire
Read full article: Utah senator blocks internment camp designation, draws ireUtah Sen. Mike Lee is facing backlash from Japanese Americans and conservation groups after blocking a proposal to create a national historic site at a former internment camp in rural Colorado.
As winter storm moves across US, ice becomes bigger concern
Read full article: As winter storm moves across US, ice becomes bigger concernA major winter storm has left about 350,000 homes and businesses without power across the U.S. The multiday storm dumped more than a foot of snow in parts of the Midwest and caused a tornado in Alabama that killed one person and critically injured three others.
US, Colorado reach proposed settlement in 2015 mine spill
Read full article: US, Colorado reach proposed settlement in 2015 mine spillColorado, the U.S. government and a gold mining company have agreed to resolve a longstanding dispute over who’s responsible for cleanup at a Superfund site that was established after a massive 2015 spill of hazardous mine waste.
'Unabomber' Ted Kaczynski moved to prison medical facility
Read full article: 'Unabomber' Ted Kaczynski moved to prison medical facilityThe man known as the “Unabomber” has been transferred to a federal prison medical facility in North Carolina after spending the past two decades in a federal Supermax prison in Colorado for a series of bombings that targeted scientists.
Omar seeks action over House colleague's remarks on Muslims
Read full article: Omar seeks action over House colleague's remarks on MuslimsMinnesota's Democratic Rep. Ilhan Omar is calling on House leaders to take “appropriate action" against Colorado Rep. Lauren Boebert for using anti-Muslim language in describing a recent encounter with Omar.
US formally removes Colorado River fish's endangered status
Read full article: US formally removes Colorado River fish's endangered statusThe U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has reclassified a rare Colorado River Basin fish called the humpback chub from endangered to threatened status after a decades-old effort to stabilize its populations.
Families recount trauma at sentencing for school shooter
Read full article: Families recount trauma at sentencing for school shooterA former high school student convicted of killing a teenager and injuring eight others at a Denver-area school in 2019 has been sentenced to life in prison without parole.
US turns to social media influencers to boost vaccine rates
Read full article: US turns to social media influencers to boost vaccine ratesColorado is part of a growing U.S. state- and city-based movement that’s paying local social media influencers to try and reach the most vaccine-hesitant people at a neighborhood level.
Colorado shooting victims demand answers on public donations
Read full article: Colorado shooting victims demand answers on public donationsSeveral families and survivors of those killed in March's mass shooting at a Colorado supermarket are demanding the appointment of a special master to help distribute public donations for victims to a centralized account.
A nation slowly emerging from pandemic honors Memorial Day
Read full article: A nation slowly emerging from pandemic honors Memorial DayA nation slowly emerging from restrictions imposed by the coronavirus pandemic honored generations of fallen U.S. veterans on a Memorial Day observed without the severe pandemic restrictions that affected the day of tribute just a year ago.
Convictions in baby's death tossed; couple freed from prison
Read full article: Convictions in baby's death tossed; couple freed from prisonMore than a decade after they were arrested and sentenced to life in prison in their newborn daughter's death, Ashley and Albert Debelbot are free and struggling to start over.
Police: Man killed 6, self at Colorado birthday party after he wasn’t invited to weekend gathering
Read full article: Police: Man killed 6, self at Colorado birthday party after he wasn’t invited to weekend gatheringPolice say a man who fatally shot six people at a Colorado birthday party before killing himself was upset after not being invited to the weekend gathering thrown by his girlfriend’s family.
Deaths highlight once-in-a-decade Rockies avalanche danger
Read full article: Deaths highlight once-in-a-decade Rockies avalanche dangerThis image provided by Colorado Avalanche Information Center shows an avalanche that killed an unidentified snowboarder on Sunday, Feb. 14, 2021, near the town of Winter Park in Colorado. When you pile on more snow, there’s always one spot that’s going to break,” said Ethan Greene, director of the Colorado Avalanche Information Center. Jared Polis and the state parks and wildlife agency urged residents to check conditions this holiday weekend, citing the high danger. The Colorado Avalanche Information Center issued a special advisory Monday, warning that “large, wide and long-running natural and human-triggered avalanches are likely.”Are people getting the message? “The bottom line is that partner rescue is the only way we have positive outcomes in the backcountry,” Zinn said.
A fluke or the future? Boebert shakes up Colorado district
Read full article: A fluke or the future? Boebert shakes up Colorado districtBut unlike Greene, Boebert doesn't hail from an overwhelmingly GOP, safe district. But unlike Greene, Boebert doesn't hail from an overwhelmingly GOP, safe district. The question strategists in Colorado and elsewhere in this divided country are asking is whether Boebert is a fluke — or the future. AdIn an interview, Boebert said the district's voters are eager for disruption. Boebert insists she and the rest of the first-term class of lawmakers are the future, even in districts like hers.
Rennie Davis, 'Chicago Seven' activist, dies at 80
Read full article: Rennie Davis, 'Chicago Seven' activist, dies at 80Left to right, Lee Weiner, Rennie Davis, David Dellinger, Abbie Hoffman, Tom Hayden, (behind Hoffman), Jerry Rubin and John Froiners. Davis, one of the "Chicago Seven" who was tried for organizing an anti-Vietnam War protest outside the 1968 Democratic National Convention in Chicago that turned violent, has died at age 80. “One of the things people always said about Rennie Davis was that he was a gentle man. AdIn addition to Liegmann, Davis is survived by three children from previous marriages: daughters Lia Davis, 44, and Maya Davis, 28; and a son, Sky Davis, 26; as well as three siblings and two grandchildren. It was updated on Feb. 5, 2021, to correct Rennie Davis' date of birth.
Americans who live, work near capitols see peace, new hope
Read full article: Americans who live, work near capitols see peace, new hopeIsaac Smith, of Boston, speaks to a reporter near the Massachusetts Statehouse in Boston about the new incoming administration, Wednesday, Jan. 20, 2021. (AP Photo/Elise Amendola)SALEM, Ore. – Normally quiet streets around U.S. state capitol buildings have looked more like battlegrounds recently, putting those who live and work there on edge. As President Joe Biden was sworn into office, demonstrations at state capitols were scant, with only a few protesters showing up, and in some cities, none at all. Jonathan Jones' front-row seat to what happens next is his restaurant that is decorated with Black Lives Matter signs and art near the Oregon State Capitol. She said she is optimistic that Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris will be able to accomplish many things.
State capitols reassess safety after violence at US Capitol
Read full article: State capitols reassess safety after violence at US CapitolBut if the U.S. Capitol — a shining symbol of democracy with a dedicated police force— can be overrun by a violent mob, could state capitols be next? Protesters in Idaho temporarily derailed a special legislative session last August. In Oregon, where Trump supporters burned a life-size puppet of Democratic Gov. “Pretty sure more #txlege members are going to start carrying inside the Capitol,” Republican state Rep. Briscoe Cain tweeted Thursday, a day after the Capitol grounds were abruptly shuttered as hundreds of Trump supporters demonstrated outside without any reported incidents. Mike Parson is planning for more than a thousand guests to gather Monday on the lawn of the state Capitol for his inaugural ceremony.
State capitols face showdown over COVID powers and spending
Read full article: State capitols face showdown over COVID powers and spending– State lawmakers across the country will convene in 2021 with the continuing COVID-19 pandemic rippling through much of their work — even affecting the way they work. “COVID will frame everything,” said Tim Storey, executive director of the National Conference of State Legislatures. Opponents of pandemic restrictions on businesses cite their harmful effect on the economy. Mike DeWine said his upcoming budget plan is likely to include more funding for the state's health agency and its 113 local public health departments. “We have a health department and a public health system that’s been neglected too long,” DeWine said.
Top Pentagon official tests positive for coronavirus
Read full article: Top Pentagon official tests positive for coronavirusWASHINGTON – A Pentagon official installed in a top policy job last week has tested positive for COVID-19, the Pentagon said Thursday, just days after he met with the Lithuanian defense minister, who had contracted the virus. Jonathan Hoffman, the chief Pentagon spokesperson, said Anthony Tata, who is serving as the undersecretary of defense, was tested Thursday after learning that Defense Minister Raimundas Karoblis had tested positive. White House chief of staff Mark Meadows tested positive after attending an election night party at the White House. Others who were at the party also tested positive, including White House political director Brian Jack, former White House aide Healy Baumgardner and Trump campaign advisers David Bossie and Corey Lewandowski. The assistant commandant of the Marine Corps later also tested positive, and all the chiefs were forced to quarantine at home for at least 10 days.
Remains of 3 found in Colorado, triggering manhunt for felon
Read full article: Remains of 3 found in Colorado, triggering manhunt for felonAuthorities in southern Colorado said Wednesday they are searching for a man in connection with the discovery of human remains belonging to three people near a rural hamlet. The Colorado Bureau of Investigation and local police agencies identified the suspect as 26-year-old Adre Jordan Baroz. (Colorado Bureau of Investigation via AP)DENVER – Authorities in southern Colorado said Wednesday that they are searching for a suspect in connection with the discovery of the remains of three people near a rural hamlet. The Colorado Bureau of Investigation and local police agencies identified the suspect as Adre Jordan Baroz, a convicted felon. “Our priority is to get him into custody and identify the remains,” said John Camper, deputy director of the Colorado Bureau of Investigation.
Military wary that shakeup could upend its apolitical nature
Read full article: Military wary that shakeup could upend its apolitical natureEsper also had worked with military leaders to talk Trump out of complete troop withdrawals from Syria and Afghanistan. And top military leaders — including Milley — are counseling patience and stability. But on other policy matters, Pentagon leaders saluted and marched forward. The abrupt personnel changes this week, however, have amped up the anxiety of civilian and military staff in the five-sided building. James Anderson, who had been acting undersecretary for policy, and Joseph Kernan, who was undersecretary for intelligence, both resigned Tuesday.
Trump loyalists get top Pentagon jobs after Esper firing
Read full article: Trump loyalists get top Pentagon jobs after Esper firing(Tom Williams/Pool via AP, File)WASHINGTON – A day after President Donald Trump fired Defense Secretary Mark Esper, three staunch loyalists to the president were named to top defense jobs. Patel and Cohen-Watnick are both considered staunchly loyal to Trump and previously worked at the National Security Council. He also is a former prosecutor in the national security division of the Department of Justice and former staff member on the House Intelligence Committee. Cohen-Watnick was a protégé of Trump’s initial national security adviser, Michael Flynn, but was replaced in the summer of 2017 by Flynn’s successor, H.R. McMaster, as part of a string of shakeups at the White House and National Security Council.
The Latest: Biden: I won’t take legal action over transition
Read full article: The Latest: Biden: I won’t take legal action over transitionWASHINGTON – The Latest on President-elect Joe Biden (all times local):5:45 p.m. President Donald Trump would have to authorize Biden to receive that brief. A Biden transition spokesperson declined to comment on the briefings. A formal recognition from the General Services Administration is needed to allow Biden transition staff access to federal workers and much of the information they’ll need. Trump’s firing of Esper comes as he has refused to concede his election loss to Democrat Joe Biden.
'Nothing left in the bucket': Wildfire resources run thin
Read full article: 'Nothing left in the bucket': Wildfire resources run thinThis year's fires have taxed the human, mechanical and financial resources of the nation's wildfire fighting forces to a degree that few past blazes did. After working in Santa Cruz County, his next assignment was to head north to attack wildfires near the Oregon border. “There’s never enough resources," said Silvera, one of nearly 17,000 firefighters battling the California blazes. “We know that there’s really nothing left in the bucket,” Geissler said. Officials at the U.S. government operation in Boise, Idaho help decide which fires get priority when equipment and firefighters run scarce nationwide.
Trump loyalist gets Defense post as Senate nomination stalls
Read full article: Trump loyalist gets Defense post as Senate nomination stallsGen. Anthony Tata to a job performing the duties of the deputy undersecretary for defense policy, amid ongoing furor over offensive remarks Tata made, including about Islam. Last week the Senate canceled a hearing on Tata's nomination to become defense undersecretary for policy, the third-highest civilian post at the Pentagon. Tata, who also has been a Fox News commentator, withdrew his name from consideration for the undersecretary job over the weekend, and was then appointed by Trump to serve in the deputy's post. James Anderson, who had been serving as Rood's deputy, is currently the acting policy undersecretary the job Tata was initially nominated to fill. Officials who carry the acting title have more authority than those who are performing the duties of the job.
Colorado ex-Gov. Hickenlooper is no-show at ethics hearing
Read full article: Colorado ex-Gov. Hickenlooper is no-show at ethics hearingMark Grueskin, an attorney for Hickenlooper, logged onto the remote hearing 15 minutes after it started, citing problems with his internet connection. He told commissioners that Hickenlooper's legal team had appealed to an appellate court a Wednesday night court order for Hickenlooper to appear. No immediate ruling is expected but Hickenlooper could be fined if the commission rules against him. The Public Trust Institute, a conservative group led by Frank McNulty, a former Republican speaker of the Colorado House, has alleged that Hickenlooper violated Colorado's ethics law by taking free flights on private jets as governor. Hickenlooper, who was governor from 2011 to 2019, has denied the accusations as politically motivated.