Colorado State News

2 killed in Halloween party shooting on Colorado’s Western Slope

Sat, 01 Nov 2025 09:58:57 +0000

Two people were killed in a shooting at a Halloween house party near Grand Junction on Friday night, according to the Mesa County Sheriff’s Office.

Deputies responded to multiple 911 calls about a shooting at a home in the 400 block of Cottonwood Lake Drive in Clifton at 11:50 p.m., the sheriff’s office said in a news release. Clifton is an unincorporated community east of Grand Junction.

Deputies found two victims with serious injuries and started CPR, but both were pronounced dead at the hospital about an hour later.

Investigators believe an “incident” caused one or more people to start shooting during the party, sheriff’s officials said. The shooting is being investigated as a double homicide.

The names of the victims will be released by the Mesa County Coroner’s Office.

Anyone with information about the shooting can contact non-emergency dispatch at 970-242-6707 and reference Mesa County Sheriff’s Office case number 25-41695.

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Today in History: November 1, Mussolini extols ‘axis’ alliance with Nazi Germany

Sat, 01 Nov 2025 02:00:31 +0000

Today is Saturday, Nov. 1, the 305th day of 2025. There are 60 days left in the year.

Today in history:

On Nov. 1, 1936, in a speech in Milan, Italy, Benito Mussolini described the alliance between his country and Nazi Germany as an “axis” running between Rome and Berlin.

Also on this date:

In 1765, the Stamp Act, passed by the British Parliament, went into effect, prompting stiff resistance from American colonists.

In 1861, during the Civil War, President Abraham Lincoln named Maj. Gen. George B. McClellan General-in-Chief of the Union armies, succeeding Lt. Gen. Winfield Scott.

In 1894, Nicholas II became Emperor of Russia, succeeding his late father Alexander III.

In 1938, in a two-horse match, Seabiscuit defeated the favored Triple Crown winner War Admiral by four lengths in what was dubbed the “Race of the Century” at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore.

In 1950, two Puerto Rican nationalists tried to force their way into Blair House in Washington, D.C., in a failed attempt to assassinate President Harry S. Truman. (One of the pair was killed, along with a White House police officer.)

In 1982, the first Japanese car produced in the U.S. rolled off the assembly line at the Honda manufacturing plant in Marysville, Ohio.

In 1989, East Germany reopened its border with Czechoslovakia, prompting tens of thousands of refugees to flee to the West. East Germany would announce on Nov. 9 that it was opening its border crossings with West Berlin, prompting the fall of the Berlin Wall.

In 1993, The Maastricht Treaty takes effect, formally establishing the European Union and a new era of integration and economic cooperation among its member states.

In 1995, peace talks opened in Dayton, Ohio, with leaders of Bosnia, Serbia and Croatia present. The talks would lead to the formal signing the next month in Paris of the Dayton Peace Accord, signaling an end to the more than 3-year-old Bosnian war that erupted after the breakup of the former Yugoslavia.

Today’s Birthdays:

Golf Hall of Famer Gary Player is 90.
Football Hall of Famer Ted Hendricks is 78.
Music producer David Foster is 76.
Musician Lyle Lovett is 68.
Apple CEO Tim Cook is 65.
Rock singer Anthony Kiedis (Red Hot Chili Peppers) is 63.
Country singer “Big Kenny” Alphin (Big and Rich) is 62.
Actor Toni Collette is 53.
Actor-TV host Jenny McCarthy is 53.
Actor Aishwarya Rai Bachchan is 52.
Football Hall of Famer Steve Hutchinson is 48.
Actor Natalia Tena is 41.
Actor Penn Badgley is 39.
Actor Anthony Ramos is 34.

Keeler: Broncos, Sean Payton made a Bo-liever out of Gary Kubiak: ‘It’s fun to watch right now’

Sat, 01 Nov 2025 00:28:09 +0000

If Gary Kubiak hadn’t sat through Broncos 33, Jaxson Dart 32 in the flesh, he would have never Bo-lieved it.

“That comeback against the Giants was incredible,” the former Broncos coach and QB said of watching Denver’s bonkers, beautiful 33-32 win over the G-Men on Alumni Weekend at Empower Field. “When you’ve got a young QB playing well in the NFL, it allows you to do a lot of things with your football team.”

Except, apparently, sway the national pundits.

The Broncos are the Rodney Dangerfields of the AFC West, a paper tiger caged below the fold. When the talking heads see the Broncos’ 6-2 start — the franchise’s first 6-2 mark through eight games since 2016, Kubiak’s final season at the helm — they become royal pains in the asterisks.

Well, the Bengals had Jake Browning. Well, the Eagles got too cute. Well, the Giants haven’t learned how to win yet. Well, the Cowboys were a walking infirmary.

The Broncos might as well be 2-2-4: Two wins, two losses, and four caveats.

Kubes, though?

Kubes sees something else.

He sees belief, the most dangerous, dearest virus in an NFL locker room, the hope for which there is no cure. He sees a smile unfurling like a rainbow from one side of Dove Valley to the next.

“When you play 17 times, man, it’s so hard to be that consistent and keep that going,” Kubiak said of the Broncos, who visit another of his old clubs, the Houston Texans (3-4), on Sunday morning at NRG Stadium, just down the road from the family ranch.

“You look around the league, you see some teams that are bit by the injury bug so bad … the NFL is a war of attrition. You survive for 17 weeks. These middle weeks of an NFL season are so key — in Weeks 10-11-12-13, it’s just so key that you stack some wins up.”

Any way you can. The Broncos’ offense slept through a 13-11 snoozer over the Jets in Week 6. It woke up in time to save the day in a come-from-the-abyss victory over a red-hot Giants bunch in Week 7.

“We won games all kinds of ways (in 2015),” the 64-year-old Kubiak recalled. “That season, I remember going to Kansas City (and winning 31-24) after we beat Baltimore 19-13. That’s a thing for teams that are really built well — they have that ability to (win) in a lot of ways.”

The Super Bowl 50 Broncos, Kubes’ masterpiece, took the scenic route to 12-4. Bradley Roby’s game-winning fumble return in KC. Ronnie Hillman’s two TD runs against Green Bay. Von Miller’s two sacks in San Diego. DeMarcus Ware’s recovery of A.J. McCarron’s botched snap in Week 16.

“I would describe it this way,” Kubiak continued. “You watch these great coaches in the NFL, it’s about winning the game. It really is. There are so many ways on Sunday you could win. Teams that are built to win have the ability to win on offense or win defensively or go over (to London) and win a game 13-11.”

During a 4-0 streak that dates back to Sept. 29, the Broncos haven’t just been stacking up wins. They’ve been stacking faith, one brick at a time. What you call miracles, they call mortar.

“Teams get really close when they can go and win 13-10 and then go out and win 35-31,” Kubiak explained. “There’s a closeness on a team of, ‘Hey, it takes all of us.’ (If) we have a bad game on defense, then the offense puts it together.”

RJ Harvey (12) and Evan Engram (1) of the Denver Broncos celebrate with fans after a receiving touchdown by Harvey against the Dallas Cowboys during the fourth quarter at Empower Field at Mile High in Denver on Sunday, Oct. 26, 2025. (Photo by AAron Ontiveroz/The Denver Post)

It’s left tackle Garett Bolles jumping into a media scrum a few days ago to give tailback J.K. Dobbins grief in Spanish. It’s offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi referring to 41-year-old tight end Marcedes Lewis as “the eighth wonder of the world.” It’s Sean Payton comparing rookie wideout Pat Bryant to a nipping puppy.

“It’s about finding a coach that says, ‘This is how we beat this team.’ It’s not saying as a coach, ‘This is what we do all the time,'” Kubiak said.

“You look at any good team and they have the ability to win in three ways … Whether it’s blocking a kick or returning a punt, when you have that ability, when you’re not just an offensive team or you’re not just a defensive team. When you’ve got some consistency in what you’re doing, that’s a great feeling when you walk out there on Sunday.”

We’re not saying the 2025 Broncos are singing from 2015’s hymnal. But you can hum the tunes from memory now, old psalms that get a little sweeter, a little louder, by the week. And a road win without Pat Surtain II would be the surest hallelujah yet.

“They’re in great hands,” Kubiak said. “Sean is such a good football coach, a detailed football coach. Just watching them practice, I know half that staff — VJ (Vance Joseph), Joe and all of them. It’s fun to watch right now.”

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Nuggets vs. Blazers observations: Denver can’t get Nikola Jokic the ball in crunch time

Fri, 31 Oct 2025 23:23:21 +0000

Instant takeaways as the Nuggets fell to 0-1 in NBA Cup play with a 109-107 group stage loss to the Portland Trail Blazers on Friday night at Moda Center.

End-of-game nightmares

The Nuggets are a couple of plays away from being 5-0. Instead, they’re 3-2 with a pair of heartbreakers on the road.

They’ll be haunted by the sequence of calls at the end of this one. After Christian Braun missed a 3-point attempt that would’ve given them a five-point lead (he had another shaky night offensively), he picked up a foul trying to defend Jerami Grant’s missed layup in transition. David Adelman used his challenge to no avail, and the former Nugget made his free throws to tie the game with 27 seconds left.

At the other end, Cam Johnson drove for a go-ahead layup attempt and was blocked by Toumani Camara, but a second defender crashed into Johnson as he tried to land. He disputed the no-call to the officials, but Denver was out of timeouts and needed to set up a baseline out-of-bounds play with 6.9 seconds to go. Jokic caught the inbound pass as Camara tried to reach around his back to grab the ball. He was rewarded with a jump-ball call, leaving Jokic in disbelief at the lack of a foul call.

The result was a 24-second violation and a buzzer-beater opportunity for Portland. Aaron Gordon got hit with a late whistle for reaching in on Grant, who again buried his foul shots to win it.

Joker’s triple-double streak fizzles

Jokic fell one assist short of breaking the all-time record for consecutive triple-doubles to start a season. His streak ended at four with 21 points, 14 rebounds and nine assists despite perhaps his best overall two-way performance of the season so far. His defensive engagement and rim protection were excellent, and he had two blocks to show for it.

But the Nuggets couldn’t get him the ball in crunch time. Portland played small, double-teamed him and fronted him in the post. The weak-side shooter was often open, but the Blazers’ pressure was suffocating enough that Denver’s ball-handlers had a difficult time seeing the court and moving it to the second side.

As a result, Jokic wasn’t able to catch in ideal spots and make plays for teammates. He stayed stuck at nine assists for the last several minutes of the night.

A few of his helpers had been a result of his recognition that Portland was sending bodies to crash the glass for offensive rebound opportunities. His counter was often to hunt the home run outlet pass. A couple of them worked to great effect for easy buckets on a night when scoring didn’t come easy, including one absolute prayer to Peyton Watson with enough hang time to make a punter proud.

Nuggets Journal: Predicting the NBA Cup as Denver (again) plays in Group of Death
‘Certified’ Jonas Valanciunas giving Nuggets solid minutes, Nikola Jokic rest
Nikola Jokic extends triple-double streak, Nuggets ride big third quarter to easy win over Pelicans
DeAndre Jordan returns to face Nuggets days after signing with Pelicans: ‘I owe a lot to Denver’
first playoff appearance since 1995. This season, the Cowboys are again heading to the Class 2A playoffs, this time with an 8-1 record after beating D’Evelyn for the first time in school history in a 35-23 win on Friday at Trailblazer Stadium.
Denver West’s Robert Wittke (1) and his teammates line up for a game against D'Evelyn at Trailblazer Stadium in Lakewood on Friday, Oct. 31, 2025. (Photo by Hyoung Chang/The Denver Post)

“We don’t have kids like that, ‘I have a haircut’ kid anymore,” Velasquez said. “People always ask me, ‘What’s the difference between now and how the program had been for so many years?’ The current kids are ready to fight. They’re ready to show for anybody, win or lose.

“… Our kids here in the inner-city, man, they’re just looking for high expectations. They’re not trying to be treated like victims. And so that’s my approach. I grew up in Compton (California) and then played at Delta (Colorado). I set high expectations for these kids in the classroom and on the field. And they’ve met the bar where I set it.”

The Cowboys don’t have a JV team, similar to many small-school football programs, and have just 26 players overall. That small number, which features 10 two-way starters, is because of the buy-in that Velasquez requires.
“Either you’re with it or you’re not, and that’s why our numbers are low,” Velasquez said. “I’ve coached on teams here at West where we’ve got 55 kids and we’ve won one game, but we have 26 kids who are three-sport athletes, 26 kids who’ve given us everything, year-round, don’t miss a day. I’d rather have that than 55 kids who are not committed.”

In the Gothic hallways of a school founded in 1883, Garcia and Velasquez have also dealt with constant change.
Denver West, like many Denver Public Schools, has experienced declining enrollment. What was once a Class 6A football school when Garcia attended West in the early ’90s has 512 students this year. That’s about a 33% drop from just seven years ago, according to Colorado Department of Education data.
The school’s also been through significant organizational changes over the past 15 years. In 2011, West High School was phased out, and the building housed West Generation Academy and West Leadership Academy, plus a middle school and an alternative school. West Generation Academy then became West Early College before West High School was finally reunified in 2021.

Denver West quarterback Marcelo Ortiz (7) looks to throw against D'Evelyn at Trailblazer Stadium in Lakewood on Friday, Oct. 31, 2025. (Photo by Hyoung Chang/The Denver Post)

Throughout those transitions, it became difficult for Garcia to cultivate a consistent talent pipeline and develop a better culture with his roster made up of students from various schools. When Garcia inherited a program with only 14 players in 2011, the Cowboys had gone winless in three of their prior five seasons, with just three total wins in that span.
And during Garcia’s 12 seasons, Denver West had five one-win seasons. If not for the Cowboys’ participation in the Broncos’ Futures program, a 7th/8th grade team that’s fed into the school since 2010, Denver West would’ve had to drop football.
“I didn’t know what I was getting into,” Garcia said. “It was really hard. I think most of the time, it just broke my heart. I felt like everybody else had turned their backs on these kids and this community. And being one of those kids (as a Denver West alum), and understanding what those kids go home to or what they don’t go home to, I felt like I just couldn’t be another person that quit on them.

“It was discouraging at times as head coach, but I felt like I could never put my head down in front of them because I didn’t want them to put their heads down, either. So we just fought through it, and I tried to teach the kids about family even though we were still struggling with the commitment aspect.”

Early in Garcia’s tenure, the Cowboys would retrieve his baby son out of the car seat from his car so the tot could sit on the sidelines at practice. Now, that baby is sophomore Gio Garcia — Denver West’s starting center. Meanwhile, Leon Garcia’s longtime right-hand man, Velasquez, has found the right combination of discipline and structure to make the AD’s coaching journey at Denver West come full circle.
“Denver West has seen increased attendance from its players and increased GPAs with those higher academic standards that (Velasquez and Garcia) set,” said Denver Public Schools athletic director Kevin Bendjy. “The Futures football program has been key too.

“… It’s an amazing blueprint that they have executed. Their focus on relationships with their students and their enthusiasm and passion to support the community, support that school and to make it great is what I’m most proud of.”

Denver West’s Gio Garcia (58) and his teammates line up for a game against D'Evelyn at Trailblazer Stadium in Lakewood on Friday, Oct. 31, 2025. (Photo by Hyoung Chang/The Denver Post)

Principal Mia Martinez Lopez has also provided stable leadership since the reunification of the school in ’21, and other athletic programs have risen under her watch. Denver West’s state championship history is slim: The Cowboys have only won four titles, the most recent being Class 5A boys cross country in 2003. But the school has become competitive again in a variety of sports.
This fall, the boys soccer team made the Class 3A playoffs following an 11-3-1 regular season. Both the boys and girls basketball teams made the playoffs last season. The track team has been on the rise for some time, with the boys earning state runner-up honors in 2019 with Velasquez as co-head coach. Another spring sport, girls golf, had 28 members last year.
“In girls golf, which is one of the larger golf teams in DPS, are we winning tons of tournaments? No, but we’re getting kids excited about playing for this school and just giving them an opportunity to see where they’re at,” Garcia said. “It’s a sign of the (revitalized culture) of West athletics as a whole, with kids wanting to come here and participate in whatever sports they do.”

As Denver West football enters the playoffs next week, the team has a chance to intensify that Cowboy pride. Historical records beyond the Maxpreps Era (since 2004) are hard to come by, but it’s believed that Denver West’s last playoff win in football came 91 years ago, in 1934.
Denver West was crushed in its playoff appearance last year. Velasquez said the 41-0 defeat to top-seeded Strasburg gave his players “culture shock” because of the program’s longstanding lack of postseason experience.
But the Cowboys feel they are better equipped to make noise this November. Denver West’s headliners include junior quarterback/linebacker Marcelo “Rocket” Ortiz, senior wideouts/safeties Robert Wittke and Ernest Fields, junior do-everything Jesus Acevedo and senior defensive end/tackle Aries Uong.
Uong, a team captain and four-year starter who also played on West’s Futures team, says the Cowboys are primed to take another significant step forward as a program. Denver West was ninth in the CHSAA seeding index late Friday night, and could face No. 8 Resurrection Christian in the opening round of the 16-team playoffs.
The Cougars (6-3) have been a Class 2A power lately, reaching the postseason nine of the last 10 seasons. So Denver West will be an underdog, but the Cowboys are taking a “Why not us?” mentality into the game.
“Getting that playoff win, it would mean everything,” Uong said. “It would mean all the losses were worth it, all the struggles were worth it. All the sacrifices by the coaches were worth it. And most importantly, all our dedication to turn this program around was worth it. It already has been, but a playoff win, that would be (the exclamation point).”

Denver West’s Robert Wittke (1) lines up against D'Evelyn at Trailblazer Stadium in Lakewood on Friday, Oct. 31, 2025. (Photo by Hyoung Chang/The Denver Post)

Colorado Rep. Jeff Hurd asks U.S. Energy Department to order that coal plant stay open

Fri, 31 Oct 2025 19:25:45 +0000

Colorado Congressman Jeff Hurd has asked Energy Secretary Chris Wright to issue an emergency order that the two units at the Comanche power plant keep operating because there’s a risk of an energy shortfall if the coal facility in Pueblo County is shut down when planned.

The Republican who represents Colorado’s 3rd Congressional District, which includes Pueblo County, said in a letter Thursday to Wright that “the state’s politically driven rush to decommission otherwise safe, reliable, and efficient generation” could leave Colorado short of reliable sources of electricity.

Xcel Energy, Colorado’s largest electric utility, closed a unit of the coal facility in 2022 and plans to close another by the end of this year. The third and last unit at the site is scheduled to shut down by the end of 2030.

Comanche 3 is Xcel’s largest generating unit in Colorado, but one plagued by chronic malfunctions and breakdowns. And it’s one that hasn’t run since mid-August and might not be operational again until next summer.

Comanche will be Xcel’s last coal plant in Colorado when it closes. The company decided to shut the plant earlier than planned as questions about its reliability grew and moves to cut the state’s greenhouse gas emissions intensified.

Xcel Energy has proposed replacing the coal plant with wind and solar power, battery storage and natural gas generation.

But some Pueblo County business and political leaders say Xcel’s plan, which was endorsed by the Colorado Public Utilities Commission, won’t replace the jobs and tax revenue the Comanche plant has provided to the community for years. The advisory group Pueblo Innovative Energy Solutions Advisory Committee, formed in cooperation with Xcel, recommended that the coal plant be replaced by natural gas or small, modular nuclear reactors.

In September, the Pueblo County commissioners filed a document with regulators saying they would ask President Donald Trump and Wright to order that the coal plants in the county keep running until a new energy facility is built that can provide the kind of jobs and revenue that Xcel’s coal facilities have.

The plant generates approximately $200 million per year in economic activity and $31 million annually in property tax revenue, according to a report by the Pueblo advisory committee.

Trump has championed coal and nuclear power as energy sources while attacking renewable energy. The administration issued emergency directives to keep coal plants in Michigan and Pennsylvania operating despite plans to retire them.

Hurd said in his letter to Wright, a fellow Coloradan, that the Comanche power plant is “a cornerstone of electric reliability in the region” and a lifeline for Pueblo County. A message was left with Hurd asking if he has concerns about Comanche 3’s operational troubles.

A message was also left with the Department of Energy asking whether Wright is considering issuing an order to keep the coal plant running until a new source of power generation begins operating.

“We are in regular conversations about Colorado’s energy future with various stakeholders, including federal, state and local elected officials. We are aware that there are members of the community that would like to see the plant’s life extended,” Xcel Energy spokeswoman Michelle Aguayo said in an email Friday.

Aguayo added that Colorado regulations call for the closing of Comanche 2 at the end of 2025. She said the unit has been a reliable part of Xcel’s generation fleet since1975.

“We are also aware that federal actions can extend plants of this nature,” Aguayo said. “We will comply with any orders issued by the Department of Energy to extend our coal plants if ordered to do so.”

Emma Pinter, chair of the Adams County commissioners, called Hurd’s letter to Wright “beyond disappointing.”

“Keeping this unreliable and polluting coal plant open is going to cost Coloradans tens – maybe hundreds – of millions of dollars, and it’s not even necessary. There’s no energy emergency in Colorado,” Pinter said in an email.

Pinter is president of Colorado Communities for Climate Action.

Colorado high school football: How Post Preps Top 10 teams fared in Week 10

Fri, 31 Oct 2025 18:39:59 +0000

Class 5A

1. Cherry Creek (9-0) at Grandview, 7 p.m. Friday. Next week: TBD.

2. Ralston Valley (9-0) vs. No. 4 Arvada West, 7:30 p.m. Friday. Next week: TBD.

3. Mountain Vista (10-0) won vs. Castle View, 56-7: Junior QB Marquise Reese had more touchdown passes (5) than incompletions (2) as the Golden Eagles put the finishing touches on a second straight unbeaten regular season in style. Reese finished with 317 yards on 19-of-21 passing, with junior Brooklyn Bailey (6 catches, 134 yards, 3 TDs) and senior Ja’Pree Jennings (9 catches, 106 yards, 1 TD) both topping the century mark. Reese also added a rushing score as part of a 49-7 first half. Next week: TBD.

4. Arvada West (9-0) at No. 2 Ralston Valley, 7:30 p.m. Friday. Next week: TBD.

5. Legend (8-1) vs. Regis Jesuit, 7 p.m. Friday. Next week: TBD.

6. Valor Christian (8-2) won vs. Rock Canyon, 42-7: Senior Chase Hanosh gobbled up 159 yards and two touchdowns on three carries, junior Jackson Coleman ripped off 103 yards and two TDs on three catches, and the Valor offensive machine fired on all cylinders in the Eagles’ fourth straight blowout win to close out the regular season. Sophomore QB Titus Huard had 136 yards and two TDs on 6-of-7 passing, and senior Dakota Rich added a pick-6. Next week: TBD.

7. Fairview (8-1) vs. Rocky Mountain, 7 p.m. Friday. Next week: TBD.

8. Pine Creek (6-3) vs. No. 9 Fountain-Fort Carson, 7 p.m. Friday. Next week: TBD.

9. Fountain-Fort Carson (7-2) at No. 8 Pine Creek, 7 p.m. Friday. Next week: TBD.

10. Mullen (5-4) vs. Rangeview, 7 p.m. Friday. Next week: TBD.

Class 4A

1. Dakota Ridge (10-0) won at Bear Creek, 49-14: The Eagles locked up the top seed in the 4A playoffs for the second straight season behind an explosive night from Nathan Rodriguez. The senior nabbed a pair of touchdown passes from senior QB Kellen Behrendsen, and tacked on a punt return TD after that to give Dakota Ridge a 21-0 lead after one quarter. Behrendsen tossed two more TD passes to Jaxson Arnold and Coby Stewart as the Eagles took a 42-7 edge into halftime and cruised from there. Next week: TBD.

2. Montrose (9-0) at No. 9 Pueblo West, 6 p.m. Friday. Next week: TBD.

3. Palmer Ridge (10-0) won at Liberty, 58-7: Senior Cole Harris threw touchdown passes to three different receivers and also ran in two scores as seven different Bears got in the end zone to complete Palmer Ridge’s third 10-0 regular season in four years. A No. 2 seed is likely for the Bears in the 4A playoffs. Next week: TBD.

4. Riverdale Ridge (10-0) won at Grand Junction Central, 42-13: Senior backup QB Landon Banks kept the Ravens train rolling with 196 yards and two TDs on 17-of-23 passing and a pair of rushing TDs to secure the first unbeaten regular season in program history. Senior Jeter McArthur hauled in four passes for 83 yards and a score, while senior Diego Galvan carried the ball 16 times for 73 yards and a TD, and junior Dean Presswood returned a kickoff for a TD. The Ravens entered Friday night 10th in the CHSAA seeding index, meaning they needed help to get a first-round bye in the 4A playoffs. Next week: TBD.

5. Durango (7-2) at Vista Ridge, 6 p.m. Friday. Next week: TBD.

6. Broomfield (7-2) vs. Skyline, 7 p.m. Friday. Next week: TBD.

7. Monarch (7-2) at Silver Creek, 6:30 p.m. Friday. Next week: TBD.

8. Sand Creek (9-1) lost vs. Grand Junction, 56-13: The Scorpions’ dream season came to a heartbreaking end in a do-or-die clash for the I-25 League title. Senior running back Ethan Mangrum (20 carries, 140 yards, 1 TD) submitted another gem, but Grand Junction exploded for 42 points between the second and third quarters to run away with its second consecutive crown in a league that’s only given one spot in the 24-team 4A bracket.

9. Pueblo West (7-2) vs. No. 2 Montrose, 6 p.m. Friday. Next week: TBD.

10. Heritage (7-3) won vs. Ponderosa, 35-14: Senior Mo Thennel (24 carries, 164 yards, 2 TDs) and sophomore Cooper Schwartz (15 carries, 123 yards, 2 TDs) took turns shredding the Mustangs defense, and senior QB Jamison Seese scored another as the Eagles slowly pulled away to all but lock up a first-round bye in the 4A state playoffs. Next week: TBD.

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Renck: DU to West Coast Conference is ideal fit, represents huge win for Pioneers

Fri, 31 Oct 2025 18:23:09 +0000

Every road trip will feel like a vacation. Saint Mary’s hoops at Hamilton Gymnasium? Sign me up.

Soccer matches involving players who could represent the U.S. National Team? Yes, please.

Golf tournaments with future pros on every tee box? Are you serious?

The move by the University of Denver to the West Coast Conference, which was announced Friday, is more brilliant than the glistening gold on the Carl M. Williams tower on campus.

Let’s be honest, DU did not make sense in the Summit League. It was an oxymoron, the conference dragging the Pioneers closer to base camp, the last place a college wants to be with a national decline in enrollment.

There was no upside. DU was not going to take the next step by recruiting athletes from a league footprint of South Dakota, North Dakota, Iowa, Illinois, Minnesota, Missouri and Oklahoma.

Nothing against those places — enjoyed time in all of them — but DU draws most of its out-of-state students from California, followed by a large chunk from the Northwest.

The Pioneers boast national championships in hockey, lacrosse and skiing. This, however, might be the school’s biggest win.

When asked to sign the contract, vice chancellor for athletics Josh Berlo probably pulled his hamstrings racing to find a pen.

“This is the next step in our journey,” Berlo said. “And we expect to be here for many, many decades.”

DU’s dream always came with a vision of where it belonged, where it wanted to plant its flag.

When the Pioneers transitioned to Division I athletics in the 1998-99 season, it represented a significant step. But there was also another goal, one Dan Ritchie, the “cowboy chancellor” whose name adorns a building on campus, tried to speak into existence.

The WCC, with nine private institutions, offered an ideal alignment athletically, academically and geographically. DU will join the WCC in July 2026, completing a three-decade pursuit, sometimes covert, sometimes not, that came together over the last two weeks.

“This day gives me a chance to reflect on Dan and what he did. He was a role model and mentor. And he talked about being in this conference for years,” said gymnastic coach Melissa Kutcher-Rinehart.

Joining the WCC, as chancellor Jeremy Haefner explained, groups DU with schools that “look like us and that we aspire to be like.” Nine of the WCC institutions rank in the top 150 of US News & World Report, Haefner continued, with DU at 117.

In the Summit League, DU was akin to a Sesame Street skit. “One of these things (is not like the others).”

DU did this for recruiting. Students and athletes. The WCC provides fertile ground on a bigger platform for higher visibility. The games will air on CBS and ESPN and online on ESPN+.

The conference switch does not directly impact DU’s premier sports. Hockey (National Collegiate Hockey Conference), gymnastics (Big 12) and lacrosse (Big East) will all stay put. But it does affect them in ancillary ways.

Exposure for some is exposure for all in the big picture.

“You see the Big Ten go national, and you’ve got a lot of our sports. Obviously, we don’t have football, but I don’t think tennis players or soccer players sign up to play in California want to go to Rutgers (to play),” hockey coach David Carle said in his matter-of-fact style. “This is a great opportunity for us to recruit California. It is more centrally located. It makes the West Coast Conference stronger, and I think the value we bring is exceptional.”

You can see how this could go. A Southern California soccer player deciding between Pepperdine and DU might tilt toward the Pios, knowing multiple trips home are on the schedule. Same for a volleyball star choosing between Loyola Marymount and the glistening campus off Asbury Avenue that featured “University of Denver is heading to the WCC” placards planted in the grass Friday.

“Being able to compete against premier schools is big, and we are already in that market. Now, we can tap more into the West Coast,” soccer coach Julianne Sitch said. “It is only going to elevate our opportunities.”

Yes, that is what leaving the Summit League, ironically, does for the Pios. It lifts them up.

Of course, there are lingering questions, kinks in the plan. Namely basketball. And no more excuses.

The women’s team owns one winning season in the Summit League. The Pios men’s team last posted a winning record in 2016-17. Gonzaga is leaving the conference, but St. Mary’s, Santa Clara and San Francisco remain formidable.

March Madness cannot remain March Sadness. This move must be accompanied by a significant improvement in hoops.

“It is definitely going to expand our net for sure. Part of the recruiting pitch is selling the league, and we can sell that we are going to be playing high-level basketball. It is going to help and be big for us to find our kind of people,” first-year men’s hoops coach Tim Bergstraser said. “I talked to my staff about focusing on this year, but let’s be real. We need to look ahead and be as prepared as possible. I am a firm believer in the vision. I see it and I am right there with them.”

DU wasn’t going anywhere in the Summit. Where the roads can lead in the WCC seem endless.

Friday, the puzzle found its final piece.

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Gov. Jared Polis’ budget proposal takes aim at Medicaid spending, eyes Pinnacol spin-off — again

Fri, 31 Oct 2025 18:01:48 +0000

In the last budget that Gov. Jared Polis will usher through from conception to enactment, the term-limited Democrat hopes to wrestle down ever-rising Medicaid costs, he said Friday in unveiling his proposal.

It’s a plan that proposes clamping down on dental benefits, requiring prior authorization for more services and making payment changes affecting home health services. Elsewhere, Polis hopes to revive his often-proposed — and never accepted by the legislature — idea of privatizing Pinnacol Assurance, the state’s workers’ compensation insurance program, to generate hundreds of millions of dollars.

Medicaid, which provides health insurance to low-income Coloradans, has been gobbling an ever-bigger chunk of the overall state budget for years. It’s growing at a rate that’s double the overall spending growth allowed by the Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights, or TABOR.

If left unchecked, Medicaid costs could end up dwarfing all other spending in the state in the next 15 years, leaving almost no money for any services that aren’t directly related to education or health care, according to the governor’s office.

“This gets worse if we don’t fix it,” Polis said Friday.

The governor’s overall budget proposal for the 2026-27 fiscal year includes a total spending request of more than $50.6 billion, up from $48 billion in the current fiscal year, which goes through June 30. Most of that is already spoken for as pass-through spending or other obligations.

The general fund, which covers most day-to-day spending, would grow from about $18.2 billion to $18.6 billion under Polis’ proposal.

Polis’ announcement of his proposal represents a starting point for the state’s next spending plan, which will cover July 1, 2026, through June 30, 2027. He will unveil an amended proposal in January as the state updates economic projections.

Then the legislature will have its say, starting with the powerful Joint Budget Committee.

Four of the committee’s six members are seeking higher office in the 2026 election, making this budget an even more pitched-than-usual declaration of political values. The legislature will vote on the final budget in the spring.

Early forecasts have the body needing to make up a nearly $1 billion gap — again — between planned spending and what the state is allowed to spend under the growth cap set by TABOR. This tight budget year follows an August special session where lawmakers needed to fill a $783 million hole opened up in the current fiscal year by federal tax changes signed into law by President Donald Trump over the summer.

Trying to rein in Medicaid

Polis said a key hope of his budget proposal is to bring growth in Medicaid spending in line with the overall growth in state spending allowed by TABOR. Over the past decade, the state constitution has limited total state spending to growth by an average 4.4% per year.

Medicaid spending has grown at double that rate, 8.8%. In that period, general fund spending on Medicaid has grown from about $2.4 billion $5.5 billion per year.

In his proposal, Polis would increase state Medicaid spending by about $300 million. That increase alone represents more spending than several executive agencies’ combined budgets — but would still be half as steep as Medicaid’s projected growth without changes to the program.

A Medicaid sign is displayed in the hallway at Clinica Family Health on Thursday, May 2, 2024, in Adams County, Colorado. (Photo by Eli Imadali/Special to The Denver Post)

Polis said he wants to lower overall spending on Medicaid services without touching how much individual providers are paid for services. Proposed changes include annual caps of $3,000 on dental benefits, which Polis noted would be double the cap that existed in 2023; adding prior authorization to some services; and changing how payment is calculated for home health nursing and therapy services.

Several of those proposals are extensions of executive orders he issued to help shore up the most recent budget trouble in August.

“There have been a number of benefits that have been added (to Medicaid) in recent years, and some of those are not sustainable over time,” Polis said.

His administration has also been working with national consultants to examine how Colorado’s Medicaid spending has differed from national trends. That report should be available in the New Year.

Pushing to privatize Pinnacol … again

In another key element of his proposal, Polis is looking to restart a fight from last year over converting the state’s quasi-governmental workers’ compensation insurance program to a fully private enterprise.

Polis’ office predicted the Pinnacol Assurance spin-off, if completed, would generate at least $400 million for the state. About half of that would go to pay for the homestead property tax exemption, while the rest would go to state maintenance and to balance the budget.

Pinnacol acts as an “insurer of last resort” for employers in high-risk industries. The firm is generally not allowed to refuse to insure employers or cancel policies, but it can operate only within Colorado’s borders.

Polis restarted the conversation last year with arguments that Pinnacol was hamstrung from competing in today’s markets, where employers are less bound by state borders than ever. Turning the quasi-state agency into a private firm would also equal a payday for a cash-strapped state.

The effort petered out when the idea didn’t win much traction during the legislative session — though Polis hinted later that he hadn’t given up on the effort.

This year, Polis said the money would help the state keep its property tax break for certain long-term homeowners, known as the homestead exemption. The tax break is usually paid for using the state’s TABOR surplus, but the state won’t have one this year, Polis said.

“Nearly every other state has moved in this direction for reasons that are very important to employees and employers,” Polis said. “For Pinnacol to be able to continue to serve as our insurer of last resort, we have to be able to allow them to write interstate business, to take some of the same steps that can reduce overhead and produce better value to employees that other states have done.”

Opponents to the move worry that taking Pinnacol private would weaken protections for workers and employers in the state. The insurer essentially acts as a social safety net for industries that otherwise couldn’t obtain coverage, they argued last year.

This year, opponents are warning that privatizing the insurer and taking a portion of the money — potentially hundreds of millions of dollars — would be unconstitutional because the money isn’t the state’s to take.

“Pinnacol’s assets were built from employer premiums, not tax dollars,” said Stephanie Tucker, an attorney and president of the Workers’ Compensation Education Association, in a statement. “These funds belong to the employers who paid premiums and (to) injured workers, not the state. Privatization without clear legal authority could result in years of litigation and uncertainty for both Pinnacol and the state of Colorado.”

State officials have a different interpretation. The state “has an obligation” to get value for Pinnacol if it’s spun off, Mark Ferrandino, the head of the Office of State Planning and Budgeting, said.

Polis said he’s been briefed on the legal question and his staff classified it as a “very low litigation risk.”

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After humbling loss, CU Buffs aiming to refocus against Arizona

Fri, 31 Oct 2025 17:52:00 +0000

Game at a Glance

Matchup: Colorado Buffaloes vs. Arizona Wildcats

Kickoff: 5 p.m. MT

Where: Folsom Field in Boulder

Capacity: 51,400 (AstroTurf)

TV: FS1

Radio: KOA (850 AM/94.1 FM)

Odds: Arizona by 4

Series: CU leads 17-10

Earlier this week, Colorado head coach Deion Sanders stood in front of his team and wanted to hear about their hobbies.

“Some people said, ‘I like to fish. I like to hunt. I like to ski. I like to cook,’” Sanders said of the various answers he heard from his players.

As a follow-up, Sanders asked if anyone was paying them for their hobbies. The answer, as he expected, was “no,” as players said they just enjoy doing their hobbies.

“I said, ‘When you do that, do you give it your all?’” Sanders said. “And they said, ‘Yeah.’”

His point was simple. If his players are going to give their best effort to a hobby, without any compensation, why not give their best effort in football?

“Last time I checked, we’re getting a check to do this,” Sanders said, alluding to college athletes now getting paid. “So let’s give it your absolute all. Make it your hobby. Make it personal. Make it have some feeling into it that you want to be successful.”

Sanders is doing his best to inspire and challenge a team that has fallen short of its own expectations and is coming of an embarrassing loss, but still has plenty to play for this season.

Just 3-5 (1-4 Big 12) after a 53-7 loss at Utah a week ago, the Buffs face Arizona on Saturday with a chance to get their season back on track. Win three more and they can get to a bowl game.

“I feel like there’s definitely still goals to reach this season,” defensive end Keaten Wade said. “I feel like we’re not giving up as a group and as a unit.”

Colorado defensive back Tawfiq Byard, right, celebrates a pass breakup intended for Utah tight end Dallen Bentley on Oct. 25. (AP Photo/Tyler Tate)

CU’s season has included several disappointing losses, such as coughing up 14-0 leads in losses to BYU and TCU, and giving up a late score in a 27-20 loss to Georgia Tech.

The Buffs face perhaps their toughest mental challenge this week, though, after getting crushed by Utah. It was the first time in two years that a CU team simply wasn’t competitive in a game.

“I don’t like getting boat-raced like that,” defensive end Arden Walker said. “I definitely took it personal. … It’s in the past, so now we got to focus on Arizona and make sure we come out and just get back to where we’re supposed to be.”

Several players said that while last week’s game was embarrassing, it hasn’t damaged the morale in the locker room. Sanders and players said the response in practice has been encouraging.

“When we came back on Monday, we were just like, ‘Man, we’ve got to get back to it and keep working,’” Walker said. “You can see that the whole week and I assume it’s going to carry over to Saturday.”

Sanders’ message was designed to help that, as he hopes his players put everything they’ve got into the game during the final month of the regular season.

Receiver Sincere Brown said, “I feel like that was to let us know, if we love this sport like how we say we do, we’ll go all out no matter what.”

Wade said there should be no excuses for the Buffs not giving their best effort.

“We love this,” he said. “This is what we signed up for and we’ve just got to show it on the field. There’s nowhere that I’d rather be at. I’m just going to play until I can’t no more and just give 100% on the field.”

That hasn’t been the case for all of the Buffs this season, which is what prompted Sanders’ message. The head coach has seen some take the message to heart, though, including punter Damon Greaves, who spent an hour working on his own after practice earlier this week.

“These young men have responded tremendously, and I’m proud of them that they’re putting it aside and saying, ‘You know what, we’re better than this,” Sanders said. “We’ve got to focus, we got to lock in.

“That was a tremendous bump in the road (last week at Utah) and we’re trying to put that behind us and let’s move on. Let’s go, because I know we’re capable.”

Suspect who fatally stabbed Denver man with 3-foot sword pleads guilty to murder

Fri, 31 Oct 2025 17:48:30 +0000

A Denver man pleaded guilty to second-degree murder on Thursday for fatally stabbing a passing driver with a 3-foot sword in the city’s College View neighborhood.

Patrick Browne, 40, was arrested Sept. 29, 2024, after police said he stabbed 20-year-old Isaiah Martinez after a fight.

Martinez was driving in the area when he stopped at a red light at West Evans Avenue and South Lipan Street, where Browne was standing on the corner, according to Denver police.

Browne started arguing with Martinez and a passenger in the car and threw a drink through the car window. When Martinez and the passenger got out of the car, Browne pulled a large sword out of his roller suitcase and stabbed Martinez in the stomach as he was trying to get back in the car.

Martinez died at the hospital a short time later.

Browne was charged with first-degree murder, assault and felony menacing in the stabbing. All three charges were dismissed Thursday after he pleaded guilty to second-degree murder, according to court records.

Browne faces 20 years in the Colorado Department of Corrections when he’s sentenced on Nov. 13, the Denver District Attorney’s Office said.

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FDA restricts use of kids’ fluoride supplements citing emerging health risks

Fri, 31 Oct 2025 17:32:00 +0000

By MATTHEW PERRONE, Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Food and Drug Administration on Friday moved to limit the use of fluoride supplements used to strengthen children’s teeth, the latest action by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and his deputies against a chemical that is a mainstay of dental care.

The FDA said that the products are no longer recommended for children younger than 3 and those who are older but don’t face serious risks of tooth decay. Previously, the products have been prescribed for children as young as six months.

The action stopped short of FDA statements in May suggesting regulators would seek the removal of the products from the market. Instead, the agency sent letters to four companies warning them not to market their products outside the new limits.

Fluoride tablets and lozenges are sometimes recommended for children and teens at increased risk of tooth decay or cavities because of low fluoride in their local drinking water. Companies also sell drops for babies.

The FDA released a new scientific analysis Friday, concluding that fluoride supplements have limited benefits for children’s teeth and may be linked to emerging safety concerns, including gut issues, weight gain and cognition.

“For the same reason fluoride may work to kill bacteria on teeth, it may also alter the gut microbiome, which may have broader health implications,” the agency said in a statement.

The agency also sent a form letter to dentists and other health providers warning about the risks of the products.

Those claims have been disputed by the American Dental Association, which has said there are no significant health problems associated with fluoride when used at the levels prescribed by dentists. The supplements can cause spotting or discoloration of teeth due to the extra fluoride, a downside the FDA also noted.

Dentists have warned that restricting fluoride supplements may result in more cavities and dental problems in rural communities, which are less likely to have fluoridated water. Kennedy is also seeking to end the practice of adding fluoride to drinking water throughout the U.S.

Fluoride strengthens teeth and reduces cavities by replacing minerals lost during normal wear and tear, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In 1962, the agency set guidelines for how much should be added to water.

Kennedy, a former environmental lawyer, has called fluoride a “dangerous neurotoxin” tied to a range of health dangers.

The FDA regulates most dental products, including fluoride-containing toothpastes, supplements, mouthwashes and rinses. The agency’s actions don’t affect toothpastes, mouthwash or fluoride treatments used by adults or those offered in dentists’ offices.

The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Science and Educational Media Group and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.

Why did CSU Rams enter most expensive, wildest football coach hiring cycle ever? ‘Clearly, there’s somebody that they’re wanting to get’

Fri, 31 Oct 2025 17:04:14 +0000

At 93 years young, Chuck Neinas has watched colleges burn money on football since Bunny Oakes was hopping on the sidelines at CU.

But he’s never seen a bonfire like this before. Penn State, LSU, Florida, Arkansas, UCLA and Oregon State have all fired their football coaches before Halloween. ESPN.com published a report on Tuesday estimating contract buyouts for fired Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) coaches are up to roughly $168 million so far.

“There used to be (scenarios where) you got a four-year deal (to coach),” Neinas, the former Big 12 and Big Eight commissioner who calls Boulder County home, told The Denver Post. “They’d stay with you four years. Because the first year, you can forget it. The second year, you think, you’d see some improvements. The third year, you should be a winning team. Now, Christ Almighty, they let (coaches) go after two years.”

In the case of the CSU Rams, three years and change. On Oct. 19, CSU fired Jay Norvell seven games into his fourth season at the helm. The buyout was $1.5 million, which is roughly the same as CSU’s postseason revenue distribution from the Mountain West in the 2023-24 fiscal year ($1.6 million). And about half what the Rams collected in ticket revenue from the ’23 football season ($3.7 million), Norvell’s second with the program.

But what prompted the Rams’ first mid-season firing of a football coach since 1981? What will the spate of big-time job openings mean for CSU’s search? And why would CSU jump feet-first, in the middle of the autumn, into the most expensive open coaching market in modern college football history?

The short answer can be broken down into four Cs: The candidates, the calendar, the cost, and the conference.

1. The conference

Let’s start with the obvious one, but one that’s driven most major CSU athletic decisions over the last 10-12 months: The Pac-12 Conference.

The Rams are slated to join a revamped, expanded Pac-12 next July — a collective which, for football, will link five of the biggest gridiron programs in the Mountain West (CSU, Boise State, Fresno State, San Diego State, Utah State) with Pac-12 holdovers Washington State and Oregon State, along with Texas State from the Sun Belt.

CSU has been fundraising and marketing heavily on becoming part of the Pac-12, even though the largest names to shape the legacy of that brand now play in the Big Ten (USC, UCLA, Oregon, Washington), the Big 12 (CU, Utah, Arizona, Arizona State) or the ACC (Stanford, Cal).

But having been rebuffed by the Big 12 in its expansion efforts over the last decade or so, this is the Rams’ chance to be seen as “stepping up” a level — even if experts estimate that the financial benefits, at least in terms of broadcast rights, may not improve all that significantly.

The Pac-12 is largely a perception bump. And in terms of how CSU is perceived when compared to the Broncos, Bulldogs, Aztecs, Aggies, Cougars and Beavers, the returns under Norvell weren’t promising. Since 2022, the Rams have posted a 4-9 record against members of the new-look Pac-12. That would translate to a 3-6 conference record, on average, over a nine-game league slate.

“Coach Norvell built momentum for a program that deeply needed it,” athletic director John Weber said on Oct. 20. “But, ultimately, progress was challenged. And progress stalled at a very critical time for us as we ascend into the Pac-12.”

2. The calendar

College football programs want new leadership, or stability, in place before the early signing period for high school recruits, which runs from Dec. 3-5. Even more importantly, the new single transfer portal window for FBS programs runs Jan. 2-16.

For schools that have undergone a coaching change like CSU, the current roster will have a 15-day window in which to enter the portal that begins five days after a new coach is announced or hired. That makes being in position to restock the roster after inevitable turnover of utmost importance.

“To me, when you make the decision to move when (the Rams) did, they feel the (timing) is important,” CBS Sports football analyst and former CU football coach Rick Neuheisel told The Post. “So clearly, they have somebody that they’re wanting to get to (hire) before that entity or person can be lured by others.

“Now that’s just a guess. But there’s no reason to do that and put every (Rams player) in the portal for a month unless they just felt (certain about a candidate).”

Colorado State Rams head coach Jay Norvell takes the field for warmups before playing the Northern Colorado Bears at Canvas Stadium in Ft. Collins, Colorado, on Saturday, Sept. 06, 2025. (Photo by Andy Cross/The Denver Post)

Norvell’s dismissal was the earliest CSU has moved on from a football coach, mid-season, since 1981, when Sarkis Arslanian was ousted after an 0-6 start. The Rams finished 0-12 under defensive coordinator/interim coach Chester Caddas that fall.

If recent history is any indicator, the Rams also acted early to a.) get ahead of a crowded market; b.) line up as many chess pieces as possible toward landing their top target or targets.

CU let former Buffs football coach Karl Dorrell go after an 0-5 start on Oct. 2, 2022. Almost exactly two months later, Jackson State coach Deion Sanders was announced as Dorrell’s replacement.

CU athletic director Rick George said when “Coach Prime” was introduced in December 2022 that he had personally spent much of the previous two months wooing the Pro Football Hall-of-Famer, who was reportedly weighing other offers.

It’s safe to assume Weber is in a similar mode — or soon will be.

“From a timing perspective, it allows us to run a very exhaustive search,” the CSU administrator said last month. “In conjunction with the search firm that we’re going to use, it’s going to be able to present, I think, a lot of options and allow us to make a very informed, non-rushed decision on the next person to lead our program.”

3. The cost

The only bit of business better than being an FBS coach these days is becoming an ex-FBS coach. LSU paid Brian Kelly $54 million last week to get lost. Penn State gave James Franklin $49 million to do the same. Florida pushed Billy Napier out the door with a $21 million golden parachute. Mike Gundy (fired) just got $15 million from Oklahoma State; Sam Pittman (also fired) got $9.8 million from Arkansas; DeShaun Foster (ditto) got $5 million from UCLA; Trent Bray (same) got $4 million from Oregon State.

The total buyout bonfire could run close to $200 million by early December. By comparison, FBS schools last year spent roughly $36 million in order to expedite the termination of head coach contracts.

Why are schools willing to burn through cash? Follow the money. Or rather, follow the boosters, businesses and alumni who keep forking it over.

Because of the House vs. NCAA settlement earlier this year, college athletic departments can now share revenue with student-athletes. The new line item on the budget has forced schools to cut staff, cut sports, cut budgets — while also looking for new and more lucrative revenue streams such as increased advertising or third-party funding via private equity partnerships.

Those who are footing the bills to obtain or keep student-athletes expect a return on their investment. And, as Neuheisel pointed out, they also demand a louder voice in athletic department discussions.

“We have a lot of pseudo-owners now (in college football),” Neuheisel said. “I don’t know the infrastructure at CSU … but when you invite money into your home, you’ve now invited (that money’s) opinion into your home. And when they start saying, ‘My opinion will be adhered to, or the money dries up,’ you’re kind of stuck between a rock and a hard place.”

The College Football Playoff TV contracts pay out $1.3 billion annually. The 12 teams that participated in the 2024-25 playoff, including Mountain West/Pac-12 rival Boise State, received $4 million just for making the field — as well as a $3 million stipend to cover expenses for every round in which they participate.

As one of the four highest-ranked conference champions selected to the CFP, Boise pocketed $8 million from the postseason bracket, according to the Sports Business Journal. Weber has made no secret about his desire to see Rams football follow, or surpass, the Broncos as one of the pre-eminent non-Power-4 programs nationally.

“I set the vision for Colorado State to become the most loved, most watched, most innovative athletics program in the West,” Weber said.

Head coach Deion Sanders of the Colorado Buffaloes watches his team warm up prior to a game against the Kansas Jayhawks at Arrowhead Stadium on Nov. 23, 2024 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Ed Zurga/Getty Images)

The portal has created free agency for the talent pool — just like in the NFL. Revenue-sharing in the wake of the House settlement more or less puts players on a quasi-payroll — just like in the NFL. Football programs now have “general managers” who budget who gets paid what — just like in the NFL.

Is it any wonder that NFL-like job security for head coaches has arrived at the highest level of amateur football?

“No one’s patient in this world,” Sanders said during his weekly news conference last Tuesday. “How do we exude patience when we could call up right now and get a pizza delivery right here, (or) that you could call and get a ride waiting outside for you.

“… Ain’t nobody got no patience no more. I understand that. And I don’t (have it), either … I want things done right now, because I’m used to getting up there working, putting in the work, and you want the results from the work you put in. (But) it don’t oftentimes work like that.”

4. The candidates

Weber has not said much publicly about specific criteria for Norvell’s replacement, other than noting that previous head-coaching experience would be “nice.”

“In terms of what (traits) we’re looking for, about the only thing that I’m going to say is that it needs to be collaborative,” the administrator said on Oct. 20. “We’ve entered an era in collegiate sports, and football in particular, where as a university, we all need to collaborate to ensure that we can be as successful as we possibly can.”

The sheer amount of dollars involved in big-time college football searches has made for some strange collaborations elsewhere — and even stranger bedfellows. Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry raised eyebrows this past week when he interjected himself into the search for Brian Kelly’s replacement, noting that he’d rather see President Donald Trump select the next Tigers football coach “before I let (athletic director Scott Woodward) do it.” Woodward resigned on Thursday.

“Remember what (former Alabama coach) Nick Saban said?” Neinas chuckled. “He said, ‘It’s the money.’ It’s the NIL (Name/Image/Likeness compensation) and the portal and all that. He’s obviously better qualified than I, and he points out that when you get the people giving money to the NIL, it means (the donors) feel they get a voice as to how to run the football program.”

Neinas, who has consulted on high-profile football and men’s basketball coaching hires, says he would like to see CSU lean on some veteran administrative voices to help steer its next football hire. He pointed out one in particular — Mike Bohn, a longtime colleague and the former athletic director at CU and USC, whose resume includes stints at CSU and at Air Force.

“I never talked to an agent in all the searches I did,” Neinas said. “I talked directly to the coach.

“What you’re looking for is leadership. I don’t know how many coaching interviews I’ve been through, but no one’s asked, ‘How do you block this type of I-formation?’ What you’ve got to do is find a leader. That’s the most important role for the head coach.”

Colorado State Rams fans dejected after giving up a touchdown in the second half of the game against Hawaii Saturday, Oct. 18, 2025 at Canvas Stadium in Fort Collins. CSU lost the game 19-31. (Photo by Daniel Brenner/Special to The Denver Post)

Discover how the generational divide shapes Denver mortgage trends

Fri, 31 Oct 2025 15:54:46 +0000

Nearly 73% of Denver homeowners carry a mortgage. That’s the second-highest rate in the country, behind only Washington, D.C., according to Realtor.com research.

Nationally, homeowners own nearly 40% of U.S. homes outright, marking the highest percentage ever recorded.

But Denver’s mortgage-free rate rests at a mere 27%, far below the national average.

Several factors explain Denver’s high mortgage rates:

Rising home values: Home prices have surged, making cash purchases challenging.
In-migration of buyers: Many newcomers from pricier markets, like California, are relocating to Denver, often outbidding residents and driving prices higher.
High competition: Over the past few years, demand for homes has exceeded supply, driven by both new buyers and existing homeowners looking to move. Although supply has increased this year, prices remain high.
First-time buyers: Denver has a significant number of first-time homebuyers who typically enter the market with little equity and rely on mortgages to finance their purchases, which contributes to high mortgage rates.

Since 2010, the trend towards mortgage independence has increased by 8%, while the percentage of financed homes has decreased by roughly 7%.

In Denver, just as across much of the country, younger buyers are grappling with staggering home prices, mounting student debt, and elevated interest rates, making entry into the housing market increasingly daunting.

At the same time, 78% of older homeowners indicate they plan to “age in place,” disrupting traditional homebuying and selling pathways, reducing inventory, and intensifying competition for first-time buyers.

Many older homeowners who leveraged ultra-low mortgage rates during the pandemic now feel little incentive to sell their properties, fearing that moving to a new home would mean facing significantly higher borrowing costs.

Data from a recent Redfin survey underscores this trend, revealing that only 20% of older homeowners are considering a move to a 55+ community, with just 10% contemplating moving in with adult children or into assisted living.

The overwhelming majority—78%—plan to remain in their homes indefinitely, leading to a growing generational divide in housing.

Looking ahead

Eventually, baby boomers’ homes will hit the market. And there may not be enough options to meet demand.

The senior housing sector suffered huge losses during the pandemic.

Demand nosedived due to high infection rates, deaths, and social-distancing restrictions imposed on residents and their families.

Labor shortages sent costs soaring. Many projects defaulted on their mortgages after interest rates spiked.

Occupancy rates returned to prepandemic levels last year, and rent growth resumed.

Senior housing occupancy rates in the United States rose by 0.3 percentage points, increasing from 87.1% in the fourth quarter of 2024 to 87.4% in the first quarter of 2025, according to data from NIC MAP.

“Older adults are moving into senior housing at a rapid pace, and that trend will continue given the wave of Baby Boomers and many more ‘solo agers’ who don’t have a caregiver to rely on as a safety net,” said Lisa McCracken, NIC’s head of research and analytics.

“The industry needs to ramp up development for supply to catch up with demand, but we don’t foresee any meaningful movement here in 2025 given current market conditions.”

The news and editorial staffs of The Denver Post had no role in this post’s preparation.

Broncos rule out four including CB Pat Surtain II, WR Marvin Mims Jr. for Sunday

Fri, 31 Oct 2025 15:21:55 +0000

The Broncos are going to be without a pair of All-Pros against Houston on Sunday.

Neither is a surprise given the way the practice week unfolded, but 2024 defensive player of the year Pat Surtain II (pectoral) and dynamic return-man and receiver Marvin Mims Jr. (concussion) were both ruled out for Denver’s Week 9 road game, as were tight end Nate Adkins (knee) and safety P.J. Locke (neck).

Mims’ absence against the Texans is particularly bitter because he was concussed on a kick return in the final five minutes of Sunday’s win against Dallas with the Broncos leading by 20. Head coach Sean Payton acknowledged Monday he was only in the game because of a communication failure and that special teams coordinator Darren Rizzi tried to sub him out instead of subbing out rookie running back and return man RJ Harvey.

Asked Friday if he needed to take more of an active role on special teams, Payton said, “No. We’re good. We’re good. Darren’s been outstanding. Next question. Next good question.”

Mims wasn’t seen at practice Friday and did not practice in any capacity this week.

Neither did Surtain or Adkins, though those were more expected.

The fact that neither’s been placed on injured reserve suggests the Broncos think they can get both players back by a Nov. 30 game at Washington at the latest. Each did conditioning work on the side field throughout the practice week.

Locke, meanwhile, was a limited practice participant early in the week but then didn’t practice Friday and won’t play vs. Houston. Locke has only played 12 defensive snaps this year but he’s been a trusted next man up after starters Brandon Jones and Talanoa Hufanga and he’s also been a special teams staple.

Lewis ready if needed. Marcedes Lewis may have only signed with Denver on Tuesday, but he may well get the nod Sunday from the practice squad.

Asked if he thought Lewis could be ready to play Sunday should the Broncos want to elevate him, Payton on Friday said, “Absolutely.”

Given the fact the Broncos only have two healthy tight ends on the practice squad, such a move at this point seems squarely in play.

Lewis told reporters Wednesday that the Denver coaching staff was giving him “bits and pieces” of the offense, clearly in an effort to get him ready for some amount of playing time as quickly as possible.

Offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi called Lewis, “maybe the 8th wonder of the world,” on Thursday.

“We’ll name some plays after some references that are too old for anybody else to understand, so it’s nice that we might name a play after a 90s movie and nobody knows what we’re talking about, but I think he will,” Lombardi said.

Elliss healthy again. The Broncos got a key piece of their defensive front back last week in Jonah Elliss, who played against Dallas after missing two games with a shoulder injury.

Elliss actually cracked a rib, too, before Denver’s game at Philadelphia but played through that. Then he hurt his shoulder against the Eagles.

Elliss injured the same shoulder that he had to have surgery on following the playoff game against Buffalo but called this injury, “completely different.”

“It was a quick little recovery, it wasn’t a serious injury by any means,” he told The Post. “You’ve just got to be smart with it and I trust the training staff here completely, so just listened to what they said, whatever treatment they had me do I did and now we’re back in business.”

Elliss jumped right back in against Dallas and played a season-high 48.5% of the snaps.

Now he and the Broncos’ defense has a tough assignment against quarterback C.J. Stroud and the Texans

“It’s almost like every week the quarterback is a dangerous rushing threat,” Elliss said. “We’ve got to rush him the right way but you can’t go into it thinking just, like, ‘cage rush him.’ We hate the term cage rush. It stops guys from rushing. So you’ve just got to be smart with your rush.

“When you’re high, spin back. When you take a counter and don’t win, work back outside. It’s just working together and playing smart.”

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Federal judge rules Trump can’t require citizenship proof on the federal voting form

Fri, 31 Oct 2025 15:20:00 +0000

By ALI SWENSON and NICHOLAS RICCARDI, Associated Press

NEW YORK (AP) — President Donald Trump’s request to add a documentary proof of citizenship requirement to the federal voter registration form cannot be enforced, a federal judge ruled Friday.

U.S. District Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly in Washington, D.C., sided with Democratic and civil rights groups that sued the Trump administration over his executive order to overhaul U.S. elections.

She ruled that the proof-of-citizenship directive is an unconstitutional violation of the separation of powers, dealing a blow to the administration and its allies who have argued that such a mandate is necessary to restore public confidence that only Americans are voting in U.S. elections.

“Because our Constitution assigns responsibility for election regulation to the States and to Congress, this Court holds that the President lacks the authority to direct such changes,” Kollar-Kotelly wrote in her opinion.

She further emphasized that on matters related to setting qualifications for voting and regulating federal election procedures “the Constitution assigns no direct role to the President in either domain.”

Kollar-Kotelly echoed comments she made when she granted a preliminary injunction over the issue.

The ruling grants the plaintiffs a partial summary judgment that prohibits the proof-of-citizenship requirement from going into effect. It says the U.S. Election Assistance Commission, which has been considering adding the requirement to the federal voter form, is permanently barred from taking action to do so.

A message seeking comment from the White House was not immediately returned.

The lawsuit brought by the DNC and various civil rights groups will continue to play out to allow the judge to consider other challenges to Trump’s order. That includes a requirement that all mailed ballots be received, rather than just postmarked, by Election Day.

Other lawsuits against Trump’s election executive order are ongoing.

In early April, 19 Democratic state attorneys general asked a separate federal court to reject Trump’s executive order. Washington and Oregon, where virtually all voting is done with mailed ballots, followed with their own lawsuit against the order.

Lone Tree pickleball lawsuit sent back to District Court following appeal

Fri, 31 Oct 2025 15:09:22 +0000

Five neighbors of a noisy rec center in Lone Tree are likely prohibited from suing it for being a nuisance since the center is owned by the government, a court ruled on Thursday.

In the summer of 2024, the five asked a judge in Castle Rock to close the Lone Tree Recreation Center’s pickleball courts or force the South Suburban Parks and Recreation District to construct a soundproof structure around them. Noise levels had hit 62 decibels, they said.

“Constant, loud pickleball strikes are offensive, cause stress and devalue property,” wrote lawyers for Mark Goodman, Richard and Donna Campbell, William Fornia and Matthew Troyer.

South Suburban asked that the case be dismissed, since government entities are generally exempt from nuisance lawsuits by law. But Judge Ben Leutwyler disagreed, ruling last October that since the neighbors were only seeking an injunction closing the pickleball courts and not money, their lawsuit was not barred by the Colorado Governmental Immunity Act.

South Suburban quickly appealed that ruling to the Colorado Court of Appeals, where a three-judge panel spent one year considering it before issuing its opinion Thursday.

The three judges unanimously concluded that by arguing their property values have declined, the homeowners are seeking monetary damages whether they say so or not, meaning their lawsuit is a tort case and almost certainly cannot be brought against the government.

There is one exception. Governments waive their immunity when they create “a dangerous condition,” such as a public employee crashing their vehicle into someone, a public sidewalk causing someone to fall, or a public jail failing to protect inmates inside, for example.

“Because we have concluded that the homeowners’ nuisance claims are each subject to the Colorado Governmental Immunity Act, we remand the case to (Judge Leutwyler) to determine… whether the district waived its immunity,” Appeals Court Judge Pax Moultrie wrote.

The neighbors were represented by attorney Tessa Carberry with Husch Blackwell in Denver. South Suburban’s lawyers were Nicholas Poppe and Timothy Walsh with Nathan Dumm & Mayer in Denver. Attorneys for both sides declined to comment on the opinion.

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Air traffic controller shortages lead to broader US flight delays as shutdown nears one-month mark

Fri, 31 Oct 2025 15:06:00 +0000

By RIO YAMAT

Continued staffing shortages in air traffic control facilities around the country were again causing delays at airports on Friday as the government shutdown neared the one-month mark.

U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy has been warning that travelers would start to see more flights delayed or canceled as the nation’s controllers continue to work without pay during the shutdown, which began Oct. 1.

“Every day there’s going to be more challenges,” Duffy told reporters Thursday outside the White House after a closed-door meeting with Vice President JD Vance and aviation industry leaders to talk about the shutdown’s impact on U.S. travel.

The Federal Aviation Administration reported staffing shortages were causing flight delays Friday at a number of airports, including in Boston, New York City, Nashville, Houston, Dallas and Newark, New Jersey. Airports in Boston, Nashville and New York City were experiencing delays averaging two hours or longer.

Staffing shortages can happen at regional control centers overseeing multiple airports, as well as in airport towers, but they don’t always result in flight disruptions.

Aviation analytics firm Cirium says flight data showed a “broader slowdown” Thursday across the U.S. aviation system for the first time since the shutdown began, suggesting staffing-related disruptions may be spreading.

On Thursday, many major U.S. airports reported below-average on-time performance, with fewer flights departing within 15 minutes of their scheduled departure times, according to Cirium. The data does not distinguish between the different causes of delays, such as staffing shortages or bad weather.

Staffing-related delays at Orlando’s airport on Thursday, for example, averaged nearly four and a half hours for some time, according to the FAA.

Most controllers are continuing to work mandatory overtime six days a week during the shutdown without pay, the National Air Traffic Controllers Association has said. That leaves little time for a side job to help cover bills, mortgage and other expenses unless controllers call out.

Duffy said controllers are also struggling to get to work because they can’t afford to fill up their cars with gas. Controllers missed their first full paycheck on Tuesday.

“For this nation’s air traffic controllers, missing just one paycheck can be a significant hardship, as it is for all working Americans. Asking them to go without a full month’s pay or more is simply not sustainable,” Nick Daniels, president of NATCA, said Friday in a statement.

Last weekend, a shortage of controllers led to the FAA issuing a brief ground stop at Los Angeles International Airport, one of the busiest in the world. Flights were held at their originating airports for about two hours Sunday until the FAA lifted the ground stop.

Some U.S. airports have stepped in to provide food donations and other support for federal aviation employees working without pay, including controllers and Transportation Security Administration agents.

Before the shutdown, the FAA was already dealing with a shortage of about 3,000 air traffic controllers.

Aurora man wanted on suspicion of murder in parking lot shooting

Fri, 31 Oct 2025 14:58:28 +0000

A 40-year-old man is wanted on suspicion of first-degree murder after police say he fatally shot another man in a northwest Aurora parking lot Saturday afternoon.

Aurora police on Friday identified Marcus Marcelles Harper McCray as a suspect in the shooting in the 1500 block of Macon Street.

Officers were called to a shooting in a nearby parking lot at 2 p.m. and found a 34-year-old Aurora man who had been shot. He was taken to the hospital, where he died from his injuries.

The man will be identified by the Adams County Coroner’s Office.

Investigators believe the men knew each other, according to the police department.

McCray is considered armed and dangerous and should not be approached, Aurora police said in a news release.

Anyone with information about McCray or his whereabouts can call 911 or Metro Denver Crime Stoppers at 720-913-7867.

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Rockies Journal: Kris Bryant’s career stuck in limbo as front-office decision nears

Fri, 31 Oct 2025 14:38:26 +0000

Every morning, Kris Bryant wakes up and tests his lower back, hoping the pain and stiffness have lessened. Every morning, he’s disappointed.

“I wish I had better things to tell you,” Bryant said from his home in Las Vegas. “It’s not in the best shape, and that’s pretty disheartening for me. It’s exhausting for me waking up and hoping to feel (better). I can’t tell you the last time I woke up feeling I’m in a good spot.”

And so Bryant’s baseball career remains in limbo, leaving many fans to consider his contract as one of the worst in Colorado sports history.

Meanwhile, the Rockies, expected to announce their new front-office boss as early as Monday, are on the cusp of a new era. But whoever gets the job will have to wrestle with the specter of Bryant’s uncertain future. He’s under contract for three more seasons, and the club still owes him $81 million.

As I began my phone interview with Bryant, I was half-expecting to hear news that he was either making steady progress and hoping to play baseball again in 2026 or that he was ready to call it quits and retire from a game he’s played since he was a toddler. Neither of those scenarios is currently in play.

Bryant, however, insists he wants to become a productive baseball player again.

On the advice of Rockies head trainer Keith Dugger, Bryant has been doing Pilates three times a week, hoping the training will strengthen his core and alleviate the pain in his back. He’s also stepped away from the baseball activities that he used to focus on during the offseason.

“I’m kind of a Pilates guru now,” he said. “I’m trying to get to as good a place as I can, on a normal, day-to-day basis.”

Added Dugger, “I’ve told Kris that we are willing to search anything, everything, and everywhere to get him better. We are trying to strengthen his core muscle, and every week is an adjustment. There are short-term goals he’s trying to reach, and then we move on. We are trying to find stepping stones to try to move forward, so that in December, he starts some baseball stuff.”

But right now, Bryant remains discouraged.

“If you asked me two or three months ago, I would say (my back pain) was not affecting my everyday life,” he said. “But now it is, which is really annoying to me because usually when you kind of just rest, it’s supposed to get better. So maybe I’m at a point where I should just do a bunch of stuff to see if that helps me.”

The one-time National League MVP and hero of the Cubs’ 2016 World Series championship season turns 34 on Jan. 4. He has been diagnosed with lumbar degenerative disc disease. The condition involves the wear and tear of the spine in his lower back and has required multiple treatments, including an ablation procedure, to manage the pain. Treatments have not provided the relief he hoped.

Bryant said it’s not the torque of swinging a bat that shoots pain into his lower back.

“The twisting of hitting a baseball, I was able to do those things,” he said. “That was never my concern. It was the running and the hitting the ground with my feet and the compression into my spine. And it’s the sharp bending-over sensations when I’m diving for a ball or diving back to the bag. Those quick movements that are unorthodox, those always got me.”

Bryant has played only 170 games with Colorado since signing a franchise-record seven-year, $182 million contract before the 2022 season. He’s hit .244 with 17 homers and 61 RBIs.

Retirement, with a financial agreement worked out with the Rockies, seems like the sensible course of action. It’s what former Nationals ace Stephen Strasburg eventually did when he finally retired in April 2024. Strasburg, who had not pitched since June 9, 2022, is receiving all the remaining $105 million owed from his original seven-year, $245 million contract.

His original contract was heavily deferred — $11.4 million annually, according to USA Today — with Strasburg scheduled to receive $26.5 million in 2027, ’28 and ’29. When Strasburg retired, the contract was restructured to spread out the deferrals further into the future.

I asked Bryant if he and the Rockies might work out a similar deal. He didn’t want to go there.

“Personally, I don’t want to be involved in those (discussions) because I want to be a baseball player,” he said. “That’s the thing that eats at me the most. It’s tough to describe. I’ve played this game for 30 years now, not professionally, of course, but it’s all I have ever known.”

Bryant said that watching the Rockies lose 119 games was a difficult experience.

“This past year, sitting back and having to watch was just sad,” he said. “But watching the playoffs and seeing some of my friends still playing, that gives me the motivation to try and play. So I don’t have those conversations (about retirement), thank goodness, because I don’t want to. I just want to be a baseball player.”

So, what is Bryant going to tell the new front office boss when they sit down to discuss Bryant’s status with the Rockies?

“I don’t know,” he said. “I’ve been in contact with our training staff, so I’m sure they can fill them in. When you have a guy like me, with all the problems like I’ve had, the training staff is on speed dial.”

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Founder of Colorado mountain bike maker Revel Bikes says company is profitable again

Fri, 31 Oct 2025 14:35:59 +0000

For Adam Miller, leading Revel was like riding a bike.

The founder of the Carbondale-based mountain bike maker says the company regained profitability within three months of him reviving the brand this spring, after the private equity firm that controlled it announced it would shut down.

“We’ve got the O.G. crew together to get the brand back to what we were doing and adapt it to the times,” said Miller.

Miller founded Revel in 2016 and said sales were growing 300% to 600% annually before he sold the company in 2021 to Next Sparc, an Ohio-based private equity firm. The investment was meant to boost Revel’s supply chain.

“We were considered one of the fastest-growing mountain biking companies,” Miller said. “And we were growing so fast that I wanted to sell the business and stay on board.”

Next Sparc did go to work on the supply chain. In early 2023, the company opened a 12,000-square-foot satellite office in Taiwan, the bike manufacturing capital of the world, with six employees. Typically, smaller bike companies like Revel use third-party manufacturers instead of hiring in house.

But the expansion came with changes.

Instead of focusing on customizable bikes, as it previously had, Revel’s new owner sold pre-built frames it had already boxed up, much to the chagrin of Miller. Wholesaling also became more of a priority than direct-to-consumer sales.

Sales started to tick down as a COVID-induced bike industry boom subsided.

“It was extremely archaic and you had too much cash tied up in inventory,” Miller said of the system. “We’d have a sales plan for 18 months… and just take a guess” at what would sell.

Miller stayed on as CEO through fall 2023 before transitioning to an advisory role. In April 2024, he left.

“I retained a minority stake and still ended up departing the company due to differences of ideas, the growth at all costs strategy that Next Sparc brought, which just ultimately takes away from creating the best products,” Miller said.

“It’s a really unique business, and it’s hard to pour money on things and expect things to happen,” he added.

In April of this year, Revel announced it was shutting down and that unsecured creditors would likely receive nothing.

“Regrettably, though we have tried every avenue possible, we have exhausted all options and run out of funds to support the business,” the company said.

A month later, Miller found out that JPMorgan Chase was going to foreclose on the business, so he bought Revel’s assets from the bank. He declined to disclose what he paid.

Since assuming control, Miller has hired Mike Griese, Revel’s head of product from 2016 to 2018, along with three marketing and sales people from his original team. He has also had the company revert to focus on customizable bikes. That, he said, allowed him to reduce prices by 25% to 30% in June. The average Revel bike now costs $4,000 to $11,000.

The build-to-order model has also helped Revel better adjust to rollercoaster tariff policy from the federal government, Miller said. Even before President Trump’s so-called “Liberation Day,” tariffs on completed bikes from Taiwan to the U.S. were 11%. The number for parts was at 3.9%.

“That’s an example of a tariff policy with logic behind it and we could adjust practices to that tariff,” Miller said, explaining that its carbon frame is nearly impossible to make in the United States. The old numbers, he said, protected American assembly jobs.

“But now there’s no logic,” he added.

Today, Miller has to add 20% to those numbers. To avoid the duties on some international sales, Revel has set up a drop-shipping program in Taiwan. Instead of having every bike come to the U.S., only stateside orders come to Carbondale.

While international sales make up only 20% of Revel’s business, it’s a growing segment. Miller mentioned Japan as Revel’s most emergent market.

“If a customer in Canada wants a bike, it makes no sense to ship it here first,” he said. “It’s very country dependent… The main goal is to stay super nimble.”

Miller said 2025 revenue is projected to finish somewhere between flat and up a few percent from 2024. Revel’s roughly $10 million in sales last year represented a “significant drop” from the years before, he said.

On the product side, Miller said Revel has more experimental bikes in its stable than ever. Though he declined to share specifics on what trailriders can expect, he said they’ll be out there ripping through dirt next year.

“We’re not here to sell bikes at a discount and compete with Specialized and Trek,” Miller said. “We’re here to make the best bikes we can.”

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Around the NFL, Week 9: Patrick Mahomes and Josh Allen square off once again

Fri, 31 Oct 2025 13:58:45 +0000

Around the AFC

Run coming? Don’t look now, but Lamar Jackson is healthy and the Ravens have tripled their win total in the past five days. Sure, the victories came against Chicago and Miami. And yeah, John Harbaugh’s team is still just 3-5. But if Pittsburgh loses Sunday to 7-1 Indianapolis, the Ravens are going to find themselves just a game out of first place in the AFC North with both games against the Steelers still ahead. Baltimore’s next four before taking on Aaron Rodgers and company: at Minnesota and Cleveland, then home against the New York Jets and Cincinnati. That’s a chance to make a run.

Pair of Jokers. The Colts’ offensive explosion has been remarkable, and QB Daniel Jones rightfully gets a lot of attention. But find a better pair of weapons than Jonathan Taylor and rookie TE Tyler Warren. Taylor’s on pace for 2,200 total offensive yards and 30 (!!) touchdowns. Warren, meanwhile, arrived as the No. 14 pick and currently ranks first among NFL tight ends in yards (492), 20-plus-yard catches (8) and first downs (25). These guys aren’t just good. They’re set up to be dangerous for years to come.

It’s a Revolution. Speaking of… the Patriots are 6-2, have reeled off five straight wins, Drake Maye’s taken a star turn in Year 2 and it doesn’t look like smoke and mirrors. Mike Vrabel’s team has the second-best scoring differential (+67) in football behind only the Colts. The team also already has a win in hand at Buffalo (5-2). Here are the Patriots’ opponents before those teams meet again Dec. 14: Atlanta on Sunday, at Tampa, N.Y. Jets, at Cincinnati and the N.Y. Giants.

Around the NFC

All you need is… Jordan Love is up to second in the NFL in EPA per dropback, behind only Indy’s Daniel Jones. He put on a clinic Sunday night against predecessor Aaron Rodgers and has the Packers sitting at 5-1-1. If the playoffs started today, they’d be the No. 1 seed in the NFC. They’re big favorites vs. Carolina on Sunday, then have a massive Monday Night game at home vs. Philly.

PNW power. If you’re counting Super Bowl contenders in the NFC, the list doesn’t get long before Seattle. Second-year coach Mike MacDonald has a squad. The defense is legit, and Sam Darnold is engineering an offense that continues to get the job done. They’re a real factor in what’s shaping up to be among the NFL’s best divisions. Tough trip east to Washington for Sunday Night Football this weekend.

Aw, Shoughs. The listless New Orleans Saints are rolling with second-round rookie Tyler Shough at quarterback after benching Spencer Rattler. It’s a tough enough test this weekend on the road against the Rams, and it won’t do Shough much good at this point if Mickey Loomis starts dealing away offensive pieces ahead of Tuesday’s deadline, but that’s life when you’re 1-7. Time to get a look, though, as this team will be drafting high — very high — in the spring of 2026.

Game of the Week

Kansas City at Buffalo

Any time Josh Allen and Patrick Mahomes square off, it’s must-see television. If the Bills are going to win, they’d do well to lean on James Cook, who is coming off a 216-yard romp over Carolina and is now averaging 6.0 yards per carry for the year. But the Chiefs are hot even by recent-year Chiefs standards. They’ve put 28-plus on the board in five straight games and have only looked more explosive since getting Rashee Rice back in the lineup. In the receiver’s two games since returning from a six-game suspension, the Chiefs have outscored Vegas and Washington 59-7, and Mahomes has thrown six touchdowns. Half have gone to Rice, who already has 13 catches for 135 yards. A fourth straight win and then a bye before a monster game at Empower Field on Nov. 16 feels right.

Chiefs 31, Bills 29

Lock of the Week

Minnesota at Detroit

The Vikings’ quarterback issues remain, and Kevin O’Connell now must give J.J. McCarthy a good, long look the rest of the year. In Detroit, meanwhile, Jared Goff is playing terrific football. The work week started for the Lions by giving a four-year, $180 million whopper of an extension to star Aidan Hutchinson. That’s two $45-plus million pass-rushers in the same division with him and Green Bay’s Micah Parsons. Hutchinson’s off to a monster start after a broken leg marred his 2024. Good luck, McCarthy. The Lions are 9.5-point favorites, not the biggest line of the week — the Packers and Rams at home against Carolina and New Orleans, respectively, are bigger favorites — but this feels like a matchup of teams going in opposite directions.

Lions 28, Vikings 17

Upset of the Week

Chicago at Cincinnati

Welcome to the Bad Loss Bowl. The Bears might have had the worst loss of Week 8 — against a reeling, Lamar Jackson-less Ravens team. Except then the Bengals allowed the winless New York Jets to put 39 points on the board and notch their first win, 39-38. Now the Bengals could be without new old quarterback Joe Flacco and back to Jake Browning. But who can trust Ben Johnson’s team at this point? The 2.5-point road favorites look like they’ve made real progress, but then step back. Similar to the play of their second-year quarterback, Caleb Williams. The Bears should win this game, especially if Flacco doesn’t play. It should be a get-right game for Williams against a defense that’s really struggled. We’ll see.

Bengals 24, Bears 23

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Renck & File: Dre Greenlaw’s body let him down. Then he let down Broncos. Time to change that Sunday

Fri, 31 Oct 2025 13:46:38 +0000

You thought we forgot about Dre?

Everything Dre Greenlaw brings to a team, we have not yet seen. His leadership, controlled violence and sticky coverage. That was the hype. Eight months later, it is time to examine Greenlaw’s reality in Denver.

Hmm. Absent or incomplete? Which one fits best?

First, his body let him down, a quadriceps injury costing him the first six games. Then he let his team down, yelling at official Brad Allen after the walk-off win over the Giants, resulting in a one-game suspension.

This must change Sunday at Houston. A Broncos upset could hinge on his performance.

Greenlaw has made an impact behind the scenes, setting an example with his work ethic and daily intensity. But it has not translated to the field, where his season consists of six tackles on 21 snaps against the Giants. Greenlaw showed accountability on Thursday, admitting he should not have put the Broncos in position to play without him because of his outburst. This was an important step.

Now, the Broncos need the best of Greenlaw moving forward. They are a contender. Whether or not they can win the AFC West or host a playoff matchup hinges on games like Sunday. The Texans are scrambling for a wild-card berth. The Broncos can move 3.5 games ahead of them with a win. After demolishing the hapless Raiders, the Broncos would then host the Chiefs on Nov. 16 in the franchise’s biggest game since Super Bowl 50.

This will not happen without Greenlaw returning to his 2023 form, without the former star filling the vacuum left by Pat Surtain II’s absence. There is evidence that Greenlaw’s ability remains; that he can instill fear for roughly 45 snaps on Sunday.

But he cannot talk about it. He has to be about it.

Will the real Dre Greenlaw please stand up?

Return of Naz: Lost in the Avs agreeing to an eight-year, $92 million extension with Martin Necas, rumors continue to percolate about Colorado pursuing Nazem Kadri in a trade. It is way too early to get excited about the prospect. But it cannot be dismissed out of hand. The Flames are going nowhere, and Kadri’s history in Colorado was real and spectacular. He played himself into a huge contract after helping the Avs win the Stanley Cup in 2022. Making his $7 million salary fit would be messy. But when has GM Chris MacFarland ever shied away from a challenge? If Kadri is willing to return, the Avs have to look into it.

Lost season for Hunter: This brings no joy to write. Travis Hunter’s rookie season is a bust. The Jaguars spent two months showing they had no idea how to use him. Now, he might not play again after landing on the injured reserve with a non-contact knee injury. Hunter boasts 28 catches for 298 yards and one touchdown, and 15 tackles. This is not the return the Jaguars expected when they shipped the No. 5 overall pick, a second-round pick (No. 36), a fourth-round pick (No. 126) and their 2026 first-round pick to Cleveland to draft him. This week, the Jags promised to make him the focus of the passing game. So if there is any good news, it is this: When Hunter returns, either this season or next, the Jaguars might actually have a plan for him. Imagine that.

Shohei-Wemby comp: Shohei Ohtani is already a first-ballot Hall of Famer. Those of us lucky enough to stay up for the Dodgers’ 18-inning Game 3 win will never forget his 4-for-4, two-homer, five-walk performance. But as soon as baseball ends, we are blessed with another unicorn. With apologies to Nikola Jokic, that is Victor Wembanyama. He is the future, a 7-foot-5 pterodactyl who is averaging 30.2 points, 14.6 rebounds, 4.8 blocks and 3.4 assists, while shooting 31.2% from the 3-point line. As with Ohtani, no one has ever seen anything like this.

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CU Buffs vs. Arizona Wildcats football: How to watch, storylines and staff predictions

Fri, 31 Oct 2025 13:31:13 +0000

Arizona (4-3, 1-3 Big 12) at Colorado (3-5, 1-4 Big 12)

When/where: 5 p.m. Saturday/Folsom Field

TV/Radio: FS1/850 KOA

BetMGM Line: CU +4.5, 52.5 over/under

Weather: 48 degrees, clear

Series History: CU leads 17-10, won 34-7 in Tucson last year

Three storylines

Tough schedule lets up: The Buffs have played FBS’ toughest schedule as determined by opponents’ winning percentage. CU’s eight opponents so far are a combined 43-12 (.782), the only mark above .750 in the nation. But this week is the start of the softening of the schedule, and CU must take advantage. After playing Arizona — which lost to Iowa State, whom the Buffs upset — CU plays West Virginia (2-6), Arizona State (5-3, lost starting QB Sam Leavitt to season-ending surgery) and up-and-down Kansas State (4-4).

The aerial battle: Arizona goes as redshirt junior QB Noah Fifita goes. In the Wildcats’ narrow loss to Houston two weeks ago, Fifita was 24-of-26 passing for a 92.3% completion rate. He’s third in program history in career passing yards (7,784) and passing TDs (61). CU’s secondary, which has allowed 210.4 yards/game, must be up to the challenge. So must CU QB Kaidon Salter, who goes up against a stout Arizona secondary that’s third in the Big 12 with 153.1 passing yards allowed/game and has nine picks this season (ranked 18th in FBS).

CU’s response: After getting blasted 53-7 by Utah last week in Salt Lake City in the worst defeat in Deion Sanders’ three-year tenure, the CU head coach described the blowout as “probably the worst beating I’ve ever had except for when my mama whupped me as a kid.” Now, the Buffs need to win three of their final four games to become bowl eligible for a second straight year. After consecutive losses to BYU and TCU, CU responded with a 24-17 upset over No. 22 Iowa State. Can the Buffs punch back on Saturday?

Predictions

Kyle Newman, sportswriter: CU 27, Arizona 21

CU will be without Xavier Hill, who has started every game this season at left guard. That’s not good news for an offensive line that gave up five sacks to Utah as the Buffs were consistently overwhelmed by the Utes’ blitz. But this Arizona team is in a different category than the Utes. A bowl season still won’t be in the cards, but CU bounces back by beating the Wildcats at home. They get up early in the game and, unlike the losses to BYU and TCU, don’t let their early lead go to waste. Preston Hodge, who leads the Big 12 in passes defensed at 1.38 per game, makes a couple of clutch break-ups on Arizona’s final drive to seal the win.

Sean Keeler, sports columnist: CU 26, Arizona 25

Utah didn’t just unlock the blueprint for beating Coach Prime’s Buffs. The Utes unlocked the blueprint for embarrassing them. But Arizona doesn’t have the same beef, the same pass rush, or the same wheels at QB1. Like Iowa State’s Rocco Becht, Noah Fifita is a pass-first dude, and the Wildcats probably aren’t going to risk losing his arm by extensively featuring his legs. Which, at Folsom, plays right into Ralphie’s hooves. CU is 3-0 when its QB has more rush yards than the opposing signal-caller, 0-5 otherwise. Elevation and a juiced Homecoming crowd get an up-and-down season back on the “plus” side again.

Matt Schubert, sports editor: CU 27, Arizona 20

It’s hard to understand what the oddsmakers are thinking here. The only time the Buffs should be a home dog is when a big, burly program like BYU or Utah comes to town. Arizona is very much not that. Wildcats QB Noah Fifita has been much better after a down 2024, but throwing the ball all over Folsom is not how you beat the Buffs. CU has the skill and the talent to match up. More importantly, Arizona doesn’t have the muscle in the trenches.

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ICE officers mistook Durango father for someone else, official says, but arrested him and children anyway

Fri, 31 Oct 2025 13:16:32 +0000

Immigration authorities mistakenly identified a Durango father when they pulled him over earlier this week, a senior enforcement official said Friday, but agents still arrested the father and his two children in an incident that quickly sparked protests in the Colorado mountain town.

Gregory Davies, Denver’s third-ranking official with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, testified about the incident in court Friday morning during a hearing in a lawsuit challenging ICE’s arrest practices in Colorado. He had previously said ICE officials research and surveil their targets using multi-agent teams before they try to arrest them.

But he acknowledged that the ICE agents didn’t know they were pulling over Fernando Jaramillo-Solano when they stopped him and his children on their way to their Durango school Monday morning.

“It’s my understanding that the father was mistaken for somebody else when (ICE) encountered him,” he said.

He said Jaramillo-Solano and his children were then arrested anyway, without warrants. While that is allowed in certain circumstances, the lawsuit asserts that ICE has done so too often, without meeting the requirements.

The Durango father and his two children have been transported to a family detention center in Dilley, Texas. The Denver Post located the father using ICE’s detainee locator. That database does not provide information on minors, but Davies testified that the family members were all transported to Texas.

It’s legal for ICE to arrest people without a warrant. But agents have to determine that the person is in the country illegally and that they’re likely to flee if they’re not arrested. Four people detained by ICE in Colorado this year filed the lawsuit at issue in Friday’s hearing, alleging that ICE arrested them and others without first determining if they were likely to flee.

They’re asking a judge to intervene and declare ICE’s alleged arrest practices to be illegal.

Davies was in court Friday as a witness to defend against that lawsuit, as part of a two-day hearing seeking a prohibition on the allegedly illegal arrests. Lawyers representing the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, which oversees ICE, have argued that federal policy — reiterated in an Oct. 22 memo — requires officers to follow certain procedures to ensure their arrests are lawful.

Because of that policy, they said Thursday, U.S. District Court Judge R. Brooke Jackson doesn’t need to enter an order prohibiting a practice that ICE already regulates.

But the attorneys who filed the lawsuit have argued that ICE agents have consistently ignored that policy and continue to do so, even after the recent memo from ICE’s top legal advisor. Kenzo Kawanabe, one of the attorneys on the case, pointed to the arrests in Durango, along with the immigration arrest of a Douglas County teacher and her family last week, to allege that ICE still wasn’t following the law or its own stated policies.

Davies testified that ICE typically wouldn’t arrest immigrants who had active immigration proceedings and were actively participating in them. When Kawanabe pointed out that Jaramillo-Solano and his children had an open asylum application, Davies said he didn’t consider asylum applications to be the same as other immigration court proceedings.

The Douglas County teacher arrested this week, Marina Ortiz, was at a routine immigration appointment when she was arrested, according to the charter school where she worked in Parker. The school has also said that Ortiz was legally authorized to live and work in the U.S.

Ortiz was arrested with her family, too, according to her school. She is being detained in the same Texas detention center as Jaramillo-Solano, according to the ICE database.

The four immigrants who filed the suit all testified in court Thursday, saying their lives had been thrown into chaos because of detentions this year ranging from a few weeks to nearly 100 days. Two said they’d had to move in with family members after their arrests. Another said his family has gone into significant debt to pay for his legal defense.

The federal court hearing was set to end Friday afternoon, though it was unclear if Jackson would rule immediately or issue a decision in the coming weeks.

But he provided an indication of his thinking Friday morning.

He said the four immigrants involved in the lawsuit had provided “substantial evidence … that what the plaintiffs call unlawful arrests have been occurring in Colorado.” He also noted media interviews of Robert Guadian, who was the top ICE official in Denver until earlier this week, in which Guadian said ICE would arrest anyone in the country illegally.

Guadian testified Thursday that ICE conducted targeted operations against the “worst of the worst,” meaning immigrants with criminal histories.

Because of those comments, and others given by top Trump administration official Stephen Miller, Jackson said it was it was “reasonable to infer” that the four immigrants’ cases were not isolated arrests but were “part of a practice and policy that has been followed in Colorado by ICE.”

This a developing story that will be updated.

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Salvation Army to lay off 93 Denver employees as shelter operations change hands

Fri, 31 Oct 2025 13:15:02 +0000

The Salvation Army will lay off 93 employees in Denver at the end of the year, according to a notice filed Wednesday, two months after the organization announced it would no longer run three city homeless shelters in former hotels.

The nonprofit filed a Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act, or WARN notice, with the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment on Wednesday.

Salvation Army officials in August announced the organization would stop managing three facilities — the Aspen, Stone Creek and Tamarack Family shelters — after its contracts with the city of Denver ended in December.

The decision based on ensuring financial stability, officials said, but came amid ongoing criticism from Denver City Council members and homeless advocates over management and criminal activity at the shelters.

In a statement, spokesperson Jennifer Forker said the Salvation Army is committed to a smooth transition process for staff, individuals and families who rely on hotel shelters.

“Our staff are at the heart of our mission and have been offered comprehensive support, including job placement assistance, counseling, and severance for those eligible,” Forker said.

The Salvation Army is working with the new service providers, along with Denver Department of Housing Stability and city officials, to minimize disruptions for staff and clients, Forker added.

City housing staff on Oct. 9 announced three new operators — Urban Alchemy, Bayaud Works and St. Francis Center — selected to take over operations of the hotel shelters.

Denver officials are working closely with the Salvation Army to match employees with open jobs at the new service providers or other shelters in Denver’s homelessness response system, Department of Housing Stability spokesperson Derek Woodbury said in a statement.

“HOST deeply appreciates the compassion, professionalism and care that these shelter workers have provided,” Woodbury said.

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Andreas Maxsø won’t return to Rapids, club president Pádraig Smith says

Fri, 31 Oct 2025 13:04:45 +0000

The Great Dane’s time in Colorado is over, and a midfield mainstay may follow suit.

In a news conference on Thursday, Colorado Rapids president Pádraig Smith said center back Andreas Maxsø will leave the club this offseason, the first of what might turn into a series of offseason roster changes. His guaranteed contract was up at the conclusion of this season, but a club option could have kept him in Commerce City through 2026. The decision to part ways was mutual.

Smith said his preferred destination is somewhere in Europe, where the Danish international could be closer to family. Before joining the Rapids, he had a long career in Denmark — and a few short stints elsewhere in Europe — that included a Danish Superliga title in 2021. The Middle East is also on the table — last offseason, there was a rumored move to Saudi Arabia.

Maxsø was by far the most available player on the team since his arrival in 2023. Of a possible 102 regular-season games over the course of three seasons, he started all 99 of his appearances. He played all 90 minutes in all but one of those matches — a 44th-minute exit in an early-2023 win at Sporting Kansas City.

The 31-year-old completed his Colorado tenure with three goals and an assist. Defensively, he wasn’t spectacular — certainly not enough to justify a Designated Player contract upon his arrival and a $1.2 million per year salary. According to American Soccer Analysis, he was the third-worst center back in the league in terms of goals added (-1.2) — an advanced stat that measures a player’s on-ball impact on attacking and defending.

The numbers aren’t much nicer on FBRef. On a positive note, his 6-foot-3, brick-wall frame made his aerial game a plus — he was in the 92nd percentile this season for percentage of aerial duels won. He was in the top 20% in blocked shots and challenges lost. Other than that, he was in the bottom quarter of nearly every other defensive metric FBRef tracks.

Rob Holding, 30, was brought in late this season and now appears to be Maxsø’s replacement. They’re on the same salary and have a lot of the same traits, though Holding is a better passer. Otherwise, the Rapids have a wealth of young options at center back for next season, including Ian Murphy, Noah Cobb (if his purchase option is picked up), Nate Jones and Lucas Herrington, who will join the team this offseason after being signed in August.

Larraz likely to test free agency: Smith also said Rapids midfielder Oliver Larraz may test free agency this offseason with his contract up.

The Denver native burst onto the scene in 2024, winning a starting position in a deep room full of defensive midfielders. A rash of injuries gave Larraz a chance early on in his first season with the first team, but now-former coach Chris Armas couldn’t keep him off the field.

He played at a Best-XI level as a No. 10 with Rapids 2 in 2023, then transitioned to a deeper, more defensive role with the senior team. His adaptability and consistency in that new role were both pluses. Those characteristics are a must in Europe, where he plans to look for a new opportunity.

“I think Oli really wants to look at what his potential is in Europe, and he obviously has every right to do that,” Smith said. “Oli is someone who we highly value as a local kid who’s come up through our academy. They’re the type of players that we like to keep here.”

He was another of the Rapids’ most available players in his two years with the first team, appearing in all 34 games (25 starts) in 2024 and playing in all but one in 2025.

Across all competitions, he scored two of the more memorable goals of the 2024 campaign. One was in the third-place game of Leagues Cup, where he used a perfect strike on a half-volley to tie the match at 2-all on the way to a penalty-shootout victory. The other was a strike from distance in an otherwise forgettable playoff series against the L.A. Galaxy — the only goal from a two-game stretch the Rapids lost, 9-1.

He recorded a career-high four assists this season in 2,225 minutes.

Ten other Rapids either have club options to return for 2026 or are out of contract entirely. The deadline to exercise or decline those options is Nov. 26.

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How Broncos’ Jonathon Cooper has become one of the fastest rushers in the NFL: ‘Full speed ahead’

Fri, 31 Oct 2025 12:33:51 +0000

Sometimes, Jonathon Cooper irritates the people who love him.

The fourth year of Cooper’s Broncos career ended in splendor last season. He set a career high with 10.5 sacks and signed a four-year extension worth $60 million, changing his and his family’s lives forever. Bruce Ward, Cooper’s old high school coach back at Gahanna-Lincoln High in Ohio and still a friend, gave him a call to offer his congratulations. Man, that’s a great season.

Cooper didn’t bite. I gotta be better, he told Ward. I want the sack lead next year.

“Okay, Coop, I hear you,” Ward remembered telling him, “but it’s February, man.”

Nah, Coach, Cooper insisted. I gotta be better.

“Like, just relax and enjoy the offseason, you had a great season,” Ward said months later, reflecting. “‘Cause, you’ve outlived the expectation.”

In late October, the Broncos outside linebacker sat in his locker in Denver, far beyond the expectation. Far beyond the boy who was born nine weeks early to a mother, Jessica, who hadn’t finished high school. Far beyond the man who had two heart surgeries in high school, fell to the seventh round of the NFL draft five years ago, and had three more heart surgeries before he ever arrived in Denver. That past stays with him forever, Cooper reflected. It drives him.

It drove him so far that he had to leave that motivation behind and find a new one. He is no longer an underdog story. The 27-year-old Cooper is knocking on the door of the NFL’s best, with six sacks through eight games in 2025. He wants to be the best in the league.

A total of 238 players were drafted before Cooper in 2021. He now has more sacks through five years than all but one of them (Micah Parsons). Every camp, Broncos inside linebacker Justin Strnad said, brings a “new version of Coop.” This 2025 one is the best yet: The 257-pound Cooper has unlocked a potent speed-rush, with a faster average get-off time (0.74 seconds) than any of the NFL’s top 35 leaders in quarterback pressures, according to the NFL’s Next Gen Stats.

For years, his strength coach Jackson Hayes said, Cooper was focused on measurables. I gotta get bigger. I gotta get faster. I gotta get stronger. Eventually, there was little left to unlock in his 6-foot-4 frame. But Cooper has ascended to the NFL’s elite because of his continued search for every minuscule mechanism of improvement — one that brought him this summer to a gym in Plain City, Ohio, and into the hands of a 24-year-old mental performance specialist.

“I see my mom work,” Cooper told The Denver Post on Thursday. “My mom worked hard, like, really hard. Single mom. Really smart, independent woman who just worked her ass off. Like, truly, truly did. And she instilled that in me.

“So, I’m not going to stop working,” he smiled. “Until I die.”

•••

Every year, Ward tells Cooper’s story to his team at Gahanna-Lincoln. Specifically, one game in Cooper’s junior year, when he briefly lost his mouthguard.

An official told Cooper he had to sit until he had a mouthpiece. He looked around, snatched a dangling mouthpiece from the facemask of the first teammate he saw, and re-entered the game.

“Coop’s Coop,” Strnad said. “That’s the only way I could put it. He’s a different guy, you know what I mean? He thinks differently. Acts differently.”

A couple of weeks before Cooper was set to rejoin the Broncos for camp, he was working with Hayes in July at his gym, the Relentless Collective, back in central Ohio. Across the way, a young trainer named Logan Scheider was working with a couple of high school baseball players, all sporting a wristband. The strap flashed white, and Scheider’s trainees opened their hands as quickly as possible. It flashed orange, and they kept their fingers tucked into a fist.

Eventually, Cooper wandered over, interested.

Scheider had just received a Master’s degree in sports and performance psychology at Pennsylvania Western University and moved up to Columbus, Ohio, to start his own business. For the most part, he began working with baseball players. Scheider’s company, LS Mental Performance LLC, has 134 followers on Instagram. But Cooper struck up a conversation with him, and Scheider suggested that the concept of training reaction time could be important to his quickness off the snap.

That day, Cooper began telling Scheider about the purpose of his offseason. He just got paid. His expressed goal, Scheider recalled, was to prove he deserved that money.

“He thought he could help me out,” Cooper recalled. “And he really did.”

The outside linebacker slapped on one of the wristbands. Created by a company called Pison Technologies, they track the brainwaves of a user through light sensors, Scheider said. He had Cooper do an initial test.

His overall reaction time was roughly .25 seconds behind Scheider’s high school baseball players.

“Logan was explaining, like, ‘Man, the success he’s had in the NFL — I’m shocked that his reaction time is that slow,'” recalled Ward, who visited Cooper one day at Relentless Collective. “And that’s all you need to say to Cooper. It’s on, from then on out.”

Denver Broncos Jonathon Cooper sacks New York Giants QB Jaxson Dart (6) at Empower Field at Mile High in Denver on Sunday, Oct. 19, 2025. Broncos won 33-32. (Photo by Hyoung Chang/The Denver Post)

For the next week or so, Cooper wore a wristband and took its cognitive test at several points throughout his workout. Hayes, meanwhile, built specific reaction-time challenges into every phase of training. Sprints came on cue of a hand-clap. Bench-presses came on cue of a go–call. They ran change-of-direction drills where Cooper stood in the middle of a collection of multicolored cones, Hayes called “red,” and Cooper had to dart to the red cone.

Eventually, they ran mock get-offs. And both his wristband cognitive-reaction time and his average get-off time dropped by about .15 seconds. By the end of his time in Ohio, before leaving for Denver, Cooper was trash-talking Scheider’s baseball group.

It was hilarious, Scheider chuckled. These were 15-year-old kids.

“I started beating them, and they was getting upset,” Cooper said. “‘Cause, like, that’s they whole thing. That’s they whole thing. So, like, the fact that I was beating some baseball players at it made me feel like I’m actually reacting fast, like I’m supposed to.”

•••

Every year, Nate O’Neal tells Cooper’s story to his defensive-line group in pre-draft training at XPE Sports in Florida. Specifically, how Cooper earned himself a $60 million deal because a seventh-round pick simply never stopped developing.

Back when Cooper was coming out of Ohio State, when all pass-rush expert O’Neal knew of him was his tape, he saw a good player. He saw a possible NFL starter. He did not see a 10-plus-sack-a-year guy, as O’Neal put it. Cooper rushed with wasted movement and played out of his natural position as a hand-in-the-dirt defensive end at Ohio State. He had just 10 sacks across five college seasons.

Four years later, though, O’Neal’s appraisal of Cooper had changed.

“I’ve had dudes go in the first (round) that can’t even hope to have his amount of success,” said O’Neal, a trainer who works with over 100 NFL or pre-draft clients a year. “I just knew at the end of the day that Coop was going to be okay, because he was always going to want to get better. … A lot of these cats can’t say that, man.

“But Jonathon Cooper can.”

Jonathon Cooper (0) of the Denver Broncos seals the game as he sacks Justin Fields (7) of the New York Jets during the fourth quarter of the Broncos’ 13-11 win at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London on Sunday, Oct. 12, 2025. (Photo by AAron Ontiveroz/The Denver Post)

In London in mid-October, with the Jets facing a do-or-die fourth down on their last drive of the game, Cooper toed the line a few yards off the ball. Jets quarterback Justin Fields went into his cadence, picking up and dropping his back foot. As soon as Fields’ cleats touched back down to the turf, Cooper ripped off the line, his first step coming before the snap even hit Fields’ hands.

Rookie tight end Mason Taylor, trying to block, couldn’t even whip his head around fast enough before Cooper was already past him. Taylor grabbed at Cooper’s jersey like he was trying to catch a moving train, but Cooper took down Fields to seal a Broncos win.

Here's 21 stationary guys and Jonathon Cooper blowing off the ball on the game-sealing sack — the #Broncos ninth of the day against the Jets. pic.twitter.com/zRnxjrd1Dy

— Parker Gabriel (@ParkerJGabriel) October 12, 2025

Cooper’s get-off time has shortened in every single season of his NFL career. That rep in London doesn’t happen in 2021, his rookie year. Maybe not even in 2024.

“That’s what we was working on,” Cooper said when asked about that Jets sack. “That was like, all credit to that system, and what we were doing.”

Reaction-time work, as Scheider explained, is much more prevalent in baseball, where modern hitters must train their brains to effectively pick up triple-digit mile-per-hour fastballs. The concept is no different for pass-rushers in the NFL.

“It also aids decision-making,” Scheider said. “So, if Coop sees a tackle set a certain way, or set an angle the wrong way, Coop’s able to react.”

Last Sunday, on one rep in a 44-24 drubbing of Dallas, Cooper burst from the outside against Cowboys right tackle Terence Steele. As Cooper approached, Steele’s right foot dropped behind him, anticipating a speed-rush to the outside. Without breaking stride or slowing, Cooper gave a one-two step and swam his arms past Steele back to the inside, getting on top of quarterback Dak Prescott and forcing an incompletion.

Back in July, Scheider goaded on Cooper during workouts with comparisons to two of the pre-eminent pass-rushers in the NFL, Ward recalled. This is Micah Parsons time, Scheider said. This is Myles Garrett speed.

Through eight weeks, Cooper now has a faster average get-off time than Parsons or Garrett.

“If Coop finds something that motivates him or pushes him,” Ward said, “he’s never going to stop.”

•••

By the end of his time at Gahanna-Lincoln, Cooper’s letterman jacket was stitched across the back with nods to his time on the football team. And the basketball team.

It also read A capella.

“Like, no other kid in America is walking around with those three on the back of their jacket,” Ward chuckled.

Cooper was in the school choir since middle school, and was one of the group’s best bass singers, teacher Jeremy Lahman said. He prepared intensely for tryouts every year while also developing as a five-star football recruit. If anyone ever joked about it, Ward said, Cooper told them he was going to be great at singing.

“I love music,” Cooper said. “So, yeah, it just kinda had me. So I mean, I enjoyed that.

“And plus, the choir teacher was a hardass. So that’s what made it better.”

Cooper has long found kinship with those who push him as hard as he pushes himself. O’Neal is an aggressive coach and self-described “not very likable guy.” Cooper has become his favorite player he’s ever had in draft prep. In Denver, rookie Sai’vion Jones — two lockers down from Cooper — has watched the veteran bicker constantly with his fellow outside linebackers for months.

“When you see him all turnt up,” Jones grinned, “you don’t have no choice but to be turnt up with him.”

John Franklin-Myers (98) of the Denver Broncos celebrates sacking Dak Prescott (4) of the Dallas Cowboys with teammate Jonathon Cooper (0) during the first quarter at Empower Field at Mile High in Denver on Sunday, Oct. 26, 2025. (Photo by AAron Ontiveroz/The Denver Post)

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states, food banks and SNAP recipients scrambling to figure out how to secure food. Some states said they would spend their own funds to keep versions of the program going.

The program costs around $8 billion per month nationally.

Democratic state attorneys general or governors from 25 states, as well as the District of Columbia, challenged the plan to pause the program, contending that the administration has a legal obligation to keep it running in their jurisdictions.

The administration said it wasn’t allowed to use a contingency fund with about $5 billion in it for the program, which reversed a USDA plan from before the shutdown that said money would be tapped to keep SNAP running. The Democratic officials argued that not only could that money be used, it must be. They also said a separate fund with around $23 billion is available for the cause.

A federal judge in Rhode Island ruled from a bench that the program must be funded using at least the contingency funds – and asked for an update on progress by Monday.

A Massachusetts-based judge also gave the administration until Monday to say whether it would partially pay for the benefits for November with contingency money or fund them fully with additional funds

It wasn’t immediately clear how quickly the debit cards that beneficiaries use to buy groceries could be reloaded after the ruling. That process often takes one to two weeks.

The rulings are likely to face appeals.

In a hearing in Boston Thursday on a legal challenge filed by the Democratic officials from 25 states, one federal judge seemed skeptical of the administration’s argument that SNAP benefits could be halted.

U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani told lawyers that if the government can’t afford to cover the cost, there’s a process to follow rather than simply suspending all benefits. “The steps involve finding an equitable way of reducing benefits,” said Talwani, who was nominated to the court by former President Barack Obama.

Talwani seemed to be leaning toward requiring the government to put billions of dollars in emergency funds toward SNAP. That, she said, is her interpretation of what Congress intended when an agency’s funding runs out.

“If you don’t have money, you tighten your belt,” she said in court. “You are not going to make everyone drop dead because it’s a political game someplace.”

Government lawyers say a contingency fund containing some $5 billion cannot legally be used to maintain SNAP, a program that costs about $8 billion a month. The states say it must be used for that purpose and point to more money available in a second federal account with around $23 billion.

Talwani said her ruling would apply nationwide, not just in the states that are part of the challenge. That could defy the intentions of the U.S. Supreme Court, which has limited the use of nationwide injunctions, though it hasn’t prohibited them.

Meanwhile, states, food banks and recipients have been bracing for an abrupt shift in how low-income people can get groceries.

The majority of states have announced more or expedited funding for food banks or novel ways to load at least some benefits onto the debit cards used in the program.

Advocates and beneficiaries say halting the food aid would force people to choose between buying groceries and paying other bills.
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At a Washington news conference Friday, Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins, whose department runs SNAP, said the contingency funds in question would not cover the cost of SNAP for long. Speaking at a press conference with House Speaker Mike Johnson at the Capitol, she blamed Democrats for conducting a “disgusting dereliction of duty” by refusing to end their Senate filibuster as they hold out for an extension of health care funds.

A push this week to continue SNAP funding during the shutdown failed in Congress.

To qualify for SNAP in 2025, a family of four’s net income after certain expenses can’t exceed the federal poverty line, which is about $31,000 per year. Last year, SNAP provided assistance to 41 million people, nearly two-thirds of whom were families with children, according to the lawsuit.

Mulvihill reported from Haddonfield, New Jersey; and Kruesi from Providence, Rhode Island. Associated Press reporter Lisa Mascaro in Washington, D.C., contributed.

Republican leaders reject Trump’s demands to scrap the Senate filibuster to end the shutdown

Fri, 31 Oct 2025 11:46:40 +0000

By LISA MASCARO and MARY CLARE JALONICK, Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — Back from a week abroad, President Donald Trump threw himself into the shutdown debate, calling on the Senate to scrap the filibuster and reopen the government, an idea swiftly rejected Friday by Republican leaders who have long opposed such a move.

Trump has wanted his Republican Party to get rid of the Senate rule that requires 60 votes to overcome objections and gives the minority Democrats a check on GOP power. In the chamber that’s currently split, 53-47, Democrats have had enough votes to keep the government closed while they demand an extension of health care subsidies. Neither party has seriously wanted to nuke the rule.

“THE CHOICE IS CLEAR — INITIATE THE ‘NUCLEAR OPTION,’ GET RID OF THE FILIBUSTER,” Trump said in a late night social media post Thursday.

Trump’s sudden decision to assert himself into the shutdown now in its 31st day — bringing the highly charged demand to end the filibuster — is certain to set the Senate on edge. It could spur senators toward their own compromise or send the chamber spiraling toward a new sense of crisis.

Republican leaders responded quickly, and unequivocally, setting themselves at odds with Trump, the president few have dared to counter.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune has repeatedly said he is not considering changing the rules to end the shutdown, arguing that it is vital to the institution of the Senate and has allowed them to halt Democratic policies when they are in the minority.

The leader’s “position on the importance of the legislative filibuster is unchanged,” Thune spokesman Ryan Wrasse said Friday.

A spokesman for Wyoming Sen. John Barrasso, the No. 2 Republican, said his position opposing a filibuster change also remains unchanged. And former GOP leader Mitch McConnell, who firmly opposed Trump’s filibuster pleas in his first term, remains in the Senate.

House Speaker Mike Johnson also defended the filibuster Friday, while conceding “it’s not my call,” from his chamber across the Capitol.

“The safeguard in the Senate has always been the filibuster,” Johnson said, adding that Trump’s comments are “the president’s anger at the situation.”

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., speaks during a news conference at the Capitol, Tuesday, Oct. 28, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mariam Zuhaib)

Vice President JD Vance speaks to the media alongside Sean O’Brien, President of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, from left, Chris Sununu, president & CEO of Airlines for America, and Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, and aviation industry representatives, about the impact of the government shutdown on the aviation industry, outside of the West Wing of the White House, Thursday, Oct. 30, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

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House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., speaks during a news conference at the Capitol, Tuesday, Oct. 28, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mariam Zuhaib)

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Broad GOP support for filibuster

Even if Thune wanted to change the filibuster, he would not currently have the votes to do so in the divided Senate.

“The filibuster forces us to find common ground in the Senate,” Republican Sen. John Curtis of Utah posted on X Friday morning, responding to Trump’s comments and echoing the sentiments of many of his Senate Republican colleagues. “Power changes hands, but principles shouldn’t. I’m a firm no on eliminating it.”

Debate has swirled around the legislative filibuster for years. Many Democrats pushed to eliminate it when they had full power in Washington, as the Republicans do now, four years ago. But they ultimately didn’t have the votes after enough Democratic senators opposed the move, predicting such an action would come back to haunt them.

Little progress on shutdown

Trump’s demand comes as he has declined to engage with Democratic leaders on ways to end the shutdown, on track to becoming the longest in history. He said in his post that he gave a “great deal” of thought to his choice on his flight home from Asia and that one question that kept coming up during his trip was why “powerful Republicans allow” the Democrats to shut down parts of the government.

While quiet talks are underway, particularly among bipartisan senators, Trump has not been seriously involved. Democrats refuse to vote to reopen the government until Republicans negotiate an extension to the health care subsidies. The Republicans say they won’t negotiate until the government is reopened.

From coast to coast, fallout from the dysfunction of the shuttered federal government is hitting home. SNAP food aid is scheduled to shut off. Flights are being delayed with holiday travel around the corner. Workers are going without paychecks.

And Americans are getting a first glimpse of the skyrocketing health care insurance costs that are at the center of the stalemate.

“People are stressing,” said Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, as food options in her state grow scarce.

“We are well past time to have this behind us.”

Money for military, but not food aid

The White House has moved money around to ensure the military is paid, but refuses to tap funds for food aid. In fact, Trump’s “big, beautiful bill” signed into law this summer, delivered the most substantial cut ever to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, known as SNAP, projected to result in some 2.4 million people off the program.

Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins said Friday the agency cannot release contingency funds to keep SNAP running, an issue now facing a legal challenge in court.

“We are holding food over the heads of poor people so that we can take away their health care,” said Rev. Ryan Stoess during a prayer with religious leaders at the U.S. Capitol.

“God help us,” he said, “when the cruelty is the point.”

Deadlines shift to next week

The House remains closed under Johnson with no plans to resume the session, and senators left for the weekend and are due back Monday.

The next inflection point comes after Tuesday’s off-year elections — the New York City mayor’s race, as well as elections in Virginia and New Jersey that will determine those states’ governors. Many expect that once those winners and losers are declared, and the Democrats and Republicans assess their political standing with the voters, they might be ready to hunker down for a deal.

If the shutdown continues into next week, it could become the longest in history, surpassing the 35-day lapse that ended in 2019, during Trump’s first term, over his demands to build the U.S.-Mexico border wall.

Associated Press writers Matt Brown and Josh Boak in Tokyo contributed to this report.

University of Denver moving to West Coast Conference in 2026

Fri, 31 Oct 2025 11:13:30 +0000

The University of Denver is riding the latest wave of college realignment.

DU is moving from the Summit League to the West Coast Conference in 2026, the university announced Friday. The Pioneers will be a member of the conference in nine sports: men’s and women’s basketball, men’s and women’s golf, men’s and women’s soccer, men’s and women’s tennis, and volleyball.

The move to the WCC does not affect three of DU’s marquee programs. Hockey will remain in the National Collegiate Hockey Conference, gymnastics will remain in the Big 12, and men’s and women’s lacrosse will remain in the Big East. Plus, triathlon will stay independent and DU will announce a conference transition plan for its men’s/women’s swimming and diving programs at a later date.

A move to the WCC fits the bill for DU, a private school, as the league is comprised of private schools on the West Coast. Though Gonzaga, historically the conference’s best basketball school, is leaving for the rebuilt Pac-12 in 2026, the conference is still a step up for the Pioneers in the college athletics landscape.

The Pioneers have belonged to the Summit League since 2013. Prior to that, DU spent a year in the Western Athletic Conference, was in the Sun Belt from 1999-2012, and was independent from 1962-99. Before that, DU was a part of the Mountain States Athletic Conference.

Basketball-wise, the WCC will be a challenge for DU’s men’s basketball team, which struggled to find a consistent footing in the Summit and has never made an NCAA Tournament appearance. The Pioneers begin the 2025-26 season next week under first-year coach Tim Bergstraser, and haven’t had a winning season since 2016-17.

This story will be updated.

Americans staying put: US home turnover rate at lowest level in decades as housing slump drags on

Fri, 31 Oct 2025 10:59:00 +0000

By ALEX VEIGA

LOS ANGELES (AP) — The number of U.S. homes that typically change hands as people relocate for work, retire or trade-up for more living space hasn’t been this low in nearly 30 years.

About 28 out of every 1,000 homes changed hands between January and September, the lowest U.S. home turnover rate going back to at least the 1990s, according to an analysis by Redfin.

The home turnover rate represents the number of homes sold, divided by the total number of existing sellable properties. While sales data show whether more or fewer homes are selling in a given period, the home turnover rate helps illustrate how homeowners are staying put longer.

“It’s not healthy for the economy that people are staying put,” said Daryl Fairweather, chief economist at Redfin.

Consider, the home sales turnover rate through the first nine months of this year is down about 30% from the average rate over the same time periods between 2012 and 2022.

Traditionally, opportunities such as a new job or the need for more space when starting a family motivate homeowners to sell and relocate. The fact that fewer homes are changing hands suggests they aren’t seeing as many opportunities for employment mobility, or perhaps can’t afford to sell and buy at today’s prices and mortgage rates.

“If people are stuck, it’s reflective of how the economy is stuck,” Fairweather said. “We’re in a low-hire, low-fire labor market and I think that this goes hand in hand with that.”

U.S. employers added just 22,000 jobs in August, according to the Labor Department, down from 79,000 in July and well below the 80,000 that economists had expected.

Government hiring data is on hold during the shutdown, so the Labor Department’s tally of hiring in September was never released, but earlier this month a survey by payroll company ADP showed that the private sector lost 32,000 jobs in September.

Meanwhile, several large companies, including Microsoft, General Motors, Amazon and Target, have announced job cuts.

The slowing job market has many Americans increasingly concerned. That’s not a good recipe for home sales.

Another factor keeping a lid on home sales: Many homeowners who bought or refinanced to rock-bottom mortgage rates in 2020 and 2021 have little incentive to sell and buy a home at current home loan rates.

The U.S. housing market has been in a slump dating back to 2022, the year mortgage rates began climbing from historic lows that fueled a homebuying frenzy at the start of this decade.

Sales of previously occupied U.S. homes sank last year to their lowest level in nearly 30 years. Sales have been sluggish this year, although they accelerated last month to their fastest pace since February as mortgage rates eased. The average rate on a 30-year mortgage fell this week to its lowest level in more than a year.

While lower rates boost home shoppers’ purchasing power, borrowing costs remain too high for many Americans to afford to buy a home following years of skyrocketing prices. The median sales price of a previously occupied U.S. home has risen 53% over the past six years.

Ohio panel and Virginia lawmakers move forward with congressional redistricting plans

Fri, 31 Oct 2025 10:31:40 +0000

By DAVID A. LIEB, OLIVIA DIAZ and MARK SCOLFORO, Associated Press

A Republican-dominated Ohio panel adopted new U.S. House districts on Friday that could boost the GOP’s chances of winning two additional seats in next year’s elections and aid President Donald Trump’s efforts to hold on to a slim congressional majority.

The action by the Ohio Redistricting Commission came as Virginia’s Democratic-led Virginia General Assembly advanced a proposed constitutional amendment that could pave the way for redistricting in the state ahead of congressional midterm elections next year. The Senate on Friday passed a resolution that would allow lawmakers to temporarily bypass a bipartisan redistricting commission and gerrymander their maps. The House had advanced it Wednesday.

Trump has been urging Republican-led states to reshape their U.S. House districts in an attempt to win more seats. But unlike in other states, Ohio’s redistricting was required by the state constitution because the current districts were adopted after the 2020 census without bipartisan support.

Ohio joins Texas, Missouri and North Carolina, where Republican lawmakers already have revised their congressional districts.

Democrats have been pushing back. California voters are deciding Tuesday on a redistricting plan passed by the Democratic-led Legislature.

The political parties are in an intense battle, because Democrats need to gain just three seats in next year’s election to win control of the House and gain the power to impede Trump’s agenda.

In Ohio, Republicans already hold 10 of 15 congressional seats. The new map could boost Republican chances in already competitive districts currently held by Democratic Reps. Greg Landsman in Cincinnati and Marcy Kaptur near Toledo. Kaptur won a 22nd term last year by about 2,400 votes, or less than 1 percentage point, in a district carried by Trump. Landsman was reelected with more than 54% of the vote.

Ohio residents criticize new map

Ohio’s commission had faced a Friday deadline to adopt a new map, or else the task would have fallen to the GOP-led Legislature, which could have crafted districts even more favorable to Republicans. But any redistricting bill passed by the Legislature could have been subject to an initiative petition campaign from opponents seeking to force a public referendum on the new map.

The uncertainty of that legislative process provided commissioners of both parties with some incentive for compromise. All seven commissioners — five Republicans and two Democrats — voted for the new map.

But Ohio residents who testified to commissioners Friday denounced the new districts. Julia Cattaneo, who wore a shirt saying “gerrymandering is cheating,” said the new map is gerrymandered more for Republicans than the one it is replacing and is not the sort of compromise needed.

“Yes, you are compromising — your integrity, honor, duty and to represent Ohioans,” she said.

Added resident Scott Sibley: “This map is an affront to democracy, and you should all — every one of you — be ashamed.”

Republican state Auditor Keith Farber, a member of the commission, defended the map during a testy exchange with one opponent. Because many Democrats live in cities and many Republicans in rural areas, he said there was no way to draw a map creating eight Republican and seven Democratic districts — as some had urged — without splitting cities, counties and townships.

Virginia Democrats point at Trump to defend redistricting

Virginia is represented in the U.S. House by six Democrats and five Republicans. Democratic lawmakers haven’t unveiled their planned new map, nor how many seats they are trying to gain, but said their moves are necessary to respond to the Trump-inspired gerrymandering in Republican-led states.

“Our voters are asking to have that voice. They’re asking that we protect democracy, that we not allow gerrymandering to happen throughout the country, and we sit back,” Democratic Sen. Barbara Favola said.

The proposed constitutional amendment would let lawmakers temporarily bypass a bipartisan commission and redraw congressional districts to their advantage. The measure would still need to pass the General Assembly again next year, then go before voters in a statewide referendum.

The developments come as Virginia holds statewide elections Tuesday, where all 100 seats in the House of Delegates are on the ballot. Democrats would need to keep their slim majority in the lower chamber to advance the constitutional amendment next year.

Republican Sen. Mark Obenshain said Democrats were ignoring the will of voters who had overwhelmingly approved a bipartisan redistricting commission.

“Heaven forbid that we actually link arms and work together on something,” Obenshain said. “What the voters of Virginia said is, ‘We expect redistricting to be an issue that we work across the aisle on, that we link arms on.’”

But Democratic Sen. Schuyler VanValkenburg, who has long championed the state’s bipartisan redistricting commission, noted the panel still would be in charge of redistricting after the 2030 census.

“We’re not trying to end the practice of fair maps,” he said. “We are asking the voters if, in this one limited case, they want to ensure that a constitutional-norm-busting president can’t break the entire national election by twisting the arms of a few state legislatures.”

Lieb reported from Jefferson City, Missouri; Scolforo from Harrisburg, Pennsylvania; and Diaz from Richmond, Virginia. Diaz is a corps member for The Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues.

Democratic-led Virginia legislature votes to move forward on mid-decade congressional redistricting

Fri, 31 Oct 2025 10:25:23 +0000

By DAVID A. LIEB, OLIVIA DIAZ and MARK SCOLFORO, Associated Press

The Democratic-led Virginia General Assembly has approved advancing a proposed constitutional amendment that could pave the way for redistricting in the state ahead of congressional midterm elections next year.

The state’s Democratic-led Senate passed a resolution Friday that would allow lawmakers to temporarily bypass a bipartisan redistricting commission and gerrymander their maps. The House had advanced it Wednesday.

For a redrawn map to be used by midterms, the resolution would need to pass the General Assembly again next year and subsequently gain voters’ approval by way of a referendum.

Through the constitutional amendment, Virginia’s legislature would have the power to create a new congressional map only when other states do so between now and 2030. Democrats have not unveiled a proposed map.

It’s part of a national battle over which party will control the U.S. House. President Donald Trump kicked off a redistricting fray this summer by urging Republican-led states to redraw voting districts ahead of the midterms.

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. AP’s earlier story follows below.

The action by the Ohio Redistricting Commission comes as Trump has been urging Republican-led states to reshape their U.S. House districts in an attempt to win more seats. But unlike in other states, Ohio’s redistricting was required by the state constitution because the current districts were adopted after the 2020 census without bipartisan support.

Ohio joins Texas, Missouri and North Carolina, where Republican lawmakers already have revised their congressional districts.

Democrats have been pushing back. California voters are deciding Tuesday on a redistricting plan passed by the Democratic-led Legislature. And in Virginia, the Democratic-led Senate on Friday was debating a proposed constitutional amendment that, if adopted by voters, could allow lawmakers to redraw congressional districts.

The political parties are in an intense battle, because Democrats need to gain just three seats in next year’s election to win control of the House and gain the power to impede Trump’s agenda.

Ohio residents criticize new map

“Yes, you are compromising — your integrity, honor, duty and to represent Ohioans,” she said.

Added resident Scott Sibley: “This map is an affront to democracy, and you should all — every one of you — be ashamed.”

Virginia Democrats point at Trump to defend redistricting

Senators are considering a proposed constitutional amendment that would let them temporarily bypass a bipartisan commission and redraw congressional districts to their advantage. The Virginia House passed the same resolution Wednesday. But that measure would still need to pass the General Assembly again next year, then go before voters in a statewide referendum.

Republican Sen. Mark Obenshain said Democrats were ignoring the will of voters who had overwhelmingly approved a bipartisan redistricting commission.

But Democratic Sen. Schuyler VanValkenburg, who has long championed the state’s bipartisan redistricting commission, noted the panel still would be in charge of redistricting after the 2030 census.

Jaguars placing two-way star Travis Hunter on injured reserve with a knee injury

Fri, 31 Oct 2025 10:07:35 +0000

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — The Jacksonville Jaguars are placing two-way star Travis Hunter on injured reserve because of a knee injury.

Coach Liam Coen announced the news Friday, a day after Hunter injured a knee in practice. Coen called it a non-contact injury and said the team is “still assessing” whether Hunter will be able to play again this season.

“That I don’t know,” Coen said, adding that it’s “a minor setback for a major comeback.”

Hunter delivered a career performance in a loss to the Los Angeles Rams in London. The CU Buffs’ 2024 Heisman Trophy winner caught eight passes for 101 yards and a touchdown, and the Jaguars (4-3) were planning to use him as their No. 1 receiver this week at the Las Vegas Raiders (2-5) partly because Brian Thomas Jr. leads the league with nine dropped passes.

Now, Hunter will miss a minimum of four games.

“We’re currently assessing the injury just to determine the best course of action moving forward for Travis and for the team,” Coen said. “Feel bad for the guy, for the kid, for our team, for everything. He’s in good spirits right now. A minor setback for a major comeback.”

The Jaguars already were banged up at receiver before Hunter’s injury. Thomas (shoulder) and Tim Patrick (groin) were limited participants for the second consecutive day Thursday, and Dyami Brown (shoulder) was a full participant after being limited Wednesday.

“I have a lot of confidence in these guys,” Coen said. “It’s a great opportunity for all of us to work through a little adversity and the guys to go out and perform at a high level. It’s definitely not ideal timing, not that any injury is ever ideal timing.

“But you got to believe the mental, the makeup, his general attitude toward life and how he handles dealing with specific situations, I have a lot of belief in Travis as a person, as a competitor to come back better than ever.”

Hunter has played a combined 486 snaps this season, with 324 of those coming on offense. He has played 67% of the downs on that side of the ball. He has played 162 snaps on defense, on the field 36% of the time on that side of the ball.

He has 28 receptions for 298 yards and a score. He also has 15 tackles and three pass defenses.

___

AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl

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Judges could rule on the fate of SNAP food aid as deadline nears for shutdown to end payments

Fri, 31 Oct 2025 10:04:00 +0000

By MICHAEL CASEY, GEOFF MULVIHILL and KIMBERLEE KRUESI, Associated Press

BOSTON (AP) — Two judges could rule as soon as Friday on whether President Donald Trump’s administration must replenish SNAP food aid benefits for November despite the government shutdown.

The grocery-buying ability for about 1 in 8 Americans could hinge on the outcomes.

Even if a judge rules the benefits cannot be suspended for the first time in SNAP’s 61-year history, many beneficiaries are likely to face delays in getting the debit cards they use to buy groceries reloaded. That process can take one to two weeks, so it’s likely too late to get funds on cards in the first days of November.

In a hearing in Boston Thursday on a legal challenge filed by Democratic officials from 25 states, one federal judge seemed skeptical of the administration’s argument that SNAP benefits could be halted.

U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani told lawyers that if the government can’t afford to cover the cost, there’s a process to follow rather than simply suspending all benefits. “The steps involve finding an equitable way of reducing benefits,” said Talwani, who was nominated to the court by former President Barack Obama.

Talwani seemed to be leaning toward requiring the government to put billions of dollars in emergency funds toward SNAP. That, she said, is her interpretation of what Congress intended when an agency’s funding runs out.

“If you don’t have money, you tighten your belt,” she said in court. “You are not going to make everyone drop dead because it’s a political game someplace.”

Government lawyers say a contingency fund containing some $5 billion cannot legally be used to maintain SNAP, a program that costs about $8 billion a month. The states say it must be used for that purpose and point to more money available in a second federal account with around $23 billion.

Talwani said her ruling would apply nationwide, not just in the states that are part of the challenge. That could defy the intentions of the U.S. Supreme Court, which has limited the use of nationwide injunctions, though it hasn’t prohibited them.

A hearing on a second, similar challenge filed by a coalition of cities and nonprofit organizations is scheduled before a Rhode Island-based federal judge for Friday.

Any ruling in either case is likely to face an appeal.

Meanwhile, states, food banks and recipients have been bracing for an abrupt shift in how low-income people can get groceries.

The majority of states have announced more or expedited funding for food banks or novel ways to load at least some benefits onto the debit cards used in the program.

Advocates and beneficiaries say halting the food aid would force people to choose between buying groceries and paying other bills.

At a Washington news conference Friday, Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins, whose department runs SNAP, said the contingency funds in question would not cover the cost of SNAP for long. Speaking at a press conference with House Speaker Mike Johnson at the Capitol, she blamed Democrats for conducting a “disgusting dereliction of duty” by refusing to end their Senate filibuster as they hold out for an extension of health care funds.

A push this week to continue SNAP funding during the shutdown failed in Congress.

To qualify for SNAP in 2025, a family of four’s net income after certain expenses can’t exceed the federal poverty line, which is about $31,000 per year. Last year, SNAP provided assistance to 41 million people, nearly two-thirds of whom were families with children, according to the lawsuit.

Mulvihill reported from Haddonfield, New Jersey; and Kruesi from Providence, Rhode Island. Associated Press reporter Lisa Mascaro in Washington, D.C., contributed.

Denver food halls start donation drive for SNAP recipients

Fri, 31 Oct 2025 09:59:47 +0000

Six food halls are coming together to raise funds and donations for Denver metro food banks as the federal government suspends its nutritional assistance program for the first time in history.

They are placing collection bins in their common areas and competing to see which can donate the most goods in one month. The drive is coming at a crucial time, as the Trump administration announced the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, would freeze starting in November.

Food banks are concerned about their dwindling food supplies as more people struggle to buy groceries. State leaders, including Colorado Gov. Jared Polis, have urged residents to donate to them. SNAP benefits sustain more than 600,000 Coloradans, half of whom are children.

The idea for a combined food drive originated from within The Tangled Ball, a yarn store inside Edgewater Public Market.

“It’s a perfect way to mobilize our communities around a cause that matters,” Edgewater general manager Dan Vivacqua said in a statement.

The participating food halls and their chosen food banks are:

Avanti Food & Beverage (3200 N. Pecos St., Denver), for Bienvenidos Food Bank (bienvenidosfoodbank.org)
Denver Central Market (2669 Larimer St., Denver), for Kaizen Food Rescue (kaizenfoodrescue.org)
Edgewater Public Market (5505 W. 20th Ave., Edgewater), for JeffCo Eats (jeffcoeats.org)
Freedom Street Social (15177 Candelas Parkway, Arvada), for Community Table (cotable.org)
The Golden Mill (1012 Ford St., Golden), for BGOLDN (bgoldn.org)
Stanley Marketplace (2501 Dallas St., Aurora), for Village Exchange Center (villageexchangecenter.org)

Each food court is urging customers to drop off goods specifically requested by the food bank or make financial donations.

“Donated items are great, and people love the act of shopping for others, but these nonprofits can stretch monetary donations further,” Vivacqua said.

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Multiple people have been arrested in Michigan in a Halloween weekend attack plot, FBI director says

Fri, 31 Oct 2025 09:53:22 +0000

By MIKE HOUSEHOLDER and ERIC TUCKER, Associated Press

DEARBORN, Mich. (AP) — Multiple people who had been allegedly plotting a violent attack over the Halloween weekend were arrested Friday in Michigan, FBI Director Kash Patel said in a social media post.

Patel said more information would be released later. But the law enforcement effort appeared to be in the Detroit area.

FBI and state police vehicles were in a neighborhood near Fordson High School in Dearborn. People wearing shirts marked FBI walked in and out of a house, including one person who collected paper bags and other items from an evidence truck.

Dearborn police said in a social media post that it was aware that the FBI was conducting operations in the city and assured residents that there was no threat to the community. A message seeking comment from an FBI spokesperson in Detroit was not immediately returned.

Separately, in May, the FBI said it arrested a man who had spent months planning an attack against a U.S. Army site in suburban Detroit on behalf of the Islamic State group. The man, Ammar Said, didn’t know that his supposed allies in the alleged plot were undercover FBI employees.

Said remains in custody, charged with attempting to provide support to a terrorist organization. The criminal complaint was replaced in September with a criminal “information” document, signaling that a guilty plea is likely.

Associated Press writers Sarah Brumfield and Alanna Durkin Richer in Washington and Ed White in Detroit contributed to this report.

University of Denver moving to West Coast Conference in 2026, source says

Fri, 31 Oct 2025 09:50:33 +0000

The University of Denver is riding the latest wave of college realignment.

DU is moving from the Summit League to the West Coast Conference in 2026, according to a university source. The Pioneers will be a member of the conference in nine sports. The WCC does not support hockey at the NCAA D-I level, so it’s likely DU will remain in the National Collegiate Hockey Conference for its marquee sport.

The school has yet to make a formal announcement about the move, though that is expected to come sometime Friday morning. DU athletics staff members received emails early Friday morning stating there would be a mandatory meeting at 9 a.m., a source told The Denver Post.

This story will be updated.

Colorado high school football scoreboard: Week 10

Fri, 31 Oct 2025 09:47:42 +0000

Thursday night’s Colorado high school football scores

Brush 35, The Academy 12

Centaurus 68, Thornton 3

Chaparral 38, Douglas County 37

Cheyenne Mountain 41, Gateway 6

Coronado 24, Pueblo East 21

Denver South 27, Denver East 7

Discovery Canyon 48, Palmer 8

Ellicott 40, Peyton 8

Englewood 19, Platte Canyon 13

Evergreen 71, Wheat Ridge 20

Fort Collins 48, Prairie View 0

Fossil Ridge 45, Brighton 22

Frederick 40, Greeley West 6

Granada 75, Bethune 38

Grand Junction 56, Sand Creek 13

Heritage 35, Ponderosa 14

Hoehne 74, Walsenburg 0

Legacy 59, Vista PEAK Prep 35

Alameda 7, Lincoln 0

Lutheran 59, Littleton 6

Lyons 24, Belleview Christian 0

Manual 57, Jefferson 0

Mountain Vista 56, Castle View 7

Northglenn 53, Overland 0

Palmer Ridge 58, Liberty 7

Riverdale Ridge 42, Grand Junction Central 13

Roosevelt 34, Thompson Valley 22

Standley Lake 21, Kennedy 0

The Pinnacle 33, Estes Park 0

Valor Christian 42, Rock Canyon 7

Westminster 56, Boulder 0

Widefield 43, Doherty 7

Wiley 63, Manzanola 12

Wray 42, Wiggins 2

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Broncos Journal: A guide to Denver’s positional needs ahead of the trade deadline

Fri, 31 Oct 2025 09:35:27 +0000

As teams head into Week 9 of the NFL season, they’re making and fielding calls about the upcoming trade deadline.

The cutoff for trading players arrives at 2 p.m. Tuesday, so if the days before this weekend’s set of games are the run-up, then the hours after play finishes will be when action really starts to heat up.

Often, the hype around the NFL’s trade deadline ends up outstripping the actual moves that take place.

It’s hard to get players up to speed in a short period of time. There are a ton of teams that will finish this week feeling like they’re either right in the mix or just a two or three-game run from getting there.

Plus, even bad teams are often reluctant to part with real talent.

All the same, there are bound to be at least some moves made.

The Broncos are squarely in the buying camp at 6-2 and leading the AFC West. They’ve got a well-rounded roster, but one that’s been pecked at by injury in some areas, by underperformance in a couple of others, and, in one instance, both.

So, with that in mind, here’s a look at a handful of positions the Broncos would be justified in making calls about and a measure of their need midway through the season

Tight end

Need: Medium

Likelihood of deal: Low end of moderate

The Broncos’ tight ends are producing at a better level than in previous seasons. Still, they’re not changing games the way head coach Sean Payton was accustomed to before arriving in Denver.

Free-agent addition Evan Engram is starting to get into rhythm, but he’s not been a major impact player so far. Still, his 26 catches are already more than any tight end has logged in a season for Payton in Denver.

That’s how rough it’s been. Here’s the production from the group over the past three seasons

2023: 39 catches, 362 yards, 4 TDs

2024: 51 catches, 455 yards, 5 TDs

2025 (17-game pace): 87 catches, 714 yards, 6.4 TDs

The need here is somewhat about that still middling production, but it’s also about injury. The team signed 41-year-old marvel Marcedes Lewis to the practice squad on Wednesday to help fill the gap with Lucas Krull and Nate Adkins both out, but the Broncos could certainly use more help.

The problem: Tight ends who can make a real impact in both the running and passing games are rare. Teams don’t part with them easily.

The Broncos have a pass-catcher (Engram) and a blocker (Lewis). Adam Trautman does a little of both. Denver could use a guy who can do a lot of both.

Most of the players reportedly available, however, are one or the other. Somebody like Cleveland’s David Njoku could add in both departments.

Wide receiver

Need: Low (unless…)

Likelihood of a deal: Low

The Broncos like their receiving rotation. For two seasons now, they’ve apparently liked it better than many around the league think they should.

There have been consistent rumblings dating back to last year about the Broncos needing receivers. It percolated this time last year. Then through free agency. Then the first round of the NFL draft. (The latter never seemed likely, but it’s easy now to wonder what might have happened had budding star Emeka Egbuka made it one more pick past Tampa Bay at No. 19.)

Denver drafted Pat Bryant in the third round, but their biggest move, really, was trading away Devaughn Vele rather than adding more to the group.

Troy Franklin’s taken a nice step forward in Year 2 and some weeks he looks like a true No. 2. Marvin Mims Jr. is capable of making big plays. Bryant’s seen more and more playing time and is a force in the run game.

The Broncos don’t need another rotational piece. They’ve got a fine group. A top-of-the-room guy, though? That’d certainly be interesting, not only for the stretch run but theoretically well beyond. That’s Garrett Wilson or Chris Olave territory.

That also would be a major departure from the way Payton and general manager George Paton have operated, built Denver’s roster and planned for the future.

Offensive line

Need: Lower than it was two weeks ago

Likelihood of a deal: Low end of moderate

Watching the Broncos struggle against the New York Jets in London, it’d have been easy to call offensive line Denver’s biggest need. Ben Powers had just gone down with a torn biceps a week earlier and Matt Peart was struggling mightily against the Jets. Turns out, Peart had a torn left MCL. That put Denver down two guys from their initial 53-man roster.

Since then, though, Alex Palczewski has calmed the waters at left guard considerably.

“He doesn’t look like a throw-in left guard,” Payton said Wednesday. “He’s smart. He’s tough. It’s good to see him playing.”

The depth has been dinged — Powers won’t be back for a while and Peart’s season is likely over — but ‘Palcho’ is playing well and Denver has Calvin Throckmorton and Alex Forsyth as depth inside, plus Frank Crum as their now swing tackle.

If there’s a cheap reinforcement out there, it’s worth considering. But the Broncos have come up with good answers in-house so far.

Inside linebacker

Need: Low, but could change quickly

Likelihood of a deal: Low

The Broncos get Dre Greenlaw back this week, putting him in line to play just his second game of Denver’s first nine. He missed six due to a quad injury, played in Week 7, but then was suspended for Week 8.

In the meantime, Denver’s seen a jump in performance from Justin Strnad. Alex Singleton looks more comfortable as the season goes along.

This hasn’t been Denver’s strongest position group so far this year, but is there somebody out there to be had for cheap who will knock one of the Broncos’ existing three out of a rotation? Seems unlikely.

What also seems unlikely: Singleton, Strnad and Greenlaw cruising through the rest of the season without any availability issues. Without much proven production behind them, this is a spot at least worth considering.

One wildcard that won’t happen but would be fun: Saints RB Alvin Kamara. He’s said flatly he doesn’t want to be traded. New Orleans brass doesn’t seem inclined to go against his wishes.

At the same time, Payton loves few players more than he loves Kamara. The pair had a dynamic run in New Orleans for years after Payton selected him in the third round of the 2017 draft.

The Broncos’ ground game has been good. Rookie RJ Harvey just scored three touchdowns Sunday against Dallas, and J.K. Dobbins is third in the NFL in rushing yards. Kamara’s working on career lows in yards per carry and per reception so far this fall.

He doesn’t want to leave, and the Broncos don’t have a major need. Simple as that, probably. But you have to admit, if this deal did come together, the reaction would be, “Oh, of course, we should have seen this coming.”

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Trump says Senate should scrap the filibuster to end the shutdown, an idea opposed by Republicans

Fri, 31 Oct 2025 09:34:00 +0000

By LISA MASCARO, AP Congressional Correspondent

WASHINGTON (AP) — Back from a week abroad, President Donald Trump is calling on the Senate to scrap the filibuster and reopen the government after a monthlong shutdown, breaking with majority Republicans who have long opposed such a move.

Trump said in a post on his social media site Thursday that “THE CHOICE IS CLEAR — INITIATE THE ‘NUCLEAR OPTION,’ GET RID OF THE FILIBUSTER.”

Trump’s sudden decision to assert himself into the shutdown debate — bringing the highly charged demand to end the filibuster — is certain to set the Senate on edge. It could spur senators toward their own compromise or send the chamber spiraling toward a new sense of crisis.

Trump has long called for Republicans to get rid of the Senate rule that requires 60 votes to overcome objections, dating all the way back to his first term in office. The rule gives Democrats a check on the 53-seat Republican majority and enough votes to keep the government closed while they demand an extension of health care subsidies.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune and most members of his Republican conference have strongly opposed changing the filibuster, arguing that it is vital to the institution of the Senate and has allowed them to halt Democratic policies when they are in the minority.

Thune has repeatedly said he is not considering changing the rules to end the shutdown, and his spokesman, Ryan Wrasse, said in a statement Friday that the leader’s “position on the importance of the legislative filibuster is unchanged.”

Broad GOP support for filibuster

Even if Thune wanted to change the filibuster, he would not currently have the votes to do so.

Speaker Mike Johnson also defended the filibuster Friday, while conceding “it’s not my call.” He criticized Democrats for pushing to get rid of it when they had power.

“The safeguard in the Senate has always been the filibuster,” Johnson said, adding that Trump’s comments are “the president’s anger at the situation.”

Little progress on shutdown

Trump’s call comes as the two parties have made little progress toward resolving the shutdown standoff while he was away for a week in Asia. He said in his post that he gave a “great deal” of thought to his choice on his flight home and that one question that kept coming up during his trip was why “powerful Republicans allow” the Democrats to shut down parts of the government.

While quiet talks are underway, particularly among bipartisan senators, the shutdown is not expected to end before next week, as both the House and Senate are out of session. Democrats say they won’t vote to reopen the government until Republicans negotiate an extension to the health care subsidies while Republicans say they won’t negotiate until the government is reopened.

As the shutdown drags on, from coast to coast, fallout from the dysfunction of the shuttered federal government is hitting home: Alaskans are stockpiling moose, caribou and fish for winter, even before SNAP food aid is scheduled to shut off. Mainers are filling up their home-heating oil tanks, but waiting on the federal subsidies that are nowhere in sight.

Flights are being delayed with holiday travel around the corner. Workers are going without paychecks. And Americans are getting a first glimpse of the skyrocketing health care insurance costs that are at the center of the stalemate on Capitol Hill. Money for food aid — the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP — will start to run out this weekend.

“People are stressing,” said Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, as food options in her state grow scarce.

“We are well past time to have this behind us.”

Money for military, but not food aid

At the same time, many Americans who purchase their own health insurance through the federal and state marketplaces, with open enrollment also beginning Saturday, are experiencing sticker shock as premium prices jump.

“We are holding food over the heads of poor people so that we can take away their health care,” said Rev. Ryan Stoess during a prayer with religious leaders at the U.S. Capitol.

“God help us,” he said, “when the cruelty is the point.”

Deadlines shift to next week

The House remains closed down under Johnson for the past month and senators departed for the long weekend on Thursday.

That means the shutdown, in its 30th day, appears likely to stretch into another week if the filibuster remains. If the shutdown continues, it could become the longest in history, surpassing the 35-day lapse that ended in 2019, during Trump’s first term, over his demands to build the U.S.-Mexico border wall.

“I hope that it frees people up to move forward with opening the government,” Thune said.

Associated Press writers Mary Clare Jalonick, Matt Brown and Josh Boak in Tokyo contributed to this report.

Ohio panel adopts new US House districts that could help Republicans in next year’s election

Fri, 31 Oct 2025 09:21:00 +0000

By DAVID A. LIEB, OLIVIA DIAZ and MARK SCOLFORO, Associated Press

Ohio joins Texas, Missouri and North Carolina, where Republican lawmakers already have revised their congressional districts.

Democrats have been pushing back. California voters are deciding Tuesday on a redistricting plan passed by the Democratic-led Legislature. And Democratic lawmakers in Virginia were voting Friday on a proposed constitutional amendment that, if adopted by voters, could allow lawmakers to redraw congressional districts in response to the actions elsewhere.

The political parties are in an intense battle, because Democrats need to gain just three seats in next year’s election to win control of the House and gain the power to impede Trump’s agenda.

Republicans already hold 10 of the 15 congressional seats in Ohio. The new map could boost Republican chances in districts currently held by Democratic Reps. Greg Landsman in Cincinnati and Marcy Kaptur near Toledo.

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. AP’s earlier story follows below.

Mid-cycle congressional redistricting efforts could move forward Friday in two more states as part of growing maneuvering to influence which party will control the U.S. House after next year’s midterm elections.

A Republican-controlled Ohio commission is meeting to consider a proposed map that could give the GOP a chance at winning two more seats. Meanwhile, senators in the Democrat-led Virginia General Assembly are expected to vote on advancing a proposed constitutional amendment that would let them temporarily bypass a bipartisan commission and redraw congressional districts to their advantage.

Their scheduled vote comes after the Virginia House passed the same resolution Wednesday. President Donald Trump kicked off the redistricting fray this summer by urging Republican-led states to redraw voting districts ahead of next year’s congressional elections. Republicans in Texas, Missouri and North Carolina already have done so. Voters in Democratic-led California are deciding on new districts.

GOP-controlled Ohio commission considers new map

In Ohio, the map proposed by the commission appears to increase Republican chances in districts held by Democratic U.S. Reps. Greg Landsman in Cincinnati and Marcy Kaptur around Toledo, an area that voted for Trump in last year’s presidential election. Kaptur won a 22nd term last fall by about 2,400 votes, or less than 1 percentage point, while Landsman was reelected with more than 54% of the vote.

If the Ohio commission fails to adopt a map, the job goes to the Republican-led Legislature, which could enact one designed to bolster the size of the state’s GOP congressional delegation, now with a 10-5 Republican majority.

In Virginia, the proposed constitutional amendment being considered by senators is in its early stages. After Friday, the resolution would need to pass the General Assembly again next year, then go before voters by way of a referendum.

Along with California, Virginia would be one of the few states with a Democratic-led legislature to enter the national redistricting battle.

“There’s a double standard for Democrats in authority that somehow we have to lay down while Donald Trump seizes power that we’ve never seen, and the Republicans run the play,” Virginia House Speaker Don Scott said this week.

Through the constitutional amendment, Virginia’s General Assembly would have the power to create a new congressional map only when other states do so between now and 2030. Democrats have not unveiled their planned map.

Asked about whether his party has begun drafting new districts, Scott said: “You’re not naive.”

The developments come as Virginia has statewide elections Tuesday, where all 100 seats in the House of Delegates are on the ballot. Democrats would need to keep their slim majority in the lower chamber to advance the constitutional amendment next year.

The party’s bullish approach to redistricting reflects members’ confidence in holding onto power. There are roughly a dozen Republican-held seats that are vulnerable to being flipped this year, with Democrats vying to expand their legislative edge.

Conservatives blasted Democrats for undoing efforts to put the maps in the hands of a bipartisan commission, arguing the proceedings went against a Virginia custom of bipartisanship and decorum.

Republican U.S. Rep. Jen Kiggans, who represents a competitive seat, said this week that “there’s partisan games in Washington that it seems like the partisan games have now trickled down here in Richmond.”

A new Virginia way?

Virginia Republican Minority Leader Terry Kilgore said: “Because we have a disagreement with the President of the United States, we’re going to throw Virginia’s constitution to the wind.”

Still, most Republicans rebuking Democrats curtailed their anger when it came to Trump’s role in the national redistricting fight. One GOP Virginia delegate was a prominent exception.

“Candor requires admitting that this bad idea of mid-decade redistricting did get its 2025 watch by the President,” Del. Lee Ware said, though he later added: “To travel down this tortuous path is to transgress long-standing precedent in Virginia. It is to turn our backs on the Virginia way.”

Democratic Del. Cia Price, the first Black woman to chair the House’s elections committee, rebuffed Ware’s argument.

“I know, that as a student of history, that the Virginia way was once used to quiet dissent in the guise of decorum, but I’m living for the future,” she said. “That’s why new times and unprecedented times call for a new Virginia way. ”

Diaz is a corps member for The Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues.

2 killed in wrong-way crash on northbound I-25 near 6th Avenue

Fri, 31 Oct 2025 09:07:40 +0000

Two people were killed early Friday morning after a motorist driving in the wrong direction in the northbound lanes of Interstate 25 collided with another vehicle just south of 6th Avenue in Denver.

Both motorists were pronounced dead at the scene of the crash, which was reported to police just before 3 a.m., the Denver Police Department said on social media. There were no passengers in either vehicle.

“We’re still trying to determine where the wrong-way driver got on the highway,” said Denver police spokesperson Doug Schepman.

Schepman said it was too early to determine if alcohol or drugs were involved in the incident.

The crash prompted the closure of the northbound lanes of I-25 near 6th Avenue, which were reopened just after 6:30 a.m.

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University of Denver moving to West Coast Conference in 2026, according to report

Fri, 31 Oct 2025 08:56:04 +0000

The University of Denver is riding the latest wave of college realignment.

DU is moving from the Summit League to the West Coast Conference in 2026, according to a report by ESPN’s Pete Thamel. The Pioneers will be a member of the conference in nine sports. The WCC does not support hockey at the NCAA D-I level, so it’s likely DU will remain in the National Collegiate Hockey Conference for its marquee sport.

This story will be updated.

FBI Director Patel says multiple people were arrested in Michigan in a Halloween weekend attack plot

Fri, 31 Oct 2025 08:47:00 +0000

By MIKE HOUSEHOLDER, Associated Press

Patel said more information would be released later. But the law enforcement effort appeared to be in the Detroit area.

FBI and state police vehicles were in a neighborhood near Fordson High School in Dearborn. An investigator was seen walking out of a house, grabbing some items from an FBI evidence truck and returning inside.

Instacart, DoorDash, Gopuff among companies offering discounts to SNAP recipients

Fri, 31 Oct 2025 08:47:00 +0000

By DEE-ANN DURBIN, Associated Press Business Writer

Instacart said Friday it will offer customers who receive SNAP benefits 50% on their next grocery order to ease strain as the government prepares to cut off food aid payments.

Instacart said any customer who placed an order in October using a SNAP/EBT card will be eligible for the discount, which will be available even if the government makes the payments as planned on Nov. 1. Instacart said it is also expanding the number of food banks it supports through online food drives from 100 to 300.

The San Francisco-based grocery delivery company said both programs amount to $5 million in direct relief.

“As SNAP funding faces unprecedented disruption and food banks brace for longer lines, we’re focused on practical, immediate solutions: helping families who use SNAP stretch their grocery dollars and helping food banks stock up to support their communities,” said Dani Dudeck, Instacart’s chief corporate affairs officer.

Instacart is one of several big companies reacting to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s plan to freeze payments to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program on Nov. 1 due to the government shutdown.

Gopuff, a Philadelphia-based company that provides fast delivery of food and other convenience items, said it will provide $50 worth of free groceries in November to customers who have a SNAP/EBT card connected to their Gopuff account. Gopuff said it will spend up to $10 million on the program.

DoorDash, a delivery company based in San Francisco, said it would waive service and delivery fees for an estimated 300,000 orders for SNAP recipients in November. DoorDash said Friday that 25 grocery companies, including Sprouts, Dollar General, Giant Eagle, Stop & Shop, Winn-Dixie, BJ’s Wholesale Club and ShopRite, are partnering with DoorDash to cut those fees.

DoorDash said it would also deliver 1 million meals from food banks for free. The company said more than 2.4 million of its customers have a SNAP/EBT card linked to their DoorDash account.

Instacart does not disclose how many of its customers receive SNAP benefits. The company began accepting online SNAP payments in 2020. It offers discounted memberships for SNAP recipients and zero delivery fees on orders over $35.

Nuggets Journal: Predicting the NBA Cup as Denver (again) plays in Group of Death

Fri, 31 Oct 2025 08:18:56 +0000

You probably forgot that it existed as soon as it ended last year, and you will be reminded of it when you turn on the television Friday night and see the Nuggets playing on a jet-black court.

Yes, it’s the NBA Cup, that goofy and gimmicky in-season tournament played on obnoxious courts for cash prizes.

Denver got stuck with a brutal draw this year, beginning with Friday’s game at Portland. In the first two installments of this event, the Nuggets failed to make the knockout stage. But only eight teams do. As always, the 30 NBA teams were split into six groups of five. The first-place team in each group will advance, plus two “wild card” second-place teams (one from the West, one from the East).

Group games are built into the regular-season schedule between Halloween and the end of November. Head-to-head results are the first tiebreaker. Point differential is second, in case you get confused by teams attempting half-court buzzer beaters with a 20-point lead.

As silly as the entire concept is, it’s still a fun time, in this humble writer’s opinion. And the opportunity to predict the bracket is a good excuse to look around the league at how various teams have started the season. So here goes nothing.

West Group A

Predicted order of finish: Oklahoma City Thunder, Utah Jazz, Minnesota Timberwolves, Sacramento Kings, Phoenix Suns.

In a combination of maximum chalk and maximum chaos, the OKC machine churns on to another knockout stage — and is joined there by Utah. That’s right, the Jazz will be the Western Conference wild card after taking advantage of weaker competition while the group of death cannibalizes itself. (More on that in a minute.) Despite being a consensus pick to finish dead last in the real-life standings, Utah has some compelling parts: three 7-footers in the starting lineup all with different and complementary skill sets (Lauri Markkanen, Walker Kessler and Kyle Filipowski), an exciting draft class on the bench (Ace Bailey and Walter Clayton Jr.) and a highly regarded coach bringing it all together (Will Hardy). No, the Jazz probably won’t be playing meaningful basketball in March. But the in-season tournament is made for teams like this.

West Group B

Predicted order of finish: Los Angeles Lakers, Memphis Grizzlies, Los Angeles Clippers, New Orleans Pelicans, Dallas Mavericks.

Vibes in Dallas reach an all-time low, and “Fire Nico” chants reach a crescendo as the listless Pelicans eliminate the Mavs at American Airlines Center. Meanwhile, Luka Doncic and the recently possessed Austin Reaves lead the Lakers back to the quarterfinals via point differential, which breaks a three-way tie with the Clips and Grizz. As of this Thursday, before group play began, four of the bottom-six teams in the NBA in assist-to-turnover ratio resided in this group. The Clippers are too good to be 29th in this category. Eventually, they’ll emerge as the best and certainly deepest team of these five, but Ty Lue needs time to put the pieces together.

West Group C

Predicted order of finish: San Antonio Spurs, Denver Nuggets, Golden State Warriors, Portland Trail Blazers, Houston Rockets.

The prevailing takeaway from the first week of this season: Run for your life, MVP contenders. Nikola Jokic’s claim to the “best in the world” title might be limited. Victor Wembanyama is here. The Spurs, in spite of all their roster-building patience, might be ahead of schedule. At least as a regular-season team. The defense looks impenetrable. The early returns on No. 2 draft pick Dylan Harper are promising. And Wemby is competitive enough to trick himself into thinking this trophy means something. Denver’s group stage curse continues with a head-to-head tiebreak loss to San Antonio in this absolute gauntlet. Even the weakest team here (Portland) has top-10 defense potential.

East Group A

Predicted order of finish: Atlanta Hawks, Cleveland Cavaliers, Toronto Raptors, Indiana Pacers, Washington Wizards.

This is basically Cleveland and a bunch of teams that started poorly. The Cavs have to be penciled in as the East wild card, at minimum. But how do you convince yourself not to be completely boring? By keeping the faith in Atlanta, a fun team on paper that has looked like way less than the sum of its parts so far. Trae Young injured his knee earlier this week, adding to the concern. But let’s go lemons to lemonade and project a breakout month for Jalen Johnson working with the ball in his hands more. The Raptors are intriguing here as well, but their defense has betrayed them too much to be trusted.

East Group B

Predicted order of finish: Philadelphia 76ers, Orlando Magic, Boston Celtics, Detroit Pistons, Brooklyn Nets.

Meet the best backcourt in the East. (OK, Cleveland’s is better when Darius Garland is healthy. But sometimes you have to be a little dramatic for effect.) Philly’s guards are playing so well that it might not even matter if Joel Embiid and Paul George are injured or underperforming, at least in small doses. Tyrese Maxey’s bona fides are established by now, VJ Edgecombe is a legit challenger to Cooper Flagg for Rookie of the Year, Quentin Grimes is playing for a big contract next summer, and Jared McCain is another tantalizing prospect if he can stay healthy. This team has serious talent. The fast start isn’t fake. Nor was Brooklyn’s winless week. What is fake: Desmond Bane’s 3-point shooting mega-slump in Orlando. Trust that he’ll settle in with his new team soon.

ALL 30 TEAM COURTS FOR EMIRATES NBA CUP 2025 pic.twitter.com/aZzsIdUedL

— NBA (@NBA) October 24, 2025

East Group C

Predicted order of finish: Milwaukee Bucks, New York Knicks, Chicago Bulls, Miami Heat, Charlotte Hornets.

This is shaping up to be a surprisingly potent group. Miami and Charlotte got off to hyper-efficient starts offensively, and they were still overshadowed by the 4-0 Chicago Bulls rattling off wins without Coby White. At the end of the day, though, how can you bet against the defending NBA Cup champs? Giannis Antetokounmpo averaged 36.3 points and 14 rebounds on 70% shooting in his first four games, then the Bucks beat any allegations of over-dependency by knocking off Golden State without him on Thursday. Myles Turner’s shot hasn’t been falling, but he’s provided an early defensive boost — the kind that Karl-Anthony Towns doesn’t add in New York. Milwaukee wins this group in a head-to-head tiebreaker over the Knicks, while LaMelo Ball air-balls potential game-winners from 35 feet deep in two different Hornets games.

Colorado State News

2 killed in Halloween party shooting on Colorado’s Western Slope

Today in History: November 1, Mussolini extols ‘axis’ alliance with Nazi Germany

Today in history:

Also on this date:

Today’s Birthdays:

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Class 5A

Class 4A

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Predictions

ICE officers mistook Durango father for someone else, official says, but arrested him and children anyway

Salvation Army to lay off 93 Denver employees as shelter operations change hands

Andreas Maxsø won’t return to Rapids, club president Pádraig Smith says

How Broncos’ Jonathon Cooper has become one of the fastest rushers in the NFL: ‘Full speed ahead’

Republican leaders reject Trump’s demands to scrap the Senate filibuster to end the shutdown

Broad GOP support for filibuster

Little progress on shutdown

Money for military, but not food aid

Deadlines shift to next week

University of Denver moving to West Coast Conference in 2026

Americans staying put: US home turnover rate at lowest level in decades as housing slump drags on

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Democratic-led Virginia legislature votes to move forward on mid-decade congressional redistricting

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Virginia Democrats point at Trump to defend redistricting

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Tight end

Wide receiver