Colorado News & Current Events | Public News Service

According to Colorado College's 2023 Conservation in the West Poll, 82% of voters in the Rocky Mountain West support a national goal of conserving America's lands and waters in the next decade. (Adobe Stock)

Monday, April 22, 2024

BLM finalizes rule to prioritize protection of public lands in CO, West

The federal Bureau of Land Management has released its long-awaited final Public Lands Rule, which aims to reconcile a perceived imbalance between …

Women represent nearly two-thirds of Americans 65 or older living with Alzheimer's disease. (Adobe Stock)

Monday, April 22, 2024

New online tool helps people with dementia document future care decisions

The number of U.S. residents aged 65 or older living with Alzheimer's disease, the most common form of dementia, is expected to double from nearly 7 …

The 1922 Colorado River Compact gives priority to Lower Basin states: Arizona, California and Nevada, for rights to Colorado River Water. (Adobe Stock)

Study: 90% of CO River irrigation water goes to cattle

As Colorado and other states grapple with shrinking Colorado River water levels, new research pinpoints how much water is being diverted for cattle …

When the school year ends, millions of children from households with low incomes lose access to the school meals they rely on. Help is available. (Adobe Stock)

CO families must sign up to get $120 per child for food through Summer EBT

Colorado families must sign up before the end of April to receive $120 per child to buy food through the new Summer EBT program approved by Congress…

Restorative justice programs have increased the justice system's capacity to meet the needs of those harmed by adolescent misbehavior. (Adobe Stock)

Report: Diverting youth away from the justice system is working

Efforts to keep young people out of the criminal justice system are working, according to a new Sentencing Project report. Elie Zwiebel, attorney …

Most of the USDA produce samples tested in this year's Dirty Dozen list from the Environmental Working Group were within the legal allowance for chemical pesticide residue. (Adobe Stock)

Strawberries top Dirty Dozen list of produce packed with pesticides

Nonorganic fruits and vegetables are loaded with chemical pesticides, including fungicides which can harm male reproductive systems, according to the …

A new walk-in program provides immediate, in-person support for urgent mental health and substance use needs for anyone, regardless of their ability to pay, whether or not they are an existing client, or speak English. (Adobe Stock)<br />

Mental health urgent-care facility now available in northeast Boulder

Boulder and Broomfield County residents can now access mental health services the same way they can access urgent medical care. Dr. Nadia Haddad…

Colorado State University researchers identified a cybersecurity gap that could have exposed more than 14 million medium- and heavy-duty trucks that form the core of the U.S. shipping industry to hackers. (Adobe Stock)

Study: 14 million U.S. freight trucks vulnerable to hackers

New worker safety regulations meant to log how many hours truckers are on the road may have inadvertently exposed millions of U.S. 18-wheelers to …

Colorado is the fourth largest oil producing state in the country and eighth largest gas producing state. (Adobe Stock)

Study: Methane pollution from oil and gas production greatly underestimated

Data from new satellite-based technology show that the amount of methane pollution impacting communities living near oil and gas facilities is far gre…

Older Coloradans who may have never been issued a birth certificate because they were born at home qualify for assistance getting vital documents, including identification cards but many cannot access Colorado's Necessary Documents Program. (Adobe Stock)

Cutting red tape to access IDs and other vital documents

Advocates are urging Colorado lawmakers to make key improvements to a state program seen as critical to helping people fleeing domestic violence or ex…

Decades of policies like redlining, that forced people of color into neighborhoods surrounded by industrial polluters, have led to a host of negative health outcomes, including cancers and premature death. (Adobe Stock)

Colorado lawmakers eye ways to reduce pollution in vulnerable communities

In 2021, Colorado lawmakers took a first step toward addressing decades of toxic pollution disproportionately impacting low-income neighborhoods and …

Supporters of Colorado's House Bill 1379 said it will help protect Coloradans from flooding, help ensure safe and sufficient drinking water and help preserve fishing, boating, and other recreational opportunities across the state. (Adobe Stock)

Restoring protections for Colorado endangered waters and wetlands

Colorado lawmakers are considering legislation to restore protections to key waters and wetlands struck down by the U.S. Supreme Court last year in a …

The Colorado Local Food Program Guidebook can help farmers, ranchers, school districts and parents connect with resources available through organizations supporting the Healthy School Meals for All initiative, state agencies, and U-S-D-A Food and Nutrition Services. (Adobe Stock)

New guidebook aims to help local farmers and schools serve healthy meals

Colorado is working to boost the state's agricultural communities by getting more fresh, nutritious foods into school cafeterias - and a new online …

Decades of underinvestment in affordable housing, recently cited by outgoing HUD Secretary Marcia Fudge, have dramatically impacted families with children. (Adobe Stock)

Renaissance marks quarter century serving homeless, low-income kids

This month marks the 25th anniversary of the Renaissance Children's Center, which serves low-income families and those experiencing homelessness with …

Firefighters and veterans stationed at military bases for at least one year, and who have cancer or other diseases may be eligible to receive financial compensation from the companies that produced PFAS forever chemicals. (Adobe Stock)

New bill would expand PFAS ban for tampons, other consumer items

Colorado lawmakers want to beef up legislation that bans PFAS, so-called forever chemicals, by 2028. Yahn Olson is an associate attorney with …

A wide body of research has linked traffic pollution to premature death, lung cancer, asthma and other negative health impacts. (Adobe Stock)

Nurses, environmental groups welcome Biden's clean car standards

On Wednesday, the Biden administration announced new tailpipe pollution standards that will give automakers more time to ramp up production of zero-…

Opportunity Next Colorado will provide guidance on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid and college applications, and group coaching over the summer to prevent the drop-off of enrolled postsecondary students known as

New scholarships aim to connect class of 2024 to high-demand jobs

This year's high school graduates will be eligible for 14,000 new scholarships offered through Opportunity Next Colorado, a $21 million investment …

In November 2023, the Financial Times reported that Trump was

Report: Second Trump term would add 4 billion tons of climate pollution

As Coloradans begin to weigh their options in this year's presidential election, a new Carbon Brief analysis projects that a second Biden term would …

Nearly eight in 10 Coloradans say they want to age in place in their communities, rather than entering assisted living facilities. (Adobe Stock)

Community-based services for older Coloradans at risk in Legislature

Advocates for people age 65 and older urged Colorado lawmakers to fully fund a program helping people remain in their homes and avoid placement in ass…

Wolverine fur is remarkably waterproof, which helps keep the animal warm in deep snow. (Adobe Stock)

Lawmakers could continue re-wilding Colorado with wolverine bill

Colorado may soon welcome back wolverines, an animal with a reputation for its ferocity and strength nearly wiped out by trapping, poisoning and …

Colorado law aims to keep voter districts fair by taking the redistricting process, which occurs after each once-a-decade U.S. Census count, out of the hands of elected officials and into the hands of independent commissions. (Adobe Stock)

Weld County’s Latino community wins court case on gerrymandered maps

Weld County commissioners are headed back to the drawing board, after a county district court ruled that their voter district maps created after the 2…

Colorado's community mental health centers provide a wide range of behavioral health services to all patients regardless of their ability to pay. (Adobe Stock)

Filling behavioral care gaps for Coloradans with acute mental illness

Behavioral health providers in the Denver metro area are tapping new technologies to ensure people with acute mental health needs don't fall through t…

After lawmakers passed House Bill 1232 in 2021, standardized Colorado Option health insurance was developed with extensive input from consumers, insurers, health providers, rural communities and other stakeholders. (Adobe Stock)

Tracking effectiveness of Colorado’s Public Option health coverage

Colorado's standardized health-insurance plan, known as the Colorado Option, is changing how consumers interact with insurance, according to a new …

Health advocates are urging the Polis administration to put terminations for vulnerable populations on hold while the state digs into what is causing outsize losses of Medicaid coverage. (Adobe Stock)

Colorado’s Medicaid insurance terminations seventh highest in nation

Two-thirds of Coloradans who have lost their health insurance during Medicaid's unwinding process are still eligible for coverage - but were terminate…

Colorado's share of Healthy School Meals for All, approved by voters in 2022, was meant to be paid for by Coloradans who earn $300,000 or more per year. (Adobe Stock)

Healthy School Meals for All program faces $24 million budget gap

Colorado lawmakers are considering ways to address a projected $24 million funding shortfall in the Healthy School Meals for All program, and grants …

Colorado's I Matter program provides adolescents in crisis access to six free mental-health counseling sessions, with referrals for further help if it is necessary. (Pexels)

CO lawmakers ponder several measures to boost children's mental health

Advocates say Colorado legislative leaders are working to make the state a leader in addressing the youth mental health crisis. At least nine bills …

Tepeyac Community Health Center's new 24,500 square foot facility that serves all patients regardless of their ability to pay is just blocks away from public transit stops. (Galatas)

Health center development offers innovative model for affordable housing

A new development in Denver's Elyria-Swansea neighborhood that combines affordable housing, a healthcare provider, a pharmacy - and next, a grocery …

Lack of clarity around Essential Health Benefit coverage for maternal health care at the federal level means that many patients encounter limits on prenatal and delivery services covered, and inconsistent coverage of breastfeeding and lactation services. (Adobe Stock)

Advocates press Biden to update Affordable Care Act essential benefits

The number of people with Affordable Care Act health coverage is on the rise, but many are not able to access the care they need to get and stay …

The Colorado Avalanche and Xcel Energy are helping fundraise for Energy Outreach Colorado, a nonprofit that in 2023 helped more than 38,289 Colorado households through energy efficiency gains, connecting with community solar gardens and crisis-intervention services. (Adobe Stock)

Colorado Avalanche scores an assist on energy bills

The Colorado Avalanche has teamed up with Xcel Energy to generate funds to help people struggling to pay their energy bills this winter. Every time …

Nine in 10 voters across eight Mountain West states including Colorado want oil and gas companies, not federal and state governments, to pay for cleanup and restoration costs. (Adobe Stock)

West's Latino voters want conservation over development on public lands

Voters, including 74% of Republicans, 87% of Independents and 96% of Democrats, would support candidates in elections who prioritize conservation on …

Since 1990, more than 1500 individuals have been helped by Greeley's Frontier House Clubhouse model of psychosocial rehabilitation. (Adobe Stock)

Inclusive Clubhouse model improving mental health in Greeley

Many people with persistent mental illness find it difficult, or even impossible, to participate in common activities like work or friendships…

Horses, like people, typically only show signs of osteoarthritis at advanced stages, when they experience joint pain. (Adobe Stock)

Horses could hold key to treating injury-related arthritis

Researchers at Colorado State University are making headway in identifying how osteoarthritis progresses in horses, and their findings could one day …

Denver's Stout Street Recuperative Care Center is a facility for people experiencing homelessness to stay for several weeks while healing from a sickness or injury. (Galatas)

Improving health outcomes for homeless linked to housing

Health care providers in Colorado have been drawn into America's homelessness crisis, and are adding institutional weight into a push for solutions - …

Over the past two years, corporate executives have been explicit in earnings reports about how they have exploited their pricing power to boost profits, and how they will continue to do so even as inflation comes down. (Adobe Stock)

Report: 'Greedflation' primary driver of higher consumer prices

As corporate profits remain at all-time highs, a new report shows that more than half of rising consumer prices in 2023 were caused by corporate …

The U.S. Supreme Court's 2010 Citizens United decision held that the freedom of speech clause of the First Amendment prohibits the government from restricting independent expenditures for political campaigns by corporations. (Adobe Stock)

Tracking foreign interests in Colorado political campaigns

Despite federal laws that prohibit campaign contributions by people who are not United States citizens, foreign-influenced corporations and their …

The stigma around mental health issues continues to be a barrier for many to access care. (Adobe Stock)

Getting help to San Luis Valley residents with severe mental illness and addiction

Coloradans struggling with persistent and severe mental illness in the San Luis Valley are getting special outreach and support, and that effort is …

AARP Colorado works in collaboration with communities across the state, bringing people<br />together, and providing resources and expertise to help make Colorado's counties, towns and<br />cities great places to live for people of all ages. (Adobe Stock)

Money available to help improve communities

AARP Colorado is putting out the call for creative projects that help improve entire communities, especially those age 50 and older, for this year's …

In 2015, more than 1,230,000 visits to areas of public lands now protected by the BLM for non-motorized recreation resulted in $54.3 million in spending to the local economy. This ultimately supported 693 jobs and generated $40.1 million in personal income. (Vitaliy_melnik/Adobe Stock)

Eastern Colorado BLM plan protects future oil and gas leasing on public lands

The Bureau of Land Management has released its final Eastern Colorado Resource Management Plan, which will guide the use and management of over 658,00…

The rule only indirectly affects consumers when they purchase a new vehicle starting in 2027, as it will likely impact the type of vehicle that is available for purchase, according to the Rocky Mountain Institute. (Adobe Stock)

CO Rep. and local leaders advocate for strong federal clean car standards

A Colorado state representative and local leaders are advocating for the Environmental Protection Agency to enact strong federal clean-car standards f…

Latinos account for 47% of agricultural field workers and 46% of construction laborers in the U.S. and face extreme summer heat threats due to climate change. (JackF/Adobe Stock)

Climate change challenging Latinos' health and heritage

As climate change makes extreme weather events more common globally, Latinos often face the most significant effects to their health, safety…

Old-growth forests, which provide crucial wildlife habitat, clean water and carbon sequestration, are under threat from the effects of climate change, magnifying drought, disease, insect damage and fire severity. (Adobe Stock)

Forest Service wants public comments on old-growth forest protections

The timber industry is pushing back against the Biden administration's proposal to limit commercial logging in the nation's last old-growth forests…

In December 2021, the Marshall Fire sparked conflagrations in Superior and Louisville, Colorado, destroying 1,084 structures and killing two people. (Adobe Stock)

Marshall and other wildland-urban fire disasters not actually wildfire problem

By David Calkin, Kimiko Barrett, Jack Cohen, Mark Finney, Stephen Pyne, and Stephen Quarles for the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.…

Candice Bailey is the founder of the Colorado Police Oversight Commission, and has worked to improve laws surrounding law enforcement and community engagement. (Michael Ensminger/Motus Theater)

Theater group works to inspire action in alignment with MLK

Boulder's Motus Theater is hosting an event today for anyone curious about continuing the work of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. -- including addressing …

The Colorado Blueprint to End Hunger, Feeding Colorado, Hunger Free Colorado, Nourish Colorado and other advocates across the state are calling on Colorado's Congressional delegation to help avoid massive funding cuts for WIC in the federal government's 2024 budget. (Adobe Stock)

25,000 Colorado families could lose access to food and health assistance

Congress is running out of time to fully fund a program that provides food and health support for breastfeeding moms, and kids up to age five…

In 2019, Colorado adopted requirements for the state to cut climate-warming emissions in the near term at least 26% by 2025 and 50% by 2030. (Adobe Stock)

PUC scales back renewable electricity, adds new natural-gas plants

Even though 2023 was the hottest year on record, the Colorado Public Utilities Commission is adding more fossil fuel-generated power and scaling back …

Eight in 10 Coloradans agreed forests, farms, grasslands and wetlands naturally capture carbon pollution, the primary driver of climate change. (Adobe Stock)

Colorado poll shows broad support for voluntary private land conservation

Colorado voters said they support previous efforts to conserve the state's wild landscapes and open spaces, according to a new survey, and they …

Nine out of ten employers in the state say they have jobs to fill but can't find skilled workers. (Adobe Stock)

Report: Post-high school certificates, degrees offer good ROI

Coloradans who graduate from college or trade schools are ready to join the labor market equipped with high-demand, highly competitive skills needed …

The Gunnison sage grouse, known for its iconic mating dance, has lost 90% of its sagebrush-sea habitat to human development. (Larry Lamsa/Creative Commons)

Endangered Species Act marks 50th anniversary with key protections

In 2023, wolverines won federal protections, gray wolves were reintroduced in Colorado and the Bureau of Land Management announced a draft-management …

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