Colorado
In Colorado, a GOP rarity: An abortion rights candidate
DENVER (AP) — Joe O’Dea stood earlier than a whole lot of social conservatives and uttered phrases they had been unaccustomed to listening to from a Republican U.S. Senate candidate: “I do know my place on abortion isn’t the identical as all of yours.”
O’Dea, a businessman who has spoken publicly about his assist for abortion rights, instructed the group that he backs a ban on late-term abortions and authorities funding of abortions. However, he mentioned, the choice to terminate a being pregnant within the preliminary months is “between an individual and their God.”
On different points, O’Dea seems like a typical conservative. He needs to chop again authorities regulation and broaden oil and fuel manufacturing, and he opposes gun restrictions. However his assist for abortion rights stands out in a Republican Occasion by which opposition to the process has grow to be a bedrock precept.
His high rival in Tuesday’s major is state Rep. Ron Hanks, who opposes abortion in all circumstances. The 2 are competing to tackle Democratic Sen. Michael Bennet, who gained his first Senate race in 2010 by hammering his GOP challenger over opposition to abortion rights.
Republican voter Carla Davis, who describes herself as “100% pro-life,” thinks O’Dea shall be a stronger candidate within the normal election towards Bennet in a state that has voted down initiatives to restrict or ban abortion 4 instances since 2008.
“You’ve acquired to concede on small issues to make issues work,” mentioned Davis, a 60-year-old advertising and marketing government who attended a latest O’Dea occasion.
Nonetheless, if O’Dea does win the Republican major, it would partly be attributable to a monetary benefit slightly than a strategic selection by GOP voters. He has spent greater than $600,000 of his personal cash on his Senate run, whereas Hanks’ marketing campaign has raised lower than $60,000.
Hanks, who mentioned he marched to the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6 however didn’t enter the constructing throughout the rebellion, mentioned O’Dea’s views don’t align with these of most Republican major voters.
“His coverage positions would put him to the left of Mitt Romney,” Hanks mentioned in an interview. “The message isn’t Republican, it’s not conservative, it’s not pro-life.”
Hanks has gotten some assist from a Democratic group that sees him as a neater opponent for Bennet. The group spent $800,000 on adverts designed to tout his candidacy within the GOP major, warning that he’s “too conservative” for backing an entire abortion ban and letting anybody carry firearms in public.
Conservatives concern one thing related would occur if Hanks is the nominee. “Reasonably than speaking in regards to the financial system, slightly than speaking about inflation, you’ll be speaking about abortion,” mentioned Mario Nicolais, a lawyer and activist who left the Republican Occasion partly over criticism he acquired after backing a poll measure to ban abortions at 22 weeks — the critics needed abortion banned utterly.
To Nicolais, that demonstrates how inflexible some Republicans are of their opposition to abortion rights, a part of what has marginalized them within the state. The 22-week ban failed on the polls in November 2020, simply as voters rejected different initiatives to restrict or ban abortion in 2008, 2010 and 2014.
Colorado in 1967 turned the primary state to loosen restrictions on abortion, six years earlier than the U.S. Supreme Court docket choice within the case of Roe v. Wade assured the fitting to an abortion nationally in 1973. This yr, the Democratic-controlled legislature handed a legislation guaranteeing full entry to abortion within the state even the Supreme Court docket overturns Roe. A leaked draft opinion from the excessive courtroom signifies that might occur by the point the courtroom’s time period ends this month, across the identical time as Colorado’s Tuesday major.
Bennet’s marketing campaign has cited that looming choice as a purpose for Colorado voters to be cautious of the GOP.
“Each Republican candidates are too far proper for our state,” spokesperson Georgina Beven mentioned in a press release. “Coloradans have an excellent deeper sense of urgency now to elect pro-choice candidates this November, and Michael will all the time be dedicated to defending ladies’s reproductive rights within the US Senate.”
If O’Dea had been to be elected, he would be part of Sens. Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski as the one Republican senators who publicly assist Roe v. Wade.
Nonetheless, the state is house to a core group of robust opponents of abortion rights, together with many non secular teams alarmed on the prospect of not having a like-minded candidate on the Senate poll within the fall.
“The dignity of each particular person — born and pre-born — needs to be unassailable and non-negotiable,” mentioned Paul J. Batura, a spokesperson for the non secular group Give attention to the Household, which isn’t concerned within the major. “Come November, Coloradoans and voters in all places deserve the chance to precise their pro-life convictions on the poll field.”
The most important conservative occasion within the state is the Western Conservative Summit, sponsored by Colorado Christian College. It was there, in an unlimited resort close to Denver Worldwide Airport, that O’Dea acquired a well mannered reception from the group, which was largely quiet whereas he briefly mentioned abortion. Hanks, who preceded him, was greeted with roars when he outlined his unyielding stance on the problem.
“After we combat for all times, we don’t combat for all times a few of the time, we combat for all of it,” Hanks mentioned. “As a result of all people deserves a birthday.”
O’Dea jabbed at Hanks, a former Military intelligence officer who unsuccessfully ran for Congress in California in 2010. Hanks mentioned he opposed abortion, however his marketing campaign literature mentioned he held “a measured and slender window for medical consultants.” That caveat led O’Dea to accuse Hanks of “having his finger within the wind.” Hanks, in an interview, mentioned he modified place as a result of enhancements in medical know-how make it simpler to avoid wasting a mom’s life in case of problems.
However most of O’Dea’s speech didn’t contain abortion, a problem that he says he by no means hears about from voters. Most voters, O’Dea mentioned in an interview, are fearful about inflation and crime, two points he’s hit relentlessly on the marketing campaign path.
A political novice, O’Dea has donated to each Democrats and Republicans up to now. He gave $500 to Bennet in 2010. O’Dea mentioned that he made most of his donations to Democrats when he chaired a development business group that paid to attend marketing campaign fundraisers and that he’ll ask for his a reimbursement on the controversy stage.
O’Dea says he voted twice for Donald Trump however that he has no opinion on whether or not the previous president ought to run once more and volunteered that he appreciated Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, a possible Trump rival in 2024′s GOP major. O’Dea mentioned he supported Trump’s nominees to the Supreme Court docket, who’re among the many justices who seem to again overturning Roe, and noticed no contradiction between that and his views on abortion.
“I’m not operating on social points,” O’Dea mentioned, “and other people aren’t speaking about social points, besides reporters and Ron Hanks.”
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Colorado
Colorado star and Heisman Trophy favorite Travis Hunter says he will enter the NFL Draft
Colorado Buffaloes two-way star Travis Hunter said Thursday he plans to declare for the 2025 NFL Draft.
“That’s definitely for sure,” Hunter, 21, told reporters when asked if he intended to declare.
A favorite to win the Heisman Trophy, Hunter plays both cornerback and receiver for the Buffaloes. He is projected by many to be selected first overall next April.
When asked about playing both offense and defense as a professional, Hunter acknowledged the rarity of doing both, saying, “It’s never been done.”
He added: “I understand that it will be a high risk, [teams] don’t want their top pick to go down too early and I know they’re going to want me to be in a couple packages. But I believe I can do it. Nobody has stopped me from doing it thus far.”
More Sports from NBC News
In 10 games for Colorado this season, Hunter has 74 receptions for 911 yards and nine touchdowns — all career bests. Defensively, Hunter has three interceptions, eight passes defended and 23 tackles.
Hunter was a highly recruited player coming out of high school. A consensus five-star prospect, he originally committed to Florida State before flipping his commitment to Jackson State — becoming the first five-star recruit to commit to an HBCU.
Hunter played for one season at Jackson State under head coach Deion Sanders, then transferred to Colorado before the 2023 season when Sanders took the head coaching job there.
Last season, Hunter averaged close to 115 plays per game, participating in offense, defense and special teams.
Sanders’s son Shedeur, who plays quarterback for Colorado, is projected to be among the first signal-callers selected in next year’s draft. Another player who could be a Heisman finalist, Sanders said Thursday that Hunter is the more deserving of the two to win the award.
“If it’s between me and him, I would want him to get it,” Shedeur Sanders said. “He does a lot of amazing things and things that haven’t been done before. I’m not a selfish guy. I know what he’s capable of, so I would rather him win.”
Colorado
Seeking Revenge Against the Capitals | Colorado Avalanche
Colorado Avalanche (10-9-0) @ Washington Capitals (13-4-1)
5 p.m. MT | Capital One Arena | Watch: Altitude, 9News, My20, Altitude+ | Listen: Altitude Sports Radio (92.5 FM)
For the second time in six days the Colorado Avalanche will faceoff against the Washington Capitals. Colorado will battle to split the season series after a 5-2 loss at Ball Arena on November 15.
Latest Result (COL): COL 3, PHI 2
Latest Result (WSH): WSH 6, UTA 2
Soaring Past the Flyers
The Avalanche beat the Flyers 3-2 at Wells Fargo Center on Monday. Cale Makar posted his 10th-career multi-goal game and Casey Mittlestadt added a goal. Additionally, Mikko Rantanen recorded two assists and Justus Annunen made 24 saves. Following a scoreless first period, Makar opened the scoring with a wrist shot from the slot at 8:30 of the second period after receiving Nathan MacKinnon’s set-up feed. Makar thought he had his second of the game at 10:44 of the middle frame, but the goal was taken off the board due to a successful Flyers challenge for goaltender interference. However, Makar would eventually double Colorado’s lead on the power play with his eighth tally of the season at 15:08 of the middle frame with a shot from the point that deflected off a Flyers player on its way in. The Burgundy and Blue took a 3-0 lead at 8:34 of the third period when Mittelstadt dispatched the rebound created by Rantanen’s shot into the net for his seventh goal of the season. The Flyers answered with goals from Owen Tippett at 11:48 and Tyson Foerster at 13:32 to cut their deficit to one, but the Avs held on to secure their 10th victory of the season.
Leading the Way
MacKinnon leads the NHL in points (34) and assists (27).
Makar leads NHL blueliners in goals (8), assists (19), and points (27). He’s tied for seventh among NHL skaters in points and tied for fifth in assists.
Rantanen is tied for sixth in the league in goals (12) and tied for seventh in points (27).
History
The Avalanche are 18-20-4 in 42 previous regular-season games against the Capitals. Colorado is 4-1-0 in its last five matchups against Washington dating back to the 2022-23 season.
Winning Out West
The Capitals beat the Utah Hockey Club 6-2 at the Delta Center on Monday. Alex Ovechkin scored twice, and Charlie Lindgren made 24 saves. Utah opened the scoring with a goal by Jack McBain at 3:05 of the first period but the Capitals responded with tallies from Dylan Strome at 7:46, Nic Dowd at 7:56, and Ovechkin at 11:05. Ovechkin extended Washington’s lead to three with a goal at 5:38 of the second period before Nick Bjugstad scored for Utah at 11:44 to make it 4-2 in favor of Washington entering the third period. Ovechkin did leave the game midway through the third period with a lower-body injury and has been placed on injured reserve and ruled week-to-week. The Caps added two more goals in the third period from Brandon Duhaime at 7:30 and Aliaksei Protas at 9:56 to win 6-2.
Putting Up Numbers on the Potomac
MacKinnon has posted 28 points (11g/17a) in 20-career matchups against the Capitals including 11 points (5g/6a) in 10 road matchups against them.
In eight previous meetings with Washington, Makar has recorded six points (2g/4a).
Rantanen has registered 19 points (8g/11a) in 14 previous games against Washington including eight points (4g/4a) on the road.
Capitals’ Contributors
Strome leads the Capitals in points (28) and assists (22).
Connor McMichael is second on the team in goals (12) and third in points (19).
Aliaksei Protas is fourth on the team in points (18), third in goals (7), and tied for third in assists (11).
A Numbers Game
10
Makar became the first defenseman in franchise history to record 10 multi-goal games.
3
The Avalanche have three players (MacKinnon, Makar, and Rantanen) in the top 10 in points. No other team has more than one.
165
The Avs have registered 165 high-danger shots on goal, which ranks sixth in the NHL.
Quote That Left a Mark
“Juice is great. I think he’s been great all year. [He made] some big saves, especially at the beginning there…So [it was a] heck of a job from Juice for sure.”
— Casey Mittelstadt on Justus Annunen’s performance on Monday
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