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Colorado Republican sues to block earned income tax credit increase

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:51:15 GMT

DENVER (KDVR) — A Colorado representative is accusing House Speaker Julie McCluskie of silencing him during an attempt to get a full reading of a tax credit bill, and now he wants the law blocked.Rep. Scott Bottoms, R-District 15, is suing McCluskie, D-District 13, and Gov. Jared Polis to block the bill, which increases the earned income tax credit. The law will allow low-income Colorado families to receive 50% of the federal tax credit for 2023, instead of the standard 25%. Explaining the 14th Amendment challenges that could disqualify Trump Bottoms claims the bill was "enacted contrary to the Constitution of the State of Colorado" after he was allegedly denied the ability to speak about the bill during the special session. Bottoms filed the lawsuit Thursday in Denver District Court. He is asking for the law to be considered null and void and not be enacted. The measure — HB 23B-1002 — doubled how much of the federal income tax credit low-income families can claim on their state ...

Police still searching for mom accused of killing 2 children, wounding third

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:51:15 GMT

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KXRM) — A woman suspected of murdering her two children in Colorado Springs is believed to have left the area Friday, the Colorado Springs Police Department said. Officers are searching for 35-year-old Kimberlee Singler in connection with the killing of her two children, and the wounding of a third. FOX31 Newsletters: Sign up to get breaking news sent to your inbox Police said the 11-year-old girl who was injured is safe and being cared for in Colorado Springs. On Tuesday, Dec. 19 around 12:30 a.m., police received a call about a burglary at a condominium. Officers said when they arrived, they found a woman and the 11-year-old girl suffering from injuries. A 9-year-old girl and a 7-year-old boy were also found dead inside the home. Police said the woman has been identified as Singler, the mother of all three children. Police said Singler and the 11-year-old were treated for their injuries on scene before being taken to the hospital. After investigating, o...

Pet rescue app available for download 2 years after Marshall Fire

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:51:15 GMT

DENVER (KDVR) — Saturday marks two years since the Marshall Fire tore through Boulder County. Two people lost their lives, and it's estimated that a thousand animals were killed.A group created to help pet owners remain prepared for similar situations is celebrating a major milestone. After two years of hard work and development, the Pet Help and Rescue app is now available for many to download."It's cost us as much money as we'd normally spend in a year on our entire budget, and it's been exhausting. But at the same time, we are all driven by this vision of creating a tool that people can use that will make all the difference," David Crawford said.Crawford is the executive director of Animal Help Now, a group focused on helping wildlife. Two years ago, the Marshall Fire hit Crawford personally, overtaking his home and inspiring a new mission for the group too."When there is a disaster and you are not home, your neighbors who are home are your best chance of having your&nb...

Here's where Colorado's population is growing and shrinking: report

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:51:15 GMT

DENVER (KDVR) -- A new economic forecast has revealed which counties are expected to see the biggest changes in population via migration in the coming years.According to the Colorado Governor’s Office of State Planning and Budgeting, the State Demographers Office is anticipating a recovery in population growth from COVID-induced lows, spurred by both migration and the change in population from births and deaths. Job growth expected to slow, unemployment rise in Colorado until mid-2025 Colorado's population is expected to grow through 2026, according to the report, peaking with a 1.3% growth rate before trending down slowly for the next two decades.Population growth in Colorado will likely be driven mostly by net migration, or the number of immigrants minus the number of emigrants, rather than natural growth, which is classified as the change in population due to births and deaths.New residents are expected to account for 74% of Colorado's population growth from 2023-2030, whereas ...

South Florida organization serves up sweet treats as a way to learn valuable life skills

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:51:15 GMT

A South Florida organization is serving up sweet learning experiences to a special group of young adults, one scoop at a time. Karen Hensel has today’s 7 Spotlight.At this ice cream party in Delray Beach, every scoop served is helping these young adults learn valuable life skills. Evan Land, Delicious Spoonfuls: “We’re going to be serving ice cream. Kosher ice cream!”Evan Land and his friends Adir and Sam are serving ice cream — and learning at the same time.They are working with a nonprofit called Delicious Spoonfuls, a group dedicated to teaching work skills to young adults with developmental disabilities. And they do it by running an ice cream business.Robert Gottesman, founder, Delicious Spoonfuls: “So we wanted to create functional ability in people with disabilities. So what we did is we decided to create a mobile ice cream cart business.”Robert Gottesman and his wife Helen had a very special reason for creating Delicious Spoonfuls two...

POLITICO London Playbook awards 2023: All the winners from a wild year in UK politics

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:51:15 GMT

LONDON — It was meant to be the year two quiet technocrats, Rishi Sunak and Keir Starmer, brought calm to the fevered Westminster swamp. Unfortunately SW1 didn’t get the memo.Politics remained pretty much as wild in 2023 as it has been since David Cameron — back in action as U.K. foreign secretary — last stalked the corridors of power. POLITICO hardly need remind you that with a general election looming in Britain and Donald Trump battling for the U.S. presidency, next year is unlikely to get any calmer. But before we embark on the joys of 2024, it’s time to honor those who excelled in 2023 with the London Playbook awards.Minister of the yearHonorable mention to Grant Shapps for managing to hold down five Cabinet jobs in the space of 12 months — imagine the sheer number of briefing notes he’s waded through. Scotland Secretary Alis...

Resilient economy energizes investors, as financial markets end 2023 up 24%

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:51:15 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — The S&P 500 closed out 2023 with a gain of more than 24% and the Dow finished near a record high, as easing inflation, a resilient economy and the prospect of lower interest rates buoyed investors, particularly in the last two months of the year.Stocks closed Friday with modest losses.The S&P 500 slipped 13.52 points, or 0.3%, to 4,769.83. The benchmark index still posted a rare ninth consecutive week of gains and is just 0.6% shy of an all-time high set in January of 2022.The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 20.56 points, or 0.1%, to 37,689.54 after setting a record Thursday.The Nasdaq slipped 83.78 points, or 0.6%, to 15,011.35, but that was barely a blemish on an annual gain of more than 43%, its best performance since 2020.For most of the year, gains in the broader market were driven largely by seven stocks — Apple, Microsoft, Alphabet, Amazon, Nvidia, Meta Platforms and Tesla. Dubbed the Magnificent 7, they accounted for about two-thirds of t...

Massachusetts SafeLink a resource for domestic violence victims and survivors

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:51:15 GMT

Coverage of tragic domestic violence incidents in communities in and around Boston can be “very triggering” for those struggling with their own relationships.That’s why advocates are urging people in need to reach out for assistance for themselves or others as they process the deaths of a husband, wife and teenage daughter in Dover.Authorities found the married couple and daughter at their home Thursday night in what Norfolk District Attorney Michael Morrissey said appears to be a “deadly incident of domestic violence.”Morrissey urged those who feel “unsafe” in their relationships to call Massachusetts SafeLink, a statewide 24/7 toll-free domestic violence hotline and resource for anyone affected by domestic or dating violence, at 877-785-2020.SafeLink is a “connector for survivors or anybody who’s worried about somebody to local domestic violence resources,” said Stephanie Brown, CEO of Casa Myrna, the organization that runs the hotline.Brown said she usually sees a “slight uptick”...

Red Sox finally spend, sign Lucas Giolito to 2-year deal

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:51:15 GMT

After nearly two months of interest and not much else, the Red Sox finally made a splash on Friday evening.As first reported by ESPN’s Jeff Passan, the Red Sox are signing Lucas Giolito to a two-year, $38.5 million contract with an opt-out after the first season. There’s an additional million in incentives for each year, and should the right-hander opt out, he’ll receive $19 million and said performance bonuses.Giolito, 29, debuted with the Washington Nationals in 2016, but spent almost his entire Major League career in a Chicago White Sox uniform. Since his first full season in the Majors in 2018, he owns a 4.48 ERA, 4.34 FIP, and 1.257 WHIP across 167 starts totaling 947 innings. He was an All-Star in ’19, his first of three consecutive seasons in which he received AL Cy Young votes. He’s been durable, averaging just over 174 innings per season over the last five 162-game campaigns, and the Red Sox need durability in their rotation.A tumultuous ’...

Judge blocks most of an Iowa law banning some school library books and discussion of LGBTQ+ issues

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:51:15 GMT

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — A federal judge on Friday temporarily blocked key parts of an Iowa law that bans some books from school libraries and forbids teachers from raising LGBTQ+ issues.Judge Stephen Locher’s preliminary injunction halts enforcement of the law, which was set to take effect Jan. 1 but already had resulted in the removal of hundreds of books from Iowa schools.The law, which the Republican-led Legislature and GOP Gov. Kim Reynolds approved early in 2023, bans books depicting sex acts from school libraries and classrooms and forbids teachers from raising gender identity and sexual orientation issues with students through the sixth grade. Locher blocked enforcement of those two provisions. The judge said the ban on books is “incredibly broad” and has resulted in the removal of history volumes, classics, award-winning novels and “even books designed to help students avoid being victimized by sexual assault.” He said that part of the law...