May 13, 2021 10:02 AM UTC
Get More Smarter on Thursday (May 13)
3 Comments- by: Colorado Pols
Happy Rotuma Day. Please celebrate responsibly. Let’s Get More Smarter; if you think we missed something important, please include the link in the comments below (here’s a good example). If you are more of an audio learner, check out The Get More Smarter Podcast. And don’t forget to find us on Facebook and Twitter.
CORONAVIRUS INFO…
*Colorado Coronavirus info:
CDPHE Coronavirus website
*Daily Coronavirus numbers in Colorado:
http://covid19.colorado.gov
*How you can help in Colorado:
COVRN.com
*Locate a COVID-19 testing site in Colorado:
Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment
*Coloradans can now get a COVID-19 vaccine at one of six locations without a prior appointment.
► A bunch of former Republican elected officials and Party officers are speaking out against the GOP and pledging to do…something in the wake of the ouster of Rep. Liz Cheney from House leadership on Wednesday. From an Op-Ed in The Washington Post:
The Republican Party made a grievous error this week in ousting Rep. Liz Cheney (Wyo.) from the House leadership for telling the truth about Donald Trump’s “big lie,” which has wreaked havoc in our democratic republic by casting doubt over the 2020 election.
Cheney rightfully struck back against party leaders and warned about the GOP’s dangerous direction. She is not alone.
Alongside dozens of prominent Republicans, ex-Republicans and independents, we are announcing “A Call for American Renewal,” a nationwide rallying cry against extremist elements within the GOP, and highlighting the urgent need for a new, common-sense coalition.
We urge fellow Americans to join us.
Former Republican Rep. Cole Wist, once the assistant minority leader for the House GOP, is among the local Colorado Republicans joining this cause. Congressman Ken Buck (R-Greeley) is not a signatory of the letter, though he did vocally oppose efforts to remove Cheney.
Meanwhile, Justin Wingerter of The Denver Post reports on the ultimate in irony from Rep. Lauren “Q*Bert” Boebert, who voted to oust Cheney:
“Liz Cheney, she has taken her eyes off the prize,” Boebert told Breitbart News. “Instead of focusing on passing conservative policies, she focused on media hits.” [Pols emphasis]
And then there’s Rep. Doug Lamborn (R-Colorado Springs), who may not have even understood what was happening on Wednesday:
Rep. Doug Lamborn, a Colorado Springs Republican, did not say how he voted in a statement. Instead, he praised Cheney as “a strong conservative” and “a crucial voice for national security” but said her ouster was about “supporting the will of our voters.” He also blamed the news media for dividing Republicans.
► As Jennifer Rubin writes for The Washington Post, the exodus from the Republican Party is underway. The New York Times voices similar Republican concerns, while NBC News has more from Rep. Cheney herself:
“It’s a scary thing,” Cheney said in an exclusive interview with NBC’s “TODAY” co-host Savannah Guthrie when asked how Republicans who chose not to remove her from leadership in February supported doing so on Wednesday.
“For reasons that I don’t understand, leaders in my party have decided to embrace the former president who launched that attack,” Cheney said in the interview, which aired Thursday. “And I think you’ve watched over the course of the last several months, the former president get more aggressive, more vocal, pushing the lie.”
► Tensions in Israel are reaching a boiling point, as The New York Times explains:
Clashes between Arab and Jewish mobs on the streets of Israeli cities have given way to warnings from Israeli leaders that the decades-old conflict could be careening toward a civil war. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu described the scenes of arson and violence as “anarchy” and appealed for an end to “lynchings.”
When Mr. Netanyahu visited the town of Lod, a mixed Jewish-Arab city, on Thursday, he said that the violence there was motivated by nationalistic rioters and that soldiers from the Israel Defense Forces could be brought in.
“There is no greater threat now than these riots, and it is essential to bring back law and order with these means,” he said. Riot control measures such as water cannons and administrative arrests may also be used, he said. The police have put strict measures in place in Lod, limiting entry into the city from 5 p.m. and instituting an 8 p.m. curfew…
…Israel carried out more airstrikes against Hamas targets in Gaza, where the death toll rose on Thursday to 83 people since the fighting began early this week, according to the Gaza health ministry. Palestinian militants fired volleys of rockets that reached far into Israel, where seven have died since Monday.
► Let’s get caught up on news from the state legislature:
Governor Jared Polis will sign three new bills into law today: SB21-167 (Regulation Of Child Care Centers); SB21-013 (Reversing COVID-related Learning Loss); and SB21-059 (Juvenile Justice Code Reorganization).
Lawmakers will not stop Colorado businesses from requiring employees to get vaccinated against the COVID-19 virus. Democrats rejected an effort from Republicans to mandate that the state interfere in private business matters.
As The Colorado Sun reports, lawmakers are advancing legislation that would increase the punishment for threatening an elected official in Colorado.
The big health care bill moving through the state legislature could ultimately deliver Coloradans the lowest insurance premiums in the country.
More political (and coronavirus) news is available right after the jump…
And Now, More Words…
► It’s that time in any election cycle when speculation about a John Elway run for public office gets resurrected.
► Congressperson Lauren “Q*Bert” Boebert (R-ifle) joined fellow Qaucus Member Marjorie Taylor Greene at a press conference on Wednesday to announce her opposition to Critical Race Theory, which she almost certainly doesn’t understand whatsoever.
► According to a press release, End Citizens United (ECU) and Let America Vote (LAV) have endorsed Senator Michael Bennet’s 2022 re-election campaign.
► A group of eighth graders in Lake City, Colorado got the chance to ask questions of Rep. Lauren “Q*Bert” Boebert. It did not go well.
► According to a press release from the office of Gov. Jared Polis:
Governor Jared Polis on Wednesday ordered flags to be lowered to half-staff on all public buildings from sunrise until sunset on Saturday, May 15, 2021, in honor of the Peace Officers Memorial Day, as proclaimed by President Biden. This order stacks on the May 11, 2021, order lowering flags to honor the victims of the Colorado Springs shooting. Flags should remain lowered through Tuesday, May 18, 2021.
► The New York Times examines the bizarre circular logic used by Republicans to explain their persistent efforts to roll back voting rights.
► COVID-19 hospitalizations are on the decline in Colorado, but cases are rising in nursing homes. As Meg Wingerter reports for The Denver Post:
The number of COVID-19 outbreaks in Colorado rose over the last week by the smallest amount since they started trending up again in March, but clusters in nursing homes continued to increase.
The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment reported 870 active outbreaks as of Wednesday afternoon, which was 11 more than at the same time last week. The number of outbreaks has been rising since the end of March, and has reached a level last seen in mid-February.
► A press release from the office of Rep. Joe Neguse (D-Boulderish) highlights legislation that all seven members of Colorado’s Congressional delegation can agree upon:
Today, Congressman Joe Neguse, introduced legislation to designate the U.S. Post Office at 1905 15th Street in Boulder, Colorado as the “Officer Eric H. Talley Post Office Building.” Officer Eric Talley was killed in the line of duty on March 22nd, 2021 during the King Soopers shooting in Boulder. The bill, led by Congressman Neguse, is also supported by Colorado Representatives Ken Buck, Jason Crow, Diana DeGette, Doug Lamborn, Ed Perlmutter and Lauren Boebert.
“Officer Eric Talley is a true American hero. He gave his life protecting others, and his service and his sacrifice for the Boulder community will not soon be forgotten,” said Congressman Joe Neguse. “With the naming of the 15th Street Post Office in Boulder after Officer Talley, we hope in a small way we may help honor his memory, his family, and ensure future generations know of his service to our community.”
In related news, the Boulder King Soopers that was the site of the March 22 shootings will be renovated with plans to reopen in the fall.
► As POLITICO reports, law enforcement officials in Palm Beach, Florida are considering how to handle a potential indictment of former President Trump. Apparently there is an obscure measure in Florida law that might allow Gov. Ron DeSantis to refuse to “extradite” Trump, even though Florida is still in the United States of America.
► Vox.com examines the New York lawsuit that could cripple the National Rifle Association.
► Former 2020 State Senate candidate Suzanne Staiert Taheri Staiert is apparently the Chair of the Arapahoe County Republican Party.
► 9News looks at a research project from the University of Denver that will test the impact of giving homeless people a basic income.
Say What, Now?
► Whaaaa???
Your Daily Dose Of ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
► Here’s former Trump attorney Lin Wood speaking to a group of people on Tuesday about his belief that Joe Biden is not really the President and that Donald Trump would authorize any military actions on behalf of the United States. Normal stuff.
► There is a prehistoric humpless camel underneath I-70, or something.
► The Lake County (Colorado) Coroner faces 14 new charges, including abuse of a corpse.
ICYMI
► The trial of three former Minneapolis police officers charged in the death of George Floyd has been moved to March 22, 2022.
► This is sad.
► Don’t miss the latest episode of The Get More Smarter Podcast, featuring an interview with Jake Williams, Executive Director of Healthier Colorado, on why you should be excited about the big health care bill moving through the state legislature:
Don’t forget to give Colorado Pols a thumbs up on Facebook and Twitter.
Tik, Tok, Matt:
Gaetz associate signals he will plead guilty in federal case, a worrisome development for the congressman
…and down he goes…heh heh.
Given new CDC mask guidance for those of us who are vaccinated, shouldn’t they increase the crowd size at Ball Arena? Go Avs!!
Just learned they’ll go up to 7,750 fans for the playoffs, but I want more!