Upside-down American flag hung briefly from 2nd flatiron amid NOAA, NWS layoffs
An upside-down American flag has been a form of protest for decades, according to the Free Speech Center at Middle Tennessee State University. A similar act was reported at El Capitan in Yosemite National Park earlier this week.
Federal layoffs hit Colorado's Veteran Affairs system, leaving veterans worried
The flatirons are close to the National Science Foundation's National Center for Atmospheric Research, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Office and the National Weather Service Office in Boulder. Earlier this week, NOAA began the process of firing hundreds of probationary workers in the latest of sweeping federal layoffs encouraged by the Department of Government Efficiency, which is led by billionaire Elon Musk.
FOX31 reached out to Phillip Yates, spokesperson for the city of Boulder Open Space and Mountain Parks, who said the city values and respects displays of the American flag in the community.
'However, our open space lands are managed with specific purposes, including preserving and protecting natural areas. To maintain this mission, we consistently remove abandoned or unauthorized items and displays—including flags—to ensure these areas remain open and welcoming for all visitors,' Yates said via email. 'This approach has been applied consistently, including the removal of an American flag following the Boulder mass shooting in 2021.'
'As a result, the city removed the flag on the 2nd Flatiron around 1:45 p.m. Friday, Feb. 28, following past practices,' Yates continued. 'We are not aware of other items being found other than the flag. We believe the flag is abandoned property, and in this circumstance, we do not plan to issue a citation.'
Colorado prepares for impact of mass layoffs on federal civilian workforce
He also noted that he is not informed about the legality of the flag's placement, but said the city has not filed charges in similar situations in the past.
'The city will make reasonable efforts to identify the flag owner and return it to them,' he said.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Hill
10 minutes ago
- The Hill
The Millennium Challenge Corporation advances US interests — don't kill it
The future is unclear for a key, 20-year-old U.S. government initiative advancing American interests around the world and blunting Chinese and Russian influence. The Millennium Challenge Corporation changed the way development assistance was done. It has lifted hundreds of millions of people out of poverty since its launch by President George W. Bush in 2004. It was a year after he created the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, which has saved more than 26 million people over the past two decades, especially on the African continent. Both are perfect examples of American soft power at its best. But whereas the AIDS relief program has largely been spared recent budget cutting after some hiccups, the Millennium Challenge Corporation's future is less clear. Its board meets this week to decide whether to terminate more than half of its portfolio of compacts and smaller threshold programs in various stages of development or implementation. These programs are in Africa and Asia, strategically important regions of the world in which China and Russia would be happy to take our place. The board should consider the impact of possible cuts to our country's reputation as a reliable partner and whether such a reduction would actually benefit U.S. economic, national security and diplomatic interests. Although all government programs should be regularly reviewed for efficiency and effectiveness, it seems shortsighted to drastically reduce the footprint of an agency that has been successfully implementing its mandate to the benefit of U.S. interests. Congress has historically supported the Millennium Challenge Corporation as a model for development and a safeguard for our national security, and its funding level in the House fiscal 2026 appropriations bill demonstrates that support. The Millennium Challenge Corporation aims to reduce poverty through economic growth and exemplifies how the generosity of the American people can really make a difference overseas in ways that advance U.S. national interests while driving development. The program has expanded access to electricity in Benin and Georgia so that children can study after dark and hospitals can properly store vaccines. It has created the infrastructure to deliver clean water to homes and businesses in Cape Verde and Mongolia. And it has built or improved roads, airports, ports and bridges in many countries so that people can get to school or work — and efficiently deliver their goods to markets. In Africa, the program has educated more than 255,500 students, contributed more than 26 million megawatt-hours of electricity, guaranteed over 305,000 households and businesses have legal rights and protections over their land, and improved production for over 70,600 farmers. The Millennium Challenge Corporation has funded 82 agreements in 49 countries since 2004, benefiting nearly 400 million people. Twenty-five of these countries are in Africa, and these investments have benefited an estimated 154 million Africans. And it has done all this in financially sound ways. Moreover, this kind of assistance opens doors for the United States, including for American companies seeking to do business in and with these countries. The Millennium Challenge Corporation took a groundbreaking approach to foreign assistance, requiring that countries qualify based on rigorous third-party indicators measuring democratic governance, investment in health and education, and economic freedom. Countries that don't meet these criteria aren't eligible for compacts, which are binding agreements developed in partnership with qualifying countries with rigorous monitoring. As with the Bush-era AIDS program, the Millennium Challenge Corporation's focus on Africa is well placed. By 2050, more than 25 percent of the world's population will live there. By 2030, more than 40 percent of the world's young people will be African. Already, more than half of the world's 20 fastest-growing economies are in Africa, along with 65 percent of the world's arable land and about 30 percent of the world's mineral reserves. The Millennium Challenge Corporation engenders tremendous goodwill among the populations of recipient countries and helps counter efforts by Russia and China to insert themselves at the expense of U.S. interests. Whether through cultural engagement programs and educational opportunities, infrastructure investments or military interference, Beijing and Moscow seek to expand their influence in the region while at the same time spreading anti-Western propaganda and taking advantage of disenfranchised or struggling populations to export their authoritarian brand of governance. This is a risk for the African population, global security and American interests. Without this program, the picture would look much worse. It empowers its partners, championing country ownership of its development projects rather than holding them hostage to burdensome loan terms, like China does. It creates jobs, rather than taking them from the local population. Ut requires transparency and accountability for every dollar spent, as opposed to the shady, corrupt deals China and Russia seek. There must be accountability both from partner countries and the Millennium Challenge Corporation. The compact countries must maintain their performance on the indicators and implement the compact transparently. Meanwhile, they Millennium Challenge Corporation measures economic rates of return on its investments and rigorously evaluates every program for effectiveness and results. The Millennium Challenge Corporation demands democratic governance, investment in people, and policies supporting economic freedom from its partners so they can escape poverty and build strong economies, rather than undercutting democracy and saddling its partners with debt. At the same time, it creates opportunities for private investment and develops trade and economic partners. A drastic reduction in its work could leave unfinished projects that China would sweep in and complete — and claim credit for. The Millennium Challenge Corporation uses foreign assistance dollars responsibly to lift people out of poverty while strengthening U.S. diplomatic ties and economic partnerships — all while fostering a positive view of America among both citizens and governments. Its board should keep this in mind this week. Monica Vegas Kladakis is senior advisor for Outreach and Strategic Partnerships at the George W. Bush Institute and previously served as managing director for Threshold Programs at MCC. David J. Kramer is executive director the George W. Bush Institute.
Yahoo
16 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Russia bombs US factory in one of war's largest attacks
Russia struck an American business with cruise missiles overnight in one of the largest aerial attacks of the war so far, Ukraine has said. The Ukrainian air force said some 574 drones and 40 missiles were fired overnight, primarily targeting western regions of the country – far from the battlefield's front line in the east and south of the country. The strikes killed one person and injured 15 more and struck a 'major American electronics manufacturer', according to Andrii Sybiha, Ukraine's foreign minister. Video footage showed a large fire at the premises of Flex Ltd, a multinational firm headquartered in Texas. The company manufactures electronic goods including games consoles, laptops and control units for cars and other vehicles. The bombardment was Russia's third-largest aerial attack this year in terms of the number of drones fired and eighth-largest in terms of missiles. Poland scrambled aircraft to protect its airspace during the overnight attack on Lviv, which is less than 50 miles from the Polish border. Warsaw said it saw no violations of its airspace. Credit: zakarpattya_online The assault came just days after Vladimir Putin travelled to Alaska to meet US president Donald Trump to lay out his terms for peace, which include Ukraine withdrawing from the entire Donetsk region. Volodymyr Zelensky, the Ukrainian president, said the attack was carried out 'as if nothing were changing at all'. He said Moscow had shown no signs of pursuing meaningful peace negotiations and urged Ukraine's allies to respond with stronger pressure, including further sanctions and tariffs. Russia 'wasted several cruise missiles against an American business,' Mr Zelensky said, noting it was a regular civilian enterprise producing domestic utilities, such as coffee machines. 'And that too became a target for Russia. Very telling.' The American business was located in the city of Mukachevo in Zakarpattia and had 600 workers inside. The attack sparked a large fire and injured 15 people. Flex, a Texas-based electronics company, has a factory in Mukachevo but it has not been confirmed whether it was targeted. It is not the first American business to be targeted by Russian strikes after Boeing's offices in Kyiv were targeted earlier this year. 'No military logic or necessity, just terror against people, businesses, and normal life in our country,' Mr Sybiha added. The White House has previously said that its minerals deal with Ukraine would protect the country, as Moscow would not dare attack American investments. Explosions were also reported in Lviv, Zaporizhzhia, while air raid sirens rang out through the night in Kyiv. Ukraine, meanwhile, said it had struck an oil refinery in an overnight attack in Russia's Novoshakhtinsk region and a fuel base in Voronezh. Mr Zelensky also revealed that Ukraine had tested a long-range cruise missile – known as the Flamingo – that can strike targets at 3,000km, potentially facilitating further strikes deep inside Russian territory. The Ukrainian leader said mass production could begin at the start of next year. Russia's overnight attack is a significant escalation in aerial attacks by Russia after weeks of more limited strikes against the backdrop of intensifying diplomacy. Shortly after Steve Witkoff, Mr Trump's peace envoy, met Vladimir Putin on August 8, Russian strikes reduced in intensity. On Thursday, Ukraine is expected to hold more meetings with its allies to work out what security guarantees they are willing to provide in the event of a ceasefire. Mr Zelensky said he believed specific plans would take shape in ten days, at which point he would be ready to meet Vladimir Putin. Mr Zelensky and Mr Trump, who met in Washington on Monday, floated the idea of a trilateral meeting but Putin reportedly responded by suggesting a one-on-one meeting with the Ukrainian leader should take place first, perhaps in Moscow. The Ukrainian leader immediately rejected the idea, with Europe now pushing for a neutral location, such as Geneva in Switzerland. 'We want to have an understanding of the security guarantees architecture within seven to 10 days. And based on that understanding, we aim to hold a trilateral meeting. That was my logic,' Mr Zelensky said. 'President Trump suggested a slightly different logic: a trilateral meeting through a bilateral one,' he continued. 'But then we all agreed that, in any case, we continue working on the security guarantees, establishing this approximate framework, similar to Article 5. And what we have today is political support for this.' Article 5 is Nato's common defence guarantee under which an attack on one member is considered an attack on them all. Ukraine is still not entirely clear what support it can expect from allies, particularly the US, which has said that Europe would do most of the heavy lifting on the ground. The US, meanwhile, could station air defences in nearby European countries that would respond were Ukraine to face another attack. Russia demands seat at the table Sergei Lavrov, Russia's foreign minister, said on Wednesday that security arrangements in Ukraine would not work without the Kremlin's involvement. 'We cannot agree with the fact that it is now proposed to resolve collective security issues without the Russian Federation. This will not work. We have already explained more than once that Russia does not overstate its interests, but we will ensure our legitimate interests firmly and harshly,' he said at a press conference. Russia is keen to ensure China, one of Moscow's main allies, plays a role in enforcing security guarantees, but this has been dismissed by Mr Zelensky. 'First, China did not help us stop this war from the start. Second, China assisted Russia by opening its drone market... We do not need guarantors who do not help Ukraine and did not help Ukraine at the time when we really needed it.'
Yahoo
33 minutes ago
- Yahoo
The Memo: Trump ignites new culture war battle over the Smithsonian — and slavery
President Trump has plunged once more into the nation's cultural wars — this time with Washington's famous Smithsonian Institution in his sights. As is often the case, the manner of Trump's attack risks significant blowback, even as it delights his fans. Specifically, in a social media blast about how 'OUT OF CONTROL' the Smithsonian allegedly is, Trump contended that its exhibits were excessively focused on 'how bad Slavery was.' Whether that sentiment was clumsily phrased or fully intentional, it ignited a storm because of the implication that slavery was somehow not quite as bad as commonly portrayed. California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) — a potential 2028 presidential candidate who has adopted an ever more combative social media stance against Trump in recent weeks — contended that the president was 'trying to ERASE slavery from U.S. history.' Rep. Jim McGovern (D-Mass.) blasted Trump's comment as 'outrageous and un-American' and further argued, 'If Trump thinks slavery wasn't bad, he clearly needs to spend more time in a museum.' Media commentators expressed their own criticisms. CNN 'Newsnight' anchor Abby Phillip began her show on Tuesday with a monologue in which she noted, 'It's important to say, objectively, slavery was indeed bad. It was evil — the nation's original sin. And it is impossible to understand the true history of this country without fully grappling with slavery's impact.' It would be naive to imagine that one more Trump controversy will do anything to fundamentally change his political fortunes. Trump has peppered the national discourse with inflammatory remarks since he descended the Trump Tower escalator to launch his first campaign a decade ago, accusing Mexico of sending 'rapists' across the southern border. Still, his propensity to ignite new fights, often on some of the most sensitive issues of American life, surely contributes to popularity ratings that are, overall, mediocre — despite the ferocious loyalty of his base. Even as his supporters laud the changes he has wrought in the first seven months of his second term, recent polls have shown most Americans disapproving of his job performance. A recent Ipsos/Reuters poll put Trump 14 points underwater, with 54 percent of survey respondents disapproving and 40 percent approving. An Economist/YouGov poll indicated his net rating was even worse, 16 points in the negative. Trump's ratings when it comes to personal attributes also reflect broad distaste for his approach. A second Economist poll earlier this month asked Americans if they liked Trump as a person, regardless of whether or not they agree with his policies. Just 33 percent of respondents said they liked him. Forty-eight percent said they disliked him — including almost 1 in 5 self-described conservatives. That being said, there is obviously a political market for what Trump is selling, especially among culturally conservative Americans who feel alienated by society's liberal shifts in recent decades. He notably placed his attack on the Smithsonian within the framework of the institution allegedly being excessively 'woke'— and insufficiently patriotic. Despite the nebulousness over what 'wokeness' actually is, Trump has used similar charges against leading universities. Those attacks have drawn much media comment, but it's unclear they have sparked commensurate public outrage. A number of elite institutions have sought some form of accommodation with him. In Trump's case, it's also often hard to distinguish between 'culture war' rhetoric and substantive policy. The former seems to drive the latter in his case, to an unusual extent. There are subjects on which this plays to his political advantage — the most obvious being immigration, where he has spoken frequently about an 'invasion' that can only be repelled by his hawkish policies. During last year's election campaign, immigration was consistently Trump's strongest issue — a finding that suggests his language on the issue resonates widely, even as it appalls critics. He has, more recently, used similarly emotive language as he seeks to justify his deployment of the National Guard and other federal law enforcement agencies in Washington, D.C., as well as his takeover of the city's police department. In that instance, Trump has contended that 'the Democrat Government of D.C. has largely stopped investigating, arresting, and prosecuting most crime,' and has spoken of a crime emergency, despite declining violent crime rates. He has also promised that his law enforcement takeover will result in the District of Columbia being 'LIBERATED' from 'Crime, Savagery, Filth and Scum.' In this case, however, his words have rung hollow for the vast majority of residents of the District. A Washington Post-Schar School poll of D.C. residents published on Wednesday found 79 percent of those surveyed oppose his federal takeover of the police and his deployment of the guard and FBI. It is, of course, arguable whether Trump's language and actions in relation to Washington are really aimed at meeting the needs of the strongly Democratic city — or about playing to his base in the heartlands by casting the capital in a negative and quasi-subversive light. In the end, there is no plausible possibility that Trump will back off the culture war fights that he has embraced for so long. He can argue that approach has brought him this far — even as it has also fueled the intensity of the opposition to him. The Memo is a reported column by Niall Stanage. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
