Trump continues to weigh possible Blagojevich release from Colorado prison
President Donald Trump says he’s still considering whether to sign commutation papers freeing former Illinois governor and one-time “Celebrity Apprentice” contestant Rod Blagojevich from federal prison in Colorado.
Trump told reporters Thursday before leaving from Morristown, New Jersey, that he “floated” the prospect of commutation “to see where the Democrats stood, where the Republicans stood.”
Republican Congressman Darin LaHood of Illinois told WLS-TV on Thursday that he told Trump a commutation wouldn’t send the right message.
The office of Democratic U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin of Illinois also said Trump called Durbin last week to discuss Blagojevich’s sentence and Durbin didn’t take a position on a possible commutation.
Trump previously told reporters he believed the seven years the Democrat Blagojevich has served on a 14-year sentence for corruption was enough.
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Colorado to get $75 million from opioid settlement with Purdue Pharma
Marissa Ventrelli
marissa.ventrelli@coloradopolitics.com
Updated 2 hours ago
A $7.4 billion settlement reached with the pharmaceutical company Purdue Pharma and the Sackler family — its owners — is now legally effective a decade after attorneys general from multiple states launched an investigation and seven years after Colorado filed...
Committee approves reworked version of previously vetoed rideshare bill
Marissa Ventrelli
marissa.ventrelli@coloradopolitics.com
Updated 5 hours ago
Members of the Colorado House Business Affairs and Labor Committee voted across party lines to pass a modified version of a bill establishing regulations on rideshare companies. Last year, Reps. Jenny Willford, D-Northglenn, and Meg Froelich, D-Englewood, introduced House Bill...
Fight over credit card ‘swipe fees’ attracts nearly 200 lobbyists in Colorado
Marianne Goodland
marianne.goodland@coloradopolitics.com
Updated 2 hours ago
One of the most expensive fights of the 2026 session got a little closer to being over on Friday, when the Colorado Senate took a second final vote on the proposal to eliminate “swipe fees” on sales taxes. It’s not...
Veto likely as union-backed bill heads to Colorado governor’s desk — again
Marissa Ventrelli
marissa.ventrelli@coloradopolitics.com
Updated 2 hours ago
For the second year in a row, a bill that would make it easier for labor organizations to impose fees on all workers, regardless of union membership, is headed for Gov. Jared Polis’ desk. The governor, who vetoed the legislation...
Aurora mental health nonprofit cuts 100-plus jobs after Colorado agency reduces reimbursement rate
Marianne Goodland
marianne.goodland@coloradopolitics.com
Updated 9 hours ago
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...
Denver law students create AI-powered tools in federal judge’s ‘design sprint’
Michael Karlik
michael.karlik@coloradopolitics.com
Updated 12 hours ago
A tenant discovered a handwritten note on his door stating he had 48 hours to move out. The landlord changed the locks without notice or court proceedings. The tenant paid rent on time and had never received any complaints about...
Colorado space startup secures $650 million for expansion
alex-edwards
alex.edwards@gazette.com
Updated 1 day ago
The window to deliver space superiority for the U.S. is open but shrinking rapidly, according to defense startup True Anomaly. The Centennial-based company hit a milestone in its pursuit to help deliver that, announcing Tuesday that it raised $650 million...
Colorado bill prohibits credit card companies from charging ‘swipe fees’ on sales taxes
Marianne Goodland
marianne.goodland@coloradopolitics.com
Updated 1 day ago
Colorado senators on Wednesday voted to advance a proposal to eliminate credit card “swipe fees” on sales taxes. Proponents say the move would save businesses tens of thousands of dollars annually, while critics have countered those fees are needed to...
First ever disciplinary trial of a Colorado judge scheduled under new system
Michael Karlik
michael.karlik@coloradopolitics.com
Updated 1 day ago
A disciplinary panel on Thursday scheduled a mid-August hearing to adjudicate the alleged misconduct of Montezuma County Court Judge Ian J. MacLaren. Following voters’ passage of constitutional Amendment H in November 2024, adjudication of serious judicial misconduct allegations is open to public...
Colorado eyes licensure, new oversight body for autism therapy providers
Marissa Ventrelli
marissa.ventrelli@coloradopolitics.com
Updated 1 day ago
A panel of Colorado legislators on Wednesday approved a bill establishing a new regulatory body and licensure requirements for professionals who provide therapy for children on the autism spectrum, as well as for the facilities in which they work. House...
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Police body-camera video stokes more controversy in shooting death
Colorado Springs police body camera footage released Thursday shows two officers fatally shoot De’Von Bailey in the back after confronting him over a reported armed robbery. The cameras worn by Sgt. Alan Van’t Land and Officer Blake Evenson show Bailey, 19, and cousin Lawrence Stoker put their hands up, per police order, after the officers […]
Climate change still threatens Colorado River despite wet winter
Snow piled up in the mountains across the U.S. West last winter, leaving enough to thrill skiers into the summer, swelling rivers and streams when it melted, and largely making wildfire restrictions unnecessary. But the wet weather can be misleading. Climate change means the region is still getting drier and hotter. “It only demonstrates the […]