Abortions can resume at some Texas clinics after court blocks pre-Roe ban

(CNN)A Texas state court has issued a temporary restraining order against certain local and state officials, barring them from enforcing a nearly century-old abortion ban in the state.

The order will have the effect of allowing some Texas clinics -- at least for a short period -- to resume the procedure for up to around six weeks into the pregnancy. A separate Texas law prohibiting abortion, its so-called trigger ban, will go into effect within the next few weeks.

Tuesday's temporary restraining order will last until July 12, according to the Harris County Attorney's Office. The court has scheduled a hearing for that day.

Providers had filed the lawsuit Monday against the handful of local district attorneys whose jurisdictions cover the locations of some of their clinics, as well as against some state officials, including Attorney General Ken Paxton, who may play a role in enforcing the ban.

"This decision will allow abortion services to resume at many clinics across the state, connecting Texans to the essential health care they need," Marc Hearron, senior counsel at the Center for Reproductive Rights, which is involved in the case, said in a statement. "Every hour that abortion is accessible in Texas is a victory."

Previously, Paxton had issued an advisory after Friday's US Supreme Court ruling that told local prosecutors that they were able to now bring prosecutions under the pre-Roe law.

https://www.cnn.com/2022/06/28/politics/texas-abortion/index.html

Lauren Boebert told congregation she's "tired of this separation of church and state junk"

The congresswoman’s comments were made Sunday to a crowd at the Cornerstone Christian Center in Basalt,

Just days after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned the constitutional right to abortion, Colorado’s Western Slope Rep. Lauren Boebert said churches should direct the government, not the other way around.

Boebert’s comments, made Sunday to a crowd at the Cornerstone Christian Center in Basalt, take aim directly at the separation of church and state.

The church is supposed to direct the government. The government is not supposed to direct the church,” Boebert told the crowd, which applauded. “I’m tired of this separation of church and state junk.”

“It was not in the Constitution, it was in a stinking letter and it means nothing like what they say it does,” she continued.

The first-term, far-right congresswoman’s comments are disturbing, several political experts said and were likely inspired by recent U.S. Supreme Court rulings. Richard Collins, a retired constitutional law professor at the University of Colorado Boulder, called the statements unsurprising.

Still blaming President Obama

Lawsuit filed against Arvada PD in Olde Town shooting

ARVADA, Colo. (KDVR) — Kathleen Boleyn, the mother of John Hurley, the ‘good Samaritan‘ who was killed during the Olde Town Arvada shooting one year ago, has filed a lawsuit against the Arvada Police Department.

According to the lawsuit filed on June 22, Hurley died needlessly because Arvada police officers failed to confront the active shooter, failed to verify that Hurley was a threat, and an officer failed to announce himself before shooting Hurley from behind.

Chief of Police Link Strate and former officer Kraig Brownlow are specifically named in the lawsuit. Brownlow is the officer who shot and killed Hurley. In November of 2021, the Jefferson County District Attorney announced that Brownlow would not be charged with the shooting.

Strate also bears legal responsibility because he oversees and approves of Arvada’s unlawful policies and training that led to Brownlow’s unconstitutional conduct. In addition to the constitutional claims, Brownlow is also liable under state law for wrongful death, the lawsuit states.

“Under these circumstances, it was unlawful to use deadly force against Johnny, who was merely unloading a weapon and not posing any threat whatsoever. Even more egregiously, Officer Brownlow shot and killed Johnny without any warning or command. The contrast between Johnny’s actions and Officer Brownlow’s actions could hardly be more stark. Whereas Johnny ran toward an active shooter with an assault rifle, Officer Brownlow shot Johnny in the back without so much as a warning,” a release from Boleyn’s attorney states.

https://kdvr.com/news/local/lawsuit-filed-against-arvada-pd-in-olde-town-shooting/

Rep. Boebert introduces bill to label fentanyl as weapon of mass destruction

WASHINGTON (KDVR) — U.S. Rep. Lauren Boebert introduced a bill that would bring a new classification to fentanyl, involving the Department of Homeland Security.

The “Fentanyl is a WMD Act” would instruct the Assistant Secretary for the Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction Office within DHS to treat the deadly drug as a weapon of mass destruction. Title XIX of the Homeland Security Act of 2002 created the office and created its mission to coordinate federal efforts to “detect and protect against unauthorized importation, possession, storage, transportation, development or use of weapons of mass destruction in the United States.

A weapon of mass destruction is defined by DHS as “a nuclear, radiological, chemical, biological, or other device that is intended to harm a large number of people.”

“Back home in Colorado, almost everyone I talk to knows someone who has died from fentanyl,” Boebert said in a statement. “Fentanyl is America’s silent killer and is now the leading cause of death for Americans aged 18 to 45. The saddest thing about the fentanyl crisis is that it is preventable. National security experts know that the vast majority of deadly fentanyl plaguing our communities comes across the southern border. Just last year, Border Patrol encountered enough fentanyl at the border to kill every American seven times over. There is no way around it—the Biden Border Crisis is killing Americans. It is time to call fentanyl what it is: a weapon of mass destruction that is destroying our nation.”

https://kdvr.com/news/rep-boebert-introduces-bill-to-label-fentanyl-as-weapon-of-mass-destruction/

Rolling Stones cancel Amsterdam concert after Mick Jagger tests positive for Covid

AMSTERDAM — The Rolling Stones canceled their concert in Amsterdam on Monday, just hours before it was due to start after lead singer Mick Jagger tested positive for Covid-19.

The band announced the cancellation in a statement, saying the 78-year-old Jagger tested positive “after experiencing symptoms of Covid upon arrival at the stadium” on the outskirts of Amsterdam. There were no further details about his condition.

“The Rolling Stones are deeply sorry for tonight’s postponement, but the safety of the audience, fellow musicians and the touring crew has to take priority,” the statement said, adding that the show would be rescheduled and tickets for the concert at Amsterdam’s Johan Cruyff Arena would be honored for the new date.

Some fans were already in the stadium when it was announced that the show had been scrapped.

https://www.nbcnews.com/pop-culture/pop-culture-news/rolling-stones-cancel-amsterdam-concert-mick-jagger-tests-positive-cov-rcna33320

Boulder bans assault weapons

Manchin wants to raise age to 21 for gun purchases, doesn't see need for AR-15s

Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia voiced his support Monday for raising the age to 21 for purchasing semi-automatic weapons and questioned why individuals need to own high-powered AR-15-style weapons, putting him at odds with Republicans who are resisting imposing any restrictions on access to firearms.

"I never thought I had a need for that type of a high-capacity automatic weapon," Manchin told CNN on Monday. "I like to shoot, I like to go out and hunt. I like to go out sports shooting. I do all of that. But I've never felt I needed something of that magnitude."
Manchin also said he "wouldn't have a problem on looking at" backing a ban on so-called assault weapons -- a proposal pushed by the White House and Democratic leaders, but that stands no chance of winning the needed 60-votes in the Senate.
"It depends on what they, how they would approach it," Manchin said. "I'm open to anything that makes gun sense."

The comments from the Senate's most conservative Democrat -- who hails from a state with a strong gun culture -- show growing Democratic support for imposing tough new gun laws as senators try to see whether there can be any compromise with Republicans to deal with episodes of gun violence ravaging communities nationwide. The position underscores how the two sides still have a number of major disagreements to resolve as they race to cut a deal this week amid public outcry over mass shootings nationwide.
Manchin is part of a small bipartisan group of Senate negotiators trying to finalize a deal on guns. The negotiators are not discussing some of President Joe Biden's demands such as renewing the expired assault weapons ban, but they are looking at a handful of changes, including incentivizing states to enact red flag laws, which allow guns to be temporarily taken away from individuals deemed a danger to themselves or others, expand background checks on gun purchases, bolster the mental health care system and beef up school security. There is also discussion about new regulations on gun trafficking between states and potential new legislation on storing weapons safely at gun owners' residences.

https://www.cnn.com/2022/06/06/politics/manchin-gun-purchase-age-ar15s/index.html

Four Boulder County municipalities prepared to pass several gun ordinances next week

BOULDER COUNTY, Colo. — As conversations of gun reform dominate the national discussion, Colorado lawmakers find themselves at a stalemate when it comes to passing additional gun laws. But for four Boulder County municipalities, six new gun ordinances are expected to pass next Tuesday — measures local lawmakers believe the state should have passed following the Boulder King Soopers mass shooting last year.

Governor Jared Polis signed three gun bills into law after the Boulder King Soopers shooting, which expanded background checks, reversed a ban on prohibiting local governments from creating their own gun regulations and prohibited local jurisdictions from creating laws less lenient than the state's.

The cities of Boulder, Louisville, and Lafayette, along with the Town of Superior, took advantage and began drafting their own ordinances, which include:

banning the sale and possession of assault weapons
banning magazines containing more than 10 rounds
raising the firearm purchasing age from 18 to 21
outlawing open and concealed carry in sensitive places like hospitals, schools and places of worship
instituting a 10-day waiting period to purchase a firearm
requiring firearm dealers to post signs outside of their stores explaining the dangers of firearms

https://www.thedenverchannel.com/news/local-news/four-boulder-county-municipalities-prepared-to-pass-several-gun-ordinances-next-week