Denver News

After saying it would review operations following financial difficulties, Kaiser Permanente Colorado announced Monday that it’s laying off about 200 employees in the state.

The University of Colorado’s Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics is ready for Monday’s scheduled launch of two of its miniature satellites on a mission to collect data on the physics of the sun and its impact on Earth.

http://www.timescall.com/top-stories/ci_32277010/cu-boulder-mini-satellites-part-major-rideshare-mission

Politicians and administrators looking to work in incoming Gov. Jared Polis’ Cabinet need to act fast.

Nov. 27 is the deadline for Cabinet-level applications as Polis is set to take office Jan. 8.

Proposition 111, which passed in Colorado during the 2018 midterm election, caps interest rates from Payday lenders at 36 percent.

Currently the average payday lending loan in Colorado has an interest of 129%.

The measure is already forcing some businesses to close.

https://kdvr.com/2018/11/16/payday-lenders-starting-to-close-after-voters-limit-interest-rates/

Colorado’s recycling rate hasn’t improved and the amount of trash produced by Coloradans hit a record of 9.3 million tons in 2017.

The statistics in the Eco-Cycle report are from 2017 data collected by the state Hazardous Materials & Waste Management Division. The numbers are based on weight of household trash that goes to landfills or gets redirected to a recycler.

http://ecocycle.org/take-action/zerowastecolorado

Denver International Airport travelers can now check their bags and print their boarding passes at two of its shuttle parking areas

The city of Denver will extend a program that provides legal defense for immigrants who are fighting deportation.

Mayor Michael Hancock held a news conference Tuesday with immigration groups to make the announcement.

https://kdvr.com/2018/11/15/denver-to-expand-immigration-legal-aid-program/

Denver Mayor Michael Hancock is interested in setting a minimum wage of $15 an hour for thousands of city employees and other people who work with the city.

He said in a news release that he would ask city staffers to “explore increasing starting pay” over several years. The change could apply to direct employees, contractors, vendors’ employees and people who work for private companies at city facilities like Red Rocks or Denver International Airport.

Facing mounting government pressure and a public backlash over the epidemic of teenage vaping, Juul Labs announced on Tuesday that it would stop selling most of its flavored e-cigarette pods in retail stores and would discontinue its social media promotions.

https://www.cnn.com/2018/11/13/health/juul-flavor-social-media-fda-bn/index.html

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals sent a letter to Colorado State University on Monday asking the school to end experiments that involve infecting wild birds with the West Nile virus.

West Nile virus often spreads to people via mosquito bites. Symptoms of the virus, which can be fatal, can include fever, headache, body aches, vomiting and diarrhea. In rarer instances, individuals can develop serious illness that affects the central nervous system, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Vail Resorts is funneling a large share of its investments in the state this year and next on improving the flooring.

Vail Mountain put in 10 large fan guns on the Born Free Trail for the upcoming season and is boosting its grooming capacity on the Back Bowls, which should result in a 30 percent increase in tamed terrain.

https://www.denverpost.com/2017/07/25/vail-environmental-impact-changes/

Denver Police responded to an almost 20-car crash on the Auraria ramp to the southbound lanes of I-25 as snow snarled traffic across the city, according to a tweet from the department.

No injuries or closures are reported from the crash but there were Several closures being reported across the state.

RTD has started the final work on the new southeast extension rail line and that means service disruptions this weekend.

The extension will run 2 1/2 miles between Lincoln Avenue and Ridgegate Parkway in Lone Tree.

The E and R lines will be shut down from 4 a.m. Sunday until 4 a.m. Monday between the Lincoln and Dry Creek stations.

Shuttle service will available every 15 minutes.

RTD doesn't have a date for opening the southeast extension, only saying it will be sometime next year.

Colorado residents who do not identify as male or female will be allowed to choose “X” as the symbol to represent their gender on their driver’s licenses when an emergency rule goes into effect this month.

Denver Post Reports:

The change comes as state officials continue to grapple with policies that allow people who identify differently than their sex assigned at birth to alter their official documents, which LGBTQ advocates say is crucial for transgender and nonbinary peoples’ daily lives.

https://www.denverpost.com/2018/11/08/colorado-drivers-license-x-gender/

Voters on Tuesday decided the next Colorado governor would be Jared Polis, a five-term congressman from Boulder whose promises on an array of issues promised a leftward shift for the state.

https://www.denverpost.com/2018/11/06/colorado-governor-race-results/

Voters said no to Amendment V, which would have allowed 21-year-olds to run for state office,

and no to Amendment 75, an intended counter to millionaire self-funders.

Coloradans managed to pass gerrymandering-addressing amendments Y and Z... As well Amendment A, which removes a line allowing slavery from the state constitution.

Remember, it’s still not too late to vote! You can return ballots until 7 p.m. Tuesday night.

And you can text “CO” to 2vote (28683) for links to election information and voter registration from the Colorado Secretary of State’s office.

http://www.justvotecolorado.org/#findlocation

https://www.denverpost.com/politics/voter-guide-2018/