Nov. 15, 2024: Voter-approved proposition will fund victims’ services through gun excise tax; Holding RTD accountable
Colorado voters approved a proposition in the last election that funds victims’ services and other support programs through an excise tax on guns. We talk with an advocate about efforts to reduce gun violence. Then, what’s next for RTD now that voters have weigh-in on new board members and funding? Also, how the fantasy novel “Navola” helped the author escape climate change anxiety. And a mother’s immigration story is at the heart of “Avaaz,” now playing at the Denver Center Theater Company.
Voters approve Proposition KK which will fund victims’ services and support programs through a gun excise tax
Gun buyers will soon be paying for some of the cost of crime. Voters approved a new 6.5% excise tax on guns and ammunition that will fund services for crime victims. The money will also pay for mental health and school security. It’s estimated that it will raise approximately $39 million a year.
Trailblazer who co-founded Colorado’s first Black ski club dies at 100
A Colorado centenarian who spread her enthusiasm for skiing to others, young and old, white and Black has died. Valeria Tanaka was born on March 10, 1924 and co-founded Colorado’s first Black ski club. She was featured in a PBS story about the history of skiing in Colorado.
Colorado and national politics trend in opposite directions
The pundits and pollsters told us to be patient but the results of the 2024 Presidential election came quickly. By early Wednesday morning, Donald Trump had clinched the race to be the 47th president of the United States. In Colorado, a very different picture emerged as the state ovewhelmingly chose Kamala Harris. We reached out to Seth Masket, professor of political science and director of the Center on American Politics at the University of Denver, who has been tracking the Republican party over the past four years for a forthcoming book.
Colorado’s centenarians still going strong after all these years
What is the secret to a long and successful life? As part of our series Aging Matters on Colorado Matters, we spoke with some of Colorado’s residents over the age of 100.
Far from the ocean, Colorado is a center for hurricane forecasts
Colorado is nearly 2000 miles from cities and towns upended by the recent hurricanes in the southeastern part of the country but the state has been a center for hurricane forecasts in the Atlantic basin since 1984, when scientists at Colorado State University began issuing them annually. This year’s forecast called for an active hurricane season and for the most part, that’s what happened.
Some landlords, companies offer incentives to Colorado tenants who pay rent on time
Colorado Matters spoke with the CEO of Stake Rowland Hobbs, a company that offers incentives for paying rent on time, and Danielle Rickards, a single mother renting an apartment in Grand Junction.
‘Be kind to others and have a sense of humor:’ Life lessons from a 101-year-old Tuskegee fighter pilot
Colonel James Harvey, 101, was one of about a thousand Black military pilots known as Tuskegee Airmen, who distinguished themselves as among the best U.S. fighters during World War II. Harvey himself was the first Black fighter jet pilot to fly combat missions in Korea.
Colorado doctor says rise in heavy drinking means more demand for liver transplants
People are drinking more than they did a decade ago and the pandemic only added fuel to the fire, according to one Colorado doctor who treats patients with advanced liver disease. He says physicians are seeing a growing number of patients who need liver transplants due to excessive drinking. And he says, part of the problem is people aren’t always aware they’re drinking too much.
Oct. 16, 2024: Alcohol and liver disease; A Colorado centenarian on persevering and life’s lessons
In the last five years, doctors have seen a growing number of patients who need liver transplants because of alcohol use, and sometimes people aren’t even aware they’re drinking too much. Then, how an indie movie could help Colorado’s film industry rebound. Also, stories from a Colorado centenarian about the obstacles he’s overcome in his life — and the rules he lives by. And Colorado Wonders about election security.
How the MAVEN spacecraft – led by CU Boulder – could help pave the way for human exploration on Mars
NASA’s MAVEN spacecraft, led by scientists at the University of Colorado Boulder, was supposed to operate for one year when it entered orbit on September 21, 2014.
The Venezuelan gang that’s surfaced in Colorado and the presidential race
The gang, Tren de Aragua, has been linked to criminal activity in metro Denver and it’s been the focus of viral online posts and the Presidential campaign. Tren de Aragua formed in a Venezuelan prison more than ten years ago and expanded its criminal activity to kidnapping, extortion and human smuggling and trafficking.
Colorado researcher says people with PTSD are losing out on an effective treatment — MDMA
A Boulder-based therapist is disappointed by federal regulators’ decision last month not to approve a therapy using ecstasy to treat PTSD.
How rheumatoid arthritis and Down syndrome are helping researchers find treatments for Alzheimer’s
Colorado researcher Huntington Potter discusses a clinical trial to see whether the drug Leukine, normally used for bone marrow transplants and to treat some forms of cancer, reverses memory loss in people with Alzheimer’s.
New state historian wants to get Coloradans thinking about America’s democratic roots
Colorado’s newly-appointed state historian, William Wei, says democratic governments are facing the worst crisis since the 1930’s and he hopes to get Coloradans thinking about threats to democracy at home and abroad.
As COVID cases tick up, vaccines arrive soon in Colorado
According to state health data, wastewater samples from across Colorado indicate there’s been a “steady increase” in COVID-19 infections. As fall approaches, new vaccines have been approved for the coronovirus and for the flu.
