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Rep. Hurd Makes the Right Call

We're pretty critical of Rep. Jeff Hurd when he appears to be on the wrong track, so it's only fair that we point out when he does something praiseworthy. 

He was one of four Republicans in the House who voted against censuring Rep. Ilhan Omar of Minnesota for her remarks concerning the late Charlie Kirk. 

Hurd was quick to point out that he found her remarks "vile," but added "“The right response to reprehensible speech like this isn’t silencing: it’s more speech." 

Sounds a lot like what AG Phil Weiser said when he was in town last week. 

If you agree with Rep. Hurd, give his office a call and let his staff know. Because you can be certain the people who disagree are weighing in. 

State lawmakers call for Forest Service staff to be rehired

A bipartisan group of Western Slope lawmakers, including our district rep Katie Stewart, called for thousands of recently-fired Forest Service staff to be rehired, saying the cuts would “severely harm the invaluable services that these forests provide.”
 
Our region is especially at risk going into fire season with 44 percent of normal snowpack from winter.
 
Are you listening, Congressman Hurd?
 
Read the full story here.

What's DOGE Doing with Your Data?

Elon Musk's DOGE crew has access to several government databases that contain citizens' personal data, including the Social Security database. 

Wonder what they're doing with your information? There's a way to find out!

A federal judge has ruled that DOGE must comply with Freedom of Information requests from citizens. 

Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-MD) has set up a site with step-by-step instructions for filing a request. 

Trump Cuts Hampering Earthquake Aid

You've probably seen the footage of the devastating earthquake that hit Southeast Asia on Friday. Aid workers are scrambling to help those affected, but the efforts have run into obstacles. 

Myanmar, the country hardest hit, already was in the throes of a humanitarian crisis.

What you may not know: The Trump administration's decision to eliminate USAID means that the most experienced folks at earthquake recovery efforts are sidelined. The New York Times explains the issue. (Gift link, no subscription needed.)

This is just another example of how Trump and his enablers in Washington have gutted agencies with no real understanding of how they work and their role in the world. 

Featured

Your SSN: DOGE has it

The acting head of Social Security had a meeting recently with staffers, which was recorded and provided to the online news outlet ProPublica. 

He made a number of alarming statements about reductions in staff and how the DOGE kids are making the system less functional. He expressed concerned that "we're going to break something," referring to the system that serves 73 million people. 

He also confirmed that the DOGE workers have broad access to our Social Security numbers and personal information. 

You can read the whole story here. 

Word to the wise. Lock your credit.