fbpx

The I-70 Scout & Eastern Colorado News

Category: National News

  • Press Release: Governor Polis Proclaims March 1 – 7 as Colorado Weights and Measures Week

    (DENVER) – Gov. Polis has issued a proclamation declaring March 1 – 7 as Weights and Measures Week in Colorado.  Each year, the first week in March commemorates the signing of the first weights and measures law in the United States by President John Adams on March 2, 1799.

     It’s been 220 years since that first law was passed.  New measuring devices have been invented and computerization has made weights and measurement inspections much different than they used to be.  The technologies have changed and improved but the need to make sure transactions remain accurate and transparent is as important as ever.

     The governor’s proclamation honors the consumer protection efforts of the Colorado Department of Agriculture and the Colorado Department of Labor & Employment.  Their work touches virtually every Coloradan by ensuring the accuracy of all commercially used weighing and measuring equipment.

     Every day, commercial scales, meters and scanning equipment devices are used to ensure equity in the marketplace.  The Department of Labor and Employment’s Division of Oil and Public Safety (OPS) and the Department of Agriculture’s Measurement Standards Programs protect consumers by checking and calibrating that the devices are operating properly.

     Inspectors with OPS ensure that motorists are getting precisely what they are paying for at more than 50,000 retail motor fuel dispensers across the state.  These inspectors routinely collect samples of fuel products (gasoline, diesel, E-85, biodiesel, etc.) from retail fueling stations across the state and analyze these samples to ensure compliance with fuel quality standards.

    They also inspect bulk propane, gasoline, diesel truck meters, retail propane, compressed and liquefied natural gas dispensers for accuracy.  In addition to this consumer protection work, OPS addresses environmental protection by overseeing the cleanup of leaks and spills.

     Inspectors with the Department of Agriculture’s Inspection and Consumer Services division ensure the accuracy of commercial scales, meters and scanning equipment used at supermarkets, warehouses, packing plants, storage facilities, and retail stores.  Scales are even used at Denver International Airport to determine allowable luggage weights.  The metrology laboratory at the Department of Agriculture safeguards these devices’ precise accuracy.

     Weights and measures officials conduct tests of commercially used weighing and measuring devices and report their condition to the owners.  If the devices are correct, they are approved and sealed. If incorrect, they are prohibited from being rejected for use until the problem is corrected.

     “Guaranteeing the accuracy of weights and measures is one of the oldest and most important activities of government,” says Hollis Glenn, Director of the Division of Inspection and Consumer Services. “Every citizen and every business has a direct financial interest in seeing that transactions are fair to both the buyer and seller.”

     Mahesh Albuquerque, Director of the Division of Oil and Public Safety, agrees.  “The quiet but systemic efforts of these officials instills trust in our marketplace.  Weights and Measures Week is an opportunity to educate consumers, businesses and lawmakers about their important work.”

     

    Colorado Department of Labor & Employment

    CDLE’s Division of Oil and Public Safety is responsible for inspecting Colorado’s more than 50,000 retail motor fuel dispensers. Inspectors routinely collect samples of fuel products from retail fueling stations across the state, and samples are analyzed for compliance with fuel quality standards. For more information on OPS’s Weights and Measures program, visit  www.colorado.gov/ops/WeightsMeasures.

     Colorado Department of Agriculture

    Inspectors and metrologists within CDA’s Measurement Standards Program and Division of Laboratory Services ensure the accuracy of scales, meters, and packaged products at supermarkets, warehouses, packing plants, storage facilities, and other retail stores.  For more information on CDA’s Weights and Measures programs, visit www.colorado.gov/aginspection/measurement-standards or www.colorado.gov/aglabs/metrology-laboratory.

    Link:

    Governor’s Proclamation: Colorado Weights and Measures Week 2019

    SPREAD THE NEWS

    COMMENT, Like, Follow & SHARE @I70Scout

    CURRENT EDITION

    WEATHER & TRAFFIC    PUZZLES    RECENT NEWS    ADVERTISE WITH US

     

  • Colorado Legislature OK’s changes to presidential electors

    Colorado Legislature OK’s changes to presidential electors

    By JAMES ANDERSON

    Associated Press

    DENVER (AP) _ The Democrat-controlled Legislature approved a bill Thursday calling for Colorado to join other states in casting presidential electoral votes for the winner of the national popular vote. Gov. Jared Polis, also a Democrat, has said he will sign the measure. Currently, the state’s electoral votes are cast for whoever wins in Colorado. Under the bill , Colorado would join 11 other states and the District of Columbia in the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact, which would take effect after states with a collective 270 electoral votes _ the number needed to win the presidency _ agree to join.

    The campaign was launched after Democrat Al Gore won the popular vote but lost the 2000 election to Republican George W. Bush when electoral votes were tallied. Colorado Democrats introduced the bill after Donald Trump’s 2016 presidential victory over Democrat Hillary Clinton, who won 3 million more votes nationally than Trump. The state House voted 34-29 Thursday to approve the bill that previously cleared the Senate. Opponents say the initiative subverts an electoral college that was designed to ensure, in part, that smaller states aren’t trampled when it comes to choosing a president. They also insisted the matter should be go to voters. Two Colorado Republicans, Monument Mayor Don Wilson and Mesa County Commissioner Rose Pugliese, said Thursday they’re seeking a 2020 state ballot measure on the issue. “Our founders feared the tyranny of the majority. In our electoral college our smaller states still have a say,” GOP Rep. Lori Saine warned before Thursday’s vote. “This is an exercise of the tyranny of the majority.”

    “I hear time and again that my vote doesn’t count,” Democratic Rep. Emily Sirota, a bill co-sponsor, said of her constituents. “That’s the intention of this bill _ to help people believe their vote matters.”

    Currently, voters choose presidential electors from the political parties. The Electoral College has 538 electors, corresponding to the number of seats held by states in the U.S. Senate and House, plus three votes for the District of Columbia. Electors from states that have joined the compact would pool their votes for the national popular vote winner _ whether or not that candidate won in those states. Compact members, including California (55 electoral votes) and New York (29), currently have 172 electors. Colorado, with nine, would give it 181. Republican state lawmakers argued the compact would induce candidates to bypass smaller, rural, often Republican-leaning states during their campaigns. They say Colorado, which voted overwhelmingly Democratic in the 2018 midterm elections, would be added to that “flyover” territory. Advocates said it would force the candidates to fight for votes in more states, including solidly red states like Texas and solidly blue states like California. Ray Haynes, a former California Republican state lawmaker and ex-national chair of the conservative American Legislative Exchange Council, which represents state lawmakers, lobbied on behalf of the Colorado bill, noting it had bipartisan support well before the Trump election. But he said he got a relatively cold response from Colorado Republicans. “Conservative legislators around the country understand the basic concept of the bill, and as legislators they think that every vote in every state in every election matters,” Haynes said. “The visceral response is, `Oh my god, this would have given us Clinton as president.’ And that’s not true,” he said. Other compact members are Hawaii, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Rhode Island, Vermont and Washington. New Mexico lawmakers are considering similar legislation.

    SPREAD THE NEWS

    COMMENT, Like, Follow & SHARE @I70Scout

    CURRENT EDITION

    WEATHER & TRAFFIC    PUZZLES    RECENT NEWS    ADVERTISE WITH US

     

  • National Popular Vote Bill Clears Colorado Senate

    Measure pushes one step closer to a popular vote for president – proposal now moves to Colorado House of Representatives

    (DENVER, CO) – The National Popular Vote bill, which would guarantee the presidency to the candidate who receives the most popular votes across all 50 states and the District of Columbia, cleared the Colorado Senate on Tuesday. The measure now moves to the Colorado House of Representatives. When passed by both the House and Senate, the bill would go to Governor Jared Polis for final signature into law.

     “We are grateful to our sponsors in the Colorado legislatures, and to citizens across the state who are making it clear that they prefer a national popular vote for president,” said John Koza, Chairman of National Popular Vote. “Regardless of party, the people of Colorado prefer a system where every voter, in every state, is politically relevant in every presidential election. National Popular Vote delivers on that promise.”

     The National Popular Vote interstate compact will go into effect when enacted by states possessing a majority of the electoral votes necessary to elect a president – 270 out of 538.  In December, when electors meet to cast their ballots for president and vice-president following a presidential election, the electoral votes of all the compacting states would be awarded in a package to the candidate who receives the most popular votes across all 50 states and DC.

     “We are determined to achieve 270 or more electoral votes,” continued Koza. “We will be dogged in our approach to attract Republicans, Democrats, and Independents who believe there is a better way to elect the President of the United States.”

    Since the National Popular Vote movement began in 2006, eleven states and the District of Columbia – altogether totaling 172 electoral votes – have passed the National Popular Vote bill. That is just 98 electoral votes short of 270. Colorado’s nine electoral votes would bring that total down to just 89 necessary for the National Popular Vote interstate compact to take effect.

     In 2006, the Colorado Senate became the first state legislative body in the nation to pass the National Popular Vote bill. The Colorado House went on to pass the bill in 2009. The National Popular Vote bill has since passed at least one house in 11 states possessing a total of 89 electoral votes. Altogether, 3,125 state legislators across all 50 states have endorsed the National Popular Vote bill. The New Mexico House of Representatives is set to take up the National Popular Vote bill later this week. And several more state legislatures are expected to consider the measure as they convene in 2019.

     

    SPREAD THE NEWS

    COMMENT, Like, Follow & SHARE @I70Scout

    CURRENT EDITION

    WEATHER & TRAFFIC    PUZZLES    RECENT NEWS    ADVERTISE WITH US

     

  • February SNAP Benefits will be Early for Most Recipients Clients must make them last

    February SNAP Benefits will be Early for Most Recipients Clients must make them last

    DENVER (Jan. 16, 2019) – Due to the continuing partial federal government shutdown, the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the State of Colorado have released February SNAP benefits early to most recipients.

    The Department urges clients who received an additional SNAP payment on their EBT cards from Jan.16-20th to keep in mind that it is an advance SNAP payment for February. The additional funds are intended to help clients with their February food purchases. No additional SNAP benefits will be allotted in February.

    All SNAP participants will be able to use their EBT cards to purchase food as long as there are benefits on their card. Participants should plan food purchases carefully throughout January and February so their food needs are met through the partial government shutdown.

    If more food resources are needed during the partial government shutdown, we encourage clients to reach out to a local food bank or community agency in their area. To find those resources, please contact:

    Colorado 2-1-1: 844-493-8255
    Hunger Free Colorado: 855-855-4626
    Colorado Benefits Center: 855-871-2696
     

    SNAP benefits will not be issued again until March, and only if the funds are available from the federal government. As additional information becomes available, we will share it.

    SPREAD THE NEWS

    COMMENT, Like, Follow & SHARE @I70Scout

    CURRENT EDITION

    WEATHER & TRAFFIC    PUZZLES    RECENT NEWS    ADVERTISE WITH US

     

  • Air traffic controllers warn of possible staffing shortage

    Air traffic controllers warn of possible staffing shortage

    Editors Note APNewsNow.

    DENVER (AP) _ The president of Denver’s National Air Traffic Controllers Association warns that flyers could be waiting in longer lines for fewer flights at the city’s airport if the U.S. government shutdown continues.

    The Denver Post reports that association president Josh Waggener says staff shortages could develop at the Denver International Airport if air traffic controllers and Transportation Security Administration screeners seek other jobs or retire.

    These federal employees are currently working without paychecks as the shutdown enters week four, the longest in U.S. history.

    Waggener says about 20 percent of air traffic controllers are eligible to retire, and they were already at a 30-year low before the shutdown.

    He says the majority of his members could reach a crisis point if they miss another paycheck.

    ___

    Information from: The Denver Post, http://www.denverpost.com

    SPREAD THE NEWS

    COMMENT, Like, Follow & SHARE @I70Scout

    CURRENT EDITION

    WEATHER & TRAFFIC    PUZZLES    RECENT NEWS    ADVERTISE WITH US

     

  • Antarctic ice sheet is melting, but rising bedrock below could slow it down

    An international team led by DTU Space at the Technical University of Denmark with Colorado State University has found that the bedrock below the remote West Antarctic Ice Sheet is rising much more rapidly than previously thought, in response to ongoing ice melt.

    The study, “Observed rapid bedrock uplift in the Amundsen Sea Embayment promotes ice-sheet stability,” reveals new insights on the geology of the region and its interaction with the ice sheet and is published in the journal Science.

    Researchers said the findings have important implications in understanding and predicting the stability of the ice sheet and Earth’s rising sea levels.

    “We studied a surprising and important mechanism, glacial isostatic adjustment, that may slow the demise of the massive West Antarctic Ice Sheet by lifting up the bedrock and sediments beneath the ice sheet,” explained CSU Professor Rick Aster, a co-author of the study and head of the Geosciences department at the university.

    Ice sheet’s bowl-like position makes it susceptible to collapse

    Scientists have been concerned that this ice sheet is particularly precarious in the face of a warming climate and ocean currents, because it is grounded hundreds to thousands of feet below sea level — unlike the ice sheets of East Antarctica or Greenland — and its base slopes inland. This bowl-like topography makes it susceptible to runaway destabilization and even complete collapse over centuries or even thousands of years.

    The entirety of West Antarctica contains enough ice that, if it were to melt, would contribute more than 10 feet of average global sea level rise. In addition, the ice sheet is so massive that it attracts an ocean bulge, due to gravity. If this mass of water is released, it would lead to an additional increase of three feet or more to average sea level in parts of the Northern Hemisphere.

    The West Antarctic Ice Sheet is currently contributing approximately 25 percent of global melting land-based ice each year, and recent satellite-based studies have shown that this amount has increased in recent decades. This figure is equivalent to about 37 cubic miles or a cube of over three miles on each side.

    Co-authors of the study based at The Ohio State University led the installation of sensitive GPS stations on rock outcrops around the remote region to measure the rise in response to thinning ice and to directly measure the uplift due to changes in the ice sheet. These measurements showed that the bedrock uplift rates were as high as 1.6 inches per year, one of the fastest rates ever recorded in glacial areas.

    Professor Rick Aster is a co-author of a new study that analyzed the remote West Antarctic Ice Sheet, which is susceptible to collapse.

    “This very rapid uplift may slow the runaway wasting and eventual collapse of the ice sheet,” said Aster. The uplift tends to stabilize the critical grounding line where the ice sheet loses contact with underlying bedrock or sediment and goes afloat, he explained. This grounding line then counteracts the process of the ice sheet collapsing.

    ‘A game changer’

    Researchers also found in this study that the uplift is accelerating, and predicted that it will continue to do so into the next century.

    “Our research indicates that recent and ongoing ice loss in the region has been underestimated by approximately 10 percent in past studies, because this bedrock uplift was inadequately accounted for in satellite measurements,” said Aster.

    Lead author Valentina Barletta, a postdoctoral researcher at DTU SPACE, Technical University of Denmark, said that this uplift is occurring quite rapidly, when compared with other regions of the earth where glaciers are melting.

    “Normally we would see this type of uplift happening slowly, over thousands of years after an ice age,” said Barletta. “What we found tells us that earth’s underlying viscous mantle is relatively fluid and moves quickly when the weight of the ice is taken off,” she added.

    Terry Wilson, professor emeritus of Earth Sciences at The Ohio State University, said the findings suggest that the geological conditions beneath the ice are very different from what scientists had previously believed.

    “The rate of uplift we found is unusual and very surprising,” she said. “It’s a game changer.”

    Seismic scans uncover clues about the earth’s mantle

    Aster, Barletta and the study co-authors have deployed a large network of sensitive seismographs across Antarctica to produce seismic tomographic images — analogous to a gigantic CAT scan — of the deep earth below Antarctica.

    The work assisted in the interpretation and modeling of the GPS uplift data by delineating a vast region of the earth’s mantle, 40 to 400 miles below West Antarctica, that is relatively hot and fluid.

    Previous and related studies conducted by the research team have also revealed that some hotter features below Antarctica extend still deeper, over 600 miles, into the earth.

    “These warmer mantle features drive the previously enigmatic volcanic activity in West Antarctica, including Mount Erebus on Ross Island,” said Aster. “This geothermal heat at the base of the ice sheet helps to sustain subglacial lakes in some regions and lubricates the ice sheet as it slips towards the ocean,”he added.

    Aster said while the research does provide room for a positive outcome, if future global warming is extreme, the entire West Antarctic Ice Sheet will still melt.

    “To keep global sea levels from rising more than a few feet during this century and beyond, we must still limit greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere through international cooperation and innovation,” he said.

    Co-authors of this study also include researchers from DTU Compute at the Technical University of Denmark (DTU Compute), University of Washington, University of Colorado-Boulder, TU Delft in the Netherlands, University of Texas, University of Memphis, Penn State University and Washington University in St. Louis.

    The Department of Geosciences is part of the Warner College of Natural Resources

    SPREAD THE NEWS

    COMMENT, Like, Follow & SHARE @I70Scout

     

    CURRENT EDITION

    WEATHER & TRAFFIC    PUZZLES    RECENT NEWS    ADVERTISE WITH US

     

  • Oil and gas methane emissions 60% higher than EPA reports in new CSU study

    Oil and gas methane emissions 60% higher than EPA reports in new CSU study

    A new study that draws on previous work by Colorado State University scientists finds that the U.S. oil and gas industry emits nearly 60 percent more methane than current Environmental Protection Agency estimates. That amounts to 13 million metric tons of methane from oil and gas operations each year.

    Published online June 21 in the journal Science, the study is led by Environmental Defense Fund researchers, with support from 15 institutions and 19 co-authors, including Anthony Marchese, CSU professor of mechanical engineering. The study integrates over half a decade of research by a large community of scientists, among them Marchese; and Dan Zimmerle, senior research associate at the CSU Energy Institute.

    In 2014, Marchese and Zimmerle led EDF-sponsored work into defining methane emissions from two key segments of the natural gas supply chain: gathering and processing, near the front end; and transmission and storage, further downstream. Their results helped shape the new estimates of total emissions just published. Over the last three years, their work has also been incorporated in and cited by the EPA Greenhouse Gas Inventory.

    2 Percent Leak Rate
    The new EDF study estimates the current methane leak rate from the U.S. oil and gas system is 2 percent, versus the current EPA inventory estimate of 1.4 percent. While the percentages seem small, the volume represents enough natural gas to fuel 10 million homes – lost gas worth an estimated $2 billion.

    “It has been an honor and privilege to be part of this community of researchers to better quantify the extent of the problem of methane emissions,” Marchese said. “When we started this work, there was a debate as to whether total methane loss from all natural gas operations was 1 percent, or as high as 8 percent. Those of us who were familiar with the engineering equipment and practices in place had a hard time believing that the leak rate was 8 percent ­– but we really didn’t know. Now, based on what we’ve concluded from five years of effort, our focus can go to the actionable practices and technologies that can reduce emissions rates.”

    More than 140 researchers from 40 institutions were co-authors on the underlying papers. Fifty oil and gas companies provided site access and technical advice to these studies. The findings reported feature measurements at over 400 well pads in six basins. They include scores of midstream facilities, data from component measurements, and aerial surveys covering large swaths of the U.S. oil and gas infrastructure.

    “These studies, synthesized in this Science paper, have transformed our understanding of methane emissions from natural gas systems in the United States,” said Professor David Allen, of the Cockrell School of Engineering at the University of Texas at Austin, who is a contributor to the new paper and lead author on several of the earlier studies.

    Potent greenhouse gas

    Methane is a highly potent greenhouse gas, with over 80 times the warming impact of carbon dioxide over the first 20 years after it is released. It is also the main ingredient in natural gas, and a saleable product when recovered. The higher overall methane leak rate relative to EPA’s current estimate underscores a growing strategic business and environmental challenge for natural gas in an increasingly competitive, lower-carbon economy.

    “This is by far the most comprehensive body of research of its kind,” said EDF Chief Scientist Steven Hamburg. “Scientists have uncovered a huge problem, but also an enormous opportunity. Reducing methane emissions from the oil and gas sector is the fastest, most cost-effective way we have to slow the rate of warming today, even as the larger transition to lower-carbon energy continues.”

    The International Energy Agency estimates industry can reduce their worldwide emissions by 75 percent – and that up to two thirds of those reductions can be realized at zero net cost.

    “Although we confirmed that methane emissions are substantially higher than previously thought, the good news is that our new understanding provides a cost-effective path forward to eliminate the wastage of this valuable resource,” said Allen Robinson, professor and department head of mechanical engineering at Carnegie Mellon University.

    Industry action

    Leading companies are beginning to recognize the challenge, but action to reduce emissions is only just getting started. In April, BP set its first quantitative methane target. Last month ExxonMobil committed to cut methane emissions and flared gas volumes, following an earlier announcement from its subsidiary XTO Energy that unveiled their methane reduction program. Shell, Qatar Petroleum and a host of other producers have committed to continuously reduce methane emissions across the natural gas supply chain.

    Overall, EDF is calling for a 45 percent reduction in global oil and gas methane emissions by 2025 – a goal that would have the same short-term climate benefit as closing one-third of the world’s coal plants when achieved.

    “Industry leadership remains crucial,” said EDF Senior Vice President Mark Brownstein. “Companies have the ability to lead through operational best practices, comprehensive methane programs, target setting, technology innovation and pilots, and constructively engaging with the regulatory process.”

    EDF recently announced plans to build MethaneSAT, a purpose-built satellite designed to measure and map human-caused methane emissions almost anywhere on earth. Due to launch in 2021, MethaneSAT will help both countries and companies track problem areas, find solutions, and monitor their progress.

    EDF, the Oil and Gas Climate Initiative companies, and the UN Environment’s Climate and Clean Air Coalition are also collaborating on a set of peer-reviewed methane studies in locations across the globe, which will complement the data collected by MethaneSAT. These studies are built on the methods pioneered in the U.S.-based studies upon which the synthesis paper is based.

    Read more about this work at https://www.edf.org/climate/methane-studies.

    SPREAD THE NEWS

    COMMENT, Like, Follow & SHARE  @I70Scout

     

    CURRENT EDITION

    WEATHER & TRAFFIC    PUZZLES    RECENT NEWS    ADVERTISE WITH US

     

  • U.S. Honor Flag to be flown in Honor of Deputy Heath Gumm in Adams County, CO — Wednesday, June 13

    U.S. Honor Flag to be flown in Honor of Deputy Heath Gumm in Adams County, CO — Wednesday, June 13

    The U.S. Honor Flag will fly at our Substation, located at 4201 E 72nd Avenue, Commerce City, CO 80022, in honor of Deputy Heath Gumm. According to Honor Network,

    The U.S. Honor Flag has become a national treasure to millions of people, honoring thousands of Police Officers, Firefighters, First Responders and those serving on active combat duty in the military who made the ultimate sacrifice in service to our communities and country.

    The flag will be hoisted and be brought back down and placed on display at our Substation. Traveling over seven million miles, the U.S. Honor Flag flew aboard Space Shuttle Atlantis on NASA’s
    final Shuttle Mission in 2011. The U.S. Honor Flag has flown over Ground Zero, State Capitols, the Pentagon, Presidential Libraries, State and National Memorials, and attended funerals and tributes for America’s fallen Heroes killed in the line of duty.

    I am honored to have the U.S. Honor Flag flown and on display in honor of Deputy Heath Gumm. The U.S. Honor Flag has paid tribute to so many fallen heroes and we will never forget those who paid the ultimate sacrifice. — Adams County Sheriff Michael McIntosh

    Schedule of Events:

    • Ceremony Begins at 9 a.m.
    • The U.S. Honor Flag will be on display at our Substation until 1 p.m.
    • The U.S. Honor Flag will be on display at ADCOM from 1 p.m. – 5 p.m.

    SPREAD THE NEWS

    COMMENT, Like, Follow & SHARE @I70Scout

     

    CURRENT EDITION

    WEATHER & TRAFFIC    PUZZLES    RECENT NEWS    ADVERTISE WITH US

     

  • From the desk of Senator Cory Gardner… police body armor and more

    From the desk of Senator Cory Gardner… police body armor and more

    Senators Gardner and Markey Highlight their Asia Strategy

    SFRC Hearing Highlights ARIA Legislation

    Washington, DC – U.S. Senators Cory Gardner (R-CO) and Ed Markey (D-MA), Chairman and Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on East Asia, the Pacific, and International Cybersecurity Policy led a hearing on Tuesday focusing on their legislation, the Asia Reassurance Initiative Act (ARIA).

    Last month, Senator Gardner and Senator Markey along with Senator Rubio (R-FL) and Senator Cardin (D-MD) introduced the Asia Reassurance Initiative Act (ARIA), which is designed to serve as a policy framework to enhance U.S. leadership in the Indo-Pacific region and to demonstrate a commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific and the rules-based international order. 

    Our ARIA legislation provides the United States a long-term strategy in Asia that preserves American national security interests, promotes American businesses and creates jobs through trade opportunities, and projects American values of respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms. The United States has always been — and will always remain — a Pacific power, and the support expressed by Administration officials at today’s hearing proves that the U.S. government can speak with one voice to reassure our allies and to deter our adversaries in the Indo-Pacific region. — Senator Gardner

    Today’s hearing included witness testimony from Randall Schriver, Assistant Secretary of Asian and Pacific Security Affairs at Department of Defense and Alex Wong, Deputy Assistant Secretary, Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs at Department of State.

    In 2017, Gardner and Markey held four hearings in their Subcommittee to inform ARIA. The hearing series, titled, “American Leadership in the Asia-Pacific,” included hearings on security challenges, economic opportunities, promoting human rights and the rule of law, and U.S.-China relations.

    We are at a unique moment in history in which the United States needs to communicate to Asia – to allies and adversaries alike – that we are invested in the region. We have the opportunity to push back on China’s efforts to undermine the international system, strengthen alliances, tackle issues from terrorism to climate change, and empower people to seek freedom and economic opportunity. We can do that through bipartisan policies that promote the rules-based order, peacefully denuclearize North Korea, and promote human rights and the respect for democratic values. The United States simply cannot afford to cede leadership in such a critical region. — Senator Markey

    A background paper on ARIA can be found here.

     

    Gardner to Introduce Body Armor Bill to Protect Law Enforcement Officers

    Participates in Wreath Laying Ceremony for National Police Week

    Washington, DC – Senator Cory Gardner (R-CO) announced today that he will be introducing legislation designed to help outfit every law enforcement officer in the country with Type III body armor, which is designed to stop rifle ballistics.

    According to the Department of Justice (DOJ), the vast majority of bulletproof vests purchased using the Bullet Proof Vest Partnership (BVP) grant program were Type II vests. Type II vests do not stop rifle ballistics, which killed two of the officers in Colorado who were wearing either Type II or Type I body armor at the time.  Type III rifle-resistant plates might have saved their lives, but many departments, especially smaller departments, simply do not have the budget to purchase Type III body armor vests. The bill also authorizes additional funding for the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) to research more advanced body armor.

    Our law enforcement officers put their lives on the line every day to protect and serve our communities. They are always there to help others and deserve nothing less than our gratitude and thanks. Unfortunately, Colorado and departments across the country have seen too many officer involved deaths and we must do more to protect those who protect us. Our officers should not be put in harm’s way without the absolute best equipment and that is why I am introducing legislation, which will make it easier for every officer in the country to purchase body armor that can withstand rifle bullets. I will work with members on both sides of the aisle to see this important piece of legislation signed into law. — Gardner

    Gardner also took part in the National Peace Officers’ Wreath Laying Ceremony as part of National Police Week. Gardner met with Coloradan officers and officers from around the country to thank them for their service and honor the law enforcement lives we have lost in 2017. “It was a humbling experience to participate in today’s ceremony and remember the law enforcement lives we have lost. Colorado’s law enforcement community has experienced tremendous loss these last few months and I want every officer to know I stand with them and have their backs,” said Gardner.

     

     

     

    Bennet & Gardner Applaud Committee Approval of West Fork Fire Station and Peak Naming Bills 

    Bennet-led, bipartisan bills would assist southwest Colorado, honor legacy of distinguished mountaineers

     Washington, D.C. – Today, the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources passed two bills led by U.S. Senator Michael Bennet (D-CO) and cosponsored by U.S. Senator Cory Gardner (R-CO) that would improve safety in southwest Colorado and honor the legacy of two distinguished Colorado mountaineers, Charlie Fowler and Christine Boskoff. Companion bills introduced by Congressman Scott Tipton (R-CO-03) have passed the House of Representatives.

    “We are pleased with the approval of these bills—which, in distinct and significant ways, will benefit the southwest Colorado community—and we will continue to advocate for their passage in the Senate,” Bennet said.

    “These two bills clearing another legislative hurdle is great news for Southwest Colorado,” Gardner said. “They will have a positive impact on our region, and I look forward to continuing to work with Senator Bennet and Congressman Tipton to get them signed into law.”

    The West Fork Fire Station Act would convey about four acres of Forest Service land to Dolores County for the location of a new fire station. Without a station, fires pose a greater threat to the West Fork community, and homeowners are unable to purchase insurance. Building a fire station would decrease response times to emergency calls, reduce the financial burden on the region’s other emergency responders, and provide a staging area to respond to wildfires.

    The Fowler and Boskoff Peaks Designation Act would name two Colorado mountain peaks in honor of distinguished mountaineers Charlie Fowler and Christine Boskoff, who died in a 2006 avalanche while attempting to summit Genyen Peak in Tibet. Over the course of their outstanding climbing careers, Fowler and Boskoff summited several 26,000-foot mountain peaks, including Mt. Everest. Fowler, who was known in southwest Colorado for building climbing walls in schools, received the Robert and Miriam Underhill Award for outstanding mountaineering achievement from the American Alpine Club in 2004. Boskoff, who was one of the world’s most accomplished American female mountain climbers, contributed countless hours to non-profit organizations that supported the rights of porters and Sherpas, women’s education, global literacy, and gender equality.

    Statements from Bennet and local stakeholders on the West Fork bill are available HERE and on the Peaks Designation bill are available HERE.

      

    SPREAD THE NEWS

    COMMENT, Like, Follow & SHARE @I70Scout

     

    CURRENT EDITION

    WEATHER & TRAFFIC    PUZZLES    RECENT NEWS    ADVERTISE WITH US

     

  • 360 Fallen Law Enforcement Officers to be Honored During 30th Annual Candlelight Vigil — May 13

    360 Fallen Law Enforcement Officers to be Honored During 30th Annual Candlelight Vigil — May 13

    National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund releases list of names of officers being added to the national monument this year

    Washington, DC— The National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund has released the roll call of names of 360 U.S. law enforcement officers who have died in the line of duty. These names will be engraved this month and formally dedicated at the 30th annual Candlelight Vigil held on the National Mall, between 4th and 7th streets on Sunday, May 13, at 8:00 p.m.

    Included in this list are the names of 129 officers who were killed in the line of duty in 2017 and 231 officers who were killed in prior years but had been forgotten by time until the Memorial Fund’s research staff and a team of dedicated volunteers confirmed record of their law enforcement service.

    When the addition of these 360 names is completed, the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial will bear the names of 21,541 officers representing all 50 states, the District of Columbia, U.S. territories, federal law enforcement, and military police agencies—all who have made the ultimate sacrifice in our nation’s history.

    The engraving process begins with a lengthy stencil and proofing procedure followed by meticulous engraving and curing processes. Once the engraving and curing process is finished, the covers are removed, and the panel is completed. Names will be engraved on 69 of the Memorial’s 128 panels encompassing the east and west walls.

    Each May 13, an estimated 30,000 people assemble for the annual Candlelight Vigil, a signature event of National Police Week when the names of these fallen officers are formally dedicated. Thanks to a partnership with Officer.com, the Vigil is streamed live online so that people across the country can witness this annual tribute to America’s law enforcement officers. Individuals interested in the free webcast can register online at www.UnitedByLight.org.

    For the third year in a row, we will come together on the National Mall for an important occasion: to honor the brave lives we lost in the line of duty. A ceremony will never relieve the loss felt by these families, but we gather to show them that they are not alone. The 900,000 officers currently wearing the badge will carry on their responsibility and dedication of protecting our communities. — Craig W. Floyd, Chief Executive Officer of the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund

    The names of the 360 officers added to the National Memorial this year can be found at www.LawMemorial.org/2018RollCall. For a complete schedule of National Police Week events in Washington, DC, visit www.LawMemorial.org/PoliceWeek.

    SPREAD THE NEWS

    COMMENT, Like, Follow & SHARE  @I70Scout

     

    CURRENT EDITION

    WEATHER & TRAFFIC    PUZZLES    RECENT NEWS    ADVERTISE WITH US