Colorado News & Current Events | Public News Service

Every dollar invested in SNAP generates between $1.50 to $1.80 in local economic activity. There are currently 3,100 authorized SNAP retailers in Colorado. (Adobe Stock)<br />

Thursday, April 24, 2025

Coloradans' hand-written letters on SNAP cuts heading to nation's capital

Two leading Colorado nonprofits working to end hunger are collecting hand-written letters from a wide range of people who would be directly impacted i…

Colorado's I Matter program can connect students with a therapist for up to six free counseling sessions, which are completely confidential. (Adobe Stock)

Wednesday, April 23, 2025

Report card: Colorado making improvements in student mental health

Colorado has made significant improvements in connecting young people with the mental health care they need, according to the mental health advocacy …

Last year in Colorado, 841,412 gallons of paint were collected for recycling at 212 year-round drop-off sites located across the state. (Adobe Stock)

Tuesday, April 22, 2025

Recycling paint to celebrate Earth Day, reclaim storage space

Today is Earth Day, a time when many people are also tackling their spring cleaning, and PaintCare Colorado is encouraging people to recycle old cans …

Mushrooms and other psychotropic plants have been used in healing, spiritual and ceremonial contexts by cultures around the world for thousands of years. (Adobe Stock)

Psychedelic mushroom therapy has arrived in Colorado

By Kate Ruder for KFF Health News.Broadcast version by Eric Galatas for Colorado News Connection reporting for the KFF Health News-Public News Service…

Colorado is the second-largest fresh potato growing region in the nation, and the crop is a significant financial driver in the rural San Luis Valley. (Adobe Stock)

DOGE funding cuts could impact America's 'seed bunkers'

Scientists at 22 U.S. sites including in Fort Collins have been working without fanfare to maintain the the genetic diversity of the nation's …

So far, climate change has extended allergy season in Colorado by two additional weeks over historical averages. (Adobe Stock)

Experts offer tips to cope with longer allergy seasons in Colorado

With warming temperatures, allergy season is underway in Colorado and experts are offering tips on how to cope with congestion, inflammation and …

Colorado forests have not seen below-average winter temperatures in more than three decades, and four of the last five years have brought below-average precipitation. (Adobe Stock)

Drought, warmer winters make CO forests 'beetle buffet'

Warmer winters and prolonged drought have turned Colorado forests into a budworm and beetle buffet, according to a new report from Colorado State …

Elon Musk claims Social Security can be cut by $500 billion without reducing people's benefits. (Adobe Stock)

Social Security cuts could impact one in six Coloradans

The Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, plans to cut 7,000 jobs from the U.S. Social Security Administration as it works to reduce the size …

Nearly 75% of all jobs in Colorado, and 95% of top-earning jobs, require a credential or degree beyond high school. (Adobe Stock)

Colorado colleges tap NYC program to get homegrown talent into good jobs

Colorado educators are hoping that a successful accelerated degree program known as ASAP, grown at City University of New York, will take root in two …

Uptown Community Health Center aims to continue the ministry of the Sisters of Charity of Leavenworth, which opened its first clinic to take care of the poor and vulnerable regardless of their ability to pay in the 19th century. (Photo by: Eric Galatas)

Denver's Uptown Community Health Center to continue historic service

Colorado now has 21 health providers treating patients regardless of their ability to pay, after Denver's Uptown Community Health Center won …

Scientists warn removing access to federal climate data limits support for communities most at risk in a changing climate, and hides the effects already being felt from wildfires, prolonged drought and extreme flooding. (Adobe Stock)

Scientists race to rescue taxpayer-funded data purged from websites

As the Trump administration continues to purge troves of information related to climate change and other topics from government websites, a coalition …

The Comanche 3 power plant's connection to the power grid would allow a new wind and solar

Report: Comanche 3 'energy park' could add $40M to Pueblo tax base

The Comanche 3 coal-fired power plant in Pueblo, Colo., is set to close in just six years -- and community leaders, regulators, and Xcel are …

More than 95% of all voters in the United States use paper ballots in elections. (Adobe Stock)

CO lawmakers work to protect voter rights after Trump elections order

Some Colorado lawmakers are scrambling to protect voter rights after President Donald Trump issued an executive order to require proof of citizenship …

Some two million gray wolves roamed North America in the early 1800s but today, fewer than 7,000 remain on just 10% of their historic range in the Lower 48 States. (Adobe Stock)

Colorado's Boebert targets renewed effort to remove federal wolf protections

Rep. Lauren Boebert, R-Colo., has introduced a bill to remove gray wolves from the list of endangered and threatened species under the Endangered …

Under tariffs imposed by the first Trump administration, losses for farmers prompted a $23 billion taxpayer-funded bailout. (Adobe Stock)

Colorado farmers brace for new round of Trump tariffs

President Donald Trump is set to impose sweeping global tariffs this week, a move expected to spark retaliation against a range of American products …

Cuts to Medicaid are one way Congress could pay for extending tax cuts passed in 2017. It is estimated two-thirds of the benefits of the extension would go to the wealthiest 20% of Americans. (Adobe Stock)

Cuts to Medicaid would affect one in five Coloradans

To pay for the priorities of President Donald Trump's administration, like mass deportations and tax cuts, Republicans in Congress are considering …

Good-government groups have long argued that in American democracy, one citizen - not one dollar - should equal one vote. (Adobe Stock)

Analysis: Corruption in U.S elections legal thanks to SCOTUS

After Elon Musk, a man once worth $327 billion, spent a quarter billion to elect Donald Trump, he was rewarded with unprecedented powers over the …

Red flag warnings and fire weather watches are the two main types of fire alerts the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association issues. (Adobe Stock)

NOAA staff cuts could affect Colorado wildfire, avalanche, flash flood warnings

Meteorologists are warning cuts to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration will threaten Americans' safety, especially in states like …

Colorado is the nation's fourth-largest oil and gas producer and there are currently more than 46,000 active wells. (Adobe Stock)

New camera reveals, documents toxic oil and gas emissions

As oil and gas well sites pop up next to more Colorado neighborhoods, residents are gathering evidence to hold operators accountable for toxic …

Homelessness among families with children in Colorado grew by 134% in 2024. (Adobe Stock)

Low-income Coloradans face severe affordable housing shortage

There are only 26 affordable housing units in Colorado for every 100 low-income households, according to a new report listing Colorado as the sixth …

The U.S. Department of Education's civil rights office is charged with protecting students from discrimination and sexual assault and making sure all Americans have equal access to education. (Adobe Stock)

Colorado takes Trump to court over efforts to abolish Education Department

As the Trump administration makes good on promises to abolish the U.S. Department of Education, educators and parents are raising concerns about the …

Before its 1,700 workers were sent home, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau was set to regulate X, Elon Musk's social media site, as it rolls out financial transactions similar to PayPal and Venmo. (Adobe Stock)

Consumer protection agency cuts put Coloradans at risk for predatory banks

Coloradans with low bank balances would be on the hook for an extra $225 a year if Congress votes to roll back a new rule capping overdraft fees at $5…

Some 557 Colorado schools serving more than 206,293 students are projected to be affected by a proposed $12 billion in cuts to federal school meal funding. (Adobe Stock)

Blowback on GOP's proposed cuts to school meal programs

Children's advocates are crying foul after House Republicans called for $12 billion in cuts to school meal programs, including the Community …

Court challenges warn the Trump administration's cuts to staff, funding and contracts will directly impact visitor safety, wildlife protection and wildfire prevention. (Adobe Stock)

Court challenges of recent mass firings of federal workers making headway

The Sierra Club is taking the Trump administration to court, joining a slew of legal challenges over the mass firings of federal workers. Sierra …

Among the 5,722 companies in Colorado exporting goods to Canada and Mexico in 2022, the number one manufactured export was food. (Adobe Stock)

After USDA funding freeze, Colorado farmers brace for tariffs

Colorado farmers and ranchers are feeling frustrated and concerned since the Trump administration froze U.S. Department of Agriculture funding…

In past deportation programs, for every half-million people the government deported, 44,000 U.S.-born workers lost their jobs. (Adobe Stock)

High moral stakes of proposed cuts to federal programs

A new report commissioned by faith leaders outlines the high moral stakes at play as the Trump administration pushes to cut federal programs to pay fo…

A new trend, forests releasing more carbon than they capture, is expected to continue with prolonged drought and bigger and more frequent wildfires. (Adobe Stock)

Colorado forests emit more CO2 than they absorb due to insects, wildfire

Researchers at Colorado State University have found the state's nearly 23 million acres of forests are currently releasing more carbon dioxide into th…

Workers covered by a union contract earn 10.2% more than nonunionized counterparts on average, and are more likely to have employer-provided health and retirement benefits. (Adobe Stock)

Report: 1943 law suppressed Colorado union membership rates

A Colorado law passed in 1943 amid intense big-business and white-supremacist campaigns to block worker organizing has suppressed unionization in the …

There are more than 500,000 buffalo in North America today, but nearly all of those are livestock, in commercial herds and owned by private landowners. (Adobe Stock)

Colorado lawmakers consider protecting wild buffalo from poaching

Colorado lawmakers could add buffalo, also known as bison, to a long list of wildlife that have been restored to their natural habitat across the …

Colorado's 20 Community Health Centers provide primary care to 857,000 patients, employ over 7,500 people and contribute $1.7 billion to the state's economy each year. (Adobe Stock)

Cuts to Medicaid considered to extend Trump's 2017 tax cuts

The budget resolution recently passed by the U.S. House calls for cutting $2 trillion in government spending to extend tax cuts passed during the …

In the short time that AllHealth Network's Violence Prevention Team has been at work, it has investigated and intervened in ten reported cases, and has seen an increase in referrals and requests for trainings. (Adobe Stock)

Trainings help communities recognize signs of potential targeted violence

The U.S. had more than 500 mass shootings last year, and a new program launched in Denver hopes to prevent targeted violence before it happens…

According to new polling from Hart Research, 60 percent of Trump voters say cutting SNAP is unacceptable, and nearly half think the wealthy pay too little in taxes. (Adobe Stock)

SNAP cuts would disproportionately impact Colorado's rural communities

A budget resolution recently passed by the U.S. House calls for reducing agriculture funding to the tune of $230 billion. But critics warn that the …

Volunteer lobbyists next Tuesday will encourage legislators to improve the infrastructure needed to address homelessness across the state. (Adobe Stock)

Volunteer lobbyists to press Colorado lawmakers on homelessness

Coloradans who want to help move the needle on homelessness can still sign up for a lobbying day next Tuesday at the State Capitol. Cathy Alderman…

After public outcry over the firing of thousands at the National Park Service and the Forest Service, the Trump administration has moved to re-hire some dozens of employees and additional seasonal workers. (BLM)

Poll: MAGA voters oppose cuts to parks, forest, wildlife agencies

People in Colorado and seven other Mountain West states may want to see changes in the federal government writ large but they oppose cuts to agencies …

Median wages for methane mitigation jobs are $127,000 a year in manufacturing, and as high as $145,000 in service-sector jobs. (Adobe Stock)

Colorado's methane waste-reduction industry surging

An industry that got its start in Colorado finding and fixing methane leaks at oil and gas sites is on the rise. There are now some 74 sites where …

Fewer than 1% of cattle are lost to wolves, compared to 11.3% killed by dogs and 9.3% that succumb to weather. (Willy Mobilo/Adobe Stock)

Livestock industry flexes muscle over Democrat-controlled CO Legislature

A bill to exempt any Colorado livestock producer's personal information from the Colorado Open Records Act when they collect public dollars for livest…

Immigrant farmworkers make up an estimated 73% of agriculture workers in the United States. (Adobe Stock)

Challenges facing farmers in Colorado, across U.S.

By Seth Millstein for Sentient.Broadcast version by Eric Galatas for Colorado News Connection reporting for the Sentient-Public News Service Collabora…

Each year, visitors flock to Monte Vista in Colorado's San Luis Valley for a chance to see Greater Sandhill Cranes. (Adobe Stock)

Connecting the recreation dots with a two mile bike and pedestrian trail

By Ilana Newman for The Daily Yonder.Broadcast version by Eric Galatas for Colorado News Connection for the Public News Service/Daily Yonder Collabora…

AARP Community Challenge grants have helped launch community gardens, which help improve livability for residents in a number of ways. (Adobe Stock)

Grants available to make Colorado communities more livable

AARP Colorado is accepting applications from nonprofits and local governments across the state for this year's Community Challenge grant program…

Health experts say the Scandinavian concept of Hygge, the art of cozy winter living, is one way to beat the winter blues. (Adobe Stock)

Colorado health expert has tips for shaking winter blues

Nearly four in ten Americans say they feel gloomy during colder, darker months, according to a recent American Psychiatric Association study…

Advocates for public lands warn that even drilling on lands adjacent to such places as Dinosaur National Monument in Colorado and Utah can lead to industrial contamination of shared waterways. (Adobe Stock)

Trump order could open CO national monuments for drilling

As the Trump administration considers oil, gas and mining on lands owned by all Americans, including in national monuments designated under the …

Colorado State University researchers said communities are drawn closer together after natural disasters such as the 2020 Cameron Peak Fire to rebuild homes, schools and churches, which strengthens social bonds and resilience. (Adobe Stock)

Charting Colorado's emotional and practical destruction of wildfires

In 2020, the Cameron Peak Fire burned more than 200,000 acres, destroyed 469 structures and forced the evacuation of more than 6,000 residents in …

People who earn professionally recognized certificates or college degrees beyond high school are more likely to see significant long-term financial, social and health benefits. (Adobe Stock)

Colorado tops in nation for residents with education beyond high school

Colorado is number one nationally, tied with Massachusetts, for its percentage of residents who have a credential or degree beyond high school…

Most of the 50 people detained in a recent Denver raid have no criminal charges pending, according to the Colorado Rapid Response Network, and at least two people detained are U.S. citizens. (Adobe Stock)

Rapid response network monitoring ICE raids in Colorado

As President Donald Trump ramps up deportation efforts, immigrant advocates have mobilized a rapid response network to protect their neighbors…

Currently, insurance companies get to decide how much of a public ambulance service's rate to pay, which can lead to patients being charged the unpaid balance. (Adobe Stock)

CO lawmakers aim to close ambulance surprise-billing gap

Colorado lawmakers are working to ensure all Coloradans with health coverage for ambulance services are not hit with surprise bills or charged higher …

Proponents of factory farms argued moving millions of livestock off pastures and into high-density operations, where in many cases animals cannot even move around, conserves valuable farmland. (Adobe Stock).

Factory farm advocates’ blind spot on food system reforms

Recent editorials in The New York Times and Washington Post defending factory farms make one critical mistake, according to environmental advocates: …

Rental application fees alone create $276 million in profits for landlords each year, far above the actual cost of background checks and processing applications, according to a Biden-era report. (Adobe Stock)

Cost of living tops Denver lawmaker’s priorities

Addressing Colorado's rising cost of living and protecting clean air and water are priorities for Democratic Representative Emily Sirota of Denver in …

Private health insurance administrative costs in the U.S. are nearly six times higher than the costs of Canada's single payer system. (Adobe Stock)

Universal ‘Medicare for All’ bill advances in CO legislature

As health insurance premiums keep rising, Colorado lawmakers are advancing a bill to look at a universal Medicare for All option. A 2020 report in …

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