Colorado's San Luis Valley struggles with food insecurity. 1 in 4 residents uses the network of 15 food banks spread across an area the size of Massachusetts. Organizers say they often feel forgotten by the Front Range. So #HeyNext viewers raised $73,782 to fill those food banks.
The Food Bank Network of the San Luis Valley is part of the non-profit @LaPuenteHome. They run lean with *one* paid employee. The food bank locations are run by volunteers. As always on Word of Thanks, I'm matching the first 50 $5 donations here: coloradogives.org/9caresSLVFoodB…
Coordinators say the rate of food bank usage in the Valley is double the statewide average. Thank you for showing our neighbors there that all of Colorado cares. Next viewers have now given $800,000+ to small to mid-size non-profits through Word of Thanks since June.
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NEW: @GovofCO Polis (D) announces Colorado will deploy “human capital, air and ground assets, and other logistical support” to help SOS @JenaGriswold (D) change leaked voting system passwords statewide. #copolitics
The password changes and review of logs/video for potential tampering is a process that must occur on-site in impacted county clerk offices. SOS has declined to say how many. Goal is to complete work tonight
Griswold did not inform county election clerks that her office had posted voting machine passwords online for months and did not begin the process of changing the leaked passwords until after the security breach became public.
NEW: Spokesperson for Colorado Secretary of State Jena Griswold (D) confirms that "partial passwords" for Colorado voting systems were inadvertently posted online. The @ColoGOP first flagged the issue. #copolitics
The @ColoGOP says SOS @JenaGriswold (D) must comply with a list of election integrity demands or the GOP will call on county clerks to decertify the impacted voting machines.
@cologop @JenaGriswold SOS Griswold's office says there is no "immediate security threat" because no one could have used the leaked passwords to compromise voting systems unless they obtained physical access to the equipment through ID-badged secure rooms that are video-monitored.
Aurora Fire tells me capacity for the Trump rally is about 10,300. The guy with the clicker at the door says 1,500 entered in the first hour. Two hours until Trump speaks. Imagine it will be packed. I’ll thread updates from the rally here. #copolitics
“Come here! I’m gonna give you a hug. I don’t watch your show. You’re so full of shit.” - Katrena from Kittridge, CO
Mix of cheers and boos as Colorado GOP chairman Dave Williams takes the stage. Williams just turned back an attempt by a faction of the party to replace him over allegations of incompetence and corruption.
NEW: Tina Peters’ sentencing in her election system tampering case has started. I’ll thread details here. Or watch live: #copolitics 9news.com/mobile/article…
Peters’ attorney asks for a sentence of probation instead of prison. Calls the prosecution highly politicized. Not sure how well that will go over with the judge, who wasn’t interested in political speeches during the trial. A pastor is now speaking on Peters’ behalf.
The pastor asks the judge to remand Peters into the custody of his church in California with a promise that she won’t be involved in Colorado politics anymore. Three people who were supposed to speak for Peters haven’t shown up, so now the people are speaking for the prosecution.
NEW: Colorado has a new welcome sign, of sorts. The billboard at the CO-WY state line warning "Venezuela Ahead, Be Prepared!" bears the name of Donald Trump's biggest billionaire megadonor. #copolitics 9news.com/article/news/p…
The billboard says “Paid for by Clipper Properties, LLC, Tim Mellon, Member.” Mellon gave $125M to a pro-Trump super PAC. The NYT describes Mellon as a "reclusive billionaire" whose autobiography said Blacks became "even more belligerent" after the expansion of social programs.
9NEWS has not independently confirmed that the Tim Mellon who paid for the billboard is the conservative megadonor of the same name. The law firm for the LLC hung up the phone repeatedly when Mellon's name was mentioned.
KOA's @MandyConnell repeated a claim that a Venezuelan gang is extorting truckers in Aurora, CO. It's from a TikTok video that appears to satirize anti-migrant hysteria. The TikTok creator said 18 Venezuelans got out of an SUV with "Venezuelan gang member" tattooed on their arms.
"18 Venezuelan got out of the SUV," the TikTok creator said in the video. "He pulled up his shirt and showed me his pew-pew and he had "Venezuelan gang member" tattooed on his forearm so I knew he was a Venezuelan gang member."
As some on TikTok look the claim seriously, the creator posted in the comments that his video was "a cranium thickness test." When asked by a commenter why he didn't call police, he replied, "couldn't talk on the phone had my tongue firmly planted in my cheek."