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Trump Banned From Ballot
Donald Trump is not eligible to be President of the United States and can be kept off of next year’s Republican Primary ballot.
In an unprecedented decision, the Colorado Supreme Court ruled yesterday that under Section 3 of the Fourteenth Amendment, the former president cannot hold public office because of his role in the Jan. 6th insurrection.
The 4-3 ruling applies only to Colorado’s ballot, and is not in effect until January 5th, the deadline for printing the state’s primary ballots.
Trump has vowed to appeal the decision and The Denver Post says the case will probably go to the U.S. Supreme Court.
Woman Identified In Fatal Police Shooting
The Boulder County Coroner’s office has identified the woman who was fatally shot by police over the weekend.
The woman has been identified as 51-year-old Jeanette Alatorre.
Officials confirmed her identity yesterday, according to Boulder Reporting Lab.
Police fatally shot Alatorre near the North Boulder recreation center Sunday afternoon and she was pronounced dead at the scene.
Police were called after a driver leaving the rec center said the woman pointed a gun at him. That weapon turned out to be a non-lethal replica handgun, according to Boulder Police.
Boulder Reporting Lab also says a video of the incident shows five officers at the scene, one of whom had a body shield as they chased the woman through a residential area. Police officials said officers attempted to de-escalate the situation without success, before shooting the woman.
The two officers who fired their weapons are on paid administrative leave while the incident is investigated.
Colorado Area Code Change
Colorado is assigning a new area code for residents living in northern and western areas of the state.
Beginning in 2026, the area code 748 will be in effect for those living in Fort Collins, Steamboat Springs, Grand Junction and Sterling.
According to 9NEWS, the state is introducing the new area code, the state’s sixth, because it’s running low on “970” phone numbers.
The Colorado Public Utilities Commission, the new area code will supply enough new phone numbers to span 38 years.
Xfinity Data Breach
Xfinity announced Monday that a recent data breach affected over 35 million customers.
The breach, which occurred in October, exposed personal information, including usernames and passwords, last four digits of social security numbers and secret questions.
According to TechCrunch, Xfinity has about 32 million broadband customers, meaning most of their customers were affected by the breach.
Xfinity says, in a statement, they’ve notified the federal law enforcement and are committed to invest in technology and experts dedicated to protecting their customers’ data
Colorado Bans Plastic Bags
Beginning in the new year, all plastic bags will be banned in large stores across Colorado.
The state will also require businesses to charge a fee for non-plastic disposable checkout bags, such as those made out of paper. 60% of the bag fees go to the corresponding municipalities while the rest go to the store itself.
Styrofoam food containers will be banned in restaurants, but the bag fees and plastic bag ban does not apply to food establishments.
These changes were made as a result of Colorado’s Plastic Pollution Reduction Act, which was introduced in 2021.
Youth Representation In Court
The Denver City Council voted Monday to provide youth with legal representation from the Denver Municipal Public Defenders starting July 1.
Currently, youth are only in contact with the City Attorney for court matters. If they believe they are innocent or want to dispute their charges, youth must pay for an attorney. Otherwise, they’re left to represent themselves, acting as their own attorney.
Advocates of the bill say it will fight against the school to prison pipeline by counseling youth with minor charges like vaping. These minor charges often lead to expulsion from school and a heightened risk to future involvement with the legal system, according to Elie Swiebel, Executive Director of the Colorado Juvenile Defender Center.
The city believes the rule change will add about 50 additional cases per month for the public defenders. To make the process easier, the city has added one attorney and an administrative person.
