The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) will move several of its leadership positions back to Washington, D.C., after a controversial Trump-era move to send leadership to Grand Junction, Colo.
An email sent out by BLM Director Tracy Stone-Manning that was obtained by The Hill states that the agency will “consolidate” most of its directors in Washington.
Specifically, it states that the director and deputy director of operations have already returned to the district, joining the deputy director for policy and programs. It said that 8 additional leaders including “most assistant directors and deputy assistant directors” will also return to D.C.
The message also said that 30 vacant headquarters senior positions will be based in D.C.
► Greg Sargent of The Washington Post devotes a column to the ridiculous arguments being made by John Eastman, the former visiting scholar at the University of Colorado who advised former President Trump on how to execute a coup:
Eastman has just sued the Jan. 6 committee and Verizon over the committee’s subpoena of his phone records, which the committee is seeking to shed further light on the plot to overturn the election. The lawsuit asks the court to block the subpoena.
Underlying this dispute is something larger than this particular lawsuit’s legal complexities, and larger than the battle between the committee and Trump’s co-conspirators. What’s really at stake is whether this effort to overturn U.S. democracy through extraordinary corruption and then mob violence merits a political and policy response of any kind.
The answer to this question from Trumpworld, and indeed from many congressional Republicans, is essentially “no.”
Eastman’s lawsuit captures the absurdity of this. One of its leading arguments is that the committee is “attempting to exercise a law enforcement function, rather than genuine legislative activity.”…
…In fact, there may be no human being alive who underscores the committee’s legislative purpose more clearly than John Eastman does. [Pols emphasis]
► The omicron variant of COVID-19 is spreading quickly. As The Washington Post reports:
Top federal health officials warned in a briefing Tuesday morning that the omicron variant is rapidly spreading in the United States and could peak in a massive wave of infections as soon as January, according to new modeling analyzed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The prevalence of omicron jumped sevenfold in a single week, according to the CDC, and at such a pace, the highly mutated variant of the coronavirus could ratchet up pressure on a health system already strained in many places as the delta variant continues its own surge.
The warning of an imminent surge came even as federal officials and some pharmaceutical executives signaled that they don’t currently favor creating an omicron-specific vaccine. Based on the data so far, they say that existing vaccines plus a booster shot are an effective weapon against omicron.
If you’re worried about omicron, there’s good news: Just get your ass vaccinated!
► Efforts to push back against Republican Rep. Lauren “Q*Bert” Boebert’s anti-Muslim rhetoric led to a floor vote on the House of Representatives. As Colorado Newsline explains:
The U.S. House following a vitriolic debate passed a bill along party lines Tuesday night to create a State Department office that would counter Islamophobia worldwide. Democrats said a conflict much closer to home showed the need to confront anti-Muslim bigotry.
The bill sponsored by Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) picked up momentum after Colorado Republican Rep. Lauren Boebert suggested Omar, who is Muslim, was a terrorist. Democrats, including Colorado’s Ed Perlmutter and Joe Neguse, criticized Boebert in declaring their support for the measure.
The vote, on likely the last day the House is in session this year, appears to be the only action the chamber will take for now related to the ongoing dispute between the two lawmakers. The legislation passed 219-212.
Well, shit.
► Colorado lawmakers are rushing to finalize an affordable housing relief plan, as Colorado Newsline explains:
The Affordable Housing Transformational Task Force, one of three state panels tasked with finding ways to spend federal COVID-19 relief money, is close to finalizing its recommendations for spending $400 million in federal money on increasing Colorado’s supply of financially attainable apartments and homes.
A tentative plan discussed Dec. 8 came from the task force’s 15-member subpanel, which included representatives of homeless advocacy organizations, housing nonprofits, landlords and developers. Much of what the plan calls for involves loans for affordable housing developers and buyers of existing affordable housing, as well as affordable housing grants directed to nonprofits and local governments.
Lawmakers on the task force helped direct the subpanel’s work and make decisions about which recommendations to include in the plan.
Nothing’s set in stone until long after the task force approves and finalizes a report with funding and policy proposals. Next spring, lawmakers in the Colorado General Assembly will have to vote on legislation appropriating the funding.
► Congressman Joe Neguse (D-Boulderish) is introducing legislation that attempts to cut down on travel scams during the pandemic. From a press release:
Today, Congressman Joe Neguse unveiled bipartisan, bicameral legislation to increase consumer protections for travelers. The Protecting Consumers from Travel Fraud Act will instruct the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to research scams targeted at travelers throughout the Coronavirus pandemic. The study will be used to better inform consumers on how to best identify and avoid travel scams and will provide policy recommendations to Congress. Recent reports note an uptick in falsified airline or travel planning websites, used to sell hotel bookings and airline tickets, and scammers posing as travel and booking agents.
►The Washington Post looks back on a year of pandemic news that was both good and bad. In other words, pretty much like your life in general.
►Westword finally figures out that “The Daily Show” lampooned Rep. Lauren “Q*Bert” Boebert last week.
National conservative group Americans for Prosperity Action is endorsing Republican Barbara Kirkmeyer in the crowded race to represent Colorado’s new congressional district.
The group said in a release that Kirkmeyer, a state senator and former Weld County commissioner, will “put people over politics” to help everyone achieve their version of the American Dream. The group also noted that the endorsement comes with grassroots organizing and spending on digital ads and direct mail to support her campaign.
Kirkmeyer is one of five Republicans seeking the nomination in the 8th Congressional District, which covers parts of Adams and Weld counties, stretching from Thornton and Commerce City to Greeley. It’s expected to be one of the most competitive seats in the country in next year’s election.
The endorsement from the Koch brothers-funded AFP does make for a fun pun with Kirkmeyer’s name.
► As Colorado Public Radio reports, local government employees could have access to collective bargaining rights after the next legislative session:
Democratic leaders in the state legislature plan to introduce a bill that would allow many more public employees to unionize.
The bill, to be introduced in the upcoming session, would remove a longstanding exemption that has stopped the employees of most Colorado cities, counties and universities from organizing…
…Currently, a city’s employees can only formally organize if it’s allowed under their city’s laws.
Out of nearly 270 local governments, only 16 have collectively bargained contracts with any of their workers. Most commonly, uniformed services such as police have been able to unionize in larger cities.
► The Colorado Springs Independent reports back on the most recent crazypants rally in Grand Junction in support of Mesa County Clerk and Recorder Tina Peters.
►Kyle Rittenhouse is a featured speaker at an upcoming right-wing conference. Hooray, murderers!
► Would you believe that the man in the photo below assaulted a police officer in Washington D.C. during the Jan. 6 insurrection? Sure you would! And he’s from Colorado! (And he’s probably about to get invited to speak at a right-wing conference).
14 thoughts on “Get More Smarter on Wednesday (Dec. 15)”
Yesterday was the one year anniversary of the vaccine deployment. My experience in obtaining vaccine shots, including the booster, in the Denver area was easy. However, currently it seems very hard to schedule a booster shot that I am helping my daughter get. What gives?
itlduso, there is high demand and low supply of vaccines, especially Pfizer and Moderna. I had to schedule my booster 2 weeks in advance. My daughter in law is finally getting vaccinated, and we had to schedule that a couple of weeks out, too, plus another month for dose 2.
There are still "walk in" sites in community clinics, but you need to expect a wait in line. The best resources I found were the Denver and CDPHE vax pages.
IIRC, in the early days they were busing folks to Morgan County to get shots as there was a large supply of vaccine out yonder and very few takers. Is that still the case KW?
Jared Polis would be a far better Dem candidate for president in 2024, especially since Ms. Harris seems to be slowly imploding. This assumes President Biden doesn’t run for re-election.
December 15, 2021 09:36 AM UTC
14 Comments
Yesterday was the one year anniversary of the vaccine deployment. My experience in obtaining vaccine shots, including the booster, in the Denver area was easy. However, currently it seems very hard to schedule a booster shot that I am helping my daughter get. What gives?
itlduso, there is high demand and low supply of vaccines, especially Pfizer and Moderna. I had to schedule my booster 2 weeks in advance. My daughter in law is finally getting vaccinated, and we had to schedule that a couple of weeks out, too, plus another month for dose 2.
There are still "walk in" sites in community clinics, but you need to expect a wait in line. The best resources I found were the Denver and CDPHE vax pages.
IIRC, in the early days they were busing folks to Morgan County to get shots as there was a large supply of vaccine out yonder and very few takers. Is that still the case KW?
Greeley had plenty of appointments available.
The Salud health clinics offer vaxxes to all. There appear to be appointments at local pharmacies in Brush.
Maybe someone ought to check the drinking water over there?
The Twelve Days of Conspiramas
On the twelfth day of Conspiramas, my informant sent to me…
Twelve Chemtrails Trailing
Eleven Vaxxers Vaxxing
Ten Lizards Lording
Nine Eleven Plotters
Eight Illuminati
Seven RFID Implants
Six Fake Moon Landings
Five GMOs…
Four False Flag Ops
Three Jade Helms
Two EMPs
and a New World Order for Me.
Hilarious….your work?
Bowman is onto us, Gilpin Guy. Do what we agreed to do!
Release the Kracken!!!
Kinzinger FTW: (the comment thread is priceless)
Ready for Hillary…..
Hillary 2024? Given the competition, she may be the Dems' best hope | TheHill
Here's some common ground on which the most feral MAGA Republican and the most socialist, free-stuff Democrat can bond with one another.
Jared Polis would be a far better Dem candidate for president in 2024, especially since Ms. Harris seems to be slowly imploding. This assumes President Biden doesn’t run for re-election.