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Colorado Gov. Jared Polis admits ‘a lot of us are holding our breath’ when Biden talks

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Colorado Gov. Jared Polis admits ‘a lot of us are holding our breath’ when Biden talks


He just takes their breath away.

Colorado Gov. Jared Polis (D) conceded that many Democratic colleagues often find themselves holding their breath when President Biden opens his mouth, fretting that he’ll make another blunder.

“I would say at this point that the burden is really on the president to show that he is” the Democrats’ best option, Polis said on CNN’s “State of the Union” Sunday.

President Biden has defied calls to step aside — for now. AP

“There’s a lot of very reasonable skepticism out there, and a lot of us are holding our breath when he gives a speech. Will he get it right or will he make a mistake? We all saw the debate. You can’t unsee that.”

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Polis stopped short of calling on Biden to step aside as the presumptive Democratic standard-bearer but emphasized that the onus is on the President to prove himself.

“I think only he knows where he’s at and what he can do. I know that he and his family and Hunter are having these discussions,” Polis said.

“I think he’s really trying to figure out is he better off just … focusing on being the very best President of the United States that he can be for six months?” he added. “Or does he have the energy and the ability to be a candidate for the United States presidency for the next three months?”

Polis, generally regarded as more of a libertarian-style Democrat, argued that his party should have a serious “look at the polls” and acknowledge “we are down.” He further emphasized that something needs to change.

“You can’t pretend that you’re ahead when you’re down. Can we come back? Absolutely. We’re probably 4 or 5 points down nationally. Might be a little bit harder than that,” he said. “We need to change something about what we’re doing.”

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The Colorado governor claimed that Donald Trump would raise taxes on the middle class, referencing his tariff policy. AP

“The good news is there’s a very weak candidate,” he added, noting there’s still time.

Just over three-dozen congressional Democrats have come forward and called on Biden to step aside.

Biden is slated to officially become the party’s nominee within the coming weeks ahead of the Democratic National Convention in Chicago.

The 81-year-old president told congressional Democrats earlier this month that he’s “firmly committed” to his reelection bid.

Moderator Jake Tapper asked Polis why Biden hasn’t done more to demonstrate his mental acuity since last month’s debate, making a comparison to someone proving they can ride a bicycle.

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“It seems to me that if somebody said your future depends on whether or not you can ride a bicycle…then you would go out the next day and ride a bicycle,” Tapper mused.

Polis quickly shot back, “Well, the guy can definitely ride a bike. The guy is capable of being President of the United States. And he’s doing a fine job.”

“I think the question is, is he capable of running a winning campaign over the next three and a half months? And the evidence so far is we’re down against a very weak Republican candidate who’s a convicted felon.”

Jared Polis has cast himself as a consensus seeker and more moderate Democrat. AP

Polis further wished Biden a strong recovery from COVID-19 and was optimistic that the president would come back “full strength.”

Biden has publicly stated that he plans to hit the campaign trail again this week.

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Several Colorado highways temporarily closed due to high winds

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Several Colorado highways temporarily closed due to high winds


BOULDER, Colo. (KKTV) – Several Colorado highways are closed due to high winds reaching up to 80 MPH in some locations.

According to the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT), the closures currently in place include:

  • CO 93 both directions from 64th Ave (Arvada) to CO 170.
  • CO 72, both directions from CO 7 to Ward Road.
  • US 36, both directions from Boulder to Lyons.
  • CO 128, both directions from CO 93 to McCaslin Boulevard.

Transportation officials said the winds may also cause traffic signal outages.

If traffic lights are experiencing a power outage, CDOT said drivers must treat it as a four-way stop:

  • Come to a complete stop at the stop line or before entering the intersection. 
  • Vehicles proceed one at a time, in the order they arrived. 
  • If two vehicles arrive at the same time, the driver on the right goes first. 
  • Always yield to pedestrians and cyclists already in the crosswalk. 
  • Make eye contact when possible and proceed cautiously – do not assume others will stop.

Drivers are also encouraged to reduce speeds, keep both hands firmly on the steering wheel, and be alert for debris, downed signs and sudden gusts. High-profile vehicles, such as trucks, vans and vehicles towing trailers, are encouraged to avoid travel when closures or restrictions are in place.

CDOT also reminds commercial drivers to ensure tire chains are properly secured and not dragging, which can create sparks and increase wildfire risk during dry, windy conditions.

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Dangerous fire situation looming for parts of Colorado’s Front Range, as another day of strong winds lies ahead

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Dangerous fire situation looming for parts of Colorado’s Front Range, as another day of strong winds lies ahead



Dangerous weather conditions in Colorado are expected to team up for a surge in the Front Range fire danger. For most of the day Friday conditions will be favorable for rapid fire spread. Avoid outdoor burning and any activity that may produce a spark. Friday will be a First Alert Weather Day.

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The triple threat of hurricane force winds, record heat and single digit relative humidity will all be in force from 10 a.m. to midnight on Friday. That is when a red flag warning for high fire danger is issued. 

For the first time in Colorado, the National Weather Service office in Boulder has issued an extra warning know as “A Particularly Dangerous Situation” for northwest Jefferson and western Boulder counties for possible wind gusts of 85 to 105 mph.

The worst areas will be from Highway 93 up into the higher foothills. That, combined with single digit relative humidity, will make conditions worse that what the state experienced on Wednesday.

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For the northern Front Range, the strongest winds will be west of I-25 into the foothills. Along and east of the I-25 corridor including the Denver metro area, winds may gust up to 40 mph with humidity levels as low as 8%. For that reason, the entire Denver metro area is in the warning area.

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The strong winds will be warming downslope winds for eastern Colorado with highs on Friday shooting up into the 60s and 70s. Denver may have a new record high of 70 degrees. The old record is 67 degrees last set in 2023.

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Top wind gusts may likely be stronger than Wednesday. Those gusts were hurricane force in some areas of the foothills and mountains with gusty winds comparable to those of a category 2 or 3 hurricane.

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These wind gusts in Colorado reached the strength of a Category 3 hurricane

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These wind gusts in Colorado reached the strength of a Category 3 hurricane


DENVER (KDVR) — Strong wind gusts at the speed of a Category 3 hurricane swept through two Colorado counties on Wednesday.

Strong winds blew through the state on Wednesday, leaving tens of thousands without power, causing safety road closures and recording wind gusts reaching over 100 mph. In some areas, winds were even higher, with Summit and Grand counties seeing 124 mph wind gusts.

At 9 p.m. on Wednesday, one weather station on top of Breckenridge Peak 6 picked up a wind gust of 124 mph in Summit County. Then, at 9:52 p.m., another weather station at Parsenn Bowl Summit in Grand County picked up a wind gust of 124 mph, according to National Weather Service records.

These two wind gusts weren’t only the strongest gusts on Wednesday, they were so strong that they were comparable to the strength of a devastating hurricane.

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The Pinpoint Weather team said it was the strength of a high-end Category 3 hurricane. These winds also compare to a high-end EF2 tornado, which could damage one or two family residences, according to NWS.

These weren’t the only areas that saw high winds. Several counties across Colorado saw winds higher than 100 mph throughout Wednesday.

The Pinpoint Weather team expects the wind to continue into Friday with continued fire danger. The winds are expected to slow down throughout the weekend.



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