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Denver prepares for Labor Day with closings, altered schedules, traffic changes
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denvergazette.com, National

Denver prepares for Labor Day with closings, altered schedules, traffic changes

By Johann M Cherian and Purvi Agarwal | Denver Gazette Most government agencies and buildings, including mail services, will be closed on Monday, in observance of Labor Day, as the summer season begins to wrap up. The national holiday comes with a plethora of closings and events. However, most businesses and restaurants will remain open, though some may operate with altered schedules. Before taking a trip, companies and government agencies ask people to check company websites for Labor Day hours and closings. READ THE FULL STORY AT THE DENVER GAZETTE
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Colorado test scores affirm daunting task to overcome COVID-era learning loss
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denvergazette.com, State

Colorado test scores affirm daunting task to overcome COVID-era learning loss

By Nicole C. Brambila | Denver Gazette The latest academic achievement data demonstrates the daunting task schools face in overcoming student learning loss across the state, including the Denver metro area, even as the COVID-19 pandemic is now in the rearview mirror.  The modest gains in math and English are remarkably similar to last year, when state officials described the results as a “stair step” improvement and local educators called the scores disappointing. Colorado students showed a 1.3-point improvement in math and 0.4 points in English. READ THE FULL STORY AT DENVER GAZETTE
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U.S. and China hold high-stakes talks as Biden seeks to manage tensions ahead of election
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denvergazette.com, National

U.S. and China hold high-stakes talks as Biden seeks to manage tensions ahead of election

By Trevor Hunnicutt | Denver Gazette U.S. National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan met Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing on Thursday, wrapping up three days of talks aimed at easing friction between the two world powers ahead of November's U.S. election. As the pair sat down in the Great Hall of the People, Xi told Sullivan Beijing was committed to a stable relationship with Washington. "In this changing and turbulent world, countries need solidarity and coordination...not exclusion or regress," Xi said. READ THE FULL STORY AT DENVER GAZETTE
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Marijuana user cannot be banned from gun ownership, U.S. court rules
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denvergazette.com, State

Marijuana user cannot be banned from gun ownership, U.S. court rules

By Nate Raymond | Denver Gazette A U.S. appeals court on Wednesday ruled that a pot-smoking gun owner in Texas cannot be prosecuted for violating a federal ban on users of illegal drugs owning firearms, saying it is unconstitutional to disarm her based on her past drug habits. The New Orleans-based 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals said the prosecution had violated Paola Connelly's right to keep and bear arms under the U.S. Constitution's Second Amendment citing a landmark 2022 U.S. Supreme Court ruling that expanded gun rights. "Marijuana user or not, Paola is a member of our political community and thus has a presumptive right to bear arms," U.S. Circuit Judge Kurt Engelhardt, an appointee of Republican former President Donald Trump, wrote for a three-judge panel. READ THE FU...
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US judge tosses machine gun possession case, calls ban unconstitutional
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denvergazette.com, National

US judge tosses machine gun possession case, calls ban unconstitutional

By Nate Raymond | Denver Gazette A federal judge has dismissed charges against a Kansas man for possessing a machine gun, saying prosecutors failed to establish that a federal ban on owning such weapons is constitutional. The decision by U.S. District Judge John Broomes in Wichita on Wednesday appeared to mark the first time a court has held that banning machine guns is unconstitutional after the conservative-majority U.S. Supreme Court in 2022 issued a landmark ruling that expanded gun rights. In that ruling, New York State Rifle & Pistol Association v. Bruen, the Supreme Court established a new test for assessing firearms laws, saying restrictions must be "consistent with this nation's historical tradition of firearm regulation." The Supreme Court clarified that standard ...
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Colorado’s fee-based enterprises skirt TABOR, increase revenue by 3,000%
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denvergazette.com, State

Colorado’s fee-based enterprises skirt TABOR, increase revenue by 3,000%

By Scott Weiser | Denver Gazette In 1992 voters enacted the Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights to constrain the growth of government by requiring voter approval for tax increases. Since then, the state government has built a new structure to avoid that requirement. The creation of TABOR-exempt state-owned “enterprises” has allowed government to increase fees from 46% of total state spending in 1996 to 71% of state spending in 2023 without requiring approval from taxpayers, according to a new report released by the Common Sense Institute, a non-partisan research organization “dedicated to the protection and promotion of Colorado’s economy.” “Fees are a rapidly growing and significant cost for Coloradans,” said Kelly Caufield, Executive Director of the Common Sense Institute. “At the end of ...
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‘Handouts don’t help’: How a Colorado county reduced homelessness by 86% in 2 years
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denvergazette.com, Local

‘Handouts don’t help’: How a Colorado county reduced homelessness by 86% in 2 years

By Noah Festenstein | Denver Gazette Amid a homeless crisis plaguing Colorado’s most populated city, a county just south of Denver claims to have found an effective solution to curbing homelessness in its communities. In a campaign to mitigate homelessness, Douglas County officials emphasized one simple message: “Handouts don’t help.” They urged residents, for example, against giving money to homeless people on roadways or sidewalks. From 2022 to 2024, Douglas County witnessed a steep drop in homeless people living on the streets, from 43 to six, according to a recent point-in-time count report conducted by several local third party nonprofits. READ THE FULL STORY AT THE DENVER GAZETTE
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Damages from Pro-Palestinian protests last spring cost Auraria Campus more than $600K
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denvergazette.com, Local

Damages from Pro-Palestinian protests last spring cost Auraria Campus more than $600K

By Nicole C. Brambila | Denver Gazette The pro-Palestinian protests on the Auraria Campus have cost the institution in damages more than twice the roughly $300,000 officials reported last spring. The actual costs, an official confirmed Tuesday, was $668,934. Devra Ashby, a spokesperson for the Auraria Higher Education Center, said in May that she expected the “cost will only increase over time.” READ THE FULL STORY AT THE DENVER GAZETTE
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Immigration evictions a growing issue in Denver as housing, food, transportation costs swell to $74M
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denvergazette.com, Local

Immigration evictions a growing issue in Denver as housing, food, transportation costs swell to $74M

By Nicole C. Brambila | Denver Gazette Denver officials identified 15 apartment complexes with a high concentration of immigrants with tenants facing eviction — the latest focal point in a city whose finances have been stretched thin to pay for the influx of people from America's southern borders. Officials said they are looking to create a process with the landlords to refer residents to resources for “those at risk of evictions,” Perla Gheiler, executive director of the Denver Human Rights and Community Partnerships, told Denver City Council members during an update on the city’s immigrant response on Tuesday. “There’s a lot of evictions happening,” Gheiler told The Denver Gazette following the meeting. READ THE FULL STORY AT THE DENVER GAZETTE
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Mayor’s push for ‘affordable’ housing will lead to Denver voters considering $100M sales tax hike in November
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denvergazette.com, Local

Mayor’s push for ‘affordable’ housing will lead to Denver voters considering $100M sales tax hike in November

By Alexander Edwards | Denver Gazette A divided Denver City Council on Monday approved a measure that will ask Denver voters in November to hike the city’s sales tax by 0.5 points to generate $100 million, which Mayor Mike Johnston wants to spend on "affordable" housing.  The council adopted several amendments, including a 40-year sunset provision. If approved by voters, Denver’s sales tax would be 9.31%, and if another sales tax measure to fund Denver Health — the city’s hospital system — also sails through, the sales tax would increase by another 0.34 points. READ THE FULL STORY AT THE DENVER GAZETTE
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