Podcast appearances and mentions of krista kafer

As for the divisions of the gatekeepers: of the Korahites, Meshelemiah the son of Kore, of the sons of Asaph. - 1 Chronicles 26:1 For what have I to do with judging outsiders? Is it not those inside the church whom you are to judge? - 1 Corinthians 5:12 If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not receive him into your house or give him any greeting, for whoever greets him takes part in his wicked works. - 2 John 10–11   This Episode's Links and Timestamps: 00:24 – Scripture Reading 05:05 – Thoughts on the Reading 18:24 - The Dominican Republic has a 100-mile border wall to keep Haitians out … check out what's happened to the crime rate – Cardinal Pritchard, NTB 32:59 - As a landmark United Methodist gathering approaches, African churches weigh their future – Peter Smith, AP 57:50 - WILD: Mark Driscoll gets tossed from stage at men's conference after calling them out for hiring a male pole dancer to open the conference – John Knox, NTB 1:15:15 - Opinion: Christian nationalism's dark side and a Colorado grandma's Jan. 6 disorderly conduct conviction – Krista Kafer, The Denver Post 1:34:28 - The Real Function of Third Way Rhetoric – Aaron M. Renn --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/garrett-ashley-mullet/message

Krista Kafer, one of the six voters who brought the case to keep Donald Trump off the Colorado ballot, joined The WBAP Morning News. She was making her case at the US Supreme Court. This is what she observed…See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tomorrow, the U.S. Supreme Court hears the Colorado case to keep Donald Trump off the state's primary ballot. Krista Kafer and Norma Anderson are two of the plaintiffs. Then, Colorado researchers on how climate change is changing the acidity of the Antarctic Ocean. Also, the largest air pollution penalty in state history. And "Hooked" explores how easy it is for teens to get tobacco products.

Tomorrow, the U.S. Supreme Court hears the Colorado case to keep Donald Trump off the state's primary ballot. Krista Kafer and Norma Anderson are two of the plaintiffs. Then, Colorado researchers on how climate change is changing the acidity of the Antarctic Ocean. Also, the largest air pollution penalty in state history. And "Hooked" explores how easy it is for teens to get tobacco products.

Trump appeals his Colorado ballot ban to SCOTUS, his lawyers arguing he “in no way” engaged in an insurrection. Krista Kafer, a longstanding Colorado Republican and plaintiff in the 14th Amendment case, gives her reaction to Trump's appeal. Plus, the Biden administration sues Texas over the State's immigration law on the day the House Speaker and GOP lawmakers visit the border. And, the names of Jeffrey Epstein's associates are made public after court documents are unsealed. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Trump appeals his Colorado ballot ban to SCOTUS, his lawyers arguing he “in no way” engaged in an insurrection. Krista Kafer, a longstanding Colorado Republican and plaintiff in the 14th Amendment case, gives her reaction to Trump's appeal. Plus, the Biden administration sues Texas over the State's immigration law on the day the House Speaker and GOP lawmakers visit the border. And, the names of Jeffrey Epstein's associates are made public after court documents are unsealed. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Your Heard Tell Show for Thursday, September 28th, is turning down the noise of the news cycle and getting to the information we need to discern our times by reviewing the hot mess that was the second GOP presidential debate for the 2024 primary, some real talk about what did and didn't happen, skip the narratives and "there must be a horserace" mentality as to how this primary really is setting up, and how the Parable of Two Donkeys explains how most folks viewed this debate. We go out to Portland, Oregon, and go beyond the headlines and the red shirt waving of social and news media over drug use and get to the information as to why the drug decriminalzation effort is failing, what lessons we should learn from it, and how half measures and bad implementation can doom the even the best of intentions. Our guest is Denver Post columnist Krista Kafer who returns to Heard Tell to tell us the tale of two Colorado members of congress that could not be more different; Rep. Ken Buck who despite being a down-the-line conservative has drawn the ire of his party for not going along with election fraud and impeachment, and Rep. Lauren Boebert who embarassed herself in a theater enough to actually apologize while trying to hold onto her seat she only won by a few hundred votes.All that and more on this episode of Heard Tell.--------------------Heard Tell SubStack Free to subscribe, comes right to your inboxQuestions, comments, concerns, ideas, or epistles? Email us HeardTellShow@gmail.comPlease make sure to follow @Heard Tell, like the program, comment with your thoughts, and share with others.Heard Tell SubStack Free to subscribe, comes right to your inboxSupport Heard Tell here: https://app.redcircle.com/shows/4b87f374-cace-44ea-960c-30f9bf37bcff/donationsSupport this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/heard-tell/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Rundown -    Mario Nicolais in Craig's Lawyers' Lounge - 21:51   Peter Simon - 50:55   Troubadour Dave Gunders - 01:29:07   "Stranger in a Strange Land" by Dave Gunders - 01:49:17   Mario Nicolais, lead lawyer on the new Denver D/Ct declaratory judgment case aiming to DQ Trump, joins host again in Craig's Lawyers' Lounge. Learn behind the scene details on Anderson v Griswold, aka Biggest Case Ever. https://www.citizensforethics.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Anderson-v-Griswold_Verified-Petition_2023.09.06_01.pdf   How were plaintiffs, and Denver as the venue, selected? Who will be called as witnesses? Host speculates on the last names of Cheney, Kinzinger, Luttig and Tribe. Listen for the response to this litigation unfolding in the show host's Denver courthouse! Excitement palpable.   Host confronts the rantings of ex-Gov. Mike Huckabee who threatens violence if Nicolais' lawsuit succeeds. Other commentators have issued their dire warnings. Such MAGA commentary is instructive, as are the rantings of Mike Lindell when forced at depo to confront his defamation of a Denverite named Eric Coomer.   Dr. Coomer's case reveals the Dominion lie which reveals the Trump insurrection. It is that simple. But it gets complicated through the bad faith of MAGA propaganda which the show host again calls out. Lindell sponsored MAGA propagandists on #DenverTrumpRadio and show calls it out. Again.   Show business legend Peter Simon, GW Class of 1967, provides a fascinating interview rich with music, humor and Colorado history. Saling Simon, Peter's grandpa, helped found National Jewish Hospital at the turn of last century. https://exhibits.library.du.edu/librariespresents/items/show/5666   America's premiere respiratory hospital, National Jewish, remains a Simon family living legacy and so is Peter's son, also named Solang Simon, who performed side by side on the piano with his Dad, Peter, for decades. Simon & Son has Denver GWHS roots. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YKxrFoMijEc   On his own, Peter Simon has worn out multiple tuxedos on his intercontinental musical tours. Learn how Peter had the same agent as Victor Borge who was a role model. Peter Simon was a piano prodigy who's made a great life in show biz. Learn all about this Denver musical genius!   Our Troubadour Dave Gunders takes a back seat to no one when it comes to musical expression. He proves it again with piano-rich song, Stranger in a Strange Land, as we contemplate a MAGA takeover in 2024. We are working against that. And having laughs too. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uPkEJkijPZw   Upcoming #CraigsColoradoCorner (Monday 6 a.m.) features Marty Lenz from KOA and Jordan Hedberg discussing Trump trials, including Denver's own Anderson v Griswold. Colo SOS has been a frequent guest in Craig's Lawyers' Lounge. Also a guest has been Norma Anderson's daughter-in-law Pam. Host worked @710KNUS with Krista Kafer too.

Kristi Burton-Brown breaks down (and tears apart) the 14th amendment Constitutional argument being made by attorney Mario Nicolais and petitioner Krista Kafer, both of whom appeared on KOA talk shows - and both of whom declined or ignored requests to be interviewed by either Dan or KBB. Also, she and Ryan tackle a question from a texter on whether the United States is a democratic republic by definition and underscore the genius and importance of the founders and our founding.

KRISTA KAFER IS PART OF THE LAWSUIT TO KEEP TRUMP OFF THE BALLOT And she joins me at 12:30 to explain why she joined and why she thinks it's a good idea. I am not at all sold on this. You can read a long article about it here.

Our guest is Denver Post columnist Krista Kafer, who returns to Heard Tell to talk about her piece on the changing culture and economics of tipping. From the legendary Casa Bonita to just about every service sector now, how technology and the post-pandemic labor situation is converging around what and how to compensate service sector workers. Also, we talk the state of Colorado politics as the 2024 elections continue to creep closer in that changing and important state.All that and more on this episode of Heard Tell.--------------------Questions, comments, concerns, ideas, or epistles? Email us HeardTellShow@gmail.comPlease make sure to follow to @Heard Tell, like the program, comment with your thoughts, and share with others.Subscribe for free to the Heard Tell SubStackSupport Heard Tell here: https://app.redcircle.com/shows/4b87f374-cace-44ea-960c-30f9bf37bcff/donationsSupport this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/heard-tell/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacySupport this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/heard-tell/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Your Heard Tell Show for Wednesday, July 26th, 2023 is turning down the noise of the news cycle and getting to the information we need to discern our times by discussing Elon Musk changing Twitter's branding from the well known bird to his long imagined "X", what it means, and is it going to work out to become the "everything app" he envisions it to be. We go to Alaska where the 8 year long legal fight over 210-miles of proposed road through protected federal land has the Biden Administration between a rock and a hard place of championing a green future, but needing to mine the rare earth minerals that are needed to fuel it. Our guest is Denver Post columnist Krista Kafer, who returns to Heard Tell to talk about her piece on the changing culture and economics of tipping. From the legendary Casa Bonita to just about every service sector now, how technology and the post-pandemic labor situation is converging around what and how to compensate service sector workers. We end on a good note with a story about something so common most folks take it for granted, but became a huge deal to some kids before back-to-school.All that and more on this episode of Heard Tell.--------------------Questions, comments, concerns, ideas, or epistles? Email us HeardTellShow@gmail.comPlease make sure to follow to @Heard Tell, like the program, comment with your thoughts, and share with others.Heard Tell SubStackSupport Heard Tell here: https://app.redcircle.com/shows/4b87f374-cace-44ea-960c-30f9bf37bcff/donationsSupport this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/heard-tell/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Arizona GOP moving variety of conspiracy-fueled voter suppression bills | Bill authorizing universal youth mental health screenings at school is moving in Colorado legislature | New Colorado GOP chair is a fringe character, prominent conservatives announce they're leaving the Party | VP Harris announces Biden Administration disbursement of $200 million in wildfire preparedness and mitigation funds | Billy Idol in DenverSong playsIntro by hostWelcome to High Country - politics in the American West. My name is Sean Diller; regular listeners might know me from Heartland Pod's Talking Politics, every Monday.Support this show and all the work in the Heartland POD universe by going to heartlandpod.com and clicking the link for Patreon, or go to Patreon.com/HeartlandPod to sign up. Membership starts at $1/month, with even more extra shows and special access at the higher levels. No matter the level you choose, your membership helps us create these independent shows as we work together to change the conversation.Alright! Let's get into it: ARIZONA MIRROR:Conspiracy theories still dominate Arizona Senate Elections CommitteeBY: JOE DUHOWNIK/COURTHOUSE NEWS SERVICE - MARCH 21, 2023 4:18 PMNearly a month after Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes released documents further disproving claims of widespread fraud in the 2020 election, Senate Republicans continue to make the same claims in the election committee.The most recent tantrum came during testimony regarding HB2415, which would remove people from the active early voting mailing list if they go a full year without participating in an election. Republicans said it's a way to declutter the list.Opponents argued that the bill would only disenfranchise voters, as many only vote in presidential elections every four years, and could be removed from the mail ballot list without knowing it.“Conspiracy theories” also came up again later in the committee meeting, this time in regard to HB2591, which would prohibit voters from using ballot drop boxes outside the hours of 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, and would require that drop boxes be inside or attached to county buildings and be under 24/7 video surveillance. Bill sponsor Gail Griffin, a Republican state representative from Tucson, said she's seen video of “people with boxes coming and dumping ballots,” though she maintained that “2,000 Mules” - a propaganda film about imagined “ballot mules” stuffing ballots in the 2020 election. The fantasy about ballot mules is a cornerstone of the bigger fantasy that Joe Biden stole the 2020 election, even though he won by 3 full percentage points and 7 million votes.Democrats said restricting the times when voters can drop off ballots will make it harder for some to cast their vote. Republicans' only response was that those folks would need to use one of the less accessible options that remain if they want to vote. Cool. The Republican-dominated committee supported five more measures they say will increase election integrity. Republican state Representative Austin Smith sponsored HB2552 to preemptively prohibit ranked choice voting in Arizona. A companion bill already passed through the Senate in February.Jodi Liggett, a lobbyist representing the Arizona League of Women Voters, said more than 60% of Arizona voters support ranked choice voting, which is used in Maine, Alaska, and multiple cities like New York and San Francisco.“There should be no reason to preemptively silence the voice of your own constituents,” she told the committee.The committee ended with discussion on HB2613, which would require that all vote recording tabulation machines be 100% sourced from and built in the U.S. in response to fantasies about foreign tampering of voting machines in the 2020 election - where Donald Trump lost to Joe Biden by 3 full percentage points and 7 million legally cast votes. Jen Marson, representing the Arizona Association of Counties, said the machines used now are already manufactured in the U.S., but some parts, like plastics and electronics, are sourced from other countries.The bill's GOP sponsor said he doesn't know that U.S. companies have the capacity to completely home-grow the voting machines, but “if there is a need, I do believe that the American engineering mindset would step up.”For my part - I'll just say his point makes absolutely no sense.This article was first published by Courthouse News Service and is republished under their terms of use.UCLA HEALTHSuicide rate highest among teens and young adultsMarch 15, 2022By Sandy CohenNote: This article was updated Feb. 23, 2023.Suicide is the second-leading cause of death among people age 15 to 24 in the U.S. Nearly 20% of high school students report serious thoughts of suicide and 9% have made an attempt to take their lives, according to the National Alliance on Mental Illness.Recent weeks have brought heartbreaking examples of this trend, including the March 1 death of Stanford soccer captain Katie Meyer, 22; and Ohio State football player Harry Miller's revelations that he attempted suicide, shared his struggles with his coach and got help. Miller announced his medical retirement from football on March 10 in a Twitter post that's been shared more than 10,000 times.“This is not an issue reserved for the far and away,” wrote Miller. “It is in our homes. It is in our conversations. It is in the people we love.”Carl Fleisher, MD, who specializes in adolescent and child psychiatry at Boston Child Study Center in Los Angeles said “Teenagers and young adults have had rising rates of suicide compared to 10 or 15 years ago, Young people are particularly vulnerable to suicide. The things that make them vulnerable are where they stand socially and where they stand developmentally.”Developmentally, their judgment and decision-making abilities are still coming online. The prefrontal cortex — the brain's executive control center — doesn't fully develop until one's mid-20s.That makes young people more impulsive "They're not going to weigh risks and consequences in quite the same way older folks will.”Socially, teens and young adults don't have the same connections older adults do. Someone who is married, has a long-term partner or has children or grandchildren is in a different place socially than someone who is just coming into their own, living with roommates or alone.The isolation of the pandemic exacerbated social disconnection even more.So it's good to hear that a bill that would make it easier… Colorado Newsline article followsCOLORADO NEWSLINE:BY: SARA WILSON - MARCH 20, 2023 2:54 PM…  for schools to provide mental health assessments, and connect students to therapy, passed the Colorado House of Representatives on Monday.House Bill 23-1003 would allow public schools to participate in a voluntary mental health screening program for sixth through twelfth graders and refer them to treatment if needed, primarily through the state's existing free youth therapy program, called I Matter.Bill sponsor Rep. Dafna Michaelson Jenet, a Commerce City Democrat, said she was motivated to run the legislation after alarming statistics from the Colorado Healthy Kids Survey that showed nearly 40% of Colorado youth reported feeling depressed for at least two straight weeks.“That's a pretty significant indicator for severe depression,” she said. “I wanted to come up with a way for kids to learn about therapy and access to therapy through screenings in school. We have the I Matter program, so we have somewhere kids can go for help.”In a post-pandemic environment in which Children's Hospital Colorado declared a state of emergency for youth mental health, Michaelson Jenet said screening can be a powerful preventative tool for students under profound pressures.Parents could opt their child out of the assessment, but students 12 years and older would be able to participate even if their parents don't want them to.Under the program, if the provider finds that a student could benefit from treatment, their parents will be notified and given information about the I Matter program, which has provided free therapy services to over 5,500 Colorado youth since it launched in October 2021.If the assessment provider finds that a student is in crisis — at-risk for attempting suicide, physical self-harm or harming others, for example — the school would follow its crisis response protocol.The Colorado Health Institute endorsed the concept of universal mental health screenings in schools in a report published earlier this month.The report authors wrote “Schools are uniquely positioned to help address this (mental health) crisis by meeting youth where they already spend most of their day. Screening all students for social and emotional needs strengthens prevention, detection, and early intervention.”Organizations including the National Association of School Psychologists, the National Research Council, the Institute of Medicine, the Healthy Schools Campaign, Mental Health America also recommend screening all students.Republicans in the House opposed the bill on the grounds that a program where students could participate even if parents opt out violates parental rights. Most of the floor debate centered on whether 12 years old is too young for students to decide whether to undergo a mental health assessment. Existing Colorado law allows minors 12 years and older to seek therapy without their parent or guardian's consent.Democrats hold healthy majorities in both the House and Senate this session.The legislation now heads to the Senate, where it is sponsored by Democratic Sen. Lisa Cutter of Littleton.COLORADO SUN: and on the other side of the aisle: The new chair of Colorado's GOP says people concerned he will end all hope of Republicans winning here, should “relax”.Jesse Paul and Sandra Fish3:20 AM MDT on Mar 16, 2023Dave Williams' election as Colorado GOP chair has prompted prominent Republicans to announce they are leaving the party and heightened the possibility that unaffiliated Coloradans, who make up nearly half of the state's electorate, could be shut out of the GOP's future primaries.Mandy Connell, a conservative talk radio host, tweeted her exit from the GOP on Saturday just after the election denier and former state representative was chosen to lead Republicans for the next two years.Connell told The Colorado Sun, “I hoped the Republican Party could move beyond Donald Trump and looking backwards at the 2020 election. With the election of Dave Williams for the Colorado chairmanship, it is apparent that they are not ready to do that. And I am.”The GOP has steadily lost registered voters in Colorado over the past two decades, a slide that accelerated after Trump took office. The share of registered Republicans declined to 24.2% in January from 31.1% in January 2016. There are no statewide elected Republicans, and the party is in a big minority in the legislature and in the congressional delegation following a disappointing 2022 election cycle that only saw the GOP lose more political power.Some in the party fear Williams, who beat six other chair candidates, may lead to further decline. Dick Wadhams, who was Colorado GOP chair from 2007 to 2011 and now works as a Republican political consultant, worries the “party will have no credibility” if Williams pursues the agenda he campaigned for chair on.Williams says his detractors should “relax.”“I can understand why some people are concerned, especially because of the fearmongering of Dick Wadhams,” Williams said. “But the truth is I'm only here to go attack Democrats, and if they can't get behind that then I'm not sure what else is going to unite us.”Williams, who vowed to be a “wartime” leader of the Colorado GOP, was a divisive figure during his time in the state legislature - and last year he lost a primary challenge to Republican Congressman Doug Lamborn by just shy of 20 points.Williams was elected chair by the Colorado GOP's state central committee, which is made up of about 400 people. During the event Saturday in Loveland, Williams focused his message on defending Donald Trump and preventing unaffiliated voters from participating in GOP primary elections, something Colorado voters approved in 2016. Ari Armstrong, a columnist for Complete Colorado, tweeted that he is leaving the party. “Colorado GOP leaders have made abundantly clear that theirs is the party of conspiracy mongering and petty bigotry,” he said. “The state party is not serious about winning elections or helping to guide policy. Enough.”Denver Post columnist Krista Kafer also hinted on Twitter at a switch: “I think I'll be doing the same (as) Mandy Connell. When I rejoined the party I had hoped it was changing. It is in other states but not here. The lunatic fringe is ascendant.” and speaking of the lunatic fringeCOLORADO NEWSLINE:Feds to send nearly $200 million to help communities prepare for wildfiresBY: JACOB FISCHLER - MARCH 21, 2023 4:30 AM     Vice President Kamala Harris and other administration officials said Monday that the Biden administration will send $197 million from the 2021 bipartisan infrastructure law to help communities prepare for wildfires this summer.The funding represents the first round of a new $1 billion Community Wildfire Defense Grant program authorized under the $1.2 trillion Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill that President Joe Biden signed in 2021. Grants in the first year of the program would be available for more than 100 projects in 22 states, according to a White House fact sheet.The funding is meant to help communities prepare for wildfires, which Harris said was preferable to responding to fires already wreaking havoc.“The best time to fight a fire is before it starts,” she said on a Monday call with reporters.The funding announced Monday can be used to write or update wildfire preparedness plans or on other mitigation efforts, such as clearing highly flammable brush.Among the largest grants was a $9.9 million disbursement to the Grant Soil and Water Conservation District in eastern Oregon to clear hazardous fuels from evacuation routes on county roads.The New Mexico nonprofit Cimarron Watershed Alliance also received $8 million to create defensible space around homes and fuel breaks designed to stop a fire's spread.Archuleta County, Colorado, will receive $1.1 million to remove hazardous fuels over 600 wooded acres.Gila County AZ will receive $341,000 for evacuation planning and clearing flammable brush around buildings Communities in Alaska, Idaho, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, South Dakota, Wiscons, North Carolina and Georgia will also receive grants.A full list of grants announced Monday is available here.The Vice President said the remaining roughly $800 million will be released over the next four years.Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said “This is an initial round of funding - a critical down payment.”The Forest Service, which is part of the Agriculture Department, judged grant applications on three criteria: communities that have experienced a severe disaster, are at high risk of a wildfire and are low income. All grants announced Monday met at least two of the three criteria and most met all three, he said.Wildfires have become more destructive in recent decades for a variety of reasons, including hotter and drier weather because of climate change, as well as increased development in areas at high risk of fire.CONCERT PICK OF THE WEEK: You might know him from the movie “Big” - it's Billy Idol! Mission Ballroom in Denver on Tuesday April 4th at 8pm - that's election night and that's also a kickass venue to see rock and roll giant like Billy. Information at billyidol.net - and don't use .com because there is no redirect.Welp, that's it for me! From Denver I'm Sean Diller. Original reporting for the stories in today's show comes from the Arizona Mirror, Colorado Newsline, Courthouse News Service, UCLA Health, Colorado Sun, and Denver's Westword.Thank you for listening! See you next time.

Arizona GOP moving variety of conspiracy-fueled voter suppression bills | Bill authorizing universal youth mental health screenings at school is moving in Colorado legislature | New Colorado GOP chair is a fringe character, prominent conservatives announce they're leaving the Party | VP Harris announces Biden Administration disbursement of $200 million in wildfire preparedness and mitigation funds | Billy Idol in DenverSong playsIntro by hostWelcome to High Country - politics in the American West. My name is Sean Diller; regular listeners might know me from Heartland Pod's Talking Politics, every Monday.Support this show and all the work in the Heartland POD universe by going to heartlandpod.com and clicking the link for Patreon, or go to Patreon.com/HeartlandPod to sign up. Membership starts at $1/month, with even more extra shows and special access at the higher levels. No matter the level you choose, your membership helps us create these independent shows as we work together to change the conversation.Alright! Let's get into it: ARIZONA MIRROR:Conspiracy theories still dominate Arizona Senate Elections CommitteeBY: JOE DUHOWNIK/COURTHOUSE NEWS SERVICE - MARCH 21, 2023 4:18 PMNearly a month after Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes released documents further disproving claims of widespread fraud in the 2020 election, Senate Republicans continue to make the same claims in the election committee.The most recent tantrum came during testimony regarding HB2415, which would remove people from the active early voting mailing list if they go a full year without participating in an election. Republicans said it's a way to declutter the list.Opponents argued that the bill would only disenfranchise voters, as many only vote in presidential elections every four years, and could be removed from the mail ballot list without knowing it.“Conspiracy theories” also came up again later in the committee meeting, this time in regard to HB2591, which would prohibit voters from using ballot drop boxes outside the hours of 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, and would require that drop boxes be inside or attached to county buildings and be under 24/7 video surveillance. Bill sponsor Gail Griffin, a Republican state representative from Tucson, said she's seen video of “people with boxes coming and dumping ballots,” though she maintained that “2,000 Mules” - a propaganda film about imagined “ballot mules” stuffing ballots in the 2020 election. The fantasy about ballot mules is a cornerstone of the bigger fantasy that Joe Biden stole the 2020 election, even though he won by 3 full percentage points and 7 million votes.Democrats said restricting the times when voters can drop off ballots will make it harder for some to cast their vote. Republicans' only response was that those folks would need to use one of the less accessible options that remain if they want to vote. Cool. The Republican-dominated committee supported five more measures they say will increase election integrity. Republican state Representative Austin Smith sponsored HB2552 to preemptively prohibit ranked choice voting in Arizona. A companion bill already passed through the Senate in February.Jodi Liggett, a lobbyist representing the Arizona League of Women Voters, said more than 60% of Arizona voters support ranked choice voting, which is used in Maine, Alaska, and multiple cities like New York and San Francisco.“There should be no reason to preemptively silence the voice of your own constituents,” she told the committee.The committee ended with discussion on HB2613, which would require that all vote recording tabulation machines be 100% sourced from and built in the U.S. in response to fantasies about foreign tampering of voting machines in the 2020 election - where Donald Trump lost to Joe Biden by 3 full percentage points and 7 million legally cast votes. Jen Marson, representing the Arizona Association of Counties, said the machines used now are already manufactured in the U.S., but some parts, like plastics and electronics, are sourced from other countries.The bill's GOP sponsor said he doesn't know that U.S. companies have the capacity to completely home-grow the voting machines, but “if there is a need, I do believe that the American engineering mindset would step up.”For my part - I'll just say his point makes absolutely no sense.This article was first published by Courthouse News Service and is republished under their terms of use.UCLA HEALTHSuicide rate highest among teens and young adultsMarch 15, 2022By Sandy CohenNote: This article was updated Feb. 23, 2023.Suicide is the second-leading cause of death among people age 15 to 24 in the U.S. Nearly 20% of high school students report serious thoughts of suicide and 9% have made an attempt to take their lives, according to the National Alliance on Mental Illness.Recent weeks have brought heartbreaking examples of this trend, including the March 1 death of Stanford soccer captain Katie Meyer, 22; and Ohio State football player Harry Miller's revelations that he attempted suicide, shared his struggles with his coach and got help. Miller announced his medical retirement from football on March 10 in a Twitter post that's been shared more than 10,000 times.“This is not an issue reserved for the far and away,” wrote Miller. “It is in our homes. It is in our conversations. It is in the people we love.”Carl Fleisher, MD, who specializes in adolescent and child psychiatry at Boston Child Study Center in Los Angeles said “Teenagers and young adults have had rising rates of suicide compared to 10 or 15 years ago, Young people are particularly vulnerable to suicide. The things that make them vulnerable are where they stand socially and where they stand developmentally.”Developmentally, their judgment and decision-making abilities are still coming online. The prefrontal cortex — the brain's executive control center — doesn't fully develop until one's mid-20s.That makes young people more impulsive "They're not going to weigh risks and consequences in quite the same way older folks will.”Socially, teens and young adults don't have the same connections older adults do. Someone who is married, has a long-term partner or has children or grandchildren is in a different place socially than someone who is just coming into their own, living with roommates or alone.The isolation of the pandemic exacerbated social disconnection even more.So it's good to hear that a bill that would make it easier… Colorado Newsline article followsCOLORADO NEWSLINE:BY: SARA WILSON - MARCH 20, 2023 2:54 PM…  for schools to provide mental health assessments, and connect students to therapy, passed the Colorado House of Representatives on Monday.House Bill 23-1003 would allow public schools to participate in a voluntary mental health screening program for sixth through twelfth graders and refer them to treatment if needed, primarily through the state's existing free youth therapy program, called I Matter.Bill sponsor Rep. Dafna Michaelson Jenet, a Commerce City Democrat, said she was motivated to run the legislation after alarming statistics from the Colorado Healthy Kids Survey that showed nearly 40% of Colorado youth reported feeling depressed for at least two straight weeks.“That's a pretty significant indicator for severe depression,” she said. “I wanted to come up with a way for kids to learn about therapy and access to therapy through screenings in school. We have the I Matter program, so we have somewhere kids can go for help.”In a post-pandemic environment in which Children's Hospital Colorado declared a state of emergency for youth mental health, Michaelson Jenet said screening can be a powerful preventative tool for students under profound pressures.Parents could opt their child out of the assessment, but students 12 years and older would be able to participate even if their parents don't want them to.Under the program, if the provider finds that a student could benefit from treatment, their parents will be notified and given information about the I Matter program, which has provided free therapy services to over 5,500 Colorado youth since it launched in October 2021.If the assessment provider finds that a student is in crisis — at-risk for attempting suicide, physical self-harm or harming others, for example — the school would follow its crisis response protocol.The Colorado Health Institute endorsed the concept of universal mental health screenings in schools in a report published earlier this month.The report authors wrote “Schools are uniquely positioned to help address this (mental health) crisis by meeting youth where they already spend most of their day. Screening all students for social and emotional needs strengthens prevention, detection, and early intervention.”Organizations including the National Association of School Psychologists, the National Research Council, the Institute of Medicine, the Healthy Schools Campaign, Mental Health America also recommend screening all students.Republicans in the House opposed the bill on the grounds that a program where students could participate even if parents opt out violates parental rights. Most of the floor debate centered on whether 12 years old is too young for students to decide whether to undergo a mental health assessment. Existing Colorado law allows minors 12 years and older to seek therapy without their parent or guardian's consent.Democrats hold healthy majorities in both the House and Senate this session.The legislation now heads to the Senate, where it is sponsored by Democratic Sen. Lisa Cutter of Littleton.COLORADO SUN: and on the other side of the aisle: The new chair of Colorado's GOP says people concerned he will end all hope of Republicans winning here, should “relax”.Jesse Paul and Sandra Fish3:20 AM MDT on Mar 16, 2023Dave Williams' election as Colorado GOP chair has prompted prominent Republicans to announce they are leaving the party and heightened the possibility that unaffiliated Coloradans, who make up nearly half of the state's electorate, could be shut out of the GOP's future primaries.Mandy Connell, a conservative talk radio host, tweeted her exit from the GOP on Saturday just after the election denier and former state representative was chosen to lead Republicans for the next two years.Connell told The Colorado Sun, “I hoped the Republican Party could move beyond Donald Trump and looking backwards at the 2020 election. With the election of Dave Williams for the Colorado chairmanship, it is apparent that they are not ready to do that. And I am.”The GOP has steadily lost registered voters in Colorado over the past two decades, a slide that accelerated after Trump took office. The share of registered Republicans declined to 24.2% in January from 31.1% in January 2016. There are no statewide elected Republicans, and the party is in a big minority in the legislature and in the congressional delegation following a disappointing 2022 election cycle that only saw the GOP lose more political power.Some in the party fear Williams, who beat six other chair candidates, may lead to further decline. Dick Wadhams, who was Colorado GOP chair from 2007 to 2011 and now works as a Republican political consultant, worries the “party will have no credibility” if Williams pursues the agenda he campaigned for chair on.Williams says his detractors should “relax.”“I can understand why some people are concerned, especially because of the fearmongering of Dick Wadhams,” Williams said. “But the truth is I'm only here to go attack Democrats, and if they can't get behind that then I'm not sure what else is going to unite us.”Williams, who vowed to be a “wartime” leader of the Colorado GOP, was a divisive figure during his time in the state legislature - and last year he lost a primary challenge to Republican Congressman Doug Lamborn by just shy of 20 points.Williams was elected chair by the Colorado GOP's state central committee, which is made up of about 400 people. During the event Saturday in Loveland, Williams focused his message on defending Donald Trump and preventing unaffiliated voters from participating in GOP primary elections, something Colorado voters approved in 2016. Ari Armstrong, a columnist for Complete Colorado, tweeted that he is leaving the party. “Colorado GOP leaders have made abundantly clear that theirs is the party of conspiracy mongering and petty bigotry,” he said. “The state party is not serious about winning elections or helping to guide policy. Enough.”Denver Post columnist Krista Kafer also hinted on Twitter at a switch: “I think I'll be doing the same (as) Mandy Connell. When I rejoined the party I had hoped it was changing. It is in other states but not here. The lunatic fringe is ascendant.” and speaking of the lunatic fringeCOLORADO NEWSLINE:Feds to send nearly $200 million to help communities prepare for wildfiresBY: JACOB FISCHLER - MARCH 21, 2023 4:30 AM     Vice President Kamala Harris and other administration officials said Monday that the Biden administration will send $197 million from the 2021 bipartisan infrastructure law to help communities prepare for wildfires this summer.The funding represents the first round of a new $1 billion Community Wildfire Defense Grant program authorized under the $1.2 trillion Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill that President Joe Biden signed in 2021. Grants in the first year of the program would be available for more than 100 projects in 22 states, according to a White House fact sheet.The funding is meant to help communities prepare for wildfires, which Harris said was preferable to responding to fires already wreaking havoc.“The best time to fight a fire is before it starts,” she said on a Monday call with reporters.The funding announced Monday can be used to write or update wildfire preparedness plans or on other mitigation efforts, such as clearing highly flammable brush.Among the largest grants was a $9.9 million disbursement to the Grant Soil and Water Conservation District in eastern Oregon to clear hazardous fuels from evacuation routes on county roads.The New Mexico nonprofit Cimarron Watershed Alliance also received $8 million to create defensible space around homes and fuel breaks designed to stop a fire's spread.Archuleta County, Colorado, will receive $1.1 million to remove hazardous fuels over 600 wooded acres.Gila County AZ will receive $341,000 for evacuation planning and clearing flammable brush around buildings Communities in Alaska, Idaho, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, South Dakota, Wiscons, North Carolina and Georgia will also receive grants.A full list of grants announced Monday is available here.The Vice President said the remaining roughly $800 million will be released over the next four years.Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said “This is an initial round of funding - a critical down payment.”The Forest Service, which is part of the Agriculture Department, judged grant applications on three criteria: communities that have experienced a severe disaster, are at high risk of a wildfire and are low income. All grants announced Monday met at least two of the three criteria and most met all three, he said.Wildfires have become more destructive in recent decades for a variety of reasons, including hotter and drier weather because of climate change, as well as increased development in areas at high risk of fire.CONCERT PICK OF THE WEEK: You might know him from the movie “Big” - it's Billy Idol! Mission Ballroom in Denver on Tuesday April 4th at 8pm - that's election night and that's also a kickass venue to see rock and roll giant like Billy. Information at billyidol.net - and don't use .com because there is no redirect.Welp, that's it for me! From Denver I'm Sean Diller. Original reporting for the stories in today's show comes from the Arizona Mirror, Colorado Newsline, Courthouse News Service, UCLA Health, Colorado Sun, and Denver's Westword.Thank you for listening! See you next time.

On this Best of Heard Tell, host Andrew Donaldson talks about the failure theater of congress when it comes to the debt limit, Denver Post columnist Krista Kafer on the real reason the price of eggs is so high, Roy Matthews talks the cost of oil & gas, and Jack Salmon on the change in politics that has reforming Social Security a non-starter politically.All that and more on this President's Day edition of Heard Tell.--------------------Questions, comments, concerns, ideas, or epistles? Email us HeardTellShow@gmail.comPlease make sure to subscribe to @Heard Tell , like the program, comment with your thoughts, and share with others.Support Heard Tell here: https://app.redcircle.com/shows/4b87f374-cace-44ea-960c-30f9bf37bcff/donationsSupport this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/heard-tell/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy