COMMENTARY: VOTE FOR JAY FAWCETT
The November election is only a little over 100 days away. Commentator Bud Gordon is urging you to vote for Democrat Jaw Fawcett in the race for the U.S. House seat being vacated by Republican Joel Hefley. Gordon says a vote for Fawcett is a vote against the failed policies of the Bush administration in the middle east. [LISTEN] [TRANSCRIPT]
THE STEALTH ATTACK ON LAND USE PLANNING IN THE WEST
High Country News Editor Greg Hanscom says a well funded, urban Libertarian movement is out to destroy land use regulations one state at a time through a false grassroots effort. [LISTEN] [TRANSCRIPT]
NAVAJO PRESIDENT CALLS FOR INDEPENDENT INVESTIGATION OF POLICE SHOOTING
The justification of a shooting by Farmington, N.M. police of a 21-year-old Navajo man is not being accepted on the reservation. [LISTEN] [TRANSCRIPT]
TASK FORCE SAYS MORE WOMEN GETTING HOOKED ON METH
Colorado’s new methamphetamine task force got to work this week. Members say addictions are snaring more women than any other drug. [LISTEN] [TRANSCRIPT]
KILLER CLAIMS 48 VICTIMS OVER 25 YEARS
Robert Browne, already serving a life sentence for murdering a 13-year-old in 1991 has pleaded guilty to another, older killing, and now claims he has killed up to 48 people in nine states and two countries since 1970. [LISTEN] [TRANSCRIPT]
COMMENTARY: “END THE D-11 CHAOS”
The local joke in Colorado Springs is that if you’re looking for night out filled with drama, you don’t go to the theater or movie house, you head to a School District 11 board meeting. A local group calling itself “End the D-11 Chaos” is circulating petitions to recall a couple of the board’s most constroversial members, in this commentary, Jessica Touchard makes the case for recall. [LISTEN] [TRANSCRIPT]
COLORADO’S FORESTS ARE DYING LIKE NEVER BEFORE
A bark beetle infestation of epic proportions is killing the forests of northern Colorado at a historically unprecedented rate. KGNU’s Sam Fuqua talks with U.S. Forest Service experts about potentially devastating impacts to watersheds, wildlife and people. [LISTEN] [TRANSCRIPT]
SIX REPUBLICANS VIE FOR COLORADO’S “SAFE” REPUBLICAN HOUSE SEAT
GOP hopefuls try to distinguish themselves to run against a Democrat who says, “I believe in God, I own a gun, and if you’re a citizen, the Constitution protects you, period.” [LISTEN] [TRANSCRIPT]
COLORADO HOUSE RACE ONE OF THE TIGHTEST IN THE U.S.
Created four years ago, Denver-area House District 7 is evenly split between Republicans, Democrats and Independents. President Bush came to town last week to raise money for the Republican candidate, meanwhile, three Democrats are fighting for their party’s nomination. Bente Birkeland reports. [LISTEN] [TRANSCRIPT]
HANDICAPPING COLORADO’S LEGISLATIVE RACES
Colorado’s party primaries are less than a month away. That means campaign season will soon be in full swing, and there’s a lot at stake for the parties in this year’s state legislative races. In 2004 the Democrats won control of both the state house and senate for the first time in four decades - but their lead is small. They have a one seat edge in the Senate and a five seat margin in the house - so if the Republicans can win take just four seats, they could win both legislative bodies back.
Sam Fuqua, the news director at KGNU in Boulder recently handicapped key house and senate races with John Straayer, the Colorado State University professor who literally wrote the book - his “The Colorado General Assembly” is a standard text in local political science classes.
[LISTEN] [TRANSCRIPT]
THE MEDIA DOGFIGHT OVER GAYS IN COLORADO SPRINGS
Last month the Denver-based Gill Foundation launched a media campaign featuring a cute puppy named Norman who moos like a cow. The message is that some animals, including people, are simply born different, some are gay, for instance. Now, Focus on the Family is countering with canine themed ads of their own. [LISTEN] [TRANSCRIPT]
ROADLESS TASK FORCE GETS DOWN TO BRASS TACKS
After nine months and more than a dozen meetings across the state, Colorado’s roadless areas task force is putting the finishing touches on its recommendations to Governor Owens. The task force got together in Denver yesterday, Bente Birkeland has more from Denver. [LISTEN] [TRANSCRIPT]
COMMENTARY: IDEAS THAT DIDN’T MAKE THE CUT AT ASPEN’S “IDEAS FESTIVAL”
In the last week or two you may have been hearing a lot about political bigwigs in Aspen for that town’s annual ideas festival, people like Karl Rove, Colin Powell and Bill Clinton. Well, Aspen resident Barry Smith says he’s full of ideas, but he never gets invited, despite not needing a plane ticket to attend. [LISTEN] [TRANSCRIPT]
BACKPACKING, CAMPING DECLINE IN POPULARITY
The outdoor retail industry recently classified backpacking and tent camping as “heritage activites,” and, in the Pacific northwest at least, the U.S. Forest Service is planning to close dozens of campsites that just plain don’t get used much anymore. From the Northwest News Network, Tom Banse reports. [LISTEN] [TRANSCRIPT]
UNITING FOR THE CONTINENTAL DIVIDE TRAIL
Last weekend more than 500 people came to Buena Vista to experience and support the completion of the Continental Divide Trail, which stretches 3,100 miles from Canada to Mexico. [LISTEN] [TRANSCRIPT]