Comment on Ghost guns and liberty

In a typical election year, Colorado’s 4th Congressional District would be all but written off. The Eastern Plains district, on paper, is the most Republican-leaning in the state. In 2022, U. S. Rep. Ken Buck won reelection by nearly 24 percentage points, about in line with the advantage Republicans should expect given the 4th’s partisan makeup. But like all things concerning U.

Inside Colorado’s aging school buildings, black mold forces educators to teach students outside during warm months. Sewer problems prevent toilets from being flushed and render water fountains and sinks unusable. Classrooms don’t have air conditioning, meaning temperatures can reach into the low 90s indoors. And then there’s the growing paradox metro Denver school districts find themselves in: K-12 enrollment is declining statewide, but new housing developments are reshaping where children live, creating a need for new schools despite buildings closing elsewhere. But all of this takes money to fix and build, which is why the leaders of Colorado school districts are hoping voters next month will greenlight billions of dollars in new spending. “Our buildings are reaching the end of their useful life,” said Scott Smith, chief financial and operating officer for the Cherry Creek School District. Statewide, at least 32 school districts are seeking nearly $7 billion via bonds, mill levies and other funding mechanisms so that they can repair their buildings, construct new schools, make safety upgrades and expand learning services.

Republican Jeff Hurd and Democrat Adam Frisch each entered the 3rd Congressional District race with a parallel goal: Unseat U. S. Rep. Lauren Boebert. For Hurd, a Grand Junction lawyer who jumped in the race in August 2023, the chance would be in the mostly Western Slope district’s June primary. And if he didn’t prevail against Boebert, then Frisch, a former Aspen city councilman, would await a rematch this fall as the Democratic nominee — after narrowly losing to her two years ago in one of the most surprisingly close results of that year. But both their strategies were forced to shift in late December, when Boebert announced she would hop the Front Range and seek to represent eastern Colorado’s 4th Congressional District in 2025 and beyond. RELATED: Lauren Boebert harnesses new district’s GOP advantage, while rival raises hopes — and money — off chance of upset That decision instantly reshaped the race.

This story was originally published by Vox.com and is reproduced here as part of the Climate Desk collaboration. The term “climate haven” never made much sense. After Hurricane Helene dumped two feet of rain on western North Carolina, many major media outlets marveled at how Asheville, which had been celebrated as a climate haven, had been devastated by a climate-related disaster. Some in the media later reported accurately that climate havens don’t actually exist.

Americans have always been able to make their own guns, even without serial numbers, but various anti-liberty/gun jurisdictions are considering changing that.

We need to be standing shoulder to shoulder rather than toe to toe.