More Texas Towns Brace For High Water; Death Toll Climbs

The Suncor Energy oil refinery in Commerce City spilled excessive amounts of inorganic nitrogen into Sand Creek on Friday and Monday. The total inorganic nitrogen level was 12 milligrams per liter on Friday and 14 milligrams per liter on Monday. The refinery is allowed to discharge up to 10 milligrams per liter daily under its federal water permit, according to a public notification sent by Suncor on Monday night. The cause of the spill is under investigation, the alert stated.

By RONALD BLUM (AP Baseball Writer) NEW YORK (AP) — San Diego Padres infielder Tucupita Marcano was banned from baseball for life for betting on the sport and four others were suspended for one year by Major League Baseball on Tuesday in the game’s biggest gambling scandal in decades. MLB said Marcano placed 387 baseball bets totaling more than $150,000 in October 2022 and from last July through November with a legal sportsbook.

Arvada crews are battling a fire burning in a storage unit building just off Interstate 70 Tuesday morning. (Provided by Arvada Fire) Arvada crews are battling a fire burning in a storage unit building just off Interstate 70 Tuesday morning. Fire officials first announced crews were at the scene of a working structure fire near I-70 and Carr Street at 6:25 a.m.

By ALANNA DURKIN RICHER and ERIC TUCKER (Associated Press) WASHINGTON (AP) — Attorney General Merrick Garland rebuked Republicans for what he described as unprecedented attacks on the Justice Department Tuesday, telling lawmakers who have sought to hold him in contempt that he will “not be intimidated.” Appearing before a House panel led by allies of former President Donald Trump, Garland condemned as a “conspiracy theory” the claim that the department was behind Trump’s state court prosecution in New York in which the former president was convicted last week of 34 felony charges.

Editor’s note: This is part of The Know’s series, Staff Favorites. Each week, we offer our opinions on the best that Colorado has to offer for dining, shopping, entertainment, outdoor activities and more. (We’ll also let you in on some hidden gems). A pizza shop that’s been slinging pies for just over 20 years wouldn’t, in most cases, be considered historic.

Rules proposed to prevent customers from having to cover public utilities’ expenses for lobbyists, advertising and political contributions are too weak to prevent potential abuses, critics said. A public meeting Monday drew speakers who want to see the Colorado Public Utilities Commission strengthen regulations to carry out a 2023 law that was passed after a widespread outcry over high utility bills. Besides directing utilities to look at avoiding the kind of price jumps that doubled or tripled some Coloradans’ heat bills in early 2023, Senate Bill 23-291 prohibited utilities from adding expenses for lobbying, certain advertising, public relations, political contributions and membership dues to customers’ rates. But the bill’s prime sponsors as well as a dozen Colorado organizations and a national watchdog group have argued the proposed regulations aren’t detailed or specific enough to ensure that ratepayers aren’t footing some of the bill.