thedenverpost--2020-11-05--751,000 seek U.S. unemployment benefits as coronavirus hobbles economy

WASHINGTON — The number of Americans seeking unemployment benefits fell slightly last week to 751,000 , a still-historically high level that shows that many employers keep cutting jobs in the face of the accelerating pandemic .
A surge in viral cases and Congress ’ failure so far to provide more aid for struggling individuals and businesses are threatening to deepen Americans ’ economic pain .
Eight months after the pandemic flattened the economy , weekly jobless claims still point to a stream of layoffs .
Before the virus struck in March , the weekly figure had remained below 300,000 for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s report from the Labor Department said the number of people who are continuing to receive traditional unemployment benefits declined to 7.3 million .
That figure shows that some of the unemployed are being recalled to their old jobs or are finding new ones .
But it also indicates that many jobless Americans have used up their state unemployment aid — which typically expires after six months — and have transitioned to a federal extended benefits program that lasts an additional 13 weeks .
The job market has been under pressure since @ @ @ @ @ @ @ regained barely half the 22 million jobs that were lost to the pandemic in early spring .
The pace of rehiring has steadily weakened — from 4.8 million added jobs in June to 661,000 in September .
On Friday , when the government issues the October jobs report , economists foresee a further slowdown — to 580,000 added jobs — according to a survey by the data firm FactSet .
The financial aid package that Congress enacted in the spring included a $ 600-a-week federal jobless benefit and $ 1,200 checks that went @ @ @ @ @ @ @ assistance for small businesses .
All that money has run out .
Without additional federal aid , millions of unemployed Americans likely will lose all their jobless benefits in coming weeks and months , probably forcing them to scale back their spending .
And many small companies could go out of business .
In the meantime , new confirmed viral cases in the United States reached an all-time high of more than 86,000 a day , on average , in a sign of the worsening crisis that lies ahead for the winner of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ By contrast , just two months ago , according to Johns Hopkins University , the seven-day rolling average for confirmed daily new cases was 34,000 .
As temperatures fall , restaurants and bars will serve fewer customers outdoors .
And many consumers may stay home to avoid infection .
Dwindling business could force employers to slash more jobs during the winter .
The data firm Womply found that more businesses are shuttering in the face of a COVID resurgence and a potentially deteriorating economy : 21 % of small businesses were closed as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from 20 % in October , 19 % in September and 17 % in August .
And sales growth is slowing at the companies that are open .
A series of major corporations have announced layoffs recently .
Last week , Exxon Mobil said it was slashing 1,900 jobs from its U.S. workforce .
Chevron said it planned to cut a quarter of the employees at its recently acquired Noble Energy , with he pandemic sapping demand for fuel .
Charles Schwab announced after completing its purchase of TD Ameritrade that it would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
And Boeing said it would make deeper cuts to its workforce than originally planned .
It has been losing money because the viral outbreak has depressed demand for new planes .
Boeing expects to end the year with about 130,000 employees , down 30,000 from the start of this year — far more than the 19,000 reduction it had announced three months ago .

WASHINGTON — The number of Americans seeking unemployment benefits fell slightly last week to 751,000, a still-historically high level that shows that many employers keep cutting jobs in the face of the accelerating pandemic.
A surge in viral cases and Congress’ failure so far to provide more aid for struggling individuals and businesses are threatening to deepen Americans’ economic pain. Eight months after the pandemic flattened the economy, weekly jobless claims still point to a stream of layoffs. Before the virus struck in March, the weekly figure had remained below 300,000 for more than five straight years.
Thursday’s report from the Labor Department said the number of people who are continuing to receive traditional unemployment benefits declined to 7.3 million. That figure shows that some of the unemployed are being recalled to their old jobs or are finding new ones. But it also indicates that many jobless Americans have used up their state unemployment aid — which typically expires after six months — and have transitioned to a federal extended benefits program that lasts an additional 13 weeks.
The job market has been under pressure since the virus paralyzed the economy and has regained barely half the 22 million jobs that were lost to the pandemic in early spring. The pace of rehiring has steadily weakened — from 4.8 million added jobs in June to 661,000 in September. On Friday, when the government issues the October jobs report, economists foresee a further slowdown — to 580,000 added jobs — according to a survey by the data firm FactSet.
The financial aid package that Congress enacted in the spring included a $600-a-week federal jobless benefit and $1,200 checks that went to most adults, in addition to assistance for small businesses. All that money has run out. Without additional federal aid, millions of unemployed Americans likely will lose all their jobless benefits in coming weeks and months, probably forcing them to scale back their spending. And many small companies could go out of business.
In the meantime, new confirmed viral cases in the United States reached an all-time high of more than 86,000 a day, on average, in a sign of the worsening crisis that lies ahead for the winner of this week’s presidential election. By contrast, just two months ago, according to Johns Hopkins University, the seven-day rolling average for confirmed daily new cases was 34,000.
As temperatures fall, restaurants and bars will serve fewer customers outdoors. And many consumers may stay home to avoid infection. Dwindling business could force employers to slash more jobs during the winter.
The data firm Womply found that more businesses are shuttering in the face of a COVID resurgence and a potentially deteriorating economy: 21% of small businesses were closed as November began, it says, up from 20% in October, 19% in September and 17% in August. And sales growth is slowing at the companies that are open.
A series of major corporations have announced layoffs recently. Last week, Exxon Mobil said it was slashing 1,900 jobs from its U.S. workforce. Chevron said it planned to cut a quarter of the employees at its recently acquired Noble Energy, with he pandemic sapping demand for fuel. Charles Schwab announced after completing its purchase of TD Ameritrade that it would cut 1,000 jobs from the combined company.
And Boeing said it would make deeper cuts to its workforce than originally planned. It has been losing money because the viral outbreak has depressed demand for new planes. Boeing expects to end the year with about 130,000 employees, down 30,000 from the start of this year — far more than the 19,000 reduction it had announced three months ago.


thedenverpost--2020-11-05--Colorado has nearly 600 active COVID-19 outbreaks; El Paso County Jail reports 755 cases

COVID-19 outbreaks are ongoing in 587 Colorado schools , jails , health facilities , offices and businesses , breaking the previous week ’ s record for the fourth week in a row .
Most of the outbreaks are relatively small : 450 had 10 or fewer cases , according to data released Wednesday by the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment .
The state health department defines an outbreak as at least two cases of the new coronavirus linked to the same location or event .
The largest outbreaks continued to grow , however .
The state reported six @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or more cases as of Wednesday , up from five the week before .
• University of Colorado Boulder community outbreak : 1,823 cases , no deaths ( 45 more cases than reported last week ) • Van Cise-Simonet Detention Center , Denver : 742 cases , no deaths ( nine more cases ) • University of Denver community outbreak : 301 cases , no deaths ( 45 more cases ) The case totals are cumulative , so it ’ s possible not all newly reported infections happened in the last week .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ until four weeks have passed with no new cases linked to the location or event .
The El Paso County jail reported its outbreak also had expanded substantially , to 755 cases , though the state ’ s database still showed only 39 .
A news release from the El Paso County Sheriff ’ s Office said the explosion in cases came after they found 18 cases and opted to test all inmates , with help from the Colorado National Guard .
“ Recognizing that this is an at-risk population considering the density @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this testing strategy aims to quickly identify and further mitigate the spread of COVID-19 within the El Paso County Jail .
Test results are used to implement appropriate isolation and cohort recommendations quickly , ” the news release said .
Outbreaks are ongoing at 73 K-12 schools , 48 child care centers , 40 nursing homes , 27 correctional facilities and 18 college facilities or programs .
The full database can be found at covid19.colorado.gov .

COVID-19 outbreaks are ongoing in 587 Colorado schools, jails, health facilities, offices and businesses, breaking the previous week’s record for the fourth week in a row.
Most of the outbreaks are relatively small: 450 had 10 or fewer cases, according to data released Wednesday by the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment. The state health department defines an outbreak as at least two cases of the new coronavirus linked to the same location or event.
The largest outbreaks continued to grow, however. The state reported six universities, jails and prisons had 300 or more cases as of Wednesday, up from five the week before.
They include:
University of Colorado Boulder community outbreak: 1,823 cases, no deaths (45 more cases than reported last week)
1,823 cases, no deaths (45 more cases than reported last week) Van Cise-Simonet Detention Center, Denver: 742 cases, no deaths (nine more cases)
742 cases, no deaths (nine more cases) Sterling Correctional Facility: 706 cases, three deaths (21 more cases)
706 cases, three deaths (21 more cases) Colorado State University: 678 cases, no deaths (112 more cases)
678 cases, no deaths (112 more cases) Fremont Correctional Facility: 583 cases, one death (164 more cases)
583 cases, one death (164 more cases) University of Denver community outbreak: 301 cases, no deaths (45 more cases)
The case totals are cumulative, so it’s possible not all newly reported infections happened in the last week. An outbreak isn’t considered over until four weeks have passed with no new cases linked to the location or event.
The El Paso County jail reported its outbreak also had expanded substantially, to 755 cases, though the state’s database still showed only 39. A news release from the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office said the explosion in cases came after they found 18 cases and opted to test all inmates, with help from the Colorado National Guard.
“Recognizing that this is an at-risk population considering the density of people living within close quarters, this testing strategy aims to quickly identify and further mitigate the spread of COVID-19 within the El Paso County Jail. Test results are used to implement appropriate isolation and cohort recommendations quickly,” the news release said.
Outbreaks are ongoing at 73 K-12 schools, 48 child care centers, 40 nursing homes, 27 correctional facilities and 18 college facilities or programs. The full database can be found at covid19.colorado.gov.


thedenverpost--2020-11-05--Why John Hickenlooper won and Cory Gardner lost Colorado’s U.S. Senate race

John Hickenlooper was winning before he was running .
On Aug. 13 , 2019 , a poll showed the Democrat with a 13-point advantage over Republican Sen. Cory Gardner .
A week later , Hickenlooper entered the race .
On Tuesday night , he won it handily .
The reasons for that are numerous .
They span from the macro — the coronavirus pandemic , the president ’ s unpopularity — to the micro , such as ad strategy and debate performances .
In the end , Gardner was unable to escape from under the weight of President Donald Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
In key moments , his critics say , he didn ’ t try to .
Hickenlooper , meanwhile , overcame an embarrassing ethics ruling that ultimately did little to hurt his electoral odds .
“ Colorado has changed a lot since 2014 ” — the year Gardner first won a seat in the Senate — “ and because of Trump ’ s unpopularity here , Gardner was in a very tough , if not intractable , situation , ” said Kyle Saunders , a professor of political science at Colorado State University @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with a barrage of outside spending , Gardner ’ s prospects looked dim as 2019 ended and the first several months of 2020 passed .
But a Republican-authored ethics complaint against Hickenlooper began to bear fruit in the spring , fertilized by Hickenlooper ’ s own unusual decision-making .
In the weeks before Democratic primary voters decided between Hickenlooper and Andrew Romanoff , Hickenlooper refused to appear at a virtual hearing of the Independent Ethics Commission , fought a subpoena in court , lost in court , refused to comply with the subpoena @ @ @ @ @ @ @ IEC , and was found to have twice violated the state ’ s gift ban .
The series of unforced errors earned the candidate negative headlines and left political observers scratching their heads .
Gardner and his allies saw an opening .
Outside GOP groups poured money into Colorado as ballots went out to Democratic voters .
Negative ads hit the airwaves highlighting Hickenlooper ’ s dismal June .
At the end of the month , Hickenlooper beat Romanoff easily but Republicans had their opening : to paint Hickenlooper , in Gardner ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ corrupt governor in the history of Colorado.
” In a different year , it may have worked .
But this is 2020 , the year of a global pandemic that has killed hundreds of thousands of Americans , the year of a stark economic downturn , the year of racial and civil unrest .
The pandemic in particular highlighted health care , Hickenlooper ’ s signature issue .
The Affordable Care Act , once vilified , was in vogue again .
Gardner caught a small break in August when his Great American Outdoors @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , was signed into law by the president .
His ad strategy became two-fold : criticize Hickenlooper ’ s ethics , and tout the GAOA .
But nothing seemed to move the needle , which remained firmly on Hickenlooper ’ s side .
A September poll showed Gardner within five percentage points of Hickenlooper , but it was an outlier .
Other polls that month showed Hickenlooper ’ s lead holding steady at seven to 10 points over Gardner .
They never budged .
“ Hickenlooper and his team did exactly what they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ campaign that highlighted Hickenlooper ’ s strengths and positive image without making any big mistakes or gaffes , ” said Saunders , “ while really all they had to do to keep the lead weight of Trump around Gardner ’ s neck was to show pictures of him with Trump and connect the two in the minds of voters with their ads.
” All that was left were the October debates , which both sides saw as Gardner ’ s best opportunity to close the gap .
Gardner , the much better speaker @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a smile and nod to bipartisanship .
Hickenlooper focused on health care , Trump and the state of the nation .
When the dust settled , the polls remained stubbornly unmoved .
Nothing Gardner did changed the state of the race .
“ I don ’ t think it ’ s been any secret that there ’ s a heavy anti-Trump sentiment among unaffiliated voters , and they represent 40 % of the electorate , ” said Dick Wadhams , a former chair of the Colorado GOP and former campaign manager in Senate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ And that has affected races up and down the ticket.
” It was Gardner who aligned himself with Trump , endorsing him last year and rallying with him in Colorado Springs this February , creating much material for Democratic ad makers .
It was Gardner who , in another widely shared moment , called Trump ethical and moral during his final debate against Hickenlooper .
“ Because Cory Gardner has made this decision to unequivocally support the president no matter what he says or does , he ’ ll be paying the price @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , a GOP pollster in Colorado , in the days after the final debate .
That price is the first electoral loss of Gardner ’ s career , and the largest margin of defeat for a U.S. senator from Colorado in 42 years .

John Hickenlooper was winning before he was running.
On Aug. 13, 2019, a poll showed the Democrat with a 13-point advantage over Republican Sen. Cory Gardner. A week later, Hickenlooper entered the race. On Tuesday night, he won it handily.
The reasons for that are numerous. They span from the macro — the coronavirus pandemic, the president’s unpopularity — to the micro, such as ad strategy and debate performances.
In the end, Gardner was unable to escape from under the weight of President Donald Trump and Colorado’s increasingly Democratic electorate. In key moments, his critics say, he didn’t try to. Hickenlooper, meanwhile, overcame an embarrassing ethics ruling that ultimately did little to hurt his electoral odds.
“Colorado has changed a lot since 2014” — the year Gardner first won a seat in the Senate — “and because of Trump’s unpopularity here, Gardner was in a very tough, if not intractable, situation,” said Kyle Saunders, a professor of political science at Colorado State University.
Trailing in the polls and hit with a barrage of outside spending, Gardner’s prospects looked dim as 2019 ended and the first several months of 2020 passed. But a Republican-authored ethics complaint against Hickenlooper began to bear fruit in the spring, fertilized by Hickenlooper’s own unusual decision-making.
In the weeks before Democratic primary voters decided between Hickenlooper and Andrew Romanoff, Hickenlooper refused to appear at a virtual hearing of the Independent Ethics Commission, fought a subpoena in court, lost in court, refused to comply with the subpoena, was held in contempt by the IEC, and was found to have twice violated the state’s gift ban. The series of unforced errors earned the candidate negative headlines and left political observers scratching their heads.
Gardner and his allies saw an opening. Outside GOP groups poured money into Colorado as ballots went out to Democratic voters. Negative ads hit the airwaves highlighting Hickenlooper’s dismal June. At the end of the month, Hickenlooper beat Romanoff easily but Republicans had their opening: to paint Hickenlooper, in Gardner’s words, as “the most corrupt governor in the history of Colorado.”
In a different year, it may have worked.
But this is 2020, the year of a global pandemic that has killed hundreds of thousands of Americans, the year of a stark economic downturn, the year of racial and civil unrest. The pandemic in particular highlighted health care, Hickenlooper’s signature issue. The Affordable Care Act, once vilified, was in vogue again.
Gardner caught a small break in August when his Great American Outdoors Act, a significant public lands bill, was signed into law by the president. His ad strategy became two-fold: criticize Hickenlooper’s ethics, and tout the GAOA.
But nothing seemed to move the needle, which remained firmly on Hickenlooper’s side. A September poll showed Gardner within five percentage points of Hickenlooper, but it was an outlier. Other polls that month showed Hickenlooper’s lead holding steady at seven to 10 points over Gardner. They never budged.
“Hickenlooper and his team did exactly what they needed to do: They ran a campaign that highlighted Hickenlooper’s strengths and positive image without making any big mistakes or gaffes,” said Saunders, “while really all they had to do to keep the lead weight of Trump around Gardner’s neck was to show pictures of him with Trump and connect the two in the minds of voters with their ads.”
All that was left were the October debates, which both sides saw as Gardner’s best opportunity to close the gap. Gardner, the much better speaker, went hard after Hickenlooper but with a smile and nod to bipartisanship. Hickenlooper focused on health care, Trump and the state of the nation. When the dust settled, the polls remained stubbornly unmoved. Nothing Gardner did changed the state of the race.
“I don’t think it’s been any secret that there’s a heavy anti-Trump sentiment among unaffiliated voters, and they represent 40% of the electorate,” said Dick Wadhams, a former chair of the Colorado GOP and former campaign manager in Senate elections, on Tuesday night. “And that has affected races up and down the ticket.”
It was Gardner who aligned himself with Trump, endorsing him last year and rallying with him in Colorado Springs this February, creating much material for Democratic ad makers. It was Gardner who, in another widely shared moment, called Trump ethical and moral during his final debate against Hickenlooper.
“Because Cory Gardner has made this decision to unequivocally support the president no matter what he says or does, he’ll be paying the price for that,” said David Flaherty, a GOP pollster in Colorado, in the days after the final debate.
That price is the first electoral loss of Gardner’s career, and the largest margin of defeat for a U.S. senator from Colorado in 42 years.
Staff writer John Aguilar contributed to this report.


thedenverpost--2020-11-05--Family of 82-year-old killed in 2018 gas explosion at Aurora senior community accuses companies of n

Family of 82-year-old killed in 2018 gas explosion at Aurora senior community accuses companies of negligence, recklessness

The family of an 82-year old woman killed in a gas explosion two years ago at an Aurora senior living community alleges in a lawsuit that Comcast , Xcel Energy and their subcontractors acted “ negligently and recklessly ” as they drilled into the ground to lay fiber-optic cables .
The complaint was filed Sept. 25 in Denver District Court by the children of Carol Ross , the woman killed in the November 2018 explosion , as well five other residents of the Heather Gardens retirement community injured or financially impacted by the blast .
No charges were filed against @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Bohrenworks , after a yearlong investigation .
Aurora Fire Rescue ’ s investigation , however , found that contractors struck a gas line Nov. 16 , 2018 , while boring underground at the senior community .
Investigators last year deemed the incident “ an unintentional human act or omission.
” But Ross ’ family and the other residents allege in the ; sesuit that the fact that workers had previously struck gas lines while digging through the senior community in the weeks leading up to the explosion showed that this was a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ outset , Comcast and its excavation contractors negligently and recklessly performed the excavation and drilling work without regard to safety , resulting in numerous utility line strikes , ” the complaint says .
Comcast , in a statement , offered their “ deepest sympathy ” to the Ross family , adding that the company has been “ working with the Heather Gardens community to provide support , and we will continue to do so.
” Xcel Energy , in a statement , said it could not comment on specifics of the lawsuit , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was hit by a third party digging in the area without the locates ( sic ) required by state law .
The Colorado Public Utilities Commission investigated the incident and our overall response .
They did not find any Xcel Energy violations.
” The Ross children and the other residents — Sandra and Paul Staley , Ronald and Gloria Achenbach , and Judy De Tar — also sued the Heather Gardens Association over its selection and oversight of the contractors tasked with completing the project .
They are seeking unspecified economic and noneconomic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , including one firefighter .
Sandra Staley lived down the block from Ross and was sitting in her car when two explosions rocked the neighborhood .
Staley suffered from severe hearing loss and anxiety after the blast , according to the lawsuit , as well as knee and shoulder injuries sustained after she fell while sifting through the debris in her home .
The other residents suffered economic losses from being charged fees even while their homes were inhabitable , the complaint states .
The incident sent dozens of senior residents scrambling to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ chasm in the ground and shot debris hundreds of feet away .
The explosion prompted uproar among residents , where people demanded answers after multiple leaks and errors during the fiber-optic project .

The family of an 82-year old woman killed in a gas explosion two years ago at an Aurora senior living community alleges in a lawsuit that Comcast, Xcel Energy and their subcontractors acted “negligently and recklessly” as they drilled into the ground to lay fiber-optic cables.
The complaint was filed Sept. 25 in Denver District Court by the children of Carol Ross, the woman killed in the November 2018 explosion, as well five other residents of the Heather Gardens retirement community injured or financially impacted by the blast.
No charges were filed against Comcast or its contractors, ICS Communications and Bohrenworks, after a yearlong investigation. Aurora Fire Rescue’s investigation, however, found that contractors struck a gas line Nov. 16, 2018, while boring underground at the senior community. Investigators last year deemed the incident “an unintentional human act or omission.”
But Ross’ family and the other residents allege in the suit that the fact that workers had previously struck gas lines while digging through the senior community in the weeks leading up to the explosion showed that this was a pattern of negligence.
“From the outset, Comcast and its excavation contractors negligently and recklessly performed the excavation and drilling work without regard to safety, resulting in numerous utility line strikes,” the complaint says.
Comcast, in a statement, offered their “deepest sympathy” to the Ross family, adding that the company has been “working with the Heather Gardens community to provide support, and we will continue to do so.”
Xcel Energy, in a statement, said it could not comment on specifics of the lawsuit, but said “a natural gas line was hit by a third party digging in the area without the locates (sic) required by state law. The Colorado Public Utilities Commission investigated the incident and our overall response. They did not find any Xcel Energy violations.”
The Ross children and the other residents — Sandra and Paul Staley, Ronald and Gloria Achenbach, and Judy De Tar — also sued the Heather Gardens Association over its selection and oversight of the contractors tasked with completing the project.
They are seeking unspecified economic and noneconomic damages.
The explosion injured three people, including one firefighter.
Sandra Staley lived down the block from Ross and was sitting in her car when two explosions rocked the neighborhood. Staley suffered from severe hearing loss and anxiety after the blast, according to the lawsuit, as well as knee and shoulder injuries sustained after she fell while sifting through the debris in her home.
The other residents suffered economic losses from being charged fees even while their homes were inhabitable, the complaint states.
The incident sent dozens of senior residents scrambling to shelters, after the blast opened a chasm in the ground and shot debris hundreds of feet away. The explosion prompted uproar among residents, where people demanded answers after multiple leaks and errors during the fiber-optic project.


thedenverpost--2020-11-05--Healthpeak Properties confirms its headquarters will move from California to Denver

Orange County claimed the headquarters of Chipotle Mexican Grill from Denver more than two years ago .
Now metro Denver has pulled an Orange County company in its direction — one of the nation ’ s largest owners of health care properties .
Healthpeak Properties , a real estate investment trust based in Irvine , Calif. , announced Tuesday in its third-quarter earnings report that it has chosen Denver over Nashville and Dallas for its new corporate headquarters .
The relocation will start with 20 to 25 people moving next year and it will provide Colorado with a public company @ @ @ @ @ @ @ billion “ We chose Denver as it provides a centralized location relative to our nationwide portfolio , equal travel time to our two offices in Irvine and Nashville , which will continue to house the majority of our talented employee base ; and quicker travel and meeting with our analysts , investors and rating agencies around the country , ” Thomas Herzog , the company ’ s chief executive officer said on an earnings call Wednesday .
Denver also provided a favorable location to attract and retain top talent , he said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ month to provide Healthpeak Properties with up to $ 5.3 million in Job Growth Incentive Tax Credits in return for bringing 166 net new full-time jobs to the state .
Those jobs are expected to be top tier executive positions , paying an average annual wage of $ 425,213 a year .
That average annual wage is the highest the state has successfully recruited using the tax credits , which the state legislature put in play after the Great Recession .
Healthpeak invests primarily in life science facilities , medical offices , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 633 properties , with another $ 1 billion in development .
Among its Colorado holdings are several HealthOne medical facilities .
Nareit , an industry trade group , lists seven real estate investment trusts based in Colorado , and estimates they employ 44,000 people .
They include Aimco , Black Creek Diversified Property Fund Inc. , Black Creek Industrial REIT IV Inc. , CoreSite Realty Corporation , Farmland Partners Inc. , National Storage Affiliates and UDR Inc. ProLogis , an industrial REIT once based in Denver until it relocated to San Francisco in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ large presence in the metro area .

Orange County claimed the headquarters of Chipotle Mexican Grill from Denver more than two years ago. Now metro Denver has pulled an Orange County company in its direction — one of the nation’s largest owners of health care properties.
Healthpeak Properties, a real estate investment trust based in Irvine, Calif., announced Tuesday in its third-quarter earnings report that it has chosen Denver over Nashville and Dallas for its new corporate headquarters. The relocation will start with 20 to 25 people moving next year and it will provide Colorado with a public company valued on the market at $15.3 billion
“We chose Denver as it provides a centralized location relative to our nationwide portfolio, equal travel time to our two offices in Irvine and Nashville, which will continue to house the majority of our talented employee base; and quicker travel and meeting with our analysts, investors and rating agencies around the country,” Thomas Herzog, the company’s chief executive officer said on an earnings call Wednesday.
Denver also provided a favorable location to attract and retain top talent, he said.
The Colorado Economic Development Commission voted last month to provide Healthpeak Properties with up to $5.3 million in Job Growth Incentive Tax Credits in return for bringing 166 net new full-time jobs to the state. Those jobs are expected to be top tier executive positions, paying an average annual wage of $425,213 a year.
That average annual wage is the highest the state has successfully recruited using the tax credits, which the state legislature put in play after the Great Recession.
Healthpeak invests primarily in life science facilities, medical offices, and senior housing and owns an interest in 633 properties, with another $1 billion in development. Among its Colorado holdings are several HealthOne medical facilities.
Nareit, an industry trade group, lists seven real estate investment trusts based in Colorado, and estimates they employ 44,000 people. They include Aimco, Black Creek Diversified Property Fund Inc., Black Creek Industrial REIT IV Inc., CoreSite Realty Corporation, Farmland Partners Inc., National Storage Affiliates and UDR Inc.
ProLogis, an industrial REIT once based in Denver until it relocated to San Francisco in a 2011 acquisition, also maintains a large presence in the metro area.


thedenverpost--2020-11-05--Broncos scouting report: How Denver matches up against Falcons and predictions

Denver Broncos ( 3-4 ) at Atlanta Falcons ( 2-6 ) , Sunday , 11 a.m. MT , Mercedes-Benz Stadium , CBS , 850 AM , 94.1 FM , 103.5 FM 1 .
Riding the momentum .
After overcoming a 21-point deficit with a second-half comeback last week against the Chargers , can the Broncos sustain — and extend — their current momentum ?
A win in Atlanta would put the Broncos at .500 for the first time since Week 13 of 2018 , not to mention jolt Denver right into the thick of the AFC wild-card hunt .
A @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the stunner over Los Angeles , and turn playoff prospects bleak .
2 .
The turnover battle .
While Bryce Callahan ’ s second-half interception against the Chargers kept Denver in the game and helped set up the Week 8 comeback , the Broncos ’ ability to generate takeaways — and prevent turnovers — has been lacking overall this season .
Denver is tied for 30th with a minus-7 turnover margin , tied for 30th with 11 interceptions thrown and ranks 23rd with eight takeaways .
The Falcons , meanwhile , are tied @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
3 .
Containing Todd Gurley .
The Falcons running back is fourth in the NFL with 531 rushing yards , although he only has one 100-yard game so far .
The Broncos need to keep it that way to limit the Falcons from becoming two-dimensional , especially considering the secondary already has its hands full with a potent Atlanta passing attack that ranks second with 292.4 passing yards per game .
Denver needs another big game from its front four .
Who has the edge ?
Beyond Gurley , the Falcons also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that ’ s tied for 19th with 108.6 rushing yards/game .
Denver ranks 18th in rush defense at 123.4 yards/game , and was gouged by Los Angeles last week for a season-high 210 yards on the ground .
Though Atlanta ’ s record is poor , its passing game has been elite .
The Falcons rank sixth in total yards per game with 401 , largely thanks to quarterback Matt Ryan and the NFL ’ s second-best aerial attack .
The Broncos need more interceptions like the two they recorded last week .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Angeles , Phillip Lindsay was again the spark , including a pivotal 55-yard touchdown run .
There have been fluctuations in the O-line due to injury and COVID , but last week ’ s second half indicates the Broncos ’ running game might be starting to find itself .
Lock rose to the challenge of engineering a game-winning drive against Los Angeles , but he ’ s also thrown five interceptions over the last three games .
Tim Patrick ’ s availability ( hamstring injury ) is an X-factor , while the Falcons @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at 311.4 .
Brandon McManus continues to be one of the league ’ s best kickers , especially from distance , where he ’ s 5-of-6 from 50-plus yards .
Atlanta ’ s Younghoe Koo has been solid too , going 19-of-20 on field goals .
The Denver return game needs to find an identity with Dionate Spencer sidelined by a shoulder injury .
Edge : Broncos • Jackson : Broncos QB Drew Lock needs to block out the noise if he wants to reach his potential • Broncos cancel Wednesday ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Harris is placed on COVID-19/reserve list • Keeler : John Elway just got tackled from behind by COVID-19 .
If the Broncos aren ’ t going to play in a bubble , then the NFL should ’ ve given them more bye weeks .
Both Drew Lock and Matt Ryan go over 300 yards passing and Jerry Jeudy ( two TDs ) outduels Julio Jones ( one TD ) .
Hello , .500 .
Carrying over the momentum from the comeback win over the Chargers , Drew Lock throws for two touchdowns and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the defense also makes big stops .
Not loving the COVID gremlins .
Or a defense that , while excellent in short-yardage and in the red zone , has given up at least 26 points over five out of its last six contests .
The Falcons are overdue for a home W , but if Lock keeps rolling , this one ain ’ t it .

Denver Broncos (3-4) at Atlanta Falcons (2-6), Sunday, 11 a.m. MT, Mercedes-Benz Stadium, CBS, 850 AM, 94.1 FM, 103.5 FM
3 Things to watch
1. Riding the momentum. After overcoming a 21-point deficit with a second-half comeback last week against the Chargers, can the Broncos sustain — and extend — their current momentum? A win in Atlanta would put the Broncos at .500 for the first time since Week 13 of 2018, not to mention jolt Denver right into the thick of the AFC wild-card hunt. A loss would erase all the gains from the stunner over Los Angeles, and turn playoff prospects bleak.
2. The turnover battle. While Bryce Callahan’s second-half interception against the Chargers kept Denver in the game and helped set up the Week 8 comeback, the Broncos’ ability to generate takeaways — and prevent turnovers — has been lacking overall this season. Denver is tied for 30th with a minus-7 turnover margin, tied for 30th with 11 interceptions thrown and ranks 23rd with eight takeaways. The Falcons, meanwhile, are tied for 10th with a plus-2 turnover margin.
3. Containing Todd Gurley. The Falcons running back is fourth in the NFL with 531 rushing yards, although he only has one 100-yard game so far. The Broncos need to keep it that way to limit the Falcons from becoming two-dimensional, especially considering the secondary already has its hands full with a potent Atlanta passing attack that ranks second with 292.4 passing yards per game. Denver needs another big game from its front four.
Who has the edge?
When the Falcons run
Beyond Gurley, the Falcons also feature tailback Brian Hill in an offense that’s tied for 19th with 108.6 rushing yards/game. Denver ranks 18th in rush defense at 123.4 yards/game, and was gouged by Los Angeles last week for a season-high 210 yards on the ground.
Edge: Even
When the Falcons pass
Though Atlanta’s record is poor, its passing game has been elite. The Falcons rank sixth in total yards per game with 401, largely thanks to quarterback Matt Ryan and the NFL’s second-best aerial attack. The Broncos need more interceptions like the two they recorded last week.
Edge: Falcons
When the Broncos run
Despite only getting six carries against Los Angeles, Phillip Lindsay was again the spark, including a pivotal 55-yard touchdown run. There have been fluctuations in the O-line due to injury and COVID, but last week’s second half indicates the Broncos’ running game might be starting to find itself.
Edge: Broncos
When the Broncos pass
Lock rose to the challenge of engineering a game-winning drive against Los Angeles, but he’s also thrown five interceptions over the last three games. Tim Patrick’s availability (hamstring injury) is an X-factor, while the Falcons’ secondary ranks second-worst in passing yards/game at 311.4.
Edge: Broncos
Special teams
Brandon McManus continues to be one of the league’s best kickers, especially from distance, where he’s 5-of-6 from 50-plus yards. Atlanta’s Younghoe Koo has been solid too, going 19-of-20 on field goals. The Denver return game needs to find an identity with Dionate Spencer sidelined by a shoulder injury.
Edge: Broncos
Post predictions
Ryan O’Halloran, beat writer: Broncos 30, Falcons 24
Both Drew Lock and Matt Ryan go over 300 yards passing and Jerry Jeudy (two TDs) outduels Julio Jones (one TD).
Kyle Newman, beat writer: Broncos 28, Falcons 17
Hello, .500. Carrying over the momentum from the comeback win over the Chargers, Drew Lock throws for two touchdowns and Phillip Lindsay runs for two more as the defense also makes big stops.
Mark Kiszla, columnist: Falcons 28, Broncos 24
53,648 passing yards, 333 TD passes, one Super Bowl loss. If I offered Matt Ryan’s career stats to Drew Lock, would you take it?
Sean Keeler, columnist: Broncos 29, Falcons 28
Not loving the COVID gremlins. Or a defense that, while excellent in short-yardage and in the red zone, has given up at least 26 points over five out of its last six contests. The Falcons are overdue for a home W, but if Lock keeps rolling, this one ain’t it.


thedenverpost--2020-11-05--NBA draft: The Nuggets need a shooting guard. Fortunately, this draft is full of them.

Editor ’ s note : Second in a series previewing the upcoming NBA draft .
Today : shooting guard The Nuggets have a slight advantage as the NBA draft on Nov. 18 creeps closer .
At shooting guard , one of Denver ’ s most pressing needs , there ’ s actually a fair amount of depth that could be within range with the No .
22 pick .
Whether the Nuggets opt to bolster their backcourt depends on several factors .
Denver ’ s front office needs to decide where it stands on Gary Harris and how much they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ frustrating and disappointing season .
Harris averaged just 10.4 points on 42 % shooting – his lowest marks in five seasons .
Then , after the four-month hiatus , Harris ’ return was further delayed due to a nagging hip injury that kept him out of all the seeding games and the first five games of the playoffs .
It was not the first core injury Harris has battled over the past 2½ seasons .
The Nuggets , trusting in Harris ’ ability to return to form , dealt backup shooting guard Malik @ @ @ @ @ @ @ unintended consequence of that move was it put more pressure on Harris to produce .
The other factor Nuggets executive Tim Connelly must consider is the health of Will Barton , whose ailing knee forced him to leave the “ Bubble ” without playing a game in Orlando .
Barton , at 6-foot-5 and just 180 pounds , has always been an undersized small forward .
That didn ’ t stop him from putting up career-best numbers as the third-most consistent player on the roster last season .
Barton ’ s been rehabbing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and presumably Connelly truly know his status heading into this upcoming season , which could start as early as Dec. 22 .
If there are question marks about Harris ’ confidence , Barton could easily slide to the starting two , if healthy .
But if questions persist about both , the Nuggets have options .
If Kentucky ’ s Tyrese Maxey remains on the board at No .
22 ( unlikely , but possible ) , the Nuggets should strongly consider snagging the two-way freshman .
Maxey , a 6-foot-3 ball of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on offense and has an intriguing physical approach on defense .
One valid knock is that he only shot 29 % from the 3-point line at Kentucky , but his quick first step and eagerness to penetrate still made him a viable offensive contributor .
He ’ s somewhat comfortable on the ball , and his 83 % clip from the free-throw line suggests his shooting profile can improve .
After a mediocre 3-point shooting season ( 15th in the NBA ) , particularly out of the shooting guard position , it wouldn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ if the Nuggets prioritized outside marksmanship .
If that ’ s their intention , Arizona freshman Josh Green might be the perfect fit .
Green has excellent size for his position ( 6-6 , 210 pounds ) , a switchable defensive mentality and converted 36 % from 3-point range .
The Nuggets always value defensive versatility , and Green can capably check guards and wings .
Green ’ s not much of a ball-handler , but he does have a soft touch around the rim and smooth stroke from outside .
NBA comparisons @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
If Green were to slide , the Nuggets should be ecstatic at the boxes he could check as well as the insurance he ’ d immediately provide .
Outside of Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray , the Nuggets also lack playmakers .
That ’ s where Barcelona ’ s Leandro Bolmaro becomes an interesting name .
It ’ s rare to have a 6-7 guard comfortable with the ball in his hands , but that ’ s Bolmaro ’ s style .
He ’ s a skilled international passer with a good @ @ @ @ @ @ @ d likely be a lottery pick were it not for his questionable shooting mechanics .
We know the Nuggets aren ’ t afraid to draft international prospects .
And given Jokic ’ s on-ball wizardry , it ’ s endlessly tempting to think about them both slinging passes all over the court .
Outside of potential No .
1 pick Anthony Edwards and high lottery possibility Devin Vassell , the Nuggets should have a realistic shot at injecting talent at the two guard .
Another name that could be available is Desmond Bane @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Bane ’ s been a late riser in recent mock drafts , mostly due to his blistering outside shooting .
He shot well over 40 % from 3 the past three seasons .
The knock on Bane , other than his advanced age , is that his wingspan ( 6-5 ) is less than his height ( 6-6 ) .
Measurables have taken on advanced meaning in recent years , though critics chided “ Bubble ” breakout Tyler Herro for the same issue , and he ’ s doing just fine .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Bane , and though his floor is higher since he ’ s a well-known prospect , his potential ceiling might be lower .
The Nuggets have ample intelligence on all of these prospects .
The luxury on draft night is that they ’ ll likely have options , too .

Editor’s note: Second in a series previewing the upcoming NBA draft. Today: shooting guard
The Nuggets have a slight advantage as the NBA draft on Nov. 18 creeps closer.
At shooting guard, one of Denver’s most pressing needs, there’s actually a fair amount of depth that could be within range with the No. 22 pick. Whether the Nuggets opt to bolster their backcourt depends on several factors.
Denver’s front office needs to decide where it stands on Gary Harris and how much they feel he can bounce back after a frustrating and disappointing season. Harris averaged just 10.4 points on 42% shooting – his lowest marks in five seasons. Then, after the four-month hiatus, Harris’ return was further delayed due to a nagging hip injury that kept him out of all the seeding games and the first five games of the playoffs. It was not the first core injury Harris has battled over the past 2½ seasons.
The Nuggets, trusting in Harris’ ability to return to form, dealt backup shooting guard Malik Beasley to Minnesota in February. An unintended consequence of that move was it put more pressure on Harris to produce.
The other factor Nuggets executive Tim Connelly must consider is the health of Will Barton, whose ailing knee forced him to leave the “Bubble” without playing a game in Orlando. Barton, at 6-foot-5 and just 180 pounds, has always been an undersized small forward. That didn’t stop him from putting up career-best numbers as the third-most consistent player on the roster last season. Barton’s been rehabbing in Miami for weeks. Only he and presumably Connelly truly know his status heading into this upcoming season, which could start as early as Dec. 22. If there are question marks about Harris’ confidence, Barton could easily slide to the starting two, if healthy.
But if questions persist about both, the Nuggets have options.
If Kentucky’s Tyrese Maxey remains on the board at No. 22 (unlikely, but possible), the Nuggets should strongly consider snagging the two-way freshman. Maxey, a 6-foot-3 ball of energy, is constantly on the move on offense and has an intriguing physical approach on defense. One valid knock is that he only shot 29% from the 3-point line at Kentucky, but his quick first step and eagerness to penetrate still made him a viable offensive contributor. He’s somewhat comfortable on the ball, and his 83% clip from the free-throw line suggests his shooting profile can improve.
After a mediocre 3-point shooting season (15th in the NBA), particularly out of the shooting guard position, it wouldn’t be a surprise at all if the Nuggets prioritized outside marksmanship. If that’s their intention, Arizona freshman Josh Green might be the perfect fit. Green has excellent size for his position (6-6, 210 pounds), a switchable defensive mentality and converted 36% from 3-point range. The Nuggets always value defensive versatility, and Green can capably check guards and wings.
Green’s not much of a ball-handler, but he does have a soft touch around the rim and smooth stroke from outside. NBA comparisons to Danny Green aren’t unfounded. If Green were to slide, the Nuggets should be ecstatic at the boxes he could check as well as the insurance he’d immediately provide.
Outside of Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray, the Nuggets also lack playmakers. That’s where Barcelona’s Leandro Bolmaro becomes an interesting name. It’s rare to have a 6-7 guard comfortable with the ball in his hands, but that’s Bolmaro’s style. He’s a skilled international passer with a good handle and elite vision. He’d likely be a lottery pick were it not for his questionable shooting mechanics. We know the Nuggets aren’t afraid to draft international prospects. And given Jokic’s on-ball wizardry, it’s endlessly tempting to think about them both slinging passes all over the court.
Outside of potential No. 1 pick Anthony Edwards and high lottery possibility Devin Vassell, the Nuggets should have a realistic shot at injecting talent at the two guard. Another name that could be available is Desmond Bane, a four-year player out of TCU. Bane’s been a late riser in recent mock drafts, mostly due to his blistering outside shooting. He shot well over 40% from 3 the past three seasons.
The knock on Bane, other than his advanced age, is that his wingspan (6-5) is less than his height (6-6). Measurables have taken on advanced meaning in recent years, though critics chided “Bubble” breakout Tyler Herro for the same issue, and he’s doing just fine. The reality is there are risks with Bane, and though his floor is higher since he’s a well-known prospect, his potential ceiling might be lower.
The Nuggets have ample intelligence on all of these prospects. The luxury on draft night is that they’ll likely have options, too.


thedenverpost--2020-11-05--Trump vs. Biden: Live updates on the 2020 presidential election results

Democrat Joe Biden was pushing closer to the 270 Electoral College votes needed to carry the White House , securing victories in the “ blue wall ” battlegrounds of Wisconsin and Michigan and narrowing President Donald Trump ’ s path .
With just a handful of states still up for grabs , Trump tried to press his case in court in some key swing states .
It was unclear if any of his campaign ’ s legal maneuvering over balloting would succeed in shifting the race in his favor .
Two days after Election Day , neither candidate had amassed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ House .
But Biden ’ s victories in the Great Lakes states left him at 264 , meaning he was one battleground state away — any would do — from becoming president-elect .
Trump , with 214 electoral votes , faced a much higher hurdle .
To reach 270 , he needed to claim all four remaining battlegrounds : Pennsylvania , North Carolina , Georgia and Nevada .
With millions of votes yet to be tabulated , Biden already had received more than 71 million votes , the most in history .
At @ @ @ @ @ @ @ former vice president said he expected to win the presidency but stopped short of outright declaring victory .
“ I will govern as an American president , ” Biden said .
“ There will be no red states and blue states when we win .
Just the United States of America.
” It was a stark contrast to the approach of Trump , who early Wednesday morning falsely claimed that he had won the election .
Trump ’ s campaign engaged in a flurry of legal activity to try to improve the Republican @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the election results , requesting a recount in Wisconsin and filing lawsuits in Pennsylvania , Michigan and Georgia .
Statewide recounts in Wisconsin have historically changed the vote tally by only a few hundred votes ; Biden led by more than 20,000 ballots out of nearly 3.3 million counted .
For four years , Democrats have been haunted by the crumbling of the blue wall , the trio of Great Lakes states — Michigan , Wisconsin and Pennsylvania — that their candidates had been able to count on every four years .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ a chord with white working-class voters and he captured all three in 2016 by a combined total of just 77,000 votes .
The candidates waged a fierce fight for the states this year , with Biden ’ s everyman political persona resonating in blue-collar towns while his campaign also pushed to increase turnout among Black voters in cities like Detroit and Milwaukee .
It was unclear when a national winner would be determined after a long , bitter campaign dominated by the coronavirus and its effects on Americans and the national economy .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ improved , the U.S. on Wednesday set another record for daily confirmed coronavirus cases as several states posted all-time highs .
The pandemic has killed more than 233,000 people in the United States .
Trump spent much of Wednesday in the White House residence , huddling with advisers and fuming at media coverage showing his Democratic rival picking up battlegrounds .
Trump used his Twitter feed to falsely claim victory in several key states and amplify unsubstantiated conspiracy theories about Democratic gains as absentee and early votes were tabulated .
Trump campaign manager @ @ @ @ @ @ @ request a Wisconsin recount , citing “ irregularities ” in several counties .
And the campaign said it was filing suit in Michigan and Pennsylvania to halt ballot counting on grounds that it wasn ’ t given proper access to observe .
Still more legal action was launched in Georgia .
At the same time , hundreds of thousands of votes were still to be counted in Pennsylvania , and Trump ’ s campaign said it was moving to intervene in existing Supreme Court litigation over counting mail-in ballots there .
The campaign @ @ @ @ @ @ @ flip the outcome in Arizona , which went for Biden , showcasing an inconsistency in its arguments over prolonged tabulation .
In other closely watched races , Trump picked up Florida , the largest of the swing states , and held onto Texas and Ohio while Biden kept New Hampshire and Minnesota .
Beyond the presidency , Democrats had hoped the election would allow the party to reclaim the Senate and pad its majority in the House .
But while the voting scrambled seats in the House and Senate , it ultimately left @ @ @ @ @ @ @ divided .
The candidates spent months pressing dramatically different visions for the nation ’ s future , including on racial justice , and voters responded in huge numbers , with more than 100 million people casting votes ahead of Election Day .
Trump , in an extraordinary move from the White House , issued premature claims of victory and said he would take the election to the Supreme Court to stop the counting .
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell discounted the president ’ s quick claim of victory , saying it would take @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vote counts .
The Kentucky Republican said that “ claiming you ’ ve won the election is different from finishing the counting.
” Vote tabulations routinely continue beyond Election Day , and states largely set the rules for when the count has to end .
In presidential elections , a key point is the date in December when presidential electors meet .
That ’ s set by federal law .
Dozens of Trump supporters chanting “ Stop the count !
” descended on a ballot-tallying center in Detroit , while thousands of anti-Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the streets in cities across the U.S .
Protests — sometimes about the election , sometimes about racial inequality — took place Wednesday in at least a half-dozen cities , including Los Angeles , Seattle , Houston , Pittsburgh , Minneapolis and San Diego .
Several states allow mailed-in votes to be accepted after Election Day as long as they were postmarked by Tuesday .
That includes Pennsylvania , where ballots postmarked by Nov. 3 can be accepted if they arrive up to three days later .
Trump appeared to suggest that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that he would fight for that outcome at the high court .
But legal experts were dubious of Trump ’ s declaration .
Trump has appointed three of the high court ’ s nine justices including , most recently Amy Coney Barrett .
The Trump campaign on Wednesday pushed Republican donors to dig deeper into their pockets to help finance legal challenges .
Republican National Committee Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel , during a donor call , spoke plainly : “ The fight ’ s not over .
We ’ re in it.
” Jaffe @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Press writers Aamer Madhani and Andrew Taylor in Washington and Kathleen Ronayne in Sacramento , Calif. , contributed to this report .
This story will be updated frequently throughout the night .
Check back for the latest updates .

Democrat Joe Biden pushed closer Thursday to the 270 Electoral College votes he needed to win the White House, securing victories in the “blue wall” battlegrounds of Wisconsin and Michigan and narrowing President Donald Trump’s path to reelection.
With just a handful of states still up for grabs, Trump tried to press his case in court in some key swing states. In spite of the aggressive Republican move, the flurry of court action did not seem obviously destined to impact the election’s outcome.
Two days after Election Day, neither candidate had amassed the votes needed to win the White House. But Biden’s victories in the Great Lakes states left him at 264, meaning he was one battleground state away — any would do — from becoming president-elect.
Trump, with 214 electoral votes, faced a much higher hurdle. To reach 270, he needed to claim all four remaining battlegrounds: Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Georgia and Nevada.
With millions of votes yet to be tabulated, Biden already had received more than 71 million, the most in history. At an afternoon news conference Wednesday, the former vice president said he expected to win the presidency but stopped short of outright declaring victory.
“I will govern as an American president,” Biden said. “There will be no red states and blue states when we win. Just the United States of America.”
Trump, in contrast, was escalating his efforts to sow doubt about the outcome of the race. A day after falsely claimed that he had won, he voiced support Thursday for ceasing the tallying of legally cast votes in a tweet, saying, “STOP THE COUNT!” He later falsely asserted that ballots received after Election Day “will not be counted,” a move that if implemented would affect military ballots, as his campaign propagated unsupported allegations of fraud.
Elections are run by individual state, county and local governments and Trump’s public comments have no impact on the tallying of votes across the country.
Trump’s campaign engaged in a flurry of legal activity to try to improve the Republican president’s chances and cast doubt on the election results, requesting a recount in Wisconsin and filing lawsuits in Pennsylvania, Michigan and Georgia. Statewide recounts in Wisconsin have historically changed the vote tally by only a few hundred votes; Biden led by more than 20,000 ballots out of nearly 3.3 million counted.
Biden had an edge nationally over Trump after victories in Wisconsin and Michigan, key Midwestern battleground states. Contests in Georgia, Pennsylvania, Nevada and North Carolina were tight with votes still being tabulated.
The Trump campaign said it was confident the president would ultimately pull out a victory in Arizona, where votes were also still being counted, including in Maricopa County, the state’s most populous area. The AP has declared Biden the winner in Arizona and said Thursday that it was monitoring the vote count as it proceeded.
“The Associated Press continues to watch and analyze vote count results from Arizona as they come in,” said Sally Buzbee, AP’s executive editor. “We will follow the facts in all cases.”
For four years, Democrats have been haunted by the crumbling of the blue wall, the trio of Great Lakes states — Michigan, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania — that their candidates had been able to count on in presidential elections. But Trump’s populist appeal struck a chord with white working-class voters and he captured all three in 2016 by a combined total of just 77,000 votes.
The candidates waged a fierce fight for the states this year, with Biden’s everyman political persona resonating in blue-collar towns while his campaign also pushed to increase turnout among Black voters in cities like Detroit and Milwaukee.
It was unclear when a national winner would be determined after a long, bitter campaign dominated by the coronavirus and its effects on Americans and the national economy. The U.S. on Wednesday set another record for daily confirmed cases as several states posted all-time highs. The pandemic has killed more than 233,000 people in the United States.
Trump spent much of Wednesday and Thursday in the White House residence, huddling with advisers and fuming at media coverage showing his Democratic rival picking up battlegrounds. Trump used his Twitter feed to falsely claim victory in several key states and amplify unsubstantiated conspiracy theories about Democratic gains as absentee and early votes were tabulated. Aides did not say when he next planned to appear in public.
Trump campaign manager Bill Stepien said the president would formally request a Wisconsin recount, citing “irregularities” in several counties. And the campaign said it was filing suits in Michigan and Pennsylvania to halt ballot counting on grounds that it wasn’t given proper access to observe. Trump campaign spokesman Jason Miller said additional legal action was expected in Nevada.
“We will literally be going through every single ballot,” he said of the hotly contested state.
At the same time, hundreds of thousands of votes were still to be counted in Pennsylvania, and Trump’s campaign said it was moving to intervene in existing Supreme Court litigation over counting mail-in ballots there.
Despite Trump’s claims that he was taking fraud claims to court, most of the lawsuits demand better access for campaign observers to locations where ballots are being processed and counted. A judge in Georgia dismissed the campaign’s suit there less than 12 hours after it was filed.
Biden attorney Bob Bauer said the suits were “meritless”
“I want to emphasize that for their purposes these lawsuits don’t have to have merit,” he said. “That’s not the purpose. … It is to create an opportunity for them to message falsely about what’s taking place in the electoral process.”
In other closely watched races, Trump picked up Florida, the largest of the swing states, and held onto Texas and Ohio while Biden kept New Hampshire and Minnesota.
Beyond the presidency, Democrats had hoped the election would allow the party to reclaim the Senate and pad its majority in the House. But while the voting scrambled seats in the House and Senate, it ultimately left Congress much like it began — deeply divided.
The candidates spent months pressing dramatically different visions for the nation’s future, including on racial justice, and voters responded in huge numbers, with more than 100 million people casting votes ahead of Election Day.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell discounted the president’s quick claim of victory, saying it would take a while for states to conduct their vote counts. The Kentucky Republican said that “claiming you’ve won the election is different from finishing the counting.”
Vote tabulations routinely continue beyond Election Day, and states largely set the rules for when the count has to end. In presidential elections, a key point is the date in December when presidential electors meet. That’s set by federal law.
Dozens of Trump supporters chanting “Stop the count!” descended on a ballot-tallying center in Detroit, while thousands of anti-Trump protesters demanding a complete vote count took to the streets in cities across the U.S.
Protests — sometimes about the election, sometimes about racial inequality — took place Wednesday in at least a half-dozen cities, including Los Angeles, Seattle, Houston, Pittsburgh, Minneapolis and San Diego.
Several states allow mailed-in votes to be accepted after Election Day as long as they were postmarked by Tuesday. That includes Pennsylvania.
This story will be updated frequently throughout the night. Check back for the latest updates.


thedenverpost--2020-11-05--October another frenzied month for metro Denver’s housing market

Anxious buyers in metro Denver pushed up home prices to record levels in October and accepted increasingly unfavorable terms as they battled over a dwindling supply of homes for sale , according to the latest Market Trends Report from the Denver Metro Association of Realtors .
“ October continued to defy seasonality as new records were broken by both buyers and sellers , ” Andrew Abrams , chairman of DMAR ’ s Market Trends Committee and a Denver real estate agent , said in comments accompanying the monthly update .
The number of active listings in metro Denver at the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ decline of 9 % from September and 43.7 % from a year earlier .
Abrams said the number broke the prior record low inventory for October by nearly 2,000 homes .
All the competition left buyers less able to demand concessions from sellers and forced more of them to accept “ as-is ” offers , escalation clauses and appraisal gap waivers , Abrams said .
Typically , buyers will get more skittish ahead of a big election , but not this year .
They rushed to lock in properties , with listings spending @ @ @ @ @ @ @ compared to 17 days a year earlier .
The competition also accelerated price increases .
The median closing price on a single-family home was $ 519,900 in October , an increase of 1.9 % from September and 14.3 % from October .
The average closing price was $ 625,100 , a 4.5 % gain from September and an 18 % increase over the past year .
Condo activity was more subdued than single-family but still strong .
The median price of a condo or townhome sold was $ 339,425 , an increase of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from October 2019 .
The average closing price was $ 393,733 , a 2.3 % increase month-over-month and a 7.86 % gain over the year .
The number of homes and condos sold in metro Denver in October fell 7.1 % from September , but remains up 16.3 % for the year .
Abrams said a record 6,141 pending transactions carried over into November , setting the foundation for another strong month .
The election also appears to be creating a tailwind in the form of even lower interest rates on mortgages .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ that sellers haven ’ t matched the enthusiasm buyers are showing .
The number of new listings in metro Denver last month was down 2 % from a year earlier , according to a separate report from Realtor.com .
That ’ s the case in much of the country .
But in some of the nation ’ s largest and most expensive cities , the number of listings is rising sharply , including San Francisco , up 25.9 % , and New York , up 28.2 % .

Anxious buyers in metro Denver pushed up home prices to record levels in October and accepted increasingly unfavorable terms as they battled over a dwindling supply of homes for sale, according to the latest Market Trends Report from the Denver Metro Association of Realtors.
“October continued to defy seasonality as new records were broken by both buyers and sellers,” Andrew Abrams, chairman of DMAR’s Market Trends Committee and a Denver real estate agent, said in comments accompanying the monthly update.
The number of active listings in metro Denver at the end of October was 4,821, a decline of 9% from September and 43.7% from a year earlier. Abrams said the number broke the prior record low inventory for October by nearly 2,000 homes.
All the competition left buyers less able to demand concessions from sellers and forced more of them to accept “as-is” offers, escalation clauses and appraisal gap waivers, Abrams said. Typically, buyers will get more skittish ahead of a big election, but not this year. They rushed to lock in properties, with listings spending a median six days on the market compared to 17 days a year earlier.
The competition also accelerated price increases. The median closing price on a single-family home was $519,900 in October, an increase of 1.9% from September and 14.3% from October. The average closing price was $625,100, a 4.5% gain from September and an 18% increase over the past year.
Condo activity was more subdued than single-family but still strong. The median price of a condo or townhome sold was $339,425, an increase of 1.32% from September and 9.85% from October 2019. The average closing price was $393,733, a 2.3% increase month-over-month and a 7.86% gain over the year.
The number of homes and condos sold in metro Denver in October fell 7.1% from September, but remains up 16.3% for the year.
Abrams said a record 6,141 pending transactions carried over into November, setting the foundation for another strong month. The election also appears to be creating a tailwind in the form of even lower interest rates on mortgages.
One reason inventory is so tight is that sellers haven’t matched the enthusiasm buyers are showing. The number of new listings in metro Denver last month was down 2% from a year earlier, according to a separate report from Realtor.com. That’s the case in much of the country. But in some of the nation’s largest and most expensive cities, the number of listings is rising sharply, including San Francisco, up 25.9%, and New York, up 28.2%.


thedenverpost--2020-11-05--Ask Amy: Woman wonders if family dog is racist

Dear Amy : I have been with my husband for three years .
He is White and I am Black .
His parents are wonderful to me , and often go out of their way to help us out .
They treat me just like their own daughter .
Unfortunately , they have a dog , “ Danny , ” who is “ mean , ” according to them .
There are five other dogs that live in that house and they all love and enjoy the attention I give to them , but Danny has always been wary of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and approaching him the way they recommended , but he avoids me or barks at me .
I have never done anything to warrant this negative attention .
For the longest time I thought he was just mean , until I went to pick up my son , aged 4 , who was at their house .
He is biracial and is light-skinned .
When I arrived , my son was hugging the dog like an old friend .
I can ’ t even get this dog to sniff my hand !
This @ @ @ @ @ @ @ put my hand out for him to sniff .
He didn ’ t break my skin , but he clearly meant to hurt me .
I don ’ t know what to do , because my in-laws just brushed it off .
My feelings are hurt and I ’ m not comfortable over there anymore .
Is this dog racist ?
How should I handle this ?
Dear Bit : I shared your question with Katherine Houpt , Ph.D. : veterinarian , behavioral biologist , and emeritus professor of behavioral medicine at the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ Dogs can certainly tell the difference in people by race ( after all , they can tell the difference between identical twins ) , but they should not bite people based on race .
‘ Danny ’ probably does not like any visitors , and the more ‘ unusual ’ they look to him , the more aggressive he will be .
“ Your in-laws mentioned that he was a ‘ mean ’ dog , so you have not been Danny ’ s only victim .
He also has four other dogs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ even braver .
“ You were bitten in part because you stretched out your hand , which he may have interpreted as a threat .
You should keep your hands to your sides ( we tell children to ‘ act like a tree ’ ) , and don ’ t look directly at Danny , because a direct stare is a threat .
Your in-laws should find a good trainer who uses positive methods ( not shock or pinch collars ) to train the dog or , even better , a veterinary behaviorist @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that he be put in another room ( or his crate ) when you are coming over.
” Dr. Houpt and I are both concerned about your son .
She says , “ Small children are the most frequent victims of dog bites , and those bites come from dogs they know .
Hugging a dog is often the trigger for aggression , because most dogs don ’ t like to be hugged.
” Check “ The Family Dog ” website , stopthe77.com , for a helpful video on the best ways for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in their lives .
Dear Amy : One silver lining during the pandemic has been our family ’ s Zoom get-togethers .
We can have up to a dozen relatives attending from across the country , who otherwise we would not see except at family reunions or funerals .
One of my relatives is always eating her dinner during the Zoom .
I find it rude !
She does not have health issues requiring her to eat at that specific time .
Is there etiquette regarding eating during a Zoom gathering ?
Dear @ @ @ @ @ @ @ learning about the genuinely disgusting behavior of some people while on Zoom , eating during a meeting does not seem rude , at least to me .
Your relative might live in a time zone that overlaps with a mealtime .
If the sound of her chewing bothers you , you could ask her to mute herself while chewing .
I think this brings up a cool idea : How about a Zoom Thanksgiving feast for your family this year ?
You can share favorite dishes , recipes , and stories .
Dear @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” letter about her aggressive driving husband reminded me of my ex .
Finally , when I knew we had a road trip somewhere , I would download a book on my phone and sit back with my eyes closed .
His driving changed when he couldn ’ t scare me with it .
The best part was I arrived without having screamed in terror even once .
Dear Queen : Wow .
I hope you didn ’ t brake even once on the way to your EX-ile .

Dear Amy: I have been with my husband for three years. He is White and I am Black. His parents are wonderful to me, and often go out of their way to help us out. They treat me just like their own daughter.
Unfortunately, they have a dog, “Danny,” who is “mean,” according to them.
There are five other dogs that live in that house and they all love and enjoy the attention I give to them, but Danny has always been wary of me.
I tried giving him treats and approaching him the way they recommended, but he avoids me or barks at me.
I have never done anything to warrant this negative attention.
For the longest time I thought he was just mean, until I went to pick up my son, aged 4, who was at their house. He is biracial and is light-skinned.
When I arrived, my son was hugging the dog like an old friend.
I can’t even get this dog to sniff my hand!
This past weekend Danny bit me when I put my hand out for him to sniff. He didn’t break my skin, but he clearly meant to hurt me.
I don’t know what to do, because my in-laws just brushed it off. My feelings are hurt and I’m not comfortable over there anymore. Is this dog racist? How should I handle this?
— Bit
Dear Bit: I shared your question with Katherine Houpt, Ph.D.: veterinarian, behavioral biologist, and emeritus professor of behavioral medicine at the College of Veterinary Medicine Cornell University:
“Dogs can certainly tell the difference in people by race (after all, they can tell the difference between identical twins), but they should not bite people based on race. ‘Danny’ probably does not like any visitors, and the more ‘unusual’ they look to him, the more aggressive he will be.
“Your in-laws mentioned that he was a ‘mean’ dog, so you have not been Danny’s only victim. He also has four other dogs in his pack, which makes him even braver.
“You were bitten in part because you stretched out your hand, which he may have interpreted as a threat. You should keep your hands to your sides (we tell children to ‘act like a tree’), and don’t look directly at Danny, because a direct stare is a threat.
Your in-laws should find a good trainer who uses positive methods (not shock or pinch collars) to train the dog or, even better, a veterinary behaviorist. Meanwhile, you can reasonably ask that he be put in another room (or his crate) when you are coming over.”
Dr. Houpt and I are both concerned about your son. She says, “Small children are the most frequent victims of dog bites, and those bites come from dogs they know. Hugging a dog is often the trigger for aggression, because most dogs don’t like to be hugged.”
Check “The Family Dog” website, stopthe77.com, for a helpful video on the best ways for young children to relate to the dogs in their lives.
Dear Amy: One silver lining during the pandemic has been our family’s Zoom get-togethers.
We can have up to a dozen relatives attending from across the country, who otherwise we would not see except at family reunions or funerals.
One of my relatives is always eating her dinner during the Zoom. I find it rude! She does not have health issues requiring her to eat at that specific time. Is there etiquette regarding eating during a Zoom gathering?
— Perturbed
Dear Perturbed: Given that we are currently learning about the genuinely disgusting behavior of some people while on Zoom, eating during a meeting does not seem rude, at least to me.
Your relative might live in a time zone that overlaps with a mealtime. If the sound of her chewing bothers you, you could ask her to mute herself while chewing.
I think this brings up a cool idea: How about a Zoom Thanksgiving feast for your family this year? You can share favorite dishes, recipes, and stories.
Dear Amy: “Anxious Wife’s” letter about her aggressive driving husband reminded me of my ex.
Finally, when I knew we had a road trip somewhere, I would download a book on my phone and sit back with my eyes closed.
His driving changed when he couldn’t scare me with it. The best part was I arrived without having screamed in terror even once.
— Queen-in-Exile of Passive-aggressiveland
Dear Queen: Wow. I hope you didn’t brake even once on the way to your EX-ile.
(You can email Amy Dickinson at askamy@amydickinson.com or send a letter to Ask Amy, P.O. Box 194, Freeville, NY 13068. You can also follow her on Twitter @askingamy or Facebook.)


thedenverpost--2020-11-06--The Spot: Colorado’s newest swing county, and the latest on our record turnout

What ’ s The Spot ?
You ’ re reading an installment of our weekly politics newsletter .
Sign up here to get it delivered straight in your inbox .
We ’ ve been trying to get The Spot out the virtual door and for a day and a half now , but the political news just keeps happening or evolving .
Like Colorado ’ s election turnout .
As Saja writes below , it ’ s at record levels , but we don ’ t know precisely where it will end up because the Associated Press estimates that 10 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ counted yet .
It has been an exciting week , and not only at the national level .
Colorado voters did the near-unthinkable Tuesday when they agreed to get rid of the Gallagher Amendment , which had made residential property taxes among the lowest in the country .
At the same time , though , asked if they wanted to pay less income tax , they responded with a “ heck , yeah , ” to that , too .
We have lots of deep dives coming your way , but below are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the meantime .
To support the important journalism we do , you can become a Denver Post subscriber here .
Have a question about the election ?
Submit it here and it ’ ll go straight to The Denver Post politics team .
Colorado ’ s wolf reintroduction initiative was headed for victory Thursday as opponents conceded defeat and backers hailed the precedent-setting shift of state voters directing their government for the first time to introduce an imperiled species .
The outcome means “ paws on the ground ” by late 2023 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s no doubt Colorado voters turned out in record numbers this election , with more than 3.3 million casting ballots — about 78.5 % of all registered voters .
In 2016 , it was 74.3 % .
It ’ s not quite the 80 % or higher that state election director Judd Choate had anticipated — yet — but it does put Colorado in the top states for turnout among the voting eligible population , according to data from the United States Elections Project .
Among active registered voters , the Colorado Secretary @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as 86.9 % .
In 2016 , it was 86.7 % .
“ This year ’ s unprecedented voter turnout and political engagement gives me hope for the future , especially the next generation , ” said Matt Lynn , spokesman for the Interfaith Alliance of Colorado .
The official ballot count is continuing with a couple of outstanding statehouse races and ballot issues , but unlike other states that are still counting ballots and trying to figure out Electoral College votes for president , Biden ’ s path to victory was clear @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , credited to Colorado ’ s tried-and-true mail ballot system .
In the days leading up to Tuesday , Denver Post reporters spoke to Colorado voters about what drove them to the polls , and the majority cited the presidential election and the polarization around President Donald Trump .
But Colorado ’ s ballot also had some drivers , too , including Proposition 115 , the 22-week abortion ban that was defeated , and Proposition 113 , the national popular vote , which passed .
Look west for Colorado ’ s new swing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , just 17 votes stood between two Garfield County commission candidates .
And in a different county commission race , a six-term incumbent was losing .
Both of the Republicans ended up pulling off the wins , but by less than three percentage points each .
Republican Lauren Boebert lost in Garfield County , despite living there for half her life , owning a well-known restaurant there , having the endorsement of the county sheriff , and ultimately winning the 3rd Congressional District race .
President Donald Trump also lost in the county @ @ @ @ @ @ @ won it .
There are long-term implications .
Those county commission races were largely focused on oil and gas issues .
The commission has been friendly to the industry ; the challengers were not .
A microcosm , in other words , of Colorado ’ s energy politics .
ICYMI : Michael Bennet says he won ’ t be Joe Biden ’ s education secretary , if Biden wins .
Voters in Denver were decisive in Tuesday ’ s election , but few issues produced as strong a result as Measure 2H , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Thursday afternoon .
The measure , sponsored by City Councilman Paul Kashmann , would opt Denver out of a 2005 state law restricting governments from using tax dollars to build broadband networks .
The move would allow the city to enter into a high-speed internet business , should city officials want to go in that direction .
While city officials haven ’ t said they want to launch a new city utility , now they have the option .
Kashmann has said at the very least the move should give the city more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The result — though preliminary and unofficial — puts Denver in line with about 19 other municipalities that opted out of the same law in 2017 .
Those cities averaged an 83 % approval margin , just like Denver .
Measure 2H drew no organized opposition , though internet providers said they opposed the move .
At the moment it appears they won ’ t have any new competition .
City officials have said a full buildout of a municipal broadband system could take 10 years and cost $ 1 billion .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Longmont and Fort Collins approved similar measures several years ago without a clear intention to start a municipal broadband company .
But now both cities operate their own high-speed internet services that have been met with widespread acclaim .
• None , and which would raise Denver ’ s sales tax to fund green initiatives , and 2B , which would increase the sales tax to Forward this newsletter to your colleagues and encourage them to subscribe .

For people, policy and Colorado politics
What’s The Spot? You’re reading an installment of our weekly politics newsletter. Sign up here to get it delivered straight in your inbox.
We’ve been trying to get The Spot out the virtual door and for a day and a half now, but the political news just keeps happening or evolving.
Like Colorado’s election turnout. As Saja writes below, it’s at record levels, but we don’t know precisely where it will end up because the Associated Press estimates that 10% of votes haven’t been counted yet.
It has been an exciting week, and not only at the national level. Colorado voters did the near-unthinkable Tuesday when they agreed to get rid of the Gallagher Amendment, which had made residential property taxes among the lowest in the country. At the same time, though, asked if they wanted to pay less income tax, they responded with a “heck, yeah,” to that, too.
We have lots of deep dives coming your way, but below are a few nuggets to tide you over in the meantime.
To support the important journalism we do, you can become a Denver Post subscriber here.
Questions?
Have a question about the election? Submit it here and it’ll go straight to The Denver Post politics team.
Ask Us
Top Line
Colorado’s wolf reintroduction initiative was headed for victory Thursday as opponents conceded defeat and backers hailed the precedent-setting shift of state voters directing their government for the first time to introduce an imperiled species. The outcome means “paws on the ground” by late 2023.
Capitol Diary • By Saja Hindi
Getting out the vote
There’s no doubt Colorado voters turned out in record numbers this election, with more than 3.3 million casting ballots — about 78.5% of all registered voters. In 2016, it was 74.3%.
It’s not quite the 80% or higher that state election director Judd Choate had anticipated — yet — but it does put Colorado in the top states for turnout among the voting eligible population, according to data from the United States Elections Project.
Among active registered voters, the Colorado Secretary of State’s Office reported turnout as 86.9%. In 2016, it was 86.7%.
“This year’s unprecedented voter turnout and political engagement gives me hope for the future, especially the next generation,” said Matt Lynn, spokesman for the Interfaith Alliance of Colorado.
The official ballot count is continuing with a couple of outstanding statehouse races and ballot issues, but unlike other states that are still counting ballots and trying to figure out Electoral College votes for president, Biden’s path to victory was clear. That’s, in part, credited to Colorado’s tried-and-true mail ballot system.
In the days leading up to Tuesday, Denver Post reporters spoke to Colorado voters about what drove them to the polls, and the majority cited the presidential election and the polarization around President Donald Trump. But Colorado’s ballot also had some drivers, too, including Proposition 115, the 22-week abortion ban that was defeated, and Proposition 113, the national popular vote, which passed.
Related: The latest Colorado election results.
Related: The Voter turnout charts.
Related: State Democratic lawmakers select their leaders.
#COpolitics news • By Justin Wingerter
Look west for Colorado’s new swing county
As the clock struck midnight Tuesday, just 17 votes stood between two Garfield County commission candidates. And in a different county commission race, a six-term incumbent was losing. Both of the Republicans ended up pulling off the wins, but by less than three percentage points each.
Republican Lauren Boebert lost in Garfield County, despite living there for half her life, owning a well-known restaurant there, having the endorsement of the county sheriff, and ultimately winning the 3rd Congressional District race. President Donald Trump also lost in the county, and Sen. Cory Gardner just barely won it.
There are long-term implications. Those county commission races were largely focused on oil and gas issues. The commission has been friendly to the industry; the challengers were not.
A microcosm, in other words, of Colorado’s energy politics.
ICYMI: Michael Bennet says he won’t be Joe Biden’s education secretary, if Biden wins.
Mile High Politics • By Conrad Swanson
A first step toward municipal broadband?
Voters in Denver were decisive in Tuesday’s election, but few issues produced as strong a result as Measure 2H, which had 83% support as of Thursday afternoon.
The measure, sponsored by City Councilman Paul Kashmann, would opt Denver out of a 2005 state law restricting governments from using tax dollars to build broadband networks. The move would allow the city to enter into a high-speed internet business, should city officials want to go in that direction.
While city officials haven’t said they want to launch a new city utility, now they have the option. Kashmann has said at the very least the move should give the city more leverage when negotiating with current broadband providers.
The result — though preliminary and unofficial — puts Denver in line with about 19 other municipalities that opted out of the same law in 2017. Those cities averaged an 83% approval margin, just like Denver.
Measure 2H drew no organized opposition, though internet providers said they opposed the move.
At the moment it appears they won’t have any new competition. City officials have said a full buildout of a municipal broadband system could take 10 years and cost $1 billion.
Never say never, though. Voters in Longmont and Fort Collins approved similar measures several years ago without a clear intention to start a municipal broadband company. But now both cities operate their own high-speed internet services that have been met with widespread acclaim.
More Denver election results
Forward this newsletter to your colleagues and encourage them to subscribe.


thedenverpost--2020-11-06--Democrats pick up 1 seat in Colorado Senate

Colorado Senate Democrats are poised to add one more seat to their roster , and House Democrats are maintaining their numbers as the final votes are tallied from Tuesday ’ s election .
That may not be the outcome Democrats were working toward , given their spending on swing seats , but at least they didn ’ t lose seats in the Senate , which Senate Majority Leader Steve Fenberg of Boulder previously said was their first priority .
And that single addition will make a big difference in Democrats ’ margin in the upper chamber .
“ This is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be , so not a ton of surprises ( on election night ) , ” he said .
“ We ’ ll be able to have an increased caucus come January but maybe even have a firewall for future elections.
” Last year , Democrats had a 17-vote lead in the House and three in the Senate .
The additional Senate seat could help them pass more progressive legislation .
Democrats picked up District 27 , which was an open race because Jack Tate of Centennial decided not to seek reelection .
Democrat @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of State Suzanne Staiert .
Although Democrats spent significant money to try to flip Senate District 25 , Republican Kevin Priola of Henderson hung onto his seat .
Similarly , Republican Bob Rankin of Carbondale pulled out a squeaker in Senate District 8 .
GOP strategist Ryan Lynch , who worked on Priola ’ s campaign , said he was glad to see the party hold onto the seats , but he ’ s not considering this a good year for Republicans in the statehouse .
“ The last two elections we ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ so we need to regroup and we need to learn lessons from our wins and especially our losses , ” he said .
Redistricting could put more seats in play for Republicans in 2022 , and Lynch wants to be ready .
“ To anyone patting themselves on the back right now , it ’ s time to get back to work , ” he said .
Lynch said Republicans need to listen to their constituents and vote the way their constituents want to win contested elections , which isn ’ t necessarily @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Priola have worked across party lines in the legislature .
Republicans don ’ t have to be “ centrist , ” Lynch said , but candidates ’ work , training and messaging is important .
House Minority Leader Chris Holbert , a Parker Republican , released a statement election night saying a majority of voters in swing districts told candidates they don ’ t like single-party control of state government and yet they voted for it .
“ Senate Republicans respect that result , ” he said .
“ We will , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ advocate for individual liberties , economic opportunity , and limited government going into this next legislative session , and we remain focused on restoring balance in 2022.
” In the House , Democrats lost District 47 , a Pueblo seat that Republican challenger Stephanie Luck took from Bri Buentello , but gained District 38 , where David Ortiz defeated incumbent Republican Richard Champion of Littleton .
House Majority Leader Alec Garnett , who was elected speaker Thursday , said he was thrilled with the election ’ s results for his chamber .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ going on nationwide and with the fact that in 2018 we picked up four seats that Democrats had never held before under these maps , the idea that we held onto three of them and actually had another in Littleton … overall , it was really , really successful , ” he said .
And the party forced Republicans to heavily defend seats , Garnett added .
Rep. Hugh McKean , a Loveland Republican who is expected to win the minority leader position in the House next week , said Republicans heard “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which seats Democrats would pick up in the 2021 session , but ultimately Democrats spent millions of dollars to keep the House the same as it was last year .
To him , that says a lot about Colorado ’ s electorate .
“ Our state is far less blue than they would like and a lot less red than we would like , ” he said .

Colorado Senate Democrats are poised to add one more seat to their roster, and House Democrats are maintaining their numbers as the final votes are tallied from Tuesday’s election.
That may not be the outcome Democrats were working toward, given their spending on swing seats, but at least they didn’t lose seats in the Senate, which Senate Majority Leader Steve Fenberg of Boulder previously said was their first priority. And that single addition will make a big difference in Democrats’ margin in the upper chamber.
“This is kind of exactly where we hoped to be, so not a ton of surprises (on election night),” he said. “We’ll be able to have an increased caucus come January but maybe even have a firewall for future elections.”
Last year, Democrats had a 17-vote lead in the House and three in the Senate. The additional Senate seat could help them pass more progressive legislation.
Democrats picked up District 27, which was an open race because Jack Tate of Centennial decided not to seek reelection. Democrat Chris Kolker defeated Republican former Deputy Secretary of State Suzanne Staiert.
Although Democrats spent significant money to try to flip Senate District 25, Republican Kevin Priola of Henderson hung onto his seat. Similarly, Republican Bob Rankin of Carbondale pulled out a squeaker in Senate District 8.
GOP strategist Ryan Lynch, who worked on Priola’s campaign, said he was glad to see the party hold onto the seats, but he’s not considering this a good year for Republicans in the statehouse.
“The last two elections we’ve headed in the wrong direction and so we need to regroup and we need to learn lessons from our wins and especially our losses,” he said.
Redistricting could put more seats in play for Republicans in 2022, and Lynch wants to be ready.
“To anyone patting themselves on the back right now, it’s time to get back to work,” he said.
Lynch said Republicans need to listen to their constituents and vote the way their constituents want to win contested elections, which isn’t necessarily toeing the party line. Both Rankin and Priola have worked across party lines in the legislature.
Republicans don’t have to be “centrist,” Lynch said, but candidates’ work, training and messaging is important.
Senate Minority Leader Chris Holbert, a Douglas County Republican, released a statement election night saying a majority of voters in swing districts told candidates they don’t like single-party control of state government and yet they voted for it.
“Senate Republicans respect that result,” he said. “We will, as we always have, continue to advocate for individual liberties, economic opportunity, and limited government going into this next legislative session, and we remain focused on restoring balance in 2022.”
In the House, Democrats lost District 47, a Pueblo seat that Republican challenger Stephanie Luck took from Bri Buentello, but gained District 38, where David Ortiz defeated incumbent Republican Richard Champion of Littleton.
House Majority Leader Alec Garnett, who was elected speaker Thursday, said he was thrilled with the election’s results for his chamber.
“When you look at what’s going on nationwide and with the fact that in 2018 we picked up four seats that Democrats had never held before under these maps, the idea that we held onto three of them and actually had another in Littleton … overall, it was really, really successful,” he said.
And the party forced Republicans to heavily defend seats, Garnett added.
Rep. Hugh McKean, a Loveland Republican who is expected to win the minority leader position in the House next week, said Republicans heard “a lot of grandiose claims” about which seats Democrats would pick up in the 2021 session, but ultimately Democrats spent millions of dollars to keep the House the same as it was last year. To him, that says a lot about Colorado’s electorate.
“Our state is far less blue than they would like and a lot less red than we would like,” he said.