July 29, 2021 10:23 AM UTC
Get More Smarter on Thursday (July 29)
1 Comments- by: Colorado Pols
Holy hell! We’re almost done with July already. 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.
► As POLITICO reports, it might finally be time to kick off “infrastructure week”:
President Joe Biden moved significantly closer Wednesday to achieving his massive infrastructure overhaul — the type of bipartisan win he’s dreamed about since launching his campaign for the presidency.
Seventeen Republican senators voted with Democrats to advance a roughly $1 trillion deal that would spend heavily on roads, bridges, broadband and public transit. And though it was a vote merely to start debate, Democrats expressed cautious optimism that a bill would eventually reach Biden’s desk. It was, the White House stressed, a testament to the president’s political skill and persistence. Despite constant fits and starts, grumbling from many in his party, and predictions that negotiations would fall apart, Biden refused to give up on working with Republicans.
Colorado Newsline has more on the details of the infrastructure efforts.
Even Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell is getting out of the way on this (for now, anyway). But as The Washington Post reports, former President Donald Trump is trying to get Republicans to scuttle any deal because he’s sad that he couldn’t accomplish something similar during his administration:
Trump warned the GOP last night against cutting a deal, in his latest rhetorical barrage against bipartisan cooperation on a proposal to shore up or upgrade the country’s roads, bridges, ports, access to the Internet and clean water.
“This will be a victory for the Biden Administration and Democrats, and will be heavily used in the 2022 election,” he warned in a statement. “It is a loser for the USA, a terrible deal, and makes the Republicans look weak, foolish, and dumb.”
The former president also explicitly threatened any Republicans inclined to support the notional deal that “lots of primaries will be coming your way!”
What a patriot.
► Colorado is not announcing new guidelines for wearing masks indoors, but Denver7 points out all of the areas in the state where you probably SHOULD be wearing a mask just to be safe. Not included is anywhere that Rep. Lauren “Q*Bert” Boebert happens to be at a given moment.
In a related story, 9News looks at how the Delta variant of COVID-19 appears to be circulating more rapidly in Latino communities.
► The Colorado Immigrant Rights Coalition (CIRC) is speaking up about concerns related to rhetoric heard from one member of Colorado’s Independent Congressional Redistricting Commission. As The Colorado Times Recorder explains:
The Colorado Immigrant Rights Coalition (CIRC), an immigration advocacy group, condemned comments about undocumented workers made by Congressional Redistricting commissioner Bill Leone.
The comments were made last week at a Joint Independent Redistricting meeting in Englewood in response to witness testimony about how the commission would count imprisoned populations when redrawing Colorado’s congressional districts. Leone then asked if undocumented workers should be reallocated when looking at population data.
Christie Donner, executive director of the Colorado Criminal Justice Reform Coalition (CCJRC), testified to the importance of the commission including imprisoned populations in their home districts, rather than the districts in which they are imprisoned.
► As The Washington Post reports, right-wing cult leader Charlie Kirk and his “Turning Point USA” group is working hard to stop people from getting vaccinated and/or wearing masks to protect themselves and others from COVID-19:
…the communications by Turning Point USA and its affiliate, Turning Point Action, reflect the increasingly hard line taken by the group, which describes itself as the “largest and fastest-growing youth organization in America” and claims a presence on more than 2,500 college and high school campuses. Its dire warnings about a government-backed inoculation program — now a major theme of its Facebook ads, which have been viewed millions of times — illustrate how the Trump-allied group is capitalizing on the stark polarization around vaccine policy.
Experts say the messages, many of which steer online audiences to donation pages, threaten to undermine vaccine confidence among young people, who have already proved particularly reluctant to roll up their sleeves. And they could incite conflict over vaccine requirements as students return to campuses wrestling with how to safely reopen this fall, with some battling in court to require vaccination.
Not-so-fun fact: Bill Montgomery, who co-founded “Turning Point USA” with Kirk, RECENTLY DIED AFTER CONTRACTING COVID-19.
Click below to keep learning stuff…
And Now, More Words…
► CNN pays a visit to Vermont, which is how the rest of America SHOULD look if we didn’t have so many anti-vaccine dipshits running around.
► Colorado Senators Michael Bennet and John Hickenlooper introduced former U.S. Senator Ken Salazar in a committee hearing to confirm his nomination as Ambassador to Mexico.
► The Associated Press reports on the creation in Colorado of a Cannabis Business Office intended to promote social equity and provide assistance to entrepreneurs.
► Colorado Public Radio reports on the latest efforts by advocates to convince Colorado officials to create a limited extension on eviction moratoriums.
► We still have a long way to go in reforming police departments in Colorado, but a recent example in Aurora at least shows that efforts to enact these reforms seem to be working.
► All staffers at UCHealth and Denver Health will be required to get vaccinated against COVID-19 by the end of the fall.
► You might not be able to breathe along the Front Range, but at least the Chamber of Commerce is happy!
In related news, The Colorado Sun reports on new oil and gas drilling regulations in Adams County:
The Adams County Board of Commissioners voted 3-1 to adopt new oil and gas regulations at a public hearing on Tuesday, making the county the first in Colorado to revise its policies since new statewide regulations took effect in January.
The regulations increase setback distances for new drilling to 2,000 feet from homes, schools, daycares, environmentally sensitive areas, and parks and open spaces. They also expand the definition of environmentally sensitive areas and require closer monitoring of nuisance impacts.The oil and gas industry says the new regulations effectively ban drilling in the county, while county commissioners argue the changes were necessary to address the growing concern over air quality and pollution.
“Frankly, the time is now. We are looking at the longest streak of poor air quality in the Denver metro in a number of years,” said Adams County Commissioner Emma Pinter. “There is widespread concern in the community, both about climate change, air quality, air pollution, water pollution, all the things that are really centered around these regulations. This is the best that we can do at this time.”
► As The Colorado Times Recorder explains, the effects of Climate Change are causing havoc on the nation’s electric grid.
► Westword looks ahead to a packed Denver ballot in November.
► Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis continues to pretend that COVID-19 doesn’t exist. Local leaders in Florida aren’t listening anymore.
► POLITICO profiles the Ohio Republican Senate candidate who has been an interesting topic for political insiders but is completely unknown by everyone else.
► Talking Points Memo suggests that Democrats not get too worried about the recent antics of Arizona Democratic Sen. Kyrsten Sinema.
Say What, Now?
Ha, ha, stupid Democrat trying to be safe and set a good example:
Your Daily Dose Of ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
► Donald Trump, Jr. took time out from whatever is is he does to praise Colorado Rep. Lauren “Q*Bert” Boebert for bravely refusing to wear a mask inside the U.S. Capitol during a global pandemic:
Some day your children will not be reading about this in U.S. History books.
► Why are Texas Republicans such unabashed assholes all the time?
► If you’re interested in reading a really, really stupid Op-Ed, then right-wing radio host/attorney Randy Corporon has you covered! Consider these sentences that appear early in the Op-Ed:
The reality is few Republican voters in CD3 will look to The Denver Post for guidance in appraising the quality of Boebert’s representation. In fact, any Denver Post endorsement of a primary challenger to Boebert would be a kiss of death to said challenger.
If nobody cares what The Denver Post says about Boebert…then WHY are you writing an Op-Ed for The Denver Post defending Boebert?
ICYMI
► This is so depressing: CNN reports that some people in red states are getting COVID-19 vaccinations IN SECRET because they don’t want friends and family to know that they are responsible adults.
► Vax. That. Thang. Up.
► This week on The Get More Smarter Podcast, we examine the alternate reality that Republicans are trying to establish ahead of the 2022 election cycle:
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Oh, look: our very own Debbie Dumbell leading the pack of covidiot morons to the Senate side!