COMMENTARY: BEWARE OF BINDWEEDS
Life, it has been said, is a bed of roses, you just have to watch out for the pricks. And, commentator Caroline Vulgamore warns, roses aren’t the only pretty flowers that can conceal a threat. [LISTEN] [TRANSCRIPT]

COLORADO TOWNS FIGHT FEDS OVER ENERGY DEVELOPMENT
Palisade, Colorado, is more famous for its peaches than natural gas wells, but increasing energy development has growers worried that latter now threatens the former. Kirk Sieger of Aspen Public Radio reports on how Palisade and Grand Junction are trying to keep natural gas wells out of their watersheds. [LISTEN] [TRANSCRIPT]

COLORADO GOV. CANDIDATES WOO BUSINESS COMMUNITY
In the race for governor, the candidates debated twice August 29th.
It’s unclear whether they’ll debate at all in Colorado Springs. KRCC and Colorado College extended an invitation several weeks ago to both candidates to debate at CC. Democrat Bill Ritter accepted, Republican Bob Beauprez declined.
However, the candidates went toe to toe in front of business groups in Denver and Ft. Collins recently. Our Denver bureau reporter Bente Birkeland went to both events, and has this report.
[LISTEN] [TRANSCRIPT]

HEFLEY: LAMBORN “SLEAZY, DISHONEST,” NO ENDORSEMENT
Retiring Congressman Joel Hefley says that Doug Lamborn, the Republican nominated to succeed him conducted a “dirty” primary campaign, and that he won’t endorse him. That’s good news for Democrat Jay Fawcett, who sees a “perfect storm” building that could sweep him into office. [LISTEN] [TRANSCRIPT]

WHEN A MASSACRE BECOMES A TOURIST ATTRACTION - COMMENTARY
It’s too soon to say how America’s war in Iraq will be remembered. History has a funny way of transforming violent events of the past into things that don’t always make sense. Commentator Melisa Musick says we need look no farther than our neighbor to the northeast for evidence. [LISTEN] [TRANSCRIPT]

SOLDIERS MAKE THEIR OWN FILM ABOUT THE IRAQ WAR
A documentary about the Iraq war has just been release. Called “The War Tapes,” it’s different than other war movies, because this one was filmed almost entirely by American soldiers. [LISTEN] [TRANSCRIPT]

LIFE ONE PAYCHECK AWAY FROM POVERTY
IT’S ESTIMATED THAT NEARLY 10% OF COLORADO’S POPULATION LIVES IN POVERTY. AND IT’S NOT JUST THE UNEMPLOYED. LOTS OF PEOPLE WITH JOBS EITHER CAN’T AFFORD BASICS LIKE FOOD, SHELTER AND MEDICINE. MANY ARE JUST ONE PAYCHECK AWAY FROM BECOMING HOMELESS.
THE COLORADO COALITION FOR THE HOMELESS LAUNCHED A STATEWIDE TOUR YESTERDAY TO GATHER TESTIMONY ABOUT THE CHALLENGES FACED BY POOR PEOPLE. THEY PLAN TO REPORT THEIR FINDINGS TO STATE LAWMAKERS EARLY NEXT YEAR.
[LISTEN] [TRANSCRIPT]

ACLU DEMANDS INVESTIGATION INTO COLORADO PHONE RECORDS
The Colorado Public Utilities Commission says it’s not ready to investigate whether phone companies in the state illegally turned over records to the federal government. The American Civil Liberties Union says it should the commission should investigate without delay. From Denver Bente Birkeland reports. [LISTEN] [TRANSCRIPT]

COMMENTARY: WILDFIRE DANGER STILL STALKS THE HILLS
Don’t let the recent rains fool you, says Fire Information Officer Andy Lyon, serious wildfire danger still lurks in Colorado. [LISTEN] [TRANSCRIPT]

TWO OF COLORADO’S BIG CAT SANCTUARIES ARE CLOSING
The state’s largest sanctuary for big cats -and one of the biggest in the country- is trying to find homes for lions, tigers and bears before it shuts down. It’s been open for 26 years. A second, smaller sanctuary plans to close soon, too. Options for the big cats are few.

[LISTEN] [TRANSCRIPT]

BIRD FLU - THE THREAT TO COMMERCIAL POULTRY
The threat of bird flu has been out of the headlines lately, but that doesn’t mean that it’s gone away. People who raise birds commercially are keeping a close eye on the latest information, and they’re worried. [LISTEN] [TRANSCRIPT]

COMMENTARY: LIBERATION FROM THE EVIL BEAN
In the world of journalism, there are many different points of view, slants and ideas about what is and isn’t news. But there’s one thing most of us can agree on, a special respect and reverence for coffee -it’ll see you through all those dull government meetings, get you to work in the morning and push you past any barrier between your smoldering wreck of a story and deadline. Commentator Barry Smith is trying to quit coffee, we think he’s insane. [LISTEN] [TRANSCRIPT]

SOME NATIVE CULTURES ALREADY ACCEPT SAME SEX UNIONS
Whether or not the war, immigration and health care bring people to the polls in November, there’s another issue that activists on both sides think will motivate people to vote - same sex unions. Colorado’s crowded ballot will feature two proposals, one that would enshrine the definition of marriage as being between one man and one woman in the state constitution, the other would legalize domestic partnerships.
But same sex unions haven’t always been a big deal in the west, at least not among some native American cultures, as Alise Widmer reports in this story from Phoenix, filed as part of NPR’s “Next Generation Radio” project.
[LISTEN] [TRANSCRIPT]

VOTERS IN CONGRESS’ “MOST COMPETITIVE” DISTIRCT SPEAK
Analysts say Colorado’s 7th Congressional District race will be one of the closest most expensive house races in the nation this November. Both parties are vying for the seat and the candidates, Republican Rick O’Donnel and Democrat Ed Perlmutter, are gearing up for a tough battle. Our Denver reporter Bente (BEN tuh) Birkeland decided to check out the district and talk to the people who live there about their neighborhoods and the issues they care about. [LISTEN] [TRANSCRIPT]

DARK CLOUDS OVER COLORADO SPRINGS’ STORMWATER RUNOFF FEE
On Tuesday Colorado Springs’ city council is set to vote on whether to charge property owners a “storm water enterprise fee.” The idea is to raise money to repair what the city says is a backlog of urban drainage projects. In the last couple of years, the Springs has come under fire from Pueblo for failures of its drainage system, which have washed out sewer lines and sent raw sewage down Fountain Creek, but the new fee is being greeted with skepticism, mistrust and anger in Colorado Springs. [LISTEN] [TRANSCRIPT]