Uber threatens to shut down operations in big state if new bill becomes law
Uber warned Colorado that it may cease operations in the state entirely if a new bill targeting rideshare companies were to become law.
The Colorado House of Representatives successfully passed a bill designed to “increase protections for persons engaged with transportation network companies” on April 16. Among those protections included conducting a regular criminal background check for drivers every six months and requiring drivers to make audio and video recordings of trips.
The HB25-1291 bill passed on 59-6 bipartisan vote before it was referred to the Senate Committee on Business, Labor, & Technology, where it was amended to the Committee of the Whole on a 4-3 vote on Tuesday. The bill will be reviewed by the state Senate on Friday.
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Uber has come out against it since its passing last week. On Wednesday, the company released a new statement suggesting they would have “no choice” but to leave the state over concerns about the bill’s ramifications.
“HB25-1291 is a deeply flawed proposal, which if implemented could leave us no choice but cease operations in Colorado,” an Uber spokesperson said in a statement to KKTV11. “It threatens user privacy by requiring every trip to be recorded, imposes major technical and financial burdens, and offers no clear safety benefit in return. We support real, evidence-based safety policy – not legislation that checks a box but fails to deliver. As written, this bill not only misses the mark, it risks doing more harm than good.”
According to the Colorado Sun, Uber is largely concerned with clauses in the bill that could allow lawsuits for issues like drivers offering passengers food and drinks. The company also opposes the bill requiring Uber to reimburse drivers for the purchase of audio and visual recording equipment.
Fox Business reached out to Uber and the Colorado General Assembly for comment.
Uber has threatened to leave cities and states in the past over legislation it opposes. However, the company rarely follows through on threats even after legislation has been passed.
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One recent example included Uber and Lyft threatening to cease operations in Minneapolis in 2024 after the city council successfully overruled Mayor Jacob Frey’s veto of an ordinance to increase minimum wage requirements for drivers.
On May 20, a little over two weeks after the ordinance was set to take effect, Uber and Lyft announced they would continue to operate in the city after Minnesota lawmakers passed a state measure to increase driver pay at a lower rate compared to Minneapolis’ ordinance.
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Top prospect Shedeur Sanders goes unselected in 1st round of NFL Draft as free fall continues
The rumors that Shedeur Sanders would fall out of the first round were very true.
The Colorado quarterback went unselected in the first round of the NFL Draft on Thursday night.
Sanders, at one point, was considered to be the 1B to Cam Ward’s 1A. Ward separated himself, and went first overall to the Tennessee Titans.
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But, in recent days, it was becoming apparent that teams did not love Sanders – the Raiders took Ashton Jeanty at six, and the Saints went with Kelvin Banks Jr. at nine, officially starting the Sanders fall.
All eyes were on the Pittsburgh Steelers at No. 21. But as no one traded up in front of them, the Steelers’ selection came and went without a QB – they opted for Derrick Harmon.
The New York Giants traded back in to the first round, but they opted for Jaxson Dart instead.
Matthew Stafford’s age put the Los Angeles Rams on notice, but they decided to pass, thus ending any quarterback needs in the first round.
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Earlier this week, coaches sounded off on Sanders, with one calling his formal interview “the worst,” adding “he’s not that good.”
“He’s so entitled. He takes unnecessary sacks. He never plays on time. He has horrible body language. He blames teammates,” the coach continued. “But the biggest thing is, he’s not that good.”
Sanders exuded confidence hours before the draft.
“I’m built for whatever today may bring,” he posted on social media.
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The Browns, still needy at quarterback, own the first pick of the second round, so perhaps Sanders won’t be waiting too much longer and hear his name early on Friday evening.
But it certainly is quite the drop.
Navy charts new course as it ditches controversial Biden-era policy
The Navy will no longer pursue a zero-emissions goal instituted under the Biden administration, Secretary of the Navy John Phelan announced on Wednesday.
“We need to focus on having a lethal and ready naval force, unimpeded by ideologically motivated regulations,” Phelan said in a video announcing he would rescind the Navy Climate Action 2030 Plan.
The plan had called for the Navy to use 100% emissions-free vehicles by 2035 and to use 100% carbon pollution-free electricity sources by 2030, with a 65% reduction in Scope 1 and Scope 2 greenhouse gas emissions.
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Naval installations all along the coast are threatened by rising sea levels and increased storms, Meredith Berger, the former assistant secretary for energy, installations and environment, argued at the time.
“2030 is the marker that we laid down initially because the scientific community and others have said that this is the decade of decisive action, and so we’re taking that very seriously,” she told reporters.
Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth applauded Phelan’s move in a post on X: “Well done.”
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Under Biden’s Navy secretary, Carlos del Toro, the service branch produced a 32-page document deeming climate change “one of the most destabilizing forces of our time.”
It laid out a series of climate change-related threats to the Navy: destructive storms, black flag days at or above 90 degrees Fahrenheit where strenuous training is curtailed, and strains on the energy grid as people compete for power. The document followed Biden’s own bold plan to make the U.S. economy net-zero-emissions by 2050.
During the Obama administration, then-Navy Sec. Ray Mabus launched an effort dubbed the “Great Green Fleet,” aimed at renewable energy sources for warships. The effort was canned by the first Trump administration in 2017.
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In February, Hegseth ordered Pentagon agencies to identify 8% of their budget that could be cut, “low-impact and low-priority” Biden-era programs, and the funding redirected to Trump priorities.
Programs that could be on the chopping block include “so-called ‘climate change’ and other woke programs, as well as excessive bureaucracy,” according to Acting Deputy Secretary of Defense Robert Salesses.
Tim Walz tries to bash Trump admin, history quickly comes back to haunt him
The White House hit back hard Thursday at Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz’s state of the state address in which Kamala Harris’ former running mate slammed President Donald Trump over his immigration policies and other “chaos.”
“It’s rich of Tim ‘Jazz Hands’ Walz to decry chaos when he let his largest city burn to the ground while his wife opened their mansion’s windows to savor the fumes,” White House deputy press secretary Harrison Fields said in a statement to Fox News Digital, referring to the Minneapolis George Floyd riots of 2020. “Walz also willingly served alongside Vice President Harris, who presided over one of the most chaotic administrations in American history.”
The former Democratic vice presidential candidate used his state of the state address on Wednesday to criticize Trump and his administration for moving to deport illegal immigrants, including suspected gang members, as well as terrorist sympathizers.
“The president has also chosen, and I stress this, chosen, to tear up the values that once made America the shining light of the world. In this land of the free and home of the brave, we have university students being swept up, shoved into unmarked vans, and fathers being tossed into Salvadorian gulags without a hint of due process,” Walz claimed.
“I want to be real clear about this. If you say you love freedom, but you don’t believe freedom is for everybody, then the thing you love isn’t freedom, it’s privilege,” the governor said, garnering a standing ovation on the Minnesota House floor.
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Walz appeared to indirectly reference the case of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, an illegal immigrant and suspected member of MS-13, which the administration newly designated a foreign terrorist organization. The administration admitted to mistakenly deporting Abrego Garcia to El Salvador, though Trump and federal officials have doubled down on Abrego Garcia’s alleged ties to the violent Mexican gang, as well as a domestic violence case involving his wife claiming he beat her.
Abrego Garcia was initially suspected of human smuggling during a 2022 Tennessee traffic stop but was not charged. Democrats, categorizing Abrego Garcia as a “Maryland father,” meanwhile, have traveled to El Salvador to visit him while urging the administration to comply with Supreme Court and other court orders instructing that he be returned to the U.S.
Abrego Garcia was initially held at the El Salvadoran megaprison known as the Terrorism Confinement Center (CECOT), but he has since been transferred to the lower security Centro Industrial Penitentiary facility in Santa Ana, El Salvador. The State Department said in court filings he remains held there “in good conditions and in an excellent state of health.”
Walz also appeared to excoriate how federal immigration authorities have taken into custody foreign students whose visas were rescinded by the Trump administration for allegedly organizing anti-Israel demonstrations at U.S. college campuses.
Though Walz did not mention anyone by name, another group of House Democrats traveled to Louisiana detention facilities holding Tufts University fifth-year doctoral student Rümeysa Öztürk and former Columbia University graduate student Mahmoud Khalil this week.
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The Democratic governor also took jabs at Elon Musk and the Department of Government Efficiency, claiming that the Trump administration wants to take Medicaid coverage away.
“I can’t help but point out that we also gather at a moment of great uncertainty for our nation. And let’s be honest, this uncertainty, this chaos is no accident,” Walz said. “The President of the United States has chosen, chosen to destroy the federal government’s ability to help people. He literally hired the richest man in the world to take a chainsaw to the basic services that Minnesotans rely on to build better lives. His plan leaves nobody there working to prevent the next pandemic, nobody to pick up the phone at the Social Security office, nobody making sure kids with special needs get the quality education they deserve.”
He also slammed Trump over his reciprocal tariffs policies, alleging the Republican president is out of touch with working-class Americans.
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“And on an hour by hour, day by day basis, the President of the United States has chosen, chosen to throw our economy into turmoil,” Walz said. “Global markets are teetering on the brink of collapse. Businesses across this country and here in Minnesota are already laying off employees by the thousands. Working people are paying more for basic goods, and if you haven’t checked your 401k lately, don’t do it. So let’s be very clear. None of this had to happen. When the president took office three months ago, there was no reason to throw a wrench in the works and destroy decades of work. But if you listen to anything that comes out of his mouth, one thing has become clear. He’s just plain confused about how the world really works for working people.”
Republican proposal could help families receive thousands of dollars
Some Republican lawmakers are seeking an increase in the child tax credit while scrapping other controversial tax benefits.
The “Family First Act,” sponsored by Sen. Jim Banks, R-Ind., and Rep. Blake Moore, R-Utah, would raise the credit to $4,200 for children under 6 years old and $3,000 for older children. Families can claim the credit for up to six children and would be “fully refundable.”
Notably, the legislation would add a $2,800 credit for pregnant women starting at 20 weeks. The credit amounts are expected to rise with inflation over time.
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However, the bill would also scrap the “head of household” filing status and end the “additional exemption for dependents” and the State and Local Income Tax Deduction, which is often used by those in high-tax states.
Filers can deduct up to $10,000 from state and local taxes based on the 2017 federal law. Some Republican and Democratic lawmakers in high-tax states support the SALT deduction, whereas other lawmakers oppose it.
“Strong nations are made of strong families. My bill delivers real relief by cutting taxes, removing marriage penalties and making it easier for parents to support their kids and build a better future,” Banks told FOX Business in a statement Thursday.
The credit reduces “by $50 for each $1,000” if somebody’s “modified adjusted gross income” is above $200,000 or $400,000 for joint filers.
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For 2024, the credit is up to $2,000 per qualifying child, according to the IRS.
Congress has been out of session the past two weeks, but conversations on tax policy are at the forefront as the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act is scheduled to expire this year if its provisions are not made permanent.
Specifically, it would end the Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit that helps some parents pay for daycare, but it is only used by a small percentage of parents, according to American Enterprise Institute Senior Fellow Timothy Carney. The legislation also makes changes to the earned income tax credit.
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“This year, with the expiration of provisions from the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, we have a historic opportunity to champion pro-family policies,” Moore said in a statement.
“The Family First Act will streamline antiquated federal tax policies into an enhanced child tax credit for working families and a new tax credit for pregnant mothers. This fiscally responsible approach affirms the dignity of work and promotes marriage, supporting families as they build stronger and more prosperous communities for the next generation,” the Utah Republican continued.
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The legislative proposal comes as the Trump administration floats the possibility of a $5,000 incentive for having a baby.
“Sounds like a good idea to me,” Trump told the New York Post.
FOX Business recently reported on other tax proposals being made for families, including a bipartisan push to make the adoption tax credit refundable again.
Federal judge deals blow to Trump’s executive order on election integrity
A federal judge in Washington, D.C., on Thursday blocked a portion of President Donald Trump’s executive order on election integrity, specifically provisions related to providing documentary proof of citizenship before being allowed to register to vote.
Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia handed down the order in response to lawsuits filed by three separate groups of plaintiffs over five different provisions in a March 25 Trump executive order relating to election integrity. While Kollar-Kotelly dismissed requests to block three of the provisions, requests to block two other provisions pertaining to a proof of citizenship requirement for voters were granted.
The first blocked provision sought to compel the Election Assistance Commission to amend standardized national voter registration forms to require documentary proof of citizenship. The second sought to require federal agencies offering voter registration to people on public assistance to “assess” the individual’s citizenship status before doing so.
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“Our Constitution entrusts Congress and the States — not the President — with the authority to regulate federal elections. Consistent with that allocation of power, Congress is currently debating legislation that would effect many of the changes the President purports to order,” Kollar-Kotelly, a Clinton-appointee, wrote in her order. “No statutory delegation of authority to the Executive Branch permits the President to short-circuit Congress’s deliberative process by executive order.”
Kollar-Kotelly said she would not block the other provisions that the groups sought to challenge, which cover mail-in ballots and data collection on citizenship status, calling the challenges “premature” and indicating they would be best challenged at the state level.
Earlier this month, the Republican-led House of Representatives passed a bill requiring proof-of-citizenship to vote in federal elections. The measure still must pass the Senate, however, before the president can sign it into law.
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Meanwhile, 25 states are considering some form of proof-of-citizenship legislation, according to the Voting Rights Lab, which is tracking such legislation. In total, 15 state constitutions have explicit prohibitions against non-citizen voting.
In addition to Trump’s proof-of-citizenship orders getting shot down, two other federal judges from Maryland and New Hampshire also shot down additional orders from the president related to ending diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs in K-12 public schools on Thursday.
The rulings followed lawsuits filed by the National Education Association, the American Civil Liberties Union and the Maryland chapter of the American Federation of Teachers. The groups argued that making federal funding contingent on whether educators squash their DEI programs violates First Amendment rights granted by the Constitution.
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Fox News Digital reached out to the White House for comment on this article but did not receive a response in time for publication.
Mother falls to her death while hiking at state park with her kids
A mother of four died on Wednesday after falling from a steep area at a Massachusetts state park.
Carolyn Sanger, 49, of Topsfield, fell roughly 50 to 75 feet, and was pronounced dead at the scene of Purgatory Chasm State Reservation in Sutton, the Worcester County District Attorney’s Office told Fox News Digital.
Shortly after 2 p.m. Wednesday, Massachusetts State Police responded to the scene, officials told Fox News Digital.
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Sanger was out hiking with three of her children and other family members when the incident occurred, according to Sutton police.
There were “multiple” medical professionals hiking in the area, who were able to provide immediate medical attention.
However, she was pronounced dead a short time later, Sutton Police wrote in a statement on Facebook.
Troopers secured the scene, and the circumstances of the incident remain under investigation by state police detectives assigned to the Worcester County District Attorney’s Office.
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“We offer our condolences to the family and loved ones of the decedent,” Massachusetts State Police wrote in a statement.
Sutton police added it had also extended condolences to the family.
A GoFundMe created on behalf of the Sanger family had raised nearly $50,000, as of Thursday afternoon.
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“For those that knew Carrie, know that she was a bright light; a wonderful, selfless mother who has raised four incredible, respectful, responsible kids,” organizers wrote on the site. “She was a friend to all and her smile and kind spirit will be greatly missed. She passed too early – but she left the earth doing what she loved, with the ones she loved.”
The popular state park is known for its 70-foot-deep chasm that splits granite bedrock, Boston 25 News reported.
National anthem performance before Stanley Cup playoff game sparks outrage with fans
The Los Angeles Kings hosted the Edmonton Oilers Monday for a first-round Stanley Cup playoff game, and a pregame performance became a topic of conversation.
Members of the Korea Town Senior & Community Center performed “The Star-Spangled Banner” prior to the puck drop at Crypto.com Arena. The group used harmonicas instead of singing the American national anthem.
The majority of the crowd in attendance appeared to approve of the rendition as thousands remained standing to applaud the performers.
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But some observers took to social media to voice their displeasure.
“Whoever thought this was a good idea should probably not have a job,” an X user wrote.
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“What in tarnation,” another social media account stated.
Once the game started, it was a hard-fought contest.
The Oilers tied the game late in third period, but the Kings celebrated a 6-5 victory in Game 1. Los Angeles was also victorious in Game 2.
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The third game of the series is scheduled for Friday.