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Yahoo
6 hours ago
- Health
- Yahoo
Less signaling, more doing is needed on the environment in Denver
A pair of e-scooters sit on a street in the Capitol Hill neighborhood of Denver in June 2025. (Quentin Young/Colorado Newsline) This year, Denver again earned the ignominious distinction as the sixth worst city in the country for certain air pollutants. Poor air quality is a public health threat, leading to respiratory symptoms and negative long-term health outcomes — coughing, asthma attacks, cardiovascular diseases, etc. As the Trump administration proudly rolls back federal regulations intended to protect people from air pollution and climate change, it's imperative that local governments pass policies to fill the void. However, thus far in 2025, Denver's City Council has done more to signal its disapproval of poor air quality than actually tackle it. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX Denver's 13-member council made headlines at the start of May when it unanimously rejected a $25 million contract with Suncor Energy's Commerce City oil refinery to purchase asphalt. The council cited concerns of environmental justice and persistent regulatory violations committed by Suncor. While divestment from negligent or unethical businesses can be a powerful tool to drive change, the practice must be undertaken strategically. In this case, Denver is taking a stance against Suncor by paying an additional $300,000 to an oil refinery with a similarly long rap sheet of regulatory violations — including some that led to explosions and fires. Because Denver's asphalt will now come from Cenovus Energy in Wisconsin, it must be transported by rail to Colorado, which creates additional environmental risk. Twenty-five percent of the nation's hazardous material accidents are caused by railroad derailments. For example, in 2023, a train spilled 500,000 pounds of asphalt into the Yellowstone River damaging hundreds of miles of natural habitat. And finally, asphalt is a byproduct of the oil refining process, and will be produced regardless of whether or not the city buys it. The Denver council's symbolic support of environmental justice and clean air is well-intentioned, but not strategic. A more effective means of opposing Suncor would be to reduce demand for gasoline — perhaps by promoting public transit or other modes of transportation, which would have the added benefit of reducing air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions. Just weeks after the Denver City Council's symbolic move against Suncor, the council passed an ordinance to crack down on micromobility. Since Denver signed an exclusive contract with Lime and Lyft in 2020, ridership of shared electric scooters and bikes has increased steadily. On average, Denverites take 11,100 micromobility rides every day, many of which replace car trips. Considering the emission reduction potential of micromobility, Denver's council should focus on increasing adoption while balancing the needs of pedestrians and other road users. Unfortunately, the new ordinance isn't balanced — it forces micromobility companies to mitigate 'sidewalk riding,' which is tantamount to making micromobility less safe and, therefore, less desirable. In 2024, 134 pedestrians and bicyclists were killed by cars in Denver — a 78% increase in fatalities since 2015. Although bike infrastructure is expanding, the city is still decades away from a truly connected, cycle-safe city. Going forward, Lime and Lyft must enforce Denver's law prohibiting sidewalk riding or face fines. A possible outcome is charging riders more if they ride on sidewalks. But in a city where sidewalk riding is sometimes the only safe option, that discourages safety. For many riders, this would create a lose-lose situation: Avoid the sidewalk even on busy, dangerous roads, or use sidewalks for safety and incur fines. Or, drive a car, instead. The new micromobility ordinance isn't all bad, though. It implements a much needed mechanism to reduce improperly parked scooters and bikes, which too often obstruct sidewalks for pedestrians and wheelchair users. The council should have stopped there — regulate parking, but don't dictate how riders should safely navigate our car-oriented landscape. The best way to encourage riders to avoid sidewalks is to build safe bike infrastructure. Contrary to its stated support of cleaner air, Denver's City Council has recently made moves to further entrench the city's car reliance by taking steps to widen Peña Boulevard. This Spring, in a 9-2 vote, the council approved a $15 million study to investigate widening Peña and assess other options to alleviate traffic congestion. One council member suggested that the study is a mere 'formality' unlikely to seriously consider alternatives to widening Peña. Transportation contributes significantly to the region's poor air quality and is the greatest source of greenhouse gas emissions in Colorado. Investing in road expansion would undermine the city's commitments to clean air, climate action, and a transit-oriented future. To retain a modicum of consistency, City Council should instead fund bus rapid transit, improvements to the Denver A-Line, greater security at Park-n-Rides along the A-line, or any number of options that would make public transit the most convenient method of traversing the city and getting to the airport. Considering Denver's record of poor air quality and the ongoing attacks on our nation's bedrock environmental protection laws, Denver's City Council should focus less on signaling support for clean air and environmental justice and more on substantive policies. Besides limiting the construction of new gas stations, the city has done nothing to improve Denver's air quality this year — the opposite, actually. Hopefully, the council reconsiders its priorities — before Peña is widened and micromobility ridership drops. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Yahoo
20 hours ago
- General
- Yahoo
DOJ files hate crime charge against suspect in Boulder attack
A view of the Boulder County Courthouse on the Pearl Street Mall in downtown Boulder on Aug. 14, 2021. (Quentin Young/Colorado Newsline) The U.S. Department of Justice filed a federal hate crime charge against the man suspected of attacking a group of demonstrators with incendiary devices in Boulder on Sunday, leaving eight victims hospitalized. The victims, ranging in age from 52 to 88, were participants in the Boulder branch of Run For Their Lives, which organizes events calling for the immediate release of hostages held by Hamas in Gaza. They suffered burns from Molotov cocktails and what FBI officials described as a 'makeshift flamethrower.' At least one victim was described as being in critical condition. The suspect, 45-year-old Mohammed Sabry Soliman, was arrested by Boulder police and later told investigators that he targeted what he called a 'Zionist group' after learning about it through an online search, according to an FBI affidavit filed Monday. Officials previously reported that Soliman, a Colorado Springs resident, was heard to shout 'Free Palestine' during the attack. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX 'He stated that he wanted to kill all Zionist people and wished they were all dead,' the FBI wrote of the suspect's interview after his arrest. 'He stated that he had been planning the attack for a year.' A criminal complaint filed in federal court charges Soliman with one count of 'a hate crime offense involving the actual or perceived race, religion, or national origin.' 'No American should experience violence motivated by hatred based on their faith or national origin, and the Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice will act swiftly and decisively to bring the perpetrators of such crimes to justice,' Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon said in a statement. 'There can be zero tolerance for such acts in our great nation.' Soliman is expected to face additional state and federal charges in connection with the attack. Officials said they would provide more information on the charges at a 2:30 p.m. press conference. Tricia McLaughlin, the Department of Homeland Security's assistant secretary for public affairs, said Monday that Soliman was in the U.S. unlawfully, having entered the country in August 2022 on a tourist visa that expired in February 2023. An Egyptian national, he filed an asylum claim in September 2022, McLaughlin said. This is a developing story and will be updated. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Yahoo
a day ago
- General
- Yahoo
People lit on fire in ‘targeted terror attack' in Colorado
A view of the Boulder County Courthouse on the Pearl Street Mall in downtown Boulder on Aug. 14, 2021. (Quentin Young/Colorado Newsline) Multiple people were injured Sunday in downtown Boulder when a man reportedly lit them on fire, according to local police. Eight victims ranging in age from 52 to 88 years old were transported to hospitals in the region, police said. One was described as being in critical condition, with other victims' injuries ranging from serious to minor. The suspect, 45-year-old Mohamed Sabry Saliman, was taken into custody by police and was treated for minor injuries at a hospital, Mark D. Michalek, special agent in charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation's Denver field office, said during a Sunday evening press conference. 'Witnesses are reporting that the subject used a makeshift flamethrower and threw an incendiary device into the crowd,' Michalek said. The attack took place near the Boulder County Courthouse on the Pearl Street Mall, an area in the heart of the city that typically attracts hundreds of people on the weekend. The first calls about the attack came at 1:26 p.m., Boulder Police Chief Stephen Redfearn said earlier Sunday. 'The initial callers indicated that there was a man with a weapon and that people were being set on fire,' he said. 'When we arrived, we encountered multiple victims that were injured with injuries consistent with burns and other injuries.' Participants in the Boulder branch of Run For Their Lives, which organizes events calling for the immediate release of hostages held by Hamas in Gaza, were the apparent target of the attack. Michalek said the suspect was 'heard to yell 'Free Palestine' during the attack.' He called it a 'targeted act of violence' and said the FBI was investigating it as an act of terrorism. Kash Patel, director of the FBI, earlier on Sunday called the incident a 'targeted terror attack,' and Colorado Gov. Jared Polis said it was a 'heinous act of terror.' The Anti-Defamation League said on social media it was 'monitoring the situation in Colorado.' Joe Neguse, a Democrat who represents Boulder in the U.S. House, characterized the attack as targeting Jewish people. 'I am horrified by the heinous act of terror that took place in downtown Boulder this afternoon,' he said in a statement. 'Tonight, as many prepare to mark the Shavuot holiday, our Jewish community has been subjected to yet another brutal and horrific act of violence. The scourge of antisemitism has metastasized across our country, and we must do more — now — to stop this hatred and violence.' Phil Weiser, Colorado's attorney general, also indicated the group was targeted. 'From what we know, this attack appears to be a hate crime given the group that was targeted,' Weiser said in a statement. 'People may have differing views about world events and the Israeli-Hamas conflict, but violence is never the answer to settling differences. Hate has no place in Colorado.' Chase Woodruff contributed to this report. Like the SC Daily Gazette, Colorado Newsline is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Colorado Newsline maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Quentin Young for questions: info@
Yahoo
2 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Support journalism that is independent and honest
(Stock photo by Nenov via Getty Images Plus) I am often overwhelmed and alarmed by much of what passes as news in the United States. Moreover, the problem of fake news is increasing as we become ever more polarized and as our government tries to undermine and to silence media that exposes intentions and actions it wants to keep hidden from us. Adding to the problem is the proliferation of social media posts that may or may not be accurate. Increasingly, I have become a supporter of independent journalism and have dropped my subscriptions to local papers — owned by what some call vulture equity firms, interested only in power and profit. I've even dropped my long-time subscriptions to two well-known national newspapers. Instead, I support my local library, where I can access, online, my local newspaper, as well as national news publications such as The New York Times and The Washington Post. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX I am not necessarily advocating that you drop your newspaper subscription. Instead, I am hoping you are aware of the many independent news sources available to you. In Colorado, among those I support are Colorado Sun, Mountain Ear and this newspaper, Colorado Newsline (part of the States Newsroom organization). Conveniently, in Colorado alone there are many more independent news sources than the three I have named. The Media and Democracy Project has compiled a list that can be found at the organization's website. Personally, I also support a number of independent national news sources, some of which are identified online at Most crucially, I support those organizations that support independent journalism in a variety of ways — organizations such as the Colorado News Collaborative, the Freedom of the Press Foundation, the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press, and the Media and Democracy Project. What do I mean by independent news sources? Independent news sources are those that are free from the influence of governments, corporations or special interest groups, ensuring that what they report is truthful. To determine independence, you could begin by looking at whether the news source is more reliant on facts than on opinions/arguments, by investigating the sources of its funding and whether there are potential conflicts of interest, by evaluating its history and track record (e.g., its record for exposing criminality or abuses of power), and by assessing the extent to which it follows established journalistic standards and ethics. When I want to ensure that what I am reading is trustworthy, I search for primary sources if available (e.g., a C-Span video or a legal document) and for additional reports on the topic. I search Reuters Fact Check, Snopes, and Media Bias/Fact Check, too — all available online. We are awash in fake news, and it is eating away at our society. We deserve an honest, skeptical, independent press. Too much of corporate-run media is only interested in lining their own pockets at our expense. According to a Sept. 18, 2020, article in TechStartups online: These media conglomerates are owned by the elite or the ruling class, which extends its reach to encompass not only traditional power structures but also modern behemoths like big tech companies, exerting control over the content we consume — what we read, watch, and listen to … The term 'elite' often slips into our conversations without much thought, yet its roots and significance remain unfamiliar to many. Derived from the French élite, which traces back to the Latin eligere, meaning 'to select or to sort out,' elites represent a select group of influential individuals who wield a disproportionate share of wealth, privilege, political power, or expertise within society. Are you confused and overwhelmed about whom and what to believe? If so, make a point of becoming a savvy news consumer, and spreader, of truly important and reliable news. Don't repeat or repost something you've read without first checking out whether it's true. And support independent journalism. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Rent-setting software ban supporters blast Polis veto
Colorado Gov. Jared Polis speaks during a news conference about a bipartisan property tax reduction bill on May 6, 2024, at the Colorado Capitol. (Quentin Young/Colorado Newsline) Colorado Democratic lawmakers criticized Gov. Jared Polis after he vetoed a bill on Thursday afternoon that would have banned the use of computer algorithms to set rent in the state, calling the decision a failure of the state's values. 'Gov. Polis had the opportunity to save Coloradans money, but he instead aligned himself with tech companies that are engaged in practices so questionable that they're currently facing litigation from the federal government,' Sen. Julie Gonzales, a Denver Democrat and bill sponsor, said during a virtual press conference on Friday morning. House Bill 25-1004 was written as a consumer protection bill to ban software that uses private market data to suggest profit-maximizing rents to landlords. The Biden administration released a report last year that found software from companies like RealPage cost Denver renters an extra $136 per month, one of the highest monthly cost increases in the country, and is used in over 45% of multifamily rental units in the city. Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser last year also targeted the practice when he joined an antitrust lawsuit against RealPage. In his veto letter, Polis wrote that he prefers to allow 'current state and federal investigations to run their course — including those Colorado is a party to.' He wrote that he agrees with the intent of the bill, and that collusion to artificially constrain rental supply is already illegal, but he worried about its effect on the state's housing market. 'We should not inadvertently take a tool off the table that could identify vacancies and provide consumers with meaningful data to help efficiently manage residential real estate to ensure people can access housing,' he wrote. 'If signed today, this bill may have unintended consequences of creating a hostile environment for providers of rental housing and could result in further diminished supply of rental housing based on inadequate data.' A RealPage spokesperson lauded Polis' veto. 'This is the right outcome for all of us who desire a healthy housing ecosystem that benefits Colorado renters and housing providers alike,' Jennifer Bowcock of RealPage said in a statement. The bill was sponsored by Gonzales, Sen. Nick Hinrichsen of Pueblo, Rep. Steven Woodrow of Denver and Rep. Javier Mabrey of Denver, all Democrats. A similar bill died last year, but this year's version passed on party-line votes in both legislative chambers. 'During my time at the Legislature, we've been tasked by the governor to save people money,' Woodrow said. 'During special sessions, we've been called down to cut property taxes to save homeowners an average of $80. Why we couldn't find the means to save renters 200 times that with a stroke of a pen is simply beyond unfortunate. The governor has punted this to the courts.' Groups that supported the bill included the Community Economic Defense Project, The Bell Policy Center, the Colorado Fiscal Institute and United for a New Economy. Supporters hoped the Biden White House report and pending litigation would help usher it into law this year. 'Unfortunately, the veto sends this devastating message that corporate landlords can keep using secret price-fixing algorithms to take extra rent from the people who have the least,' CEDP co-founder Sam Gilman said. The veto is Polis' 11th this year. He has until June 6 to sign or veto bills passed during this year's legislative session, which concluded earlier this month. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
