thedenverpost--2020-06-21--Amid pandemic-induced budget cuts, Colorado law enforcement begin to implement sweeping police refor

Amid pandemic-induced budget cuts, Colorado law enforcement begin to implement sweeping police reform

Protesters demanded changes to policing .
State lawmakers ordered it .
Now Colorado law enforcement must implement the sweeping changes amid a global pandemic that has crippled budgets while also quelling fears amid rank-and-file officers about their new liability .
And there are deadlines for getting it done .
Colorado law enforcement spent the last week figuring out new training procedures , data collection tools and , for some departments , how to afford the hundreds of body cameras required by the state ’ s new laws .
The laws will not change the bulk of officers ’ day-to-day work @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they can use force , especially when it is lethal .
In coming months , though , the public will know more about the work police officers do because of added transparency the law puts in place .
And police officers must accept there are harsher repercussions for those who use excessive force in the line of duty .
“ I think this is the start of a cultural change for law enforcement in Colorado and across the country , ” said Rob Pride , national trustee for Colorado ’ s Fraternal Order @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Loveland Police Department .
“ I think no matter what side of the discussion you ’ re on , we all have to agree that change is afoot.
” The vast majority of Colorado ’ s law enforcement leaders applaud the changes , though some of the rank and file are worried about a section of the legislation that says they could be personally liable in cases of egregious force .
The bill signed into law Friday by Gov .
Jared Polis — the first of its kind in the country — @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Colorado in the past month as a result of protests and a resurgent civil rights movement .
Multiple major city police departments swiftly adopted substantial changes to their use of force policy .
The Denver Public Schools Board voted to phase out its contract that puts police in schools .
A Denver neighborhood decided to change its name .
And more change is on its way as public safety leaders set their sights on the broader criminal justice system .
“ This bill is the first step of necessary change , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and president of the Colorado Association of Chiefs of Police .
“ Now we have to focus on the how.
” Implementing some sections of the law will be straightforward as the changes codify policies that many , but not all , departments had on the books for years , such as officers ’ responsibility to stop each other from wrongdoing and the ban on chokeholds , Creager said .
But one of the most difficult parts of implementation will be developing a use-of-force training curriculum , finding instructors and conducting trainings before @ @ @ @ @ @ @ legislature .
Getting the training done will be a scramble for many departments , Pride said , especially since coronavirus prevention prohibits the gathering of large groups of people .
“ Training equals money , ” Pride said .
“ And people right now are already reeling with their budgets.
” One of the changes to use of force requirements is that officers are required to give a warning , when possible , before using deadly force .
Enforcing that law could be tricky , however , because it ’ s hard to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ see if the officer could have given a warning , Boulder District Attorney Michael Dougherty said .
Another of the law ’ s biggest changes is how it alters qualified immunity for police .
Under Colorado ’ s new law , police officers and deputies are responsible for 5 % of the costs of the damages , up to $ 25,000 , if the officer ’ s employer finds the officer “ did not act upon a good faith and reasonable belief that the action was lawful.
” If the cop can ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ insurance or an employer will be on the hook .
“ We have some younger officers in my own agency who talk about moving to another state so they can live out their dream of being a police officer elsewhere , ” Pride said .
“ Many of them are feeling like it ’ s a risk for them to stay on the force.
” But union and agency leaders believe officers ’ fear of financial ruin can be quelled with more accurate information .
“ If you follow the policy and follow @ @ @ @ @ @ @ law is never going to affect you , ” said Douglas County Sheriff Tony Spurlock , past president of the County Sheriffs of Colorado .
The state Fraternal Order of Police is working to create a plan or fund that would help protect officers , Pride said .
It remains unclear how the law will affect retention and recruitment .
Many law enforcement agencies are struggling to remain fully staffed , Spurlock said .
“ I don ’ t think the bill is going to be the driving source of why we lose @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he said .
“ I think it ’ s going to be more about the way people think about them and treat them.
” Other major sections of the law deal with collecting more data on who police stop and who they use force against .
It also requires statewide use of body cameras and sets rules on when footage must be made public .
Departments have until 2023 to buy the equipment for all their public-facing officers and implement policy regarding their use .
The law ’ s fiscal note estimates departments @ @ @ @ @ @ @ camera and an additional $ 1,200 a year , per camera , to store data .
“ For an agency requiring 100 cameras , first-year costs would total $ 345,000 and second and future year costs would be $ 120,000 , ” the fiscal note states .
The difficulty of implementing new data collection requirements for depends on the size of the department .
The 29 officers of the Steamboat Springs Police Department will be manually entering the data into an Excel spreadsheet until the agency can figure out a solution with their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Making that data collection change in larger departments is more complicated .
The traffic unit of the Douglas County Sheriff ’ s Department makes about 20,000 stops a year , Spurlock said .
“ That ’ s a lot , ” Spurlock said .
“ That ’ s not just done with a pencil and an eraser and a Big Chief pad .
We have to change our technology.
” The Denver Police Department ’ s attempt at racial data collection illustrates how complex it can be .
The department spent two @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of criticism that officers were profiling black and brown drivers , and all Denver police officers have been recording demographic data on their discretionary contacts since January 2019 That data is being analyzed by the Center for Policing Equity and a report has not yet been issued .
There is no timetable for when a report analyzing the data will be released , Denver Public Safety records analyst Andrea Webber said in an email .
In the wake of the killing of De ’ Von Bailey by Colorado Springs police officers , people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ general to investigate .
Although the new police law still would not allow the office to look into an individual case , the state ’ s top lawyer can sue agencies with a pattern of misconduct .
Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser said he is still looking at how to handle that responsibility .
The office ’ s Special Prosecutions Unit , which works complex investigations such as tax fraud , will handle the cases , he said .
Weiser said he didn ’ t know what kind of evidence he would need @ @ @ @ @ @ @ abusing its powers , though he pointed to the Ferguson Police Department as an example of an agency that needed to be investigated .
The U.S. Department of Justice investigated the Missouri agency after the killing of Michael Brown and found a pattern of unconstitutional policing .
The new law also mandates the Colorado Peace Officer Standards and Training Board , overseen by Weiser ’ s office , create a database of all officers who have lost their certification because they lied or were fired for cause .
The database is something Weiser @ @ @ @ @ @ @ took office .
“ I ’ m a big believer in that sunlight is one of the best disinfectants , ” Weiser said .
The measure expands on a law passed in 2019 that mandates that officers caught lying must be decertified by the state ’ s Peace Officer Standards and Training Board .
So far , no officers have been decertified under that law , said Lawrence Pacheco , the attorney general ’ s spokesman .
“ What we ’ re doing now may not be enough ” Even with all the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ imminent .
Weiser said he is working with the POST board to reconfigure what are considered core competencies for police officers .
He also plans to announce changes related to police in schools .
“ If all you have is a hammer , everything looks like a nail , ” Weiser said .
“ And some of our school resource officers are very proactive about citing teenagers.
” Creager , the Broomfield police chief and president of the chief ’ s association , said he is intrigued by the movement to defund police @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or shifting resources to other places , I ’ m fascinated by that , ” Creager said .
“ What that ’ s going to look like , I don ’ t know , but I think there ’ s value in that conversation.
” Officers ’ roles and responsibilities have expanded over the last decades and Creager said that while officers can be trained on a specific topic , like mental illness , there ’ s only so much they can do .
“ There was a lot of change that came @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” Creager said .
“ There were a lot of changes that came after Ferguson , but not enough .
If history tells us anything , what we ’ re doing now may not be enough so we have to be open to that.
” Here are some of the major changes included in the 25-page law : • Body cameras : Nearly every public-facing officer in the state will have to use body cameras by July 1 , 2023 , and officers could face charges for tampering or purposely failing to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ required to be released within 21 days after an allegation of misconduct , or within 45 days if the release could jeopardize a criminal investigation .
• Use of force : Effective immediately , police are banned from using chokeholds and carotid control holds .
Effective Sept. 1 , officers can only use force if absolutely necessary and deadly force can ’ t be used against someone for a minor or nonviolent offense .
Officers can only use deadly force against someone fleeing from police if they pose an immediate risk to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ intervene : An officer who fails to try to stop another from using excessive force could face charges .
• Fired cops : Officers who plead guilty to or are convicted of an inappropriate use of force , failing to intervene , or found civilly liable for excessive force or failure to intervene will lose their certification permanently .
The POST board will create a database of decertified , fired and lying officers beginning Jan. 1 , 2022 .
• Qualified immunity : People who allege civil rights violations will be able to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Officers determined not to have acted in good faith or with a reasonable belief that what they did was legal can be held personally liable for 5 % of a judgment or settlement , up to $ 25,000 .
• Police prosecutions : The state attorney general has the authority to prosecute persistently bad departments and officers .
• Protester protections : Officers are prohibited from shooting rubber bullets indiscriminately into a crowd or targeting someone ’ s head , torso or back .
It also prevents officers from using tear gas before @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people to disperse .
• Data tracking : Law enforcement agencies will have to send the state data , including demographic information , on their use of force resulting in serious injury or death as well as stops , unannounced entries and use of firearms .
• Grand jury reports : A grand jury must issue a report if the group declines to bring charges against an officer for lethal force .

Protesters demanded changes to policing. State lawmakers ordered it. Now Colorado law enforcement must implement the sweeping changes amid a global pandemic that has crippled budgets while also quelling fears amid rank-and-file officers about their new liability.
And there are deadlines for getting it done.
Colorado law enforcement spent the last week figuring out new training procedures, data collection tools and, for some departments, how to afford the hundreds of body cameras required by the state’s new laws. The laws will not change the bulk of officers’ day-to-day work because they mostly address how and when they can use force, especially when it is lethal. In coming months, though, the public will know more about the work police officers do because of added transparency the law puts in place. And police officers must accept there are harsher repercussions for those who use excessive force in the line of duty.
“I think this is the start of a cultural change for law enforcement in Colorado and across the country,” said Rob Pride, national trustee for Colorado’s Fraternal Order of Police union and a sergeant at the Loveland Police Department. “I think no matter what side of the discussion you’re on, we all have to agree that change is afoot.”
The vast majority of Colorado’s law enforcement leaders applaud the changes, though some of the rank and file are worried about a section of the legislation that says they could be personally liable in cases of egregious force.
The bill signed into law Friday by Gov. Jared Polis — the first of its kind in the country — is one of several sweeping changes made in Colorado in the past month as a result of protests and a resurgent civil rights movement. Multiple major city police departments swiftly adopted substantial changes to their use of force policy. The Denver Public Schools Board voted to phase out its contract that puts police in schools. A Denver neighborhood decided to change its name.
And more change is on its way as public safety leaders set their sights on the broader criminal justice system.
“This bill is the first step of necessary change,” said Gary Creager, Broomfield police chief and president of the Colorado Association of Chiefs of Police. “Now we have to focus on the how.”
Training and new liability
Implementing some sections of the law will be straightforward as the changes codify policies that many, but not all, departments had on the books for years, such as officers’ responsibility to stop each other from wrongdoing and the ban on chokeholds, Creager said.
But one of the most difficult parts of implementation will be developing a use-of-force training curriculum, finding instructors and conducting trainings before a Sept. 1 deadline set by the legislature. Getting the training done will be a scramble for many departments, Pride said, especially since coronavirus prevention prohibits the gathering of large groups of people.
“Training equals money,” Pride said. “And people right now are already reeling with their budgets.”
One of the changes to use of force requirements is that officers are required to give a warning, when possible, before using deadly force. Enforcing that law could be tricky, however, because it’s hard to reconstruct every aspect of a situation to see if the officer could have given a warning, Boulder District Attorney Michael Dougherty said.
Another of the law’s biggest changes is how it alters qualified immunity for police. Under Colorado’s new law, police officers and deputies are responsible for 5% of the costs of the damages, up to $25,000, if the officer’s employer finds the officer “did not act upon a good faith and reasonable belief that the action was lawful.” If the cop can’t pay the sum, however, insurance or an employer will be on the hook.
“We have some younger officers in my own agency who talk about moving to another state so they can live out their dream of being a police officer elsewhere,” Pride said. “Many of them are feeling like it’s a risk for them to stay on the force.”
But union and agency leaders believe officers’ fear of financial ruin can be quelled with more accurate information.
“If you follow the policy and follow the law, that section of the law is never going to affect you,” said Douglas County Sheriff Tony Spurlock, past president of the County Sheriffs of Colorado.
The state Fraternal Order of Police is working to create a plan or fund that would help protect officers, Pride said.
It remains unclear how the law will affect retention and recruitment. Many law enforcement agencies are struggling to remain fully staffed, Spurlock said.
“I don’t think the bill is going to be the driving source of why we lose a lot of police officers,” he said. “I think it’s going to be more about the way people think about them and treat them.”
Body cameras and data
Other major sections of the law deal with collecting more data on who police stop and who they use force against. It also requires statewide use of body cameras and sets rules on when footage must be made public.
Departments have until 2023 to buy the equipment for all their public-facing officers and implement policy regarding their use. The law’s fiscal note estimates departments would pay approximately $2,250 for each camera and an additional $1,200 a year, per camera, to store data.
“For an agency requiring 100 cameras, first-year costs would total $345,000 and second and future year costs would be $120,000,” the fiscal note states.
The difficulty of implementing new data collection requirements for depends on the size of the department.
The 29 officers of the Steamboat Springs Police Department will be manually entering the data into an Excel spreadsheet until the agency can figure out a solution with their technology provider, Chief Cory Christensen said.
Making that data collection change in larger departments is more complicated. The traffic unit of the Douglas County Sheriff’s Department makes about 20,000 stops a year, Spurlock said.
“That’s a lot,” Spurlock said. “That’s not just done with a pencil and an eraser and a Big Chief pad. We have to change our technology.”
The Denver Police Department’s attempt at racial data collection illustrates how complex it can be. The department spent two years developing a pilot program after years of criticism that officers were profiling black and brown drivers, and all Denver police officers have been recording demographic data on their discretionary contacts since January 2019
That data is being analyzed by the Center for Policing Equity and a report has not yet been issued. There is no timetable for when a report analyzing the data will be released, Denver Public Safety records analyst Andrea Webber said in an email.
Broader power for the Colorado Attorney General
In the wake of the killing of De’Von Bailey by Colorado Springs police officers, people called for the state’s attorney general to investigate. Although the new police law still would not allow the office to look into an individual case, the state’s top lawyer can sue agencies with a pattern of misconduct.
Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser said he is still looking at how to handle that responsibility. The office’s Special Prosecutions Unit, which works complex investigations such as tax fraud, will handle the cases, he said.
Weiser said he didn’t know what kind of evidence he would need to determine if a department was routinely abusing its powers, though he pointed to the Ferguson Police Department as an example of an agency that needed to be investigated. The U.S. Department of Justice investigated the Missouri agency after the killing of Michael Brown and found a pattern of unconstitutional policing.
The new law also mandates the Colorado Peace Officer Standards and Training Board, overseen by Weiser’s office, create a database of all officers who have lost their certification because they lied or were fired for cause. The database is something Weiser said he’s wanted since he took office.
“I’m a big believer in that sunlight is one of the best disinfectants,” Weiser said.
The measure expands on a law passed in 2019 that mandates that officers caught lying must be decertified by the state’s Peace Officer Standards and Training Board. So far, no officers have been decertified under that law, said Lawrence Pacheco, the attorney general’s spokesman.
“What we’re doing now may not be enough”
Even with all the new requirement, more change is likely imminent.
Weiser said he is working with the POST board to reconfigure what are considered core competencies for police officers. He also plans to announce changes related to police in schools.
“If all you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail,” Weiser said. “And some of our school resource officers are very proactive about citing teenagers.”
Creager, the Broomfield police chief and president of the chief’s association, said he is intrigued by the movement to defund police.
“When we say defund, or shifting resources to other places, I’m fascinated by that,” Creager said. “What that’s going to look like, I don’t know, but I think there’s value in that conversation.”
Officers’ roles and responsibilities have expanded over the last decades and Creager said that while officers can be trained on a specific topic, like mental illness, there’s only so much they can do.
“There was a lot of change that came after Rodney King, but not enough,” Creager said. “There were a lot of changes that came after Ferguson, but not enough. If history tells us anything, what we’re doing now may not be enough so we have to be open to that.”
Here are some of the major changes included in the 25-page law:
Body cameras: Nearly every public-facing officer in the state will have to use body cameras by July 1, 2023, and officers could face charges for tampering or purposely failing to activate their cameras. Footage will be required to be released within 21 days after an allegation of misconduct, or within 45 days if the release could jeopardize a criminal investigation.
Nearly every public-facing officer in the state will have to use body cameras by July 1, 2023, and officers could face charges for tampering or purposely failing to activate their cameras. Footage will be required to be released within 21 days after an allegation of misconduct, or within 45 days if the release could jeopardize a criminal investigation. Use of force: Effective immediately, police are banned from using chokeholds and carotid control holds. Effective Sept. 1, officers can only use force if absolutely necessary and deadly force can’t be used against someone for a minor or nonviolent offense. Officers can only use deadly force against someone fleeing from police if they pose an immediate risk to the officer or others.
Effective immediately, police are banned from using chokeholds and carotid control holds. Effective Sept. 1, officers can only use force if absolutely necessary and deadly force can’t be used against someone for a minor or nonviolent offense. Officers can only use deadly force against someone fleeing from police if they pose an immediate risk to the officer or others. Failure to intervene: An officer who fails to try to stop another from using excessive force could face charges.
An officer who fails to try to stop another from using excessive force could face charges. Fired cops: Officers who plead guilty to or are convicted of an inappropriate use of force, failing to intervene, or found civilly liable for excessive force or failure to intervene will lose their certification permanently. The POST board will create a database of decertified, fired and lying officers beginning Jan. 1, 2022.
Officers who plead guilty to or are convicted of an inappropriate use of force, failing to intervene, or found civilly liable for excessive force or failure to intervene will lose their certification permanently. The POST board will create a database of decertified, fired and lying officers beginning Jan. 1, 2022. Qualified immunity: People who allege civil rights violations will be able to sue police officers in their individual capacities, but officers will not be able to use qualified immunity as a defense to claims in Colorado courts. The legal doctrine generally shields government workers from being held liable for constitutional violations unless an appellate court has previously declared the conduct unconstitutional. Officers determined not to have acted in good faith or with a reasonable belief that what they did was legal can be held personally liable for 5% of a judgment or settlement, up to $25,000.
People who allege civil rights violations will be able to sue police officers in their individual capacities, but officers will not be able to use qualified immunity as a defense to claims in Colorado courts. The legal doctrine generally shields government workers from being held liable for constitutional violations unless an appellate court has previously declared the conduct unconstitutional. Officers determined not to have acted in good faith or with a reasonable belief that what they did was legal can be held personally liable for 5% of a judgment or settlement, up to $25,000. Police prosecutions: The state attorney general has the authority to prosecute persistently bad departments and officers.
The state attorney general has the authority to prosecute persistently bad departments and officers. Protester protections: Officers are prohibited from shooting rubber bullets indiscriminately into a crowd or targeting someone’s head, torso or back. It also prevents officers from using tear gas before announcing it and giving time to for people to disperse.
Officers are prohibited from shooting rubber bullets indiscriminately into a crowd or targeting someone’s head, torso or back. It also prevents officers from using tear gas before announcing it and giving time to for people to disperse. Data tracking: Law enforcement agencies will have to send the state data, including demographic information, on their use of force resulting in serious injury or death as well as stops, unannounced entries and use of firearms.
Law enforcement agencies will have to send the state data, including demographic information, on their use of force resulting in serious injury or death as well as stops, unannounced entries and use of firearms. Grand jury reports: A grand jury must issue a report if the group declines to bring charges against an officer for lethal force.
Additional reporting contributed by Saja Hindi.
Updated 12 p.m. June 21, 2020 This story has been updated to further expand on the changes to qualified immunity.


thedenverpost--2020-06-21--Broncos Insider: ESPN’s redraft had Drew Lock going No. 15. Pro Football Focus? Not so much.

Drew Lock is certainly the flavor of the month .
First he was selected by the Broncos with the 15th overall pick in ESPN ’ s four-round redraft .
Then Colin Cowherd thinks he is about to “ pop , ” like Carson Wentz , Patrick Mahomes and Lamar Jackson did .
Well , not everyone has a sweet tooth for the Broncos ’ second-year quarterback .
Pro Football Focus released its own four-round redraft Tuesday , and Lock wasn ’ t the 15th overall pick .
He wasn ’ t even picked in the first round .
Heck , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Snub ?
There were 29 quarterbacks taken among the 128 players selected .
It ’ s hard to imagine the Broncos are going all in on the 30th-best ( or worse ) QB in the league .
Some names taken include two quarterbacks who haven ’ t taken an NFL snap yet ( Joe Burrow and Tua Tagovailoa ) and one who hasn ’ t played since 2016 ( Colin Kaepernick ) .
PFF ’ s Josh Hermsmeyer considered Lock with 26th pick to the Texans : “ I ’ m kind of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Dwayne Haskins and Drew Lock .
Based on both of those franchises and based on the power of my prior coming in from college , I have to give the edge to Dwayne Haskins.
” As for the Broncos , PFF analyst Eric Eager went with Drew Brees with the No .
15 pick .
He went with wide receiver Keenan Allen in the second round , safety Justin Simmons in the third and edge rusher Demarcus Lawrence in the fourth .
NEW 💥 If you enjoy The Denver Post ’ s sports @ @ @ @ @ @ @ offer for you !
Try the first month for just 99¢ + Broncos Mailbag : Have a question about the team ?
Tap here to ask Ryan O ’ Halloran .
In normal years , guessing the Broncos ’ initial 53-man roster is kind of like throwing darts at a board .
But at least through rookie camp , organized team activities and mandatory minicamp , there is an idea of who will enter camp as the favorites to make up the back of the roster .
Not this year , though .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Von Miller , Kareem Jackson won ’ t be last Broncos to get coronavirus .
Nobody wants grandma to die from COVID-19 .
But if big and strong Broncos linebacker Von Miller comes down with the coronavirus , do sports fans aching for some football really care ?
Read more… Keeler : Von Miller , Justin Simmons and Kareem Jackson are carrying flag for former Broncos QB Marlin Briscoe Whenever they tell you to shut up and dribble , sing louder .
Read more… + NFL Journal : A former undrafted free @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a point to help rookies facing tall odds .
+ Kickin ’ It with Kiz : Can the Broncos make NFL playoffs if Von Miller ’ s best years are behind him ?
+ Stadium officials outline safety measures being taken in time for Broncos ’ season .
+ Broncos reach agreement with sports betting platform Betfred that includes hospitality tent outside stadium .
+ Without Floyd Little , Colorado ’ s first NFL great , “ there would be no Denver Broncos.
” + Broncos sign deal with FanDuel to serve as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ daily fantasy partner .
+ Broncos Mailbag : After Gordon , Lindsay , how will running back depth chart pan out ?
+ Want to chat about the Broncos ?
Ask to join our closed discussion group on Facebook .
If you see something that ’ s cause for question or have a comment , thought or suggestion , email me at dboniface @ denverpost.com or tweet me @ danielboniface .

Drew Lock is certainly the flavor of the month. First he was selected by the Broncos with the 15th overall pick in ESPN’s four-round redraft. Then Colin Cowherd thinks he is about to “pop,” like Carson Wentz, Patrick Mahomes and Lamar Jackson did.
Well, not everyone has a sweet tooth for the Broncos’ second-year quarterback.
Pro Football Focus released its own four-round redraft Tuesday, and Lock wasn’t the 15th overall pick. He wasn’t even picked in the first round. Heck, he wasn’t even picked.
Snub? There were 29 quarterbacks taken among the 128 players selected. It’s hard to imagine the Broncos are going all in on the 30th-best (or worse) QB in the league. Some names taken include two quarterbacks who haven’t taken an NFL snap yet (Joe Burrow and Tua Tagovailoa) and one who hasn’t played since 2016 (Colin Kaepernick).
PFF’s Josh Hermsmeyer considered Lock with 26th pick to the Texans: “I’m kind of left here with palatable choices between youngsters Dwayne Haskins and Drew Lock. Based on both of those franchises and based on the power of my prior coming in from college, I have to give the edge to Dwayne Haskins.”
As for the Broncos, PFF analyst Eric Eager went with Drew Brees with the No. 15 pick. He went with wide receiver Keenan Allen in the second round, safety Justin Simmons in the third and edge rusher Demarcus Lawrence in the fourth.
— Joe Nguyen, The Denver Post
NEW 💥 If you enjoy The Denver Post’s sports coverage, we have a new subscription offer for you! Try the first month for just 99¢
What’s on tap?
TV/RADIO: Here’s what sports are airing today
Ask the Expert
+ Broncos Mailbag: Have a question about the team? Tap here to ask Ryan O’Halloran.
Must-Read
In normal years, guessing the Broncos’ initial 53-man roster is kind of like throwing darts at a board. But at least through rookie camp, organized team activities and mandatory minicamp, there is an idea of who will enter camp as the favorites to make up the back of the roster. Not this year, though. Read more…
Nobody wants grandma to die from COVID-19. But if big and strong Broncos linebacker Von Miller comes down with the coronavirus, do sports fans aching for some football really care? Read more…
Whenever they tell you to shut up and dribble, sing louder. Read more…
Quick Hits
+ NFL Journal: A former undrafted free agent, A.J. Bouye makes it a point to help rookies facing tall odds.
+ Kickin’ It with Kiz: Can the Broncos make NFL playoffs if Von Miller’s best years are behind him?
+ Stadium officials outline safety measures being taken in time for Broncos’ season.
+ Broncos safety Kareem Jackson tests positive for COVID-19.
+ Broncos reach agreement with sports betting platform Betfred that includes hospitality tent outside stadium.
+ Without Floyd Little, Colorado’s first NFL great, “there would be no Denver Broncos.”
+ Broncos sign deal with FanDuel to serve as team’s official sports betting and daily fantasy partner.
+ Broncos Mailbag: After Gordon, Lindsay, how will running back depth chart pan out?
+ Jerry Sturm, member of Broncos’ Top 100 team, dies at age 83.
+ Want to chat about the Broncos? Ask to join our closed discussion group on Facebook.
Get in Touch
If you see something that’s cause for question or have a comment, thought or suggestion, email me at dboniface@denverpost.com or tweet me @danielboniface.


thedenverpost--2020-06-21--Father and son: Why Steve Addazio made CSU Rams a family affair

Indiana ’ s football coaches got Thursday nights off .
What Steve Addazio wanted most was to spend his with family .
Which meant cranking up the car in Bloomington , Ind.
, around 6 p.m .
Which meant a four-hour-ish drive north to South Bend .
Back to the blankety-blank house that wouldn ’ t sell .
Which meant staying up for as long as the kids wanted to hang in there .
Which meant taking off just before 5 a.m. the next day in order to catch his morning meetings .
Four hours .
Each way .
For @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ I ’ m a young kid , I ’ m thinking , ‘ It ’ s tough only seeing him once a week , ’ ” Louie Addazio , the CSU offensive line coach , says of his dad , Steve , who ’ s now his boss and the Rams ’ head dude .
“ As a coach , by the time Thursday rolls around , you ’ re so burned out from game-planning and prep … it ’ s such a strain , mentally and physically .
But the moment @ @ @ @ @ @ @ else mattered but us.
” They can both shake their heads and laugh about it 18 years after the fact .
Chalk it up as just another bizarre chapter in This Coaching Life .
Steve had joined Gerry DiNardo ’ s staff at Indiana in 2002 after a three-season stretch at Notre Dame , but the Daz clan was struggling to find a buyer for their old house .
So Kathleen , the coach ’ s wife , along with Louie and his two sisters , had remained in northern Indiana for about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he could .
Four hours .
Each way .
For dinner and a hug .
Maybe .
“ That was quite hard on myself and my wife and my kids , ” the elder Addazio recalls .
“ I look back on that , and our philosophy always was , and I would always ( vow ) moving forward , that , ‘ Whatever you do , you ’ ve got to be together.
’ I remember saying to myself that I would never do that again.
” This coaching bag , it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ if you ’ ve got an angel — Steve ’ s was former Syracuse boss Paul Pasqualoni — to help navigate the career ladder , the rungs are slippery .
The higher the climb , the harder the fall .
Louie grew up as baggage on the roller-coaster , although he says it never felt that way .
He figures the family moved at least six times when he was a kid .
In spite of the hours , the travel , the grind , the insecurity , he joined his dad on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tough ?
Yeah , it was tough , ” the younger Addazio says .
“ Sure , moving to a new area , that ’ s hard .
But my family , we ’ re really close .
“ I have a passion and a love for what I do .
And my wife shares that passion , that I ’ m doing what I love .
We understand that there are going to be sacrifices that we have to make at times .
But that ’ s what you do when you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it was easy , everyone would do it .
I was very lucky .
I had a great role model growing up for the way to conduct yourself.
” “ I am who I am because of him ” Moms , steel magnolias to the last , inspire and drive us .
Dads , for better or worse , shape us , both by their presence and , in some cases , their lack thereof .
Which might explain why so many sons follow their fathers into coaching .
Especially on the football @ @ @ @ @ @ @ grabbed the headlines and refused to let go , 2020 was supposed to be about new beginnings .
Between last Thanksgiving and St. Patrick ’ s Day , all of which feels like it happened about six years ago , Colorado , Colorado State and Northern Colorado hired new football coaches .
And , at some point during that same window , all three of those coaches — Ed McCaffrey with the Bears , Karl Dorrell with the Buffs and Addazio with the Rams — hired their sons to join them on their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ great familiarity , ” Addazio says of his son , whom he ’ d coached at Boston College from 2013-15 and who ’ d spent last autumn coaching tight ends at Bowling Green .
“ And he ’ s coaching a position that ’ s been really important to me in my career.
” Papa Daz is an old offensive line coach at heart .
Steve and Louie fell from the same apple tree — matching motors , matching intensity , matching passions , matching attention to detail .
The best line gurus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ OCD cases .
Hands .
Hips .
Feet .
Repeat .
“ He GA-ed for ( former Ohio State coach ) Urban ( Meyer ) … he coached full-time at Bowling Green with Scot ( Loeffler , a former Daz protégé ) , ” Steve continues .
“ So he had tremendous familiarity with not only our offense , our style and how we recruit , but also , as a line coach , he knew all the ( language ) and all the terminology .
And that ’ s so important for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ involved in coaching the offensive line , but as a head coach , I ’ ve got to have the ability to dive in and dive back out .
And that would never be productive if I wasn ’ t in complete alignment with the line coach .
It just couldn ’ t work.
” Ergo , it stays in the family .
Like Jim and John Harbaugh and their father Jack , Louie was one of those tag-along kids , half-pints who scurry around weight rooms and practice fields and become gophers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not raising Cain .
Steve says he ’ s been blessed on that front , with bosses , especially Meyer , who stressed making time for loved ones on one hand even as they demanded the moon and the stars on the other .
“ I lost my dad young , ” says the elder Addazio , whose father Louis passed away when the Rams coach was just 20 .
“ So when Father ’ s Day rolls around , it makes me reflect on how difficult it was not having my dad @ @ @ @ @ @ @ today because of him.
” And he ’ s a trip .
As there were still loose ends to tie up out east after leaving Boston College , Papa Daz lived with his son and daughter-in-law Courtney in Fort Collins for a spell this past winter while he and Kathleen house-hunted .
CSU ’ s new coach even got to watching — and commenting on — “ The Bachelor ” with Courtney .
And “ The Voice ?
” Fuhgetabout it .
“ He ’ s a Blake Shelton fan , ” Louie @ @ @ @ @ @ @ loves the show .
I ’ m watching the show with him , and you can ’ t talk .
You can only talk at the commercials now , because he ’ s studying , analyzing , giving his opinion .
It ’ s the whole deal now.
” Like the man said : Whatever you do , you ’ ve got to be together .
“ A lot of coaches ’ kids out there ( say ) , ‘ My dad was never home , ’ all this and all that .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” Louie says .
“ I tell people , when I was in high school , playing ball , every Friday night , if it was within an hour ’ s radius ( of where he was recruiting or working ) , very rarely did he miss any games .
And the few he had to miss , you better believe — and this was before FaceTime — he was on the speakerphone with my mom or my sister on the phone so he could get play-by-play .
And I was really @ @ @ @ @ @ @ made it his point to be there as much as he could.
” Four hours .
Each way .
For dinner and a hug .
Maybe .
“ It was great , ” Louie says .
“ I don ’ t know how many coaches would do that , let ’ s be honest .
That was cool .
”

Indiana’s football coaches got Thursday nights off. What Steve Addazio wanted most was to spend his with family.
Which meant cranking up the car in Bloomington, Ind., around 6 p.m.
Which meant a four-hour-ish drive north to South Bend. Back to the blankety-blank house that wouldn’t sell.
Which meant dinner at 11.
Which meant staying up for as long as the kids wanted to hang in there.
Which meant taking off just before 5 a.m. the next day in order to catch his morning meetings.
Four hours. Each way. For dinner and a hug. Maybe.
“I’m a young kid, I’m thinking, ‘It’s tough only seeing him once a week,’” Louie Addazio, the CSU offensive line coach, says of his dad, Steve, who’s now his boss and the Rams’ head dude.
“As a coach, by the time Thursday rolls around, you’re so burned out from game-planning and prep … it’s such a strain, mentally and physically. But the moment he was out that door, nothing else mattered but us.”
They can both shake their heads and laugh about it 18 years after the fact. Chalk it up as just another bizarre chapter in This Coaching Life.
Steve had joined Gerry DiNardo’s staff at Indiana in 2002 after a three-season stretch at Notre Dame, but the Daz clan was struggling to find a buyer for their old house. So Kathleen, the coach’s wife, along with Louie and his two sisters, had remained in northern Indiana for about a year, with dad commuting when he could.
Four hours. Each way. For dinner and a hug. Maybe.
“That was quite hard on myself and my wife and my kids,” the elder Addazio recalls. “I look back on that, and our philosophy always was, and I would always (vow) moving forward, that, ‘Whatever you do, you’ve got to be together.’ I remember saying to myself that I would never do that again.”
This coaching bag, it’s not for everybody. Even if you’ve got an angel — Steve’s was former Syracuse boss Paul Pasqualoni — to help navigate the career ladder, the rungs are slippery. The higher the climb, the harder the fall.
Louie grew up as baggage on the roller-coaster, although he says it never felt that way. He figures the family moved at least six times when he was a kid. In spite of the hours, the travel, the grind, the insecurity, he joined his dad on the ladder anyway.
“Was moving tough? Yeah, it was tough,” the younger Addazio says. “Sure, moving to a new area, that’s hard. But my family, we’re really close.
“I have a passion and a love for what I do. And my wife shares that passion, that I’m doing what I love. We understand that there are going to be sacrifices that we have to make at times. But that’s what you do when you’re chasing your dreams. If it was easy, everyone would do it. I was very lucky. I had a great role model growing up for the way to conduct yourself.”
“I am who I am because of him”
Moms, steel magnolias to the last, inspire and drive us. Dads, for better or worse, shape us, both by their presence and, in some cases, their lack thereof. Which might explain why so many sons follow their fathers into coaching. Especially on the football side.
Before COVID-19 and race relations grabbed the headlines and refused to let go, 2020 was supposed to be about new beginnings. Between last Thanksgiving and St. Patrick’s Day, all of which feels like it happened about six years ago, Colorado, Colorado State and Northern Colorado hired new football coaches. And, at some point during that same window, all three of those coaches — Ed McCaffrey with the Bears, Karl Dorrell with the Buffs and Addazio with the Rams — hired their sons to join them on their staffs.
“(Louie) had great familiarity,” Addazio says of his son, whom he’d coached at Boston College from 2013-15 and who’d spent last autumn coaching tight ends at Bowling Green. “And he’s coaching a position that’s been really important to me in my career.”
Papa Daz is an old offensive line coach at heart. Steve and Louie fell from the same apple tree — matching motors, matching intensity, matching passions, matching attention to detail. The best line gurus are fine-point ninjas, nitpickers, borderline OCD cases. Hands. Hips. Feet. Repeat.
“He GA-ed for (former Ohio State coach) Urban (Meyer) … he coached full-time at Bowling Green with Scot (Loeffler, a former Daz protégé),” Steve continues. “So he had tremendous familiarity with not only our offense, our style and how we recruit, but also, as a line coach, he knew all the (language) and all the terminology. And that’s so important for me.
“I am pretty actively involved in coaching the offensive line, but as a head coach, I’ve got to have the ability to dive in and dive back out. And that would never be productive if I wasn’t in complete alignment with the line coach. It just couldn’t work.”
Ergo, it stays in the family. Like Jim and John Harbaugh and their father Jack, Louie was one of those tag-along kids, half-pints who scurry around weight rooms and practice fields and become gophers and ball boys when they’re not raising Cain. Steve says he’s been blessed on that front, with bosses, especially Meyer, who stressed making time for loved ones on one hand even as they demanded the moon and the stars on the other.
“I lost my dad young,” says the elder Addazio, whose father Louis passed away when the Rams coach was just 20. “So when Father’s Day rolls around, it makes me reflect on how difficult it was not having my dad around. I am who I am today because of him.”
“He’s a big Blake Shelton fan”
And he’s a trip. As there were still loose ends to tie up out east after leaving Boston College, Papa Daz lived with his son and daughter-in-law Courtney in Fort Collins for a spell this past winter while he and Kathleen house-hunted.
CSU’s new coach even got to watching — and commenting on — “The Bachelor” with Courtney. And “The Voice?” Fuhgetabout it.
“He’s a Blake Shelton fan,” Louie says of his dad. “He loves the show. I’m watching the show with him, and you can’t talk. You can only talk at the commercials now, because he’s studying, analyzing, giving his opinion. It’s the whole deal now.”
Like the man said: Whatever you do, you’ve got to be together.
“A lot of coaches’ kids out there (say), ‘My dad was never home,’ all this and all that. I saw my dad all the time,” Louie says. “I tell people, when I was in high school, playing ball, every Friday night, if it was within an hour’s radius (of where he was recruiting or working), very rarely did he miss any games. And the few he had to miss, you better believe — and this was before FaceTime — he was on the speakerphone with my mom or my sister on the phone so he could get play-by-play. And I was really lucky in that regard. Because he made it his point to be there as much as he could.”
Four hours. Each way. For dinner and a hug. Maybe.
“It was great,” Louie says. “I don’t know how many coaches would do that, let’s be honest. That was cool.”


thedenverpost--2020-06-22--Coronavirus dampens Stonehenge solstice celebrations

LONDON — The coronavirus pandemic has prevented druids , pagans and party-goers from watching the sunrise at Stonehenge to mark the summer solstice this year .
The ancient stone circle in southwestern England usually draws thousands of people to mark the longest day of the year in the northern hemisphere .
But Britain has banned mass gatherings as part of measures to contain the spread of COVID-19 .
English Heritage , the body that oversees Stonehenge , livestreamed the sunrise instead .
It said more than 3.6 million people watched as dawn broke at 4:52 a.m. Sunday ( 0352GMT , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , a World Heritage site , is believed to be 4,500 years old .
It is known for its alignment with the movements of the sun .
Some dedicated druids were determined to watch the sunrise in person , gathering in a field near Stonehenge despite the morning rain .
Well-known druid King Arthur Pendragon said it had been “ very wet , ” but he was undaunted .
“ You can ’ t cancel the sunrise , ” he told the BBC .
“ It ’ s going to happen , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ”

LONDON — The coronavirus pandemic has prevented druids, pagans and party-goers from watching the sunrise at Stonehenge to mark the summer solstice this year.
The ancient stone circle in southwestern England usually draws thousands of people to mark the longest day of the year in the northern hemisphere. But Britain has banned mass gatherings as part of measures to contain the spread of COVID-19.
English Heritage, the body that oversees Stonehenge, livestreamed the sunrise instead. It said more than 3.6 million people watched as dawn broke at 4:52 a.m. Sunday (0352GMT, 11:52 p.m. EDT Saturday).
Stonehenge, a World Heritage site, is believed to be 4,500 years old. It is known for its alignment with the movements of the sun.
Some dedicated druids were determined to watch the sunrise in person, gathering in a field near Stonehenge despite the morning rain. Well-known druid King Arthur Pendragon said it had been “very wet,” but he was undaunted.
“You can’t cancel the sunrise,” he told the BBC. “It’s going to happen, and we were there to celebrate it.”
___
Follow AP pandemic coverage at http://apnews.com/VirusOutbreak and https://apnews.com/UnderstandingtheOutbreak


thedenverpost--2020-06-21--Because of the coronavirus, dads mark Father’s Day from a distance

CHICAGO — Wake Sharp got to see his family on Father ’ s Day — see them , not hug them , not kiss them , not even shake hands .
Because of the terrible toll taken by the coronavirus on older people in nursing homes and other institutions , the 93-year-old Navy veteran and his loved ones had to stay on opposite sides of a plexiglass barrier and talk by phone at the assisted-living home outside San Francisco where he is a resident .
“ It ’ s better than nothing !
” he said .
“ I really @ @ @ @ @ @ @ across the country marked Father ’ s Day at a forced distance from their families Sunday .
Some families relied on video calls ; others used social media to send their wishes .
The virus has made in-person visits with elderly and high-risk family members difficult and sometimes impossible in recent months , though parts of the country have begun loosening up .
Maryland and Illinois were among states that allowed outdoor visits at nursing homes with masks and six feet of distance .
Frank Wolff , his wife and their son visited @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his Chicago assisted-living home on Father ’ s Day .
The staff took everyone ’ s temperature and followed all other regulations .
“ It was good to see him and get a feeling for how he ’ s really doing , ” said Wolff , who hadn ’ t seen his father , Howard Wolff , since Illinois shut down in mid-March .
Sharp got to see his family through a plexiglass cubicle built by a staff member for Rockville Terrace , the home in Fairfield , California , where Sharp lives @ @ @ @ @ @ @ gathered in a courtyard .
The eldest among them , arriving with the help of his walker , took a seat inside the three-sided box with phone in hand , talking with family members on the outside on one of their phones .
“ We hug each other through the glass , ” said Sharp , who hasn ’ t had a real hug from them in a long while .
This wasn ’ t the first time they visited that way .
“ I don ’ t know who enjoys it more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Dad , ” said son Dan Sharp , who lives in Novato , California .
He paused , then added , “ Probably Dad.
” Rockville Terrace also had a car parade with families with signs for Father ’ s Day and a barbecue so the dads could have steaks and burgers .
The coronavirus has killed an estimated 120,000 people nationwide .
As of mid-June , more than 45,500 residents and staff had died from outbreaks at nursing homes and other long-term care facilities , according to a running count by The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ % of the total deaths from the scourge at the time .
Nursing homes have been among the last places to loosen restrictions .
Families and nursing home officials worry about the effects the isolation is having on residents ’ mental health .
While video calls have helped , Rockville Terrace ’ s plexiglass cubicle — which creator Jason Reyes jokingly calls the “ Sneezeguard 3000 ” — is another possible solution .
It was introduced in April .
“ It ’ s not back to normal … but it helps , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Carlson Management , a company with seven facilities in California .
He said he was driven to build the 128-square-foot enclosures after so many residents and family members were distraught when they couldn ’ t see one another .
“ The whole situation just tugged on the heartstrings , ” Reyes said , noting that demand for cubicle visits — each resident ’ s session with family lasting an hour on weekdays and 30 minutes on weekends — has been strong at the three facilities where they have them .
Throughout Father ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ posted photos and messages about the dads they couldn ’ t see .
“ Happy Father ’ s Day Pa !
I hate that I can ’ t be there today , ” Kelly Cooper , who lives in Bedfordshire , England , wrote on Instagram , alongside photos of her and her dad , David Cooper , who ’ s 73 and considered high risk .
He lives on his own in London .
Cooper said her own disabling health problems also have limited her travel .
“ As soon as this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s safe to visit , then I ’ ll be there .
xxxx Love you to the moon and back Pa xxxx , ” she wrote .
Wolff in Chicago said his own father was happy to see him but took his mask off and was particularly frustrated that he couldn ’ t hug his grandson .
He is also hard of hearing and so has become a fan of talking on a big screen that has been set up so residents can make video calls .
“ Just do the FaceTime @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ It ’ s easier.
” So his son said they will continue to do both types of visits .
“ Yeah , so we can ’ t hug .
But he ’ s safe , ” Frank Wolff said .
“ All in all , it ’ s the only thing that makes sense.
” Martha Irvine , an AP national writer and visual journalist , can be reached at mirvine @ ap.org or at http : //twitter.com/irvineap .

CHICAGO — Wake Sharp got to see his family on Father’s Day — see them, not hug them, not kiss them, not even shake hands.
Because of the terrible toll taken by the coronavirus on older people in nursing homes and other institutions, the 93-year-old Navy veteran and his loved ones had to stay on opposite sides of a plexiglass barrier and talk by phone at the assisted-living home outside San Francisco where he is a resident.
“It’s better than nothing!” he said. “I really enjoy it.”
Dads at nursing homes across the country marked Father’s Day at a forced distance from their families Sunday. Some families relied on video calls; others used social media to send their wishes.
The virus has made in-person visits with elderly and high-risk family members difficult and sometimes impossible in recent months, though parts of the country have begun loosening up. Maryland and Illinois were among states that allowed outdoor visits at nursing homes with masks and six feet of distance.
Frank Wolff, his wife and their son visited his 91-year-old father on a patio outside his Chicago assisted-living home on Father’s Day. The staff took everyone’s temperature and followed all other regulations.
“It was good to see him and get a feeling for how he’s really doing,” said Wolff, who hadn’t seen his father, Howard Wolff, since Illinois shut down in mid-March.
Sharp got to see his family through a plexiglass cubicle built by a staff member for Rockville Terrace, the home in Fairfield, California, where Sharp lives.
Four generations of the Sharp family gathered in a courtyard. The eldest among them, arriving with the help of his walker, took a seat inside the three-sided box with phone in hand, talking with family members on the outside on one of their phones.
“We hug each other through the glass,” said Sharp, who hasn’t had a real hug from them in a long while.
This wasn’t the first time they visited that way.
“I don’t know who enjoys it more. My family and I – or Dad,” said son Dan Sharp, who lives in Novato, California. He paused, then added, “Probably Dad.”
Rockville Terrace also had a car parade with families with signs for Father’s Day and a barbecue so the dads could have steaks and burgers.
The coronavirus has killed an estimated 120,000 people nationwide. As of mid-June, more than 45,500 residents and staff had died from outbreaks at nursing homes and other long-term care facilities, according to a running count by The Associated Press. That was about 40% of the total deaths from the scourge at the time.
Nursing homes have been among the last places to loosen restrictions. Families and nursing home officials worry about the effects the isolation is having on residents’ mental health.
While video calls have helped, Rockville Terrace’s plexiglass cubicle — which creator Jason Reyes jokingly calls the “Sneezeguard 3000” — is another possible solution. It was introduced in April.
“It’s not back to normal … but it helps,” said Reyes, a managing partner of Carlson Management, a company with seven facilities in California. He said he was driven to build the 128-square-foot enclosures after so many residents and family members were distraught when they couldn’t see one another.
“The whole situation just tugged on the heartstrings,” Reyes said, noting that demand for cubicle visits — each resident’s session with family lasting an hour on weekdays and 30 minutes on weekends — has been strong at the three facilities where they have them.
Throughout Father’s Day on social media, children posted photos and messages about the dads they couldn’t see.
“Happy Father’s Day Pa! I hate that I can’t be there today,” Kelly Cooper, who lives in Bedfordshire, England, wrote on Instagram, alongside photos of her and her dad, David Cooper, who’s 73 and considered high risk. He lives on his own in London.
Cooper said her own disabling health problems also have limited her travel.
“As soon as this virus calms the hell down and it’s safe to visit, then I’ll be there. xxxx Love you to the moon and back Pa xxxx,” she wrote.
Wolff in Chicago said his own father was happy to see him but took his mask off and was particularly frustrated that he couldn’t hug his grandson. He is also hard of hearing and so has become a fan of talking on a big screen that has been set up so residents can make video calls.
“Just do the FaceTime,” Howard Wolff told his son. “It’s easier.”
So his son said they will continue to do both types of visits. “Yeah, so we can’t hug. But he’s safe,” Frank Wolff said. “All in all, it’s the only thing that makes sense.”
___
Martha Irvine, an AP national writer and visual journalist, can be reached at mirvine@ap.org or at http://twitter.com/irvineap.


thedenverpost--2020-06-21--Colorado father and son drown while rafting Arkansas River on Father’s Day

A father and his 16-year-old son drowned while rafting on the Arkansas River near Pueblo Sunday , according to local officials .
Ricardo Valencia Sanchez , 46 , and his son , Jose Louis Valencia , 16 , both from Aurora , died in the accident , according to the Pueblo County Coroner ’ s office .
The pair were ejected from the raft and trapped by a river hydraulic — powerful circulating water near a dam — at about 1:30 pm.
, according to the Pueblo Police Department .
The two were submerged for several minutes until the raft @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the man and his son , who were both tangled in a rope .
Both father and son were wearing personal flotation vests .
Emergency workers intercepted the raft less than a mile downstream and pulled it to shore .
Sanchez and Jose both died at the scene .
A third person in the raft survived , Pueblo police Sgt .
Franklyn Ortega said , adding he did not believe the raft was part of a tour group .
“ It ’ s a dangerous spot , ” he said .
“ It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but anybody who has been in Pueblo for a bit knows that a lot of people drown there .
You go over the falls , it doesn ’ t look like it ’ s deep , but it ’ s like a whirlpool .
You stay down there until you stop resisting and when you stop resisting it will let you come up.
” Several people have died in that spot near 4 Reservoir Drive , Ortega said , although he did not know an exact number Sunday .

A father and his 16-year-old son drowned while rafting on the Arkansas River near Pueblo Sunday, according to local officials.
Ricardo Valencia Sanchez, 46, and his son, Jose Louis Valencia, 16, both from Aurora, died in the accident, according to the Pueblo County Coroner’s office.
The pair were ejected from the raft and trapped by a river hydraulic — powerful circulating water near a dam — at about 1:30 pm., according to the Pueblo Police Department. The two were submerged for several minutes until the raft “emerged from the current” pulling the man and his son, who were both tangled in a rope.
Both father and son were wearing personal flotation vests. Emergency workers intercepted the raft less than a mile downstream and pulled it to shore. Sanchez and Jose both died at the scene.
A third person in the raft survived, Pueblo police Sgt. Franklyn Ortega said, adding he did not believe the raft was part of a tour group.
“It’s a dangerous spot,” he said. “It doesn’t look too dangerous, but anybody who has been in Pueblo for a bit knows that a lot of people drown there. You go over the falls, it doesn’t look like it’s deep, but it’s like a whirlpool. You stay down there until you stop resisting and when you stop resisting it will let you come up.”
Several people have died in that spot near 4 Reservoir Drive, Ortega said, although he did not know an exact number Sunday.


thedenverpost--2020-06-21--Colorado’s confirmed COVID-19 cases top 30,000

Confirmed coronavirus cases in Colorado reached 30,539 on Sunday — an increase of 190 from the prior day , according to data released daily by the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment .
No new deaths were reported Sunday in either of the fatality categories tracked by the state health department .
Sunday ’ s data shows 1,647 people with COVID-19 have died in Colorado , and 1,429 deaths have been directly attributed to the novel coronavirus .
About three-fourths of those who have died were 70 or older , according to the data .
About 280,000 people have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , according to the state data , and authorities have tracked 330 outbreaks at facilities like jails , nursing homes or factories .
At least 160 coronavirus patients are currently hospitalized in Colorado — up slightly over the last few days , according to the data .
Another 95 patients are suspected to be suffering from the highly contagious respiratory disease .
That is much lower than mid-April , when nearly 900 COVID-19 patients were hospitalized in the state .
Hospitals in Colorado are using about 285 of 1,093 available ventilators , according @ @ @ @ @ @ @ group for the latest updates on coronavirus in Colorado .

Confirmed coronavirus cases in Colorado reached 30,539 on Sunday — an increase of 190 from the prior day, according to data released daily by the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment.
No new deaths were reported Sunday in either of the fatality categories tracked by the state health department. Sunday’s data shows 1,647 people with COVID-19 have died in Colorado, and 1,429 deaths have been directly attributed to the novel coronavirus. About three-fourths of those who have died were 70 or older, according to the data.
About 280,000 people have been tested for the virus in Colorado, according to the state data, and authorities have tracked 330 outbreaks at facilities like jails, nursing homes or factories.
At least 160 coronavirus patients are currently hospitalized in Colorado — up slightly over the last few days, according to the data. Another 95 patients are suspected to be suffering from the highly contagious respiratory disease.
That is much lower than mid-April, when nearly 900 COVID-19 patients were hospitalized in the state. Hospitals in Colorado are using about 285 of 1,093 available ventilators, according to the data.
Join our Facebook group for the latest updates on coronavirus in Colorado.


thedenverpost--2020-06-21--WHO reports largest single-day increase in coronavirus cases

GENEVA — The World Health Organization on Sunday reported the largest single-day increase in coronavirus cases by its count , at more than 183,000 new cases in the latest 24 hours .
The UN health agency said Brazil led the way with 54,771 cases tallied and the U.S. next at 36,617 .
Over 15,400 came in in India .
Experts said rising case counts can reflect multiple factors including more widespread testing as well as broader infection .
Overall in the pandemic , WHO reported 8,708,008 cases — 183,020 in the last 24 hours — with 461,715 deaths worldwide , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ More than two-thirds of those new deaths were reported in the Americas .
In Spain , officials ended a national state of emergency after three months of lockdown , allowing its 47 million residents to freely travel around the country for the first time since March 14 .
The country also dropped a 14-day quarantine for visitors from Britain and the 26 European countries that allow visa-free travel .
But there was only a trickle of travelers at Madrid-Barajas Airport , which on a normal June day would be bustling .
“ This @ @ @ @ @ @ @ having to justify our journey to see our family and friends , this was something that we were really looking forward to , ” Pedro Delgado , 23 , said after arriving from Spain ’ s Canary Islands .
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez urged people to take maximum precautions : “ The virus can return and it can hit us again in a second wave , and we have to do whatever we can to avoid that at all cost.
” At a campaign rally in Tulsa , Oklahoma , Trump said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people , but the “ bad part ” is that it found more cases .
“ When you do testing to that extent , you ’ re going to find more people , you ’ re going to find more cases , ” Trump said .
“ So I said to my people , ‘ Slow the testing down , please.
’ ″ White House trade adviser Peter Navarro said on CNN that Trump was being “ tongue-in-cheek ” and made the comment in a “ light mood.
” Democratic rival Joe Biden @ @ @ @ @ @ @ putting politics ahead of the safety and economic well-being of the American people.
” The U.S. has the world ’ s highest number of reported infections , over 2.2 million , and the highest death toll , at about 120,000 , according to Johns Hopkins .
Health officials say robust testing is vital for tracking outbreaks and keeping the virus in check .
In England , lockdown restrictions prevented druids , pagans and party-goers on Sunday from watching the sun rise at the ancient circle of Stonehenge to mark the summer solstice , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Northern Hemisphere .
English Heritage , which runs the site , livestreamed it instead .
A few people gathered outside the fence .
The number of confirmed virus cases is still growing rapidly not only in the U.S. but in Brazil , South Africa and other countries , especially in Latin America .
Brazil ’ s Health Ministry said the total number of cases had risen by more than 50,000 in a day .
President Jair Bolsonaro has been downplaying the risks even as his country has seen nearly 50,000 fatalities , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
South Africa reported a one-day high of almost 5,000 new cases on Saturday and 46 deaths .
Despite the increase , President Cyril Ramaphosa announced a further loosening of one of the world ’ s strictest lockdowns .
Casinos , beauty salons and sit-down restaurant service will reopen .
In the United States , the virus appears to be spreading across the West and South .
Arizona reported over 3,100 new infections , just short of Friday ’ s record , and 26 deaths .
Nevada also reported a new high of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ single meatpacking plant in Germany has had over 1,000 cases , so the regional government issued a quarantine for all 6,500 workers , managers and family members .
In Asia , China and South Korea reported new coronavirus cases Sunday in outbreaks that threatened to set back their recoveries .
Chinese authorities recorded 25 new confirmed cases — 22 in Beijing .
In the past week , Beijing tightened travel controls by requiring anyone who wants to leave the Chinese capital , a city of 20 million people , to show proof they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ South Korea , nearly 200 infections have been traced to employees at a door-to-door sales company in Seoul , and at least 70 other infections are tied to a table tennis club there .
But South Korean officials are reluctant to enforce stronger social distancing to avoid hurting the economy .
Join our Facebook group for the latest updates on coronavirus in Colorado .

GENEVA — The World Health Organization on Sunday reported the largest single-day increase in coronavirus cases by its count, at more than 183,000 new cases in the latest 24 hours.
The UN health agency said Brazil led the way with 54,771 cases tallied and the U.S. next at 36,617. Over 15,400 came in in India.
Experts said rising case counts can reflect multiple factors including more widespread testing as well as broader infection.
Overall in the pandemic, WHO reported 8,708,008 cases — 183,020 in the last 24 hours — with 461,715 deaths worldwide, with a daily increase of 4,743.
More than two-thirds of those new deaths were reported in the Americas.
In Spain, officials ended a national state of emergency after three months of lockdown, allowing its 47 million residents to freely travel around the country for the first time since March 14. The country also dropped a 14-day quarantine for visitors from Britain and the 26 European countries that allow visa-free travel.
But there was only a trickle of travelers at Madrid-Barajas Airport, which on a normal June day would be bustling.
“This freedom that we now have, not having to justify our journey to see our family and friends, this was something that we were really looking forward to,” Pedro Delgado, 23, said after arriving from Spain’s Canary Islands.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez urged people to take maximum precautions: “The virus can return and it can hit us again in a second wave, and we have to do whatever we can to avoid that at all cost.”
At a campaign rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma, Trump said Saturday the U.S. has tested 25 million people, but the “bad part” is that it found more cases.
“When you do testing to that extent, you’re going to find more people, you’re going to find more cases,” Trump said. “So I said to my people, ‘Slow the testing down, please.’″
White House trade adviser Peter Navarro said on CNN that Trump was being “tongue-in-cheek” and made the comment in a “light mood.”
Democratic rival Joe Biden’s campaign accused Trump of “putting politics ahead of the safety and economic well-being of the American people.”
The U.S. has the world’s highest number of reported infections, over 2.2 million, and the highest death toll, at about 120,000, according to Johns Hopkins. Health officials say robust testing is vital for tracking outbreaks and keeping the virus in check.
In England, lockdown restrictions prevented druids, pagans and party-goers on Sunday from watching the sun rise at the ancient circle of Stonehenge to mark the summer solstice, the longest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere. English Heritage, which runs the site, livestreamed it instead. A few people gathered outside the fence.
“You can’t cancel the sunrise,” druid Arthur Pendragon told the BBC.
The number of confirmed virus cases is still growing rapidly not only in the U.S. but in Brazil, South Africa and other countries, especially in Latin America.
Brazil’s Health Ministry said the total number of cases had risen by more than 50,000 in a day. President Jair Bolsonaro has been downplaying the risks even as his country has seen nearly 50,000 fatalities, the second-highest death toll in the world.
South Africa reported a one-day high of almost 5,000 new cases on Saturday and 46 deaths. Despite the increase, President Cyril Ramaphosa announced a further loosening of one of the world’s strictest lockdowns. Casinos, beauty salons and sit-down restaurant service will reopen.
In the United States, the virus appears to be spreading across the West and South. Arizona reported over 3,100 new infections, just short of Friday’s record, and 26 deaths. Nevada also reported a new high of 445 cases.
In Europe, a single meatpacking plant in Germany has had over 1,000 cases, so the regional government issued a quarantine for all 6,500 workers, managers and family members.
In Asia, China and South Korea reported new coronavirus cases Sunday in outbreaks that threatened to set back their recoveries.
Chinese authorities recorded 25 new confirmed cases — 22 in Beijing. In the past week, Beijing tightened travel controls by requiring anyone who wants to leave the Chinese capital, a city of 20 million people, to show proof they tested negative for the virus.
In South Korea, nearly 200 infections have been traced to employees at a door-to-door sales company in Seoul, and at least 70 other infections are tied to a table tennis club there. But South Korean officials are reluctant to enforce stronger social distancing to avoid hurting the economy.
Join our Facebook group for the latest updates on coronavirus in Colorado.


thedenverpost--2020-06-21--Six Shooter Fire on Colorado’s Southern Ute Indian Reservation is 100% contained

Firefighters on the Southern Ute Indian Reservation contained the Six Shooter Fire on Sunday after the blaze burned about 224 @ @ @ @ @ The fire , started by lightning , was 100 % contained by Sunday morning , @ @ @ @ @ spokeswoman for the Southern Ute Tribal Council .
It burned in Six Shooter Canyon .
@ @ @ @ @ the fire .
The blaze did not destroy any buildings .
Firefighters will remain in @ @ @ @ @ according to the statement .
Fire restrictions remain in place on the reservation , and @ @ @ @ @ of official campsites and fireworks are currently prohibited .
Click markers for details , use @ @ @ @ @ are shown .
Map data is automatically updated by government agencies and could lag real-time @ @ @ @ @ numbered 1-5 — a type 1 incident is a large , complex wildfire affecting people @ @ @ @ @ type 5 incident is a small wildfire with few personnel involved .
Find more information @ @ @ @ @ bottom of this page .

Firefighters on the Southern Ute Indian Reservation contained the Six Shooter Fire on Sunday after the blaze burned about 224 acres over four days.
The fire, started by lightning, was 100% contained by Sunday morning, according a statement from a spokeswoman for the Southern Ute Tribal Council. It burned in Six Shooter Canyon.
About 150 firefighters worked on the fire. The blaze did not destroy any buildings. Firefighters will remain in the area through Monday, according to the statement.
Fire restrictions remain in place on the reservation, and open burning, campfires outside of official campsites and fireworks are currently prohibited.
Wildfire map
Click markers for details, use buttons to change what wildfires are shown. Map data is automatically updated by government agencies and could lag real-time events. Incident types are numbered 1-5 — a type 1 incident is a large, complex wildfire affecting people and critical infrastructure, a type 5 incident is a small wildfire with few personnel involved. Find more information about incident types at the bottom of this page.


thedenverpost--2020-06-21--Minority Minneapolis officers allege discrimination over Chauvin booking

MINNEAPOLIS — Eight minority corrections officers who work at the jail holding a former Minneapolis police officer charged with murder in the death of George Floyd allege that they were barred from guarding or having contact with the officer because of their race .
Floyd died on May 25 after Derek Chauvin , who is white , used his knee to pin down the the handcuffed Black man ’ s neck even after Floyd stopped moving and pleading for air .
Chauvin is charged with second-degree murder and manslaughter .
He is being held at the Ramsey County Jail on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ County corrections officers filed racial discrimination charges with the Minnesota Department of Human Rights on Friday alleging that when Chauvin was booked into the jail , all officers of color were ordered to a separate floor , according to the Star Tribune , which obtained a copy of charges .
The charges allege that a supervisor told one of the officers that because of their race , they would be a potential “ liability ” around Chauvin .
Bonnie Smith , a Minneapolis attorney representing the eight employees , said the order left @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I think they deserve to have employment decisions made based on performance and behavior , ” she said .
“ Their main goal is to make sure this never happens again.
” Jail Superintendent Steve Lydon allegedly told superiors that he was informed that day that Chauvin would be arriving in 10 minutes and he made a call “ to protect and support ” minority employees by shielding them from Chauvin .
“ Out of care and concern , and without the comfort of time , I made a decision to limit exposure @ @ @ @ @ @ @ suspect who could potentially aggravate those feelings , ” Lydon said in a statement given during an internal investigation and provided by the sheriff ’ s office to the Star Tribune .
He has since been demoted .
The discrimination charges are expected to automatically trigger a state investigation .
It would mark the second Department of Human Rights racism probe into a law enforcement agency in recent weeks .
The state launched a sweeping inquiry into the Minneapolis Police Department after Floyd ’ s death .

MINNEAPOLIS — Eight minority corrections officers who work at the jail holding a former Minneapolis police officer charged with murder in the death of George Floyd allege that they were barred from guarding or having contact with the officer because of their race.
Floyd died on May 25 after Derek Chauvin, who is white, used his knee to pin down the the handcuffed Black man’s neck even after Floyd stopped moving and pleading for air. Chauvin is charged with second-degree murder and manslaughter. He is being held at the Ramsey County Jail on $1 million bond.
Eight Ramsey County corrections officers filed racial discrimination charges with the Minnesota Department of Human Rights on Friday alleging that when Chauvin was booked into the jail, all officers of color were ordered to a separate floor, according to the Star Tribune, which obtained a copy of charges. The charges allege that a supervisor told one of the officers that because of their race, they would be a potential “liability” around Chauvin.
Bonnie Smith, a Minneapolis attorney representing the eight employees, said the order left a lasting impact on morale.
“I think they deserve to have employment decisions made based on performance and behavior,” she said. “Their main goal is to make sure this never happens again.”
Jail Superintendent Steve Lydon allegedly told superiors that he was informed that day that Chauvin would be arriving in 10 minutes and he made a call “to protect and support” minority employees by shielding them from Chauvin.
“Out of care and concern, and without the comfort of time, I made a decision to limit exposure to employees of color to a murder suspect who could potentially aggravate those feelings,” Lydon said in a statement given during an internal investigation and provided by the sheriff’s office to the Star Tribune. He has since been demoted.
The discrimination charges are expected to automatically trigger a state investigation. It would mark the second Department of Human Rights racism probe into a law enforcement agency in recent weeks. The state launched a sweeping inquiry into the Minneapolis Police Department after Floyd’s death.


thedenverpost--2020-06-21--Jon Gray, Rockies shut out Padres for series sweep in MLB The Show 20

With the start of the Major League Baseball season postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic , we here at The @ @ @ @ @ at how the Rockies would fare in MLB The Show 20 on PlayStation 4 .
@ @ @ @ @ for every game that had been scheduled until real-life baseball returns .
Here ’ s @ @ @ @ @ Rockies ’ preseason preview .
Entering Sunday ’ s game , the Rockies were 51-25 @ @ @ @ @ five-hitter as the Rockies shut out the Padres , 5-0 , on Sunday at Coors @ @ @ @ @ sweep .
Gray struck out eight and added a two-run double en route to his @ @ @ @ @ season .
The Rockies ( 52-25 ) increase their National League West lead over the @ @ @ @ @ nine games .
Colorado begins a three-game series against Kansas City on Monday .
Antonio @ @ @ @ @ take the mound against Royals ’ Mike Montgomery ( 4-6 ) .

With the start of the Major League Baseball season postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic, we here at The Denver Post took a look at how the Rockies would fare in MLB The Show 20 on PlayStation 4. We will have a story for every game that had been scheduled until real-life baseball returns. Here’s a look at the virtual Rockies’ preseason preview. Entering Sunday’s game, the Rockies were 51-25.
Jon Gray pitched a five-hitter as the Rockies shut out the Padres, 5-0, on Sunday at Coors Field to complete the series sweep.
Gray struck out eight and added a two-run double en route to his league-leading 12th win of the season.
The Rockies (52-25) increase their National League West lead over the Dodgers (44-35) to nine games. Colorado begins a three-game series against Kansas City on Monday. Antonio Senzatela (6-2) will take the mound against Royals’ Mike Montgomery (4-6).
Box score
SDP — 000-000-000 — 0-5-1
COL — 020-020-10X — 5-6-1
San Diego — Lagares 4-0-1-0, Grisham 4-0-1-0, Tatis 3-0-1-0, Machado 3-0-0-0, Hosmer 3-0-1-0, Dozier 3-0-0-0, Mejia 3-0-0-0, Profar 3-0-0-0, Richards 1-0-0-0, Quantrill 0-0-0-0, Pham 1-0-0-0, Perdomo 0-0-0-0, Munoz 0-0-0-0, Garcia 1-0-1-0. Totals — 29-0-5-0.
Colorado — Daza 4-0-1-1, Tapia 4-0-0-0, Arenado 4-0-1-0, Story 4-0-0-0, Dahl 2-1-0-0, McMahon 3-1-1-1, Desmond 3-1-1-1, Wolters 3-2-1-0, Gray 2-0-1-2. Totals — 29-5-6-5.
E — Dozier; Gray. 2B — Garcia; McMahon, Gray. SB — Dahl. CS — Grisham, Mejia. WP — Gray (12-1). LP — Richards (1-6).


thedenverpost--2020-06-21--Trump’s intended show of political force falls short of mark at Oklahoma rally

TULSA , Okla. — President Donald Trump used his his comeback rally to try to define the upcoming election as a choice between national heritage and left-wing radicalism , but his intended show of political force during the pandemic drew thousands short of a full house and was partly overshadowed by new coronavirus cases among his campaign staff .
Trump ignored health warnings and held his first rally in 110 days in what was one of the largest indoor gatherings in the world during an outbreak that has killed more than 120,000 Americans and put 40 million out of work @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was meant to restart his reelection effort less than five months before the November election .
“ The choice in 2020 is very simple , ” Trump said .
“ Do you want to bow before the left-wing mob , or do you want to stand up tall and proud as Americans ?
” After a three-month break from rallies , Trump returned to regular themes , including boasts about the pre-pandemic economy and complaints about the media .
He made no mention of some of the flashpoints roiling the nation , including @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Manhattan , the damaging new book from his former national security adviser or the killing of George Floyd .
Trump aired pent-up grievances about the coronavirus , which he mocked as the “ Kung flu , ” a racist term for COVID-19 , which originated in China .
He tried to defend his handling of the pandemic , even as cases continue to surge in many states , including Oklahoma .
He complained that robust testing was making his record look bad and suggested the testing effort should slow down .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ When you do testing to that extent , you ’ re going to find more cases , ” Trump said .
“ So I said to my people , ‘ Slow the testing down.
’ They test and they test.
” In response , Trump ’ s Democratic opponent , Joe Biden , tweeted , “ Speed up the testing.
” A White House adviser , Peter Navarro , told CNN ’ s “ State of the Union ” on Sunday that Trump ’ s remark was “ tongue in cheek.
” In @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were significantly lighter than expected , and campaign officials scrapped plans for Trump to speak at an overflow space outdoors .
Inside the 19,000-seat BOK Center , when Trump thundered that “ the silent majority is stronger than ever before , ” about one-third of the seats were empty .
Tulsa Fire Department spokesperson Andy Little said the city fire marshal ’ s office reported a crowd of just less than 6,200 in the arena .
Trump tried to explain away the crowd size by blaming the media for scaring people and by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ doing bad things.
” Hundreds of demonstrators flooded the city ’ s downtown streets and blocked traffic at times , but police reported just a handful of arrests .
Before the rally , Trump ’ s campaign disclosed that that six staff members who were helping set up for the event had tested positive for the coronavirus .
Campaign communications director Tim Murtaugh said neither the affected staffers nor anyone who was in immediate contact with them would attend the event .
The president raged to aides that those positive cases had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ White House and campaign officials who spoke on condition of anonymity because they weren ’ t authorized to speak publicly about private conversations .
During the 105-minute rally , Trump leaned in hard on cultural issues , including the push to tear down statues and and rename military bases honoring Confederate figures in the wake of nationwide protests about racial injustice .
“ The unhinged left-wing mob is trying to vandalize our history , desecrate our monuments , our beautiful monuments , ” Trump said .
“ They want to demolish our heritage @ @ @ @ @ @ @ regime in its place.
” Large gatherings in the United States were shut down in March because of the coronavirus .
The Tulsa event was scheduled over the protests of local health officials as COVID-19 cases spiked in many states .
The choice of host city and date — originally Friday , Juneteenth , in a city where a 1921 racist attack killed as many as 300 people — prompted anger and protests against racial injustice .
Trump and his advisers forged forward , believing that a return to the rally stage would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that he has fallen behind Biden in polls , and reassure increasingly anxious Republicans .
But Trump has struggled to land effective attacks against Biden , and his broadsides against the former vice president did not draw nearly the applause as did his digs at his 2016 opponent , Hillary Clinton .
City officials had expected a crowd of 100,000 people or more in downtown Tulsa .
Trump ’ s campaign declared that it had received over 1 million ticket requests .
The crowd that gathered was far less than that , though @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , also targeted voters in battleground states such as Pennsylvania , North Carolina and Florida .
There were social media claims that people had registered for the rally with no intention of attending .
Trump campaign spokesman Tim Murtaugh , dismissing the potential impact , said “ leftists always fool themselves into thinking they ’ re being clever ” and he noted that rallies are general admission , with first-come-first served .
The president ’ s campaign tried to point fingers elsewhere over the smaller-than-expected crowds , accusing protesters of blocking access to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the rally .
Three Associated Press journalists reporting in Tulsa for several hours leading up to the president ’ s speech did not see protesters block entry to the area where the rally was held .
The campaign handed out masks and hand sanitizer , but there was no requirement that participants use them and few did .
Participants also underwent a temperature check .
Lemire reported from New York .
Associated Press writers John Mone and Ellen Knickmeyer contributed to this report .

TULSA, Okla. — President Donald Trump used his his comeback rally to try to define the upcoming election as a choice between national heritage and left-wing radicalism, but his intended show of political force during the pandemic drew thousands short of a full house and was partly overshadowed by new coronavirus cases among his campaign staff.
Trump ignored health warnings and held his first rally in 110 days in what was one of the largest indoor gatherings in the world during an outbreak that has killed more than 120,000 Americans and put 40 million out of work. The rally Saturday night in Tulsa was meant to restart his reelection effort less than five months before the November election.
“The choice in 2020 is very simple,” Trump said. “Do you want to bow before the left-wing mob, or do you want to stand up tall and proud as Americans?”
After a three-month break from rallies, Trump returned to regular themes, including boasts about the pre-pandemic economy and complaints about the media. He made no mention of some of the flashpoints roiling the nation, including the abrupt firing of a U.S. attorney in Manhattan, the damaging new book from his former national security adviser or the killing of George Floyd.
Trump aired pent-up grievances about the coronavirus, which he mocked as the “Kung flu,” a racist term for COVID-19, which originated in China. He tried to defend his handling of the pandemic, even as cases continue to surge in many states, including Oklahoma.
He complained that robust testing was making his record look bad and suggested the testing effort should slow down. “Here’s the bad part. When you do testing to that extent, you’re going to find more cases,” Trump said. “So I said to my people, ‘Slow the testing down.’ They test and they test.”
In response, Trump’s Democratic opponent, Joe Biden, tweeted, “Speed up the testing.”
A White House adviser, Peter Navarro, told CNN’s “State of the Union” on Sunday that Trump’s remark was “tongue in cheek.”
In the hours before the rally, crowds were significantly lighter than expected, and campaign officials scrapped plans for Trump to speak at an overflow space outdoors.
Inside the 19,000-seat BOK Center, when Trump thundered that “the silent majority is stronger than ever before,” about one-third of the seats were empty. Tulsa Fire Department spokesperson Andy Little said the city fire marshal’s office reported a crowd of just less than 6,200 in the arena.
Trump tried to explain away the crowd size by blaming the media for scaring people and by insisting there were protesters outside who were “doing bad things.” Hundreds of demonstrators flooded the city’s downtown streets and blocked traffic at times, but police reported just a handful of arrests.
Before the rally, Trump’s campaign disclosed that that six staff members who were helping set up for the event had tested positive for the coronavirus. Campaign communications director Tim Murtaugh said neither the affected staffers nor anyone who was in immediate contact with them would attend the event.
The president raged to aides that those positive cases had been made public, according to two White House and campaign officials who spoke on condition of anonymity because they weren’t authorized to speak publicly about private conversations.
During the 105-minute rally, Trump leaned in hard on cultural issues, including the push to tear down statues and and rename military bases honoring Confederate figures in the wake of nationwide protests about racial injustice.
“The unhinged left-wing mob is trying to vandalize our history, desecrate our monuments, our beautiful monuments,” Trump said. “They want to demolish our heritage so they can impose their new repressive regime in its place.”
Large gatherings in the United States were shut down in March because of the coronavirus. The Tulsa event was scheduled over the protests of local health officials as COVID-19 cases spiked in many states. The choice of host city and date — originally Friday, Juneteenth, in a city where a 1921 racist attack killed as many as 300 people — prompted anger and protests against racial injustice.
Trump and his advisers forged forward, believing that a return to the rally stage would reenergize the president, who is furious that he has fallen behind Biden in polls, and reassure increasingly anxious Republicans.
But Trump has struggled to land effective attacks against Biden, and his broadsides against the former vice president did not draw nearly the applause as did his digs at his 2016 opponent, Hillary Clinton.
City officials had expected a crowd of 100,000 people or more in downtown Tulsa. Trump’s campaign declared that it had received over 1 million ticket requests. The crowd that gathered was far less than that, though the rally, being broadcast on cable, also targeted voters in battleground states such as Pennsylvania, North Carolina and Florida.
There were social media claims that people had registered for the rally with no intention of attending. Trump campaign spokesman Tim Murtaugh, dismissing the potential impact, said “leftists always fool themselves into thinking they’re being clever” and he noted that rallies are general admission, with first-come-first served.
The president’s campaign tried to point fingers elsewhere over the smaller-than-expected crowds, accusing protesters of blocking access to metal detectors and preventing people from entering the rally. Three Associated Press journalists reporting in Tulsa for several hours leading up to the president’s speech did not see protesters block entry to the area where the rally was held.
The campaign handed out masks and hand sanitizer, but there was no requirement that participants use them and few did. Participants also underwent a temperature check.
___
Lemire reported from New York. Associated Press writers John Mone and Ellen Knickmeyer contributed to this report.


thedenverpost--2020-06-21--Coronavirus in Colorado, June 21: A look at the latest updates on COVID-19

In a pandemic , Father ’ s Day looks a lot different than in other years .
Our reporter , John Wenzel , writes that “ this year feels less like a celebration and more like a quick back rub before I return to the ring.
” Around the country , states like Arizona are reporting large spikes in coronavirus cases as businesses open back up and restrictions are lifted .
Many experts agree that the U.S. is still in its first wave of COVID-19 cases with the threat of another looming over plans for the fall .
In Colorado @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deaths directly caused by the new virus .
• Second wave of coronavirus cases ?
Experts say we ’ re still in the first • Working from home : The pros , cons and potential pitfalls of it becoming permanent • Don ’ t miss : Coronavirus pushed this nursing home facility to its limit as it preyed on Colorado ’ s most vulnerable population • Denver ’ s free COVID-19 testing at Pepsi Center now open to anyone who may have been exposed • Colorado coronavirus data tracker : Where are cases @ @ @ @ @ @ @ no slam-dunk drugs : What we now know — and still don ’ t know — about the coronavirus • Coronavirus timeline : An in-depth look at COVID-19 in Colorado • Colorado unemployment FAQ : How to apply , details about missing PINs and more • Do I have the coronavirus ?
Here ’ s what to do if you ’ re not sure .
• How social distancing works and what it means for you Join our Facebook group for the latest updates on coronavirus in Colorado .

In a pandemic, Father’s Day looks a lot different than in other years. Our reporter, John Wenzel, writes that “this year feels less like a celebration and more like a quick back rub before I return to the ring.”
Around the country, states like Arizona are reporting large spikes in coronavirus cases as businesses open back up and restrictions are lifted. Many experts agree that the U.S. is still in its first wave of COVID-19 cases with the threat of another looming over plans for the fall.
In Colorado, cases have surpassed 30,000 with 1,429 deaths directly caused by the new virus.
What’s new
Resources
The numbers
Live blog
Join our Facebook group for the latest updates on coronavirus in Colorado.