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National

Democrats To Widen Conflict With Bush
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/04/01/AR2007040100766.html
Even as their confrontation with President Bush over Iraq escalates, emboldened congressional Democrats are challenging the White House on a range of issues -- such as unionization of airport security workers and the loosening of presidential secrecy orders -- with even more dramatic showdowns coming soon. For his part, Bush, who also finds himself under assault for the firing of eight U.S. attorneys, the conduct of the Iraq war and alleged abuses in government surveillance by the FBI, is holding firm. Though he has vetoed only one piece of legislation since taking office, he has vowed to veto 16 bills that have passed either the House or the Senate in the three months since Democrats took control of Congress.
RELATED: Ex-Aide Says He’s Lost Faith in Bush
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/04/01/washington/01adviser.html

More DOJ scandal news in NATIONAL/GOVERNMENT

More Iraq war news in NATIONAL/ELECTION, NATIONAL/GOVERNMENT, NATIONAL/FOREIGN POLICY, NATIONAL/MILITARY, COLORADO/MILITARY

Pelosi Plans Trip to Syria Next Week
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/03/30/AR2007033002010.html
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) will visit Syria next week, her office announced yesterday, prompting the White House to call the trip "a really bad idea." Pelosi's visit to Damascus is to be a centerpiece of a week-long Middle East tour that began yesterday in Israel. Both the White House and State Department knew about the visit in advance. For security reasons, Pelosi staffers held off announcing the trip until after her arrival in Israel yesterday, and they had planned to announce the Syria leg after her departure from that country, Democratic aides said. After media inquiries, Pelosi's office issued a statement.
RELATED: Planned Visit to Syria by Pelosi Is Under Fire From White House
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/03/31/washington/31pelosi.html

Detainee Alleges Abuse in CIA Prison
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/03/30/AR2007033002246.html
A high-level al-Qaeda suspect who was in CIA custody for more than four years has alleged that his American captors tortured him into making false confessions about terrorist attacks in the Middle East, according to newly released Pentagon transcripts of a March 14 military tribunal hearing here. Abd al-Rahim al-Nashiri, who U.S. officials believe was involved in the bombings of two U.S. embassies in East Africa in 1998 and who allegedly organized the attack on the USS Cole in Yemen in 2000, told a panel of military officers that he was repeatedly tortured during his imprisonment and that he admitted taking part in numerous terrorism plots because of the mistreatment.
RELATED: Detainee Says Torture Led to Confessions
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/03/31/washington/31torture.html

More detainee policy news in NATIONAL/CIVIL LIBERTIES

Judge Suspends Administration Rules For Managing Forests
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/03/30/AR2007033001905.html
A federal district judge ruled yesterday that the Bush administration illegally rewrote the rules for managing 192 million acres of federally owned forests and grasslands in 2005 and must consider the environmental impact of its plan before offering another policy blueprint. The ruling by Judge Phyllis J. Hamilton of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California suspends the forest rules the administration adopted on Jan. 5, 2005. Hamilton said the government did not adequately assess the policy's impact on wildlife and the environment and did not give sufficient public notice of the "paradigm shift" that the rule put in place. The judge ordered the Forest Service to suspend its 2005 rule and subject it to a new round of analysis, taking into account the environmental protections and public participation requirements in the National Environmental Policy Act, the Endangered Species Act and the Administrative Procedures Act.
RELATED: Federal Judge Strikes Down Forest Management Rules
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/03/31/washington/31logging.html

More forest management rule news in COLORADO/ENVIRONMENT

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Colorado

Ed chairman quits over e-mail
http://www.rockymountainnews.com/drmn/government/article/0,2777,DRMN_23906_5455332,00.html
Rep. Mike Merrifield stepped down as head of the House Education Committee on Friday after apologizing to the legislature for writing in an e-mail: "There must be a special place in hell" for charter school supporters. The Colorado Springs Democrat's comments angered charter school advocates in both parties. They called it a "Mel Gibson moment," referring the Hollywood star's anti-Semitic outburst during a DUI arrest last year. "Despite the private nature of the e-mail, I deeply regret my strong language and disrespectful tone," said Merrifield, who noted the e-mail he sent in December to his Senate counterpart was from his private account. "It was intended to be a private communication between me and my friend," he said. Merrifield, who is being treated for throat cancer, said he was resigning because "I don't want my remarks or my health to sidetrack the important work of the House Education Committee."
RELATED: Ed panel switch changes little
http://www.denverpost.com/newsheadlines/ci_5567474
RELATED: Education panel chair steps down
http://coloradoan.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070331/NEWS01/703310378/1002/NEWS17
RELATED: Legislator leaves chair in wake of e-mail flap
http://www.gjsentinel.com/news/content/news/stories/2007/03/31/3_31_1b_Lawmaker_React.html

Bill to boost vote center oversight gets nod
http://www.rockymountainnews.com/drmn/government/article/0,2777,DRMN_23906_5454788,00.html
A bill to step up the state's oversight of vote centers and elections won the Colorado Senate's initial backing Friday, despite an outcry by Republicans about a provision that gives parolees the right to vote. "They haven't paid their debt to society in full," said Sen. Greg Brophy, R-Wray. "I don't think they deserve all of society's benefits." Senate Bill 83, passed on a 19-16 vote, is aimed at preventing the kind of problems that kept more than 20,000 voters in Denver from casting ballots in November. A software meltdown led to hours-long lines at polling centers. The measure, by Sen. Ron Tupa, D-Boulder, requires the secretary of state to set up guidelines for vote centers and sign off on all county election plans. "The provision to allow parolees to vote is only one aspect to the bill," Tupa said. "In its essence, the bill . . . adds safeguards, which will go a long way in reducing the likelihood of another 2006 election fiasco." The measure requires Denver and counties with populations of 400,000 or more to open one vote center per 5,000 voters. Secretary of State Mike Coffman and Colorado Attorney General John Suthers have said they will oppose the change that would allow parolees to vote, contending it would violate the state constitution.
RELATED: Despite opposition, parolee voting still alive
http://www.gjsentinel.com/news/content/news/stories/2007/03/31/3_31_11B_parolee_voting.html

Lobbyists play waiting game, hoping for time
http://postindependent.com/article/20070402/VALLEYNEWS/104020011
Colorado's registered lobbyists - some 600 in all - aren't allowed in the House and Senate chambers, where they could lean on lawmakers even when they're voting. During each body's second reading of bills - but not during the third and final readings, when votes are formally recorded - lobbyists are allowed to hand business cards to sergeants-at-arms who deliver them to lawmakers, an indication a lobbyist wants to talk. Clearly, there are companies doing a brisk business in business cards around the Capitol. "Some days the lobby ... you can hardly get through," said state Rep. Al White, R-Winter Park. Some lobbyists face a greater challenge getting face time with lawmakers now, following passage in November of Amendment 41. It limits giving of gifts and meals to lawmakers. Not all lobbyists dislike the measure, however. Pam Kiely, a rookie lobbyist with Environment Colorado, said her group couldn't afford to be buying meals for lawmakers. She believes Amendment 41 has resulted in more equal access to all organizations, rather than favoring the more well-heeled ones. "It's put the public back in public policy-making," she said.

Colorado legislators busy playing the numbers game
http://www.gjsentinel.com/news/content/news/stories/2007/04/01/4_1_1a_oil_and_gas_boards.html
A series of proposed changes to the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission could transform the body into a regulatory behemoth, compared with other regional commissions, an analysis has revealed. A study of the commissions responsible for regulating oil and gas drilling in Colorado’s eight immediate neighbors revealed that a proposed expansion to the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission will make it the largest and, critics contend, the most unwieldy board in the nine-state region. Under House Bill 1341, Colorado’s commission would expand from its current roster of seven commissioners to nine. Kansas, Nebraska, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas all have three-person commissions entrusted with oil and gas oversight. Wyoming has a five-person commission; Arizona has a six-person commission; and Utah has a seven-person board. If the commission expands under House Bill 1341, Rep. Cory Gardner, R-Yuma, said he could see the body becoming bogged down under its own weight and unable to respond to complaints and matters in a timely fashion.

More energy policy news in COLORADO/ENERGY, COLORADO/ENVIRONMENT

COLORADO NEWS

Top

Election

Tancredo plans to make run for president official in Iowa
http://www.rockymountainnews.com/drmn/elections/article/0,2808,DRMN_24736_5458424,00.html
Colorado Republican Rep. Tom Tancredo, an outspoken opponent of illegal immigration, will announce his bid for president today. Tancredo will kick off his campaign with an announcement in Iowa, where political caucuses start the presidential nominating season, an official close to the congressman said. Tancredo has flirted with a presidential bid for more than a year and began raising money for the effort in January. After taking in more than $1 million in two months, he has decided to make his run official, said the source, who asked not to be named ahead of Tancredo's official announcement. On Friday, Tancredo's office said he would make a "major announcement" today on a Des Moines, Iowa, radio station. Tancredo spokesman Carlos Espinosa would say only that Tancredo will announce his intentions.
RELATED: Tancredo to join 2008 race today
http://www.denverpost.com/newsheadlines/ci_5572724

Rich: Ballot rule changes could cost county thousands
http://www.gjsentinel.com/news/content/news/stories/2007/03/31/3_31_11B_Mail_in_ballots.html
A bill that would allow Coloradans to apply for permanent mail-in elector status could cost Mesa County upwards of $30,000, the county’s top elections official said Friday. Mesa County Clerk and Recorder Janice Rich said the postage costs associated with Senate Bill 234, which was introduced in the Senate last week, “would have a potentially staggering effect” on the county’s elections budget. Senate Bill 234, sponsored by Sen. Ken Gordon, D-Denver, would allow electors to sign up for permanent mail-in elector status. Under current law, absentee voters must apply every election cycle to vote by mail. Rich said because of the bill’s requirement that the county pick up the tab for return postage on the permanent mail-in elector applications, that could translate into thousands of postage expenses not currently incurred by the county. “Elections are not cheap by any means,” Rich said. “I think maybe in the eyes of Mr. Gordon $30,000 might not seem like a lot to him, but to Mesa County, I think that’s significant.” Rich said she is not philosophically opposed to mail-in elections, but Gordon’s bill has a handful of “cumbersome and intrusive” flaws that give her pause.

House OKs 21 as age to serve
http://www.rockymountainnews.com/drmn/government/article/0,2777,DRMN_23906_5455300,00.html
A measure that would make 21 the minimum age to serve in the Colorado legislature won the required two-thirds passage in the House on Friday. "Young people from this demographic pay taxes, vote and serve in the military," said Rep. Michael Garcia, D-Aurora, sponsor of House Concurrent Resolution 1002. "This is clearly an issue of fairness." Currently, the state constitution requires a person to be at least 25 to serve as a lawmaker in the Colorado General Assembly.
RELATED: Not just drinking age
http://coloradodaily.com/articles/2007/04/01/news/c_u_and_boulder/news2.txt

Coffman correcting site problems
http://montrosepress.com/articles/2007/04/01/local_news/4.txt
Online access to certain records on the Colorado Secretary of State Web site was suspended late last week, after some of the images were found to contain Social Security numbers. Some scanned images from paper Uniform Commercial Code filings, usually available on the secretary’s business division site, reportedly included the SSNs. The problem was discovered after the secretary’s office received an anonymous complaint March 28, spokesman Jonathan Tee said. “She talked about the UCC and social security numbers. That was all we needed to hear.” Secretary of State Mike Coffman was in Routt County at the time and was briefed upon his return March 29. “He was not pleased,” Tee said, explaining the sensitive information was removed from the Web site within an hour of the briefing. “He moved as quickly as he heard about it. We’re going to tackle this aggressively.” In a news release, Coffman said citizens and public officials alike are vulnerable to identity theft. “It is in everyone’s best interest that we do a better job of protecting the personal information we collect,” Coffman said.

'Inactive' voters notified again
http://www.rockymountainnews.com/drmn/elections/article/0,2808,DRMN_24736_5454787,00.html
Denver residents have until Monday to register to vote in the city's all-mail election on May 1. Also, voters deemed "inactive" because they didn't vote in November or January will be receiving a second notice about their status in the mail, the Denver Election Commission said Friday. After the Jan. 30 special election, the commission sent out cards to registered voters who didn't vote then or in the troubled November election. People who received the cards could send them back and indicate they were still active voters. The commission received about 11,500 cards back and then "scrubbed" more than 117,000 people from active voter rolls, a decision that has drawn criticism.

Voters could shape city's growth, jobs
http://coloradoan.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070401/NEWS01/704010314/1002/NEWS17
The future of Fort Collins jobs, transportation and economic redevelopment are at stake as residents prepare to choose new leadership for the city. Most people agree the ability of Fort Collins to attract primary jobs, responsibly continue development of regional transportation projects and attract new sales-tax dollars are what's at stake in Tuesday's city election, but that is where agreement stops.
RELATED: 80 percent of election ballots still out there
http://coloradoan.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070401/NEWS01/704010315/1002/NEWS17

Time running out for city election
http://www.gjsentinel.com/news/content/news/stories/2007/04/01/4_1_1b_city_election.html
Time is running out for city residents to send in their ballots. The 21,000 active registered voters in Grand Junction have until 7 p.m. Tuesday to cast their votes for three City Council races, a Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights question, a downtown funding question and several city charter amendments. Residents who haven’t mailed their ballots by now should hand-deliver them. As of Thursday, 5,953 of the ballots returned, or 27 percent, had been accepted, according to the Mesa County Clerk’s Office.

Candidates push for votes in final days
http://www.durangoherald.com/asp-bin/article_generation.asp?article_type=news&article_path=/news/07/news070402_3.htm
With one day remaining in the Durango City Council election, candidates are making a last push to win votes. During the weekend, many of the eight candidates, who are vying for three open seats, went door-to-door in Durango's neighborhoods.
RELATED: Zink keeps money lead in council race
http://www.durangoherald.com/asp-bin/article_generation.asp?article_type=news&article_path=/news/07/news070331_2.htm

No wrongdoing in Dacono mayoral vote, grand jury finds
http://www.greeleytrib.com/article/20070331/NEWS/103310129
A grand jury probe into the election of Dacono Mayor Wade Carlson, who won in November by a single vote in a recount, found no crime occurred during the voting, counting of votes or certification of the election. The grand jury report was released Friday by the Weld District Attorney's Office. The investigation began when it was learned that the vote of a convicted felon had been counted among the votes for Carlson, who began his third term in January. State law prohibits felons from voting. In an unusual twist, the caster of the disputed vote was Jon Carlson, a son of the mayor.
RELATED: Weld grand jury clears parolee who voted
http://www.longmontfyi.com/Local-Story.asp?id=15505

In 'Stinky Town,' some seek a sweeter image
http://www.rockymountainnews.com/drmn/local/article/0,1299,DRMN_15_5454976,00.html
Would Commerce City by any other name smell as much? Kathy McIntyre thinks not - which is why she'll vote for a chance to change it on Tuesday. And for any resident deluded enough to believe that the town of 45,000 can rest on its laurels - expansive views, acres of wildlife refuge and spiffy new housing developments at bargain prices - McIntyre offers proof to the contrary from a radio poll. The favorite: "Stinky Town." "I rest my case," she said.
RELATED: "Commerce City" on ballot
http://www.denverpost.com/newsheadlines/ci_5572904

Mayor's view on Craig's future
http://craigdailypress.com/section/localnews/story/25973
Tuesday is Election Day for three Craig City Council seats. Also on the ballot is the position of mayor, a race incumbent Don Jones is running unopposed in. The following is a question and answer the mayor filled out, giving Craig voters his views in his words.
RELATED: Who will fill the void?
http://craigdailypress.com/section/localnews/story/25955

Top

Effective and Ethical Government

Coloradan steps right into the media spotlight
http://www.rockymountainnews.com/drmn/local/article/0,1299,DRMN_15_5455331,00.html
When she was 6 years old, Dana Perino stood on a milk crate in her Denver house, held up an American flag, and told her parents, "I'm gonna work in the White House." This week, the Colorado woman, 34, made her family proud and made her mother lose sleep by stepping in as acting press secretary for President Bush. Choking back tears on Tuesday, her first assignment was to tell the world that her mentor, press secretary Tony Snow, 51, could face months of chemotherapy after a recurrence of cancer that spread to his liver. That meant that Perino, the deputy press secretary, would be thrust into the media spotlight handling Snow's duties, including the White House press briefings.
RELATED: CSU-Pueblo grad takes over duty as White House spokeswoman
http://pueblochieftain.com/metro/1175320800/9

Colorado votes in congress
http://www.denverpost.com/politics/ci_5568243
Here's how some major bills fared recently in Congress and how Colorado's congressional members voted, as provided by Thomas' Roll Call Report Syndicate.

Udall joins call for Gonzales resignation
http://www.rockymountainnews.com/drmn/government/article/0,2777,DRMN_23906_5453362,00.html
Rep. Mark Udall has joined the crowd of lawmakers calling for the resignation of embattled Attorney General Alberto Gonzales. Gonzales is under fire over his conflicting statements about his role in the firing of eight U.S. attorneys last year, and various Democratic and Republican lawmakers have been calling for him to resign over the past two weeks. Udall, D-Eldorado Springs, joined the fray today, the day after Gonzales' former chief of staff, Kyle Sampson, testified in a Senate committee. Sampson defended the removal of the federal prosecutors, denying Democrats' claims that they were politically-motivated to target prosecutors who were either too tough investigating Republicans or too weak in investigating Democrats.

Ritter signs 2 bills Owens had vetoed
http://www.rockymountainnews.com/drmn/government/article/0,2777,DRMN_23906_5455301,00.html
Two bills that former Gov. Bill Owens had vetoed made it into law Friday. One requires health-care contracts to be written in plain language. The other allows local communities to raise sales taxes to buy open space. Gov. Bill Ritter also signed an organ donation bill named for slain Platte Canyon student Emily Keyes.

Jeannie Ritter: 'It's an honor'
http://www.rockymountainnews.com/drmn/government/article/0,2777,DRMN_23906_5458475,00.html
The daughter of a Naval captain, Jeannie Ritter loves to travel. The former flight attendant, Peace Corps volunteer, missionary and teacher now is on the biggest adventure of all: serving as Colorado's first lady. "I have this unbelievable job. People thank me. They make a fuss over me," she said. "People are lovely and gracious and passionate about things. It's an honor to be able to listen to them." As the wife of Gov. Bill Ritter, who took office Jan. 9, she's constantly asked what's it like to live in the palatial Governor's Mansion.

The pretty penny of public service
http://postindependent.com/article/20070401/VALLEYNEWS/104010042
Lawmakers earn $30,000 for what is supposed to be a part-time job. The idea is that they are citizen-lawmakers who hold down other jobs rather than being professional politicians. But many say serving as a lawmaker is more like full-time work. Taylor used to sell real estate on the side but gave it up. Legislators generally aren't compensated for travel and other expenses except during the legislative session. Yet Taylor said they're still expected to show up at festivals and functions year-round. "Maybe we've spoiled the district but there's always a meeting. ... Everybody wants a piece of you and so you go, and really it's part of the job and I enjoy that part of it, but there's a meeting that you could go to every day," he said. And these days, thanks to passage of Amendment 41 by Colorado voters in November, lawmakers often must buy their own meals at such events. Amendment 41 limits gifts to a lawmaker, including dinners, to $50 per year per donor. Taylor's District 8 covers much of northwest Colorado, and he figures it costs him $10,000 each summer to travel the district and serve it the way he thinks it should be served. Curry last year thought twice before running for her second two-year term because of the cost involved. She fears her two sons' college education may suffer because she isn't able to save much for them. Taylor hopes raising the per diem for the legislative session might help make up for the extra expense rural lawmakers face in serving their constituents the rest of the year.

Rep. on the run: Duties, agenda keep Curry hopping
http://postindependent.com/article/20070402/VALLEYNEWS/104020012
When state Rep. Kathleen Curry walks into a basement room of the Capitol just after 7:30 on a Tuesday morning in late February, 12 people gathered around a conference table give her their undivided attention. That's what happens when you meet with a group of agriculture interests and you're chairwoman of the Colorado House committee overseeing that industry. "What do you want me to talk about?" the Democratic lawmaker asks, trying to get her head back around legislative business after missing Monday's session to attend the funeral of a neighboring Gunnison rancher. There is no lack of possible items for discussion. Over the next few minutes, Curry, 46, updates her listeners, and sounds them out, on a litany of bills they might be interested in. She touches on everything from animal treatment practices and pest control to water policy and oil and gas drilling.
RELATED: As bills await, state lawmakers scramble to acquire information
http://postindependent.com/article/20070401/VALLEYNEWS/104010039
RELATED: Frenetic floor sessions create a battleground
http://postindependent.com/article/20070401/VALLEYNEWS/104010046

ROMER HAS LOTTO FUN VISITING (EXTRA!, March 31)
http://www.rockymountainnews.com/drmn/local/article/0,1299,DRMN_15_5455334,00.html
Former Gov. Roy Romer stopped by the Senate on Friday to visit his son, Sen. Chris Romer, D-Denver. Chris Romer joked that his father got word that he amended the state's budget for next year, requiring the Colorado Lottery to increase its promotions spending. When he was governor, "Papa bear" Romer vetoed legislation establishing the Lotto. It was one of the first vetoes successfully overturned by the Colorado legislature. "He heard I was trying to sell the lottery," Sen. Romer said. "He came down here to try to undo any damage."

Mayor dreams big; donors come true
http://www.denverpost.com/newsheadlines/ci_5567228
Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper has raised at least $104 million from private donors to pay for a variety of city programs, including help for the homeless, a guarantee of college scholarships for the poor and plans for planting up to 1 million trees. Since taking office in 2003, the mayor repeatedly has tapped private sources to pay for some of his top initiatives. "People don't like throwing money at problems, especially tax money," Hickenlooper said. "Philanthropic sources are careful, but they have a higher tolerance for innovation." As the money has poured in, though, some are beginning to question what the rules are when private money moves into the public sphere.

3 stolen laptop incidents handled in different ways
http://www.rockymountainnews.com/drmn/local/article/0,1299,DRMN_15_5458610,00.html
The investigation into former Denver City Attorney Larry Manzanares and a stolen laptop computer might be the most high-profile theft case involving the state's judiciary branch. But it isn't the first. As the dispute continues about whether Manzanares, a former judge, got preferential treatment, court records show two other defendants are awaiting trial on charges stemming from missing court-owned laptops. In the Manzanares case, the state court administrator's office urged Denver police not to prosecute the city attorney after he was found with a laptop taken from the courthouse. Records reviewed by the Rocky Mountain News show the office didn't take the same position in the two other criminal investigations.

Pay boost for officials eyed
http://www.rockymountainnews.com/drmn/local/article/0,1299,DRMN_15_5458421,00.html
A Boulder city councilman is considering asking voters this fall to double elected officials' wages and possibly provide them with child care. Members of the Boulder City Council make about $5,000 a year. That trails behind what elected officials are paid in many other cities of a similar size, according to data collected by Boulder's human resources department. Councilman Andy Schultheiss said Boulder's wages are particularly tough for officials who, like him, are trying to balance a full-time job and family.

New public trustee plans to be busy
http://www.greeleytrib.com/article/20070402/NEWS/104010163
Three weeks into her job as Weld County Public Trustee, Susie Velasquez Jojola already feels overwhelmed. Velasquez is Weld's newly appointed public trustee -- her office is in charge of handling foreclosures and deeds of trust in the county. Weld topped the nation with its foreclosure rate for five months in 2006. "It's a very busy office," she said. Velasquez was recently appointed as trustee by Gov. Bill Ritter. She replaces former trustee Mary Hergert, who was appointed by former Gov. Bill Owens in 1999. "I consider it an honor to be public trustee," Velasquez said. "I have a lot invested in Weld. I have been here practically my whole life."

City council to revisit half-cent sales tax
http://pueblochieftain.com/metro/1175524455/9
The Pueblo City Council will return this evening to a topic it abandoned a few months before last November's election. Council will hear a report tonight from City Attorney Tom Jagger on proposed changes to the ordinance establishing the half-cent sales tax for economic development. Voters approved a ballot measure to renew the tax last November and the language approved included a provision to spend up to 2 percent of the revenue for job training programs. But council chose to delay any decision on changing the ordinance until after voters went to the polls.

Top

Civil Liberties and Equality

Cesar Chavez march honors the fight for migrant workers
http://www.greeleytrib.com/article/20070331/NEWS/103300126
They marched to celebrate and educate, they sang to remember and they stood to never forget. Children, students, adults and other activists gathered at Colorado State University on Friday to pay tribute to Cesar Chavez, a man who fought for migrant workers' rights. All week long, it was the "2007 Cesar Chavez Day Celebration -- A Tribute Through Art & Music: Social Justice-Our Responsibility" and events were held at CSU and in Fort Collins to focus on the issues surrounding migrant farm workers. The events included speakers, dancers and film screenings, and Friday's march concluded the week's ceremonies. "We don't often see the efforts of migrant workers, and because of that we often don't see them as human beings, we don't feel the need that they have rights," said Dain Gotto, co-chair of the Cesar Chavez committee. "This is the day to celebrate the accomplishments of Cesar Chavez because he did a lot to help out those migrant farm workers, and unify those of multiple ethnicity."

Reports of anti-Semitism drop
http://coloradoan.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070401/NEWS01/704010316/1002/NEWS17
Although the incidence of anti-Semitism across the state dropped last year, Fort Collins was not immune to hateful acts committed against its Jewish community. However, those within the Jewish community agree that Fort Collins is welcoming to the growing Jewish population.

Inclusive message yet to go up
http://dailycamera.com/news/2007/mar/31/inclusive-message-yet-to-go-up/
Nearly a year has passed since the City Council proclaimed Lafayette an "inclusive community," yet the sign declaring the news remains leaning against a wall in a corner of City Hall. The kitchen-table-sized white sign reads in blue writing: "Welcome. We are an inclusive community." It was a gift from the National League of Cities as part of a larger effort called Partnership for Working Toward Inclusive Communities. Lafayette leaders say there is a good reason the message has yet to find a permanent home in their city. City Councilman Jay Ruggeri, who led the charge to become an "inclusive community," uses the sign to educate people at community events, schools and meetings.

Top

Immigration

English classes overflow
http://www.denverpost.com/newsheadlines/ci_5567071
In Colorado and across the country, it could take months and sometimes years to get a seat in an English-language class. Federal studies show that millions nationwide say they would like to study English if there were classes available, and local groups that run classes are managing waiting lists. "It's necessary for everything you do," said Enereida Castaneda, who is taking a Mi Casa Resource Center for Women English class at Lake Middle School in Denver twice a week. She wants to advance further in her job at a chicken packing plant. "The new job requires you to speak and write in English," she explained. Since 1980, the number of adult English-language learners - people not proficient in English - has doub led from 6 percent of the population to 12 percent, according to the National Clearinghouse for English Language Acquisition. In Colorado, English-language learners who want to take a free class are waiting up to two months for a spot.
RELATED: Spanish speakers overwhelm available English language classes
http://www.summitdaily.com/article/20070401/NEWS/104010092

Impact of boycott is unknown
http://www.longmontfyi.com/Local-Story.asp?id=15516
Leaders of a controversial statewide economic boycott say they’ve achieved their goals as their weeklong effort concludes today. The Colorado Immigrant Rights Coalition won’t have estimates of how many people or how much money was withheld from the state’s economy until they collect questionnaires from participants this week, but CIRC leaders are confident they’ve sent a message to the government. “It’s been excellent,” said CIRC spokeswoman Emily Parkey from Denver. “A majority of the participants haven’t bought anything this week and haven’t wired money (to their countries of origin). Our allies say it’s been hard not to have their coffees or go to the store, but harder still for immigrants who aren’t sending their weekly money home to support their families.”

Immigration forum set for April 10
http://pueblochieftain.com/metro/1175524455/8
A forum on U.S. immigration is scheduled April 10 at Colorado State University-Pueblo. The forum, which is being sponsored by the university's political science club, will address Pueblo's connection to the national issue. The discussion is scheduled to begin at 7:30 p.m. in the CSU-Pueblo Occhiato Center ballroom. Among the panelists will be Pueblo Police Chief Jim Billings, District Attorney Bill Thiebaut, CSU-Pueblo political science professor Gayle Berardi, public defender Paul Bratfisch and Jayne Mazur of the Catholic Charities. CSU-Pueblo political science professor Mark Gose will serve as the forum moderator.

Top

Health Care and Public Safety

Volunteers offering hundreds of hands to help tornado victims
http://www.rockymountainnews.com/drmn/local/article/0,1299,DRMN_15_5458553,00.html
The American Red Cross and Salvation Army came to town, providing everything from meals and emergency housing to mental health assistance. A Wal-Mart truck loaded with essentials pulled in. Marsha Willhite, the town administrator, compiled lists, trying to keep track of everyone who sent supplies or help, but she got overwhelmed. "It is literally into the hundreds of individuals and organizations," she said. For Holly, a town in extreme southeastern Colorado that lives and dies with the agriculture industry, times have been tough lately. Seven years of drought have taken a tremendous toll. Main Street is dotted with empty storefronts and dilapidated buildings. And blizzards this winter killed livestock - but also brought moisture that could help ease the ongoing drought. Then came the tornado and an outpouring of goodwill that caught Willhite off guard.
RELATED: About 160 homes damaged by tornado
http://www.rockymountainnews.com/drmn/local/article/0,1299,DRMN_15_5455026,00.html
RELATED: Storm took its deadly turn in radar blind spot
http://www.rockymountainnews.com/drmn/local/article/0,1299,DRMN_15_5455172,00.html
RELATED: Holly tornado claims second fatality
http://coloradoan.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070331/UPDATES01/70331006/1002/NEWS17
RELATED: Hometown roots hold strong
http://www.denverpost.com/newsheadlines/ci_5567229
RELATED: Snowstorms, tornado have rancher ready to quit
http://www.denverpost.com/newsheadlines/ci_5567414
RELATED: Twister ends rancher's battle with nature
http://pueblochieftain.com/metro/1175407200/6
RELATED: Holly cleanup continues: some utilities restored
http://pueblochieftain.com/metro/1175524455/2
RELATED: Red Cross offers plenty of help
http://pueblochieftain.com/metro/1175407200/4
RELATED: Musgrave confident Holly's residents will heal
http://pueblochieftain.com/metro/1175320800/6
RELATED: Former governor says hometown will bounce back
http://pueblochieftain.com/metro/1175320800/7

Escape from state hospital sparks fears
http://www.denverpost.com/newsheadlines/ci_5573013
Officials with the state mental hospital Sunday were still looking for a patient who escaped as they also tried to answer how the violent felon with a history of escapes and assaults at the facility managed to walk away again. The case has sparked worries about security at the Colorado Mental Health Institute in Pueblo, with a state legislator calling for improved supervision of the inmates there. "It makes me question why he was able to walk away," said state Rep. Buffie McFadyen, a Democrat from Pueblo West, whose district is near the hospital.
RELATED: Killer escapes state mental hospital
http://www.gazette.com/onset?id=20803&template=article.html
RELATED: Patient escapes again from mental hospital
http://pueblochieftain.com/metro/1175407200/15

State urges immunizations for youths
http://www.cortezjournal.com/asp-bin/article_generation.asp?article_type=news&article_path=/news/07/news070331_13.htm
Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment officials are reminding parents and guardians to make certain their children have had all the immunizations required for their age group before they are enrolled in preschool or school. In January, the department’s Board of Health approved three additional vaccine requirements for children in child care and school settings. The three vaccines are for pneumococcal disease, a second dose for chickenpox, and for tetanus/diphtheria/pertussis (Tdap) — which is different from the already required DTaP (diphtheria/tetanus/pertussis).

On the rise at National Jewish
http://www.denverpost.com/newsheadlines/ci_5572907
Traveling Colfax Avenue, it has been hard to miss the six-story building rising west of Colorado Boulevard with its sky-poking cranes and bleating heavy equipment. When the $5 million Iris & Michael Smith Clinics and Laboratories opens in May, it will add four floors of research space and two floors of patient clinics to National Jewish Medical and Research Center. The building is the most visible example of a plan to transform the venerable medical center and boost its research activities by $60 million.

Bracelets help wanderers return home
http://www.denverpost.com/newsheadlines/ci_5567070
Powered by a seemingly endless supply of nervous energy, Jim Mack walked everywhere - to a coffee shop, along bike paths, down neighborhood streets and, eventually, into the middle of Interstate 225. More than two months ago, Mack's family feared the worst for six hours after he failed to return from his stroll. Finally, an alert driver, startled by a white Broncos cap bobbing down the highway in the midwinter dark, swerved and then stopped to help the 73-year-old Alzheimer's patient return home. Mack's wife, Betty, promptly changed the locks on the southeast Denver home they had shared for 42 years. A few weeks later, she moved him to an assisted-living facility. "To think that he couldn't get out anymore without me - it was a killer," she says. "He didn't understand. It's a horrible thing. Other than losing a child, I don't think anything worse than this can happen to a family." A report released two weeks ago projects Colorado to show the largest percentage increase in the country of people 65 and older afflicted with the disease - a 47 percent jump between 2000 and 2010. The national Alzheimer's Association study, based on U.S. census data, puts Colorado and Alaska at the top of the list. Colorado had about 49,000 cases in 2000 and can expect to have 72,000 by 2010.

14 arrested, 14 treated for injuries at Jeffco rave
http://www.rockymountainnews.com/drmn/local/article/0,1299,DRMN_15_5458474,00.html
Fourteen people were arrested and 14 were treated by paramedics before a rave concert ended early Sunday at Fat City in southern Jefferson County. The seventh annual Caffeine Party, advertised on the Internet and on at least two local radio stations, drew an estimated 5,000 to 6,000 young people to the facility at West Coal Mine Avenue and South Kipling Parkway, authorities said. Fat City hosted the party, which lasted from 8 p.m. Saturday until 4 a.m. Sunday, sheriff's spokesman Jim Shires said. Most attending appeared to be 16 to 25 years old, he said. Of the 14 people treated by paramedics, most had alcohol or drug-related problems, said Cindy Matthews of West Metro Fire. Four were taken to the hospital, she said.

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Crime and Penal Reform

Parole board: Inmates need education, care
http://www.rockymountainnews.com/drmn/local/article/0,1299,DRMN_15_5458422,00.html
Gov. Bill Ritter stopped by Dave Michaud's house in Pueblo West two weeks ago, but it wasn't a social visit to talk about fishing with his old crime-fighting buddy. Ritter, Denver's former district attorney, was there to convince Michaud, 66, who retired in 1998 as Denver's police chief, to become chairman of Colorado's parole board. It's a crucial role as the state's new governor grapples with skyrocketing prison costs. The board toed a hard line throughout the Owens administration. For example, it granted early release to only 9 percent of eligible inmates in 2005. It revoked parole 3,270 times among 5,350 parolees that year, some more than once. Still, half the parolees were back in prison within three years.

Lawmakers want to fix loophole to require DNA testing of felons
http://www.summitdaily.com/article/20070401/NEWS/104010090
Lawmakers will try this week to close a loophole in a new law requiring felons to give a sample of their DNA that has allowed 4,137 people in jail to escape the new rules. The bill also would require juveniles who commit serious crimes to give up some of their DNA. It will be heard Wednesday in the House Judiciary Committee. Rep. Steve King, R-Grand Junction, said new inmates are tested and recorded, but felons who were in jail when the bill was passed weren't required to give up their DNA until they were released from jail. "The problem is, it failed to account for felons who were already in the Department of Corrections," King said.

DNA FRUSTRATION (Extra!, April 2)
http://www.rockymountainnews.com/drmn/local/article/0,1299,DRMN_15_5458571,00.html
Denver District Attorney Mitch Morrissey appeared on CBS' 60 Minutes Sunday night to talk about limitations on the city's DNA database. Denver's cold case team has three partial matches that could lead to identifying a suspect through "familial searching," in which DNA from criminals is compared with partial matches to see if an offender could be related. But the FBI will not share information unless a full DNA match is made. That fact is "shameful," Morrissey said. "They have this information. And they're not telling the lead investigators?"
RELATED: DA out in front on DNA link
http://www.denverpost.com/newsheadlines/ci_5567281

Cops' push clogs courts
http://www.denverpost.com/newsheadlines/ci_5573011
A younger, more aggressive police force is driving up the number of criminal cases in Denver courts, with a 73 percent increase in misdemeanor cases over two years, raising worries among some judges about the potential for hurried justice. Last year, misdemeanor prosecutions, involving things such as violations of protection orders, drunken driving cases and traffic violations, rose to a record high of 18,334. Detective Nick Rogers, vice president of the union representing Denver police officers, said a big hiring push has filled depleted police ranks and an energized police force is emboldened by a new "broken windows" policing philosophy that emphasizes punishing quality-of-life crimes, such as public drinking.

Criminals get sick too: The cost of health care at the Weld County Jail
http://www.greeleytrib.com/article/20070401/NEWS/104010112
For most people, a headache in the morning requires little more than a walk to the medicine cabinet to get a couple pain killers. For a Weld County Jail inmate, it's a much longer process -- one that can be a headache by itself. An inmate has to notify a guard, who has to notify the medical department, which has to make sure it's OK for the particular inmate to have a particular drug, and have it available when the medical cart makes its rounds. Only then can the inmate get his or her pain medicine. It is part of a process many Weld residents don't see, and may be one that never occurs to them: Jails do have health care.

Farewell to beloved cop
http://www.rockymountainnews.com/drmn/local/article/0,1299,DRMN_15_5455335,00.html
The sky was a lazy blue, the snow sparkled like diamond chips, and the 10 a.m. air was cold enough to hurt, but on a spring morning that came disguised as winter, 1,000 people with moist eyes and tightly drawn lips dueled with the far greater pain of trying to say farewell to a good cop - and a better man - way before they should have had to. "The Lord gives, and the Lord takes away," Dennis Gorton, Aurora police chaplain, said at the Friday funeral of officer Doug Byrne at Heritage Christian Center. "But sometimes I don't understand why the Lord takes away," he added softly.
RELATED: Fallen officer "died a hero"
http://www.denverpost.com/newsheadlines/ci_5562802

Judge will determine if search warrant will be opened next week
http://www.greeleytrib.com/article/20070331/NEWS/103300132
A district judge will hear The Tribune's request to open a sealed search warrant in the Shawna Nelson case next week. Nelson, 35, a former police dispatcher and wife of a sheriff's deputy, is accused of killing Heather Garraus, wife of a Greeley police officer. The murder was committed on Jan. 23, and since that date, Nelson has been held on first-degree murder charges. On March 23, a search warrant was sealed until April 26 by Weld District Court Judge Roger Klein. The location targeted and the evidence sought through the search have not been released.

Ray to face death penalty
http://www.rockymountainnews.com/drmn/local/article/0,1299,DRMN_15_5453565,00.html
A murder suspect accused of killing a witness will be tried for the death penalty, an Arapahoe County judge ruled [Friday] morning.
RELATED: Judge: Error doesn't bar death penalty (Briefing, 4/1)
http://www.denverpost.com/newsheadlines/ci_5568310

Homicides, suicides drop in 2006
http://pueblochieftain.com/metro/1175407200/14
Homicides and suicides in Pueblo County dropped last year compared to 2005, according to the annual report released by Coroner James Kramer. Pueblo County had 11 homicides and 31 suicides in 2005, compared to seven homicides and 23 suicides in 2006. “We still exceeded the national average, and the state average for suicides per capita,” Kramer said.

City council to hear changes in graffiti code
http://www.greeleytrib.com/article/20070402/NEWS/104010161
Proposed changes that would charge those who don't remove graffiti on their property with a code violation could be approved Tuesday night when city council meets at 6:30 p.m. in council chambers, 919 7th St. Council will also hear public input on the proposed ordinance.

Top

Economy

Attorneys file mistrial motions claiming testimony was unfair
http://www.rockymountainnews.com/drmn/tech/article/0,2777,DRMN_23910_5458623,00.html
Joe Nacchio's attorneys filed several motions for a mistrial Sunday, arguing testimony Friday by Nacchio's longtime financial adviser David Weinstein was unfair and could prejudice a jury.
RELATED: Nacchio trial: What's in a date?
http://www.denverpost.com/business/ci_5572437
RELATED: Government stuggles to make case
http://www.denverpost.com/business/ci_5562830
RELATED: Special coverage: Nacchio on trial
http://cfapp2.rockymountainnews.com/business/nacchio/

State companies' gains impressive
http://www.rockymountainnews.com/drmn/other_business/article/0,2777,DRMN_23916_5455385,00.html
The national markets took a volatile ride and ended up flat. Colorado stocks, however, ended the first quarter solidly in the black.

Buyout deal near for First Data
http://www.rockymountainnews.com/drmn/local/article/0,1299,DRMN_15_5458633,00.html
Greenwood Village-based First Data, one of the nation's largest credit-card processing companies, is near a deal to be sold for nearly $27 billion to the private equity firm Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co. The deal for First Data, which controls the NYCE payment network, is expected to be announced this morning, according to people involved in the transaction. First Data serves 4.9 million businesses and 1,900 card issuers. Its offerings run the gamut of payment methods, including credit and debit cards, and Internet and mobile-phone commerce.
RELATED: Buyout planned for First Data
http://www.denverpost.com/business/ci_5573711

Valley Floor drive aims for peak
http://www.denverpost.com/newsheadlines/ci_5568603
The effort to collect $50 million to save the Valley Floor at the entrance to Telluride passed a second self-imposed deadline Friday with a $2.6 million shortfall. But Valley Floor backers aren't ready to throw in the towel. "It is way, way too close for failure," said Jane Hickcox, director of Valley Floor Preservation Partners. That group is spearheading the effort to raise half of the $50 million from private donations to acquire the vacant land through condemnation. Over the past week, as the deadline loomed, Valley Floor supporters took to the streets in cow costumes, ringing bells and collecting more than $2,000 from passers-by and happy- hour patrons.
RELATED: Valley verdict for Telluride now appealed
http://www.gjsentinel.com/news/content/news/stories/2007/04/02/4_2_1a_Valley_floor.html
RELATED: Valley Floor Partners still need $3 million
http://telluridegateway.com/articles/2007/04/02/news/news01.txt
RELATED: Town calls lawyers' motion ‘unnecessary distraction'
http://telluridegateway.com/articles/2007/04/01/news/news01.txt

Feds await return of couple
http://dailycamera.com/news/2007/mar/31/feds-await-return-of-couple/
Coming back from vacation at the start of the work week is always hard, but it will be especially tough for Boulder residents Lee and Michelle Tucker. The married executives from debt-consolidation companies Debt Set Inc. and Resolve Credit Counseling Inc. are due to return to Denver from the Bahamas on Monday, and the next day they're expected to appear before federal Judge Richard Matsch.

Milk prices bowl over consumers
http://www.denverpost.com/business/ci_5572434
Nate Rinfret has stopped eating cereal because he thinks the price of milk is too high. Yet the Denver bartender may not realize how good he has it now - as national milk prices are forecast to rise 30 cents a gallon by this fall. "It's ridiculous to pay $3.50 for a gallon of milk," said Rinfret, 31, as he purchased one at the Cherry Creek Safeway. "I feel bad for people with kids." Blame it on the nation's hunger for corn. With corn in high demand among ethanol fuel producers, corn prices have more than doubled from their average of $2 a bushel over the past decade. That has put the squeeze on dairy farmers, whose primary feed source for their herds is corn. The result is that farmers are raising prices just to keep pace with higher feed and energy costs.

Suit alleges IT man hacked billion-dollar firm
http://www.aspentimes.com/article/20070402/NEWS/104020067
Russian hackers, a world-renowned financial advisor and an Aspen computer firm are at the heart of a federal lawsuit recently filed in the U.S. District Court of New Jersey. Aspen second-home owner David Dreman, who is an author, Forbes magazine columnist and runs Dreman Value Management, is suing Aspen Computer Solutions and its owner, Brent Phillips, for more than $250,000. The suit also seeks a jury trial and punitive damages. Dreman, whose firm manages more than $19 billion, claims that Phillips hacked into his company's computer system, stole passwords and breached its security. Dreman's clients include corporations, insurance firms, foundations, endowments and individuals, among others.

Top

Worker's Rights and Corporate Accountability

State jobless rate falls to lowest level in six years
http://www.rockymountainnews.com/drmn/other_business/article/0,2777,DRMN_23916_5455646,00.html
The Colorado unemployment rate has fallen to a level the state hasn't seen since July 2001 amid a jump in health care, mining, legal and engineering jobs. But "a slowing national economy and softening housing market will likely keep job growth modest in the months ahead," said Donald Mares, director of the Colorado Department of Labor & Employment. The state has experienced three straight years of steady economic expansion, distancing itself from steep job losses in 2002 and 2003 and a meltdown in the technology and telecom industries. Colorado's jobless rate sank to 3.8 percent in February from 4.1 percent in January, according to a report released Friday. Rio Blanco County, thanks to mining and gas activity, enjoyed the lowest unemployment rate in the state - 2.1 percent.
RELATED: Colorado jobless rate dips to six-year low
http://www.denverpost.com/newsheadlines/ci_5557587

United outsourcing more than allowed
http://www.denverpost.com/business/ci_5572356
The Aircraft Mechanics Fraternal Association at United Airlines claims the carrier is outsourcing more of its maintenance than allowed under the labor contract with its mechanics. The mechanics union plans to discuss today the results of an independent maintenance audit by accounting and consulting firm Moss Adams LLP. According to the union, outsourcing is 50 percent above limits in the labor contract.

New developments could strain work force
http://www.summitdaily.com/article/20070401/NEWS/104010091
With two large retail developments on the horizon in Summit County, some area employers are worried about the added strain the projects could put on an already thinly stretched service-level work force.

Top

Housing and Homelessness

Homeless told to hit the road
http://www.longmontfyi.com/Local-Story.asp?id=15514
During his annual sweep of the St. Vrain River last week, Longmont Police Officer Graham Fowler found five homeless camps, including one that was still occupied. “Hey, John. It’s me, Officer Fowler, again,” he said to a man emerging from a sleeping bag on the river’s edge. Fowler had evicted John — who didn’t give his last name — from his previous camp under a bridge on South Sunset Street only 24 hours earlier. “I guess I’ll just walk around,” said John, who has been homeless for the last seven years and couldn’t say whether he is 37 or 38 years old. “I’ve got a few shirts and pants in my backpack. I’ll find a new place to sleep.” Just as he did last year, Fowler walked a half-mile stretch of riverbank from South Pratt Parkway to a railroad bridge near Price Road to prepare for the city’s Clean-Up Green-Up. The April 7 river clean-up event is oriented for families, and police help reduce the chance of run-ins with the homeless by checking out the area in advance.

All over the map
http://www.rockymountainnews.com/drmn/tech/article/0,2777,DRMN_23910_5458618,00.html
Zillow.com quickly is becoming to buying a home what the Kelley Blue Book is to buying a car. Launched slightly more than a year ago by two search-engine pioneers, Zillow.com receives more than 4 million visits each month, which the company says makes it the sixth-most-popular real estate site on the Internet. It was created by Richard Barton, who founded the travel site Expedia when it was owned by Microsoft, and Lloyd Fink, an early hire at Expedia. In Denver, 54 percent of the homes listed on Zillow have been viewed. Zillow allows consumers to see what their home is valued at, their neighbors' homes or even their boss's. It's also a free way for people to list their homes for sale, much like Craigslist.com.

Top

Media

KHOW prank creates static
http://www.denverpost.com/newsheadlines/ci_5573573
An April Fools' Day prank promoting a change at radio station KHOW to "KMEX" - a new Spanish-language channel - angered some listeners Sunday to the point of protests and on-air rants. Greg Hollenback, host of a self-titled show on the station, told listeners that the station was going to be switching its identity soon and asked for public response. Furious e-mails and calls flooded the station in the 30 minutes Hollenback kept the joke alive. In an e-mail read by Hollenback, a listener wrote: "I will not knowingly use, purchase or listen to anything associated with Clear Channel because of this crap." Another e-mail that was read listed a series of anti-immigration vents. One listener using the name Tony called the show back to apologize for an earlier rant, explaining that the issue is a sensitive one to him. Hollenback didn't echo the apology. "Don't joke, yourself, if you think it isn't going to happen in many markets," Hollenback said on-air. "It's a demographic that is untapped in our capitalistic society."

Rocky staffers claim 17 first-place awards in annual contest
http://www.rockymountainnews.com/drmn/local/article/0,1299,DRMN_15_5454977,00.html
The Rocky Mountain News won 17 of 33 first-place awards Friday in the annual Colorado Society of Professional Journalists journalism contest. The honors included top prizes for the Rocky's coverage of the school shooting in Bailey, an investigation into the runways at Denver International Airport and reporting on the opening of a new wing at the Denver Art Museum.
RELATED: Post staffers win 27 SPJ, design awards
http://www.denverpost.com/newsheadlines/ci_5566911
RELATED: Tribune staff takes home awards
http://www.greeleytrib.com/article/20070331/NEWS/103310132
RELATED: Herald earns journalism honors
http://www.durangoherald.com/asp-bin/article_generation.asp?article_type=news&article_path=/news/07/news070401_9.htm

Top

Education

How to teach sex ed up for debate in Legislature
http://www.greeleytrib.com/article/20070401/NEWS/104010118
Budding young scientists learn about things such as Erlenmeyer flasks, cumulus clouds and the scientific method. They also learn about evolution, global climate change and sexuality. The latter lessons are coming under increased scrutiny by people on both sides of the political spectrum. This was especially evident this week in the Colorado General Assembly. On Thursday, a Senate committee passed a measure, House Bill 1292, that would require school districts and other entities that offer sex education to adopt "science-based content standards" for instruction. Republicans balked, saying they opposed the measure because it takes away local control from school districts. Democrats and other supporters said such standards would ensure that sex education is based on science, not ideology.

Online students in a class by themselves
http://www.gjsentinel.com/news/content/news/stories/2007/04/02/4_2_1A_cyberschools.html
Eighth-grader Mark Guereque has a principal, homeroom teacher and a Spanish teacher. But he’s never met any of them, except through the telephone and regular e-mail correspondence. Mark, 14, is one of about 360 students at Colorado Connections Academy, a public cyberschool based in Littleton that serves kindergarten through ninth grade. He and his classmates are a part of a growing trend in families who choose to keep their children at home and learning online. In just the past school year, the number of Colorado students logged into cyberschools has increased by about 48 percent, growing from 6,201 students to 9,161 students in the 2006-2007 fiscal year, according to the Colorado Department of Education. Mark’s mother, Paula Guereque of Grand Junction, said she learned of Connections Academy by searching for schools on the Internet while he was attending Bookcliff Middle School. She said by that time, she was desperate. “I did not want to send him back to school for him to fail,” she said. “He was getting F’s before and now he’s on the A/B honor roll at Connections Academy. He’s a bright kid.” Like other public schools, Connections Academy is taxpayer-funded.

Lawmakers discuss education reform with local officials
http://www.summitdaily.com/article/20070401/NEWS/104010081
High Country educators got a lot of face time with local lawmakers Saturday and tackled the sweeping, mind-numbing questions that don't seem to go away. How do we prepare kids for the 21st century work force? How do we fund schools? How do we recruit top teachers? How effective is No Child Left Behind? Basically- how do we fix education? State Rep. Dan Gibbs, State Senator Joan Fitz-Gerald, Speaker of the House Andrew Romanoff and U.S. Representative Mark Udall met with administrators, teachers and school board members from Summit, Eagle and Lake Counties at the Eagle-Vail Pavilion.

Dolores student takes on CSU
http://www.durangoherald.com/asp-bin/article_generation.asp?article_type=news&article_path=/news/07/news070331_3.htm
If Colorado State University students avoid a big tuition bill next year, they can thank the son of sawmill owners from Dolores. Luke Ragland, 21, is a political animal. When he's not interning for a state senator, he's taking classes at CSU and lobbying for the student government. And this week, he's the talk of the state Capitol. "You're a rock star!" said Sen. Mike Kopp as he passed Ragland in the hallway Thursday. Ragland was at the state Capitol on Tuesday night when he heard of his university's plans to change tuition next year. Ragland and CSU student leaders quickly figured out it would amount to a hefty bill for most students. "We decided we wanted to fight it," he said.

DA scrutinizes $2.2 million offer
http://www.gazette.com/onset?id=20711&template=article.html
The 4th Judicial District Attorney’s Office is looking into $2.2 million a developer offered to the Falcon School District 49 board for its support of a rezoning request submitted to the Colorado Springs City Council. Jim Morley, with Morley Family Development, publicly offered the money to help fund costs associated with the development in hopes the school board would end its opposition to his request to rezone industrial land for residential use. With the money in hand, the district would be able to offset the cost of tax revenue lost when the industrial-tax base shrinks. The school board ended its opposition to the rezoning, sending a letter to the City Council urging the members to reconsider their denial. Dave Martin, president of the D-49 board, now is a candidate for City Council and Morley is backing him. The matter has been “referred for investigation,” a district attorney’s spokesperson said Wednesday, but the district attorney’s office wouldn’t discuss the matter or reveal what — or who — triggered the probe.

TEENS' CRIMINAL RECORDS (Briefing, April 2)
http://www.rockymountainnews.com/drmn/local/article/0,1299,DRMN_15_5458625,00.html
Teenagers with a criminal past may have to come clean on their college applications. The University of Colorado is one of more than 300 colleges and universities asking students to disclose criminal histories and discipline records. In some juvenile cases, those records would be sealed, and there would be no way for the schools to learn about past criminal activities. The Boulder campus has had a variation of the question on its application for at least 15 years, said the office's director, Kevin MacLennan. The campus wants to admit students who are strong academically and also good citizens, he said.
RELATED: Colleges ask about shady pasts
http://dailycamera.com/news/2007/apr/01/colleges-ask-about-shady-pasts/

5 Questions with Bobbie Watson of the Early Care and Education Council of Boulder County
http://dailycamera.com/news/2007/apr/02/no-headline-02aqna/
Bobbie Watson includes this quote from American educator John Dewey on her outgoing e-mails: "What the best and wisest parent wants for his own child, that must be what the community wants for all its children." Watson, 56, works with the Early Care and Education Council of Boulder County and multiple county partners, focused on designing, implementing and funding a comprehensive early care and education system for the county. She has held that position since September, focusing on children younger than 5.

What pushes schools to CSAP heights?
http://www.gazette.com/onset?id=20798&template=article.html
Only 6 percent of Cheyenne Mountain Charter Academy eighth-graders scored proficient in writing on the Colorado Student Assessment Program tests last year. That’s because 94 percent of them scored advanced on the writing test. Although 43 percent scored proficient in reading, 50 percent scored advanced. Principal Colin Mullaney isn’t surprised at the results. “We hold reading and writing as the top priority for our school,” he said. Students across the region finish this year’s CSAP testing this month. Results will be available this summer. Although educators typically talk about the percentage of students scoring “proficient and advanced” on CSAP tests, The Gazette separated the two to take a closer look at the advanced category.

Empty buildings, no students...What will they do?
http://www.longmontfyi.com/Local-Story.asp?id=15518
It takes longer than one summer to open a new elementary school. So three St. Vrain Valley School District principals are leaving their posts this summer to begin building the district’s new schools, set to open in fall 2008.

Charter contract up for review
http://www2.steamboatpilot.com/news/2007/apr/02/charter_contract_review/?local_news
The operating contract between the Steamboat Springs School District and the North Routt Community Charter School has been drafted, but adoption of the final draft still is in the hands of the Steamboat Springs School Board.

Ridge View, Arvada part of winning robot group
http://www.denverpost.com/newsheadlines/ci_5573474
Two Colorado high schools, working as part of a three-team alliance, took first place in a robotics competition this weekend. Students at Arvada High School in Arvada and Ridge View Academy in Watkins were part of an alliance that won the 2007 Colorado Regional FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) Robotics Competition held at the University of Denver. A team from Montclair, N.J., was also part of the alliance.
RELATED: Robots fueled by brains
http://www.denverpost.com/newsheadlines/ci_5567072

Map phenom has a sense of where he is
http://www.rockymountainnews.com/drmn/local/article/0,1299,DRMN_15_5455316,00.html
Antonio de la Peña sees the world in his head. Literally. Colorado's new Geographic Bee winner has memorized maps of the entire globe and can summon them on demand. Instead of playing video games or watching hours of TV a day, de la Peña spends his time wearing out his family's giant hardback National Geographic atlas and downloading and memorizing fun facts such as the world's ocean and wind currents. De la Peña won last year's Virginia Geographic Bee and competed in the National Geographic Bee in Washington, D.C.. This year, his family moved to Colorado Springs and he had to defeat last year's Colorado champ at the local level to qualify for Friday's Colorado finals at the University of Denver.

Odyssey of the Mind entrants prove up to challenge
http://coloradoan.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070401/NEWS01/704010341/1002/NEWS17
With its strict requirements and need for a lot of creativity and brain power, Odyssey of the Mind isn't recommended for the weak or dull. But about 500 Fort Collins students of all ages proved they were ready for the challenge that awaited them at the Fort Collins competition Saturday at Fossil Ridge High School.

Sex assault alleged on high school track bus
http://www.greeleytrib.com/article/20070331/NEWS/103310130
A Northridge High School student is under investigation for sexual assault and three other students have been suspended for alcohol abuse after a bus trip home from a track meet apparently turned violent for a female student.

Ex-teacher back in jail after bond is revoked
http://www.gjsentinel.com/news/content/news/stories/2007/03/31/3_31_1a_Tammie_Reed_arrest.html
Former Lincoln Orchard Mesa Elementary School first-grade teacher Tammie Lee Reed was arrested Thursday afternoon at her residence after having bonds from three of her four criminal cases revoked, according to the Mesa County Sheriff’s Department. Reed, 42, of 2932 B 1/2 Road, is being held on $25,100 bond and was booked into the Mesa County Jail on Thursday. Authorities said they could not state the reason for the bond revocation. The cases involved in the revocation were an October 2005 arrest for alleged methamphetamine and marijuana possession and two 2006 cases involving check fraud and theft.

Top

Military

Salazar: VA needs to explain errors
http://pueblochieftain.com/metro/1175320800/10
An audit of a $100 million Veterans Administration contract for computer security has shown that VA officials allowed the contract to swell to $250 million and could not account for some $35 million in expenditures, bringing the computer-plagued agency under fire this week. Rep. John Salazar, D-Colo., and a member of the House Veterans Affairs Committee, said he would call for Veterans Secretary Jim Nicholson to explain the errors in testimony before the committee later this week. "This is just another $100 million example of how this administration has once again failed our veterans," Salazar said Wednesday in a statement.

Horror follows soldiers home
http://www.longmontfyi.com/Local-Story.asp?id=15520
“Imagine you’re home in bed, sound asleep, then you wake up and hear glass breaking in your children’s room. “Now imagine feeling that way for a year.” The waking nightmare has followed Fort Carson Sgt. Christopher Cain and more than 1,500 other local soldiers home from Iraq. Most of the mental health problems faced by homecoming troops are mild, Fort Carson officials say. Up to a third report a little sleeplessness here or paranoia there, the post’s top doctor said. These symptoms will disappear after a month or so at home for all but a few. But a growing number of cases are more severe, like Cain’s. Nearly 600 Fort Carson soldiers were diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder last year, up from 102 cases in 2003, when soldiers started returning from their first tours in Iraq and Afghanistan. It was the fourth-straight year with a significant increase in the number of soldiers being diagnosed with PTSD.

Space Command wants to know what’s up there
http://www.gazette.com/onset?id=20797&template=article.html
Gen. Kevin Chilton is expected to lean on industry leaders next week in a bid to improve Air Force Space Command’s knowledge of what’s in orbit. Chilton, who leads the command at Peterson Air Force Base, will speak April 11 during the National Space Symposium at the Broadmoor, which will draw hundreds of industry leaders, military commanders and space-minded politicians to Colorado Springs. But he unveiled his priorities late last month during testimony to a congressional budget committee.

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Religion

On this Palm Sunday, prayers mixed with hugs all around
http://www.rockymountainnews.com/drmn/local/article/0,1299,DRMN_15_5458551,00.html
On Palm Sunday, scores of people in this tornado-scarred town [of Holly] broke from the task of cleaning up to pray and offer thanks - for their own survival, for the help pouring into town and for the family of a young mother hurled to her death by a twister that appeared out of nowhere. A few minutes after 10 a.m., in the middle of West Cheyenne Street, a cluster of people gathered around pastor Ralph Plummer of First Baptist Church as he tried to rally the faith of his community. "We are lucky to be here this morning, folks, with the exception of one member of our community, and that family needs our prayers," said Plummer, a jovial man in a charcoal suit and a Noah's Ark tie. Emotion strained his voice.
RELATED: Interfaith services held in tornado-devastated town
http://www.rockymountainnews.com/drmn/local/article/0,1299,DRMN_15_5457713,00.html
RELATED: Blessings found amid rubble
http://www.denverpost.com/newsheadlines/ci_5573012
RELATED: 'We will all overcome'
http://pueblochieftain.com/metro/1175524455/1

Recent cases put spotlight on clergy
http://coloradoan.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070402/NEWS01/704020322/1002
For some, the sex scandals are a culmination of a decades-long trend of parishioners and lay people seeing clergy as subject to human frailties with warts and foibles like the rest of us. "I do feel that priests are human beings," said Lois Schmidt, a parishioner and lay leader at Blessed John XXIII University Center, who also was a school principal for 24 years. "Justice should be served," she said. "(But) if we can all learn a lesson from this, it is that we all are broken. Everyone has their skeletons in the closet and crosses to bear." The scandals have affected all churches, not just those of particular denominations, said one Fort Collins pastor.
RELATED: Sexual abuse case a chance to teach
http://coloradoan.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070402/NEWS01/704020323/1002

Episcopal congregation makes split final
http://www.rockymountainnews.com/drmn/local/article/0,1299,DRMN_15_5458389,00.html
Set against the stately opening rituals of Holy Week, one of Colorado's oldest and largest Episcopal congregations split Sunday - some remaining loyal to Bishop Rob O'Neill and the rest following the dissenting rector, the Rev. Don Armstrong. "It is so good to see you. It moves my heart to tears," cried Debbie Stang, one in a crush of worshippers who crowded around Armstrong after Palm Sunday services at Grace Church and St. Stephen's parish in Colorado Springs. "I've been shot down, shot at, and I don't give up," said Armstrong, a former Army helicopter pilot in Vietnam as he gripped hands and wrapped old friends in bear hugs.
RELATED: Dissident pastor rebuts diocese's allegations
http://www.rockymountainnews.com/drmn/local/article/0,1299,DRMN_15_5454974,00.html
RELATED: Fr. Donald Armstrong's Letter to Grace Church and St. Stephen's Parish
http://www.rockymountainnews.com/drmn/local/article/0,1299,DRMN_15_5455875,00.html
RELATED: Carrying on amid split
http://www.denverpost.com/newsheadlines/ci_5572905
RELATED: The path ahead
http://www.gazette.com/onset?id=20786&template=article.html
RELATED: A show of support for Episcopalians
http://www.gazette.com/onset?id=20787&template=article.html
RELATED: Theft accusations called ‘fantasy’
http://www.gazette.com/onset?id=20757&template=article.html

Traveling Seder brings Passover to nursing homes
http://www.rockymountainnews.com/drmn/local/article/0,1299,DRMN_15_5458570,00.html
The big house on Grove Street is gone. So are the sprawling, joyful Passover Seders when Bess Oliner and her eight brothers and sisters helped usher in the ancient celebration of family and freedom with the ritual question: "Why is this night different from all other nights?" At sundown on this night, the Passover ritual begins again. And while much of the life she knew has vanished, Bess Oliner, now 90 and the last of her siblings, can still recapture a beloved part of her Jewish heritage. "Light the candles. We're on!" Bob Epstein crowed on a recent afternoon. He's seated at the head of a Passover table at Heritage Club Greenwood Village, a skilled nursing care facility. Beside him, Donna Lutz hoists her guitar. Waiting expectantly are nearly a dozen Jewish residents, including Oliner.

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Energy Policy

Dems promote energy issues
http://www2.steamboatpilot.com/news/2007/apr/01/dems_promote_energy_issues/?local_news
At a packed fundraiser for Routt County Democrats Saturday night, energy could be found in the speeches as well as the crowd. U.S. Rep. Mark Udall, a Boulder County Democrat, and state Speaker of the House, Andrew Romanoff, D-Denver, both focused on the need for renewable energy development in speeches to about 150 people at Howelsen Hill Lodge, during the Routt County Democratic Party’s annual Jefferson Jackson Dinner. The event raised several thousand dollars for the county party through donations, live and silent auctions and a potluck dinner. The event also included a brief address from Pat Waak, chairwoman of the Colorado Democratic Party. “I think it surpassed our wildest expectations,” Steamboat Springs City Councilman Ken Brenner said of the event. Udall, who gave the night’s keynote address, said moving toward energy independence is “the ultimate form of patriotism.”

CSU looks to turn wind from annoyance to asset
http://www.rockymountainnews.com/drmn/energy/article/0,2777,DRMN_23914_5456156,00.html
Those old blue northers that can blow you over or spill your coffee cup will be turned to profit within a decade. Within eight years, Colorado State University plans to get all its electric power from its own wind farm at a cost of $100 million to $300 million. The CSU Green Power Project will build a wind farm in northern Colorado that generates more power than the school consumes. It also will include a laboratory for studies on wind power. The area has long been a national wind resource. The university's nonprofit research foundation made a deal with Wind Holding LLC to build the farm on the university's 11,000-acre Maxwell Ranch near the Wyoming border, a very windy area.

Three generations of Navajo family fight Desert Rock energy plant
http://www.durangoherald.com/asp-bin/article_generation.asp?article_type=news&article_path=/news/07/news070401_1.htm
Julius Gilmore, 66, lives less than a mile from the site of the proposed Desert Rock Energy Project. He ranches sheep, cattle and horses. Gilmore has been at it for 34 years, as his well-worn hands attest. Down a network of dirt roads snaking through desert brush and dry creek beds, a test drill tower rises where an energy corporation wants to build Desert Rock, a $2.5 billion coal-fired power plant. Surrounded by a rented chain-link fence, workers in yellow helmets eye passers-by suspiciously. Atop the skeletal metal tower, an American flag snaps smartly in the wind. "I just don't want that power plant there," Gilmore said. "I really don't want it." Gilmore is waging a quixotic battle against Desert Rock. All he has to do is beat two multi-billion dollar New York investment firms and his own Navajo government.
RELATED: Supporters, opponents prepare for document release
http://www.durangoherald.com/asp-bin/article_generation.asp?article_type=news&article_path=/news/07/news070401_2.htm

Black Mountain inspection on hold until mid-April
http://www.gjsentinel.com/news/content/news/stories/2007/04/01/4_1_3a_inspection_delayed.html
An environmental review of the Black Mountain Disposal wastewater evaporation ponds near De Beque that a Mesa County official in February called an “investigation” will actually be a routine annual inspection conducted by the state. Linda Dannenberger of the Mesa County Planning and Development Department told area residents Feb. 17 that Mesa County and the state would investigate Black Mountain’s evaporation ponds in March for compliance with environmental standards following complaints from the community. But Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment environmental protection specialist Donna Stoner, who will be inspecting Black Mountain Disposal, said there will be no investigation, only a routine inspection.

BLM seeks comment on plan to drill near Parachute
http://postindependent.com/article/20070402/VALLEYNEWS/104020017
The Bureau of Land Management's Glenwood Springs Energy Office is seeking public comment on an oil and gas exploration and development proposal six miles south of Parachute. Noble Energy Inc. has submitted a Geographic Area Plan (GAP) describing its plans for exploration and development on 1,790 acres of BLM surface and mineral estate near Pete and Bill Creek, including proposed well pads, roads, and pipelines.

How your home can share energy
http://vaildaily.com/article/20070401/NEWS/103300091
Imagine this: Instead of sending the utilities company a check next winter when the temperatures plummet, it sends you one. Better still, imagine a new heating system that keeps paying you for years to come. It's happening right now in the Eagle Valley. A handful of individuals are making money through energy efficiency.

Meals to wheels
http://www.longmontfyi.com/Local-Story.asp?id=15499
Leftover cooking oil no longer has to be washed down the drain or thrown into the garbage in Boulder County. It now can be recycled and used to produce biodiesel. The Eco-Cycle Center for Hard-to-Recycle Materials in Boulder now collects cooking oil and grease because of the success of a pilot program over the holidays, CHaRM manager Dan Matsch said. “There’s nothing else to do with the stuff, and we can make really good alternative fuel with it,” he said.

Top

Transportation and Infrastructure

Group seeks taxi flap inquiry
http://www.rockymountainnews.com/drmn/government/article/0,2777,DRMN_23906_5454785,00.html
A political watchdog group filed a complaint Friday asking the Colorado secretary of state to investigate allegations that Yellow Cab offered its drivers up to $110 to illegally lobby state lawmakers to kill a taxi deregulation bill this week. "If these allegations are true, Yellow Cab has brazenly ignored Colorado's lobbying laws and, even worse, induced its drivers to commit criminal acts," said Chantell Taylor, director of Colorado Citizens for Ethics in Government. The allegation is that Yellow Cab lured cabbies into becoming unregistered lobbyists, a misdemeanor with a maximum punishment of a year in jail and a $5,000 fine.
RELATED: Fork in cabs' road
http://www.denverpost.com/newsheadlines/ci_5573010

Bill would limit rail liability
http://dailycamera.com/news/2007/apr/01/bill-would-limit-rail-liability/
A bill in the state Legislature would grant broad legal immunity to railroads that share their tracks with public commuter trains, avoiding an unanticipated snag in the FasTracks project. While some observers worry the law would shield railroads from liability for nearly all accidents, the consensus among elected officials is that it's a necessary concession for the $4.7 billion transit initiative to move forward. Senate Bill 219, introduced by Senate President Joan Fitz-Gerald, D-Coal Creek Canyon, passed the Senate last week and is headed to the House Judiciary Committee for a hearing April 11.

Forums set to talk about transportation
http://www.greeleytrib.com/article/20070401/NEWS/104010144
The North Front Range Transportation Authority Citizens Steering Committee is hosting a series of community forums across northern Colorado to discuss solutions for the region's transportation problems. The forum will be from 5-8 p.m. Monday at Johnstown's Town Hall at 101 Charlotte St. Community members are encouraged to help plan northern Colorado's transportation future.
RELATED: Forum tracks transportation input
http://coloradoan.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070331/NEWS01/703310362/1002/NEWS17

CDOT unveils road plans
http://www.durangoherald.com/asp-bin/article_generation.asp?article_type=news&article_path=/news/07/news070402_2.htm
A large increase in state highway funds from the Colorado Department of Transportation means several planned road improvements in La Plata County will get under way this fall and in 2008, including the often-discussed "Fourth Lane" project at Farmington Hill. "We hit the jackpot," said Steve Parker, a Durango resident and a state transportation commissioner from CDOT's 15-county Southwest Region, which includes La Plata, Archuleta, San Juan and Dolores counties.

County launches paratransit operation
http://coloradoan.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070402/NEWS01/704020324/1002
Beginning today, disabled and senior residents living within a specific area outside Fort Collins who need a ride to a doctor's appointment or to shop for groceries will deal directly with the county in making travel arrangements. The Larimer Lift will serve part of rural northern Larimer County, including Wellington and a piece of LaPorte.

Empty passenger bridge collapses onto plane wing at DIA; no injuries reported
http://www.rockymountainnews.com/drmn/local/article/0,1299,DRMN_15_5454789,00.html
One of United Airlines' new automated jet bridges at Denver International Airport collapsed Friday onto the wing of a plane that had just arrived from Boston. The bridge, which passengers walk through when boarding and getting off airplanes, buckled as it was being connected to the rear door of a United plane at Gate B22, the airline said. The bridge was empty at the time, and no injuries were reported.

Fort Luptons worry about proposed Union Pacific switchyard
http://www.greeleytrib.com/article/20070331/NEWS/103300131
Vicki Kramer Bilak of rural Fort Lupton remembers as a child running around with her cousins, helping her father raise sweet corn and going out to irrigate the land. She thinks about the family picnics, the numerous church socials through the years and the 200 guests who attended her family farms' Centennial celebration. But her memories of growing up on Weld County Road 4 1/2 could change if the city of Fort Lupton annexes 640 acres to accommodate Union Pacific Railroad's intent to relocate a loading dock and switch yard. "This is going to kill me," Bilak said with a quiver in her voice. "I start to cry every time I think about it. We've had six generations come out of here."

Anger over ATV rentals
http://www.rockymountainnews.com/drmn/local/article/0,1299,DRMN_15_5458420,00.html
Many locals are venting their frustration with law enforcement and an ATV rental operation for alleged damage to private property and national forest land. More than 200 attended a panel discussion last week. Many said the ATVs are going off dedicated trails onto private property and into areas of the Arapaho and Roosevelt national forests, where they are banned. Jeff Mead, who owns Allenspark ATV Rentals, said he forcefully tells clients to stay away from prohibited areas. He said the company drops riders off at three area trailheads where off-road vehicles are allowed but does not offer accompanying guides, Mead said. "It's not Allenspark forest; it's national forest. . . . We have a right to do what we're doing," Mead said, adding that his company has done everything according to law.
RELATED: ATV business owner, Allenspark residents discuss complaints
http://dailycamera.com/news/2007/mar/31/atv-business-owner-allenspark-residents-discuss/

Top

Environment and Conservation

Sen. Salazar still working on water bill
http://pueblochieftain.com/metro/1175524455/3
U.S. Sen. Ken Salazar, D-Colo., is working toward a Preferred Storage Options Plan bill, even though his brother, U.S. Rep. John Salazar, D-Colo., has introduced alternative legislation. Rep. Salazar last week introduced a Fryingpan-Arkansas Project bill, which authorizes $10 million for a cumulative study of social, economic and environmental water transfers and $4 million for a feasibility study of water supply and storage expansion, including enlargement of Lake Pueblo. Rep. Marilyn Musgrave, R-Colo., will co-sponsor the bill. Sen. Salazar met with the parties who have been negotiating PSOP since January 2005 and plans to meet with the same group in June to assess progress in negotiations. “My goal is to reach a broad consensus and be able to have a bill by September,” Sen. Salazar said.
RELATED: Fry-Ark bill introduced by Salazar
http://pueblochieftain.com/metro/1175407200/2
RELATED: Fry-Ark bill sets rules for impact, studies
http://pueblochieftain.com/metro/1175407200/7

Court’s ruling could nix forest plan — again
http://www.gjsentinel.com/news/content/news/stories/2007/03/31/3_31_1a_Forest_planning_rule.html
The embattled proposed management plan for the Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre and Gunnison National Forests may be in jeopardy yet again. After the U.S. Department of Agriculture withdrew the original version of the proposed plan last summer to ensure it complied with a new 2005 national forest planning rule, the agency issued a revised version in March. But on Friday, Northern California U.S. District Court Judge Phyllis J. Hamilton ruled that the 2005 forest planning rule violates federal law. She enjoined the USDA and the Forest Service from implementing and using the 2005 rule, requiring the USDA to retool the rule so it complies with the Endangered Species, Administrative Procedures and National Environmental Policy acts. Hamilton’s decision is the second setback for the USDA since September, when another California federal judge ruled the Bush administration’s 2005 Roadless Rule was illegal. Forest Supervisor Charlie Richmond said he had heard about Hamilton’s ruling but didn’t know what it might mean for the forest plan.
RELATED: Forest Service to treat more than 9,000 acres on GMUG
http://montrosepress.com/articles/2007/04/01/local_news/3.txt

Sherman will continue to lead Natural Resources department
http://www.durangoherald.com/asp-bin/article_generation.asp?article_type=news&article_path=/news/07/news070401_7.htm
Harris Sherman will remain the state's chief water negotiator, he said Friday. Sherman, who took over Feb. 1 as head of the Department of Natural Resources, had said previously that he wanted to turn over the water job to someone else.
RELATED: Water official wants public involvement
http://www.durangoherald.com/asp-bin/article_generation.asp?article_type=news&article_path=/news/07/news070401_6.htm

GJ City Council gasps for more air monitoring on Western Slope
http://www.gjsentinel.com/news/content/news/stories/2007/04/01/4_1_3a_ozone_monitoring.html
More traffic clogging local roads and more drill rigs dotting the landscape have Grand Junction pushing the state to ramp up air-pollution monitoring on the Western Slope. The City Council recently adopted a resolution asking the Colorado Air Quality Control Commission to direct the Air Pollution Control Division to establish an air monitoring network for ozone in western Colorado. The additional monitoring could help obtain data showing how much air pollution is coming from vehicle emissions and oil and gas development. Council members signed off on the resolution following a presentation from Perry Buda, air quality specialist for Mesa County, indicating that pollution levels have increased in the valley in recent years.

Indonesian court delays Newmont decision
http://www.rockymountainnews.com/drmn/other_business/article/0,2777,DRMN_23916_5455359,00.html
An Indonesian court has delayed its decision for two weeks in the case of Newmont's Buyat Bay gold mine in North Sulawesi province. A criminal case was brought against the mining firm and its local American executive over alleged pollution. PT Newmont Minahasa Raya, a division of Denver-based Newmont Mining Corp., and its president director Richard Ness face charges over allegations the company dumped toxins into the bay near its now defunct gold mine, making villagers sick. The Manado court where the case has been under way since August 2005 initially planned to deliver the verdict next Wednesday. Chief Judge Ridwan Damanik said the judges needed more time to draw up the verdict.

Reservoir on fast track
http://www.denverpost.com/newsheadlines/ci_5572723
The first new major Front Range reservoir in more than two decades, and the potential answer to much of south metro's growing thirst, is sailing toward reality. The federal permit application for Parker's Rueter-Hess Reservoir will be completed this month, and, pending surprises, approval could be in hand by fall. "Right now, everything is a go," said Frank Jaeger, the decades-long proponent of the dam and reservoir and the manager of Parker Water and Sanitation District. Other proponents are pleased the reservoir will mix recycled water for household use, provide a scenic lake and preserve open space 3 miles southwest of downtown Parker. The area otherwise could be gobbled up by development.

Super-powered vacuum headed to Vail
http://www.aspentimes.com/article/20070331/NEWS/103310060
A rolling behemoth of a shop-vac could be the thing that saves Black Gore Creek, a stream along I-70 polluted with traction sand. They call it the GapVax. It's a bright orange monster truck that the Colorado Department of Transportation bought to clean up tons of sand spread on slippery highways during the winter. The sand seeps into Black Gore Creek below the highway, smothers insects, harms fish and eventually settles in Gore Creek, the trout stream that flows through Vail.

Sewer rates double for new Rifle plant
http://www.gjsentinel.com/news/content/news/stories/2007/03/31/3_31_3a_Rifle_sewer.html
The largest construction project the city of Rifle has ever undertaken means city residents will have to fork over twice as much for their sewer service. Beginning in April, municipal sewer rates will more than double to help repay bonds for an estimated $20 million wastewater treatment plant that City Manager John Hier said may be at capacity when it’s finished. The city has to build a new plant to meet new state water-treatment regulations and to handle current and future growth, Hier said.

Illegal dumping on BLM lands increasing
http://postindependent.com/article/20070331/VALLEYNEWS/103310043
The arrival of warm spring weather brings more than flowers and migratory birds to western Colorado. It also brings a marked increase in illegal dumping on Bureau of Land Management lands. Already this spring BLM rangers are reporting new piles of yard waste, household trash, used appliances, wooden pallets and abandoned vehicles on BLM lands.

Elk problem in park may solve itself
http://www.denverpost.com/newsheadlines/ci_5562804
Fewer numbers of elk are being counted every year in and around Rocky Mountain National Park, giving park officials hope they won't have to cull as many animals to reduce the herd. Park officials are trying to figure out how to handle the elk wintering in the park and destroying stands of willow and aspen trees. In June, park officials will release their final plan of how the herd will be reduced - which will likely call for culling the herd to some predetermined number.

Addressing the problem
http://craigdailypress.com/section/localnews/story/25965
Education. That's the direction the deer committee has taken since beginning its meetings in February. It was formed after a petition was circulated and presented to the Craig City Council asking for deer control within city limits. To head this front, Craig resident Karen Sirna will be teaching classes about deer repellents and making a yard a National Wildlife Federation.

State rewards TIPs on poachers
http://www.cortezjournal.com/asp-bin/article_generation.asp?article_type=news&article_path=/news/07/news070331_11.htm
The Colorado Division of Wildlife has raised the ante against poachers by increasing the rewards for citizens who report violators. A program called Turn In Poachers, or TIP, now awards preference points, and in some cases, free hunting licenses to people who provide information that helps catch poachers, according to a press release from the Division of Wildlife.

Replacing old trees: Lack of diversity on Pearl Street concerns arborist
http://dailycamera.com/news/2007/apr/02/replacing-old-trees/
Light-leafed trees that have vitalized the Pearl Street Mall for 30 years — stunning shoppers with their fall colors and allowing just enough sunlight for spring tulips — are nearing the end of their lives. Rows of beyond-mature trees along the brick-paved pedestrian path have aged in unison because they were all planted when the mall debuted in 1976. The trees need to be replaced now because they're in a root-restricted area, meaning there isn't much underground space for them to stretch into old age. "In a downtown urban setting the average life span of a tree is seven years," said Ken Fisher, a forestry assistant for the city of Boulder. "So these trees have beat all the odds and lived 30 years." Fisher will replace a few trees at a time so mall visitors don't notice a big switch.

Top

Opinion

Quillen: Congress and war
http://www.denverpost.com/opinionheadlines/ci_5552133
In recent days, the U.S. House and Senate have both passed funding bills that set a time limit for withdrawing American forces from Iraq. The White House responded that it won't matter, since President George W. Bush will veto any bill that so limits the power of the executive, as well as a professional military, to conduct a war. Who's right here? The federal constitution is less than clear. The president is "Commander in Chief of the Army and Navy of the United States, and of the Militia of the several States, when called into the actual Service of the United States." But the Constitution also provides that "No Money shall be drawn from the Treasury, but in Consequence of Appropriations made by Law," and "All bills for raising Revenue shall originate in the House of Representatives; but the Senate may propose or concur with Amendments as on other Bills." Congress has the power "To declare War," "To raise and support Armies" and "To provide and maintain a Navy."
RELATED: With legislation, Congress tries to change its course
http://www.durangoherald.com/asp-bin/article_generation.asp?article_type=opin&article_path=/opinion/opin070401_2.htm

Johnson: Tiny town of Holly recalls fierce tornado's blast
http://www.rockymountainnews.com/drmn/news_columnists/article/0,1299,DRMN_86_5454973,00.html
That Wednesday night's devastating tornado even found tiny Holly, pop. 997, seemingly defies the odds and logic. This is a tiny smidgen of a town, a relative flyspeck on the vast rolling far-southeastern plains of Colorado. The twister touches down, say, one good big city block away on either side of here, and it misses everything.

Ewegen: Our budget truly is a moral document
http://www.denverpost.com/opinionheadlines/ci_5559681
Gov. Bill Ritter surprised some people this year when he characterized the state's budget as a "moral document." But the six members of the legislature's Joint Budget Committee knew exactly what he was talking about. This week the JBC released its "long bill narrative" outlining the proposed $17 billion budget for the 2007-08 fiscal year beginning July 1. The 292-page book isn't an easy read. But it does spell out where Colorado's priorities really lie.

Getting testy about funding
http://www.denverpost.com/opinionheadlines/ci_5572306
The legislative year started with Penley, CU president Hank Brown and others talking about a new funding stream for higher education. That chatter has been drowned out lately by other noise coming from under the golden dome, but we think it's imperative that discussions continue, because it's time to tackle the long-term needs of our colleges and universities.

Editorial: When worlds collide
http://craigdailypress.com/section/opinion/story/25953
Education funding in Colorado is a complicated world. It is a place where imposed funding limits collide with school needs and/or wants. In Moffat County, this complicated world comes down to this simple statement: We have problems. Well-intended amendments have cut, overlapped, created loopholes and complicated school funding, bringing the Moffat County School District's future to a crossroads. Currently, we are in a wait-and-see mode.

Carman: Profit puts inmates in hard spot
http://www.denverpost.com/newsheadlines/ci_5568308
If Joe Nacchio ends up in the slammer, he'd better hope it's not one run by Corrections Corporation of America, though Qwest retirees just might feel particular glee at the thought of his working most of a day to pay for a roll of toilet paper. About 480 inmates from Colorado have been transferred to CCA's North Fork Correctional Facility in Sayre, Okla., since December, and they're finding that hard time is a lot harder in a prison run for profit. The inmates, all culled from state prisons based on their release dates, records for compliance and nonviolent prison histories, have been rewarded for their good behavior with lousy food, fewer visits from family members, limited access to phones, delays in mail service, a lack of access to Colorado law books and prices in the prison canteen that have been jacked up in some cases to three times those in Colorado institutions. "It seems like minor stuff to people outside of prison, but it's created a real powder keg," said Christie Donner, executive director of the Colorado Criminal Justice Reform Coalition.

Clausing: Lawmakers still swim in lobbyists' "shark tank"
http://www.denverpost.com/newsheadlines/ci_5562505
Voters may have banned gifts and free meals to lawmakers, but one thing Amendment 41 hasn't changed is good old-fashioned, strong-arm lobbying. Just ask Rep. Debbie Stafford, R-Aurora, who caused a bit of a mini scandal in the statehouse last week when she complained about the pressure being exerted on her to kill a bill that would make it easier for home owners to sue over construction defects. Exactly how much pressure was exerted and by whom remains unclear, but it certainly emphasizes the tug of war lawmakers deal with all day long. Just getting on and off the floors of the House and Senate is like walking through a "(expletive) shark tank," a lawmaker once declared after negotiating the lobby mob. Every day the crowds gather, huddled around the front doors to the House and Senate, peering through the windows and passing cards to sergeants to summon the lawmakers they want to talk to. They also crowd the halls outside the committee rooms, cornering their targets as they walk in and out. To be sure, different groups employ different tactics. And the pressure varies depending on the issue. "Some are still playing by these old tactics and rules and think bullying is a legislative method," said Jenny Rose Flanagan, executive director of Colorado Common Cause, which helped draft the Amendment 41 ban on gifts to public officials.

Hank Brown: CU tackles tenure
http://www.denverpost.com/opinionheadlines/ci_5552122
CU, like many major public research systems, has struggled at times to ensure tenure is relevant. When CU found itself in a firestorm over tenured Professor Ward Churchill, questions about tenure were a small but important part of the controversy. Yet tenure remains important to the success of higher education. It represents a significant investment the university makes in faculty and quality education. It also provides faculty the academic freedom to dissent from popular opinion.

The wind blows well for Weld
http://www.greeleytrib.com/article/20070401/TRIBEDIT/104010147/-1/TRIBEDIT
Some of the best news to hit Weld County in a while is the announcement last month that a wind turbine company has chosen a northern Colorado location.
RELATED: CSU finds power source in its backyard
http://coloradoan.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070402/OPINION01/704020312/1014/CUSTOMERSERVICE02

Spurned whistle-blower
http://dailycamera.com/news/2007/apr/01/spurned-whistle-blower/
The nation is deeply indebted to James Stone. Had he not courageously exposed its environmental offenses, the Rocky Flats nuclear weapons plant might not have been shut down in 1989, and Rockwell International might not have been exposed as a syndicate of environmental crime. It is therefore sad that the U.S. Supreme Court has rejected Stone's claim to a share in $4.2 million in "whistle-blower" penalties assessed against Rockwell. Stone was the first to blow the whistle on Rockwell. But, the high court ruled, he was not, legally speaking, a whistle-blower.

U.S. should take lead on TB
http://www.denverpost.com/opinionheadlines/ci_5552135
More than 1.7 million people died of tuberculosis last year alone. Bird flu, so far, has killed about 170 worldwide, yet it gets the attention. Long thought to be under control, a disturbing new form of TB is creeping across the world, and it warrants a quick and definitive global response.

Pollock: Saving endangered wildlife
http://www.denverpost.com/opinionheadlines/ci_5552123
While the future status of bald eagles and Yellowstone grizzly bears gets the headlines, one of the biggest issues facing the Endangered Species Act is money. In its proposed 2008 budget, the Bush administration undermines the act by underfunding its critical programs. This could leave many of our country's most at-risk wildlife and plants without the protections they need to survive, much less thrive.

Let Denver DAs serve 3 terms
http://www.denverpost.com/opinionheadlines/ci_5559683
Why hamper our city's fight against crime by tossing officials just when their expertise peaks?

Don't lose track of metro transit goals
http://www.denverpost.com/opinionheadlines/ci_5552134
Rising prices for such basic construction materials as steel and concrete are raising projected costs for the Regional Transportation District's FasTracks project. In response, RTD planners have been rethinking both what they want to build and how they intend to build it. RTD staff have promised to present a comprehensive revised project plan to the agency's board of directors in mid-May. Such reviews are inevitable in a project of this size, but RTD must avoid cutbacks that would undermine the vital role rapid transit must play in easing the metro area's traffic problems and preserving the quality of life in our region.

Munoz: Horsefeathers in the wind
http://www.summitdaily.com/article/20070401/COLUMNS/103300091
"25 U.S. citizen lives lost per day at the hands of illegal aliens." "In Los Angeles, 95 percent of all outstanding warrants for homicide (which total 1,200 to 1,500) target illegal aliens." Now that I've got your attention let me tell you a story. A guilt-ridden and remorseful villager went to see his rabbi. "Rabbi," he said, "I have spoken bad and untrue things about my neighbor. Now I hear many of the villagers repeating these falsehoods. What can I do to make amends?"

Nanda: Two centuries on, still battling slavery
http://www.denverpost.com/opinionheadlines/ci_5552916
There are plenty of international and regional treaties prohibiting the slave trade, trafficking, prostitution and forced labor. National legislation, such as the U.S. Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000, exists to combat international trafficking. But these are piecemeal efforts. A new, comprehensive global human rights treaty is now needed to address the modern forms of slavery.

Lewis: The hires and lows of wageism
http://www.denverpost.com/business/ci_5562829
By eliminating its highest paid, Circuit City's message is that only the slackers survive. "They might as well eliminate all of their employees if this is going to be their approach," said Fukami. Why bother staffing stores with experienced electronics sales forces? Just stack the boxes in a warehouse and let the people have them cheap, like at Costco or Sam's Club. Or why have electronics stores at all? Why not just get customers to order everything online? Ultimate Electronics, RadioShack, Best Buy CompUSA and others are in a retail death match, slashing prices to survive.

Salzman: Criticism is supposed to be, you know, critical
http://www.rockymountainnews.com/drmn/opinion_columnists/article/0,2777,DRMN_23972_5454564,00.html
I try to look on the bright side of life, but as anyone with a taste bud knows, you're lucky to find something you truly love at a restaurant. But that's apparently not the case for The Denver Post's food writers. In their 2007 restaurant guide, they explain why they "love" 331 Colorado restaurants.

NATIONAL NEWS

Top

Election

Clinton Shatters Record for Fundraising
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/04/01/AR2007040101143.html
Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.) raised $26 million in the first quarter of the year, almost three times as much as any politician has previously raised at this point in a presidential election, officials with her campaign announced yesterday. Democrat John Edwards, a former senator from North Carolina, also topped the previous record, reporting at least $14 million for the quarter that ended Saturday.
RELATED: Dems raise historic sums
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/chi-0704010451apr02,1,2248861.story?coll=chi-newsnationworld-hed

Edwardses plan to take family on the road for campaign
http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2007-04-01-edwards-campaign_N.htm
Iowans probably will see a lot of John Edwards' family over the next year, his wife said Friday. The couple plan to pull their two youngest children from school next fall and bring them along on the presidential campaign trail, Elizabeth Edwards said. The Edwardses already were considering the move before last week, when she learned her breast cancer had returned and become incurable. Because of that news, she said, she and her husband are more determined to keep the children, Emma Claire, 8, and Jack, 6, close at hand. "Selfishly, we love being with them," she said, in a telephone interview from her North Carolina home.

Obama Campaign Aims To Turn Online Backers Into an Offline Force
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/03/30/AR2007033001993.html
Sen. Barack Obama of Illinois will rally thousands of voters in cities and towns across the country today, part of an effort to ensure that the surge of interest in his campaign will translate into an army of supporters when Democrats begin casting votes 10 months from now. Obama's "community kickoff" events are billed as first-of-a-kind gatherings aimed at encouraging members of the more than 6,000 groups that were created on his presidential Web site to meet face to face. The candidate is to christen the effort to take his online support offline at a public library in tiny Onawa, Iowa, an appearance that will be streamed live on his Web site. The meetings are the most high-profile example to date of the Obama campaign's efforts to avoid the fate suffered in 2004 by former Vermont governor Howard Dean, who could not turn online excitement into votes and saw his campaign fizzle dramatically in Iowa.

GOP presidential hopefuls fight for attention
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-iowa2apr02,1,7640478.story?coll=la-headlines-nation
It was plain to see one recent morning why Mike Huckabee would bemoan the primacy of fame and money in presidential politics: Not a single TV crew trekked to the Pottawattamie County veterans hall where the Republican White House contender was making his pitch to a roomful of Iowans eating doughnuts and sipping coffee from foam cups. "If money and celebrity are the criteria to elect a president, then we can elect Paris Hilton," the former Arkansas governor wisecracked as a thunderstorm drenched the region's hog farms. One-liners aside, a dearth of money and fame poses huge obstacles for Huckabee and others struggling to break into the top tier of Republicans running for president. In early polls, the second-tier candidates trail not just Rudolph W. Giuliani, John McCain and Mitt Romney, but also two famous Republicans who have not entered the race: former House Speaker Newt Gingrich and "Law & Order" actor Fred Thompson, a former U.S. senator from Tennessee. In Iowa, reminders of their secondary status abound.

Gingrich: Bilingual Classes Teach 'Ghetto' Language
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/03/31/AR2007033100992.html
Former House speaker Newt Gingrich yesterday described bilingual education as teaching "the language of living in a ghetto," and he mocked requirements that ballots be printed in multiple languages. "The government should quit mandating that various documents be printed in any one of 700 languages depending on who randomly shows up" to vote, Gingrich said. The former Georgia congressman, who is considering seeking the GOP presidential nomination in 2008, made the comments in a speech to the National Federation of Republican Women. "The American people believe English should be the official language of the government. . . . We should replace bilingual education with immersion in English so people learn the common language of the country and they learn the language of prosperity, not the language of living in a ghetto," Gingrich said, drawing cheers from the crowd of more than 100.

Visiting Iraq, McCain Cites Progress on Safety Issues
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/04/01/AR2007040100325.html
After a heavily guarded walk through a newly fortified Baghdad market, Sen. John McCain declared that the American public was not getting "a full picture" of the progress unfolding in Iraq. McCain (Ariz.), who is seeking the Republican presidential nomination, cited a drop in murders, the creation of a constellation of joint U.S.-Iraqi military outposts and a rise in intelligence tips as signs of the progress. "These and other indications are reason for cautious optimism," McCain said, voicing an observation increasingly heard from U.S. officials. The senator and three other Republican members of Congress appeared most impressed by their visit to Shorja market, citing the hour they spent there as proof that Baghdad was getting safer under a nearly seven-week-old security offensive.

Former Wis. Governor Enters Race for Nomination
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/04/01/AR2007040100302.html
Former Wisconsin governor Tommy G. Thompson (R) announced yesterday that he is running for president and is betting that he will best the Republican field's well-financed front-runners in Iowa, the neighboring state where he has been campaigning nonstop for months. Speaking on ABC's "This Week," Thompson said he is confident he will win in January's Iowa caucus, where the first votes of the 2008 campaign will be cast, despite polls that show he remains in the low single digits.
RELATED: Ex-governor joins GOP field
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/chi-0704010454apr02,1,3428512.story?coll=chi-newsnationworld-hed

Ex-Partner Of Giuliani May Face Charges
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/03/30/AR2007033002425.html
Federal prosecutors have told Bernard B. Kerik, whose nomination as homeland security secretary in 2004 ended in scandal, that he is likely to be charged with several felonies, including tax evasion and conspiracy to commit wiretapping. Kerik's indictment could set the stage for a courtroom battle that would draw attention to Kerik's extensive business and political dealings with former New York mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani, who personally recommended him to President Bush for the Cabinet. Giuliani, the front-runner for the 2008 Republican presidential nomination according to most polls, later called the recommendation a mistake.

Top

Effective and Ethical Government

Balking at the First Pitch
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/04/01/AR2007040101262.html
With Bush's approval ratings stuck below 40 percent in recent polls, Lawrimore was asked whether the president feared he'd get booed. "No," she replied. "Certainly not." You might have seen this mentioned in the paper recently, that Bush wouldn't be coming to the home opener. It was the last item in a little roundup story from Nats spring training camp. No one thought it was a big deal. Long ago, though, when baseball held a singular grip on America's imagination, a president's decision to skip Opening Day was cause for headlines. Usually, a personal tragedy or historic crisis or calamity was to blame, though not always. President Dwight D. Eisenhower wanted to skip the 1953 home opener to play golf, and he took a beating for it in the newspapers.

New Perspective, New Unity Among Hill Democrats on Iraq
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/03/30/AR2007033002011.html
President Bush continues to warn that Democratic demands for U.S. troop withdrawals from Iraq are reckless, even dangerous. But for the first time since the conflict began four years ago, Democrats are not flinching in their opposition. Every time Congress has voted on Iraq this year, Democrats have picked up a little more support to set timelines for bringing troops home. The momentum culminated this week when the 48 Democrats present in the Senate, joined by two Republicans, voted for a target date for troop withdrawals.
RELATED: Congress will fund Iraq war if Bush uses veto, Obama says
http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2007-04-01-obama_N.htm

2 in N.M. Delegation Feel Heat Over Firings
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/03/31/AR2007033101213.html
As Heather A. Wilson and Sen. Pete V. Domenici sat in the kitchen of Domenici's Albuquerque home in January 1998, the two took the first steps in cementing a relationship that now has them facing another crossroads in their careers. The day after their meeting, the senator called Wilson to tell her that he would wade into a contested Republican primary for the first time in his 25-year Senate career, endorsing her bid to represent New Mexico's 1st Congressional District and beginning a partnership now at the center of an ethics inquiry that could help determine both their political fates.
RELATED: Prosecutor Posts Go To Bush Insiders
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/03/31/AR2007033101158.html
RELATED: Democrats won't reschedule Gonzales
http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2007-04-02-gonzales-schedule_N.htm

Former House Leaders Weigh In on FBI Case
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/04/01/AR2007040100886.html
Embattled Rep. William J. Jefferson (D-La.), the target of a two-year public-corruption probe, is finding himself with strange bedfellows these days. Former House speaker Newt Gingrich (R-Ga.), former House minority leader Robert Michel (R-Ill.) and Scott Palmer, former chief of staff for Rep. J. Dennis Hastert (R-Ill.), are among those who have filed friend-of-the-court briefs in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit, backing Jefferson's argument that the controversial FBI raid on his office last May was unconstitutional. "These former leaders of the House had concerns about the integrity and independence of the institution, and therefore they decided to file this joint brief," said lawyer James Hamilton, who filed an amicus brief on behalf of Gingrich and Michel as well as former House speaker Thomas Foley (D-Wash.).

Southern clout in Congress hits low
http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2007-04-01-southern-clout_N.htm
When he was in Congress, Rep. Howard "Judge" Smith routinely frustrated the Washington establishment by leaving town when House leaders tried to push bills he did not like through his Rules Committee. Once in 1957, the Virginia Democrat blocked President Eisenhower's civil rights legislation by saying a barn burned down on his farm and he needed to tend to it. At the time, Smith's antics were hardly out of place. Colorful Southern politicians wielded near-authoritarian control on Capitol Hill, presiding over committees that wrote tax laws, set federal spending and steered subsidies to cotton and peanut farmers back home. Now, Dixie's heyday in Congress is over. It is rare to find anyone with a Southern accent in a position of power. After the Democratic victories last November, congressional historians say, the region's clout fell to its lowest level in at least 50 years.

Scandals and Missteps Dog New Nevada Governor
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/04/01/AR2007040100801.html
As Jim Gibbons campaigned for the Nevada governorship last fall, the five-term Republican congressman ricocheted from scandal to scandal and from gaffe to gaffe. When he squeaked to a narrow victory with 48 percent of the vote, he hoped to be able to focus on his legislative agenda and put his problems behind him. Things have not turned out that way. Since Gibbons took office, his troubles have only increased. The FBI is investigating gifts from a friend to whom Gibbons steered business while he was in Congress. In March, Gibbons revealed he had established a legal defense fund last fall, raising questions about whether he used unreported money from his campaign. And last week the Wall Street Journal reported Gibbons's wife was a consultant to a company that Gibbons helped to get a federal contract.

Top

Civil Liberties and Equality

Australian's Plea Deal Was Negotiated Without Prosecutors
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/03/31/AR2007033100976.html
The plea deal that allows Australian David M. Hicks to leave the detention facility here with a nine-month sentence was negotiated between defense attorneys and the convening authority for military commissions without the knowledge of prosecutors, lawyers from both sides said. The deal shows that the politically appointed authority has the power to personally decide the fate of America's most notorious terrorism suspects. Marine Maj. Michael "Dan" Mori, representing Hicks, took his plea negotiations to Susan J. Crawford, the top military commission official, rather than dealing with prosecutors who were seeking a lengthy penalty, according to both sides in the case. In what became a highly politicized situation involving the Australian government, Crawford allowed Hicks a short sentence in exchange for a year-long gag order, a guarantee that he will not allege illegal treatment at the hands of his U.S. captors, and a waiver of any right to appeal or sue.
RELATED: Australian to Serve 9 Months in Terrorism Case
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/03/31/washington/31gitmo.html

Trade Group Does Who Knows What
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/04/01/AR2007040100686.html
The group, a nonprofit professional association for members of the intelligence community -- including private contractors, academics and members of U.S. spy agencies -- is largely unknown. That's quite a feat, because its chairman, retired Navy Vice Adm. John M. McConnell, the former head of the National Security Agency, left recently to be sworn in as director of national intelligence, the president's top intelligence adviser. (A new chairman for the professional association is expected to be selected soon.) Since the group's inception nearly 30 years ago as the Security Affairs Support Association, it has never been profiled in the media, its officers say. But in 2005, the group renamed itself and began to broaden its mission. It is no longer just a place where spies, not the most forthcoming of sorts, can network with other spies and business partners; the group is working to introduce a growing network of private contractors, large and small, to government intelligence agencies. Like much of the rest of the government, U.S. intelligence agencies are increasingly outsourcing what they need in the name of expediency: cutting-edge technology, goods and services, such as gee-whiz satellites, particularly to protect against another terrorist attack.

Top

Foreign Policy

Bush Says Iran Must Release 'Hostages'
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/03/31/AR2007033100198.html
President Bush on Saturday condemned Iran's seizure of 15 British sailors and marines as "inexcusable behavior" and demanded that the "hostages" be released, weighing in for the first time as the situation escalates into a sustained confrontation with Tehran. Bush said the sailors had been operating legally in Iraqi territorial waters in the Persian Gulf, as the British have insisted, and not in Iranian waters, and he offered support for British Prime Minister Tony Blair's efforts "to resolve this peacefully." But he rejected any "quid pro quo" trade of Iranians held by U.S. forces in Iraq and ducked a question about whether military force would be justified to free the captured sailors.
RELATED: Standoff Sparks Protests in Tehran, London
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/04/01/AR2007040100902.html
RELATED: Students attack British Embassy
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/chi-0704010371apr02,1,2642078.story?coll=chi-newsnationworld-hed
RELATED: Iran radio cites 'positive changes' in British negotiating
http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/2007-04-01-iran-uk_N.htm

New Generation of Qaeda Chiefs Is Seen on Rise
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/04/02/world/middleeast/02qaeda.html?ref=world
As Al Qaeda rebuilds in Pakistan’s tribal areas, a new generation of leaders has emerged under Osama bin Laden to cement control over the network’s operations, according to American intelligence and counterterrorism officials.

Bomber Kills 13 in Kirkuk, Wounds Dozens
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/04/02/AR2007040200228.html
A suicide truck bomber targeted a police station in the oil-rich northern city of Kirkuk on Monday, killing at least 13 people and wounding dozens, including many children from a nearby school, police said. The attacker rammed the truck into the concrete blast barriers protecting the back of the compound at about 11:30 a.m., detonating his explosives, which were hidden under bags of flour, local police spokesman Brig. Gen. Sarhat Qadir said.
RELATED: Iraq Town Struggles to Recover After Most Residents Fled
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/04/02/world/middleeast/02town.html

Olmert invites Arabs to meet
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/chi-0704010452apr02,1,2642078.story?coll=chi-newsnationworld-hed
Responding to an Arab peace initiative, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert on Sunday invited Arab leaders to meet with him, saying he is prepared to talk to moderate Arab states about ways to resolve the Arab- Israeli conflict. "I invite to a meeting all the Arab heads of state, including, of course, the Saudi king, whom I regard as a very important leader, to have a dialogue with us," Olmert said. He added: "If the king of Saudi Arabia will initiate a meeting of the moderate Arab states and invite me along with the head of the Palestinian Authority in order to present Saudi Arabia's ideas to us, we will come to hear them, and we will be glad to also offer our ideas." The overture by Olmert followed last week's Arab League summit in Riyadh that renewed a 2002 peace initiative first proposed by the Saudis. It offers Israel recognition and normal relations in return for an Israeli withdrawal from all territories captured in the 1967 Middle East war, establishment of a Palestinian state and a "just solution" for Palestinian refugees displaced when Israel was established

Driven by War to a No Man's Land in Jordan
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/04/01/AR2007040101148.html
In this forlorn corner of Jordan, the border drawn as an arbitrary line in the sand, the remnants of six decades of conflict in the Middle East converge in the Ruweished camp and three others strewn along Iraq's western frontier. The camps are home to more than 1,300 Palestinians, dispossessed by conflict with Israel, driven from their homes by conflict in Iraq, and forced to wait by sometimes arbitrary politics barring their entry elsewhere. Many are the offspring of refugees from a war they are too young to know; their lives are now ordered by another that shows no sign of ending.

Taliban hangs 3 Afghan 'informers'
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/chi-0704010350apr02,1,1331355.story?coll=chi-newsnationworld-hed
The Taliban on Sunday executed three men accused of spying for NATO and government forces in southern Afghanistan, a local militant commander and villager said. Separately, a suicide car bomber blew himself up Sunday near an Afghan army convoy in eastern Laghman province, killing five civilians, police said. The three men from the southern province of Helmand were arrested and allegedly "confessed to their crime" of being spies for NATO and the Afghan government, said Mullah Abdul Qasim, a Taliban commander in the north of Helmand. Qasim said information from the three men led to the deaths of two Taliban commanders.

Battle Brews Over Rule By Military In Pakistan
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/04/01/AR2007040101076.html
For weeks, lawyers in black suits have paraded through the streets of Pakistan's cities, demanding that Gen. Pervez Musharraf step down as president. But it is Musharraf's other job -- as head of the army -- that rankles the protesters most. The controversy that began March 9 when Musharraf suspended the nation's chief justice is shaping up to be a much broader contest in Pakistan between civilian and military rule. Elements of civil society that have been either supportive of Musharraf or relatively quiet in their opposition, including lawyers, journalists and political parties, are becoming increasingly forceful in demanding that Pakistan no longer be run by a man in uniform.

Factions Ignoring Truce in Somalia
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/04/01/AR2007040101062.html
A truce between the government and Islamic insurgents, brokered by influential clan elders, failed Sunday to halt fighting that has left the streets of the capital strewn with corpses. Uganda, which has about 1,400 troops here as the vanguard of a larger African Union peacekeeping force, reported its first fatal casualty, a soldier who was hit by a mortar shell on Saturday. So far, Uganda is the only country that has contributed to the peacekeeping force.

Solomon Islands Struck By Post-Quake Tsunami
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/04/01/AR2007040101099.html
A powerful magnitude-8 earthquake struck off the Solomon Islands on Monday, sending a tsunami crashing into the country's west coast and prompting region-wide disaster warnings, officials said. Julian McLeod of the Solomon Islands National Disaster Management Office said there were unconfirmed reports that two villages in the country's far west had been flooded.

In Reconciling Its Past, Poland Is Divided Anew
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/03/31/AR2007033101150.html
Almost two decades have passed since dictatorship gave way to democracy in Poland, but after years of burying memories and avoiding the subject, this country is finally grappling with its communist past. On March 15, a controversial law went into effect requiring an estimated 700,000 civil servants, teachers and journalists to sign an oath declaring whether they collaborated with the communist secret police before the fall of the Iron Curtain in 1989. Anyone caught lying, or who refuses to sign, is to be fired.

Britain Regrets ’82 Falklands War Dead
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/04/02/world/americas/02falklands.html
Britain expressed “continuing regret” Sunday over the 907 people killed on both sides during the Falklands War, on the eve of the 25th anniversary of the 1982 invasion of the islands by Argentina. Foreign Secretary Margaret Beckett stressed what she called the British government’s commitment to “constructive” ties with the Argentine government, and she announced an offer for families of dead Argentine soldiers to hold a commemorative event on the islands.

Panama drug bust reveals trafficking's slow lane
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-pandrugs2apr02,1,5328320.story?coll=la-headlines-world
Call them "the not ready for prime time traffickers." That's how Panamanian and U.S. authorities are describing alleged functionaries of a Mexican drug cartel that lost a $270-million load of cocaine in a colossal bust off Panama's Pacific coast last month. In interviews here, officials were practically shaking their heads over the carelessness and inattention to detail by the Sinaloa-based cartel during the two months that a pair of alleged lieutenants spent in Panama City arranging the Colombia-to-Mexico shipment.

Top

Immigration

Pleading to Stay a Family
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/04/01/AR2007040101181.html
As the government's crackdown on illegal immigrant workers has intensified in recent months, so have the consequences for a large subgroup of U.S. citizens: American-born children of illegal immigrants. Numbering at least 3.1 million, according to an analysis by the Urban Institute and the Pew Hispanic Center, such children range from teenagers steeped in iTunes and MySpace to toddlers just learning their ABCs. Until recently, their parents' illegal status had limited impact on these children's lives, because, although every year hundreds of thousands of illegal immigrants are detained attempting to cross the U.S. border, once they make it in, they are rarely caught. But the increase in raids against companies employing illegal workers is beginning to change that.

Immigrants' advocates look to churches
http://www.usatoday.com/news/religion/2007-04-01-immigrant-advocates_N.htm
Over the past few weeks, Sen. Edward Kennedy, D-Mass., a staunch defender of abortion rights, has been receiving bouquets from some unexpected quarters as he works to overhaul the nation's immigration laws. "All of us owe Sen. Kennedy a great debt of gratitude for his vision," Cardinal Roger Mahony of Los Angeles said after the two held a meeting on immigration legislation last month. Last week, at a news conference on the same subject, Kennedy and Richard Land of the Southern Baptist Convention, traded biblical quotations. The two tableaus illustrate what advocates hope will be their secret weapon in a drive to win a path to citizenship for the nation's estimated 12 million illegal immigrants.

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Health Care and Public Safety

Conflict-of-Interest Inquiry May Be Reopening at NIH
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/03/30/AR2007033000310.html
Federal investigators are reviewing the activities of 103 scientists who may have had improper links to pharmaceutical companies while they were employed at the National Institutes of Health, apparently resurrecting a conflict-of-interest inquiry that many in the agency thought was closed. In a letter sent to several members of Congress on March 23 and made public yesterday, Daniel R. Levinson, inspector general for the Department of Health and Human Services, said his office is looking into the cases "to determine whether investigation is warranted."

Expanded Health Program for Children Causes Clash
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/04/01/washington/01health.html
The Bush administration says it will strenuously resist Democratic plans for a threefold expansion of the Children’s Health Insurance Program, ensuring a clash with Congress over the most important health care legislation being considered this year. Administration officials said that much of the new government coverage proposed by Democrats would simply replace private insurance, and they expressed concern about a sharp increase in the proportion of children covered by public programs in the last decade.

Brand-name Medicare drug needs are going unmet
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-medicare2apr02,1,2850577.story?coll=la-headlines-nation
From the day the new Medicare drug plan was introduced, critics warned that it had a big loophole — the "doughnut hole" — a coverage gap that leaves some recipients with $3,000 in costs to pick up themselves. The private sector was supposed to help. And last year, Sierra Health Services, an insurer based in Las Vegas, announced it would do so. In exchange for higher monthly premiums, Sierra offered comprehensive coverage of brand-name medications for patients who had to fill the cost gap. But the Sierra Rx Plus plan lost $3 million in January, its first month of operation. Faced with that red ink, the company announced in late February that next year it would no longer offer a plan that covers brand-name drugs in the gap. About the same time, hundreds of enrollees started getting notices that their Sierra coverage was being discontinued for nonpayment — although some said they already had sent in checks. Medicare officials recently intervened to order about 2,000 customers reinstated, including about 200 AIDS patients.

Nation's specialty hospitals examined
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/chi-0704010403apr02,1,741530.story?coll=chi-newsnationworld-hed
Should a hospital be able to handle a medical emergency? The answer may seem self-evident. But patients at some hospitals may find the staff resorting to what someone might do at home in a crisis: call 911 for an ambulance. That happened recently in Texas, where Steve Spivey, 44, developed breathing problems after spine surgery. No physician was working at West Texas Hospital when the staff first recognized he was in trouble. They phoned 911, and he was taken to a nearby full-service hospital, where he was pronounced dead a short time later. The incident occurred at a small hospital owned and run by doctors -- one of roughly 140 such hospitals across the country, with nearly two dozen more under development, set up to specialize in certain procedures like heart surgery or hip replacements. The Texas case, and others like it, have invited scrutiny from regulators and Congress about the hospitals' ability to care for patients who suffer complications after their surgeries.

U.S. Won’t Override State Rules on Plants
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/04/02/us/02chem.html?ref=washington
New rules giving the federal government the authority to regulate security measures for high-risk chemical plants will not overrule stricter state rules already in place, according to a letter sent to lawmakers on Sunday by the homeland security secretary, Michael Chertoff.

Universal blood is created from other types
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-sci-blood2apr02,1,5596171.story?coll=la-headlines-nation
Researchers have perfected an inexpensive and efficient way to convert types A, B and AB blood into type O, the universal-donor blood that can be given to anyone — an achievement that promises to make transfusions safer and to relieve shortages of type O blood.

Prostate cancer risk tied to DNA changes
http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2007/04/02/prostate_cancer_risk_tied_to_dna_changes/
A team led by Harvard researchers has found dramatic genetic links to prostate cancer that appear to underlie many of the cases and help explain the higher occurrence of the disease among African-American men.

Del Monte Pet Products Recalls Food Items
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/04/01/AR2007040100944.html
Another major U.S. pet food maker said yesterday that it is recalling some edible products for cats and dogs after learning from the Food and Drug Administration that the company had received tainted ingredients from a manufacturing plant in China. Del Monte Pet Products, based in San Francisco, said that as a precautionary measure it was voluntarily recalling several items, including Gravy Train Beef Sticks, Jerky Treats and Pounce Meaty Morsels, as well as others sold under private labels. The move came after an unknown number of pets have died or been sickened after eating tainted food. Del Monte said it acted after the FDA notified the company that it had received wheat gluten from China that contained melamine, a possible toxin.
RELATED: Alpo Dog Food Removed From Store Shelves
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/03/31/AR2007033101106.html

Top

Crime and Penal Reform

Crime Intensifies Debate Over Taping of Suspects
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/04/02/washington/02taping.html
The Justice Department has been embroiled in a dispute over a critical law enforcement question: Should interviews with criminal suspects be tape-recorded?

New Orleans judge may free dozens
http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2007-04-01-new-orleans-judge_N.htm
An angry New Orleans judge says he will release 42 criminal defendants on April 18 because they lack adequate legal representation. Orleans Parish Criminal District Court Judge Arthur Hunter lashed out at the Louisiana Legislature for making a "mockery" of the criminal justice system and also warned that he will no longer appoint the beleaguered public defender's office to represent poor criminal defendants in court. "Indigent defense in New Orleans is unbelievable, unconstitutional, totally lacking in the basic professional standards of legal representation and a mockery of what criminal justice should be in a Western civilized nation," he wrote in an order issued last week.

Katrina fraud believed widespread
http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2007/04/02/katrina_fraud_believed_widespread/
An Illinois woman mourns her two young daughters, swept to their deaths in Hurricane Katrina's floodwaters. It's a horrifying story. It's also a lie. An Alabama woman applies for disaster aid for hurricane damage. She files 28 claims for addresses in four states. It's all a sham. Two California men help stage Internet auctions designed to help Katrina relief organizations. Those, too, are bogus. More than 18 months after Hurricane Katrina tore through the Gulf Coast, authorities are chipping away at a mountain of fraud cases that, by some estimates, involve thousands of people who bilked the federal government and charities out of hundreds of millions of dollars intended to aid storm victims.

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Economy

In Shift, U.S. Hits China With Trade Sanctions
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/03/30/AR2007033002159.html
The Bush administration, facing heavy pressure to deal with soaring trade deficits, said yesterday it was imposing economic sanctions against China to protect American paper producers from unfair Chinese government subsidies. The action reverses 23 years of U.S. trade policy by treating China, which is classified as a non-market economy, in the same way that other U.S. trading partners are treated in disputes involving government subsidies. The decision was announced by Commerce Secretary Carlos M. Gutierrez. "China's economy has developed to the point that we can add another trade remedy tool," Gutierrez said. "The China of today is not the China of years ago. Just as China has evolved, so has the range of our tools to make sure Americans are treated fairly."

South Korea, U.S. seal trade deal at last minute
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/04/02/AR2007040200214.html
The United States and South Korea agreed the biggest U.S. trade pact for 15 years on Monday with only minutes to go before a deadline. In one major surprise, the United States agreed to give, at least in principle, preferential treatment to South Korean products made in North Korea. The deal to cut tariffs and remove trade barriers follows nine months of talks and sometimes violent protests in South Korea, mostly over fears that the country's heavily subsidized farmers could not survive a flood of cheaper U.S. farm products.
RELATED: U.S. and S. Korea reach trade pact
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-korea2apr02,1,1541028.story?coll=la-headlines-world

U.S., Brazil Plan to Cooperate on Trade
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/03/31/AR2007033101197.html
President Bush and Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva plotted cooperation on freer global trade and increased use of alternative fuels in talks that brought the allies together for the second time in less than a month. Bush called their joint desire to see a global free-trade deal "the most compelling part of the opportunity to work together." "It is in our interest to work together to make sure that we have a deal that treats Brazil fairly, the United States fairly, as well as other nations fairly," Bush said in a joint news conference. "I strongly believe that the best way to alleviate world poverty is through trade."
RELATED: Bush, Following Up on Trip, Meets With Brazilian Leader
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/04/01/washington/01prexy.html

California Seeks to Ban Investment in Iran
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/04/02/us/02pension.html?ref=us
The author, Assemblyman Joel Anderson, a Republican from San Diego County, said the bill was meant to protect the $24 billion he estimates the two funds currently have invested in international companies with ties to Iran. Mr. Anderson said his concern was Iran’s potential economic instability, not its current standoff with the West.

Stocks End a Volatile Quarter
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/03/30/AR2007033002162.html
Volatility returned to the stock market in the quarter that ended yesterday, with increased signs of a slowing U.S. economy and investor worries about the housing industry. Coming off a strong 2006, U.S. stocks were humming along, with the major indexes continuing to hit six-year highs. But they nose-dived late last month in a global sell-off that began in China. That plunge sparked erratic trading and established the first quarter as a period of transition, analysts said.

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Worker's Rights and Corporate Accountability

Foreign workers sue U.S. companies
http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2007-04-01-foreign-lawsuits_N.htm
Labor leaders overseas are turning increasingly to an obscure 18th-century law that could for the first time make U.S. companies liable at home for the violent and sometimes murderous actions of their employees around the world. Several lawsuits alleging violation of the Alien Tort Statute are awaiting trial in federal courts, filed with the help of unions and activist groups in the USA. One against Geo W. Drummond Ltd. of Alabama alleges the contracting company's subsidiary in Colombia paid death squads to kill labor leaders. The lawsuits have set up a showdown over whether boardrooms in the USA should pay big-money verdicts for crimes not prosecuted in countries where corruption and violence are often seen as a cost of doing business.

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Housing and Homelessness

Bernanke: Widespread access to credit not always good
http://www.usatoday.com/money/economy/2007-03-30-bernank_N.htm
Troubles plaguing lenders and borrowers with risky mortgages may challenge the notion that widespread access to credit is always a good thing, Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke suggested Friday. Bernanke's comments came as he talked about a decades-old law, called the Community Reinvestment Act, that aims to make sure that banks serve all their customers, including those in low- and moderate-income communities. The Fed chief said the law, enacted in 1977, has produced some benefits, including helping to bolster homeownership rates among the poor, "but the results are not uniform." The law doesn't apply to lenders that aren't banks, many of which are responsible for providing certain risky mortgages to people with low incomes and blemished credit histories.

Home builders' loans feel heat
http://www.usatoday.com/money/economy/housing/2007-04-02-home-builders-usat_N.htm
The crisis in risky mortgage loans is shedding light on aggressive lending practices by some of the largest U.S. home builders, which stand accused of using lax standards and illegal sales tactics to arrange financing for buyers. Last week, Beazer Homes acknowledged that its mortgage subsidiary is being investigated by federal regulators for loans made to hundreds of people who bought Beazer homes. But the complaints about loan practices go beyond Beazer. The Department of Housing and Urban Development is taking more actions against home builders and their affiliated lenders, says Brian Sullivan, a spokesman for HUD. "We are seeing increased consumer complaints about builders," Sullivan says. "Including kickbacks and illegal referral fees, phantom incentives and other violations of our real estate laws."

Housing Crisis Knocks Loudly in Michigan
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/03/30/AR2007033002127.html
While lax lending policies have been blamed for the unfolding home-mortgage crisis across the country, the distress in the Midwest has been exacerbated by fundamental problems with the economy. The region has been devastated by a severe drop in manufacturing jobs as the U.S. automobile industry shrinks. "There's a structural shift going on that's undermining the unionized, industrialized states, and Michigan is leading the way," said Donald Grimes, a senior research specialist at the University of Michigan. "When you talk to people in Michigan, you can tell from their voice and their demeanor that they are just depressed." The housing bubble of recent years has burst and home prices are under pressure in many parts of the country. How far they fall will be determined in large measure by the strength of the economy, experts say, since job and income growth ultimately determine how much people can pay for housing. The U.S. economy is growing, but the pace of growth has slowed markedly of late.

Top

Media

XM-Sirius Debate Comes Down to Competition
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/03/30/AR2007033002197.html
The National Association of Broadcasters and the Consumers Union say they will issue formal statements to the Federal Communications Commission in the coming weeks, urging rejection of the proposed merger between the XM and Sirius satellite radio companies when the agency solicits public comment. The groups argue that an XM-Sirius merger would amount to a government bailout of two money-losing ventures that paid hundreds of millions of dollars for big-name talent to lure subscribers. They also claim that a merger would result in higher prices for subscribers, countering the companies' claim that combining their operations would mean lower prices and more options for consumers.

Zell's zeal leads him to Tribune
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/chi-0704020039apr02,1,3035296.story?coll=chi-newsnationworld-hed
Tribune Co.'s board of directors negotiated late into Sunday night on a deal aimed at handing control of the 159-year-old Chicago Tribune and other major media properties to maverick Chicago billionaire Sam Zell for $13 billion. If Tribune's board can work out the last-minute details on a revised bid that raised Zell's price to $34 a share, one of the most buttoned-down corporations in America would be controlled by Zell, who has relished a life and career as an outsider from his contrarian investment philosophy to his full-throttle lifestyle.

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Education

Private Student Loan Industry, Led by Sallie Mae, Battles Democrats, Bush Over Federal Benefits
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/04/01/AR2007040100685.html
Of all the industries under attack on Capitol Hill -- and there are plenty of them -- the business of providing student loans is perhaps the most threatened. The private student loan industry and its leading company, Reston-based Sallie Mae, are battling against congressional Democrats and President Bush, both both of whom would like to pare back the lenders' sizable federal benefits. "We're caught in a crossfire," said Shelly Repp, general counsel of the National Council of Higher Education Loan Programs, which has Sallie Mae as a member. "It's very serious. We are having to work hard to defend the program." "It's definitely a year of challenge for us," agreed Tom Joyce, spokesman for Sallie Mae, one of the Washington area's largest companies. As a result, Sallie Mae and its allies have gone into crisis mode, lobbying intensively to hold back a potential flood of legislation that could squeeze the industry's profits. Loan officials and paid lobbyists are swarming Capitol Hill as Sallie Mae tries to portray itself as more appealing to a Democratic-controlled Congress.

Taking the Trick Out of Tapping Into Federal Aid
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/04/01/AR2007040100749.html
It's hard to find a college student who doesn't despise the FAFSA. The 101-question, eight-page form -- short for the Free Application for Federal Student Aid -- is filled out by 14 million students each year who apply for federal financial aid. But the questionnaire is so mind-bogglingly complicated that many others just give up and miss out on government grants. So Congress and the Education Department are moving to simplify the form and let students know earlier whether they qualify for aid, steps that officials hope will make college more affordable and accessible.

Program's Creator Is Hired to Assess It
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/03/31/AR2007033100824.html
The government contractor that set up a billion-dollar-a-year federal reading program for the Education Department and failed, according to the department's inspector general, to keep it free of conflicts of interest is one of the companies now evaluating the program. Reading First, part of President Bush's signature No Child Left Behind education law, provides intense reading help to low-income children in the early elementary grades. RMC Research Corp. was hired to establish and implement the program starting in 2002, under three contracts worth about $40 million. Recently, the Education Department's inspector general reported that RMC failed to keep the program free of conflicts of interest. For example, RMC did not screen subcontractors for relationships with publishers of reading programs.

Lacking Big-City Luster, Junior Miss Carves a Niche
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/04/02/us/02pageant.html?ref=us
It is a scholarship program, not a beauty pageant. Grades count, but there is no swimsuit competition. The winner receives a medallion, not a crown. That is why, as it celebrates its 50th anniversary, Junior Miss has been all but abandoned by city and suburban girls who favor bustier, lustier, Trump-owned contests like Miss USA and Miss Teen USA. Once broadcast by NBC and CBS and sponsored by Coca-Cola, Junior Miss counts Diane Sawyer and Debra Messing among its national and state winners, respectively. Yet big sponsors have evaporated, and officials announced that Junior Miss would end in 2005, before state and local volunteers demanded its resurrection.

Top

Military

Pentagon Says Funding Delay Would Affect Rotations, Training, Repairs
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/03/31/AR2007033100993.html
A delay in billions of dollars of supplemental war funding for the Pentagon would cause the Army to curtail training and equipment repair necessary to prepare units in the United States for deployment, which could lead forces now in Iraq and Afghanistan to have their tours lengthened, according to the nation's top general and other senior military officials. "Potentially, you would have troops who are currently serving overseas who would have to be extended" if the funds are delayed past May 15, because other service members would not be ready to replace them, Marine Gen. Peter Pace, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said last week during a hearing of the House Appropriations subcommittee on defense. The $122 billion emergency funding bill passed by the Senate contains more than $47 billion for the Army. That includes $20.5 billion to replenish an operations and maintenance account that will be exhausted by the end of May, according to a senior Army official.
RELATED: Army’s War Funds Can Last Through July, Report Says
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/03/31/washington/31cong.html

At Walter Reed, Bush Offers an Apology
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/03/30/AR2007033000200.html
President Bush yesterday paid his first visit to Walter Reed Army Medical Center since the uproar over shoddy conditions at the facility and emerged after a two-hour tour to publicly apologize for the physical and bureaucratic ordeals inflicted upon soldiers recovering from injuries on faraway battlefields. The president inspected new accommodations for patients who had been living in squalid quarters and visited a physical therapy room to talk with soldiers who lost arms or legs in Iraq only to find themselves lost in a broken system back home. The stories they told him about their frustrations at Walter Reed, he said later, left him troubled and reinforced his commitment to resolve their grievances.

A Salute for His Wounded, a Last Touch for His Dead
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/04/02/world/middleeast/02death.html?ref=world
In Iraq’s increasingly violent Diyala Province, the Third Brigade Combat Team of the First Cavalry Division has seen 39 soldiers die in five months.

General's Memo Urged Caution Soon After Tillman Death
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/03/30/AR2007033002243.html
One week after Cpl. Pat Tillman was accidentally killed by fellow Rangers in Afghanistan in 2004, a top Army general sent a memo intended to warn President Bush and others that it was "highly possible" that Tillman died by "friendly fire," and to caution against comments that could prove embarrassing should the circumstances of the former NFL star's death become public, according to a copy of the memo obtained yesterday. Tillman's widow and parents did not learn about the fratricide until five weeks after his April 22 death and after a memorial service in San Jose at which Tillman was posthumously awarded the Silver Star and lauded for bravery in battle against enemy fighters.

Weapons Maker Struggles To Survive
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/04/01/AR2007040100680.html
During wartime, selling tank ammunition might seem like a sure thing. But it's not going easily for Allied Defense Group. In recent weeks, the Vienna munitions maker's accounting firm warned that because of "continuing losses and negative cash flows," Allied is in danger of failing as a "going concern." Four creditors accused the firm of defaulting on loans. The Securities and Exchange Commission began an inquiry into the restatement Allied is filing for the three- and nine-month periods ended in September.

Coast Guard Academy Adrift, Says Task Force
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/03/30/AR2007033002122.html
The U.S. Coast Guard Academy has lost its way and is struggling with a climate of distrust and cynicism in which nearly a quarter of cadets say they would not report classmates who commit sexual assault, a task force reported Friday. The task force, created last year after the first student court-martial in the academy's 130-year history, said the academy must restore its focus on leadership and character to develop the best officers to safeguard the nation's coasts.

Report: Tuskegee Airmen lost 25 bombers
http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2007-04-01-tuskegee-airmen_N.htm
At least 25 bombers being escorted by the Tuskegee Airmen over Europe during World War II were shot down by enemy aircraft, according to a new Air Force report. The report contradicts the legend that the famed black aviators never lost a plane to fire from enemy aircraft. But historian William Holton said the discovery of lost bombers doesn't tarnish the unit's record. "It's impossible not to lose bombers," said Holton, national historian for Tuskegee Airmen Inc.

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Religion

Pope John Paul II on path to beatification
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-saint2apr02,1,6259633.story?coll=la-headlines-world
Soon after he died two years ago, Pope John Paul II was practically declared a saint by vox populi. Banners demanding "Santo Subito!" (Sainthood Now!) crowned the crowds of people who filled St. Peter's Square to mourn the pontiff. Today, on the second anniversary of his death, John Paul will take a significant step closer to sainthood. Church officials will announce the conclusion of a detailed investigation of the Polish prelate's life, and the Vatican will begin evaluating the case of a French nun who said she was miraculously healed after praying to John Paul.

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Transportation and Infrastructure

Seeking a Car That Gets 100 Miles a Gallon
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/04/02/business/02xprize.html?ref=business
The race is on to develop a commercially viable car that can travel 100 miles on a gallon of gasoline. The same group that awarded $10 million to a team that built the first private spacecraft to leave the earth’s atmosphere is expected to announce today the rules for its automotive competition. The group, the X Prize Foundation, says that the automotive contest, expected to carry a prize of more than $10 million, could have a significant effect on the automobile industry by speeding up efforts to use alternative fuels and reduce consumption. The average fuel economy of vehicles sold in the United States has remained nearly stagnant — around 20 miles a gallon — for decades.

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Environment and Conservation

Tax on Carbon Emissions Gains Support
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/03/31/AR2007033101040.html
As lawmakers on Capitol Hill push for a cap-and-trade system to rein in the nation's greenhouse gas emissions, an unlikely alternative has emerged from an ideologically diverse group of economists and industry leaders: a carbon tax. Most legislators view advocating any tax increase as tantamount to political suicide. But a coalition of academics and polluters now argues that a simple tax on each ton of emissions would offer a more efficient and less bureaucratic way of curbing carbon dioxide buildup, which scientists have linked to climate change. "We want to do the least damage to the growth of GDP," said Michael Canes, a private consultant and former chief economist for the American Petroleum Institute, who led a Capitol Hill briefing on the subject in late February sponsored by the conservative George C. Marshall Institute. Between a cap system and a carbon tax, "a carbon tax will be the much more cost-effective way to go," he said, though he added that there are other ways to reduce emissions.

Top

Opinion

Editor’s note: the New York Times has converted to a subscription-based editorial section. We are no longer clipping their op-ed columnists.

Beinart: The War of the Words
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/03/30/AR2007033001923.html
Start with the word "war." From the beginning it was designed to contrast with crime, which many Republicans said had been the Clinton administration's framework for fighting al-Qaeda. Democrats allegedly saw anti-terrorism as police work. The Bush administration, by contrast, would unleash the military. Lurking behind this dichotomy was the assumption that jihadist terrorists were mainly creatures of their state sponsors. If the real threat was not terrorist networks but governments, then of course war, rather than crime, was the correct prism. That was the theory, and Iraq was the test case. But as Iraq has gone south, the American public's appetite for further wars -- not to mention that of the rest of the world -- has plummeted. And even some in the Bush administration have decided that it's good politics and good policy to make the anti-terrorism effort sound less militaristic.

Hoagland: A Bubbling Stew in Iraq
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/03/30/AR2007033001927.html
U.S. efforts to bring the world's great powers together with Iraq's quarrelsome neighbors to stabilize the government in Baghdad have predictably run into strong opposition. Didn't President Bush warn Jim Baker and Lee Hamilton that Syria and Iran were not interested in stopping the turmoil in Iraq? Well, yes, he did. But the source of crippling opposition to a high-profile international conference in Turkey this month turns out not to have been foreseen by the president or by his critics on the Iraq Study Group, chaired by Baker and Hamilton. The gathering being pushed by Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has been blocked for weeks by Nouri al-Maliki, the surprisingly strong-willed prime minister of Iraq. Maliki has his own reasons, which I'll explain in a moment. But his initial sharp defiance of Washington's wishes -- and of the conventional diplomatic wisdom that meeting is always better than not meeting -- carries larger meanings. It again shows that America's ability to produce desired outcomes in the Middle East -- while not yet exhausted -- is waning rapidly as the Democratic majority in Congress challenges Bush's authority and the American occupation of Iraq enters its fifth draining year.

The Limits of Bad Policy
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/03/31/AR2007033100962.html
The Bush administration relearns the fact that Saudi Arabia is not a 'moderate' state.

Rights for Gitmo detainees
http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/editorials/la-ed-gitmo02apr02,0,7830166.story?coll=la-news-comment-editorials
Denying Guantanamo Bay inmates their day in court is a continuing, unnecessary outrage.

Diehl: Darfur on Their Radar
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/04/01/AR2007040100809.html
For months it's looked like the genocide in Darfur has fallen off the agenda of a White House desperately fighting fires in Iraq and throughout the Middle East. Yet last Monday President Bush's anger rocked the Oval Office when aides presented him with a plan for sanctions against the Sudanese government. Raising his voice, he demanded that his special envoy for Darfur, Andrew Natsios, and national security adviser Stephen Hadley come up with something stronger. Or so I'm told.

Extinct Sense
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/03/30/AR2007033001998.html
IT LOOKS LIKE another story of endangered ethics on the Bush administration's environmental staff. Last week the Interior Department's inspector general submitted the results of an investigation of Julie A. MacDonald, the deputy assistant secretary for fish and wildlife and parks, to congressional overseers. According to numerous accounts collected in the inquiry, Ms. MacDonald has terrorized low-level biologists and other employees for years, often yelling and even swearing at them. One official characterized her as an "attack dog." Much of this bullying, the report suggests, was aimed at diluting the scientific conclusions and recommendations of government biologists and at favoring industry and land interests.
RELATED: Bookman: When myths take priority over the facts
http://www.ajc.com/opinion/content/opinion/bookman/stories/2007/04/01/0402edbookman.html
RELATED: A Law Not to Be Trifled With
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/04/02/opinion/02mon2.html

Gonzales' amnesia
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/opinion/chi-0703310053apr01,0,2959232.story?coll=chi-newsopinion-hed
When the Justice Department relieved eight U.S. attorneys last year, critics claimed politics was the motive, and considerable evidence has accumulated to confirm those suspicions. What made Democrats suspicious was a provision added to the USA Patriot Act giving the president the power to fill such vacancies without going through Senate confirmation. That appeared to give the president a blank check. For those worried about the implications of the change, it came as a relief when Atty. Gen. Alberto Gonzales assured the Senate Judiciary Committee in January that the worries were entirely unfounded. "I am fully committed, as the administration's fully committed, to ensure that with every United States attorney position in this country, we will have a presidentially appointed, Senate-confirmed United States attorney," he testified, leaving himself no wiggle room. He went on to assert that a federal prosecutor "has greater imprimatur of authority, if in fact that person's been confirmed by the Senate." When a skeptical Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) insisted that every appointee should go before the committee for evaluation, he replied, "I agree with you." But that was two months ago, and since then Gonzales seems to have been afflicted with amnesia. What he promised is quite different from what is happening.
RELATED: Chapman: Public servants or our masters?
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/columnists/chi-0703310092apr01,0,4485082.column?coll=chi-newsopinioncommentary-hed
RELATED: Gonzales shifts his story
http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/la-ed-gonzales01apr01,0,746322.story?coll=la-opinion-leftrail
RELATED: An enlarging scandal at Justice
http://www.boston.com/news/globe/editorial_opinion/editorials/articles/2007/03/31/an_enlarging_scandal_at_justice/
RELATED: The Rovian Era
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/04/01/opinion/01sun1.html
RELATED: Avoiding Secret Testimony
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/03/31/opinion/31sat2.html

Talking Nonsense
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/04/01/AR2007040100731.html
PREOCCUPIED with scandal at home and war overseas, the Bush administration is resting its hopes of making a dent in the nation's domestic agenda largely on its stated goal of overhauling immigration policy. Yet the White House is doing too little to craft a plan that can attract bipartisan support and effectively reshape the nation's unrealistic rules on immigration. Rather than nudge its Republican allies toward such a strategy, the administration seems more intent on placating party hard-liners. A week after sensible, bipartisan legislation to reform immigration policy was introduced in the House, the administration circulated a collection of talking points last week. The document, the product of meetings between senior administration officials and Republican senators, is a step backward -- not only from legislation passed by the Senate last year but also from the general proposition that any genuine reform must be workable. In particular, the document offers up a template for punishing immigrants with repeated and possibly indefinite fines even after they emerged from the shadows to secure legal status.
RELATED: Immigration 2.0
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/opinion/chi-0703310047apr01,0,4073347.story?coll=chi-newsopinion-hed
RELATED: Pachon: Paying too much to be American
http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/la-oe-pachon2apr02,0,6365093.story?coll=la-opinion-center

Carr: Thousands Are Laid Off at Circuit City. What’s New?
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/04/02/business/media/02carr.html?ref=business
When executives at Circuit City decided last Wednesday to cut costs by laying off 3,400 of their most experienced salesclerks, they undoubtedly went through a number of calculations: that they could save $250 million over two years; that consumers are inured to bad service; and that the layoffs would be a one-day blip in the news. They were right about the last part. After hearing a fairly expansive report on public radio’s Marketplace late Wednesday, I woke up the next morning eager to read more. USA Today ran a short article on the front page, The Wall Street Journal ran a brief on B4, The New York Times published a wire report inside its business pages, while The Washington Post and The Los Angeles Times gave the news a bit more room.

Dionne: Bypassing the Electoral College
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/04/01/AR2007040100808.html
The American way of electing presidents is antiquated, impractical and dangerous. It is odd indeed that in 2000, a nation devoted to spreading democracy throughout the world gave power to a man who received 543,895 fewer votes than his opponent. Under our system, George W. Bush's disputed 537-vote margin in Florida was deemed more important than Al Gore's half-million-ballot advantage nationwide. And please, dear Republican friends, don't shout "Get over it!" Think back to 2004, when Bush defeated John Kerry by 3 million votes nationally. If just 59,300 people in Ohio had voted for Kerry instead of Bush, Kerry would have won the electoral college and become president. You can write the scripts for the Fox News commentaries about Kerry stealing the White House.

Vedantam: The Decoy Effect, or How to Win an Election
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/04/01/AR2007040100973.html
If Democrats Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama ever took a break from fundraising to bone up on psychology, they might realize the need to talk up . . . John Edwards. The same goes for front-runners John McCain and Rudy Giuliani in the race for the 2008 Republican presidential nomination. They ought to be drawing attention to Mitt Romney, or to "Law and Order" star Fred Thompson, who could be running third in the race if he declared. Front-runners are usually focused on racing each other. They often do not realize that when people cannot decide between two leading candidates -- and it doesn't matter whether we are talking about politicians or consumer appliances -- our decision can be subtly swayed by whoever is in third place.

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