James O'Rourke
@james-e-orourke.bsky.social
Investigative reporter (and sometimes film critic) @coloradotimesrecorder.com
Reposted by James O'Rourke
After drivers approaching of Starbucks talked with union supporters who approached their cars with flyers, about half the cars approaching the drive-thru left without buying a latte or anything. coloradotimesrecorder.com/2025/11/latt...
Latte-Less: Picketers Persuade Starbucks Customers To Exit the Drive-Thru Without Buying Anything
On Sunday, picketers in front of a Starbucks on South Broadway in Denver approached customers as they entered the store's drive-thru, discussed the national strike against the coffee chain, and...
coloradotimesrecorder.com
November 26, 2025 at 8:23 PM
After drivers approaching of Starbucks talked with union supporters who approached their cars with flyers, about half the cars approaching the drive-thru left without buying a latte or anything. coloradotimesrecorder.com/2025/11/latt...
Reposted by James O'Rourke
This morning we heard from County Clerks in Colorado who are urging Gov. Polis not to transfer Tina Peters to federal custody.
coloradotimesrecorder.com/2025/11/colo...
coloradotimesrecorder.com/2025/11/colo...
Colorado Election Officials Urge Polis To Deny Trump Request To Transfer Election Denier Peters
The Colorado County Clerks Association (CCCA) held a press conference this morning urging Gov. Jared Polis not to transfer former Mesa County Clerk Tina Peters to federal custody. Peters “This...
coloradotimesrecorder.com
November 25, 2025 at 8:11 PM
This morning we heard from County Clerks in Colorado who are urging Gov. Polis not to transfer Tina Peters to federal custody.
coloradotimesrecorder.com/2025/11/colo...
coloradotimesrecorder.com/2025/11/colo...
Reposted by James O'Rourke
A full 70% of initiatives filed at Colorado's Title Board are funded by conservative dark money group Advance Colorado. What they can't achieve by winning elected office, they're trying to accomplish at the ballot box. Great story @coloradotimesrecorder.com coloradotimesrecorder.com/2025/11/adva...
Analysis: Conservative Dark Money Group Dominates Colorado's Ballot Initiative Process for 2026
Ostensibly, ballot initiatives are meant as a way for the average citizen to create political change without the Legislature. But over half of the initiatives which could be put to...
coloradotimesrecorder.com
November 24, 2025 at 2:45 PM
A full 70% of initiatives filed at Colorado's Title Board are funded by conservative dark money group Advance Colorado. What they can't achieve by winning elected office, they're trying to accomplish at the ballot box. Great story @coloradotimesrecorder.com coloradotimesrecorder.com/2025/11/adva...
Reposted by James O'Rourke
MY LATEST: Despite pressure from activists, Evans’ support for Trump’s mass deportation policy, which aims to remove millions of undocumented immigrants from the U.S. regardless of how long they’ve been in the country, doesn’t appear to be wavering
Protesters Call on Congressman Gabe Evans To Stop Supporting Mass Deportations and To Oppose a New ICE Jail in His District
The door to U.S. Rep. Gabe Evans' (R-CO) office in Greeley was locked Friday morning when Jen Montes, standing in front of 30 people, delivered an envelope full of petitions...
coloradotimesrecorder.com
November 24, 2025 at 9:21 PM
MY LATEST: Despite pressure from activists, Evans’ support for Trump’s mass deportation policy, which aims to remove millions of undocumented immigrants from the U.S. regardless of how long they’ve been in the country, doesn’t appear to be wavering
Reposted by James O'Rourke
Strategically endorsing revisionist “RotS wasn’t THAT bad?” takes like they’re ethanol subsidies for millennials
haven’t seen ROS or Solo but this seems like a pretty ball-knowing list from Pritzker, particularly if he volunteered the name “Star Wars” rather than “A New Hope”
November 24, 2025 at 6:39 PM
Strategically endorsing revisionist “RotS wasn’t THAT bad?” takes like they’re ethanol subsidies for millennials
Reposted by James O'Rourke
Great and important work by @james-e-orourke.bsky.social here about the big money trying to buy our ballot initiative process.
coloradotimesrecorder.com/2025/11/adva...
coloradotimesrecorder.com/2025/11/adva...
Analysis: Conservative Dark Money Group Dominates Colorado's Ballot Initiative Process for 2026
Ostensibly, ballot initiatives are meant as a way for the average citizen to create political change without the Legislature. But over half of the initiatives which could be put to...
coloradotimesrecorder.com
November 22, 2025 at 1:12 PM
Great and important work by @james-e-orourke.bsky.social here about the big money trying to buy our ballot initiative process.
coloradotimesrecorder.com/2025/11/adva...
coloradotimesrecorder.com/2025/11/adva...
Reposted by James O'Rourke
Erin Lee says they still need 100,000 signatures to get the initiatives on the ballot.
November 21, 2025 at 3:27 AM
Erin Lee says they still need 100,000 signatures to get the initiatives on the ballot.
Reposted by James O'Rourke
Good evening. I’m in Windsor for a presentation on gender-affirming care (not in support of)
November 21, 2025 at 12:59 AM
Good evening. I’m in Windsor for a presentation on gender-affirming care (not in support of)
New from me: I sifted through all the ballot initiatives on the Colorado Title Board's website that have been proposed for 2026.
That's right, all of 87 of them (to this date).
Here's what I learned:
coloradotimesrecorder.com/2025/11/adva...
That's right, all of 87 of them (to this date).
Here's what I learned:
coloradotimesrecorder.com/2025/11/adva...
Analysis: Conservative Dark Money Group Dominates Colorado's Ballot Initiative Process for 2026
Ostensibly, ballot initiatives are meant as a way for the average citizen to create political change without the Legislature. But over half of the initiatives which could be put to...
coloradotimesrecorder.com
November 21, 2025 at 8:46 PM
New from me: I sifted through all the ballot initiatives on the Colorado Title Board's website that have been proposed for 2026.
That's right, all of 87 of them (to this date).
Here's what I learned:
coloradotimesrecorder.com/2025/11/adva...
That's right, all of 87 of them (to this date).
Here's what I learned:
coloradotimesrecorder.com/2025/11/adva...
Reposted by James O'Rourke
Over half of the initiatives which could be put to Colorado voters in 2026 have been spawned by a single dark money group, a Colorado Times Recorder analysis has found.
coloradotimesrecorder.com/2025/11/adva...
coloradotimesrecorder.com/2025/11/adva...
Analysis: Conservative Dark Money Group Dominates Colorado's Ballot Initiative Process for 2026
Ostensibly, ballot initiatives are meant as a way for the average citizen to create political change without the Legislature. But over half of the initiatives which could be put to...
coloradotimesrecorder.com
November 21, 2025 at 7:39 PM
Over half of the initiatives which could be put to Colorado voters in 2026 have been spawned by a single dark money group, a Colorado Times Recorder analysis has found.
coloradotimesrecorder.com/2025/11/adva...
coloradotimesrecorder.com/2025/11/adva...
Reposted by James O'Rourke
This piece is can't miss
I’ve spent a lot of the last three years investigating the rise of anti-trans politics. Often, it came back to the controversy over trans women athletes.
So I teamed up with @pablo.show to look into the leading figure on the issue: Riley Gaines.
www.motherjones.com/politics/202... 1/
So I teamed up with @pablo.show to look into the leading figure on the issue: Riley Gaines.
www.motherjones.com/politics/202... 1/
How right-wing superstar Riley Gaines built an anti-trans empire
The swimmer tied a trans woman for fifth. The MAGA industrial complex took care of the rest.
www.motherjones.com
November 20, 2025 at 7:48 PM
This piece is can't miss
Reposted by James O'Rourke
This was a hell of a claim to make anytime, much less two weeks before Thanksgiving. After I asked DIA about it, Evans sent a "clarification" to the podcast on which he said it, but wouldn't answer my questions.
Congressman Gabe Evans says "misinterpreted information" was to blame for his wrongly claiming that Denver International Airport was doing "strategic blackouts," but he won't explain further.
Evans Blames His Incorrect Claim of Denver Airport ‘Blackouts’ on ‘Misinterpreted Information’
Last Wednesday, Colorado Congressman Gabe Evans made a shocking but false statement on a local conservative podcast: "Denver International Airport right now is doing strategic blackouts when there's...
coloradotimesrecorder.com
November 20, 2025 at 5:54 PM
This was a hell of a claim to make anytime, much less two weeks before Thanksgiving. After I asked DIA about it, Evans sent a "clarification" to the podcast on which he said it, but wouldn't answer my questions.
Reposted by James O'Rourke
I wrote about how everyone hates the filibuster:
coloradotimesrecorder.com/2025/11/colo...
coloradotimesrecorder.com/2025/11/colo...
Colorado Republicans Criticize the Filibuster
During last week’s episode of the Truth and Liberty livecast, titled "Breaking the Gridlock," host Richard Harris, a prominent Republican activist, called for the end of the Senate filibuster. “It's.....
coloradotimesrecorder.com
November 19, 2025 at 11:14 PM
I wrote about how everyone hates the filibuster:
coloradotimesrecorder.com/2025/11/colo...
coloradotimesrecorder.com/2025/11/colo...
Reposted by James O'Rourke
Only one member of Colorado's congressional delegation was mentioned in the Epstein emails released last week -- and, for some reason, only I have reported it.
coloradotimesrecorder.com/2025/11/davi...
coloradotimesrecorder.com/2025/11/davi...
DAVIS: Which Member of Colorado's Congressional Delegation is Mentioned in the Epstein Emails?
You haven’t seen this reported anywhere yet, but a member of Colorado’s congressional delegation is mentioned in the tranche of emails released by the House Oversight Committee from Jeffrey Epstein’s....
coloradotimesrecorder.com
November 18, 2025 at 8:56 PM
Only one member of Colorado's congressional delegation was mentioned in the Epstein emails released last week -- and, for some reason, only I have reported it.
coloradotimesrecorder.com/2025/11/davi...
coloradotimesrecorder.com/2025/11/davi...
Reposted by James O'Rourke
The bishops' decision formalizes a yearslong process for the U.S. church to address transgender health care. They also approved a special message on immigration, expressing concern over enforcement and conditions in detention centers. n.pr/4hTblhM
U.S. bishops officially ban gender-affirming care at Catholic hospitals
The bishops' decision formalizes a yearslong process for the U.S. church to address transgender health care. They also approved a special message on immigration, expressing concern over enforcement and conditions in detention centers.
n.pr
November 13, 2025 at 10:57 PM
The bishops' decision formalizes a yearslong process for the U.S. church to address transgender health care. They also approved a special message on immigration, expressing concern over enforcement and conditions in detention centers. n.pr/4hTblhM
Reposted by James O'Rourke
@caitlynkim.bsky.social reports that DeGette said that “Democratic party leaders are trying to get enough signatures for a discharge petition on a three-year extension of the premium enhanced tax credit.” Will CO GOP House delegation sign it especially Hurd who’s expressed support for the subsidies?
November 13, 2025 at 6:01 PM
@caitlynkim.bsky.social reports that DeGette said that “Democratic party leaders are trying to get enough signatures for a discharge petition on a three-year extension of the premium enhanced tax credit.” Will CO GOP House delegation sign it especially Hurd who’s expressed support for the subsidies?
Reposted by James O'Rourke
Where else you gonna find Denver DSA and Turning Point USA events in one place?
In the Streets: Upcoming protests, rallies, and other political events in Colorado this week and next.
In the Streets: Upcoming Political Protests and Events in Colorado – November 12, 2025
Below are protest and political events scheduled across Colorado over the next week. If you know of any upcoming events that are open to the public in Colorado, please let...
coloradotimesrecorder.com
November 12, 2025 at 8:08 PM
Where else you gonna find Denver DSA and Turning Point USA events in one place?
Reposted by James O'Rourke
on Them today, my most room-temperature take of all time: democrats can, in fact, win elections without cynically abandoning trans civil rights at the first sign of trouble
www.them.us/story/2025-e...
www.them.us/story/2025-e...
Election Night Proved Democrats Don’t Need to Abandon Trans People to Win
Mamdani, Spanberger and other wins tell Dems: you don’t need to cave on transgender rights to win an election.
www.them.us
November 6, 2025 at 4:08 PM
on Them today, my most room-temperature take of all time: democrats can, in fact, win elections without cynically abandoning trans civil rights at the first sign of trouble
www.them.us/story/2025-e...
www.them.us/story/2025-e...
Reposted by James O'Rourke
Aurora Mayor Mike Coffman has apparently called the race, even if it's not official yet- He just congratulated the winners on Facebook.
#copolitics
#copolitics
November 5, 2025 at 10:08 PM
Aurora Mayor Mike Coffman has apparently called the race, even if it's not official yet- He just congratulated the winners on Facebook.
#copolitics
#copolitics
Reposted by James O'Rourke
NEW: Far-right Colorado podcaster Joe Oltmann is suing MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell, a onetime ally in the national election conspiracy theory movement, alleging Lindell breached the terms of $3 million loan agreement.
By @chasewoodruff.bsky.social
By @chasewoodruff.bsky.social
Far-right Colorado podcaster sues Mike Lindell, MyPillow over unpaid $3 million loan | Colorado Newsline
The suit alleges that Lindell secured a loan of $3 million from the plaintiffs in 2023 and has failed to make any payments since then.
coloradonewsline.com
November 5, 2025 at 7:09 PM
NEW: Far-right Colorado podcaster Joe Oltmann is suing MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell, a onetime ally in the national election conspiracy theory movement, alleging Lindell breached the terms of $3 million loan agreement.
By @chasewoodruff.bsky.social
By @chasewoodruff.bsky.social
Reposted by James O'Rourke
I have worked on just about every kind of race from dogcatcher to US Senate.
None of them hit me half as hard as watching Woodland Park take back its school district last night. I have never seen so many tears shed at a victorious election night party, as folks realized the nightmare was over.
None of them hit me half as hard as watching Woodland Park take back its school district last night. I have never seen so many tears shed at a victorious election night party, as folks realized the nightmare was over.
November 5, 2025 at 4:19 PM
I have worked on just about every kind of race from dogcatcher to US Senate.
None of them hit me half as hard as watching Woodland Park take back its school district last night. I have never seen so many tears shed at a victorious election night party, as folks realized the nightmare was over.
None of them hit me half as hard as watching Woodland Park take back its school district last night. I have never seen so many tears shed at a victorious election night party, as folks realized the nightmare was over.
Reposted by James O'Rourke
Shoutout to the VA for getting me my FOIA response *on* election day. Better late than never, I guess.
coloradotimesrecorder.com/2025/11/co-s...
coloradotimesrecorder.com/2025/11/co-s...
CO Springs School Board Candidate has History of Complaints, Misconduct at VA
Eddie Waldrep, a candidate for the Academy School District 20 Board of Education, has touted his experience as clinical psychologist for the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). His campaign website.....
coloradotimesrecorder.com
November 4, 2025 at 10:08 PM
Shoutout to the VA for getting me my FOIA response *on* election day. Better late than never, I guess.
coloradotimesrecorder.com/2025/11/co-s...
coloradotimesrecorder.com/2025/11/co-s...
Reposted by James O'Rourke
Stepping up its involvement in anti-trans political campaigns, Colorado’s Catholic Bishops have directed parishioners to gather signatures at church to place initiatives on next year’s election ballot.
coloradotimesrecorder.com/2025/10/turn...
coloradotimesrecorder.com/2025/10/turn...
Turning Catholic Churches into Campaign Hubs, Bishops Instruct Churches to Collect Signatures for Anti-Trans Ballot Initiatives
Stepping up its involvement in anti-trans political campaigns, Colorado's Catholic Bishops have directed parishioners to gather signatures at church to place anti-trans initiatives on next year's elec...
coloradotimesrecorder.com
October 31, 2025 at 6:52 PM
Stepping up its involvement in anti-trans political campaigns, Colorado’s Catholic Bishops have directed parishioners to gather signatures at church to place initiatives on next year’s election ballot.
coloradotimesrecorder.com/2025/10/turn...
coloradotimesrecorder.com/2025/10/turn...
My latest for @coloradotimesrecorder.com: Colorado Catholic bishops, including Denver Archbishop Samuel Aquila, published a letter in August calling on parishes to host signature-gathering weekends for an anti-trans group's ballot initiatives.
coloradotimesrecorder.com/2025/10/turn...
coloradotimesrecorder.com/2025/10/turn...
Turning Catholic Churches into Campaign Hubs, Bishops Instruct Churches to Collect Signatures for Anti-Trans Ballot Initiatives
Stepping up its involvement in anti-trans political campaigns, Colorado's Catholic Bishops have directed parishioners to gather signatures at church to place anti-trans initiatives on next year's elec...
coloradotimesrecorder.com
October 31, 2025 at 10:00 PM
My latest for @coloradotimesrecorder.com: Colorado Catholic bishops, including Denver Archbishop Samuel Aquila, published a letter in August calling on parishes to host signature-gathering weekends for an anti-trans group's ballot initiatives.
coloradotimesrecorder.com/2025/10/turn...
coloradotimesrecorder.com/2025/10/turn...
Reposted by James O'Rourke
Trans people have warned for years that these anti-trans policies would hurt far more than just trans people.
Citing a Trump executive order banning "gender ideology," the VA is withholding coverage and treatment for male veterans with breast cancer, an increasing condition among veterans exposed to toxic chemicals during service. 100 male veterans a year are diagnosed with breast cancer.
Citing Trump Order on “Biological Truth,” VA Makes It Harder for Male Veterans With Breast Cancer to Get Coverage
A Department of Veterans Affairs memo obtained by ProPublica erects new roadblocks to care for veterans with the rare but deadly cancer. The agency cites no new science but relies on an executive orde...
www.propublica.org
October 31, 2025 at 6:02 AM
Trans people have warned for years that these anti-trans policies would hurt far more than just trans people.