As of this writing the United States ranks sixth among gold medalists, however the United States leads all countries with 20 total medals including 3 gold, 8 silver, and 9 bronze. France is second in medal totals at 17 with China in third at 14 and Japan who has the most gold medalists has 7 golds, 2 silver, and 4 bronze.
Australia’s swimming phenom Mollie O’Callaghan and China’s 10m Air Rifle shooter, Sheng Lihao lead all athletes with two golds. United States’ swimmer Torri Huske has won both a gold and silver in the women’s 100m Butterfly, and the women’s 4X100m freestyle relay.
While athletes come from all corners of the United States to compete every four years, Colorado has been home to some of the countries best athletes. This year Colorado offered 26 of its athletes to compete in this years summer Olympics.
University of Colorado’s Morgan Pearson, won silver at the debut mixed relay event in Tokyo in 2021, will compete in the Men’s Triathlon this week, in hopes of adding new hardware to his trophy case (results not available at the time of this writing).
Colorado Rapids midfielder, Djordje Mihailovic is attending his first Olympics and is set to complete this week against Guinea (results not available at the time of this writing).
Colorado Grey Wolves player Sammy Sullivan is on the U.S. Womens rugby team, who defeated Great Britain 17-7 on Monday. The women’s rugby team is scheduled to face New Zealand in the semifinals at the time of this writing (results not available at the time of this writing).
While Colorado has had an impressive amount of athletes competing in this year’s Summer Olympics, bordering states like New Mexico have set their mark in this year’s games. Mariah Duran of Albuquerque New Mexico and six time X-Games medalist looks to reach the podium after falling short in the 2021 Tokyo games where she finished 13th overall.
Denver Nuggets superstar Nikola Jokic competed over the weekend for his home country of Serbia against the Men’s U.S. Basketball team. While Serbia was competitive while Jokic was on the court, his dominance was overshadowed by the firepower of the U.S. Men’s basketball team. Serbia lost 84-110 to the U.S.
Denver Nuggets guard Jamal Murray has been competing for his home country of Canada. Canada has won both of their games including their game against Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo and Greece and their game against Australia.
We are now just under two weeks away from the closing ceremony of the Olympics which means there is still lots of events to watch and cheer on your favorite athletes. Visit Olympics.comfor a full list of events and results of past events.
There are a lot of Coloradans who may not even know about the town of Fowler. But, with the exception of a single census, this Arkansas Valley hamlet has been on a steady growth trajectory for decades. Of course, no one knows what exactly happened in the 1920 census that caused a decline in population to 922, but ever since, it’s been on the upswing. Today, Fowler sits at something north of 1,253 full-time residents. Yes. It’s small.
Photo courtesy: Elizabeth Aragon-Blanton
Fowler, named for Orson Squire Fowler, perhaps one of the 19th century’s most famous phrenologists—a person who studies contours of the head to measure intelligence—it is also the hometown of arguably the only Ph.D. to ever graduate from the town’s high school. That person is long time educator Dr. Elizabeth Aragon-Blanton, now the Director of Education at the El Pueblo Museum in Pueblo, Colorado.
Like many Latinos who call Colorado home, Aragon-Blanton’s family came from northern New Mexico and southern Colorado. “My mother’s family came from Mora, New Mexico,” she said in a recent phone interview from Pagosa Springs where she and her own family were on vacation. That side of the family did fieldwork. Her father’s side worked in the mines and in the then thriving lumber industry around Trinidad. Somehow, she said, everyone ended up in Fowler and, more specifically, smack dab in the heart of the town’s colonia, the poor side of town, known colloquially as ‘Tortilla Flats.’
Living modestly had little effect on the family’s home life. It was a nurturing environment, she said. Her father, Joe, was a city worker whose job included tending Fowler’s cemetery. “He kept it beautiful,” she remembered. The cemetery was also a sanctuary where she often accompanied him. While he worked, she walked the grounds reading the headstones. She also remembered her father explaining why there were two sides of the cemetery, one side adorned with headstones, the other with wooden crosses. “He said it was segregated.”
Her mother, Mary, she said, was a homemaker who also worked at the town’s tomato factory and also did house cleaning. But living modestly, Aragon-Blanton said, did nothing to deter either her regular escape into books or her desire to learn. These two things were her oxygen and, luckily for her, her mother recognized it.
One thing Aragon-Blanton remembered about her mother was that despite the family not having a lot of disposable income, she “would always set aside money to buy me books.” Learning, both as a child and all through her school days, paid off handsomely. It earned her “a four-year scholarship to Western State College,” now Western State University in Gunnison. There, she double majored in history and communications and theater. She would later earn a doctorate.
Aragon-Blanton began her teaching career at Denver’s Lake Middle School where she taught, among other things, Chicano studies, for two years. She remembered on her first day at Lake, a janitor warned here, “You’re going to hate it here.” It turned out just the opposite. “It was hard, but I loved it.”
She might have stayed longer in Denver, but her father got sick and she and her husband, also a Fowler native, moved back to Pueblo. For the majority of the next three decades, she has taught all across Pueblo’s District 60, including two stints at the middle school level and later at Pueblo South and later Pueblo Central.
“Some people want to be an astronaut, some ballerinas,” said Aragon-Blanton. “I knew I was going to be a teacher when I was three or four years old.” She said she ‘played teacher’ in her family’s garage, using sheetrock as her chalkboard. “I’ve always wanted to give something back to this world.” Teaching provided that opportunity.
Being a lifelong reader evolved into Aragon-Blanton becoming a researcher. That, in turn, transformed her into a writer. For years now, including researching and writing her thesis for her Ph.D., she’s been writing curricula for the classes she teaches and for teachers who use her work. Her rule of thumb, if you’re going to do research, you might as well write it.
Now, as Director of Education at southern Colorado’s El Pueblo Museum, Aragon-Blanton said she isn’t shackled by the constraints of an often rigid and sometimes immovable public school system.
She said when she accepted the museum position, she was given the freedom to build her own teaching model for teaching young kids. That promise, she said, has made the job even more rewarding.
Now, six months into the job, Aragon-Blanton is putting her fingerprints on a curriculum involving science, technology, research, engineering, the arts and math. “My goal is to reduce the academic achievement gap in the summers. So many of our kids lose so much knowledge.” Also, she said, kids love the challenge and the encouragement that comes from teaching. “They just want someone to love ‘em.”
Aragon-Blanton confesses that she’s a ‘hand-on’ teacher—literally. “I spend so much of my time holding little hands, encouraging and teaching.” Her approach, she said, pays off regularly when she’s out across the city.
“I can’t go anywhere where I don’t have students who don’t remember me, come up and talk to me or come up and show me their families,” she says in a voice exuding affection. “I’m so glad that they have happy memories of me. I just live for that.”
David Conde, Senior Consultant for International Programs
Kamala Harris is the new face in the 2024 race for the presidency. Her career began on the prosecutorial side of law enforcement. Harris’ work in Alameda County, California eventually took her to the San Francisco City Attorney’s office where she was later elected District Attorney. She successfully ran statewide for Attorney General for the State of California and then became a U.S.Senator. Harris unsuccessfully ran for President in 2020. She then was selected by Joe Biden to be Vice President for his winning ticket.
Now as the Democratic candidate for President, Harris has the opportunity to use her prosecutor skills in an arena that is much larger than the various civil and criminal courtrooms where Donald Trump is being tried or already convicted. In politics one can go beyond provable behavior to elements of character that can be disqualifying.
For example, there is the issue of unpatriotic behavior on the part of Freidrich Trump, the former President’s grandfather who avoided military service by leaving Germany and then got kicked out of the country when he tried to return. This tendency was repeated in his grandson who did the same thing when called to serve during the Vietnam War.
The matter related to the treatment of women also goes beyond behavior to character. The story of E. Jean Carroll who sued Trump for sexual abuse and defamation and won is a prime example. After the verdict, Donald Trump continued to threaten and diminish Carroll to the point that she sued again and won again. To date Carroll has accumulated some $83.3 million in awards.
The prosecution of the 91 criminal charges of the Republican candidate has so far yielded 34 felony convictions. The pursuit of these cases also needs to take into consideration the former President’s reaction to the justices system before, during and after trials.Trump is publically going after judges, witnesses, juries and prosecutors in a way that distorts the justice system. It seems that, when it comes to him, he sees himself above the law.
That history of flaunting the law should have a hearing with the American people. Most of all, the attack on the Constitution and the attempt to change the 2020 election results led by the former President is of fundamental concern.
Having lost the 2020 election, Trump invited his supporters to Washington to change the results. They attacked the capitol in an attempt to force the congressional delega- tions to open the way for the former President to stay in power.
The question of Donald Trump’s character that has led to bizarre, illegal and criminal actions in the past, can only be a prelude to a discussion about what Americans want to see in their future leadership. It is a matter of competing visions, beginning with the founding principles of our constitutional order.
The prosecution of a vision for the future brings into focus the notions of democracy versus autocracy. These fancy words denote a sinister clash between our present ability to live our lives as a free expression of our dreams and life in a regimented world that limits our freedom.
When we are told by candidate Trump that he intends to be a dictator on day one, we should believe him and be wary, especially now when the United States Supreme Court has ruled that a President can do no legal wrong. The national stage has been set for two candidates, one a prosecutor with a lot of experience and the other a repeat offender.
The views expressed by David Conde are not necessarily the views of laVozColorado. Comments and responses may be directed to news@lavozcolorado.com.
Get ready to celebrate! In 2026 Colorado will be 150 years old! The Colorado Commission 150 is coordinating this celebration and approved establishing a Museum that will finally tell the story of Latino contributions to Colorado. The Hispanic community settled Colorado centuries ago, and yet our history is often forgotten or excluded.
The time to act is NOW so that a Hispanic Heritage Museum can be a reality by 2026. This will be the biggest venture launched by Latinos in Colorado and your participation and support are the key. The Museum will be the center of Latino unity, pride, and heritage!
A nonprofit, The Hispanic/Latino Heritage Fund was initiated by renowned leaders, Hon. Polly Baca, Patricia Barela Rivera, and Hon. Ramona Martinez to tap into the 2026 Celebration funding and to raise money to build the Hispanic Heritage Museum. Community meetings are being held across the state and our goal (WOW!) is to raise 20 Million. And we can do it! It’s time for Latinos to unify, think Big, and multiple their influence and impact!
The Hispanic/Latino Heritage Fund was approached by the Auraria Higher Education Center and offered an opportunity to house the Museum as part of the expansive development on the Auraria Parkway. This location is being recommended by the Hispanic/Latino Heritage Fund. The following are multiple benefits of the Auraria site:
Location, location, location and one that serves the younger generations
The site is across from the Ball Arena exposing the beautiful Hispanic Heritage Museum to thousands of people attending events. This is the prime and visible location where Denver is expanding. Property values will soar, giving Colorado Latinos a valuable asse and a great community investment.
And because it is located at the Auraria higher education complex it will serve the next generations. There 11,000 Latinos students on the Auraria campus who will learn about our history and culture. The Classroom to Career Hub will be housed in this complex and serve 22,000 students a year. Educational program would also attract additional students.
Financially an unbeatable deal! It’s a 50 percent off sale!
The Heritage Museum will be built on public land which saves an estimated $300,000 in property taxes yearly. Additionally, the architect, development, and design costs have been completed as part of the new Auraria development. This site will be 50 percent lower costs than if a standalone site is developed and land purchased
Additionally, national and state special discretionary funds are available for the 2026 celebration. The Heritage fund is requesting 9 Million of these dollars. Additionally, over 3 Million private money is already committed. The halfway mark has been hit!!!!
Bringing Latino Heritage to all of Denver
The design includes a plaza and mercado showcasing Latino small businesses, art, cuisine, and culture. Everyone in Denver is invited to benefit and participate. Plus, the Museum would serve as a hub or Latino campus connecting Santa Fe Drive, Museo de las Americas, Su Teatro, the Mexican Cultural Center, the 5280 trail, Gonzalez Library, and the Auraria peace walk. This is where the Denver Hispanic community started. Latinos would be reclaiming our history on our original homesite in a highly visible way.
Join us and get Involvement The name, programs, exhibit, inside space, mission, board will be decided by Latino community committees. Currently there are fundraising, events, outreach, board development, and programs committees. Outreach is being done across Colorado continues – contact us to set up a community meeting or serve on a committee.
This is just the beginning: This Hispanic Heritage Museum will connect and anchor the 7 Latino museums across the state. And if in the future “the community” decides to build something else, like satellites across Colorado, Latinos will simply have a $25-30M asset, and much curated historical and cultural information to bring forward.
As with all decisions there are pro’s and con’s. Because of available funding for the 150 celebration, the many benefits and savings with the new Auraria complex, the strong connection to younger generations, and the lucrative and visible site, let’s take this bold step to ensure Hispanic Heritage is preserved and elevated.
Photo courtesy: Juana Bordas
I am personally in support of this site because back in 1980 as director of Mi Casa Resource Center, we purchased our first site on Galapagos Street for $58,000. Forty-five years and leveraging two larger properties, Mi Casa now has the largest nonprofit Hispanic owned site in Colorado – our community’s largest asset. As my immigrant mother, Maria, taught me – invest in property. We should not pass up this opportunity for our community to build our collective wealth and to pass on a legacy to the next generations.
Y Mas importante – The time is Ahora! The Museum would open August 2026 and be highlighted as part of the Colorado Commission 150 celebration. Let’s build on this momentum. Si se Puede!
The Hispanic Heritage Museum – a legacy from our past to our future! We can create one of the BEST Hispanic/Latino Museums in the country!
Juana Bordas is the author of The Power of Latino Leadership – Ahora! A founder of Mi Casa Resource Center, and an inductee of The Colorado Women’s Hall of Fame
Photo courtesy: Juana Bordas
For more information, to show your support, or to get involved contact: patricia@chlhf.org, ramona@chlhf.org. Send your donation to be an inaugural Hispanic Heritage Museum Member to: CHLHF400 East 3rd Ave Unit 9 Denver, Co. 80203
Justice Monica Márquez becomes the First Latina Chief Justice
Supreme Court Justice Monica M. Márquez was sworn in today, Friday, July 26, 2024, as Colorado’s new Chief Justice, making her the first Latina in Colorado’s history to hold the title of chief. Justice Márquez succeeds Justice Brian D. Boatright as Chief Justice of the Supreme Court after a three-year term in the leadership position. The rotation of the chief after three years comes from a unanimous vote in 2020 of the Supreme Court justices to move to shorter rotational terms for the office of the Chief Justice.
Photo courtesy: State Court Administrator’s Office
Chief Justice Márquez was born in Austin, Texas, and grew up in Grand Junction, Colo. She is the second Chief Justice to hail from the Western Slope and the third female Chief Justice in Colorado history. Of the eleven openly LGBT state supreme court justices currently serving in the United States, Chief Justice Márquez is the longest-tenured. Her father, Jose D.L. Márquez, was the first Latino judge to serve in Mesa County District Court, and the first Latino judge appointed to the Colorado Court of Appeals.
“I am deeply grateful to Chief Justice Boatright for his leadership. He has overseen significant changes to the administration of the branch in recent years, and his humble leadership has been a model for all of us,” said Chief Justice Márquez. “As he now hands me the baton, I am ready to carry forward the momentum his leadership has created. Our highest mission remains serving the people of Colorado and upholding the integrity of the judicial system. I am also committed to strengthening our relationships with government and community partners and making the Judicial Branch an exceptional workplace.”
Governor Bill Ritter appointed Justice Márquez to the Colorado Supreme Court in November 2010, to fill the vacancy created by the retirement of Chief Justice Mary Mullarkey.
Before her appointment, Justice Márquez had an extensive career in public service and law. Prior to joining the Court, Justice Márquez served in several roles at the Colorado Attorney General’s Office under Attorneys General Ken Salazar and John Suthers. As Deputy Attorney General, she led the State Services section in representing many Colorado Executive Branch agencies and Colorado’s statewide elected public officials, including the Governor, Treasurer, Secretary of State, and Attorney General.
Prior to joining the Attorney General’s Office, Justice Márquez practiced general commercial litigation and employment law at Holme Roberts & Owen, LLP. She clerked for Judge David M. Ebel of the United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit in Denver, and for Judge Michael A. Ponsor of the United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts in Springfield, Mass.
The Colorado Supreme Court is the state’s court of last resort. Its decisions are binding. On all other Colorado state courts. Under the Colorado Constitution, the Chief Justice serves as the executive head of the Colorado Judicial Branch, comprising the Supreme Court and Court of Appeals and the state’s district and county courts. The Judicial Branch employs approximately 4,200 court and probation employees, including 410 justices, judges and magistrates.
Statement from President Joe Biden on Protecting 600,000 Teamster Pensions: “As of today, over 600,000 Teamster workers and retirees have pensions protected from devastating cuts. They earned those pensions after working for decades. And now they can retire with dignity. This didn’t happen by accident. It’s because my Administration is keeping our commitment to America’s workers. To date, we have protected more than 40,000 Teamsters in Ohio and Michigan; more than 30,000 in Illinois and Missouri; and more than 20,000 in Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Pennsylvania.
Colorado Governor
Gov. Jared Polis hosted a meeting with Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Japan to the United States, Shigeo Yamada, at the Governor’s Mansion. Colorado and Japan are strong economic and diplomatic partners. Gov. Polis and Ambassador Yamada discussed opportunities to strengthen the relationship, including aerospace, quantum, and climate-resilient technologies. “Colorado’s strong relationship with Japan boosts our thriving economy by creating new investment opportunities and jobs for Coloradans. I am pleased to welcome Ambassador Yamada and showcase our state as a great place to do business,” said Governor Jared Polis. Gov.
Denver Mayor
Denver’s Department of Transportation and Infrastructure (DOTI) has installed a new “slow zone” along East Evans Avenue in an effort to slow drivers down in an area where University of Denver (DU) students and staff regularly cross to access the north and south sides of campus. As partners on the project, DOTI and DU set out to innovate and pilot treatments never before seen together on Denver streets. The idea of establishing the DU-area slow zone on Evans followed a crash in April where three students were injured at a signalized pedestrian crossing just east of High Street and sun glare was a factor.
Nigerian boxer Cynthia Ogunsemilore will no longer compete at the Paris 2024 Olympics after a failed drug test. Ogunsemilore, 22, tested positive for furosemide, a banned substance. Earlier this year, Ogunsemilore won gold at the African Games in Accra. She also won a bronze medal at the 2022 Commonwealth Games.
Nine die at Democratic Republic of Congo concert
At least nine people were killed at a concert in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The incident took place at the country’s Martyrs Stadium, one of the largest venues in Africa. Images showed overcrowding at the concert, and officials blamed “excesses and crowd movements” for the incident. Among those who were killed include a 10-year-old child.
Asia
Record-breaking rain in North Korea
Thousands of people in North Korea are stranded because of flooding. Images showed farmland and homes submerged in water after heavy rain. Leader Kim Jong Un declared an emergency and was shown traveling through a flooded area in a black Lexus car. Natural disasters like flooding are likely to worsen issues in North Korea like food scarcity and poor infrastructure.
Australia jails first person under forced marriage laws
Officials in Australia have jailed a mother for ordering her 21-year-old daughter to marry a man who later murdered her. The mother, Sakina Muhammad Jan, was found guilty of forcing Ruqia Haidari to marry Mohammad Ali Halimi in exchange for a small payment. Jan was sentenced to at least a year in jail. She is the first person to be sentenced for violating Australia’s forced marriage laws.
Europe
Popular Irish author passes
Edna O’Brien, who was described by Irish officials as a fearless teller of truths, has died at the age of 93. She published her novel “The Country Girls” in 1960, a book that was banned by the Irish government. Some of her other work was also banned, including “The Lonely Girl” and “Girls in Their Married Bliss.” O’Brien’s work is credited with chal- lenging traditional societal views. Her family said she died peacefully after fighting a long illness.
Italy vows to strengthen relationship with China
Italy Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and China President Xi Jinping recently met in Beijing. Meloni called China an “important interlocutor” in managing global tensions during her first visit to the country since taking office. She said her visit was an effort to relaunch Italy’s relationship with China. In 2022, Italy became the only major Western nation to sign on the BRI, Chinese trade and infrastructure projects.
Latin America
Venezuelan president declares victory
Venezuela President Nicolás Maduro won Venezuela’s presidential election. He has won 51 percent of the vote, compared to 44 percent for his main rival. Venezuela’s opposition said candidate Edmundo González had won with 70 percent of the votes and said he was the rightful president-elect. Maduro has been in power for 11 years, and opinion polls ahead of the election suggested González would defeat the president.
Mexico drug lord arrested
Officials in El Paso, Texas have arrested Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada, the leader of Mexico’s Sinaloa cartel. Zambada founded the Sinaloa Cartel along with Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman. Joaquin Guzman Lopez, Guzman’s son, was also arrested. Earlier this year, Zambada was charged by U.S. prosecutors with a conspiracy to make and distribute fentanyl.
North America
Huge wildfire rips through northern California
California’s Park fire has burned through more than 350,000 acres of land in the northern part of the state. As of Sunday morning, only 10 percent of the fire was contained. Officials believe the fire, which started on Wednesday, is the result of a suspected arson attack. Last week, a 42-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of starting the fire. The Park fire is the largest fire in California this year.
Harvey Weinstein hospitalized
Former Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein has been hospitalized due to COVID-19 and double pneumonia. The 72-year-old was jailed for 23 years in New York in 2020 for rape and sexual assault of a former assistant and actress. New York’s appeals court said Weinstein did not get a fair trial, and he is currently waiting for a retrial. He was also sentenced to 16 years in prison for a separate rape trial in California. Weinstein also has diabetes, high blood pressure, spinal stenosis, and fluid in his heart and lungs.
Who could have guessed a debate with an absolutely unexpected and shocking performance by the President just a month ago, would have accelerated forces so dramatically, so historically, that we now, for the first time in history, have a Black woman as the standard bearer for the upcoming Presidential Election.
But Sunday, at 11:46 a.m. Denver time, as the country was doing summer things, and, perhaps, not focusing, but wondering how the Political palace intrigue would play out, news landed like a lighting bolt. President Joe Biden announced he was “standing down,” leaving the race. Almost immediately, he endorsed his Vice President, Kamala Harris, as his chosen successor.
On simple letter head, ‘Joseph R. Biden,’ top-center, the date July 21, 2024, directly below, the President announced his inten-tions. “It has been the greatest honor of my life to serve as your President,” he wrote. “And while it has been my intention to seek reelection, I believe it is in the best interest of my party and the country for me to stand down and focus on fulfilling my duties as President for the remainder of my term.”
The news, while shocking, was not entirely surprising. The list of Democratic members of Congress calling for him to step away, one of the first being Colorado Senator Michael Bennet, was growing by the day. Despite the President’s announced plans to stay in the race, it seemed only a matter of time before the dam would burst.
The President’s withdrawal from the race was received with enthusiasm by long time state Republican leader, Norman Anderson. Now retired, Anderson stands as one of the most accomplished and respected political leaders in state history. She served as her party’s leader in both the House and Senate of the state legislature.
“Kamala can do it,” said Anderson, announcing her immediate support for the Vice President. The woman many call ‘Madam Republican,’ Anderson has not been quiet about her disdain for ex-president Donald Trump. “As I’ve said, he will destroy the Constitution. In fact, he doesn’t even care about it or even ever read it.” Anderson, who said she did not leave the party, rather that it was the party that left her, said she wishes Republicans would see Trump the way she sees him.
Anderson wants Harris to offer plans for the budget and national debt. But she’s also hopeful that Harris works for immigration reform and banish the Republican’s plan for mass immigration of the undocumented. Couples and families, she worries, will be torn apart under Trump’s policies. “They’ll be jerked right out of the house and gone. Trump is a threat,” she said.
When former Denver Mayor Wellington Webb heard the announcement,he said it both shocked and saddened him. “Joe Biden’s a good man, an honest man and a man who made a very difficult decision that was both in the best interests of the country and party,” he said. But, Webb said, he’s glad the President will finish his term.
“He’s got issues in front of him,” Webb said, listing wars in Gaza and Ukraine, dealing with inflation and doing the job of President. “I think the President” who is a personal friend of the Webbs, “has done what’s best for him, his family and the country.” Denver’s former chief executive also praised Biden for choosing the Vice President as his successor. “Joe Biden felt that she could do the job. Now she has to earn the job.”
Former Thornton Democratic legislator Joe Salazar is a delegate to the Democratic National Convention set for August 19th in Chicago. Like other delegates, he said the talk about Sunday’s announcement just kept getting louder. Biden’s decision, he said, was courageous.
“(It was) One of the bravest decisions any president ever made. He will go down in history as one of the most positively consequential presidents in history.” “I am behind Vice President Harris.” Harris, said Salazar, can beat Trump and he knows it.
President Biden’s decision was both “emotional and tactical,” said political scientist and historian, Rob Preuhs. Citing Biden’s half century in public service, the Metropolitan State University-Denver political science professor, said the transition to the Vice President as flag bearer should go smoothly.
“You don’t have to change your messaging. You can focus on policies that have been put in place over the last four years,” Preuhs said. Immigration, an area that Biden put her in charge of, could be used against her. But Democrats, citing the Republican blueprint that calls for the mass deportation—something the ex-president underscored in his 93-minute acceptance speech—can be fired right back at the Trump-Vance ticket.
Preuhs also wondered if Trump, who dedicated several years to casting doubts on President Obama’s citizenship and legitimacy to serve as President, will use similar racial tactics on the Vice President and the next Black person who could be President.
Following the President’s announcement, several mem- bers of Colorado’s Congressional delegation released statements praising the President’s decision and thanking him for a life of selfless public service.
“America is a better, stronger country because of President Biden’s decades of public service and dedication to the American Dream,” said Bennet. “We owe President Biden a debt of gratitude that we may never be able to repay. We may not know what comes next, but by passing the torch to a new standard bearer President Biden has again given us the chance to beat Donald Trump and give our children the future they deserve.”
Photo courtesy: President Joseph Biden Twitter
Bennet was joined by fellow Senator John Hickenlooper, Governor Jared Polis, Congresswoman Brittaney Petterson and Congressman Joe Neguse also thanked President Biden for his courage and decades of public service.
Vice President Harris also issued her own statement on the President’s announcement. “On behalf of the American people, I thank Joe Biden for his extraordinary leadership as president of the United States and for his decades of service to our country,” she said in a statement released Sunday.
“His remarkable legacy of accomplishment is unmatched in modern American history, surpassing the legacy of many presidents who have served two terms in office,” she said.
Boulder could be the site of the Sundance Film Festival, starting in 2027.
Photo courtesy: Sundance Film Festival Twitter
The Sundance Institute, a nonprofit dedicated to the discovery and development of independent artists and their stories, announced last Friday that Boulder is a finalist to host the Sundance Film Festival. The festival is a major event in the independent film world, showcasing new work from American and international filmmakers. It has been a launching pad for many successful films and filmmakers and continues to be an important platform for independent storytelling.
Boulder Convention and Visitors Bureau (Visit Boulder) submitted a proposal to host the festival with support from the Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade, the Colorado Office of Film Television and Media, and other entities like the City of Boulder, the Boulder Chamber, the University of Colorado Boulder, and the Stanley Film Center.
To help support the proposal, the Colorado Economic Development Commission approved a one-time $1.5 million incentive. The Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade also contributed an additional $325,000 to the proposal, including $250,000 from the Colorado Office of Film Television and Media over five years and one-time contributions from the Colorado Tourism Office and Colorado Creative Industries.
“I am so excited that Colorado is a finalist to host the Sundance Film Festival. With the beautiful backdrop of the Flatirons, Boulder’s historical ties to the Redford Family, and the capacity to support a growing, inclusive festival, we are confident that Boulder, Colorado is the right home for the Sundance Film Festival,” said Gov. Jared Polis in a statement.
“I am thrilled the Sundance Institute recognizes the potential in relocating to my hometown and look forward to the many benefits this would bring to the entire state, as well as to the festival.”
The Sundance Film Festival, founded by Robert Redford in 1981, is the premier showcase for independent film. Held annually in Park City, Utah, the festival has launched count- less careers and films, including “Reservoir Dogs,” “Little Miss Sunshine,” and “Get Out.” Attracting over 120,000 attendees each year, Sundance is a major cultural event that champions new voices and innovative storytelling, shaping the future of cinema.
“Hosting the Sundance Film Festival in Colorado would be transformational for film, television and media in our state. Filmmakers from the Sundance Institute’s prestigious Directors Lab, held at the Stanley Hotel in Estes Park this May, are already expressing interest in filming here,” said Colorado Film Commissioner Donald Zuckerman in a statement. “We can think of no better partner than the Sundance Institute to help elevate this type of storytelling in Colorado and hope to welcome the Festival in 2027.”
Only the Chicago White Sox and the Florida Marlins have worse records than the Colorado Rockies and it ain’t by much.
Since Colorado’s fluke trip to the World Series in 2007 when then Colorado shortstop Troy Tulowitski in his rookie season helped Colorado reach the final series with the Boston Red Sox, Colorado has only made the playoffs three times two of which they were wild cards. While achieving the trip to the big game was profound, Colorado barely made it to .500 the previous season.
On Monday the Rockies faced the Red Sox in game-one of three-game series. Colorado jumped out to a quick 4-0 lead in the third inning but also gave up equally amount of runs in the fifth inning. Colorado added another in the seventh to which Boston volleyed in the eighth. Neither team could score in the 9th sending the game into extra innings.
Both teams knotted two runs in the 10th after Sam Hilliard blasted a two-run homer. With both teams tied in the 12th Colorado loaded the bases and shortstop Ezequiel Tovar hit a ball right up the middle off of Chase Anderson for a base hit and the walk-off win.
In other sports the Denver Nuggets have yet to sign Russell Westbrook, however; Westbrook is expected to join the team since agreeing to a contract buyout with the Utah Jazz. Westbrook also known as the King of triple doubles will be joining a man who is chasing his triple double record of 212 in Nikola Jokic. Jokic has 148 career triple doubles. Next seasons Nuggets, will feature the number 1 and number 2 on the career high record sheet.
The Denver Broncos have agreed to a four-year contract extension with Quinn Meinerz worth $80 million. Meinerz has quietly made a name for himself as one of the best guards in football especially his run blocking capabilities.
Training camp kicks off this Friday and will go through August 16th where they will have a joint practice with theGreen Bay Packers.
The Colorado Avalanche are just over two months from the kickoff of their 2024-25 season where they’ll face the Las Vegas Golden Knights on October 9th. Colorado hasn’t quite been as present in free-agency than in past seasons likely due to the lack of talent needed to fill some apparent gaps including the most glaring one that Valeri Nichushkin’s suspension has created.
While Colorado struggles to find players to fill those gaps in the meantime they appear to be counting on younger undeveloped players to step up and fill those holes.
The Colorado Rapids have brought back the Rocky Mountain Cup after defeating the Real Salt Lake 3-2 at home over the weekend. Colorado currently sits at number four in the Western Conference three points behind the Real Salt Lake.
The Rapids are at home to face the Portland Timbers next Thursday before hosting Club Leon from Mexico on August 5.
