The Grand Junction Daily Sentinel: Bring a smoking ban
Fruita officials would be acting well within reason to ban smoking in outdoor spaces the city owns and maintains based on the threat of catastrophic wildfire alone.
The same holds true for any town in the Rocky Mountain West. The ongoing drought is creating ripe conditions for a conflagration. Ask Californians if they think there such a thing as being too vigilant when it comes to guarding against wildfire.
Fruita had a near miss earlier this year in the form of the nearby Skipper Island Fire, which scorched 230 acres over two days, forced multiple closures of Interstate and left thousands of residents temporarily without power.
U.S. House probes reports of fraud, waste in Colorado’s Medicaid program
Marianne Goodland
marianne.goodland@coloradopolitics.com
Updated 5 hours ago
A congressional committee is probing reports of waste, fraud and abuse in Colorado’s Medicaid program, citing recent stories outlining over-billing in transportation spending and alleged improper payments in autism services. The U.S. House Committee on Energy and Commerce has sent...
Colorado’s congressional redistricting proposal could flip three Republican House seats | ANALYSIS
Michael Braithwaite
michael.braithwaite@gazette.com
Updated 8 hours ago
A Democrat-backed proposal to redraw Colorado’s congressional map for the 2028 election could flip three Republican districts. The proposal, introduced by a group called Coloradans for a Level Playing Field, is yet another development in a national redistricting debate after...
Appeals court overturns Douglas County vehicular homicide conviction due to faulty jury instructions
Michael Karlik
michael.karlik@coloradopolitics.com
Updated 13 hours ago
Colorado’s second-highest court overturned a defendant’s vehicular homicide conviction and 12-year prison sentence on Thursday after determining a Douglas County judge omitted key language from the jury instructions that could have resulted in a different outcome. James Paul McDonald was...
Colorado lawmakers’ speeches on immigration, Iran draw worries about decorum, grandstanding
Marianne Goodland
marianne.goodland@coloradopolitics.com
Updated 12 hours ago
Several speeches from Colorado legislators this week have raised new worries about decorum and grandstanding in the state House after two members talked about immigration and Iran using what’s called a “point of personal privilege.” Under the rules of the...
Trump fires Homeland Security Secretary Noem after building criticism over immigration enforcement
Michelle L. Price
michelle.l..price@associatedpress.com
Updated 14 hours ago
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump on Thursday fired his embattled Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and said he will nominate in her place Oklahoma Republican Sen. Markwayne Mullin. Trump made the announcement on social media on Thursday, two days...
Trump wants to be personally ‘involved’ in picking next Iranian leader: Report
Christian Datoc, Washington Examiner
christian.datoc.washington.examiner@gazetteedit.wpenginepowered.com
Updated 14 hours ago
President Donald Trump told Axios Thursday that he wants to be personally involved with picking Iran‘s next leader, despite multiple senior administration officials repeatedly declaring that “regime change” is not a stated objective of Operation Epic Fury. Trump conducted an...
Iran widens regional war with first strike into Azerbaijan
Brady Knox, Washington Examiner
brady.knox.washington.examiner@gazetteedit.wpenginepowered.com
Updated 14 hours ago
Iran spread the growing regional war to the Caucasus with its first drone strike into Azerbaijan, hitting an airport terminal and damaging a nearby school. A video recorded by someone at Nakhchivan International Airport showed one of the drones exploding...
Rand Paul excoriates Congress for failure to pass War Powers Resolution: ‘Should be ashamed’
Claire Carter, Washington Examiner
claire.carter.washington.examiner@gazetteedit.wpenginepowered.com
Updated 14 hours ago
Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) blasted his colleagues for failing to pass a resolution aimed at limiting President Donald Trump’s military campaign in Iran. The Kentucky Republican made the remarks in an opinion column published on Fox News a day after...
DOJ quietly closes autopen investigation targeting Biden and aides
Kaelan Deese, Washington Examiner
kaelan.deese.washington.examiner@gazetteedit.wpenginepowered.com
Updated 15 hours ago
The Department of Justice has quietly closed an investigation into former President Joe Biden’s use of an autopen to sign official documents, according to a source familiar with the matter. DOJ pardon attorney Ed Martin, the former “weaponization” czar, opened...
Colorado legislators eye changes to credit card ‘swipe fees’
Marianne Goodland
marianne.goodland@coloradopolitics.com
Updated 13 hours ago
Colorado legislators are proposing to eliminate “swipe fees” on sales taxes, a move that proponents say would save businesses tens of thousands of dollars a year but which will likely revive counter-arguments that those fees help create a stable and...