Two <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/colorado" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Colorado</a> counties are challenging the state’s laws that restrict local law enforcement’s ability to cooperate with federal immigration authorities.
On Monday, a <a href="https://s3.documentcloud.org/documents/24548867/douglas-county-v-state-of-colorado-complaint-district-court-denver.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">lawsuit</a> was filed against Colorado through Democratic Governor Jared Polis by Douglas and El Paso Counties, who argue that the state’s sanctuary city laws are dangerous and unconstitutional. The suit challenges two laws, <a href="https://leg.colorado.gov/sites/default/files/2019a_1124_signed.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">HB 19-1124</a> and <a href="https://leg.colorado.gov/sites/default/files/documents/2023A/bills/2023a_1100_enr.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">HB 23-1100</a>, which prohibit police from detaining an illegal immigrant based on a civil immigration detainer from an agency like ICE and block local governments from working with the feds to detain illegal immigrants. 
“The nation is facing an immigration crisis. The nation, the state, and local governments need to cooperate and share resources to address this crisis,” the suit, filed in Denver County District Court, says. “Colorado House Bills 19-1124 and 23- 1100 prohibit the necessary cooperation and create dangerous conditions for the State and migrants.”
The suit argues that the Colorado Constitution “forbids the use of constitutional power to prohibit a political subdivision of the State from cooperating or contracting with the federal government.” 
The counties say that the laws should be struck down and they should be allowed to cooperate with federal agencies to enforce immigration law. Douglas County backed Trump by about 7 points in the 2020 election while El Paso County, home to Colorado Springs, went for Trump by 11 points. 
El Paso&#8217;s Board of County Commissioners <a href="https://www.epcsheriffsoffice.com/news-releases/el-paso-county-sheriff-bocc-join-lawsuit-to-overturn-unlawful-immigration-laws-in#:~:text=In%20recent%20years%2C%20the%20Colorado,and%20hold%20accountable%2C%20those%20who" target="_blank" rel="noopener">voted</a> last week 4-0 to authorize the county to join Douglas County&#8217;s litigation against the state. 
“Here in El Paso County, Colorado, we have no choice but to release violent, career criminals back onto our streets, because we have no way to communicate with ICE (Immigrations and Customs Enforcement) and identify undocumented immigrants, or keep them in custody, once local judicial adjudication has been executed,” said Sheriff Joseph Roybal. 
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Douglas County Commissioner Lora Thomas <a href="https://www.9news.com/article/news/local/local-politics/douglas-el-paso-colorado-immigration-lawsuit/73-63ba8a10-2d8b-41f3-a454-a91ff73de1cd" target="_blank" rel="noopener">pointed</a> to the influx of illegal immigrants into Denver as one reason for the lawsuit. 
“The national migrant crisis has forced Denver to continue to cut local services for residents. We have an obligation first to our citizens, and we see what’s happening in Denver as a warning sign to be proactive here in Douglas County,” Douglas County Commissioner Lora Thomas said. 
Last week, Denver announced budget cuts to some department, including the police, sheriff, and fire departments, to allocate more funding for illegal immigrants. Mayor Mike Johnston has regularly asked the Biden administration for more federal dollars for the city to deal with the migrant crisis.

Venezuelan migrants make their way to Denver after traveling for months.

Conservative Counties Challenge Colorado’s ‘Dangerous’ Sanctuary City Laws

Colorado

Denver

Illegal Immigration

Jared Polis

Colorado Democrat Governor Jared Polis, an avid <a href="https://www.denverpost.com/2023/04/14/colorado-abortion-gender-care-protections-expanded/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">supporter</a> of abortion and transgenderism, surprisingly came to the defense of a Colorado middle-schooler this week who was kicked out of class for wearing a patch of the Gadsden flag on his backpack.
Jaiden Rodriguez, 12, was <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/colorado-7th-grader-kicked-out-of-class-for-gadsden-patch-because-of-slavery-origins" target="_blank" rel="noopener">pulled from class</a> at The Vanguard School for having the iconic flag on his backpack, with a school official demanding that he needed &#8220;to take that patch off&#8221; and that the Gadsden flag is not allowed in class because it has “origins with slavery” and the “slave trade.”
Polis appeared on CNN Wednesday night where he defended the Gadsden flag and the student&#8217;s right to wear to it.
“The ‘Don’t Tread On Me’ flag, the Gadsden flag, is really an iconic American flag. It’s flown over units of our military, you know, of course it’s been adopted by the Tea Party and others, sure it has, but a kid could have an ‘I love the Tea Party&#8217; pin on their backpack, too,” Polis said. “Let’s just let kids have their free expression in school, and if they want to advocate for their political beliefs, I think that’s something that should be encouraged.&#8221;
CNN host Abby Phillip suggested that the teacher &#8220;made the association&#8221; that the flag was connected to slavery &#8220;because it has been associated with the right, with the Tea Party and perhaps with the Republican Party.&#8221;
&#8220;You know, it’s a good opportunity to really go through the history and see the pride really as Americans that we should all take in the Gadsden flag,&#8221; Polis responded. &#8220;The rattlesnake, as Ben Franklin said, ‘They never attack first, but they never back down once they’re in a fight.’ And a lot of Americans identify with that spirit.&#8221;
&#8220;But look, it goes deeper [than] that. If we want the moral high ground, Abby, to say that schools shouldn’t be banning rainbow flags on kids’ binders or backpacks to celebrate Pride, we have to also say they shouldn’t be banning free speech on the other side,&#8221; he continued. &#8220;This is a country that treasures free speech, and frankly, I hope it leads to a frank discussion in that school and others around the country about how free speech means that we support the speech even when we don’t agree with it.&#8221;
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WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Colorado Gov. <a href="https://twitter.com/jaredpolis?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@jaredpolis</a> responds after a school tells a 12y old he can’t wear a Gadsden Flag on his backpack: “If we want the moral high ground to say schools should let be banning rainbow flags on kids, binders or backpacks to celebrate pride, we have to also say they should… <a href="https://t.co/eRySe8odY8">pic.twitter.com/eRySe8odY8</a>
&mdash; Abby D. Phillip (@abbydphillip) <a href="https://twitter.com/abbydphillip/status/1697096505587282201?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 31, 2023</a></blockquote>
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Gubernatorial Candidate Jared Polis And Colorado Democrats Hold Election Night Event

Leftist Colorado Governor Defends Boy Removed From Class Over Gadsden Flag: ‘An Iconic American Flag’

Leftist Colorado Governor Defends Boy Removed From Class Over Gadsden Flag: 'An Iconic American Flag'

Education

Patriotism

U.S.

&#8220;The View&#8221; host <a href="https://dailywire.com/news/joy-behar-suggests-americans-who-are-worried-about-inflation-are-stupid/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Joy Behar</a> drew a straight line on Tuesday from the Saturday night shooting at a nightclub in Colorado Springs, Colorado, to Congresswoman Lauren Boebert&#8217;s 2021 Christmas photo.
Behar was discussing the <a href="https://dailywire.com/news/i-have-to-kill-this-guy-before-he-kills-us-army-vet-says-combat-mode-kicked-in-during-nightclub-shooting/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">shooting</a> — which took place at Club Q, an LGBTQ establishment — with Colorado&#8217;s Democrat Governor Jared Polis, who is the nation&#8217;s first openly gay governor. Her argument was that whatever else set mass shootings apart from each other, the one thing they all had in common was the gun.
WATCH:
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&quot;Really makes me nuts!&quot; Joy Behar blames Congresswoman Lauren Robert&#39;s 2021 pro-Second Amendment Christmas cards for the shooting at the gay nightclub in Colorado Springs last weekend. &quot;That&#39;s a very bad message to send to people, especially to children.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/6j2fzIasWe">pic.twitter.com/6j2fzIasWe</a>
&mdash; Nicholas Fondacaro (@NickFondacaro) <a href="https://twitter.com/NickFondacaro/status/1595094231806349314?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 22, 2022</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;Well, the one thing, Governor, that all these things have in common is the gun,&#8221; Behar asserted, adding, &#8220;The guns, I mean, they all have those AR-15s.&#8221;
&#8220;Lauren Boebert, the congresswoman in your state, posts pictures — Christmas pictures of her and her husband and her kids holding these guns,&#8221; Behar continued. &#8220;That&#8217;s a very bad message to send to people, especially to children, but that&#8217;s my own little aside here because that really makes me nuts.&#8221;
Boebert posted the photo in question <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/think/opinion/christmas-card-guns-lauren-boebert-thomas-massie-start-new-culture-ncna1285709" target="_blank" rel="noopener">in response</a> to Congressman Thomas Massie (R-KY), who had shared an image of his very well-armed family sitting by their Christmas tree.
&#8220;Merry Christmas!&#8221; the tweet read. &#8220;p.s. Santa, please bring ammo.&#8221;
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Merry Christmas! 🎄 ps. Santa, please bring ammo. 🎁 <a href="https://t.co/NVawULhCNr">pic.twitter.com/NVawULhCNr</a>
&mdash; Thomas Massie (@RepThomasMassie) <a href="https://twitter.com/RepThomasMassie/status/1467197523127422979?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 4, 2021</a></blockquote>
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Boebert responded with a since-deleted tweet showing her own family posing in a similar fashion by their own tree.
&#8220;The Boeberts have your six, @RepThomasMassie,&#8221; she said, adding, &#8220;(No spare ammo for you though).&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Lauren Boebert’s latest stunt is posing with her young children holding semi-automatic rifles in front of a Christmas tree. She stole the idea from another GOP congressman who pulled the same stunt the other day. It’s not only sacrilegious, it’s also kind of nuts. <a href="https://t.co/oemgiiDHtp">pic.twitter.com/oemgiiDHtp</a>
&mdash; John Aravosis 🇺🇸🇬🇷🏳️‍🌈 (@aravosis) <a href="https://twitter.com/aravosis/status/1468730673800396803?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 8, 2021</a></blockquote>
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Both Massie and Boebert were immediately attacked on Twitter by users accusing them of promoting or even inspiring more gun violence. Some even drew comparisons to militant Islamist groups.
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 <a href="https://t.co/sjsRArsTHI">pic.twitter.com/sjsRArsTHI</a>
&mdash; The USA Singers (@TheUSASingers) <a href="https://twitter.com/TheUSASingers/status/1468657978307977224?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 8, 2021</a></blockquote>
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Fellow Congressman John Yarmuth (D-KY) lashed out at his colleague in a series of tweets, saying, &#8220;I promise not everyone in Kentucky is an insensitive a**hole.&#8221;
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I’m old enough to remember Republicans screaming that it was insensitive to try to protect people from gun violence after a tragedy. Now they openly rub the murder of children in our faces like they scored a touchdown. Disgraceful.
&mdash; Rep. John Yarmuth (@RepJohnYarmuth) <a href="https://twitter.com/RepJohnYarmuth/status/1467226423475818507?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 4, 2021</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;I&#8217;m old enough to remember Republicans screaming that it was insensitive to try to protect people from gun violence after a tragedy,&#8221; Yarmuth continued. &#8220;Now they openly rub the murder of children in our faces like they scored a touchdown. Disgraceful.&#8221;
Parkland father and gun control advocate Fred Guttenberg responded to Massie as well, likening his family to the family of the school shooter who had <a href="https://dailywire.com/news/parents-of-michigan-school-shooting-suspect-may-face-charges/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">rocked Michigan</a> just days earlier.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
.<a href="https://twitter.com/RepThomasMassie?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@RepThomasMassie</a>, since we are sharing family photos, here are mine. One is the last photo that I ever took of Jaime, the other is where she is buried because of the Parkland school shooting.
The Michigan school shooter and his family used to take photos like yours as well. <a href="https://t.co/MsQWneJXAp">pic.twitter.com/MsQWneJXAp</a>
&mdash; Fred Guttenberg (@fred_guttenberg) <a href="https://twitter.com/fred_guttenberg/status/1467222605388296202?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 4, 2021</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;@RepThomasMassie, since we are sharing family photos, here are mine. One is the last photo that I ever took of Jaime, the other is where she is buried because of the Parkland school shooting. The Michigan school shooter and his family used to take photos like yours as well,&#8221; he said.

2017 Broadcasting & Cable Hall Of Fame 27th Anniversary Gala

‘That Really Makes Me Nuts’: Joy Behar Ties Colorado Springs Shooting To Lauren Boebert’s 2021 Christmas Photo

Joy Behar Ties Colorado Springs Shooting To Lauren Boebert's 2021 Christmas Photo

Guns

Joy Behar

Lauren Boebert

Mass Shooting

Media

Shooting

The View

It’s been more than 25 years since 6-year-old beauty queen JonBenet Ramsey was murdered at her Colorado home.
Her father, John Ramsey, is asking for a new investigation and has asked Gov. Jared Polis (D-CO) to move the case from the Boulder police to an independent agency.
“Anyone who would do this to a child is just beyond sick. He may be still out there, and if he is, he&#8217;s probably killed other children,” Ramsey said, <a href="https://www.insideedition.com/jonbenet-ramseys-father-calls-for-new-investigation-into-daughters-murder-74726">according to</a> Inside Edition, adding that new technology should be used to identify his daughter’s killer. “Technology has advanced so far in 25 years, that to not go back and apply the latest technology is just foolish.&#8221;
JonBenet’s death shocked the nation on December 26, 1996, after her mother called police to report the young beauty queen missing. Patsy Ramsey called police after finding a ransom note demanding $118,000 for the safe return of her daughter. John found JonBenet’s body in the basement later that day.
On April 30, John began a petition asking Polis to allow the Ramsey family to hire their own independent agency to look into JonBenet’s death by retesting DNA, Fox News <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/us/jonbenet-ramsey-murder-familial-dna-search">reported</a>. He also spoke about independent testing during an appearance at CrimeCon in Las Vegas.
Polis responded last week, saying he would “look into how the state can assist in using new technology to further investigate this cold case and to identify JonBenét Ramsey’s killer.”
Polis <a href="https://denver.cbslocal.com/2022/05/02/jonbenet-ramsey-colorado-governor-murder-killer-not-rest-easy-john-ramsey-jared-polis/#.YnFbpDwwF4I.twitter">told</a> CBS Denver that if new DNA technology can be used, the Colorado Bureau Of Investigation will test the sample while it reviews cold cases.
“I can say one thing. The killer of JonBenet Ramsey should not rest easy because I am still optimistic that he or she will be apprehended with technology that exists today, in five years or in 10 years,” Polis told the outlet.
The Boulder Police Department (BPD) also released a statement responding to John’s request, saying its investigation has “never stopped.”
&#8220;Our investigation with federal, state and local partners has never stopped,&#8221; BPD Chief Maris Herold said in a statement to Fox. &#8220;That includes new ways to use DNA technology. We’ve always used state-of-the-art technology as it has been at the forefront of this investigation. Every time the DNA technology changed, we worked to make sure the evidence could be tested.&#8221;
Former Denver District Attorney Mitch Morrissey told CBS Denver that the testing John Ramsey has requested may not be able to be performed on the DNA sample found at the crime scene. He also expressed concern there may not be much of the sample left for when technology advances.
“It’s a very limited amount of DNA that was left at this crime scene and in this case you cannot afford to waste it,” Morrissey told the outlet, before taking a shot at John’s petition.
“To have this petition out there trying to put pressure on the governor to take this away from the lead law enforcement agency I think is ridiculous,” he said.
For years, the Ramseys were suspected of killing their daughter until they were “completely cleared” in 2008 by DNA testing. In 2006, John Mark Karr (now Alexis Valoran Reich after coming out as transgender) falsely confessed to killing JonBenet.

1st Anniverary of the Death of Jonbenet Ramsey

JonBenet Ramsey’s Father Wants New Investigation Into Daughter’s Death, Gov. Polis Responds

JonBenet Ramsey's Father Wants New Investigation, Asks Gov. Jared Polis For Help

Crime

Murder

If Disney doesn’t like Florida’s new rules, they can just move their whole operation to Colorado. (Disclosure: The Daily Wire <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/videos/introducing-dw-kids">has</a> announced plans for children’s entertainment content.)
Governor Jared Polis (D-CO) shared a tweet urging the company to consider relocating to his state amid “authoritarian social attacks” from Florida governor Ron DeSantis (R). The politician went on to guarantee Mickey and Minnie Mouse “asylum” in his state if Disney did take him up on the offer.
“Florida’s authoritarian socialist attacks on the private sector are driving businesses away. In CO, we don’t meddle in affairs of companies like @Disney or @Twitter. Hey @Disney we’re ready for Mountain Disneyland and @twitter we’re ready for Twitter HQ2, whoever your owners are,” Polis <a href="https://twitter.com/jaredpolis/status/1516505564657774595">wrote</a>.
His offer couldn’t come at a more tumultuous time for Disney. On Wednesday, Florida’s Republican-led Senate passed a bill that eliminates a special taxing district that&#8217;s allowed Walt Disney Co. to govern the land where its theme park is located, The Daily Wire originally <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/breaking-floridas-senate-passes-bill-to-end-disneys-self-governance">reported</a>.
This special area, known as the Reedy Creek Improvement District, was established in 1967 and allowed the company to use their own vendors ranging from road maintenance to emergency services. These perks came with significant tax exemptions that will now apparently be coming to an end.
Reports say this unique zoning saves Disney tens of millions of dollars every year.
Drama between Disney and Republican politicians including DeSantis has come to a head in recent weeks. In March, the corporation publicly denounced the Parental Rights in Education Bill, which prohibited teachers from instruction on sexual orientation or gender identity to children in grades K-3. Current Disney CEO Bob Chapek originally refused to comment on the bill but eventually bent to mounting pressure from political activists working at the company.
“Florida’s HB 1557, also known as the ‘Don’t Say Gay’ bill, should never have passed and should never have been signed into law. Our goal as a company is for this law to be repealed by the legislature or struck down in the courts, and we remain committed to supporting the national and state organizations working to achieve that,” a Disney spokesman told The Daily Wire in a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/disney-florida-bill-banning-sexuality-gender-discussions-for-little-kids-should-never-have-passed">statement</a>.
“We are dedicated to standing up for the rights and safety of LGBTQ+ members of the Disney family, as well as the LGBTQ+ community in Florida and across the country.”
Shortly after Disney made their stance on the bill clear, leaked footage from a company townhall showed an executive producer bragging about her “not-so-secret gay agenda” and saying she’s been instrumental in adding “queer” content to Disney’s children’s programming.
The backlash against the company has led to <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/disney-insider-says-company-is-receiving-overwhelming-number-of-negative-phone-calls-report">complaints and cancellations</a> by consumers, and now Disney is experiencing the repercussions of their actions at a state level. But, they could just move Disney World to Colorado.

Colorado Democratic governor’s race debate

Colorado Governor Offers Mickey Mouse ‘Asylum,’ Pitches Disney World Leaving Florida

Disney

Florida

Ron DeSantis

MSNBC contributor Symone Sanders claimed Wednesday that Florida legislators would not act on Governor Ron De Santis&#8217; (R-FL) threats against Disney — only to find out seconds later that they already had. (Disclosure: The Daily Wire <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/videos/introducing-dw-kids">has</a> announced plans for children’s entertainment content.)
NBC political director and &#8220;Meet the Press&#8221; moderator Chuck Todd broached the topic during &#8220;MTP Daily&#8221; on MSNBC, pointing to the <a href="https://dailywire.com/news/we-are-gay-tourism-group-pushes-diversity-after-complaints-of-regressive-florida-laws/">escalating conflict</a> between Florida Republicans and the massive entertainment corporation over legislation like the recently-passed Parental Rights in Education law.
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MSNBC&#39;s Symone Sanders: &quot;My money is on the Disney lobbyists, honey.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/udhemVTCDy">pic.twitter.com/udhemVTCDy</a>
&mdash; Washington Free Beacon (@FreeBeacon) <a href="https://twitter.com/FreeBeacon/status/1516838340791873550?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 20, 2022</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;I know bashing corporations is popular, left and right, these days, but I&#8217;d be careful going up against Disney,&#8221; Todd said, prompting Sanders to jump in to the conversation.
&#8220;Oh, my money is on the Disney lobbyists, honey,&#8221; Sanders interrupted.
&#8220;My money is on the Disney lobbyists,&#8221; she repeated, adding, &#8220;Do you think those state legislatures down in Florida are going to bend to the will of the governor? No!&#8221;
&#8220;Did you see what Jared Polis said?&#8221; Todd asked, referencing Colorado Governor Jared Polis (D). &#8220;He&#8217;d love a Rocky Mountain Disney.&#8221;
The panelists all laughed before Todd pivoted to inform Sanders that the Florida legislature had, in fact, already done exactly what she&#8217;d predicted they wouldn&#8217;t do.
&#8220;By the way, the Florida legislature, the State Senate, just passed this bill to strip Disney of its special access,&#8221; he said.
The Florida State Senate <a href="https://dailywire.com/news/breaking-floridas-senate-passes-bill-to-end-disneys-self-governance/">voted early Wednesday</a> to eliminate the special taxing district that has enabled Disney to effectively govern itself since 1967.
&#8220;The measure potentially delivers a blow to the company’s operations in the state,&#8221; The Wall Street Journal <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/florida-senate-passes-bill-to-eliminate-disneys-special-tax-district-11650473902">reported</a>. &#8220;The special district, created in 1967 and known as the Reedy Creek Improvement District, exempts Disney from a host of regulations and certain taxes and fees related to emergency services and road maintenance.&#8221;
Upon learning that DeSantis <a href="https://dailywire.com/news/disney-is-a-guest-in-florida-florida-lawmakers-consider-terminating-disneys-district/">planned</a> to promote this move in the Florida legislature&#8217;s special session, Polis responded again, saying, &#8220;We will grant Mickey and Minnie full asylum in Colorado.&#8221;
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We will grant Mickey and Minnie full asylum in Colorado <a href="https://t.co/xpkqvEYoCu">https://t.co/xpkqvEYoCu</a>
&mdash; Jared Polis (@jaredpolis) <a href="https://twitter.com/jaredpolis/status/1516516494993108993?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 19, 2022</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
The <a href="https://dailywire.com/news/disney-heiress-rants-anti-woke-right-has-finally-run-amok-calls-activist-rufo-little-punk/">ongoing battle</a> between Florida and Disney began with the <a href="https://dailywire.com/news/protesters-crowd-floridas-capitol-building-chant-f-desantis-over-parental-rights-bill/">recent passage</a> of the Parental Rights in Education law — wrongly dubbed by its opponents as the &#8220;Don&#8217;t Say Gay&#8221; law — which bans classroom instruction on gender identity and sexual orientation for students in kindergarten through third grade.
&#8220;Florida’s HB 1557, also known as the ‘Don’t Say Gay’ bill, should never have passed and should never have been signed into law. Our goal as a company is for this law to be repealed by the legislature or struck down in the courts, and we remain committed to supporting the national and state organizations working to achieve that,&#8221; a spokesperson for Disney <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/disney-florida-bill-banning-sexuality-gender-discussions-for-little-kids-should-never-have-passed">told The Daily Wire</a>.
&#8220;We are dedicated to standing up for the rights and safety of LGBTQ+ members of the Disney family, as well as the LGBTQ+ community in Florida and across the country,&#8221; the statement continued.

Black Girls Rock! 2018 – Red Carpet

‘My Money Is On The Disney Lobbyists, Honey’: Symone Sanders Says Florida Won’t Go After Disney, Finds Out Seconds Later They Already Did

Chuck Todd

Disney World

Symone Sanders

Millions signed a petition imploring Gov. Jared Polis (D-CO) to commute Rogel Aguilera-Mederos’ 110-year sentence for a 2019 crash that killed four people. Polis agreed, but at least one person is not happy about his decision: The brother of one of the car crash victims.
CBS Denver <a href="https://denver.cbslocal.com/2022/01/01/brother-interstate-70-crash-victim-blasts-gov-jared-polis-reducing-sentence-rogel-aguilera-mederos/">reported</a> that Duane Bailey, whose brother William “Bill” Bailey died in the crash caused by Aguilera-Mederos, called Polis a “despicable human being.”
“As far as I’m concerned, [Polis] undermined the integrity of the courts,” Bailey told the outlet.
“The governor has decided political and social media pressure is more important than the victims of this crash,” the grieving brother added.
As The Daily Wire previously <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/colorado-governor-reduces-110-year-sentence-for-truck-driver-who-killed-four">reported</a>, Aguilera-Mederos maintains that his brakes failed on a downhill grade outside Denver, causing him to fatally strike four people. During his trial, prosecutors argued that Aguilera-Mederos acted recklessly in his decisions prior to the deadly crash.
Aguilera-Mederos was traveling an estimated 85 mph on a stretch of road with a 45 mph speed limit for commercial vehicles. He was sentenced to 110 years in prison for a 28-car crash and fire caused by his failed breaks.
Bailey disagrees with the claim that the crash was an accident.
“This was not an accident, it was a series decisions on the part of the driver that caused [four] deaths,” he said. “The jury heard the evidence and convicted him.”
A resentencing hearing had been scheduled before Polis commuted Aguilera-Mederos’ sentence.
“The governor put himself above the law by not letting the court proceedings finish out. There was a hearing scheduled on January 13th to reconsider his sentence. The governor should have let that hearing take place,” Bailey said, according to CBS.
“On top of that [Polis] made the announcement when he knew people would be focused on the tragic fires. So In a way he also took advantage of them to provide coverage so he could announce this without much news coverage,” Bailey continued. “You all should be upset about that.”
“You also have to realize [Aguilera-Mederos] will not spend the entire 10 years the governor put his sentence at. He could get out in as little as 5 years,” he added. “Would your brother’s life be adequately compensated if he spent 1 1/4 years per death in prison?”
Polis wrote in a letter to Aguilera-Mederos that, ““While you are not blameless, your sentence is disproportionate compared with many other inmates in our criminal justice system who committed intentional, premeditated, or violent crimes.”
“This was a tragic event that affected many Coloradans,” Polis wrote. “Though your actions have caused immense pain, I am encouraged by your personal reflection and the commercial vehicle safety changes that were made in the wake of this tragedy to ensure this type of event never happens again.”

Covid-19 Vaccine Drive Inoculates Thousands Of Elderly In Denver

Brother Of Man Killed In Colorado Crash Furious With Gov. Polis For Commuting Truck Driver’s Sentence

A truck driver who was sentenced to 110 years in prison for his role in a deadly crash has had his sentence reduced to 10 years by Gov. Jared Polis (D-CO).
Rogel Aguilera-Mederos, a 26-year-old truck driver from Texas, was given the lengthy sentence due to Colorado law following the deadly crash. Aguilera-Mederos maintains that his brakes failed on a downhill grade outside Denver, causing him to fatally strike four people. During his trial, prosecutors argued that Aguilera-Mederos acted recklessly in his decisions prior to the deadly crash.
Aguilera-Mederos was traveling an estimated 85 mph on a stretch of road with a 45 mph speed limit for commercial vehicles. He was sentenced to 110 years in prison for a 28-car crash and fire caused by his failed breaks.
Millions signed a petition to argue that Aguilera-Mederos’ sentence was too steep and on Thursday, Gov. Polis agreed, calling the crash a “tragic but unintentional act,” NBC News <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/truck-driver-sentence-reduced-110-years-10-years-colorado-governor-fat-rcna10494">reported</a>.
&#8220;While you are not blameless, your sentence is disproportionate compared with many other inmates in our criminal justice system who committed intentional, premeditated, or violent crimes,&#8221; Polis wrote in a letter addressed to Aquilera-Mederos.
Polis added that the case “highlights the lack of uniformity between sentences.”
&#8220;This was a tragic event that affected many Coloradans,&#8221; Polis wrote, according to NBC. &#8220;Though your actions have caused immense pain, I am encouraged by your personal reflection and the commercial vehicle safety changes that were made in the wake of this tragedy to ensure this type of event never happens again.&#8221;
More from NBC:
<blockquote>First Judicial District Attorney Alexis King told reporters Monday that the case was &#8220;exceptional&#8221; and that it required &#8220;an exceptional process.&#8221; Her office was seeking to resentence him to 20 to 30 years, instead.
“We have and will take the necessary steps for the court — who is the most informed about what happened in this case — to strike the appropriate balance when considering a new sentence,” King said.
At the initial sentencing, Judge A. Bruce Jones said the law required him to sentence Aguilera-Mederos to consecutive sentences, meaning they are served back to back.
“If I had the discretion, if I thought I had the discretion, I would not run those sentences consecutively,” Jones said.</blockquote>
Following Aguilera-Mederos’ steep sentencing, a Change.org petition was started with more than five million people demanding his sentence e reduced.
&#8220;This accident was not intentional, nor was it a criminal act on the drivers part. No one but the trucking company he is/was employed by should be held accountable for this accident,&#8221; said the petition, which was started by a woman named Heather Gilbee.
Prior to Polis’ letter reducing Aguilera-Mederos’ sentence, The Denver Post editorial board <a href="https://www.denverpost.com/2021/12/15/i-70-trucker-110-years-sentence-aguilera-mederos-unjust-clemency-commute/">called on</a> the governor to commute the sentence.
&#8220;We are not intending to undermine the verdict from the jury — Aguilera-Mederos did indeed kill four people and seriously injure others in a tragic and preventable crash,&#8221; the editorial board wrote.
&#8220;But we do think there is an important distinction that the law, as written, did not allow jurors or the judge to make,&#8221; they added. &#8220;The 26-year-old was not drunk. He was not intentionally driving recklessly because he was in a hurry or out for a thrill or running from police. He was not even full of road rage as his semi-truck accelerated down Interstate 70 out of control.&#8221;

Rogel Aguilera-Mederos, rally, sentencing reform

Colorado Governor Reduces 110-Year Sentence For Truck Driver Who Killed Four

Colorado Democratic Governor Jared Polis said on Sunday that President Joe Biden needed to change the way that he talks about vaccines and that the definition of &#8220;fully-vaccinated&#8221; is likely to be changed in the near future.
&#8220;I think it&#8217;s really important that our leaders, whether they&#8217;re governors or mayors, local influencers, lead with facts rather than fear,&#8221; Polis told NBC News host Chuck Todd. &#8220;People just don&#8217;t react well to this ongoing environment of fear for two years. Let&#8217;s lead with the facts. Look, the science-driven information people need to keep themselves safe with the individual freedom and local control that we deserve. That&#8217;s where we are at this point. We know how to stop this thing. The – getting three doses of the vaccine is highly effective, and all but negates any risk that you face.&#8221;
When asked by Todd if there is going to be a change in &#8220;the definition of fully-vaccinated in your state,&#8221; Polis responded, &#8220;That&#8217;s certainly where it&#8217;s headed.&#8221;
&#8220;It looks like from everything that we know that to significantly reduce the risk of the Omicron variant, three doses of the vaccine are needed,&#8221; Polis claimed. &#8220;It&#8217;s three doses of that vaccine to be effective. So, I wish they&#8217;d stop talking about it as a booster. It really is a three-dose vaccine, and every piece of data that we&#8217;re seeing shows that that&#8217;s the case.&#8221;
When asked about what he would say to Biden if the president asked him for his advice, Polis responded, &#8220;I would say, &#8216;Stop talking about the vaccine as a booster; talk about it as three doses that are needed for effective prevention.’”
&#8220;People who&#8217;ve gotten those three doses in our Colorado data, which is similar to the national data, are 47 times less likely to die than people that are unvaccinated,&#8221; he continued. &#8220;It essentially negates the risk. Nothing is risk-free in life, Chuck, but you can go about, if you’re boosted, you can feel very confident that if you get COVID, it&#8217;ll be a minor case. I&#8217;d also say we need to focus on prices, increases in prices and cost that people across the country are facing. People are frustrated their Thanksgiving turkey cost 50% more, gas is $3.80 a gallon. Let&#8217;s show some relief. In Colorado, it&#8217;s cutting vehicle registration fees, it&#8217;s making it free to start a business. We&#8217;re trying to – we’ve cut taxes twice. So these kinds of things that show that we&#8217;re doing what we can to make sure that families can get by and thrive.&#8221;
WATCH:
<iframe loading="lazy" title="Gov. Polis: Unvaccinated People ‘Are Often Victims Of Misinformation’" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/n3PWGUyZL2Y?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>
TRANSCRIPT:
<blockquote>CHUCK TODD: Welcome back. There is no question we&#8217;ve been whipsawed by COVID news. Good news, tens of millions are vaccinated. Bad news, Omicron means a third shot is even more essential. Good news, Omicron appears to cause less severe disease. Bad news, out of the U.K., maybe not. The science is not as clear. That makes the job of promoting public health that much harder for elected officials, particularly on the state and local level. Colorado&#8217;s Democratic governor, Jared Polis, was asked just over a week ago why he opposed a mandatory mask mandate in his state.
[BEGIN TAPE]
GOV. JARED POLIS: The emergency is over. You know, public health doesn&#8217;t get to tell people what to wear. It&#8217;s just not their job. You don&#8217;t tell people to wear a jacket when they go out in the winter and force them to. If they get frostbite, it&#8217;s their own darn fault.
[END TAPE]
CHUCK TODD: And Governor Polis joins me now. Governor, welcome back to Meet the Press, sir.
GOV. JARED POLIS: Always a pleasure, Chuck.
CHUCK TODD: Look, a lot has changed since you made those comments on the issue of Omicron, literally in the last 72 hours. And I know you&#8217;ve clarified when it means emergency, meaning state action on the emergency. Given everything you&#8217;ve heard from Dr. Fauci, everything you&#8217;ve seen, are you having any second thoughts about the state intervening here temporarily, whether it&#8217;s a mask mandate or something else?
GOV. JARED POLIS: You know, Chuck, we&#8217;re two years into this thing. And I think it&#8217;s really important that our leaders, whether they&#8217;re governors or mayors, local influencers, lead with facts rather than fear. People just don&#8217;t react well to this ongoing environment of fear for two years. Let&#8217;s lead with the facts. Look, the science-driven information people need to keep themselves safe with the individual freedom and local control that we deserve. That&#8217;s where we are at this point. We know how to stop this thing. The – getting three doses of the vaccine is highly effective, and all but negates any risk that you face. So, we just need to make sure that people go out and do it.
CHUCK TODD: Are you going to change the definition of fully-vaccinated in your state? I know you have had – there&#8217;s some specific entities that you want to see have vaccinated. Based on what you&#8217;ve heard, are you going to change those definitions?
GOV. JARED POLIS: That&#8217;s certainly where it&#8217;s headed, Chuck. It looks like, from everything that we know, that to significantly reduce the risk of the Omicron variant, three doses of the vaccine are needed. And by the way, Chuck, this is normal with many other vaccines. I have young kids, they have the DTaP vaccine. Every kid gets it: diphtheria, tetanus. It&#8217;s three doses of that vaccine to be effective. So, I wish they&#8217;d stop talking about it as a booster, Chuck. It really is a three-dose vaccine, and every piece of data that we&#8217;re seeing shows that that&#8217;s the case.
CHUCK TODD: How about your testing capacity? All over the East Coast, particularly in the Northeast over the last 48 hours, there&#8217;s been a run on the at-home tests, can&#8217;t find enough of them. By the way, they&#8217;re a little pricey. Considering, if this is something that essential, should they be priced as high as they are? And we&#8217;ve seen fewer public places to get tested. Do you need more resources on that? What&#8217;s the situation in Colorado?
GOV. JARED POLIS: We&#8217;ve made free at-home testing available to every Coloradan for months now. So we&#8217;ve sent out over 1.2 million, just right to your doorstep. You get the free test, the same kind that in other states people have to buy. It&#8217;s a popular program. We&#8217;re certainly planning on continuing it for the time being. It&#8217;s also important to note that while the Northeast is going up now in cases, our region in the Rocky Mountain West has actually been going down for several weeks. We peaked in October, early November. We have a lot less hospitalizations than we did a few weeks ago. Now, that could change on a dime, we know, with the Omicron variant. But we&#8217;re in a better place now than we were a month ago, and absolutely the free at-home tests have been part of that. They&#8217;ve been very popular with the people of Colorado.
CHUCK TODD: If President Biden calls you up tomorrow and says, &#8220;What do you want to hear from me on Tuesday night? What&#8217;s important? What helps you do your job in help – in getting things better in Colorado?&#8221; What would you tell the president?
GOV. JARED POLIS: I would say, &#8220;Stop talking about the vaccine as a booster; [talk] about it as three doses that are needed for effective prevention.&#8221; People who&#8217;ve gotten those three doses in our Colorado data, which is similar to the national data, are 47 times less likely to die than people that are unvaccinated. It essentially negates the risk. Nothing is risk-free in life, Chuck, but you can go about, if you’re boosted, you can feel very confident that if you get COVID, it&#8217;ll be a minor case. I&#8217;d also say, we need to focus on prices, increases in prices and costs that people across the country are facing. People are frustrated their Thanksgiving turkey cost 50% more, gas is $3.80 a gallon. Let&#8217;s show some relief. In Colorado, it&#8217;s cutting vehicle registration fees, it&#8217;s making it free to start a business. We&#8217;re trying to – we’ve cut taxes twice. So, these kinds of things that show that we&#8217;re doing what we can to make sure that families can get by and thrive.
CHUCK TODD: It&#8217;s interesting you bring up the inflation issue. It feels like the rise of Omicron is only going to set us back on that, since this has been – the supply chain seems to be the biggest impediment when it comes to the inflation issue. You&#8217;ve talked about some things you&#8217;ve done. Is there anything outside what the Federal Reserve does that can impact inflation in your mind?
GOV. JARED POLIS: You know what public policymakers can do, governors, legislators, presidents, Congress? We can save people money, right? So, if you save people money on child care, that makes a real difference in people being able to work, which we need now, and also in the development of the child. If you can save people money on vehicle registration fees, on taxes, wherever you can save people money. The child tax credit is another excellent example for folks. So yes, we can do something. I mean, I&#8217;m not an expert in the Fed and macroeconomic policy, and most people aren&#8217;t. But we can do very concrete things that actually reduce the costs for Americans.
CHUCK TODD: Let me go back to the issue of the unvaccinated. And I know you had said, &#8220;Hey, you can&#8217;t make somebody wear a coat.&#8221; But frostbite isn&#8217;t contagious, right? This virus is. Do you have any other new ideas in your head of how you deal with the unvaccinated here? Should there be a penalty? I mean, it does seem as if there is more attention being paid to protect the unvaccinated than there is to reward those who have played by the rules.
GOV. JARED POLIS: Well, I think we want to address the unvaccinated with facts first and foremost, also with compassion and love. They are often victims of misinformation, and we need to do our best to get the very best information in front of them that they need to protect themselves and their family. We&#8217;ve also made monoclonal antibody treatment available widely in Colorado for free. Anybody who needs it, we have 10 mobile buses that do it. The one thing we always point out, though, while it can reduce your hospitalization risk by 70%, that&#8217;s from the Delta variant, by the way. The monoclonal antibody treatment is not as effective –
CHUCK TODD: Right –
GOV. JARED POLIS: – against the Omicron variant. The data is still pending. It&#8217;s still not nearly as effective as getting the three-dose vaccine, which all but zeroes out your risk of dying or getting severely ill from the virus. Again, a few people get severely ill from anything. It&#8217;s certainly still possible. But essentially you have a very, very low risk if you get fully-vaccinated.
CHUCK TODD: One quick political question. Senator Joe Manchin had indicated this morning that he is not going to support Build Back Better. Done. He&#8217;s done with it. What is your advice to Senate Democrats? Is there anything you think they have to get done next year before the November 2022 elections, of which you&#8217;ll be running for reelection?
GOV. JARED POLIS: Yeah, really deliver on saving people money and reducing costs. And that might mean preschool and child care. It might mean the child tax credit, other tax reductions or payroll tax reductions. It might mean saving people money on a variety of things that affect their everyday lives. Of course, as somebody who also looks at the data and science on climate change, I&#8217;d love to see the Senate go big and tackle climate change. That would really help states like Colorado and others that are taking this seriously, because we have several climate-dependent industries. Agriculture, the ski industry. And yes, our ski season is open, Chuck, but we don&#8217;t have the normal snow that we have. And that&#8217;s really the situation across the West in a statewide drought. So we&#8217;d love to see Congress step up and take action on those issues.
CHUCK TODD: I hear you, but it sounds like if they have to pick a priority, you would prioritize the economy over the climate provisions, if that&#8217;s the only political feasible route to go?
GOV. JARED POLIS: You know, those are not mutually exclusive. I think our climate destiny is our economic destiny. But certainly, showing relief for families on costs: preschool, child care does that, other things that can reduce costs, save money. That&#8217;s certainly a big part of our focus here in Colorado. And we welcome any help from the United States Congress.
CHUCK TODD: Governor Jared Polis, Democrat of Colorado. Appreciate you coming on and sharing your views. I hope you get to enjoy the holiday season. We&#8217;re all hoping that COVID doesn&#8217;t become as disruptive as it was last year.</blockquote>

Colorado Governor Jared Polis Urges Biden To Change Vaccine Rhetoric, Hints Big Change Coming

COVID-19 Vaccine

Joe Biden

On Friday, Democratic Governor of Colorado Jared Polis appeared on CNN’s “Anderson Cooper 360” to defend his recent statement that the COVID-19 “emergency is over.”
During an interview on December 10, Polis <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/colorado-democrat-governor-declares-covid-19-emergency-over">stated</a> that “[everybody] had more than enough opportunity to get vaccinated,” and that if someone is unvaccinated and catches COVID-19, it’s their “own darn fault.”
The governor continued: “The emergency is over. … You know, public health [officials] don’t get to tell people what to wear; that’s just not their job. Public health [officials] would say to always wear a mask because it decreases flu and decreases [other airborne illnesses]. But that’s not something that you require; you don’t tell people what to wear.”
On Friday, Cooper began by asking Polis what he meant by his “emergency is over” remark.
Polis replied:
<blockquote>I hear terms like “viral tidal wave,” and I think what people want at this point in the pandemic are facts, not fear, and people should be empowered to make decisions to protect themselves, science-based decisions with the health and safety … we need to live, we need to operate from doctors and scientists with the individual freedom and local control that we deserve.
I think it should be no surprise that Julesburg, Colorado, population 1,253, addresses this in a different way than San Francisco or New York City, and even in our own state — cities like Denver, Aspen, Colorado Springs are all taking this seriously and making sure that we have the capacity to serve those in need, but they have different approaches to do it.</blockquote>
Cooper followed up by asking about Colorado hospitals, making reference to the state of Ohio bringing in National Guard troops due to alleged staff shortages at Ohio hospitals. The governor responded, saying that he knows the Omicron variant will spread in the state, and that they are prepared with “free at-home testing,” as well as “widely available” “monoclonal antibody treatment.”
Polis emphasized that the world is in a different position relative to where it was at the beginning of the pandemic, with vaccines and effective treatments:
<blockquote>It&#8217;s important that people know that we&#8217;re in a very different place, Anderson, than March of 2020. We now have vaccinations, highly effective. Everybody should get vaccinated and boosted. On top of that, monoclonal antibody treatment can reduce the hospitalization risk if you are infected by over 70%. So, that’s where we are today, and we just want to lead with facts.</blockquote>
Following some further conversation, Cooper asked: “So, is it that … you wouldn’t characterize what&#8217;s happening in Colorado as a medical emergency at this point?”
“I think we had a medical emergency back in 2020,” Polis replied before pointing to the vaccines and boosters as a major difference between the early days of the pandemic and today.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Colorado Gov. Jared Polis: &#8220;If you are unvaccinated and watching this, you very likely will get Covid and every bit of data shows and science, you are much better off if you get vaccinated first.&#8221; <a href="https://t.co/hIHPExdSuf">https://t.co/hIHPExdSuf</a> <a href="https://t.co/83vhHZpiDd">pic.twitter.com/83vhHZpiDd</a>
— Anderson Cooper 360° (@AC360) <a href="https://twitter.com/AC360/status/1472022084054310912?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 18, 2021</a></blockquote>
Related:
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/breaking-federal-appeals-court-allows-biden-vaccine-mandate-to-resume-for-large-companies">Federal Appeals Court Allows Biden Vaccine Mandate To Resume For Large Companies</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/osha-delays-compliance-and-enforcement-dates-for-reinstated-vax-or-test-mandate">OSHA Delays Compliance And Enforcement Dates For Reinstated Vax Or Test Mandate</a></li>
</ul>
The Daily Wire is fighting Joe Biden’s vaccine mandate in federal court. Join us in this fight by <a href="https://lp.dailywire.com/osha-petition/">signing</a> our petition to OSHA, telling them that you will not comply with this mandate.

Dem Gov Defends Saying COVID ‘Emergency Is Over’: People Want ‘Facts, Not Fear’

COVID

Colorado Gov. Jared Polis (D) has declared the COVID-19 emergency “over” and said he will not be ordering another statewide mask mandate in response to respond to the emergence of the Omicron variant in the U.S.
&#8220;Everybody had more than enough opportunity to get vaccinated,” Polis <a href="https://www.cpr.org/2021/12/10/interview-gov-jared-polis-mask-mandates-covid/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">told</a> Colorado Public Radio on Friday, <a href="https://nypost.com/2021/12/13/colorado-gov-jared-polis-declares-covid-19-emergency-over-despite-omicron/">according</a> to the New York Post. “Hopefully it’s been at your pharmacy, your grocery store, a bus near you, [or at] big events. At this point, if you haven’t been vaccinated, it’s really your own darn fault.”
“Those who get sick, it’s almost entirely their own darn fault,” Polis added. “I don’t want to say that nobody [will get the virus if they’re] vaccinated, but it’s very rare. Just to put it in perspective, of the about 1400 people hospitalized, less than 200 (or 16 percent) are vaccinated. And many of them are older or have other conditions. Eighty-four percent of the people in our hospitals are unvaccinated, and they absolutely had every chance to get vaccinated.”
“And at this point, I think it’s almost like they made a deliberate decision not to get vaccinated,” the governor said. “I still encourage everybody who hasn’t been vaccinated to get protected. And for those who are, make sure to get that booster after six months. The data shows it’s important and very likely even more so with this omicron variant.”
But Polis said cities and counties in his state can institute mandates if they so choose, but added that the state will stay out of it.
“The emergency is over,” he said. “You know, public health [officials] don’t get to tell people what to wear; that’s just not their job. Public health [officials] would say to always wear a mask because it decreases flu and decreases [other airborne illnesses]. But that’s not something that you require; you don’t tell people what to wear. You don’t tell people to wear a jacket when they go out in winter and force them to [wear it]. If they get frostbite, it’s their own darn fault,&#8221; he said, according to the Post.
“If you haven’t been vaccinated, that’s your choice. I respect that. But it’s your fault when you’re in the hospital with COVID,” he added.
Still, several Denver metro area counties have recently instituted new rules, including a “vax or mask” mandate, that require businesses to mandate masks indoors or require customers to provide proof they have been vaccinated.
The governor&#8217;s declaration came just before the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/cdc-just-43-cases-of-omicron-detected-this-month-in-u-s">said</a> there were just 43 cases of Omicron detected in the U.S. during the first eight days of December.
Among the small number, 34 were fully vaccinated against the COVID-19 virus and 14 had also received a booster shot.
“Six had previously recovered from a COVID infection. Young adults under the age of 40 accounted for most of the Omicron cases, and there were no deaths among the group.” the Daily Mail <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10301845/Fauci-says-hes-continuing-evaluate-booster-needed-considered-fully-vaccinated.html">reported</a>. Just one of those suffering from Omicron was briefly hospitalized.
Dr. Anthony Fauci, an immunologist and director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases who serves as President Biden’s chief medical adviser on COVID-19, now says “the early data indicates that Omicron may not pose as great a risk of serious illness as the Delta variant, but stressed that further information is needed before he can definitively confirm that,” the Mail reported.
Fauci said federal officials are “continuing to evaluate” whether to urge Americans to get a booster shot to be considered fully vaccinated for COVID-19. “For official requirements, it’s still two shots of the mRNA [Pfizer or Moderna] and one shot of the J&amp;J for the official determination of what’s required or not,’ Fauci told ABC News on Sunday.

President Joe Biden visits Colorado

Colorado Democrat Governor Declares COVID-19 Emergency ‘Over’

The new mutated strain of COVID-19 that was recently discovered in the United Kingdom was found in a Colorado resident with no travel history, officials confirmed Tuesday.
&#8220;Today we discovered Colorado’s first case of the COVID-19 variant B.1.1.7, the same variant discovered in the UK,&#8221; tweeted Democratic Colorado Gov. Jared Polis on Tuesday evening. &#8220;The health and safety of Coloradans is our top priority and we will monitor this case, as well as all COVID-19 indicators, very closely.&#8221;
Colorado State Laboratory notified the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) after confirming the case, according to the governor&#8217;s <a href="https://www.colorado.gov/governor/news/3856-gov-polis-and-state-public-health-officials-announce-first-case-covid-variant-covid-19">press release</a>, which further explained that the individual is a male in his 20s with no travel history. He is in isolation in Elbert County and will remain so until public health officials clear him.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Today we discovered Colorado’s first case of the COVID-19 variant B.1.1.7, the same variant discovered in the UK. 
The health and safety of Coloradans is our top priority and we will monitor this case, as well as all COVID-19 indicators, very closely. <a href="https://t.co/fjyq7QhzBi">pic.twitter.com/fjyq7QhzBi</a>
&mdash; Governor Jared Polis (@GovofCO) <a href="https://twitter.com/GovofCO/status/1344031800230780933?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 29, 2020</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
“There is a lot we don’t know about this new COVID-19 variant, but scientists in the United Kingdom are warning the world that it is significantly more contagious. The health and safety of Coloradans is our top priority and we will closely monitor this case, as well as all COVID-19 indicators, very closely. We are working to prevent spread and contain the virus at all levels,” Polis said. “I want to thank our scientists and dedicated medical professionals for their swift work and ask Coloradans to continue our efforts to prevent disease transmission by wearing masks, standing six feet apart when gathering with others, and only interacting with members of their immediate household.”
The new mutation is potentially more contagious and has led to 40 countries restricting travel from the U.K., according to <a href="https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/uk-travel-ban-coronavirus-variant/index.html">CNN</a>. The weekend before Christmas, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson instituted an emergency lockdown on London and southeastern England.
“The fact that Colorado has detected this variant first in the nation is a testament to the sophistication of Colorado&#8217;s response and the talent of CDPHE&#8217;s scientist and lab operations,” said Jill Hunsaker Ryan, who is the executive director of the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment. “We are currently using all the tools available to protect public health and mitigate the spread of this variant.”
Dr. Anthony Fauci said a week ago that the mutant variant <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/fauci-says-new-more-contagious-covid-19-strain-from-u-k-is-likely-in-u-s-by-now">was likely already in the U.S.</a> but added that the two vaccines now being distributed across the country should still be effective.
The first Canadian cases of the new strain <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/canada-confirms-two-cases-of-covid-19-strain-from-u-k">emerged last week</a>. Like the man in Colorado, the Ontario couple who tested positive also had no known travel history. As The Daily Wire reported:
<blockquote>Health officials in Ontario, Canada, reported that two cases of the new strain of COVID-19 sweeping the United Kingdom have appeared in the province.
The cases were identified in a couple in southern Ontario who had no known travel history, according to <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-canada-idUSKBN2900JX?taid=5fe7d916047c5c0001cbffa9&amp;utm_campaign=trueAnthem:+Trending+Content&amp;utm_medium=trueAnthem&amp;utm_source=twitter">Reuters</a>. They also had no known exposure to the virus or other high-risk contact.
“This further reinforces the need for Ontarians to stay home as much as possible and continue to follow all public health advice, including the provincewide shutdown measures beginning today,” said Dr. Barbara Yaffe, Ontario’s associate chief medical officer.</blockquote>
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/japan-shuts-border-to-foreign-nationals-amid-new-covid-19-strain">Japan Shuts Border To Foreign Nationals Amid New COVID-19 Strain</a>

Coronavirus COVID-19 and USA map with Flag

First U.S. Case Of Mutated COVID-19 Strain From U.K. Emerges In Colorado

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