Today on Colorado Edition: we’ll get an update on the census count, and learn about new drilling setbacks. Plus, how the pandemic has impacted standardized tests, and we’ll listen to the second part of a series about gun owners fighting suicide.
Census Count
With lawsuits and congressional legislation still in the works, the deadline for the 2020 Census Count remains in limbo. KUNC’s Adam Rayes joined us to explain what we do, and don’t, know about the upcoming deadlines.
Drilling Setbacks
How close should oil and gas drilling be to the places we live, work and go to school? That’s been the subject of debate in Colorado for years. Now it’s heating up again as the Polis administration considers passing some of the country’s strictest limits on drilling setbacks. KUNC’s Matt Bloom has more.
Standardized Tests And The Pandemic
For better or for worse, this pandemic has shaken up a lot in the world of education. And it’s not just the short-term question of day-to-day schooling.
Standardized testing has also been thrown for a loop and that includes the SAT, a multiple-choice test administered by the not-for-profit College Board. It’s used by thousands of schools across the country for admissions.
In Colorado, the SAT is typically mandatory. Even last Spring, at the start of the pandemic, the test was required. But over the summer, the state Board of Education announced that this fall’s SAT would be voluntary, a move that opened up a lot of flexibility at a time when it’s most needed — and created confusion along with it.
Jason Gonzales, a reporter for Chalkbeat Colorado, joined us to clear up some of the confusion.
In Their Own Hands: Part Two
A warning for our listeners: This story discusses suicide and it may not be appropriate for everyone.
More than 20,000 Americans die by firearm suicide every year. In the Mountain West, solving this problem is particularly urgent. Suicide rates are high, and guns are everywhere. There’s a growing movement to put distance between guns and people in crisis.
For the Guns And America series, “In Their Own Hands," KUNC's Leigh Paterson has more.
If you or someone you know is struggling with thoughts of suicide, you can reach the National Suicide Prevention Hotline at 1-800-273-8255.
Colorado Edition is made possible with support from our KUNC members. Thank you!
Our theme music was composed by Colorado musicians Briana Harris and Johnny Burroughs.
Colorado Edition is hosted by Erin O'Toole (@ErinOtoole1) and Henry Zimmerman, and produced by Lily Tyson. The web was edited by digital editor Jackie Hai. KUNC news director Brian Larson is our executive producer. We get production help from Rae Solomon.
KUNC's Colorado Edition is a news magazine taking an in-depth look at the issues and culture of Northern Colorado. It's available on our website, as well as on iTunes, Google Play, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. You can hear the show on KUNC's air, Monday through Thursday at 6:30 p.m., with a rebroadcast of the previous evening's show Tuesday through Friday at 8:30 a.m.
Correction, 10/8/2020: In a previous version of the podcast, Reporter Adam Rayes said Colorado's 2020 Census self-response rate is "nearly 10 points higher than 2010." The response rate is actually just nearly 4 points higher with a 3.6% difference as of Thursday morning. The audio has been corrected accordingly.