West
Pete McCloskey, GOP congressman who once challenged Nixon, dies at 96
Pete McCloskey — a pro-environment, anti-war California Republican who co-wrote the Endangered Species Act and co-founded Earth Day — has died. He was 96.
A fourth-generation Republican “in the mold of Teddy Roosevelt,” he often said, McCloskey represented the 12th Congressional District for 15 years, running for president against the incumbent Richard Nixon in 1972. He battled party leaders while serving seven terms in Congress and went on to publicly disavow the GOP in his later years.
ON THIS DAY IN HISTORY, AUGUST 8, 1974, PRESIDENT NIXON ANNOUNCES HIS RESIGNATION
He died at home Wednesday, according to Lee Houskeeper, a family friend.
Years after leaving Washington, McCloskey made one last bid for elective office in 2006 when he challenged Richard Pombo of Northern California’s 11th District in a primary race that McCloskey described as “a battle for the soul of the Republican Party.” After losing to Pombo, who had spent most of his tenure in Washington attempting to undo the Endangered Species Act, he threw his support behind Democrat Jerry McNerney, the eventual winner.
“It was foolish to run against him (Pombo), but we didn’t have anybody else to do it, and I could not stand what a—— they’d become,” the frank-talking former Marine colonel said of the modern GOP in a 2008 interview with The Associated Press.
Republican presidential candidate Ronald Reagan, left, admires the bumper sticker on the car of Congressman Pete McCloskey as the congressman looks on, right, in San Jose, Calif., Sept. 25, 1980. Reagan was in the area on a campaign trip prior to leaving for more campaigning in Washington and Oregon. Former California Congressman McCloskey, who ran as a Republican challenging President Richard Nixon in 1972, died on Wednesday, May 8, 2024, at age 96. (AP Photo/Harrity)
McCloskey cited disillusionment from influence peddling and ethics scandals under the George W. Bush administration as reasons why he switched parties in 2007 at the age of 79. “A pox on them and their values,” he wrote in an open letter explaining the switch to his supporters.
“McCloskey was a rarity in American politics — his actions were guided by his sense of justice, not by political ideology,” Joe Cotchett, his law partner since 2004, said in a statement. “He hated inequity and did not hesitate to take on members of his own political party.”
Born in Loma Linda, California, on Sept. 29, 1927, as Paul Norton McCloskey Jr., he graduated from South Pasadena High School, where the second baseman made the school’s baseball hall of fame, although he self-deprecatingly called himself “perhaps the worst player on the baseball team.”
McCloskey joined the Marine Corps as an officer and led a rifle platoon during some of the most intense fighting of the Korean War. He was awarded the Navy Cross for extraordinary heroism, the nation’s second-highest honor, a Silver Star for bravery in combat and two Purple Hearts.
He earned a law degree from Stanford University and founded an environmental law firm in Palo Alto before making the move to public office. In 1967, he defeated fellow Republican Shirley Temple Black and Democrat Roy Archibald in a special election for the San Mateo County congressional seat.
The left-leaning McCloskey had a thundering presence in Washington, attempting to get onto the floor of the 1972 Republican National Convention during his bid to unseat then-President Nixon on an anti-Vietnam War platform. He ultimately was blocked by a rule written by his friend and law school debate partner, John Ehrlichman, that said a candidate could not get to the floor with fewer than 25 delegates. McCloskey had one.
Still, McCloskey loved to say he finished second.
He would later visit Ehrlichman in prison, where Nixon’s former counsel served 1.5 years for conspiracy, perjury and obstruction of justice in the Watergate break-in that led to the president’s resignation.
While in office, McCloskey also was known for befriending Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat and criticized Israeli influence on American politics. The congressman was the first to demand Nixon’s impeachment, and the first to demand a repeal of the Gulf of Tonkin resolution that allowed the Vietnam War.
But his enduring legacy is the Endangered Species Act, which protects species designated as endangered or threatened and conserves the ecosystems on which they depend. McCloskey co-wrote the legislation in 1973, after a campaign by young people empowered by Earth Day activities successfully unseated seven of 12 Congress members known as “The Dirty Dozen” for their anti-environment votes.
“On that day, the world changed,” McCloskey recalled in 2008. “Suddenly, everybody was an environmentalist. My Republican colleagues started asking me for copies of old speeches I had given on water and air quality.”
“A powerful champion of endangered species, Pete, ironically, became one,” said Denis Hayes, co-organizer of the Earth Day, about the rarity of a “green, anti-war Republican.”
After 15 years in the House, he lost his run for a Senate seat to Republican Pete Wilson, who went on to be California’s governor. He moved back to rural Yolo County, relishing the life of a farmer and part-time attorney.
“You know, if people call you ‘congressman’ all the time, you’ll end up thinking you’re smarter than you are,” he said.
McCloskey, however, couldn’t stay quiet forever.
In 2006, after his unsuccessful race against Pombo, he helped form the Revolt of the Elders Coalition, a group of retired Republican congressmen who pushed to get soldiers more money for college, undo measures that made it tougher to investigate ethics violations and rallied against those who had received funding from disgraced lobbyist Jack Abramoff, including Pombo.
“If you can do something at age 80 that positively affects our country, you should be proud of it. Otherwise there’s no redeeming value in getting older,” he said.
McCloskey is survived by his wife, Helen — his longtime press secretary whom he married in 1978 — and four children by his first wife: Nancy, Peter, John and Kathleen.
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Each week at Last Rites, a Duboce Triangle establishment known for its immersive atmosphere, fans gather for a watch party of the long-running reality television series “Survivor.”
San Francisco resident Kiram Maledi has been a regular since discovering the event with friends.
“We live really close by,” Maledi said. “And my good friend Emily, who turned us on to ‘Survivor,’ found out that Last Rites hosts ‘Survivor’ night. We got super into watching ‘Survivor’ in the past couple years, and the thought of an outing in our neighborhood where we get to participate in community while also indulging in this awesome season is pretty fun.”
“Survivor,” one of the longest-running reality shows in television history, is now in its 50th season on CBS.
For Maledi, appreciation for the series came later in life.
“I’m a fan of the show because I never thought I’d be into reality TV, and I’m pleasantly surprised,” he said. “It’s a good practice of self to challenge myself for what I think I like. The challenges are super fun to watch. It’s cool to watch and be like, ‘How bad would I be at that?’ And for me to watch the social game and be like, ‘Oh, I would be crushed by that, I would really struggle.’ So to kind of role play like, how would these people do it, how would I do it, and oftentimes just get surprised and into it.”
The bar’s carefully crafted environment adds to the experience. With jungle-inspired decor, layered sound design and even scent elements, the space is designed to evoke a tropical destination, echoing the setting of the show itself.
Screens positioned throughout the bar ensure the episode is visible from nearly every angle.
“This is such a well-crafted space,” Maledi said. “The decorations, sound design — it even smells like what I think a tropical destination bar would smell like. I guess it is that. Drinks are super fantastic. I didn’t even know there was a second side of the menu.”
At Last Rites, the weekly gathering goes beyond simply watching a television show. For fans, it’s an immersive experience, one that brings them closer to the world of “Survivor,” and to each other.
The Waterford RiNo building at 2797 Wewatta Way was given to a lender in 2025. (BusinessDen file)
Denver’s apartment market is facing headwinds.
BusinessDen scoured county foreclosure records, third-party reports and court filings to determine the area’s apartment buildings that have exhibited signs of financial distress in recent months.
The list below is not necessarily comprehensive, but will be updated when we have more information, or when a particular property’s situation changes.
Foreclosed
2617-2667 W. Evans Ave., Denver
Loan: $14 million
Former owner: JTA1 Real Properties LLC AND JTA4 Real Properties LLC
Unit count: 125
456 S. Ironton St., Aurora
Loan: $25.54
Former owner: HL Lofts LLC/Summit Communities
Unit count: 112
Deed-in-lieu of foreclosure
2797 Wewatta Way, Denver
Loan: $91 million
Former owner: SRGMF III Wewatta Way Denver LLC/Sares Regis Group
Unit count: 301
Foreclosure initiated
1259 Newton St., Denver
Loan: $12.65 million
Owner: AVP Newton Venture LLC/Armada Venture Partners
4510 W. Saint Clair Place, Adams County
Loan: $6.35 million
Owner: 4510 Saint Clair Apartments LLC
2038 South Vaughn Way, Aurora
Loan: $57.15 million
Owner: Arboreta Apts LLC/Summit Communities
Unit count: 268
1433, 1451 and 1463 Macon St., Aurora
Loan: $2.98 million
Owner: West Macon Street LLC
In receivership, not in foreclosure
10101 Washington St., Thornton
Loan: $17.5 million
Owner: Meadows at Town Center LLC/Summit Communities
Units: 104
7500 Dakin St., Adams County
Loan: $49.5 million
Owner: Boulder CR Apts LLC/Summit Communities
Units: 322
Bankrupt
1592 Boston St., Aurora
Loan: $3 million
Owner: 1592 Boston Street LLC/Shaul Gabbay
Unit count: 32
1960 Dallas St., Aurora
Loan: $4.8 million
Owner: 1960 Dallas Street LLC/Shaul Gabbay
Unit count: 32
The Seattle Mariners have two notable players on the injured list that are nearing their returns.
Mariners’ Matt Brash details side issue, doesn’t think it’s serious
Here’s a quick look at what we know about the statuses of third baseman Brendan Donovan and Bryce Miller.
Brendan Donovan
Donovan has been out of action with a left groin strain since April 18, but could be just days away from getting back in the Mariners’ lineup. The 29-year-old All-Star has reached the minimum amount for a stay on the 10-day injured list.
“The progression has gone as hoped, and he’s taken swings. I think he looks like he’s on pace to be back during the homestand at some point,” Mariners manager Dan Wilson said Tuesday.
Donovan was the Mariners’ key offseason acquisition, landing in Seattle from the St. Louis Cardinals in a three-team trade that also involved the Tampa Bay Rays.
Donovan underwent sports hernia surgery in October and had a few periods where he missed games in April due to injury or illness.
When Donovan has been on the field, he’s been Seattle’s primary leadoff hitter against right-handed pitching and among the team’s best offensive producers. He has a .304/.437/.518 slash line for a .954 OPS with three home runs in 18 games this year.
Bryce Miller
Still working his way back after oblique inflammation derailed his spring training, Miller is expected to make the third start of his minor league rehab assignment Friday in the Triple-A Tacoma Rainiers’ home game against the Las Vegas Aviators at Cheney Stadium.
The Mariners will have a tough decision to make with their starting rotation when Miller returns, as Emerson Hancock (2.86 ERA, 0.981 WHIP) has been great thus far filling in for Miller. Seattle has some time before a decision needs to be made, though.
For one, Miller isn’t fully stretched out, throwing only 47 pitches and three innings in his second rehab start last Friday with the High-A Everett AquaSox. And second, Mariners general manager Justin Hollander said that the M’s were likely to use the full 30 days allowed on Miller’s rehab stint, which would put him on pace to join the team in mid-May.
Seattle Mariners news and analysis
• Cole Young continues breakout as Mariners win another series
• White Sox call up Jarred Kelenic before playing Mariners next week
• Julio: When it’s clicking, Mariners ‘one of the best teams in baseball’
• Luis Castillo is in a tough spot in Mariners’ rotation
• Seattle Mariners seeing early payoff from Jose Ferrer trade
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