Public News Service

Inflation Reduction Act funding is helping leading electric cooperatives, which serve one in five rural Americans, to accelerate the adoption of affordable and reliable clean energy, lowering costs for their members. (Adobe Stock)

Tuesday, September 17, 2024

Tri-State to lower customer energy costs by $400 million over 20 years

Colorado's second-largest electricity provider, the Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association, projects new federal clean energy funding will …

One cow can produce up to 264 pounds of methane every year, and it's estimated that livestock production is responsible for 30% of global anthropogenic methane emissions. (Adobe Stock)

Monday, September 16, 2024

How livestock farming fuels climate change

By Seth Millstein for Sentient.Broadcast version by Eric Galatas for Colorado News Connection reporting for the Sentient-Public News Service Collabora…

Hasta ahora, 34 mercados de agricultores, centros de alimentos y establecimientos minoristas en todo el estado ofrecen Colorado SNAP Produce Bonus. (Adobe Stock)

Programa piloto hace que productos frescos sean accesibles a más familias en CO

A medida que la cosecha de otoño de Colorado se acelera, las personas que participan en SNAP, el programa anteriormente conocido como cupones de …

So far, 34 farmers markets, food hubs and retail locations across the state offer Colorado SNAP Produce Bonus. (Adobe Stock)

Pilot program makes fresh Colorado produce accessible to more families

As Colorado's fall harvest kicks into high gear, people participating in SNAP, the program formerly known as food stamps, can now get up to $60 per …

If the Kroger-Alberstons merger is approved, Gunnison's 6,000 residents would have to travel 65 miles to find a grocery store not owned by Kroger, which owns King Soopers in Colorado, according to the American Economic Liberties Project. (Galatas)

Corporate consolidation, lack of competition linked to rising grocery prices

As a federal judge considers a lawsuit aiming to block a proposed $25 billion merger between Kroger and Albertsons, a new report detailed how …

Colorado is investing in key infrastructure to power and maintain electric vehicles, including connecting new solar canopies to the electric grid, and adding more charging stations. (Adobe Stock)

Clean buses coming to Colorado transit systems

The Colorado Department of Transportation is investing nearly $32 million to help local governments and other stakeholders transition to electric vehi…

Access to affordable medicines is critical for managing chronic conditions such as diabetes, hypertension, depression or asthma and preventing emergency treatment. (Adobe Stock)

Big Pharma siphoning off critical health center resource

As Congress heads back to work after the August recess, advocates for the nation's safety net Community Health Centers are urging lawmakers to end …

As Colorado experiences more extreme heat due to climate change, upgrading to efficient, all-electric appliances can reduce indoor air pollution and provide cooling for Denver's income-qualified residents. (Energy Outreach Colorado)

Colorado's first multifamily housing units upgraded to all-electric

A coalition effort led by Energy Outreach Colorado has completed a first-of-its-kind multi-family electrification project, replacing gas-powered …

A new poll found strong support for the Biden-Harris administration's agenda to lower prescription drug prices and stand up to big drug companies. (Adobe Stock)

Report details Big Pharma’s price-gouging patent tactics

As advocacy groups take a victory lap for moving lawmakers to finally allow Medicare to negotiate lower prices for 10 widely-used medicines, a new …

Lowry Ranch is important habitat for several Tier 1 species from the State Wildlife Action Plan, including the burrowing owl, northern leopard frog and swift fox. (Adobe Stock)

Aurora residents to continue opposition to fracking near reservoir, Superfund site

Aurora residents and environmental groups said they will continue to oppose fracking near the Aurora Reservoir, thousands of homes and 13 schools …

More than a quarter of Coloradans surveyed said they cut pills in half, skipped doses or did not fill prescriptions because of costs. (Adobe Stock)

Survey: Most Coloradans can’t afford basic health care

More than 70% of Coloradans believe drug companies, hospitals and insurance companies charge too much, according to a new Consumer Healthcare …

National Health Center Week se celebra esta semana con un mercado agr�cola gratuito. Los 20 Centros de Salud Comunitarios de Colorado gestionan 243 cl�nicas y atienden a uno de cada cinco ni�os inscritos en el Plan de Salud Infantil Plus y a casi uno de cada cuatro pacientes de Medicaid en el estado. (Adobe Stock)

Celebran red de seguridad médica que atiende a 1 de cada 7 habitantes en CO

El lunes, el personal de Salud Family Health de Fort Collins estuvieron regalando bolsas llenas de frutas y verduras en un mercado de agricultores …

Negotiating the costs of health care procedures using Medicare payments as a reference has proven effective in reducing health care spending, especially for large employers. (Adobe Stock)

Colorado hospitals charge commercial insurers up to six times Medicare rates

The rates Medicare pays hospitals are carefully calculated to cover the actual cost of care in an efficient health care facility. But Anthem, Cigna…

Health experts recommend people age 50 and older get a hearing test every five years. (Adobe Stock)

Hearing-aid use could reduce risks of dementia

Correcting hearing loss by using hearing aids is a simple and effective way to reduce the risk of cognitive decline and dementia during aging…

Colorado gets $156M from Inflation Reduction Act for 'Solar for All'

Colorado is calling on solar energy entrepreneurs to put $156 million in Inflation Reduction Act funding to work accelerating rooftop and community-ba…

In no state, county or metropolitan area in the United States can a worker earning the federal or prevailing state or local minimum wage afford a modest rental home at fair market rent by working a standard 40-hour work week, statistics show. (Adobe Stock)

Colorado housing costs 8th least affordable in nation

Colorado remains the eighth-least affordable state in the nation for housing, according to a new report from the National Low Income Housing …

Colorado hospitals and clinics have reported sharply increased numbers of uninsured people seeking care. (Adobe Stock)

Colorado posted 2nd-highest loss of Medicaid coverage in nation in May

In May, Colorado ranked second in the nation for the percentage of residents dropped from Medicaid health insurance rolls - including 500,000 who …

Utilities are shutting off power in an effort to keep downed and damaged power lines from sparking blazes and fueling the West's more frequent and intense wildfires. (Adobe Stock)

CO Nursing homes left in dark as utilities cut power to prevent wildfires

By Kate Ruder for KFF Health News.Broadcast version by Eric Galatas for Colorado News Connection reporting for the KFF Health News-Public News Service…

No existen requisitos de ingresos ni de inscripci�n para que los ni�os participen en el programa estatal de Comidas de Verano, que sirve desayuno, almuerzo, meriendas y cena a todos los j�venes hasta los 18 a�os. (Adobe Stock)

Comidas de verano para niños disponibles para llevar y entregar en zonas rurales

Con las cafeterías escolares cerradas durante el verano, grupos comunitarios y organizaciones sin fines de lucro están trabajando para …

There are no income or registration requirements for kids to participate in the state's Summer Meals program, which serves breakfast, lunch, snacks and dinner to all youths up to age 18. (Adobe Stock)

Summer meals for kids available to-go and by delivery in remote rural areas

With school cafeterias closed for the summer, community groups and nonprofits are working to ensure that Colorado's one in five children who go …

Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits brought more than $700 million to local Colorado economies in 2017, creating more than $1.25 billion in economic activity. (Adobe Stock)

Farm Bill proposal would cut SNAP food assistance by $30 billion

One proposed version of the next Farm Bill, introduced by the Republican chair of the House Agriculture Committee, would cut the Supplemental …

La mayor�a de los miembros de la junta directiva de la reci�n fusionada Cl�nica Family Health and Wellness seguir�n siendo pacientes que reciben servicios y trabajar�n junto a voluntarios de la comunidad. (Adobe Stock)

Fusión de salud de Colorado pretende unificar atención médica y conductual

Clinica Family Health y Mental Health Partners han anunciado planes para fusionar sus operaciones en septiembre de este año. Dixie Casford…

A majority of board members of the newly merged Clinica Family Health and Wellness will continue to be patients who receive services, working alongside community volunteers. (Adobe Stock)

Colorado health merger aims to unify behavioral and medical care

Clinica Family Health and Mental Health Partners have announced plans to merge operations by September of this year. Mental Health Partners co-CEO …

The United States must double its existing regional transmission capacity to meet its clean energy goals by 2035, according to a study by the U.S. Department of Energy. (Adobe Stock)

New FERC transmission rules to benefit CO environment, ratepayers

New power transmission rules from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission are aimed at states like Colorado, which is seeking a shift to renewable …

One of the historic roadblocks to helping consumers and businesses embrace energy efficiency and beneficial electrification has been securing access to the capital needed to make improvements to reduce energy costs. (Adobe Stock)

New program aims to help rural Coloradans pay less on monthly energy bills

Coloradans living in rural parts of the state tend to pay a lot more for their monthly energy bills than metropolitan customers but a new Biden admini…

Deconstruction, basically construction in reverse, is helping cities reduce materials ending up in local landfills. (Adobe Stock)

Colorado embraces deconstruction to keep materials out of landfills

By Syris Valentine for Grist.Broadcast version by Eric Galatas for Colorado News Connection reporting for the Solutions Journalism Network-Public News…

The Denver Post reports the total number of Coloradans with Medicaid health insurance has dropped by 30% since 2023, just below Texas and Utah. (Adobe Stock)

Report: 86,101 Colorado children removed from Medicaid insurance rolls

More than 4 million children in the U.S. lost their health insurance after automatic Medicaid coverage renewals enacted during the COVID public …

The 1922 Colorado River Compact gives priority to Lower Basin states: Arizona, California and Nevada, for rights to Colorado River Water. (Adobe Stock)

Study: 90% of CO River irrigation water goes to cattle

As Colorado and other states grapple with shrinking Colorado River water levels, new research pinpoints how much water is being diverted for cattle …

When the school year ends, millions of children from households with low incomes lose access to the school meals they rely on. Help is available. (Adobe Stock)

CO families must sign up to get $120 per child for food through Summer EBT

Colorado families must sign up before the end of April to receive $120 per child to buy food through the new Summer EBT program approved by Congress…

Most of the USDA produce samples tested in this year's Dirty Dozen list from the Environmental Working Group were within the legal allowance for chemical pesticide residue. (Adobe Stock)

Strawberries top Dirty Dozen list of produce packed with pesticides

Nonorganic fruits and vegetables are loaded with chemical pesticides, including fungicides which can harm male reproductive systems, according to the …

A new walk-in program provides immediate, in-person support for urgent mental health and substance use needs for anyone, regardless of their ability to pay, whether or not they are an existing client, or speak English. (Adobe Stock)<br />

Mental health urgent-care facility now available in northeast Boulder

Boulder and Broomfield County residents can now access mental health services the same way they can access urgent medical care. Dr. Nadia Haddad…

Older Coloradans who may have never been issued a birth certificate because they were born at home qualify for assistance getting vital documents, including identification cards but many cannot access Colorado's Necessary Documents Program. (Adobe Stock)

Cutting red tape to access IDs and other vital documents

Advocates are urging Colorado lawmakers to make key improvements to a state program seen as critical to helping people fleeing domestic violence or ex…

A wide body of research has linked traffic pollution to premature death, lung cancer, asthma and other negative health impacts. (Adobe Stock)

Nurses, environmental groups welcome Biden's clean car standards

On Wednesday, the Biden administration announced new tailpipe pollution standards that will give automakers more time to ramp up production of zero-…

After lawmakers passed House Bill 1232 in 2021, standardized Colorado Option health insurance was developed with extensive input from consumers, insurers, health providers, rural communities and other stakeholders. (Adobe Stock)

Tracking effectiveness of Colorado’s Public Option health coverage

Colorado's standardized health-insurance plan, known as the Colorado Option, is changing how consumers interact with insurance, according to a new …

Health advocates are urging the Polis administration to put terminations for vulnerable populations on hold while the state digs into what is causing outsize losses of Medicaid coverage. (Adobe Stock)

Colorado’s Medicaid insurance terminations seventh highest in nation

Two-thirds of Coloradans who have lost their health insurance during Medicaid's unwinding process are still eligible for coverage - but were terminate…

Colorado's share of Healthy School Meals for All, approved by voters in 2022, was meant to be paid for by Coloradans who earn $300,000 or more per year. (Adobe Stock)

Healthy School Meals for All program faces $24 million budget gap

Colorado lawmakers are considering ways to address a projected $24 million funding shortfall in the Healthy School Meals for All program, and grants …

La falta de claridad en torno a la cobertura de los Beneficios de Salud Esenciales para la atenci�n materna a nivel federal significa que muchas pacientes encuentran l�mites en los servicios prenatales y de parto cubiertos, y una cobertura inconsistente de los servicios de lactancia. (Adobe)

Defensores presionan para actualizar la Ley del Cuidado de Salud a Bajo Precio

El número de personas con cobertura médica de la Ley del Cuidado de Salud a Bajo Precio está en aumento, pero muchos no son capaces …

Lack of clarity around Essential Health Benefit coverage for maternal health care at the federal level means that many patients encounter limits on prenatal and delivery services covered, and inconsistent coverage of breastfeeding and lactation services. (Adobe Stock)

Advocates press Biden to update Affordable Care Act essential benefits

The number of people with Affordable Care Act health coverage is on the rise, but many are not able to access the care they need to get and stay …

The Colorado Avalanche and Xcel Energy are helping fundraise for Energy Outreach Colorado, a nonprofit that in 2023 helped more than 38,289 Colorado households through energy efficiency gains, connecting with community solar gardens and crisis-intervention services. (Adobe Stock)

Colorado Avalanche scores an assist on energy bills

The Colorado Avalanche has teamed up with Xcel Energy to generate funds to help people struggling to pay their energy bills this winter. Every time …

Over the past two years, corporate executives have been explicit in earnings reports about how they have exploited their pricing power to boost profits, and how they will continue to do so even as inflation comes down. (Adobe Stock)

Report: 'Greedflation' primary driver of higher consumer prices

As corporate profits remain at all-time highs, a new report shows that more than half of rising consumer prices in 2023 were caused by corporate …

AARP Colorado trabaja en colaboraci�n con las comunidades de todo el estado, uniendo a la gente y proporcionando recursos y experiencia para ayudar a que los condados, pueblos y ciudades de Colorado sean grandes lugares para vivir para personas de todas las edades. (Adobe Stock)

Dinero disponible para ayudar a mejorar las comunidades

A-A-R-P Colorado está convocando proyectos creativos que ayuden a mejorar comunidades enteras, especialmente aquellas de 50 años o más…

AARP Colorado works in collaboration with communities across the state, bringing people<br />together, and providing resources and expertise to help make Colorado's counties, towns and<br />cities great places to live for people of all ages. (Adobe Stock)

Money available to help improve communities

AARP Colorado is putting out the call for creative projects that help improve entire communities, especially those age 50 and older, for this year's …

In 2019, Colorado adopted requirements for the state to cut climate-warming emissions in the near term at least 26% by 2025 and 50% by 2030. (Adobe Stock)

PUC scales back renewable electricity, adds new natural-gas plants

Even though 2023 was the hottest year on record, the Colorado Public Utilities Commission is adding more fossil fuel-generated power and scaling back …

In 2022, 29.3 million adults, representing 11.2% of the population, reported having three or more chronic conditions. (Adobe Stock)

Report: Colorado 12th healthiest state in nation as chronic conditions rise

Colorado is the 12th healthiest state in the nation, according to the latest America's Health Rankings report. But the number of Coloradans dealing …

In 2022, Craig Unit 3 in Colorado emitted over 2.8 million tons of CO2, more than 1,700 tons of acid rain-causing SO2, and more than 2,900 tons of ozone-causing NOx. (Adobe Stock)

Tri-State's plan would close two coal-fired power plants

Colorado's second-largest electricity provider is leaning into federal Inflation Reduction Act dollars to retire two coal-fired power plants…

No tener dinero para pagar del bolsillo, no poder ausentarse del trabajo y la falta de medios de transporte confiables son algunos de los obst�culos para acceder a la atenci�n preventiva. (Adobe Stock)

Informe: Más habitantes de CO pueden acceder a atención médica preventiva

En general, más habitantes de Colorado están recibiendo la atención que necesitan para mantenerse sanos en comparación con añ…

Not having money for out of pocket costs, not being able to take time off work and a lack of reliable transportation are some of the barriers to accessing preventative care. (Adobe Stock)

Report: More Coloradans able to access preventative health care

Overall, more Coloradans are getting the care they need to stay healthy compared to previous years, according to a new analysis of data in the …

Colorado rate payers are still on the hook for $500 million after grid failures in Texas created a spike in natural gas prices in 2021. (Adobe Stock)

Coloradans brace for winter heating bills

After Coloradans cranked up the heat to welcome family members for Thanksgiving dinner, many are worried about the price they will pay when their …

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PNS Daily Newscast - September 20, 2024

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CO: Consumer