Colorado
Feds’ cash stream supports Colorado River conservation — but the money will dry up
Read more Stateline coverage of how communities across the West are grappling with drought that’s worsening because of climate change. Despite a megadrought, states in the West have been able to avoid drastic cuts to their allocations of Colorado River water this year not only because of surprising storms but also thanks to generous financial incentives from […]
Sexual assault survivors can now track their rape kits in most states
It can take hours for a sexual assault victim to undergo the multiple swabs, hair samples, blood and urine collections, and other invasive procedures of a sexual assault examination. And then it can take months, sometimes years, for investigators to process that evidence kit. But now, responding to demands from survivors and their advocates, more […]
Death rates for people under 40 have skyrocketed. Blame fentanyl.
A new Stateline analysis shows that U.S. residents under 40 were relatively unscathed by COVID-19 in the pandemic but fell victim to another killer: accidental drug overdose deaths. Death rates in the age group were up by nearly a third in 2021 over 2018, and last year were still 21% higher. COVID-19 was a small […]
Seeing ‘Red’ after Taylor Swift debacle, lawmakers weigh concert ticket rules
There’s no question what motivated state Rep. Kelly Moller to push for changes in Minnesota law on concert ticket sales. “Really, it was the Taylor Swift debacle for me,” she said. A self-professed Swiftie, the Democrat found herself among millions of other Americans unable to buy tickets last year to Swift’s Eras Tour. She preregistered […]
Don’t poo-poo these states’ pleas to keep the parks pristine
DENVER — Earlier this summer, Adam Ducharme made an unpleasant discovery while helping volunteers install signs telling visitors where to camp, park or launch boats near Leadville, a mountain town surrounded by 14,000-foot peaks in central Colorado. “We were digging holes, putting in signs, and then backfilling the holes with rocks and sort of compounding […]