Today is Jan. 18, 2024, and here’s what you need to know:

State House Minority Leader Mike Lynch, a Republican candidate in Colorado’s open 4th Congressional District, was arrested in 2022 on suspicion of drunken driving and being in possession of a gun while intoxicated, law enforcement records show.

The Wellington lawmaker is one of 11 Republicans running for the seat held by retiring U.S. Rep. Ken Buck, a Windsor Republican serving his fifth term. The crowded primary field also includes U.S. Rep. Lauren Boebert, who announced in late December that she will run this year in the heavily Republican 4th CD rather than seek reelection in the more competitive district she represents.

Lynch, serving his second term, was elected to lead House Republicans about six weeks after the arrest, following the unexpected death of Loveland Republican Hugh McKean, who had been the chamber’s minority leader.

Experts in the affairs of the Middle East weighed in at a Wednesday night forum in Denver examining the Israel-Hamas war, which in 100 days has killed thousands of Israelis and Palestinians, threatened a regional conflagration and set off a fierce debate over the parameters of free speech across America.

In offering insights into the history of the conflict that has consumed much of the diplomatic energies in the region over the last several decades, the panelists expressed guarded optimism that a lasting peace is achievable but acknowledged that the solution – whatever that might be – is out of reach in the short term.

The forum at the University of Denver occurred as Palestinian militants battled Israeli forces in northern Gaza and the U.S. military fired another wave of missile strikes against Houthi-controlled sites in Yemen, as the violence that ignited in the wake of the Israel-Hamas war continues to spill over in the Middle East.

Members of the Colorado Supreme Court on Tuesday struggled to understand why prosecutors remained opposed to overturning a woman’s trespassing conviction, even as both sides agreed the conviction would not stand under current law.

The constitutional prohibition on double jeopardy protects defendants from being prosecuted again for the same offense following acquittal, but also from receiving multiple punishments for the same criminal conduct unless authorized by law. If a jury finds a defendant’s action simultaneously amounts to a less serious and a more serious crime, the convictions will merge, such that the defendant only stands guilty of the more serious offense.

An Adams County jury convicted Taunia Marie Whiteaker of first-degree trespass and second-degree burglary – both felonies. Due to the overlap between the two offenses, Whiteaker argued her trespassing conviction should merge into the more serious burglary conviction to prevent a double jeopardy violation.

Before the Supreme Court, Whiteaker and the Colorado Attorney General’s Office agreed that under the court’s most recent precedent, she is correct.

Student enrollment statewide declined for a second year with new data from the Colorado Department of Education showing a loss of about 1,800 students on what’s called the October count, which is used to determine funding levels for school districts.

“On a percentage basis, it’s a fairly small change,” said Jennifer Okes, chief school operations officer for the Colorado Department of Education.

Statewide enrollment remains relatively stable.

Those 1,800 Colorado students equate to a roughly 0.20% decrease, down from 883,264 in 2022 to 881,464 last fall, state data shows.