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Colorado Sen. Michael Bennet rings alarm about Biden as other lawmakers offer support, silence

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Colorado Sen. Michael Bennet rings alarm about Biden as other lawmakers offer support, silence


U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet said Tuesday night that he believes Donald Trump is on a trajectory to win the presidential election — “maybe in a landslide” — amid fallout from President Joe Biden’s halting debate performance.

“For me, this isn’t a question about polling, it’s not a question about politics — it’s a moral question for the future of our country,” the Colorado senator told CNN’s Kaitlan Collins during her prime time show, warning that a Trump victory would be “an American tragedy.” He suggested Republicans may win control of Congress, too.

“I think we could lose the whole thing,” he added about the November election, calling the situation “staggering.”

But Bennet repeatedly declined to say whether Biden should step down as the Democratic Party’s presumptive nominee, which would open the door for others to seek the nomination before the August convention.

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Bennet’s comments came after reports that he and two other senior Democratic senators told colleagues earlier Tuesday that Biden was on a path to lose. His comments were the most forceful condemnation of his party’s trajectory of any voiced publicly to date by Colorado’s seven congressional Democrats. The others have offered either support or silence as concerns have mounted about Biden’s ability to win.

U.S. Rep. Diane DeGette told The Denver Post on Tuesday that Biden had her full support. She said his public appearances since the June 27 debate had convinced her that he could win in November.

Colorado’s other senator, John Hickenlooper, has also backed Biden.

Bennet, who told CNN that voters he’s spoken to have likened the president’s condition to an aging parent, has sent increasingly concerned messages since the late June debate. He had said in a statement Sunday that Biden must “reassure” voters of his abilities, adding that he would discuss “the most viable path forward” with fellow senators. (A Bennet spokesman did not return messages seeking comment late Tuesday afternoon.)

On Tuesday night, Bennet suggested Biden had not done enough to reassure voters.

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“The White House, in the time since that disastrous debate, I think, has done nothing to demonstrate that they have a plan to win this election, that they have a convincing plan to win in the battleground states,” he said.

His apparently rising alarm stood in contrast with DeGette, who said her concerns had been assuaged.

After the debate, during which Biden spoke quietly and haltingly and appeared to fully lose his train of thought at least once, DeGette, of Denver, said in a statement that Biden needed to “intensify his efforts to reassure voters” that he could continue on as president.

On Tuesday, DeGette told The Post that she had received that reassurance through Biden’s subsequent media and public appearances as she’s “basically been trying to watch everything.” She said she’d also spoken with him Tuesday morning during a bill signing ceremony.

“He was articulate, cogent and knew everything that he was talking about,” she said, referring to a conversation they had about the NATO summit in Washington, D.C. “As I said in my statement, like everybody else, I was shocked at the performance in that debate, and I’ve known the president for almost 30 years now.”

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“I’ve been trying to see, ‘Do I think he’s competent for both reelection and to serve another term?’ And I can’t help but say, ‘Yes, he is.’ ” said DeGette, the longest-serving member of Colorado’s congressional delegation.

U.S. Rep. Brittany Pettersen, a freshman member of the delegation, said in a statement that it was up to Biden to decide whether to stay in the race or not.

Nearly half of the state’s seven Democrats in Congress did not return messages seeking interviews or comments in recent days. Repeated messages sent to U.S. Rep. Joe Neguse’s office were not returned; Neguse is the fourth-ranking Democrat in the House. The office of U.S. Rep. Yadira Caraveo, a freshman who sits in what is likely to be one of the most hotly contested seats in America come November, also did not return requests for comment.

No one from U.S. Rep. Jason Crow’s office would comment on the record.

Bennet’s criticism and DeGette’s support comes as Biden seeks to shore up support on Capitol Hill and prevent further internal calls for him to step aside. National polling shows Biden trailing Trump, and subsequent polls about Biden’s fitness show broad voter concern about the 81-year-old’s age.

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Though Trump is 78 and has faced sharp criticism over his own fitness for office, his age has been less of a focal point than Biden’s.

DeGette — the only member of Colorado’s Democratic delegation to agree to an interview — blamed the media for focusing on Biden’s debate performance and age, though it’s an issue that polls consistently show is a concern for a majority of American voters.

She said the focus instead should be on Trump’s ability to lead the country, his party’s anti-abortion stances and the repeated falsehoods he told at the debate.

“I understand the issue du jour is Joe Biden’s abilities,” DeGette said. “I do believe he has the capabilities, and he’s our nominee.”

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Denver, CO

Tempers flare during another tightly contested matchup between Denver Nuggets, Oklahoma City Thunder

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Tempers flare during another tightly contested matchup between Denver Nuggets, Oklahoma City Thunder


OKLAHOMA CITY – The temperature of one of the NBA’s most heated rivalries got turned up a couple of notches Friday at Paycom Center.  Things reached a boiling point with eight minutes left in regulation after Jared McCain gave the hosts a two-point lead. Thunder guard Lu Dort obstructed Nikola Jokic’s route down the court […]



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University of Denver to close Ricks Center for Gifted Children next year

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University of Denver to close Ricks Center for Gifted Children next year


The University of Denver will close the Ricks Center for Gifted Children next year as enrollment has fallen in recent years, the college announced this week.

The Ricks Center, which serves gifted children as young as 3 years old, will operate for the 2026-27 academic year before closing, according to a letter DU sent parents on Wednesday.

“The University of Denver has made the difficult decision to close the Ricks Center for Gifted Children at the conclusion of the 2026–2027 academic year,” spokesman Jon Stone said in a statement. “This decision reflects long-term operational and financial considerations and is not a reflection of the school’s quality, leadership, or community.”

The center, which is located on DU’s campus, was started in 1984 as the University Center for Gifted Young Children. The program offers classes to students in preschool through eighth grade, according to the website.

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The program, along with other public K-12 schools in the state, has experienced declining enrollment in recent years. The center enrolled 142 students for the 2025-26 academic year, which is down from 200 pupils four years ago.



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David Fountaine Black Obituary | The Denver Post

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David Fountaine Black Obituary |  The Denver Post



David Fountaine Black


OBITUARY

Dave and Martha and their three boys moved to Denver in 1974 when Dave started work at the Rocky Mountain Arsenal. He and a business partner later purchased Mid-America Plating Company. Dave operated Mid-America for 36 years and finally retired in 2018.

He was a great golfer and natural athlete. Dave was an avid runner, and for many years, he woke up before the sun to get his miles in before work. He and Martha loved playing bridge with friends, gardening – growing fruit and flowers – and spending time outside relaxing and walking on the High Line Canal Trail and in Bible Park. Dave and Martha enjoyed getting back to Arizona during the winter at their Tucson home. They loved spending time with their family.

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Dave passed away on February 20, 2026. He is loved by family and friends and will be missed. Dave was a hard-working, kind, optimistic, and thoughtful person who leaves the world a better place. He is survived by his wife, Martha, and his three sons, Dave (Robin), Tom (Debbie), Eric (Kendra), as well as six grandchildren and three great grandchildren, Casey (Nicole), Jake (Ashleigh and great granddaughter Faye), Hailey (Robby and great granddaughter Jensen), Keenan (Nicole and great granddaughter Olivia), Griffin, and Addie (Erik).



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