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The Colorado attorney general, the Colorado Bureau of Investigation, the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment and district attorneys from across the state are teaming up to halt and prosecute a massive surge in identity theft cases related to the state’s unemployment insurance program. “We need to go after these scammers. This activity is criminal, it is reprehensible and we will do all we can to find the people practicing it and bring them to justice,” said Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser on a joint press call Thursday announcing the creation of the Colorado Unemployment Fraud Task Force. The state labor department has flagged about 1.1 million unemployment claims as fraudulent since the pandemic began, a count that surpasses the number of legitimate claims made in the state, executive director Joe Barela, said. Prior to the pandemic, in 2019, the state investigated about 90 suspected cases of unemployment insurance fraud. Potential losses of around $7.5 billion … [Read more...] about Colorado law enforcement joining forces to crack down on unemployment insurance fraud

Nov. 16, 1993, was an unusually warm and sunny late fall day in Washington, D.C. I remember it well because I was standing on the grounds of the White House watching President Bill Clinton William (Bill) Jefferson Clinton Senators introduce bill creating technology partnerships to compete with China Edie Falco to play Hillary Clinton in Clinton impeachment series Website shows 3D models of every Oval Office design since 1909 MORE sign into law the Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA). It was a euphoric moment for those of us who advocate for religious freedom. RFRA had been drafted in response to a 1990 decision by the Supreme Court that many felt took an unnecessarily rigid, confining view of the First Amendment’s religious freedom protections — a view that would be particularly harmful to religious minorities. In response, an unprecedented coalition formed to pass RFRA to protect the free exercise of religion. It consisted of groups on the right and … [Read more...] about It’s time to fix an important religious freedom law

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — California’s public schools can tap into $6.6 billion of new state spending to return students to classrooms under a bill Gov. Gavin Newsom signed into law Friday that has attracted bipartisan support and scorn in equal measure. Newsom signed the bill via Zoom, mimicking how most of the state’s 6.1 million public school students have been learning for the past year. The irony was not lost on Newsom, who said the virtual ceremony was necessary to include other state officials who were scattered across the state. READ MORE: Boy, 8, Hailed A Hero After Discovering Baby Sister Unresponsive In Pool Newsom signed the law as he faces a possible recall election later this year, fueled by anger over his handling of the pandemic. On Friday, Newsom said “now is the time to safely reopen,” highlighting the struggles he and lawmakers have had in negotiating a plan on the best way to do that. “When you look at 58 counties, a thousand-plus school districts, this … [Read more...] about California Gov. Gavin Newsom Signs Law Aimed At Returning Students To The Classroom

Denver District Attorney Beth McCann said she won’t launch new investigations into the deaths of Marvin Booker , Jessica Hernandez and Michael Marshall at the hands of Denver law enforcement. Not because she can’t reopen the cases, as previously stated , but because she won’t. All three cases — referred to as “murders” by Mayor Michael Hancock recently amid tensions over George Floyd’s death — began with the previous district attorney, Mitch Morrissey. “My predecessor decided a lot of cases, and I don’t go back and re-evaluate those cases unless there is something that comes to light that would lead me to believe there was new evidence or it wasn’t investigated adequately,” McCann said. She took office in 2017 and noted that since then she has filed cases against two Denver police officers, a deputy and a Lakewood police officer. The city paid settlements to the families in all three of the older cases, but no one was charged criminally. To reopen them, McCann said, … [Read more...] about DA won’t reinvestigate 3 deaths at the hands of Denver law enforcement

WASHINGTON (AP) — Law enforcement was on high alert Thursday around the U.S. Capitol after intelligence uncovered a “possible plot” by a militia group to storm the iconic building again, two months after a mob of Donald Trump supporters smashed through windows and doors to try to stop Congress from certifying now-President Joe Biden’s victory. The threat appears to be connected to a far-right conspiracy theory, mainly promoted by supporters of QAnon, that former President Trump will rise again to power on March 4 and that thousands will come to Washington, D.C., to try to remove Democrats from office. March 4 was the original presidential inauguration day until 1933, when it was moved to Jan. 20. READ MORE: 15-Year-Old Boy Dies After Thursday Shooting In Northwest Baltimore, Police Say Online chatter identified by authorities included discussions among members of the Three Percenters, an anti-government militia group, concerning possible plots against the Capitol on Thursday, … [Read more...] about Law Enforcement On High Alert After Plot Warning At U.S. Capitol, House Cancels Session Thursday