Colorado gun bills advance as Democrats try to beat session end

Fresh off a historic vote to advance a ban on many high-powered, semi-automatic guns, the Colorado House approved three more gun-related bills over the weekend — sending them across the Capitol for another round of debate. Those votes on Saturday were followed Monday by the state Senate’s final approval for two other gun reform bills … Read more

Israeli strikes on southern Gaza city of Rafah kill 22, mostly children

By MOHAMMAD JAHJOUH and SAMY MAGDY (Associated Press) RAFAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — Israeli strikes on the southern Gaza city of Rafah overnight killed 22 people, including 18 children, health officials said Sunday, as the United States was on track to approve billions of dollars of additional military aid to Israel, its close ally. Israel … Read more

Ukrainian and Western leaders laud US aid package

By SAMYA KULLAB and ELISE MORTON (Associated Press) KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Ukrainian and Western leaders on Sunday welcomed a desperately needed aid package passed by the U.S. House of Representatives, as the Kremlin warned that passage of the bill would “further ruin” Ukraine and cause more deaths. Ukrainian commanders and analysts say the long-awaited … Read more

Unprecedented wave of narco-violence stuns Argentina city of Rosario

By ISABEL DEBRE and ALMUDENA CALATRAVA (Associated Press) ROSARIO, Argentina (AP) — The order to kill came from inside a federal prison near Argentina’s capital. Unwitting authorities patched a call from drug traffickers tied to one of the country’s most notorious gangs to collaborators on the outside. Hiring a 15-year-old hit man, they sealed the … Read more

Short-term rentals in Colorado avoid tax hikes from killed bill

A bill that would have significantly grown taxes for thousands of short-term rentals in the state was killed in its first committee hearing late Tuesday even after the sponsor attempted to make changes to the legislation. In its original form, Senate Bill 33 would have required any property used as a short-term rental for more … Read more

Colorado competency reform bill on chopping block , supporters say

State lawmakers have yet to fund an $11 million effort to reform Colorado courts’ long-troubled competency system, raising alarm among supporters as the end of the legislative session looms. If funded, the bill, HB24-1355, would create a statewide diversion program aimed at shifting thousands of people with mental illness out of the criminal justice system … Read more

United Arab Emirates struggles to recover after heaviest recorded rainfall ever hits desert nation – The Denver Post

By JON GAMBRELL (Associated Press) DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — The United Arab Emirates struggled Thursday to recover from the heaviest recorded rainfall ever to hit the desert nation, as its main airport worked to restore normal operations even as floodwater still covered portions of major highways and roads. Dubai International Airport, the world’s busiest … Read more

Denver Fire chief Desmond Fulton faces investigation over comp time

Denver Fire Department Chief Desmond Fulton said Wednesday that he was following what he believed to be the department’s standards when he claimed hundreds of hours of compensatory time off — and then effectively cashed much of it in for $42,000 in extra pay over the last three years. The chief said he supported an … Read more

Douglas County sues Colorado over immigration laws’ restrictions

Douglas County filed suit Monday against the state of Colorado, alleging that two laws prohibiting local governments from cooperating with the federal government on immigration enforcement violate the state constitution. The lawsuit, which other conservative counties are considering joining, takes aim at laws passed by the legislature and signed by Gov. Jared Polis in recent … Read more

Colorado lawmakers bow to fire chiefs on single-stair apartments bill

Facing a wall of opposition from fire officials, Colorado lawmakers on Wednesday killed a bill that would have allowed taller apartment buildings to be constructed in a single-stair style that’s common in Europe. House Bill 1239, had it passed, would have allowed developers in Colorado to build five-story buildings around a single stairway, rather than … Read more