Is this a turning point? (In the Ukraine/Russia war)
President Trump's had apparent change of heart regarding Vladimir Putin after a savage Russian rocket and drone attack over the weekend. The apparent recognition is overdue, but it wasn't the first one (so will it stick?) and the bigger question is whether it will cause Trump to actually do anything.
I wrote about this in great deal in my Substack for today. Please read and subscribe: Trump is at long last waking up about Putin
Kremlin calls Trump 'emotional' after US president says Putin is 'crazy'
Grassley urges Trump to impose sanctions on Russia
Trump Weighs Sanctions Against Russia as Relationship With Putin Sours
BUT, are there any potential American sanctions, other than cutting Russia off from much of global banking (which then risks accelerating moves away from use of the US dollar as the major global reserve currency) that will have even the slightest impact on Putin? I don't think so. I think the only answer is to work with Europe to aggressively arm Ukraine and to tell Putin that if the war doesn't end then we'll move to add Ukraine to some western alliance (even if not NATO).
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Congrats to USA Hockey!
The team honored their teammate who, along with his brother was killed by a drunk driver last year.
United States honors Gaudreau after winning gold medal at World Championship | NHL.com
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Just One Thing: Nike crawls back to Amazon
I don't often lead with business stories, but I think this is an interesting one, and I wrote about it on my Substack
Please read and subscribe. It's free and probably worth even more than that!
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Today's Guests
State Senator Jeff Bridges is the chairman of the critically important Joint Budget Committee in the Colorado State Legislature and now he's a candidate for State Treasurer. We'll discuss the legislative session and his electoral hopes.
Jeff Bridges for Colorado Treasurer
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Elijah Stacy is dying of a (currently) fatal disease. He's a champion for "Right to Try" legislation, which Colorado has just expanded.
Elijah's story:
I'm dying of a fatal disease. Bureaucrats shouldn’t decide how doctors treat me | Fox News
‘I’m Going to Die. It Doesn’t Have to Be That Way’
The law:
Colorado Expands Right to Try for Individualized Treatments
Right to Try Act | Access Innovative Treatments
Patients' Right to Try Individualized Treatments | Colorado General Assembly
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Other Stuff
A great read as we come out of Memorial Day: Things Worth Remembering: ‘Do Not Mourn Me Dead’
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On Friday, Gov Polis vetoed HB1291, meant to (over)regulate rideshare companies after Uber and Lyft threatened to leave the state.
Gov. Jared Polis vetoes rideshare bill, citing vague language, fear of losing companies | News | coloradopolitics.com
Veto letter: 25-1291 Veto Letter.pdf - Google Drive
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This guy! WWII veteran, longest tenured professor in CU history, honored at BOLDERBoulder
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Twitter loses $8 million lawsuit over a breached lease agreement: Twitter hit with $8.2 million verdict following eviction from Boulder HQ after Musk takeover | Courthouse News Service
The ruling: lot-twitter-boulder-order.pdf
Background: Brokers testify in Twitter, landlord trial in Boulder
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Dems will fairly likely kill the filibuster the next time they are in charge of the Senate, at least if Dems also have the White House and House of Representatives. They’ll use this as an excuse though they’d do it anyway. Separate from that political calculation, what the Senate is doing here is excellent:
Senate GOP effort on California EVs revives filibuster talk
Related: I think this is great news. Note that the reporter, Michael Booth, typically writes from the perspective of a radical environmentalist so his stories have a pro-"renewable" and pro-subsidy bent that I don't particularly like: Did Congress kill Colorado's EV mandate?
I also note that I expect the spineless creatures in the Senate to roll back some of the needed reforms. These members of Congress vote against economic heroin but then, once addicted, vote to keep just a little. So disappointing. There should be zero subsidies for energy. Period. (And the things called subsidies for oil and gas are not subsidies, so don't let the left fool you with that language.)
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How many times will we watch this movie?
At some point, those people who sell stocks every time Trump rattles the trade saber will need to decide whether it's just a negotiating tactic. Lately it's seeming that way even though in his heart, Trump really dislikes trade and is really a mercantilist. But I do think he has noticed that stocks go down every time he says something; he just doesn't care very much if it's not a disastrous sell-off, not big enough to really impact the whole economy. After all, a big percentage of his voters don't have much (or anything) in the stock market.
Trump threatens 50% tariffs on EU and 25% penalties on smart phones | AP News
Trump delays 50% EU tariffs until July 9 | CNN Business
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I love this stuff from Trump:
Trump sets out aim to quadruple US nuclear capacity - World Nuclear News
Trump signs orders to overhaul NRC, speed reactor deployment
Ordering the Reform of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission – The White House
U.S. vets recoil at Trump plan to end Afghans’ deportation protection - The Washington Post
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And I don't like this at all: U.S. vets recoil at Trump plan to end Afghans’ deportation protection - The Washington Post
Sorry, but this isn't OK either: Trump pardons former Virginia sheriff Scott Jenkins
And another bad cop: Ex-police chief convicted of murder, rape escapes prison
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Remember, no matter how much Democrats or wimpy Republicans worry that any particular cut in federal spending is too much, it's actually NEVER enough: House GOP’s SNAP proposal sparks concern from Senate Republicans
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It's insane that these questions and fears exist in 2025 USA. Think of the sub-head of the article (which they might change later so I'll quote it here): "The killings of two Israeli Embassy staffers amplify the confusion felt since the Oct. 7, 2023, attacks about where Jews belong."
D.C. shooting stokes fear among U.S. Jews: ‘It’s a horrible time to be Jewish’ - The Washington Post
It's not better elsewhere: UK police charged Jewish man with racial harassment for holding anti-Hezbollah sign
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As long as there aren't more bike lanes: Downtown Denver looks to convert its one-way streets | Business | denvergazette.com
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This is absolutely insane: A crypto investor is charged with kidnapping and torturing a man in an NYC apartment for weeks | AP News
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I know there isn't much sympathy for illegal aliens (among some of the population) these days, but this story sucks. This young woman was probably brought here as a child, is now in college and probably on a path to be a productive and valuable member of society (and hopefully eventually a citizen) and now she's at risk of being deported because a cop pulled her over for a traffic infraction BUT HE PULLED OVER THE WRONG CAR. Officer who arrested Georgia teen that was detained by ICE resigns
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Bandimere looking to reopen in Weld County: Bandimere Speedway is aiming to open a new drag strip in Weld County | FOX31 Denver
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Today's Videos
Sometimes, the kids need a dose of reality
My wife REALLY wants to rescue a donkey or two if we ever have a property where that would be OK