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Move over bears. Fat Marmot Week puts a spotlight on the alpine rodents
GOTHIC | Last winter was tough for marmots living high in the Colorado mountains, where researchers say two-thirds of one population died while hibernating because of insufficient snow cover. Those that survived are doing well, fattening up in time not just for fall and hibernation season but … drumroll, please … the very first Fat […]
Victor Marx GOP primary win sparks division among Colorado Republican ranks
This story was produced as part of the Colorado Capitol News Alliance. It first appeared at cpr.org. DENVER | Former state lawmaker Norma Anderson is 94 years old, and for almost all her life she’s been a proud Republican. “I was born a Republican,” Anderson joked. “Everybody in the family was a Republican. And so when […]
Rep. Crow, other Colorado Dems flip on aid to Israel, reflecting growing partywide divide
This story was produced as part of the Colorado Capitol News Alliance. It first appeared at cpr.org. DENVER | Heading into the Democratic primary, one big issue for Democrat Simon Beer of Denver was Gaza. “I think that the genocide is ridiculous, and the fact that so many people are just writing it off as nothing […]
Colorado’s free preschool faces calls for higher quality standards
This story was originally published by Chalkbeat. DENVER | Colorado’s free preschool program has been popular with families since it launched three years ago, but state leaders need to raise the bar on quality. That finding from a state-mandated evaluation of the $349 million program echoes concerns long raised by advocates that universal preschool started […]
Proposed Postal Service rule threatens Colorado mail-in voting system, officials say
This story was first published at Colorado Newsline. DENVER | A U.S. Postal Service rule proposed as a result of a President Donald Trump’s executive order to limit voting by mail would upend the ability of Coloradans to easily access their ballots ahead of November’s general election. Colorado is a universal mail-in ballot state, and […]
House OKs bill to make daylight saving time permanent; Colorado stands ready. Senate next
WASHINGTON | There will be no turning back the clock if the House has its way. The House passed a bill Tuesday that would make daylight saving time permanent. Proponents, including the White House, argued the change would provide more daylight during the times that Americans are most active. The vote was 308-117. Colorado state […]
Colorado primary sees record voter turnout with 35.9% participation
This story was first published at Colorado Newsline. DENVER | Turnout in the recent Colorado primary election, with executive-level offices up for grabs and a competitive congressional primary, was 10 percentage points higher than in 2024. As of Monday, turnout for the June 30 primary was around 35.9% of active voters, compared with 25.5% in […]
Lawmakers seek solutions for Colorado’s Medicaid budget, red tape
This story was produced as part of the Colorado Capitol News Alliance. It first appeared at cpr.org. DENVER | The future of Colorado’s Medicaid program is getting an in-depth look and that could lead to reforms. That’s the job of the Colorado Commission on Medicaid, which met this week. Its arduous task? Come up with strategies to […]
Colorado law change alters futures of three public schools
This story was originally published by Chalkbeat. DENVER | A recent law change aimed at what some Colorado lawmakers saw as a rogue school authorizing group quickly changed the trajectory of three public schools this spring. One closed, one will stay open, and the fate of the third is a mystery. The new law put […]
Colorado’s child well-being ranking slips to 14th nationwide, Kids Count report finds
DENVER | Colorado is now ranked 14th nationwide for child well-being, down from 12th place. That’s according to composite scores from the latest KIDS COUNT Data Book, released last week. The Data Book is “a 50-state report of recent data developed by the Annie E. Casey Foundation* analyzing how kids are faring nationwide.” The report […]