Topic: Colorado

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FISA 101: 10 key dates in the evolution of NSA surveillance

When news of the PRISM data collection and surveillance program broke in early June 2013, it shook up the cyber security debate, and called into question just how much information the US government is authorized to collect. But government data collection isn’t something that just sprang up out of nowhere – it just sprang into national attention after former National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden leaked government documents about the secret government agency. Here’s a brief list of post-9/11 legislation and surveillance programs to add a historical perspective to the current government surveillance debate.

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FISA 101: 10 key dates in the evolution of NSA surveillance

When news of the PRISM data collection and surveillance program broke in early June 2013, it shook up the cyber security debate, and called into question just how much information the US government is authorized to collect. But government data collection isn’t something that just sprang up out of nowhere – it just sprang into national attention after former National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden leaked government documents about the secret government agency. Here’s a brief list of post-9/11 legislation and surveillance programs to add a historical perspective to the current government surveillance debate.
Manitou Springs mudslide closes road in Coloroado

Manitou Springs mudslide: A four-mile stretch of US 24 in Colorado was closed Wednesday afternoon after a thunderstorm sent rocks, mud, debris, and running water rushing down part of a canyon. No injuries have been immediately reported from the Manitou Springs mudslide.
Yarnell fire: How to save lives as wildfires intensify in Arizona and beyond?

Wildfires are becoming more intense and more destructive, experts say, and devastating blazes like the Yarnell Hill fire in Arizona, which took the lives of 19 firefighters, are increasingly common.
Year after drought, wettest Midwest spring in 40 years delays crop planting

Last year, Midwest farmers struggled with drought; this year, it's heavy rain and sodden farmlands, which have pushed back the planting season. By contrast, farmers in the South worry about too little rain.
Arizona firefighters report progress; mourn fallen

While struggling to put out a wildfire outside the town of Yarnell, Arizona on Wednesday, firefighters took a moment to remember the 19 Hotshot crew members who died there. The fire is now nearly 50 percent contained and an investigation into the events leading up to the deaths is underway.
Focus The 'sequester': how three Americans see it working so far

So far at least, wide swaths of America haven't been reeling from the 'sequester.' But more budget cuts are taking effect this summer. Here are three examples of how Americans are starting to feel the impact.
Wildfire wildcard: How weather can help trigger an explosive fire

This week's loss of 19 elite firefighters battling Arizona's Yarnell Hill wildfire raises questions about how scorching temperatures and low humidity may contribute to explosive fires and unanticipated safety hazards. Here's what researchers have learned.
With Colo. ruling, transgender equality becomes next civil rights frontier

Colorado officials ruling in favor of a transgender girl — discriminated against by school officials who would not let her use the girls' restroom — is being viewed by advocates as a harbinger. Introducing the next frontier in civil rights: transgender equality.
Colorado court says transgender first-grader can use girls' bathroom

A Colorado civil rights panel ruled that a Colorado Springs school likely discriminated against a first-grader by not allowing her to use the girls' restroom. The girl's family has since moved to another city.
South Fork fire forces 1,500 people to evacuate

South Fork fire: More than 600 fire fighters are battling the Colorado wildfire, and their efforts remained focused on protecting South Fork. So far, no homes have been lost.
South Fork fire forces town to evacuate

South Fork fire threatens to engulf the Colorado tourist town as officials evacuate 400 residents and visitors. In South Fork, fire crews are working to save cabins and homes from the approaching blaze.
Change Agent 'Food rescue' group teaches others how to do it

Forty percent of all food produced in the US goes to waste. Boulder (Colo.) Food Rescue picks up food, primarily fresh fruits and vegetables, from local grocers and transports it by bike to groups that serve hungry, homeless, and low-income people.
USA Update Why Colorado's Black Forest wildfire is now being called a crime scene

Authorities are treating Colorado's Black Forest wildfire as the site of a criminal probe. At issue: the start of the fire and the deaths of two people as they were apparently trying to evacuate their house.
Opinion Put our kids first, Mr. Holder, and enforce federal law against marijuana

Anyone who is cultivating, selling, or distributing marijuana is violating the federal Controlled Substances Act, regardless of state law. Obama must enforce federal law and begin prosecutions to stop the proliferation of 'medical' and recreational marijuana that is harming our kids.
Oregon wildfires controlled, but Colorado wildfires only 45 percent contained

Oregon wildfires have been stemmed by better weather and more fire crews, but the Colorado wildfires are still raging. The Colorado wildfires already have destroyed nearly 500 homes.
Colorado fire: Is global warming one of the culprits? (+video)

Western wildfires like the Black Forest Fire in Colorado have been increasing in frequency and duration in recent years, burning far more land and with greater intensity. Scientists say climate change is a major factor.
Residents flee as historic Colorado wildfire burns out of control (+video)

Among several Colorado wildfires now burning, the Black Forest fire has become the most destructive in the history of the state. It remains only 5 percent contained.
Colorado wildfires could spread unpredictably in high winds, sheriff warns (+video)

7,000 people have been evacuated and 80 homes lost in a rural area northeast of Colorado Springs hit by the Black Forest fire, the most concerning of four wildfires burning in the state.
Royal Gorge fire forces prisoner evacuation (+video)

Royal Gorge fire destroys three structures near Canon City, Colo., and spurs evacuation of 900 at a state prison. Besides the Royal Gorge fire, three other Colorado wildfires have destroyed dozens of homes and force thousands to flee.
E-cigarettes: Big Tobacco's next big move?

E-cigarette sales could double this year to $1 billion, analysts say. The market for e-cigarettes has grown from thousands of users in 2006 to several million e-cigarette smokers worldwide.
Can protesters wave gruesome signs? Supreme Court declines free speech case

Antiabortion protesters waved the signs in public as they targeted a church in Denver. A Colorado court then barred the use of the signs, and on Monday the US Supreme Court refused to examine the free speech issues in the case.
Robert Reich The quiet shutting down of Washington

Conservative Republicans have basically shut Congress down — preventing Obama from implementing tax reform, minimum wage hikes, and background checks on guns, Reich argues.
Colorado secede? Counties weigh exit plan to form state of 'North Colorado'

Colorado secede? It sounds implausible, but the idea of counties withdrawing from one state to form a new one isn’t impossible. But some big hurdles – like the US Constitution – make it very difficult.
Top 10 states for clean tech

Clean Edge, a clean-tech research and advisory firm based in San Francisco and Portland, has ranked states for their leadership in clean tech. Here are its Top 10 picks:
The Monitor's View Obama helps nip pot legalization in Latin America. How about in US?

President Obama helped prevent a move toward pot legalization by some Latin American leaders. But will he be as bold against Colorado, Washington state?