Comment on Day 1: In Antarctica, greeted by dirt, not ice

Writers on the Range, an independent opinion service based in western Colorado, sent out close to 50 weekly opinion columns this year. They were provided free of charge to about 150 subscribing publications large and small, each of which republished dozens of the columns. Writers on the Range has a simple two-part mission.

The Broncos have been planning for a Saturday game at Cincinnati in Week 17. The NFL made the date official Tuesday morning. Denver’s road game at the Bengals will kick off at 2:30 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 28, the league announced Tuesday. It’s part of a triple-header to be broadcast on NFL Network, though there will also be a local broadcast for the game in the Denver market, too. Denver coach Sean Payton said Monday the team had been planning for the league to put the game on Saturday.

WHICH SKI POLES ARE BEST? A trusted companion on the mountainside, a pair of ski poles provides stability and guidance while tackling the slopes — whether those slopes are steep and intense or flat and welcoming. The type of skiing you’re undertaking will determine the type of pole you require, determining its weight, strength, flexibility and style.

WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden endorsed a ban on congressional stock trading in an interview that’s being released this week, belatedly weighing in on an issue that has been debated on Capitol Hill for years. “Nobody in the Congress should be able to make money in the stock market while they’re in the Congress,” Biden said. The interview was conducted by Faiz Shakir, a political adviser for Sen.

Which athletic socks are best? Choosing the right socks for the right activities is surprisingly important. You can’t wear bright white athletic socks to a black-tie event without standing out for the wrong reasons, and you shouldn’t wear thin dress socks to exercise — they won’t provide enough support. But there’s more to athletic socks than just support; you should also consider features like cuff types and material. The best athletic socks are the Balega Hidden Comfort No-Show Running Socks.

Colorado leaders have completed a $12 million expansion of the state’s network of electric vehicle charging stations, adding rapid chargers at 33 sites and closing in on California as the nation’s EV leader. But the momentum behind EV adoption in the West — 25% of new vehicles sold in Colorado during the third quarter this past year were fully electric EVs or plug-in hybrids — may face hurdles if President-elect Donald Trump’s administration jacks up tariffs. Gov.