Podcasts about weld county

John Bandimere Jr is In-Studio with Peter Boyles! Announcing the new land purchase for a new Bandimere Speedway in Weld County. History of the Bandimere Family, Legacy in Morrison, Street Racing, and a deep dive into the Legendary Speedway. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Is it normal for Colorado GOP party leadership to spend down the money they've raised, rather than hand it over to the incoming administration? Weld County Sheriff Steve Reams asks former state chair Dick Wadhams about this ethical matter.Weld County district attorney Michael Rourke joins his law and order counterpart to discuss the dire implications of Senate Bill 25-776 designed to offer further sanctuary protections to illegal aliens in Colorado.

Sheriff Steve Reams of Weld County fills in for Dan (at trial) and talks to his one-time counterpart Mark Lamb, former Pinal County Sheriff, on the current deportation policies being enacted by President Trump.Also, Archbishop Samuel J. Aquila of the Denver Archdiocese joins Sheriff Reams for an exclusive interview on the day of Pope Francis's death, discussing what it means for the Catholic Church and for him personally.

In the first hour of today's edition of The Dan Caplis Show, Sheriff Steve Reams fills in for Dan. First, Steve has Captain Matt Turner to talk about his candidacy for Weld County's Sheriff seat. Then, Steve is joined by Mesa County Sheriff Todd Rowell to discuss some of their experiences as county sheriffs.

In the first hour of today's edition of The Dan Caplis Show, Dan discusses Jared Polis' decision to sign Colorado's latest gun-ban bill into law. To discect the topic, Dan is joined by Weld County Sheriff Steve Reams and 2A advocate Alicia Garcia.

In the second hour of today's edition of The Dan Caplis Show, Sherriff Steve Reams continues to fill in for Dan, and has special guest Matt Turner, a candidate to replace Reams as the Sherriff of Weld County, about what it means to replace Reams's role in the community.

We talk to Dr. Annareli Morales about the Significant Opportunities in Atmospheric Research and Science (SOARS) Program, building connections with experts in the atmospheric sciences, and the importance of local government work.Episode transcript Hosted by Emma Collins and Kelly SavoieEdited by Johnny LeTheme music composed and performed by Steve Savoie Visit AMS Career Resources on the web! Contact us at skypodcast@ametsoc.org with any feedback or if you'd like to become a future guest. Copyright © 2025 American Meteorological Society

Your roof doesn't have to stay the same for years on end. If it's time for an upgrade, don't be shy - call Apex Restoration & Roofing at 303-691-5035 for metal roof replacement services in Mead and across Weld County. Go to https://apexroofingusa.com/affordable-metal-roofing-mead-co Apex Restoration & Roofing City: Centennial Address: 7076 S Alton Way, Centennial, Website: https://apexroofingusa.com/

Two days after Denver mayor Mike Johnston compares his city's stand against ICE to Chinese students in Tiananmen Square, news breaks of a Venezuelan illegal alien raping the 14-year-old daughter of his employer in the family's basement.George Brauchler, newly-elected to the newly-formed 23rd judicial district as District Attorney, joins Ryan to give his prosecution perspective on President-elect Donald Trump's mass deportation plan, and Denver mayor Mike Johnston promising a 'Tiananmen Square moment' in using Denver Police to resist such federal efforts.Sheriff Steve Reams of Weld County joins Dan to provide his law enforcement perspective on the matter as well.How Denver's mayor is responding to Trump's threats to defund sanctuary cities

Sheriff Steve Reams of Weld County joins Dan to provide his law enforcement perspective on President-elect Donald Trump's mass deportation plan, and Denver mayor Mike Johnston promising a 'Tiananmen Square moment' in using Denver Police to resist such federal efforts.How Denver's mayor is responding to Trump's threats to defund sanctuary cities

The Rocky Mountain Review delivers news for Thursday, November 21, with Audrey Donow starting off with campus news. Learn about a trash clean-up effort by the Associated Students of Colorado State University, the Student Sustainability Center, and the Coalition for Sustainable Student Organizations. Mice are helping CSU researchers who are working to improve modern medicine. The research looks at the inflation of the brain that commonly leads to the development of Alzheimer's disease. After campus news, Tyler Weatherwax delivers local news.Learn about closures coming to Interstate 25 that will last until late 2025, impacting areas in Weld County. Police in both Longmont and Greely are looking for answers after two crimes. In Longmont, a juvenile was assaulted inside a Walmart, and police are looking for five suspects. In Greely, a 19-year-old was murdered suffering at least one gunshot wound, the suspected shooter is another man aged 19, but police are still asking for answers from the community. Another break and Donow delivers life and events taking a look at some Fort Collins weekend activities including folk artists Blind Pilot performing at Washingtons here in Fort Collins. There is plenty of opportunity to catch a drag show this weekend as well with Britney Spears-themed drag on Friday at the Coast with Wicked-themed drag on Saturday at the Lyric.Weatherwax delivers national news with updates on the bomb cyclone impacting thousands in the Northwestern United States. Many in California, Nevada, Oregon, and Washington are experiencing heavy weather and loss of power. At the Capitol republican representative Nancy Mace with the support of House Speaker Mike Johnson proposes a ban on transgender women using federal facilities such as bathrooms or locker rooms. The legislation comes after the first openly transgender person Sarah McBride was elected recently. Mace said the legislation was targeted at McBride. Finally, for national news learn about Ukraine's use of U.S.-made and supplied missiles against Russia for the first time. This comes after Russia threatened that the decision from President Joe Biden could cause World War three.To wrap up today's show hear from Donow with your CSU sports report. Donow gives a recap of Women's basketball and their recent dominant win. Followed up is a preview of women's swimming, men's cross country, and women's cross country. Finally, Weatherwax brings the Fort Collins weather report for today's show. Learn about the potential for snow this weekend and more. Also, the KCSU news team reminds listeners that next week is fall break at CSU and the next Rocky Mountain Review will be on December 3.About the Rocky Mountain Review: KCSU's News Directors bring you news coverage. Coverage includes northern Colorado and national news, straight from the KCSU Fort Collins news desk. Topics range from crime to cryptocurrency to local art galleries. KCSU news is also on Spotify (and most podcast streaming platforms), and listeners can find it by clicking here or searching KCSU News.

The recent E.coli outbreak at McDonald's has the owner of Colorado-based burrito chain "Illegal Pete's" rethinking food safety. Then, a mother's search for accountability after her son endures years of racist slurs in a Weld County middle school. Plus, a program that helps Native American fathers connect with their families. And Colorado Wonders about grocery bag fees. 

Imagine you're at home when you hear a knock. At your door are people who want you to share, in detail, who you voted for in the last election, months ago. When you ask them who they are and where they're from, they remain vague and perhaps even aggressive.This was the case for some Americans in the years after the 2020 election, part of a spate of behaviors by election skeptics and deniers that, in some cases, amounted to voter intimidation. The history of voter intimidation in the United States is sordid and violent, especially in the century between the U.S. Civil War and the passage of strong voter protections in the 1960s. But it's important to remember that voter intimidation is against the law. Whether you're voting in-person, by mail or via election dropbox, you should never be made to feel unsafe or intimidated while exercising your freedom to vote..Carly Koppes, the clerk and recorder of Colorado's enormous Weld County, describes to us the steps she and fellow officials took when they received reports of unwelcome and unofficial vigilante election “auditors” going door to door in 2021. Christina Das of the NAACP Legal Defense Fund walks us through the bleak history of voter intimidation in America. And CLC's Jonathan Diaz explains how voter intimidation has evolved to become sneakier and more subversive in the digital age — and the steps you can take if you encounter it.Nationwide nonpartisan Election Protection (EP) hotline:866-OUR-VOTE (866-687-8683)Host and Guests:Simone Leeper litigates a wide range of redistricting-related cases at CLC, challenging gerrymanders and advocating for election systems that guarantee all voters an equal opportunity to influence our democracy. Prior to arriving at CLC, Simone was a law clerk in the office of Senator Ed Markey and at the Library of Congress, Office of General Counsel. She received her J.D. cum laude from Georgetown University Law Center in 2019 and a bachelor's degree in political science from Columbia University in 2016.Carly Koppes has been working in the Weld County Clerk and Recorder's office for twenty years starting in June of 2004. Her main department was the Election department, but she has also worked in the Recording and Motor Vehicle departments during her time working for the Clerk and Recorder office. She received her Colorado Election Official Certification from the Colorado Secretary of State in October 2007 and finished up her national designation of Certified Elections/Registration Administrators (CERA) through the Elections Center's Professional Education Program at Auburn University in July of 2014. Carly is a 2016 graduate of the Leadership Program of the Rockies and in 2019 she received her Public Leadership certification from Pepperdine University through the International Association of Government Officials. Carly was also honored along with the Colorado County Clerks Association to receive the Defender of Democracy Award from The Center for Election Innovation and Research in 2022. In 2023 Carly was appointed to the national Local Leadership Council of the Election Assistance Commission and was elected as the Vice Chair of the Council. Carly is the youngest person to be elected to the position of Weld County Clerk and Recorder.  Carly is currently serving on the Executive Board for the Colorado County Clerks Association; Carly was President of the Colorado County Clerks Association in 2021 and will serve as President in 2026.Christina Das is Counsel on the Black Voters on the Rise team with LDF, an interdisciplinary team leading year-round election protection and election administration advocacy efforts across the South, using legal, organizing, and advocacy tools to defend and advance the rights of Black voters to participate in our democracy. Christina's experience includes executing strategic campaigns to expand voter access, such as passing legislation for in-person Early Voting in South Carolina in 2022 and working with state-based coalitions to implement jail-based polling places for eligible detained individuals across Texas. She co-leads the national Election Protection Working Group for Jail and Post-Release Voting and has been working with system impacted individuals over the past four years to break down procedural barriers to accessing the ballot behind bars. Christina will lead LDF's election protection program in Texas for the 2024 cycle and support ongoing litigation efforts. Post-election, she works to safeguard the election certification process from any targeted sabotage efforts, as well as working on future policy and election administration reforms at the local, state, and federal level.Jonathan Diaz is Director for Voting Advocacy and Partnerships at Campaign Legal Center. Jonathan helps lead CLC's work on combating election manipulation and participates on behalf of CLC on a number of democracy reform coalitions, coordinating CLC's work with partner organizations at the national, state and local levels. He also litigates voting rights cases across the United States, including VoteAmerica v. Raffensperger (N.D.Ga.), LUCHA v. Fontes (D.Ariz.), and Raysor v. Lee (N.D.Fla./11th Cir./SCOTUS). Jonathan frequently provides commentary on voting rights and election law issues in the media; he has been quoted in publications including the New York Times, Miami Herald, and ProPublica, and has appeared on Univision, NPR, and CNN, where he was an election law analyst during the 2020 election cycle.Links:Is Voter Intimidation Illegal? What Should I Do If I Experience It? - Campaign Legal CenterTexas Appeals Court Overturns Crystal Mason's Conviction, 5-Year Sentence for Illegal Voting - The Texas TribuneVoter Intimidation in 2022 Follows a Long History of Illegal and Racist Bullying - The ConversationRetro Report: Poll Watchers and the Long History of Voter Intimidation - PBS LearningMediaHow to Navigate Intimidation and Other Obstacles to Voting - CNN About CLC:Democracy Decoded is a production of Campaign Legal Center, a nonpartisan nonprofit organization which advances democracy through law at the federal, state and local levels, fighting for every American's right to responsive government and a fair opportunity to participate in and affect the democratic process. Learn more about us.Democracy Decoded is part of The Democracy Group, a network of podcasts that examines what's broken in our democracy and how we can work together to fix it.

The number of Pride celebrations are growing across Northern Colorado but in some communities it's still a struggle to hold these events. This includes in Weld County where a local librarian - and their friends - took over organizing Greeley Pride after it was cancelled. We also hear from the organizer of another local Pride event. She was harassed and received death threats online after photos of her - and her kids - at a family friendly drag show were posted on a far-right social media account.

A recording of a meditation from Rev. Mark Heiss of the Weld County Ramblers. For more information or to have the Weld County Ramblers come to your church, please see: https://www.weldcountyramblers.com/

Weld Found is a podcast produced through the Weld Community Foundation about belonging in an age of social isolation and disconnection. What does it look like to recover this lost art of community? Welcome to season 6 of Weld Found! In our first episode of the season we hear from Doug Bell, professional runner and mentor to dozens of young people over many years.  This show is made possible by the Weld Community Foundation. For more on how to spread the good for Weld County, head to weldcommunityfoundation.org.

We start to dive into the topic of In Vitro Fertilization.  Plus we have the latest news and markets, and share how you can get your hands on more Ranch It Up Gear by playing What's Your Beef trivia on this all new episode of the Ranch It Up Radio Show.  Be sure to subscribe on your favorite podcasting app or on the Ranch It Up Radio Show YouTube Channel. EPISODE 196 DETAILS Why In Vitro Fertilization From Trans Ova Genetics What Is In Vitro Fertilization In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) is the process of creating embryos from oocytes (unfertilized egg cells) by fertilizing them with semen in a Petri dish. Oocytes are first collected from the ovaries of donors by ultrasound-guided follicular aspiration. They are then matured in a Petri dish and fertilized 20-24 hours later. Conventional, sexed frozen, or reverse-sorted semen may be used for fertilization. Oocytes then develop in an incubator for seven days, at which point the resulting viable embryos are transferred into recipients. Latest Cattle Industry News Colorado has largest H5N1 outbreak in US history Colorado health officials have confirmed 10 human cases of avian flu, marking the largest outbreak of human bird flu infections in U.S. history. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported 11 cases of highly pathogenic avian influenza (H5N1) in humans since 2022, with 10 occurring this year. The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment  announced that two poultry farms in Weld County have birds infected with H5N1, with three confirmed cases at one farm and six at another. Another human case was detected in a dairy farm worker in the state. The state's health agency said the count is up to 47 infected herds in the state. State and federal officials said the concern for the virus is still low due to the lack of person-to-person transmission.  However, the latest scientific article on H5N1 avian influenza finds that the virus, which has forced the culling of tens of millions of birds on poultry farms since January 2022, can spread with relative ease among dairy cows, domestic cats and even a raccoon. So far, no mutations have been found in the strain's genome that would allow the virus to spread more easily in humans, despite the clear transmissions between mammals. Since April 2022, public health authorities have confirmed 11 human cases from cattle and poultry farms, seven of which occurred among workers involved in a cull this summer in response to a poultry outbreak in Colorado. Those human cases showed the same virus circulating in dairy herds, which suggests that the poultry outbreak in that area was transmitted back to birds via local cows. Ag land market could be showing signs of settling According to Farmers National Company, the agricultural land market has been “nothing short of exceptional during the past five years.” Gains in value are common across all classes of land in every region of the country. Strong commodity markets, moderate interest rates, buyer demand and an overall healthy agricultural economy have also supported the growth of land values during this time. Paul Schadegg, senior vice president of real estate operations at Farmers National Company says a lot has changed in the past 12 months and even more has changed within the past five years.  He said moving into the second half of 2023 and the first half of 2024, we've experienced significant increases in interest rates, declining grain markets, and inflation. Despite these negative pressures, the land market has remained relatively resilient but shows signs of settling in general, including single-digit decreases in specific areas.” One aspect of the agricultural land market is the long-term appreciation of land value. Over the past 25 years, land values have experienced a stair-stepping trend following the ups and downs of the agricultural economy. As grain markets and farm profitability rose, the land markets followed while leveling off as markets and profitability did the same. Schadegg said each plateau has set a new value standard sustained through production, demand and profitability. Schadegg went on to say that with farm operators being the largest segment of land buyers, the biggest impact on land values moving forward will be profitability in agriculture. If profit opportunities are limited, motivation to buy will decrease and, subsequently, pressure land values into a downward trend. For more detailed analysis of each region of the country, click HERE. Stockmanship & Stewardship Clinic In Utah For the first time ever, the Stockmanship and Stewardship tour will be hosted in Utah! Hosted at the Sevier County Fairgrounds (Richfield, UT) attendees will experience two days of nothing but cattle talk, trade show, and great food!  World-renowned animal-handling experts will provide cattle-handling demonstrations both horseback and on foot.  Events will also include a live steak cooking demonstration preceding one of the meals provided, several raffles, a panel segment with ag leaders of Utah, and a Q&A session with Congresswoman Celeste Maloy.  For more information, click HERE.  Yearlings and Calves Fetch Top Prices at Northern Livestock Video Auction Summertime Classic Sale The Northern Livestock Video Auction's (NLVA) Summertime Classic sale offered 189,000 head of feeder cattle July 22, 23, 24 & 25. For complete market reports click HERE and HERE. RanchChannel.Com Now Has The Futures Markets Futures Markets RanchChannel.com now has futures markets at your fingertips!  Feeder Cattle, Live Cattle, Corn, Wheat, Soybeans, Soybean Oil, Milk Class IV, and Ethanol.  Information is provided by DTN and market information may be delayed by as much as 10 minutes.  Click Here for more information! The Ranch It Up Radio Show Beef Trivia Contest What Was The First State To Have Cattle In The U.S. The first correct answer will get a Ranch It Up T-Shirt!  The correct answer is Florida! UPCOMING SALES & EVENTS ISA Beefmasters: October 5, 2024, San Angelo, Texas World Famous Miles City Bucking Horse Sale: May 15 - 18, 2025 BULL SALE REPORT & RESULTS Churchill Cattle Company Van Newkirk Herefords Gardiner Angus Ranch Cow Camp Ranch Jungels Shorthorn Farms Ellingson Angus Edgar Brothers Angus Schaff Angus Valley Prairie Hills Gelbvieh Clear Springs Cattle Company CK Cattle Mrnak Hereford Ranch Frey Angus Ranch Hoffmann Angus Farms Topp Herefords River Creek Farms Upstream Ranch Gustin's Diamond D Gelbvieh Schiefelbein Farms Wasem Red Angus Raven Angus Krebs Ranch Yon Family Farms Chestnut Angus Eichacker Simmentals & JK Angus Windy Creek Cattle Company Pedersen Broken Heart Ranch Mar Mac Farms Warner Beef Genetics Arda Farms & Freeway Angus Leland Red Angus & Koester Red Angus Fast - Dohrmann - Strommen RBM Livestock Weber Land & Cattle Sundsbak Farms Hidden Angus Wheatland Cattle Company Miller Angus Farms L 83 Ranch U2 Ranch Vollmer Angus Ranch A & B Cattle Carter Angus Farms Roller Ranch Montgomery Ranch Jorgensen Farms DLCC Ranch Four Hill Farm North Country Angus Alliance Spruce Hill Ranch Wilson Angus FEATURING Emily Warnimont Trans Ova Genetics https://transova.com/ @TransOvaGenetics Kirk Donsbach: Stone X Financial https://www.stonex.com/   @StoneXGroupInc    Mark Van Zee Livestock Market, Equine Market, Auction Time https://www.auctiontime.com/ https://www.livestockmarket.com/ https://www.equinemarket.com/ @LivestockMkt @EquineMkt @AuctionTime Shaye Koester Casual Cattle Conversation https://www.casualcattleconversations.com/ @cattleconvos Questions & Concerns From The Field? Call or Text your questions, or comments to 707-RANCH20 or 707-726-2420 Or email RanchItUpShow@gmail.com FOLLOW Facebook/Instagram: @RanchItUpShow SUBSCRIBE to the Ranch It Up YouTube Channel: @ranchitup Website: RanchItUpShow.com https://ranchitupshow.com/ The Ranch It Up Podcast available on ALL podcasting apps. Rural America is center-stage on this outfit. AND how is that? Tigger & BEC Live This Western American Lifestyle. Tigger & BEC represent the Working Ranch world and cattle industry by providing the cowboys, cowgirls, beef cattle producers & successful farmers the knowledge and education needed to bring high-quality beef & meat to your table for dinner. Learn more about Jeff 'Tigger' Erhardt & Rebecca Wanner aka BEC here: TiggerandBEC.com https://tiggerandbec.com/ #RanchItUp #StayRanchy #TiggerApproved #tiggerandbec #rodeo #ranching #farming References https://www.stonex.com/ https://www.livestockmarket.com/ https://www.equinemarket.com/ https://www.auctiontime.com/ https://gelbvieh.org/ https://www.imogeneingredients.com/ https://alliedgeneticresources.com/ https://westwayfeed.com/ https://medoraboot.com/ http://www.gostockmens.com/ https://www.imiglobal.com/beef https://www.tsln.com/ https://transova.com/ https://axiota.com/ https://axiota.com/multimin-90-product-label/ https://ranchchannel.com/ https://www.wrangler.com/ https://www.ruralradio147.com/ https://www.rfdtv.com/ https://www.facebook.com/annualfcaqualityreplacementheifersale https://transova.com/ https://www.meatingplace.com/Industry/News/Details/115394 https://www.meatingplace.com/Industry/News/Details/115411 https://www.cattlebusinessweekly.com/articles/ag-land-market-could-be-showing-signs-of-settling/ https://www.stockmanshipandstewardship.org/ https://www.northernlivestockvideo.com/catalog-list/?saleid=1517 https://westernagnetwork.com/yearlings-and-calves-fetch-top-prices-at-nlva-summertime-classic-sale?fbclid=IwY2xjawEU3mtleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHXK4mXlpi2ZP7eUhcxifUlFxPGbTWXFd0J7erN8Vvj-W9uzfQF1LwyRX1Q_aem_WKFFI8lQz0qZ5ce93ATfeg https://usda.library.cornell.edu/concern/publications/vq27zn41g

 In this segment of "Kim on a Whim," Kim St. Onge delves into the recent bird flu outbreak in Colorado, where 1.8 million chickens are set to be culled. She questions the necessity of such drastic measures and discusses the potential political motivations behind the upcoming International Bird Flu Summit in Washington, DC. Kim also draws parallels with the COVID-19 pandemic, expressing concerns about renewed travel restrictions and mass vaccination efforts.

The Chuck & Julie Show with Chuck Bonniwell and Julie Hayden With Guests, Tim Leonard and grassroots candidate in Weld County, Trent Leisy In the last few days before the primary, The UniParty RINOs double down on attacks against grassroots CD5 candidate Dave Williams. Supporter Tim Leonard sets the record straight. Plus another grassroots candidate in Weld County, Trent Leisy censored by the Establishment.

The Chuck & Julie Show with Chuck Bonniwell and Julie Hayden With Guest, Lori Saine Establishment Republicans launch attack ads full of lies against grassroots candidates Ron Hanks in CD3 and Lori Saine in Weld County. Lori joins the show to set the record straight. Plus will the media's ridiculous attempts to call the Biden gaffe tapes “cheap fakes” backfire?

From Georgia to Idaho, several states are undergoing potentially map altering changes as movements grow for counties to secede into other states. Some in Texas want the state itself to completely secede, while Lost Creek voted to be discontent from Austin. St George, Louisiana wants the same thing from Baton Rouge, as does Buckhead, Georgia, from Atlanta. Residents of Weld County, Colorado, want to move to Wyoming, and large parts of Oregon are seeking to become part of Greater Idaho. The growing sentiment is that things are only going to get worse, especially after CNN ran a story about how the idea that the US is a constitutional republic, where the law protects all people, is a conspiracy theory, and that we are actually a democracy, where majority votes rule and can take away individual rights. The House also just passed the NDAA, now automatically registering all 18 year old males for military service. The Senate Armed Services Committee added required registration “of women for Selective Service.” On the more supernatural side of things, from Alex Jones and Natasha Owens, to the Trump campaign, we are hearing about how the former President is literally God's gift to mankind. Although such rhetoric is clearly deranged, Oprah and others said the same thing about Barrack Obama, while some said he was the anti-Christ. Kids were made to sing his praise like some North Korean dictator. Congresswoman Cori Bush also just recently stated that she performed literal miracles - by curing their disease. The careless disregard for both politics and law, and for religious archetypes, is really evidence of a growing apostasy.-FREE ARCHIVE & RSS: https://www.spreaker.com/show/the-secret-teachingsTwitter: https://twitter.com/TST___RadioFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/thesecretteachingsWEBSITE (BOOKS, RESUBSCRIBE for early show access): http://thesecretteachings.infoPaypal: rdgable@yahoo.comCashApp: $rdgableBuy Me a Coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/tstradioSUBSCRIBE TO NETWORK: http://aftermath.mediaEMAIL: rdgable@yahoo.com / TSTRadio@protonmail.com

Congresswoman Lauren Boebert (CO-3) comments on President Trump's stance regarding retaliation in the form of lawfare against Democratic opponents who weaponized the justice system against him.Greg Lopez explains to Dan why he opted out of the 4th Congressional District special election debate at the Grizzly Rose, hosted by the Republican Women of Weld County last Saturday.

The integrity of DNA testing in Colorado has been called into question following revelations of misconduct by a longtime Colorado Bureau of Investigation (CBI) scientist. Yvonne "Missy" Woods, a 29-year CBI employee, retired under duress late last year amid allegations of cutting corners and tampering with DNA testing procedures. According to the agency's internal investigation, Woods omitted critical information from criminal justice records and manipulated DNA test results by altering, deleting, and omitting data. This misconduct has raised significant concerns about the reliability of her work, prompting the CBI to take decisive action to address the issue. "The discovery of Missy Woods' misconduct has put all of her work in question," stated CBI officials in a news release. While the review did not uncover evidence of falsified DNA matches, it revealed significant deviations from standard testing protocols and a failure to adhere to quality control measures. To rectify the situation, the CBI has requested $7.5 million from state legislators. This funding will be allocated towards retesting approximately 3,000 DNA samples through a third-party laboratory and compensating individuals who may have been wrongly convicted due to Woods' compromised work. So far, the agency has identified problems in 652 of Woods' cases spanning from 2008 to 2023. Additionally, a review of her work from 1994 to 2008 is underway. The CBI emphasized that Woods violated both the agency's code of conduct and laboratory policies regarding data retention and quality control. CBI Director Chris Schaefer condemned Woods' actions as an "unprecedented breach of trust" and pledged transparency as the agency addresses the fallout from her misconduct. In addition to ongoing criminal investigations into Woods' conduct, the CBI is conducting a comprehensive audit of all DNA analysts within the agency. The ramifications of Woods' misconduct extend beyond the CBI, as abnormalities were also discovered in the work of another Colorado analyst, Chiara Wuensch, who was terminated from the Weld County Sheriff's Office following the revelations. Weld County spokesperson Melissa Chesmore confirmed that Wuensch is under criminal investigation for her conduct. While the labs where Woods and Wuensch worked are separate, they are interconnected through case work and partnerships, highlighting broader concerns about the oversight and quality control measures within forensic laboratories. As authorities work to address the fallout from these revelations, the public is left grappling with uncertainties surrounding the reliability of DNA testing in criminal investigations, underscoring the importance of maintaining integrity and transparency within forensic science practices. Want to listen to ALL of our podcasts AD-FREE? Subscribe through APPLE PODCASTS, and try it for three days free: https://tinyurl.com/ycw626tj Follow Our Other Cases: https://www.truecrimetodaypod.com The latest on Catching the Long Island Serial Killer, Awaiting Admission: BTK's Unconfessed Crimes, Delphi Murders: Inside the Crime, Chad & Lori Daybell, The Murder of Ana Walshe, Alex Murdaugh, Bryan Kohberger, Lucy Letby, Kouri Richins, Malevolent Mormon Mommys, Justice for Harmony Montgomery, The Murder of Stephen Smith, The Murder of Madeline Kingsbury, and much more! Listen at https://www.truecrimetodaypod.com

The integrity of DNA testing in Colorado has been called into question following revelations of misconduct by a longtime Colorado Bureau of Investigation (CBI) scientist. Yvonne "Missy" Woods, a 29-year CBI employee, retired under duress late last year amid allegations of cutting corners and tampering with DNA testing procedures. According to the agency's internal investigation, Woods omitted critical information from criminal justice records and manipulated DNA test results by altering, deleting, and omitting data. This misconduct has raised significant concerns about the reliability of her work, prompting the CBI to take decisive action to address the issue. "The discovery of Missy Woods' misconduct has put all of her work in question," stated CBI officials in a news release. While the review did not uncover evidence of falsified DNA matches, it revealed significant deviations from standard testing protocols and a failure to adhere to quality control measures. To rectify the situation, the CBI has requested $7.5 million from state legislators. This funding will be allocated towards retesting approximately 3,000 DNA samples through a third-party laboratory and compensating individuals who may have been wrongly convicted due to Woods' compromised work. So far, the agency has identified problems in 652 of Woods' cases spanning from 2008 to 2023. Additionally, a review of her work from 1994 to 2008 is underway. The CBI emphasized that Woods violated both the agency's code of conduct and laboratory policies regarding data retention and quality control. CBI Director Chris Schaefer condemned Woods' actions as an "unprecedented breach of trust" and pledged transparency as the agency addresses the fallout from her misconduct. In addition to ongoing criminal investigations into Woods' conduct, the CBI is conducting a comprehensive audit of all DNA analysts within the agency. The ramifications of Woods' misconduct extend beyond the CBI, as abnormalities were also discovered in the work of another Colorado analyst, Chiara Wuensch, who was terminated from the Weld County Sheriff's Office following the revelations. Weld County spokesperson Melissa Chesmore confirmed that Wuensch is under criminal investigation for her conduct. While the labs where Woods and Wuensch worked are separate, they are interconnected through case work and partnerships, highlighting broader concerns about the oversight and quality control measures within forensic laboratories. As authorities work to address the fallout from these revelations, the public is left grappling with uncertainties surrounding the reliability of DNA testing in criminal investigations, underscoring the importance of maintaining integrity and transparency within forensic science practices. Want to listen to ALL of our podcasts AD-FREE? Subscribe through APPLE PODCASTS, and try it for three days free: https://tinyurl.com/ycw626tj Follow Our Other Cases: https://www.truecrimetodaypod.com The latest on Catching the Long Island Serial Killer, Awaiting Admission: BTK's Unconfessed Crimes, Delphi Murders: Inside the Crime, Chad & Lori Daybell, The Murder of Ana Walshe, Alex Murdaugh, Bryan Kohberger, Lucy Letby, Kouri Richins, Malevolent Mormon Mommys, Justice for Harmony Montgomery, The Murder of Stephen Smith, The Murder of Madeline Kingsbury, and much more! Listen at https://www.truecrimetodaypod.com

The integrity of DNA testing in Colorado has been called into question following revelations of misconduct by a longtime Colorado Bureau of Investigation (CBI) scientist. Yvonne "Missy" Woods, a 29-year CBI employee, retired under duress late last year amid allegations of cutting corners and tampering with DNA testing procedures. According to the agency's internal investigation, Woods omitted critical information from criminal justice records and manipulated DNA test results by altering, deleting, and omitting data. This misconduct has raised significant concerns about the reliability of her work, prompting the CBI to take decisive action to address the issue. "The discovery of Missy Woods' misconduct has put all of her work in question," stated CBI officials in a news release. While the review did not uncover evidence of falsified DNA matches, it revealed significant deviations from standard testing protocols and a failure to adhere to quality control measures. To rectify the situation, the CBI has requested $7.5 million from state legislators. This funding will be allocated towards retesting approximately 3,000 DNA samples through a third-party laboratory and compensating individuals who may have been wrongly convicted due to Woods' compromised work. So far, the agency has identified problems in 652 of Woods' cases spanning from 2008 to 2023. Additionally, a review of her work from 1994 to 2008 is underway. The CBI emphasized that Woods violated both the agency's code of conduct and laboratory policies regarding data retention and quality control. CBI Director Chris Schaefer condemned Woods' actions as an "unprecedented breach of trust" and pledged transparency as the agency addresses the fallout from her misconduct. In addition to ongoing criminal investigations into Woods' conduct, the CBI is conducting a comprehensive audit of all DNA analysts within the agency. The ramifications of Woods' misconduct extend beyond the CBI, as abnormalities were also discovered in the work of another Colorado analyst, Chiara Wuensch, who was terminated from the Weld County Sheriff's Office following the revelations. Weld County spokesperson Melissa Chesmore confirmed that Wuensch is under criminal investigation for her conduct. While the labs where Woods and Wuensch worked are separate, they are interconnected through case work and partnerships, highlighting broader concerns about the oversight and quality control measures within forensic laboratories. As authorities work to address the fallout from these revelations, the public is left grappling with uncertainties surrounding the reliability of DNA testing in criminal investigations, underscoring the importance of maintaining integrity and transparency within forensic science practices. Want to listen to ALL of our podcasts AD-FREE? Subscribe through APPLE PODCASTS, and try it for three days free: https://tinyurl.com/ycw626tj Follow Our Other Cases: https://www.truecrimetodaypod.com The latest on Catching the Long Island Serial Killer, Awaiting Admission: BTK's Unconfessed Crimes, Delphi Murders: Inside the Crime, Chad & Lori Daybell, The Murder of Ana Walshe, Alex Murdaugh, Bryan Kohberger, Lucy Letby, Kouri Richins, Malevolent Mormon Mommys, Justice for Harmony Montgomery, The Murder of Stephen Smith, The Murder of Madeline Kingsbury, and much more! Listen at https://www.truecrimetodaypod.com

Join Pat and Konch as they guide you through the latest job shifts and role changes across the financial industry, including notable moves to Jordan Park and Cresset. The episode progresses to examine substantial mergers and acquisitions within the RIA/FA sector, featuring LPL Financial's creation of Sussex Wealth Partners and Cresset's expansion in San Francisco. The discussion then pivots to institutional investments, highlighting recent fund allocations by large pension funds and the launch of Monomoy Capital Partners Fund V.

The integrity of DNA testing in Colorado has been called into question following revelations of misconduct by a longtime Colorado Bureau of Investigation (CBI) scientist. Yvonne "Missy" Woods, a 29-year CBI employee, retired under duress late last year amid allegations of cutting corners and tampering with DNA testing procedures. According to the agency's internal investigation, Woods omitted critical information from criminal justice records and manipulated DNA test results by altering, deleting, and omitting data. This misconduct has raised significant concerns about the reliability of her work, prompting the CBI to take decisive action to address the issue. "The discovery of Missy Woods' misconduct has put all of her work in question," stated CBI officials in a news release. While the review did not uncover evidence of falsified DNA matches, it revealed significant deviations from standard testing protocols and a failure to adhere to quality control measures. To rectify the situation, the CBI has requested $7.5 million from state legislators. This funding will be allocated towards retesting approximately 3,000 DNA samples through a third-party laboratory and compensating individuals who may have been wrongly convicted due to Woods' compromised work. So far, the agency has identified problems in 652 of Woods' cases spanning from 2008 to 2023. Additionally, a review of her work from 1994 to 2008 is underway. The CBI emphasized that Woods violated both the agency's code of conduct and laboratory policies regarding data retention and quality control. CBI Director Chris Schaefer condemned Woods' actions as an "unprecedented breach of trust" and pledged transparency as the agency addresses the fallout from her misconduct. In addition to ongoing criminal investigations into Woods' conduct, the CBI is conducting a comprehensive audit of all DNA analysts within the agency. The ramifications of Woods' misconduct extend beyond the CBI, as abnormalities were also discovered in the work of another Colorado analyst, Chiara Wuensch, who was terminated from the Weld County Sheriff's Office following the revelations. Weld County spokesperson Melissa Chesmore confirmed that Wuensch is under criminal investigation for her conduct. While the labs where Woods and Wuensch worked are separate, they are interconnected through case work and partnerships, highlighting broader concerns about the oversight and quality control measures within forensic laboratories. As authorities work to address the fallout from these revelations, the public is left grappling with uncertainties surrounding the reliability of DNA testing in criminal investigations, underscoring the importance of maintaining integrity and transparency within forensic science practices. Want to listen to ALL of our podcasts AD-FREE? Subscribe through APPLE PODCASTS, and try it for three days free: https://tinyurl.com/ycw626tj Follow Our Other Cases: https://www.truecrimetodaypod.com The latest on Catching the Long Island Serial Killer, Awaiting Admission: BTK's Unconfessed Crimes, Delphi Murders: Inside the Crime, Chad & Lori Daybell, The Murder of Ana Walshe, Alex Murdaugh, Bryan Kohberger, Lucy Letby, Kouri Richins, Malevolent Mormon Mommys, Justice for Harmony Montgomery, The Murder of Stephen Smith, The Murder of Madeline Kingsbury, and much more! Listen at https://www.truecrimetodaypod.com 

The integrity of DNA testing in Colorado has been called into question following revelations of misconduct by a longtime Colorado Bureau of Investigation (CBI) scientist. Yvonne "Missy" Woods, a 29-year CBI employee, retired under duress late last year amid allegations of cutting corners and tampering with DNA testing procedures. According to the agency's internal investigation, Woods omitted critical information from criminal justice records and manipulated DNA test results by altering, deleting, and omitting data. This misconduct has raised significant concerns about the reliability of her work, prompting the CBI to take decisive action to address the issue. "The discovery of Missy Woods' misconduct has put all of her work in question," stated CBI officials in a news release. While the review did not uncover evidence of falsified DNA matches, it revealed significant deviations from standard testing protocols and a failure to adhere to quality control measures. To rectify the situation, the CBI has requested $7.5 million from state legislators. This funding will be allocated towards retesting approximately 3,000 DNA samples through a third-party laboratory and compensating individuals who may have been wrongly convicted due to Woods' compromised work. So far, the agency has identified problems in 652 of Woods' cases spanning from 2008 to 2023. Additionally, a review of her work from 1994 to 2008 is underway. The CBI emphasized that Woods violated both the agency's code of conduct and laboratory policies regarding data retention and quality control. CBI Director Chris Schaefer condemned Woods' actions as an "unprecedented breach of trust" and pledged transparency as the agency addresses the fallout from her misconduct. In addition to ongoing criminal investigations into Woods' conduct, the CBI is conducting a comprehensive audit of all DNA analysts within the agency. The ramifications of Woods' misconduct extend beyond the CBI, as abnormalities were also discovered in the work of another Colorado analyst, Chiara Wuensch, who was terminated from the Weld County Sheriff's Office following the revelations. Weld County spokesperson Melissa Chesmore confirmed that Wuensch is under criminal investigation for her conduct. While the labs where Woods and Wuensch worked are separate, they are interconnected through case work and partnerships, highlighting broader concerns about the oversight and quality control measures within forensic laboratories. As authorities work to address the fallout from these revelations, the public is left grappling with uncertainties surrounding the reliability of DNA testing in criminal investigations, underscoring the importance of maintaining integrity and transparency within forensic science practices. Want to listen to ALL of our podcasts AD-FREE? Subscribe through APPLE PODCASTS, and try it for three days free: https://tinyurl.com/ycw626tj Follow Our Other Cases: https://www.truecrimetodaypod.com The latest on Catching the Long Island Serial Killer, Awaiting Admission: BTK's Unconfessed Crimes, Delphi Murders: Inside the Crime, Chad & Lori Daybell, The Murder of Ana Walshe, Alex Murdaugh, Bryan Kohberger, Lucy Letby, Kouri Richins, Malevolent Mormon Mommys, Justice for Harmony Montgomery, The Murder of Stephen Smith, The Murder of Madeline Kingsbury, and much more! Listen at https://www.truecrimetodaypod.com

The integrity of DNA testing in Colorado has been called into question following revelations of misconduct by a longtime Colorado Bureau of Investigation (CBI) scientist. Yvonne "Missy" Woods, a 29-year CBI employee, retired under duress late last year amid allegations of cutting corners and tampering with DNA testing procedures. According to the agency's internal investigation, Woods omitted critical information from criminal justice records and manipulated DNA test results by altering, deleting, and omitting data. This misconduct has raised significant concerns about the reliability of her work, prompting the CBI to take decisive action to address the issue. "The discovery of Missy Woods' misconduct has put all of her work in question," stated CBI officials in a news release. While the review did not uncover evidence of falsified DNA matches, it revealed significant deviations from standard testing protocols and a failure to adhere to quality control measures. To rectify the situation, the CBI has requested $7.5 million from state legislators. This funding will be allocated towards retesting approximately 3,000 DNA samples through a third-party laboratory and compensating individuals who may have been wrongly convicted due to Woods' compromised work. So far, the agency has identified problems in 652 of Woods' cases spanning from 2008 to 2023. Additionally, a review of her work from 1994 to 2008 is underway. The CBI emphasized that Woods violated both the agency's code of conduct and laboratory policies regarding data retention and quality control. CBI Director Chris Schaefer condemned Woods' actions as an "unprecedented breach of trust" and pledged transparency as the agency addresses the fallout from her misconduct. In addition to ongoing criminal investigations into Woods' conduct, the CBI is conducting a comprehensive audit of all DNA analysts within the agency. The ramifications of Woods' misconduct extend beyond the CBI, as abnormalities were also discovered in the work of another Colorado analyst, Chiara Wuensch, who was terminated from the Weld County Sheriff's Office following the revelations. Weld County spokesperson Melissa Chesmore confirmed that Wuensch is under criminal investigation for her conduct. While the labs where Woods and Wuensch worked are separate, they are interconnected through case work and partnerships, highlighting broader concerns about the oversight and quality control measures within forensic laboratories. As authorities work to address the fallout from these revelations, the public is left grappling with uncertainties surrounding the reliability of DNA testing in criminal investigations, underscoring the importance of maintaining integrity and transparency within forensic science practices. Want to listen to ALL of our podcasts AD-FREE? Subscribe through APPLE PODCASTS, and try it for three days free: https://tinyurl.com/ycw626tj Follow Our Other Cases: https://www.truecrimetodaypod.com The latest on Catching the Long Island Serial Killer, Awaiting Admission: BTK's Unconfessed Crimes, Delphi Murders: Inside the Crime, Chad & Lori Daybell, The Murder of Ana Walshe, Alex Murdaugh, Bryan Kohberger, Lucy Letby, Kouri Richins, Malevolent Mormon Mommys, Justice for Harmony Montgomery, The Murder of Stephen Smith, The Murder of Madeline Kingsbury, and much more! Listen at https://www.truecrimetodaypod.com

Denverites are reeling from Mayor Johnston's Friday announcement of budget cuts to free up money to provide more support for migrants, and now the uproar is spreading into the suburbs! Host Bree Davies and producer Paul Karolyi are talking about the blowback to Johnston's cuts and the “sanctuary city” debate in Lakewood, plus the Denver Zoo's new 570-acre facility in Weld County. Finally, we're considering your thoughts on whether we should be saying “migrant,” “new immigrant,” or something else entirely? Bree mentioned a Westword story featuring comments from a Venezuelan migrant himself about the budget cuts. Hear our conversation with Denverite editor Obed Manuel about one newsroom's decision to change their language around the crisis of new people arriving in Denver from Venezuela. Paul discussed local author Helen Thorpe's excellent book “The Newcomers.” For even more news from around the city, subscribe to our morning newsletter Hey Denver at denver.citycast.fm. Follow us on Instagram: @citycastdenver Chat with other listeners on reddit: r/CityCastDenver Support us by becoming a member: https://membership.citycast.fm/denver What do you think about “migrants” vs. “new immigrants”? Text or leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear it on the show: 720-500-5418‬ Learn more about the sponsors of this episode: Denver Restaurant Week is coming up March 1-10! Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ryan fills in for Dan and welcomes Deborah Flora, Republican primary candidate for Colorado's 4th Congressional District, after a spirited debate in Weld County featuring lots of colorful characters.Gordon Chang also joins the program to sound the alarm on China exploiting America's southern border with military-aged men in an effort to infiltrate our economy and threaten our national security.

George continues the discussion from the 6am hour, about the Women of Weld County.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

GABE EVANS WANTS TO GO TO CONGRESS And the current State Rep is running in the very winnable 8th Congressional District. I say winnable because it is one of the truly purple districts in this state and Barb Kirkmeyer came very close to winning it last time (were it not for an upstart libertarian who never campaigned). Gabe is a veteran and a former Arvada police officer and now runs a family farm in Weld County. I'll chat with Gabe today at 1 about why he wants to go to Congress and what his goals are. Find out more and support Gabe by clicking here.

As a long time community-minded resident of Greeley, Colorado, Dick Bond's presence has had substantial impact on both Greeley and Weld County. This brief profile details his beginnings, the experiences that shaped him, and the path that brought him to Greeley. This audio memoir, featured here on Weld Found, was commissioned by the Weld Community Foundation and created by Liminal Legacy Media.     

The Chuck & Julie Show with Chuck Bonniwell and Julie Hayden With Guest, Lori Saine, Grassroots Commissioner Monkey See Monkey Do, Weld County Commissioners watched Colorado Dem lawmakers try a bait and switch on taxpayers and decide to give it a shot themselves. Grassroots Commissioner Lori Saine exposes their corruption. Plus leaded videotapes show former Trump lawyer Jenna Ellis to be a complete scumbag as she betrays Trump and the America First voters.

The Fort Collins real estate market has been on a ride in 2023. Scott and Ryan sit down and share stories from the trenches. This pod accompanies the release of our most recent market report, you can read it below The real estate market continues to adjust to the new normal of painfully high rates. The 30 year rate is now just under 8%. I remember a year ago I was dumbfounded to learn that rates had eclipsed the 7% mark.  That number felt impossible at the time. I remember thinking it must be a fluke. But here we are a year later and 7% seems like a bargain. The only thing more surprising than the sharp increase in rates is how stubborn the market has been to give up the massive price gains that occurred during the pandemic.   Some people say the lack of price correction is due to low inventory caused by the golden handcuffs, the phenomenon where people won't list their homes because they don't want to lose their low interest rate. But that is misleading.  While the golden handcuffs are keeping the number of sales that occur about 20% below normal, the number of homes that buyers have to choose from is back up to pre-pandemic levels. These levels have been relatively consistent over the last decade. And coupled with low interest rates, they have been producing an average annual price growth rate of 9.2% per year through 2022.  Obviously that kind of appreciation won't be sustained with current borrowing costs. And now that we've seen a full year of rates in the 6.5% to 8% range, we have a better feel for how the market will perform in this environment. Overall it appears that we will end the year with prices about 2% higher in Larimer County and 1% higher in Weld County. The simple fact is that there are many people who can still afford this market.  The buying power of the dual income household  should not be underestimated. Particularly when they are sitting on $250,000 in equity should they sell their current home. The average homeowner in the US has $275k in equity and 25% of homes are owned free and clear.  When people need or want to move and the new house payment will not dramatically impact their day to day life, they will usually make the move.  Buyers are also enjoying the lack of bidding wars, they are able to shop more leisurely, take their time making decisions, negotiate concessions and buy below list price. This is making their high payment a little easier to swallow. The economy continues to show remarkable resilience in the face of the rate hikes. Low unemployment and robust consumer spending are keeping the fed from feeling good about the softening inflation. Expect rates to stay higher for longer than people expect. But also be wary of anyone, including me, projecting where interest rates will be in the next few years. If and when rates do come down into the 6% range again, expect a lot of pent up buyer demand to be unleashed into the market. This should bring more inventory online but will also increase the number of buyers, so the market is unlikely to soften with this new inventory. When this happens, expect any price corrections that occurred during the rate surge to be quickly erased.  Someone asked me the other day, “Who are the people buying and selling right now?” In the last month we have sold homes for people leaving town due to job transfers, people coming to town to be close to their kids, people selling investment property, people buying investment property with cash, people buying vacation property with loans, people buying a larger home and turning their current home into a rental, and even some first time home buyers. It's a similar mix of people as we have seen in years past, but there's fewer of them.  We have been sharing these market reports for over a decade now and each time we do it is with some sadness as we see affordability in Northern Colorado continue to erode away. I am ever mindful of our sister city Boulder, its similarities to Fort Collins, and its median price of $1.2M.

Jon Caldera filling for Peter Boyles this week. In this hour, Jon tackles how Congressman Ken Buck, a Republican from Weld County, says his office in Windsor will soon be forced to move after receiving an eviction notice. The congressman believes that this is reprisal for refusing to vote for Jim Jordan as Speaker of the House. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We continue our time with Dylan Fixmer, the composer-in-residence for the Greeley Philharmonic Orchestra. He serves as a guide on this episode for his new piece Seven Symphonic Portraits: A Weld County Reflection.  You can purchase tickets to the world premier of Seven Symphonic Portraits here. The event is October 14, 2023.  To hear more of Dylan's work: Dylan's YouTube Channel. This show is made possible by the Weld Community Foundation. For more on how to spread the good for Weld County, head to weldcommunityfoundation.org.  

Weld Found is a podcast produced through the Weld Community Foundation about belonging in an age of social isolation and disconnection. What does it look like to recover this lost art of community? Welcome to season 5 of Weld Found! In our first episode of the season we hear how Dylan Fixmer journeys from musician to teacher to the Greeley Philharmonic Orchestra's composer-in-residence.  To hear more of Dylan's work: Dylan's YouTube Channel. Purchase tickets for Dylan's premier of Seven Symphonic Portraits with the Greeley Philharmonic.  This show is made possible by the Weld Community Foundation. For more on how to spread the good for Weld County, head to weldcommunityfoundation.org.    

Hope Hartmann, Kat Hart, and Lisa Hudson are the leading ladies, respectively, at the Larimer Small Business Development Center, Loveland Business Development Center, and East Colorado Small Business Development Center.  These regional SBDC's in cooperation with other partners will bring us the Unstoppable Women's Conference on October 10, 2023!  Hope has been on the podcast previously (Episode 93), so this episode was particularly focused on Kat and Lisa's journeys, in addition to all the ladies sharing more about the conference and their respective SBDC's areas and manner of service.  Kat's parents served in the non-profit community in Weld County, and her mom was a visible and notable Hhispanic woman leader.  She started with the Larimer SBDC as an intern but soon joined the team full-time, and later moved out of state.  A short season later, Kat was recruited to the Loveland BDC role by the departing Director, a role she has now served for 4 years.  Likewise, Lisa came to the East Colorado SBDC as an intern but grew quickly in role and responsibilities, and spent years as the Associate Director before taking on the lead role.  She's been with the organization for 13 years now and led the group for 7.  The spirit of community and collaboration in the room was almost overwhelming during this conversation, and you'll love getting to better know these leading ladies.  So please join me for this latest episode - and if you're a woman in business - or know one - make sure to share this episode and attend the Unstoppable Women's Conference on October 10!  Episode Sponsor: InMotion, providing next-day delivery for local businesses. Contact InMotion at inmotionnoco@gmail.com

Colorado teachers' union sues school district over gag policy | Arizona's state Democratic Party has raised 7x more money than AZ Republicans this year | Cecelia Espinoza, Rochelle Galindo, and Tim Hernandez seek vacant Colorado House seat representing Denver-based 4th district | Power shutoffs could prove deadly as Nevadans brace for continued extreme heatSong 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: COLORADO NEWSLINE:A Colorado teachers union filed a federal lawsuit against the Woodland Park School District and its board of education over a policy that they say prevents teachers from publicly speaking about school concerns.The Woodland Park Education Association and its president, Nate Owen, filed the lawsuit in U.S. District Court in Denver this week. The school board and district in Woodland Park, outside Colorado Springs in Teller County, has become increasingly conservative in recent years and the schools have become a frequent flashpoint of controversy over a number of issues including curriculum, personnel, transparency, etc.The lawsuit alleges that a district policy known as KDDA, is an unconstitutional prior restraint on speech that goes against the First Amendment.That policy, revised twice this year, states that the superintendent is the official spokesperson for the district and employees cannot talk to the media or even post on social media about district decisions without approval. Violation of the policy is considered insubordination.The lawsuit says “Prior restraints on speech are the most serious and least tolerable infringement of an individual's First Amendment rights. The Supreme Court has routinely held that prior restraints on protected speech are presumed to be constitutionally invalid,”There are examples of courts striking down policies that prevent public employees, like teachers, from speaking to the media without prior approval. attorney Steve Zansberg, who works on cases pertaining to media and the First Amendment said “It is my understanding that policies like this have previously been challenged in other school districts and have been found by courts to be unconstitutional restrictions on free speech rights of school employees.” Because of Owen's standing as president of the local teachers union, he often makes public comments to the school board about working conditions and matters of public concern, as well as comments to the media. The district's policy, however, puts his teaching job in jeopardy if he speaks out.The lawsuit also alleges that the way the policy was revised in February and March violates Colorado's Open Meetings Law. There are no posted minutes or agendas that show the school board publicly discussing the issue.Woodland Park School District Superintendent Ken Witt called the lawsuit a “coordinated political attack” by groups seeking to intimidate him, but of course offered no support for that claim. ARIZONA MIRROR:Arizona Republican Party's fundraising abysmal in run up to pivotal 2024 electionBY: CAITLIN SIEVERS - AUGUST 11, 2023 7:00 AMThe Arizona Republican Party's fundraising efforts so far this year are embarrassing, with Democrats outpacing them seven to one, leaving political operatives wondering if the party's new chairman can right the ship in time to mount any sort of meaningful campaign in 2024. The party took in only $165,000 in contributions so far in 2023, as compared to the Arizona Democratic Party's more than $1,150,000. And the state Republican Party's federal account, which is vital to fund operations during a presidential election year, was in a sad state as of the end of June, with less than $24,000 in cash on hand, compared to the state Democratic Party's nearly $714,000.Because of campaign finance laws, the parties must operate separate accounts for money spent to help elect federal candidates and funds used to bolster state and local hopefuls. Robert Graham, a former Arizona Republican Party chairman from 2013-2017, told the Arizona Mirror, “If this were me, I would be sweating a little bit.” He went on to say that the last party chairman Kelli Ward's extravagant spending and far-right fringe politics have left some big donors hesitant to give.Ward, who chaired the state GOP for four years beginning in January 2019, was part of the group of fake electors from Arizona that hoped to overturn former President Donald Trump's loss to President Joe Biden in 2020. She bought into election conspiracy theories and spent more than $500,000 on an election night party and statewide bus tour in 2022, angering fellow Republicans who would have rather seen that money used to help GOP candidates who lost extremely tight statewide races.In that election, Arizona Republicans suffered losses in the race for governor, secretary of state and attorney general and the U.S. Senate.One former AZ Democratic Party executive director said“Functionally, they're running an operation right now that wouldn't be capable of running one Dairy Queen franchise, much less a state operation to hopefully elect a senator or a president,” “I would be shocked, I think, just given where they are right now, if this time next year they're running any sort of impactful campaign or effort out of the state Republican Party.”DENVER WESTWORD:Firebrand Teacher Tim Hernández seeks seat in Colorado HouseHouse District 4 had been represented by Serena Gonzales-Gutierrez, who won an at-large seat on Denver City Council.By Michael RobertsAugust 9, 2023Tim Hernández is a teacher best known for fighting on behalf of diversity, equity and inclusion related to both students and educators. Now he hopes to bring his passion to the Colorado Legislature as a representative for House District 4.Hernandez has been a controversial figure, making headlines last year when students at North High School protested the decision not to keep him on the staff.Colorado's House District 4 stretches roughly from Regis University south to Morrison Road, and from Sheridan Boulevard east to Zuni Street. However, the District's voters as a whole won't be making the selection — at least not yet. On August 26 "appointed leadership of the Democratic Party within the House district, an estimated 69 individuals, will decide who fills out the rest of the term.  Two other hopefuls with significant Democratic connections are also vying for the spot. Cecelia Espenoza previously worked as a counsel for the U.S. Department of Justice and an appellate immigration judge. She is also a former professor at the University of Denver and St. Mary's University School of Law, and a former chair of the board at the National Hispana Leadership Institute in Washington, D.C., as well.Also in the race is Rochelle Galindo, who in 2015 became the first openly gay person to be elected to the Greeley, Colorado City Council. She followed this win by besting Republican rival Michael Thuener to become the state representative for Weld County's District 50 in 2018. She resigned the next year after being accused of sexual assault and providing alcohol to a minor and was cleared of the charges in 2021. Since she left the legislature, Galindo has worked in various roles at advocacy organizations Colorado People's Alliance, Colorado People's Action, and Emerge.NEVADA CURRENT:NV households struggle to pay summer power bills, and it's getting worseBY: JENIFFER SOLIS - AUGUST 15, 2023 5:34 AMRecord heat in Southern Nevada throughout July drove scores of residents to take refuge in air-conditioned homes, but the cost of fighting off summer temperatures will likely leave an alarming number of Nevadans unable to pay their bills. Last month was the hottest July ever recorded in Las Vegas, with a daily average high of 109 degrees. The last two weeks of July were the hottest 14-day stretch on ever record, with an average high of 112 degrees. Nevada residents living in a single-family home saw an average 22% increase — from about $337 per month fo $407 per month - in their energy bills.Electricity rates in July were set to be even higher before NV Energy agreed to temporarily reduce costs for customers.For many Nevada households, an extra $60 to $70 dollars won't completely break the bank, but for low-income households or those on a fixed income, higher utility bills mean choosing between keeping the A/C running or addressing other essential needs like food and medication. In the worst-case scenario, lack of payment may lead to a power shut-off, leaving families scrambling to find enough money to restore service, often only to face disconnection again.Further, Nevada does not require utilities to disclose the number of customers they disconnect, leaving little transparency of the magnitude of the problem. NV Energy, a monopoly with more than a million captive customers, has shown little interest in publicly sharing the number of disconnected customers. An NV Energy spokesperson said in an email that “NV Energy does not share this type of data publicly, though the company works diligently with customers and makes every effort to avoid disconnecting power.”Data that is public reveals that more and more households are struggling to pay utility bills in Nevada. Applications for state utility assistance over the last three months of available data reveal a sharp 37% increase compared to the same period last year. Public health officials anticipate the high demand will continue as temperatures remain high throughout August. The state program, called the Energy Assistance Program, provides a supplement for qualifying low-income Nevadans with the cost of home energy. Eligible households receive an annual, one-time per year benefit paid directly to their energy provider.But the cost of that assistance ultimately falls on NV Energy customers. Part of the program's funding is subsidized by ratepayers through NV Energy's Universal Energy Charge, which adds 46 cents a month to the typical residential power bill.Unpaid bills that can't be recovered by NV Energy are eventually paid by customers too. Nevada law does protect utility customers from power shut-offs during periods of extreme heat, when a lack of air conditioning can result in waves of hospitalizations or even death. According to state statute, a utility company can't terminate service for a non-paying customer if the National Weather Service has forecast a period of extreme heat within the next 24 hours within the customer's geographical area. For most residents in Southern Nevada, extreme heat is defined as 105 degrees. So if it won't be 105 in the course of the next day, service can be terminated. NV Energy must also notify elderly customers at least 48 hours before termination of power.For all other residents in Southern Nevada, a forecast of 105 degrees or higher within a 24 hour period is considered extreme heat. Utilities also can't terminate service to a customer for nonpayment if the outstanding amount owed is $50 or less. But more than $50, it could be lights out. COLORADO SUN:Colorado's Copper Mountain resort starts seeding to spark a huge biodiversity effortJason Blevins3:50 AM MDT on Aug 15, 2023This story first appeared in The Outsider, the premium outdoor newsletter by Jason Blevins.In it, he covers the industry from the inside out, plus the fun side of being outdoors in our beautiful state.SUBSCRIBECopper Mountain has identified 558 acres on the front side of its ski area where soil work can help restore ecosystems and improve biodiversity to help lessen the impacts of climate change. Last year the resort announced a 10-year carbon sequestration plan to plant carbon-storing plants and grasses on its ski slopes. The resort has tapped researchers at Southwestern University in Texas in the effort, with student scientists staking out test plots on five ski runs where they can monitor vegetation growth using native seeds, compost and biochar.The ski area hosted several resort leaders at its second-annual conservation summit earlier this month in an effort to share their research, strategies and projects. A large focus was restoring biological vibrancy on ski slopes, which too often are simply treated pretty much like lawns instead of critical components of mountain ecosystems. Last year sustainability workers at Copper Mountain started collecting seeds from 27 native species and replanting them across the resort's north-facing ski runs.Jeff Grasser, head of sustainability at Copper Mountain said “We are experimenting. We are trying to figure out how to make all this work at a landscape level,” as he sifted through charred wood chips in a 50-gallon drum that he will carefully spread across plots of ski slopes to see how the porous, lightweight biochar might help native grasses thrive. The aptly named Grasser has big plans. What if he could create “tons and tons” of biochar in massive kilns, not just little drums? What if Copper Mountain's corporate owner deploys its fleet of helicopters for heli-skiing in Utah to spread biochar across all the ski slopes at the company's 10 mountain resorts?“We want to do this in ways that can be done on a very large scale and we can't wait to share these results with you,” Grasser told a group of sustainability leaders at a recent conservation summit.The program included a presentation from folks from another Colorado ski area, Arapahoe Basin, detailing how crews replaced vegetation by hand and preserved topsoil when installing new chairlift towers. The crew from Eldora Mountain Resort offered details of a project with the Town of Nederland to build a wetland to replace a trailhead parking lot. Sunlight ski area took a page from Copper Mountain's biodiversity playbook and began collecting native seeds for replanting on ski runs. The Copper Mountain project will build a dataset of more than 100 locations across the ski area, with 10 years of science showing how native grasses, compost and biochar can help resort operators regain a more diverse, balanced ecosystem on ski slopes.“We want to have the data to be able to say,‘Hey this works really well. Don't just take my word for it. We have scientific evidence that supports these methods. These are the first steps in delivering resilience so bio-diversity can grow.'”And your unsolicited concert pick of the week, Ha Ha TonkaThu., Aug. 24, 9 p.m. at the Skylark Lounge in Denver (Bobcat Club) $12-$15An indie / southern rock band originally formed in West Plains, MO, Ha Ha Tonka's "dark view of the realities of socio-economic hardship, backwoods prejudices and drug abuse is leavened by wry humor and a deep appreciation for regional storytelling traditions. New album Blood Red Moon will be released on October 23.After Denver, Ha Ha Tonka will play a slate of shows throughout California, then Columbia, Missouri on November 2nd, West Plains on November 3rd, and Springfield, Missouri on November 4th. hahatonkamusic.comWelp, that's it for me! From Denver I'm Sean Diller. Original reporting for the stories in today's show comes from Colorado Sun, The Outsider, Colorado Newsline, Arizona Mirror, and Denver's Westword.Thank you for listening! See you next time.

Colorado teachers' union sues school district over gag policy | Arizona's state Democratic Party has raised 7x more money than AZ Republicans this year | Cecelia Espinoza, Rochelle Galindo, and Tim Hernandez seek vacant Colorado House seat representing Denver-based 4th district | Power shutoffs could prove deadly as Nevadans brace for continued extreme heatSong 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: COLORADO NEWSLINE:A Colorado teachers union filed a federal lawsuit against the Woodland Park School District and its board of education over a policy that they say prevents teachers from publicly speaking about school concerns.The Woodland Park Education Association and its president, Nate Owen, filed the lawsuit in U.S. District Court in Denver this week. The school board and district in Woodland Park, outside Colorado Springs in Teller County, has become increasingly conservative in recent years and the schools have become a frequent flashpoint of controversy over a number of issues including curriculum, personnel, transparency, etc.The lawsuit alleges that a district policy known as KDDA, is an unconstitutional prior restraint on speech that goes against the First Amendment.That policy, revised twice this year, states that the superintendent is the official spokesperson for the district and employees cannot talk to the media or even post on social media about district decisions without approval. Violation of the policy is considered insubordination.The lawsuit says “Prior restraints on speech are the most serious and least tolerable infringement of an individual's First Amendment rights. The Supreme Court has routinely held that prior restraints on protected speech are presumed to be constitutionally invalid,”There are examples of courts striking down policies that prevent public employees, like teachers, from speaking to the media without prior approval. attorney Steve Zansberg, who works on cases pertaining to media and the First Amendment said “It is my understanding that policies like this have previously been challenged in other school districts and have been found by courts to be unconstitutional restrictions on free speech rights of school employees.” Because of Owen's standing as president of the local teachers union, he often makes public comments to the school board about working conditions and matters of public concern, as well as comments to the media. The district's policy, however, puts his teaching job in jeopardy if he speaks out.The lawsuit also alleges that the way the policy was revised in February and March violates Colorado's Open Meetings Law. There are no posted minutes or agendas that show the school board publicly discussing the issue.Woodland Park School District Superintendent Ken Witt called the lawsuit a “coordinated political attack” by groups seeking to intimidate him, but of course offered no support for that claim. ARIZONA MIRROR:Arizona Republican Party's fundraising abysmal in run up to pivotal 2024 electionBY: CAITLIN SIEVERS - AUGUST 11, 2023 7:00 AMThe Arizona Republican Party's fundraising efforts so far this year are embarrassing, with Democrats outpacing them seven to one, leaving political operatives wondering if the party's new chairman can right the ship in time to mount any sort of meaningful campaign in 2024. The party took in only $165,000 in contributions so far in 2023, as compared to the Arizona Democratic Party's more than $1,150,000. And the state Republican Party's federal account, which is vital to fund operations during a presidential election year, was in a sad state as of the end of June, with less than $24,000 in cash on hand, compared to the state Democratic Party's nearly $714,000.Because of campaign finance laws, the parties must operate separate accounts for money spent to help elect federal candidates and funds used to bolster state and local hopefuls. Robert Graham, a former Arizona Republican Party chairman from 2013-2017, told the Arizona Mirror, “If this were me, I would be sweating a little bit.” He went on to say that the last party chairman Kelli Ward's extravagant spending and far-right fringe politics have left some big donors hesitant to give.Ward, who chaired the state GOP for four years beginning in January 2019, was part of the group of fake electors from Arizona that hoped to overturn former President Donald Trump's loss to President Joe Biden in 2020. She bought into election conspiracy theories and spent more than $500,000 on an election night party and statewide bus tour in 2022, angering fellow Republicans who would have rather seen that money used to help GOP candidates who lost extremely tight statewide races.In that election, Arizona Republicans suffered losses in the race for governor, secretary of state and attorney general and the U.S. Senate.One former AZ Democratic Party executive director said“Functionally, they're running an operation right now that wouldn't be capable of running one Dairy Queen franchise, much less a state operation to hopefully elect a senator or a president,” “I would be shocked, I think, just given where they are right now, if this time next year they're running any sort of impactful campaign or effort out of the state Republican Party.”DENVER WESTWORD:Firebrand Teacher Tim Hernández seeks seat in Colorado HouseHouse District 4 had been represented by Serena Gonzales-Gutierrez, who won an at-large seat on Denver City Council.By Michael RobertsAugust 9, 2023Tim Hernández is a teacher best known for fighting on behalf of diversity, equity and inclusion related to both students and educators. Now he hopes to bring his passion to the Colorado Legislature as a representative for House District 4.Hernandez has been a controversial figure, making headlines last year when students at North High School protested the decision not to keep him on the staff.Colorado's House District 4 stretches roughly from Regis University south to Morrison Road, and from Sheridan Boulevard east to Zuni Street. However, the District's voters as a whole won't be making the selection — at least not yet. On August 26 "appointed leadership of the Democratic Party within the House district, an estimated 69 individuals, will decide who fills out the rest of the term.  Two other hopefuls with significant Democratic connections are also vying for the spot. Cecelia Espenoza previously worked as a counsel for the U.S. Department of Justice and an appellate immigration judge. She is also a former professor at the University of Denver and St. Mary's University School of Law, and a former chair of the board at the National Hispana Leadership Institute in Washington, D.C., as well.Also in the race is Rochelle Galindo, who in 2015 became the first openly gay person to be elected to the Greeley, Colorado City Council. She followed this win by besting Republican rival Michael Thuener to become the state representative for Weld County's District 50 in 2018. She resigned the next year after being accused of sexual assault and providing alcohol to a minor and was cleared of the charges in 2021. Since she left the legislature, Galindo has worked in various roles at advocacy organizations Colorado People's Alliance, Colorado People's Action, and Emerge.NEVADA CURRENT:NV households struggle to pay summer power bills, and it's getting worseBY: JENIFFER SOLIS - AUGUST 15, 2023 5:34 AMRecord heat in Southern Nevada throughout July drove scores of residents to take refuge in air-conditioned homes, but the cost of fighting off summer temperatures will likely leave an alarming number of Nevadans unable to pay their bills. Last month was the hottest July ever recorded in Las Vegas, with a daily average high of 109 degrees. The last two weeks of July were the hottest 14-day stretch on ever record, with an average high of 112 degrees. Nevada residents living in a single-family home saw an average 22% increase — from about $337 per month fo $407 per month - in their energy bills.Electricity rates in July were set to be even higher before NV Energy agreed to temporarily reduce costs for customers.For many Nevada households, an extra $60 to $70 dollars won't completely break the bank, but for low-income households or those on a fixed income, higher utility bills mean choosing between keeping the A/C running or addressing other essential needs like food and medication. In the worst-case scenario, lack of payment may lead to a power shut-off, leaving families scrambling to find enough money to restore service, often only to face disconnection again.Further, Nevada does not require utilities to disclose the number of customers they disconnect, leaving little transparency of the magnitude of the problem. NV Energy, a monopoly with more than a million captive customers, has shown little interest in publicly sharing the number of disconnected customers. An NV Energy spokesperson said in an email that “NV Energy does not share this type of data publicly, though the company works diligently with customers and makes every effort to avoid disconnecting power.”Data that is public reveals that more and more households are struggling to pay utility bills in Nevada. Applications for state utility assistance over the last three months of available data reveal a sharp 37% increase compared to the same period last year. Public health officials anticipate the high demand will continue as temperatures remain high throughout August. The state program, called the Energy Assistance Program, provides a supplement for qualifying low-income Nevadans with the cost of home energy. Eligible households receive an annual, one-time per year benefit paid directly to their energy provider.But the cost of that assistance ultimately falls on NV Energy customers. Part of the program's funding is subsidized by ratepayers through NV Energy's Universal Energy Charge, which adds 46 cents a month to the typical residential power bill.Unpaid bills that can't be recovered by NV Energy are eventually paid by customers too. Nevada law does protect utility customers from power shut-offs during periods of extreme heat, when a lack of air conditioning can result in waves of hospitalizations or even death. According to state statute, a utility company can't terminate service for a non-paying customer if the National Weather Service has forecast a period of extreme heat within the next 24 hours within the customer's geographical area. For most residents in Southern Nevada, extreme heat is defined as 105 degrees. So if it won't be 105 in the course of the next day, service can be terminated. NV Energy must also notify elderly customers at least 48 hours before termination of power.For all other residents in Southern Nevada, a forecast of 105 degrees or higher within a 24 hour period is considered extreme heat. Utilities also can't terminate service to a customer for nonpayment if the outstanding amount owed is $50 or less. But more than $50, it could be lights out. COLORADO SUN:Colorado's Copper Mountain resort starts seeding to spark a huge biodiversity effortJason Blevins3:50 AM MDT on Aug 15, 2023This story first appeared in The Outsider, the premium outdoor newsletter by Jason Blevins.In it, he covers the industry from the inside out, plus the fun side of being outdoors in our beautiful state.SUBSCRIBECopper Mountain has identified 558 acres on the front side of its ski area where soil work can help restore ecosystems and improve biodiversity to help lessen the impacts of climate change. Last year the resort announced a 10-year carbon sequestration plan to plant carbon-storing plants and grasses on its ski slopes. The resort has tapped researchers at Southwestern University in Texas in the effort, with student scientists staking out test plots on five ski runs where they can monitor vegetation growth using native seeds, compost and biochar.The ski area hosted several resort leaders at its second-annual conservation summit earlier this month in an effort to share their research, strategies and projects. A large focus was restoring biological vibrancy on ski slopes, which too often are simply treated pretty much like lawns instead of critical components of mountain ecosystems. Last year sustainability workers at Copper Mountain started collecting seeds from 27 native species and replanting them across the resort's north-facing ski runs.Jeff Grasser, head of sustainability at Copper Mountain said “We are experimenting. We are trying to figure out how to make all this work at a landscape level,” as he sifted through charred wood chips in a 50-gallon drum that he will carefully spread across plots of ski slopes to see how the porous, lightweight biochar might help native grasses thrive. The aptly named Grasser has big plans. What if he could create “tons and tons” of biochar in massive kilns, not just little drums? What if Copper Mountain's corporate owner deploys its fleet of helicopters for heli-skiing in Utah to spread biochar across all the ski slopes at the company's 10 mountain resorts?“We want to do this in ways that can be done on a very large scale and we can't wait to share these results with you,” Grasser told a group of sustainability leaders at a recent conservation summit.The program included a presentation from folks from another Colorado ski area, Arapahoe Basin, detailing how crews replaced vegetation by hand and preserved topsoil when installing new chairlift towers. The crew from Eldora Mountain Resort offered details of a project with the Town of Nederland to build a wetland to replace a trailhead parking lot. Sunlight ski area took a page from Copper Mountain's biodiversity playbook and began collecting native seeds for replanting on ski runs. The Copper Mountain project will build a dataset of more than 100 locations across the ski area, with 10 years of science showing how native grasses, compost and biochar can help resort operators regain a more diverse, balanced ecosystem on ski slopes.“We want to have the data to be able to say,‘Hey this works really well. Don't just take my word for it. We have scientific evidence that supports these methods. These are the first steps in delivering resilience so bio-diversity can grow.'”And your unsolicited concert pick of the week, Ha Ha TonkaThu., Aug. 24, 9 p.m. at the Skylark Lounge in Denver (Bobcat Club) $12-$15An indie / southern rock band originally formed in West Plains, MO, Ha Ha Tonka's "dark view of the realities of socio-economic hardship, backwoods prejudices and drug abuse is leavened by wry humor and a deep appreciation for regional storytelling traditions. New album Blood Red Moon will be released on October 23.After Denver, Ha Ha Tonka will play a slate of shows throughout California, then Columbia, Missouri on November 2nd, West Plains on November 3rd, and Springfield, Missouri on November 4th. hahatonkamusic.comWelp, that's it for me! From Denver I'm Sean Diller. Original reporting for the stories in today's show comes from Colorado Sun, The Outsider, Colorado Newsline, Arizona Mirror, and Denver's Westword.Thank you for listening! See you next time.

Lauren Boebert's fundraising lags Democratic challenger Adam Frisch | Rep. Yadira Caraveo (D-CO) raises $450K as her GOP challenger has yet to start fundraising | Anti-LGBTQ laws are being struck down around the country for violating First Amendment rights | Utah Supreme Court considers challenge to GOP gerrymandered Congressional map | Denver Mayor Mike Johnston declares a state of emergency around homelessness | Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue, Ziggy Marley, Mavis Staples, Robert Randolph Band play Vail on July 24.Song 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: COLORADO NEWSLINE:Lauren Boebert's Democratic challenger raised 3x what she did in the 2nd quarterBY: SARA WILSON - JULY 17, 2023 4:07 PMDemocrat Adam Frisch raised over three times what Republican incumbent Rep. Lauren Boebert did over the last three months in Colorado's 3rd Congressional District, as the seat appears likely to be a competitive — and expensive — race in 2024.In 2022, Boebert beat Frisch for a second term by 546 votes. Both candidates are actively fundraising with 16 months until a general election rematch.Frisch reported raising about $2.6 million during the most recent campaign finance reporting period, which ran from April to June, according to reports filed with the Federal Election Commission. The former Aspen City Council member spent about $1.4 million and has about $2.5 million in cash on hand.During his 2022 campaign, Frisch raised about $6.7 million, including personal loans, and spent about $6.4 million.Boebert reported raising over $800,000 from April to June. She spent a bit over $400,000 and has about $1.4 million in the bank.In 2022, Boebert raised almost $8 million and spent about $7.4 million.Both candidates brought in a large amount of donations under $200 that don't need to be individually listed on reports — about 66% of Frisch's cash and 47% of Boebert's.Frisch listed about 1,400 individual donations from Colorado residents for a total of about $280,000. Boebert listed about 600 donations from people in Colorado, raising about $150,000.Both Boebert and Frisch spent heavily on advertising during the quarter. Frisch reported spending over $600,000 on contact list acquisition and digital advertising and another $290,000 on direct mail. Boebert spent $52,000 on digital advertising and over $100,000 on direct mail. She reported spending over $28,000 on campaign-related travel during the quarter.The 3rd Congressional District encompasses the Western Slope, San Luis Valley and swings east to Pueblo County.In other districts - Democratic Rep. Yadira Caraveo in the 8th Congressional District raised about $450,000 during the quarter. She spent about $120,000 and has about $625,000 in cash on hand.Republican Scott James has announced his candidacy but has not reported any raising or spending so far this cycle.The National Republican Congressional Committee listed the district as a target race for 2024, priming it for an influx of national party attention and resources. At the same time, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee will also likely pour money into the race, listing Caraveo as a potential vulnerable freshman member.The 8th Congressional District includes Denver's northeast suburbs into Weld County.ARIZONA MIRROR:.Anti-LGBTQ laws in the US are getting struck down for limiting free speechDR. MARK SATTAJULY 13, 2023 7:11 AMAnti-LGBTQ laws passed in 2023 included measures to deny gender-affirming care to trans children. Photo by Mario Tama | Getty Images via The ConversationNearly 500 anti-LGBTQ bills have been introduced in state legislatures in the U.S. in 2023. Many of those bills seek to reduce or eliminate gender-affirming care for transgender minors or to ban drag performances in places where minors could view them.Most of those bills have not become law. But many of those that have did not survive legal scrutiny when challenged in court.A notable feature of these rulings is how many rely on the First Amendment's protection of free speech. In several of the decisions, judges used harsh language to describe what they deemed to be assaults on a fundamental American right.Here's a summary of some of the most notable legal outcomes:Drag performancesSeveral states passed laws aimed at restricting drag performances. These laws were quickly challenged in court. So far, judges have sided with those challenging these laws.On June 2, 2023, a federal judge permanently enjoined Tennessee's attempt to limit drag performances by restricting “adult entertainment” featuring “male or female impersonators.” When a law is permanently enjoined, it can no longer be enforced unless an appeals court reverses the decision.The judge ruled on broad grounds that Tennessee's law violated freedom of speech, writing that it “reeks with constitutional maladies of vagueness and overbreadth fatal to statutes that regulate First Amendment rights.” He also ruled that the law was passed for the “impermissible purpose of chilling constitutionally-protected speech” and that it engaged in viewpoint discrimination, which occurs when a law regulates speech from a disfavored perspective.Three weeks later, a federal judge granted a temporary injunction against Florida's anti-drag law on similar grounds.And in Utah, a federal judge required the city of St. George to grant a permit for a drag show, ruling that the city had applied an ordinance in a discriminatory manner in order to prevent the family-friendly drag show from happening. As in the other cases, the judge's ruling was based on First Amendment precedent.Gender-affirming careOn June 20, 2023, a federal judge permanently enjoined an Arkansas law, passed in 2021 over the veto of then-Gov. Asa Hutchinson, preventing transgender minors from receiving various kinds of gender-affirming medical care, including puberty blockers and hormone therapy.The judge held that Arkansas' law violated the Fourteenth Amendment's equal protection clause – which ensures laws are applied equally regardless of social characteristics like race or gender – because the law discriminated on the basis of sex.Arkansas claimed its law was passed in order to protect children and to safeguard medical ethics. The judge agreed that these were legitimate state interests, but rejected Arkansas' claim that its law furthered those ends.The judge also held that Arkansas' law violated the First Amendment free speech rights of medical care providers because the law would have prevented them from providing referrals for gender transition medical treatment.During June 2023, federal judges in Florida and Indiana granted temporary injunctions against enforcement of similar state laws. This means that these laws cannot be enforced until a full trial is conducted – and only if that trial results in a ruling that these laws are constitutional.Free speech for the LGBTQ communityIn striking down these unconstitutional state laws on First Amendment grounds, many judges went out of their way to reinforce the point that freedom of speech protects views about sexual orientation and gender identity that may be unpopular in conservative areas.In his ruling on the St. George, Utah case, U.S. District Judge David Nuffer stressed that “Public spaces are public spaces. Public spaces are not private spaces. Public spaces are not majority spaces. The First Amendment of the United States Constitution ensures that all citizens, popular or not, majority or minority, conventional or unconventional, have access to public spaces for public expression.”Nuffer also noted that “Public officials and the city governments in which they serve are trustees of constitutional rights for all citizens.” Protecting the constitutional rights of all citizens includes protecting the constitutional rights of members of the LGBTQ community and of other gender-nonconforming people.Free speech rights also extend to those who want to use speech in order to help promote the well-being of LGBTQ people. In ruling that Arkansas' law violated the First Amendment, Judge Jay Moody stated that the state law “prevents doctors from informing their patients where gender transition treatment may be available” and that it “effectively bans their ability to speak to patients about these treatments because the physician is not allowed to tell their patient where it is available.” For this reason, he held that the law violated the First Amendment.As additional anti-LGBTQ state laws are challenged in court, judges are likely to continue to use the First Amendment to show how such laws fail to respect Americans' fundamental free speech rights.This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. The ConversationNEW YORK TIMES:Utah G.O.P.'s Map Carved Up Salt Lake Democrats to dilute their power. Is that legal?The Utah Supreme Court heard arguments on Tuesday over whether a congressional map drawn to dilute Democratic votes was subject to judicial review, or a political issue beyond its reach.By Michael WinesJuly 11, 2023Last week, Utah's Supreme Court justices appeared skeptical of arguments put forward by the State Legislature that it had essentially unreviewable power to draw a map of the state's congressional districts that diluted the votes of Democrats.The Republican-controlled Legislature approved a map in 2021 that carved up Democratic-leaning Salt Lake County, the state's most populous county, and scattered its voters among the state's four U.S. House districts, all of which were predominantly Republican.The lawmakers acted after repealing a law — enacted by Utah voters in a 2018 ballot initiative — that outlawed political maps unduly favoring a candidate or political party.The Legislature's map was widely acknowledged at the time to be a partisan gerrymander, including by the Republican governor, Spencer J. Cox, who noted at the time that both parties often produced skewed maps.The question before the justices on Tuesday was whether the state's courts could hear a lawsuit challenging the Legislature's map, or whether partisan maps were a political issue beyond their jurisdiction. It was not clear when the court would hand down a ruling.Much of Tuesday's hearing — which was streamed on the state court's website — focused on the Legislature's repeal of the 2018 ballot initiative, given the provision in the State Constitution that all political power resides with the people and that they have the right “to alter and reform” their government.Mark Gaber is a lawyer for the Campaign Legal Center, an advocacy law firm based in Washington that represents the plaintiffs in the case before the court. He said, “the Legislature has for decades engaged in this anti-democratic distortion of the process. And the people said: ‘We have had enough. We are going to alter and reform our government and recognize that we hold the political power in this state.'”Taylor Meehan, a lawyer with the law firm Consovoy McCarthy who is representing the Legislature, said Utah citizens had many ways to exercise political influence even after the repeal. “The people can advocate for a constitutional amendment,” Ms. Meehan said. “The people also can elect and lobby and propose ideas to their Legislature. The Legislature will still be politically accountable for whether they vote maps up or down.”Chief Justice Matthew Durrant questioned the claim. “That seems like an empty promise,” he said. “Ultimately, under the system you're suggesting, the Legislature is always going to have the final say.”In court filings, legislators said that the State Constitution gave them exclusive authority to draw political maps, and that the plaintiffs were trying to impose “illusory standards of political equality” on the mapmaking process.With the U.S. Supreme Court having barred federal courts from deciding partisan gerrymander cases, state courts are becoming a crucial battleground for opponents of skewed maps. Joshua A. Douglas, an expert on state constitution protections for voting at the University of Kentucky, said the growing body of legal precedents in state gerrymandering cases was important because many state constitutions shared similar protections for elections and voters, often derived from one another.Courts in Pennsylvania, Maryland, Alaska, New York and, last week, New Mexico have ruled that partisan gerrymanders can be unconstitutional. So have courts in Ohio and North Carolina. However, the Ohio court proved unable to force the legislature to comply with its rulings, and the North Carolina decision was overturned in April after elections shifted the court's majority from Democratic to Republican.The Kentucky Supreme Court will hear a challenge to that state's congressional and legislative maps in September. And a lawsuit contesting an extreme Republican gerrymander of the Wisconsin Legislature is widely expected after an April election gave liberals a majority on the state's high court.Perhaps the closest analogy to the Utah gerrymander is in Nashville, where the latest congressional map by the Republican-led state legislature divided the city's former Democratic-majority U.S. House district among three heavily Republican districts. Democrats have not challenged the map in state courts, presumably because they see little prospect of winning in a State Supreme Court dominated by Republican appointees.In Utah's case, however, the State Supreme Court's five justices do not have reputations for bending easily to political winds. They are chosen through a merit-based selection process.The Utah plaintiffs — the state chapter of the League of Women Voters, the advocacy group Mormon Women for Ethical Government, and a handful of Utah voters —say that the gerrymandered map ignores a host of state constitutional provisions, including guarantees of free speech, free association and equal protection — provisions that they say should be read as prohibiting partisan maps.Republican legislators contend that they had the right to repeal the 2018 redistricting law, just as they could any other state law. And they say that the plaintiffs' aim is no different than their own: to tilt the playing field in their side's favor.But Katie Wright, the executive director of Better Boundaries — the group that led the effort to pass the redistricting law and that is backing the lawsuit — argued that there was a difference between the two. She noted that the Utah Legislature's disclosure of its new maps in 2021 sparked an unusually large public outcry that continues even today.“The reason we have this gerrymandered map is to keep the people who are in power in power,” she said. “But Utahns have not given up.”Michael Wines writes about voting and other election-related issues. Since joining The Times in 1988, he has covered the Justice Department, the White House, Congress, Russia, southern Africa, China and various other topics.  More about Michael WinesA version of this article appears in print on July 12, 2023, Section A, Page 16 of the New York edition with the headline: Utah's Supreme Court Weighs State Gerrymandering Case. Order Reprints | Today's Paper | COLORADO SUN:Denver's new mayor declares state of emergency on homelessness, sets goal of housing 1,000 unsheltered people by end of 2023Elliott Wenzler9:54 AM MDT on Jul 18, 2023In his first full day as Denver's new mayor, Mike Johnston declared a state of emergency around homelessness and announced that he plans to house 1,000 unsheltered people by the end of the year.Johnston said he will tour 78 neighborhoods across the city to accomplish his goal and that his staff will work with landlords, property owners and hotels to find housing availability. His administration is also looking at nearly 200 public plots to place tiny home communities where people experiencing homelessness can be housed.“This is what we think is the most important crisis the city is facing,” Johnston said at a news conference at the Denver's City and County Building. “We took the oath yesterday to commit to taking on this problem.”Homelessness has been an increasingly polarizing issue in Denver and it was a major focus on Johnston's mayoral campaign. He vowed to create tiny home communities on city-owned property as a way to get people off the street.Johnston said the state of emergency declaration will help the city access state and “possibly” federal funding. He also said it would allow the city to more quickly work through construction, renovation and permitting processes for new housing units.“And it sends a real message to all the rest of the state that we are deeply focused on this. We have real evidence to support that housing first as a strategy will get the great majority of people access to the support they need to stay housed and then access follow up resources,” he said. Johnston's inaugural address Monday was centered on the theme of what he called the “dream of Denver.” He mentioned housing costs, safety, mental illness, addiction and reimagining downtown as top priorities.Johnston said “Those of us on this stage took an oath today. But for us to succeed, every Denverite must take their own oath- an oath to dream, to serve, and to deliver. To dream (of) a Denver bold enough to include all of us. To serve our city above ourselves. To march on shoulder to shoulder, undeterred by failure, until we deliver results.”And your unsolicited concert pick of the week, Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue! With special guests Ziggy Marley, Mavis Staples, and the Robert Randolph Band. Monday July 24 at the Gerald Ford Amphitheatre in Vail. I've seen every one of these acts, and I'll just any one of them would be worth the trip on their own.  Welp, that's it for me! From Denver I'm Sean Diller. Original reporting for the stories in today's show comes from Colorado Sun, New York Times, Colorado Newsline, Arizona Mirror, and Denver's Westword.Thank you for listening! See you next time.

Lauren Boebert's fundraising lags Democratic challenger Adam Frisch | Rep. Yadira Caraveo (D-CO) raises $450K as her GOP challenger has yet to start fundraising | Anti-LGBTQ laws are being struck down around the country for violating First Amendment rights | Utah Supreme Court considers challenge to GOP gerrymandered Congressional map | Denver Mayor Mike Johnston declares a state of emergency around homelessness | Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue, Ziggy Marley, Mavis Staples, Robert Randolph Band play Vail on July 24.Song 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: COLORADO NEWSLINE:Lauren Boebert's Democratic challenger raised 3x what she did in the 2nd quarterBY: SARA WILSON - JULY 17, 2023 4:07 PMDemocrat Adam Frisch raised over three times what Republican incumbent Rep. Lauren Boebert did over the last three months in Colorado's 3rd Congressional District, as the seat appears likely to be a competitive — and expensive — race in 2024.In 2022, Boebert beat Frisch for a second term by 546 votes. Both candidates are actively fundraising with 16 months until a general election rematch.Frisch reported raising about $2.6 million during the most recent campaign finance reporting period, which ran from April to June, according to reports filed with the Federal Election Commission. The former Aspen City Council member spent about $1.4 million and has about $2.5 million in cash on hand.During his 2022 campaign, Frisch raised about $6.7 million, including personal loans, and spent about $6.4 million.Boebert reported raising over $800,000 from April to June. She spent a bit over $400,000 and has about $1.4 million in the bank.In 2022, Boebert raised almost $8 million and spent about $7.4 million.Both candidates brought in a large amount of donations under $200 that don't need to be individually listed on reports — about 66% of Frisch's cash and 47% of Boebert's.Frisch listed about 1,400 individual donations from Colorado residents for a total of about $280,000. Boebert listed about 600 donations from people in Colorado, raising about $150,000.Both Boebert and Frisch spent heavily on advertising during the quarter. Frisch reported spending over $600,000 on contact list acquisition and digital advertising and another $290,000 on direct mail. Boebert spent $52,000 on digital advertising and over $100,000 on direct mail. She reported spending over $28,000 on campaign-related travel during the quarter.The 3rd Congressional District encompasses the Western Slope, San Luis Valley and swings east to Pueblo County.In other districts - Democratic Rep. Yadira Caraveo in the 8th Congressional District raised about $450,000 during the quarter. She spent about $120,000 and has about $625,000 in cash on hand.Republican Scott James has announced his candidacy but has not reported any raising or spending so far this cycle.The National Republican Congressional Committee listed the district as a target race for 2024, priming it for an influx of national party attention and resources. At the same time, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee will also likely pour money into the race, listing Caraveo as a potential vulnerable freshman member.The 8th Congressional District includes Denver's northeast suburbs into Weld County.ARIZONA MIRROR:.Anti-LGBTQ laws in the US are getting struck down for limiting free speechDR. MARK SATTAJULY 13, 2023 7:11 AMAnti-LGBTQ laws passed in 2023 included measures to deny gender-affirming care to trans children. Photo by Mario Tama | Getty Images via The ConversationNearly 500 anti-LGBTQ bills have been introduced in state legislatures in the U.S. in 2023. Many of those bills seek to reduce or eliminate gender-affirming care for transgender minors or to ban drag performances in places where minors could view them.Most of those bills have not become law. But many of those that have did not survive legal scrutiny when challenged in court.A notable feature of these rulings is how many rely on the First Amendment's protection of free speech. In several of the decisions, judges used harsh language to describe what they deemed to be assaults on a fundamental American right.Here's a summary of some of the most notable legal outcomes:Drag performancesSeveral states passed laws aimed at restricting drag performances. These laws were quickly challenged in court. So far, judges have sided with those challenging these laws.On June 2, 2023, a federal judge permanently enjoined Tennessee's attempt to limit drag performances by restricting “adult entertainment” featuring “male or female impersonators.” When a law is permanently enjoined, it can no longer be enforced unless an appeals court reverses the decision.The judge ruled on broad grounds that Tennessee's law violated freedom of speech, writing that it “reeks with constitutional maladies of vagueness and overbreadth fatal to statutes that regulate First Amendment rights.” He also ruled that the law was passed for the “impermissible purpose of chilling constitutionally-protected speech” and that it engaged in viewpoint discrimination, which occurs when a law regulates speech from a disfavored perspective.Three weeks later, a federal judge granted a temporary injunction against Florida's anti-drag law on similar grounds.And in Utah, a federal judge required the city of St. George to grant a permit for a drag show, ruling that the city had applied an ordinance in a discriminatory manner in order to prevent the family-friendly drag show from happening. As in the other cases, the judge's ruling was based on First Amendment precedent.Gender-affirming careOn June 20, 2023, a federal judge permanently enjoined an Arkansas law, passed in 2021 over the veto of then-Gov. Asa Hutchinson, preventing transgender minors from receiving various kinds of gender-affirming medical care, including puberty blockers and hormone therapy.The judge held that Arkansas' law violated the Fourteenth Amendment's equal protection clause – which ensures laws are applied equally regardless of social characteristics like race or gender – because the law discriminated on the basis of sex.Arkansas claimed its law was passed in order to protect children and to safeguard medical ethics. The judge agreed that these were legitimate state interests, but rejected Arkansas' claim that its law furthered those ends.The judge also held that Arkansas' law violated the First Amendment free speech rights of medical care providers because the law would have prevented them from providing referrals for gender transition medical treatment.During June 2023, federal judges in Florida and Indiana granted temporary injunctions against enforcement of similar state laws. This means that these laws cannot be enforced until a full trial is conducted – and only if that trial results in a ruling that these laws are constitutional.Free speech for the LGBTQ communityIn striking down these unconstitutional state laws on First Amendment grounds, many judges went out of their way to reinforce the point that freedom of speech protects views about sexual orientation and gender identity that may be unpopular in conservative areas.In his ruling on the St. George, Utah case, U.S. District Judge David Nuffer stressed that “Public spaces are public spaces. Public spaces are not private spaces. Public spaces are not majority spaces. The First Amendment of the United States Constitution ensures that all citizens, popular or not, majority or minority, conventional or unconventional, have access to public spaces for public expression.”Nuffer also noted that “Public officials and the city governments in which they serve are trustees of constitutional rights for all citizens.” Protecting the constitutional rights of all citizens includes protecting the constitutional rights of members of the LGBTQ community and of other gender-nonconforming people.Free speech rights also extend to those who want to use speech in order to help promote the well-being of LGBTQ people. In ruling that Arkansas' law violated the First Amendment, Judge Jay Moody stated that the state law “prevents doctors from informing their patients where gender transition treatment may be available” and that it “effectively bans their ability to speak to patients about these treatments because the physician is not allowed to tell their patient where it is available.” For this reason, he held that the law violated the First Amendment.As additional anti-LGBTQ state laws are challenged in court, judges are likely to continue to use the First Amendment to show how such laws fail to respect Americans' fundamental free speech rights.This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. The ConversationNEW YORK TIMES:Utah G.O.P.'s Map Carved Up Salt Lake Democrats to dilute their power. Is that legal?The Utah Supreme Court heard arguments on Tuesday over whether a congressional map drawn to dilute Democratic votes was subject to judicial review, or a political issue beyond its reach.By Michael WinesJuly 11, 2023Last week, Utah's Supreme Court justices appeared skeptical of arguments put forward by the State Legislature that it had essentially unreviewable power to draw a map of the state's congressional districts that diluted the votes of Democrats.The Republican-controlled Legislature approved a map in 2021 that carved up Democratic-leaning Salt Lake County, the state's most populous county, and scattered its voters among the state's four U.S. House districts, all of which were predominantly Republican.The lawmakers acted after repealing a law — enacted by Utah voters in a 2018 ballot initiative — that outlawed political maps unduly favoring a candidate or political party.The Legislature's map was widely acknowledged at the time to be a partisan gerrymander, including by the Republican governor, Spencer J. Cox, who noted at the time that both parties often produced skewed maps.The question before the justices on Tuesday was whether the state's courts could hear a lawsuit challenging the Legislature's map, or whether partisan maps were a political issue beyond their jurisdiction. It was not clear when the court would hand down a ruling.Much of Tuesday's hearing — which was streamed on the state court's website — focused on the Legislature's repeal of the 2018 ballot initiative, given the provision in the State Constitution that all political power resides with the people and that they have the right “to alter and reform” their government.Mark Gaber is a lawyer for the Campaign Legal Center, an advocacy law firm based in Washington that represents the plaintiffs in the case before the court. He said, “the Legislature has for decades engaged in this anti-democratic distortion of the process. And the people said: ‘We have had enough. We are going to alter and reform our government and recognize that we hold the political power in this state.'”Taylor Meehan, a lawyer with the law firm Consovoy McCarthy who is representing the Legislature, said Utah citizens had many ways to exercise political influence even after the repeal. “The people can advocate for a constitutional amendment,” Ms. Meehan said. “The people also can elect and lobby and propose ideas to their Legislature. The Legislature will still be politically accountable for whether they vote maps up or down.”Chief Justice Matthew Durrant questioned the claim. “That seems like an empty promise,” he said. “Ultimately, under the system you're suggesting, the Legislature is always going to have the final say.”In court filings, legislators said that the State Constitution gave them exclusive authority to draw political maps, and that the plaintiffs were trying to impose “illusory standards of political equality” on the mapmaking process.With the U.S. Supreme Court having barred federal courts from deciding partisan gerrymander cases, state courts are becoming a crucial battleground for opponents of skewed maps. Joshua A. Douglas, an expert on state constitution protections for voting at the University of Kentucky, said the growing body of legal precedents in state gerrymandering cases was important because many state constitutions shared similar protections for elections and voters, often derived from one another.Courts in Pennsylvania, Maryland, Alaska, New York and, last week, New Mexico have ruled that partisan gerrymanders can be unconstitutional. So have courts in Ohio and North Carolina. However, the Ohio court proved unable to force the legislature to comply with its rulings, and the North Carolina decision was overturned in April after elections shifted the court's majority from Democratic to Republican.The Kentucky Supreme Court will hear a challenge to that state's congressional and legislative maps in September. And a lawsuit contesting an extreme Republican gerrymander of the Wisconsin Legislature is widely expected after an April election gave liberals a majority on the state's high court.Perhaps the closest analogy to the Utah gerrymander is in Nashville, where the latest congressional map by the Republican-led state legislature divided the city's former Democratic-majority U.S. House district among three heavily Republican districts. Democrats have not challenged the map in state courts, presumably because they see little prospect of winning in a State Supreme Court dominated by Republican appointees.In Utah's case, however, the State Supreme Court's five justices do not have reputations for bending easily to political winds. They are chosen through a merit-based selection process.The Utah plaintiffs — the state chapter of the League of Women Voters, the advocacy group Mormon Women for Ethical Government, and a handful of Utah voters —say that the gerrymandered map ignores a host of state constitutional provisions, including guarantees of free speech, free association and equal protection — provisions that they say should be read as prohibiting partisan maps.Republican legislators contend that they had the right to repeal the 2018 redistricting law, just as they could any other state law. And they say that the plaintiffs' aim is no different than their own: to tilt the playing field in their side's favor.But Katie Wright, the executive director of Better Boundaries — the group that led the effort to pass the redistricting law and that is backing the lawsuit — argued that there was a difference between the two. She noted that the Utah Legislature's disclosure of its new maps in 2021 sparked an unusually large public outcry that continues even today.“The reason we have this gerrymandered map is to keep the people who are in power in power,” she said. “But Utahns have not given up.”Michael Wines writes about voting and other election-related issues. Since joining The Times in 1988, he has covered the Justice Department, the White House, Congress, Russia, southern Africa, China and various other topics.  More about Michael WinesA version of this article appears in print on July 12, 2023, Section A, Page 16 of the New York edition with the headline: Utah's Supreme Court Weighs State Gerrymandering Case. Order Reprints | Today's Paper | COLORADO SUN:Denver's new mayor declares state of emergency on homelessness, sets goal of housing 1,000 unsheltered people by end of 2023Elliott Wenzler9:54 AM MDT on Jul 18, 2023In his first full day as Denver's new mayor, Mike Johnston declared a state of emergency around homelessness and announced that he plans to house 1,000 unsheltered people by the end of the year.Johnston said he will tour 78 neighborhoods across the city to accomplish his goal and that his staff will work with landlords, property owners and hotels to find housing availability. His administration is also looking at nearly 200 public plots to place tiny home communities where people experiencing homelessness can be housed.“This is what we think is the most important crisis the city is facing,” Johnston said at a news conference at the Denver's City and County Building. “We took the oath yesterday to commit to taking on this problem.”Homelessness has been an increasingly polarizing issue in Denver and it was a major focus on Johnston's mayoral campaign. He vowed to create tiny home communities on city-owned property as a way to get people off the street.Johnston said the state of emergency declaration will help the city access state and “possibly” federal funding. He also said it would allow the city to more quickly work through construction, renovation and permitting processes for new housing units.“And it sends a real message to all the rest of the state that we are deeply focused on this. We have real evidence to support that housing first as a strategy will get the great majority of people access to the support they need to stay housed and then access follow up resources,” he said. Johnston's inaugural address Monday was centered on the theme of what he called the “dream of Denver.” He mentioned housing costs, safety, mental illness, addiction and reimagining downtown as top priorities.Johnston said “Those of us on this stage took an oath today. But for us to succeed, every Denverite must take their own oath- an oath to dream, to serve, and to deliver. To dream (of) a Denver bold enough to include all of us. To serve our city above ourselves. To march on shoulder to shoulder, undeterred by failure, until we deliver results.”And your unsolicited concert pick of the week, Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue! With special guests Ziggy Marley, Mavis Staples, and the Robert Randolph Band. Monday July 24 at the Gerald Ford Amphitheatre in Vail. I've seen every one of these acts, and I'll just any one of them would be worth the trip on their own.  Welp, that's it for me! From Denver I'm Sean Diller. Original reporting for the stories in today's show comes from Colorado Sun, New York Times, Colorado Newsline, Arizona Mirror, and Denver's Westword.Thank you for listening! See you next time.

After a long commute from his living room to his wife's office down the hall, Weld County District Attorney Michael J. Rourke joins Kim and Kara for a conversation about his career as a prosecutor. Better known on the podcast as "Kim's husband", Mike has been a prosecutor in Colorado for the past 25 years. A review of his highest profile cases and the moment he realized vicarious trauma had become a very real part of his life, reveal a much-needed perspective for true crime consumers.  Michael J. Rourke is the elected District Attorney for the 19th Judicial District in Weld County Colorado. He was first appointed District Attorney in 2015, and has been reelected twice, most recently in 2020. Michael is a lifelong resident of Colorado, attending Chatfield High School, the University of Colorado at Boulder and the University of Denver College of Law. His is a career prosecutor starting in 1997 in the 18th Judicial District before moving to Weld County in 2005. Over the course of his career, Michael has prosecuted numerous high-profile cases, including first degree murder, sexual assault, crimes against children and crimes of violence. Michael has received several prestigious awards during his career, including the Colorado District Attorney's Council Robert R. Gallagher Prosecutor of the Year and the Criminal Justice Award from the Colorado Organization for Victim Assistance. He is a nationally recognized speaker, having presented for Ending Violence Against Women International, the International Homicide Investigators Association, and the Colorado District Attorney's Council. Michael is the Colorado State Director to the National District Attorneys Association Board of Directors, and is past president and current member of the Colorado District Attorney's Council Governing Board. Michael is a proud husband to his wife Kimberly and their four children. A Weld County resident, Michael is an active member of the community, having served on numerous community boards and commissions. Learn more from Michael: Website: https://www.weldda.com/District-Attorney Instagram: @mrourkeda Facebook: @WeldCountyDA Michael's CTA: Love "true crime"? Get involved and help victims at a local level. Join your local law enforcement agency, prosecutor's office, or community crisis resource center as an advocate.  _________ Join Kim and Kara's "Captive Audience" by visiting  https://www.patreon.com/SGTC.  Members gain access to full-length video episodes of weekly podcast, Q&A live streams, discounts on merch, exclusive content, and swag--all interspersed with our signature compassion and a touch of dark humor. Your monthly membership goes toward podcast production, supporting our guests and their calls to action, and charitable donations. Like what we're doing here? Be sure to subscribe, rate, review. The more people this show can reach, the more it can help.  https://www.survivorsguidetotruecrime.com/ Submit your questions using our handy dandy form or by emailing hello@survivorsguidetotruecrime.com for future Q&A episodes. Don't forget to follow us on social media: Instagram @SurvivorsGuideToTrueCrime  TikTok @SGTCpod Facebook @Survivor'sGuideToTrueCrime YouTube @Survivor'sGuideToTrueCrime Twitter @SGTCpod The theme music used in Survivor's Guide to True Crime is Uplifting Motivational Stomp by MarcusWay

Photo: No known restrictions on publication. @Batchelorshow 1938, Weld County, Colorado, abandoned town after crop failures 8/8: When banks failed and capitalists panicked, once upon a time: 8/8: Roosevelt Sweeps Nation: FDR's 1936 Landslide and the Triumph of the Liberal Ideal by  David Pietrusza  (Author) https://www.amazon.com/Roosevelt-Sweeps-Nation-Landslide-Triumph/dp/1635767776 Award-winning historian David Pietrusza boldly steers clear of the pat narrative regarding Franklin Roosevelt's unprecedented 1936 re-election landslide, weaving an enormously more intricate, ever more surprising tale of a polarized nation; of America's most complex, calculating, and politically successful president, Franklin D. Roosevelt, at the very top of his Machiavellian game; and the unlocking of the puzzle of how our society, our politics, and our parties fitfully reinvented themselves.

Human remains have been found in rural Weld County – and they belong to Jonelle Matthews. A very cold case becomes white hot, and police approach a new suspect.This episode is brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/SUSPECT and get on your way to being your best self.Please support us by supporting our sponsors.Babbel- Get up to 55% off when you go tobabbel.com/suspectSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.