News
‘Matter of life and death’ when federal unemployment benefits lapse, Denver marchers say
Outside the headquarters of the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment in Denver on July 24, unemployed restaurant workers and labor groups held a mock funeral to protest the expiration of the $600-per-week federal unemployment benefit authorized by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act in March. They held cardboard coffins and gravestones […]
Advocates ‘fought like heck’ to fund substance use treatment amid COVID-19
Despite extensive budget cuts necessitated by COVID-19, Colorado legislators managed to avoid what one lawmaker said would have been a major setback for the state’s opioid response. “What we were looking at initially was going back 10 years on this issue and completely decimating any progress that we’ve made,” says Sen. Brittany Pettersen (D-Lakewood). “Honestly, […]
Senate Republicans pursue benefits pay cut for jobless; adjourn without action
WASHINGTON — Democratic leaders slammed Republicans Friday for leaving in the lurch millions of jobless Americans who are relying on enhanced unemployment benefits to stay financially afloat amid ongoing public health and economic crises. Republicans in Congress and the White House were engaged in heated negotiations this week over the details of their party’s proposal for a fifth […]
Colorado’s buildings are a 6 billion square-foot climate change problem
Ask your average eco-conscious Coloradan to imagine a world without fossil fuels and greenhouse gas emissions, and you’ll likely hear a lot about wind farms, solar panels and streets full of electric cars and buses — and not so much about the air circulating through their home, or the water coming out of their faucets. […]
Most of Colorado still in drought despite slight increase in precipitation
At least 74% of Colorado now is experiencing moderate to extreme drought conditions, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor, with over 30% of the state, mostly in southern Colorado, under extreme drought conditions. Though slight increases in precipitation in July have brought small signs of relief, experts remain worried about how the statewide drought and […]
Youth ‘reimagine’ policing and public safety during town hall
Nearly 40 Colorado youth convened on Tuesday night over Zoom in a public forum to “reimagine” policing and public safety in Denver. During the virtual community-led town hall, which was livestreamed on Facebook, students discussed a need for reallocating police funding, more community mental health services and police training around implicit bias and cultural competence. […]
Gov. Polis: Colorado must ramp up COVID-19 testing efforts
Editor’s note: This story has been updated to correct a quote in which Gov. Jared Polis said the state lab averaged 3,000 tests a day. As cases of COVID-19 continue to climb in Colorado, the state plans to look at testing with a renewed focus, Gov. Jared Polis said at a news briefing July 23. […]
Fracking ban in Boulder County sought by environmental groups for 2020 ballot
A coalition of environmental and community groups is calling on the Boulder County Board of Commissioners to refer a measure to the 2020 ballot asking voters to approve a ban on oil and gas development — along with a small sales tax hike to defray the costs of a likely legal challenge. A draft ballot […]
Trump’s ‘illegal aliens’ census memo draws rebuke from Gov. Polis
President Donald Trump issued a memo on Tuesday ordering the exclusion of people living in the United States illegally from the 2020 Census for the purpose of apportioning congressional representation. In response, Gov. Jared Polis issued a statement on Wednesday opposing the executive order, stating that, “once again the Trump administration is using the Census […]
Counties with variances from COVID-19 guidelines could lose privileges
Colorado counties with increasing COVID-19 case numbers that have been granted exceptions from state-level restrictions were told July 19 to submit a mitigation plan to reverse the trend within two weeks — or revert back to Colorado’s “safer at home” guidelines. “The spread of the disease is increasing in Colorado, and the rate of increase […]
Great American Outdoors Act, other Colorado public-lands bills passed by House
Public-lands advocates in Colorado and beyond are celebrating the U.S. House of Representatives’ passage of the Great American Outdoors Act, a bill that will boost funding for a critical federal conservation program and provide $9.5 billion to help clear a backlog of maintenance projects in the U.S. National Parks System. Passage of the bill, which […]
Vaccine makers deny political pressure in race for safe, effective shot
Leaders of the companies working on some of the top candidates for COVID-19 vaccines predict they should have shots available by early 2021, but said they will rely on the federal government to determine how to distribute them. The heads of five biopharmaceutical companies with promising vaccine candidates told members of Congress Tuesday that they […]