DEA ban on kratom affecting local businesses A plant product known as kratom, used as a painkiller and sometimes a replacement for heroin and other options, will be illegal at the end of September.The Drug Enforcement Administration reclassified the drug from a drug of concern to a schedule I Substance on Aug. 31, making it equal to other drugs like LSD, marijuana, and heroin.Kratom is legal to sell or use currently, one business here in Colorado Springs says users are stopping by and stocking up on the drug before they can't get it legall Read more

People of color sickened disproportionally by COVID-19 in Colorado The coronavirus sickens people of color in Colorado at a higher rate than their representation in the population, according to data released on Aug. 20 by the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, bolstering other data nationwide that shows similar findings.Here, Black and Hispanic people have been hospitalized at disproportionately high rates, the CDPHE reports.Hispanic people have accounted for nearly 38 percent of all hospitalized patients, though they represent about 22 Read more

State approves additional federal unemployment payments — for 3 weeks only The state of Colorado is preparing to issue unemployment checks via President Donald Trump's executive order to pay $300 a week to those who qualify for three weeks. The payments will come amidst Congress' failed efforts to reach an agreement regarding the continuation of the $600 per week benefit to compensate those out of work due to shutdowns because of COVID-19.The Colorado Department of Labor said in a release issued Aug. 19 that the federal Lost Wages Assistance program has been approved a Read more

Opinion: This is no time for a vacation, Congress At the end of July, millions of Americans — and about 10.4 percent of eligible workers in El Paso County —found themselves staring down hunger, loss of utilities, evictions and homelessness when federal assistance for the unemployed ran out. And all the other programs to aid small businesses and keep people working have virtually dried up as well.… Read more

Lady Gaga debuts her weekly talk-radio show with mixed results “I’m the worst thing and the best thing that’s ever happened to all of you,” declares Lady Gaga in the premiere episode of Gaga Radio, a weekly interview show that Apple Music describes as a “celebration of dance music when we need it most.”

The series debuted on Aug. 7 with a lengthy discussion between Gaga and BloodPop®, a copyright-protected artist who clearly understands that one’s name, as any Artrepreneur subscriber will confirm, is a corporat Read more

Glass Animals bring psychedelic pop back home When last we heard from Oxford (UK)’s psychedelic pop-soul ensemble Glass Animals, in 2016’s How to Be a Human Being, the band was offering detailed vignettes of random humans, real and imagined. As befits a homebound pandemic year, the band is turning its gaze inward in the new Dreamland (Polydor/Republic), offering sober personal tales while preserving a taste of pop sparkle.… Read more

Four illuminating and engaging ways to stay entertained this week To encourage social distancing during the spread of COVID-19, we are altering our regular “Event Horizon” section for the foreseeable future. While many local events have been canceled, we will clue you into at least one local experience — this week: a family-friendly voter registration event held by Be the Change 719 — and recommend some things you can do at home or safely out and about.… Read more

Be the Change 719 hosts family-fun voter registration event With the November election mere months away, local community advocacy group Be the Change 719 is hosting “Respect My Vote,” a fun, inspiring and informative event designed to empower everyone to make their voice heard this fall through registering to vote.Be the Change 719 co-founder Latrina Ollie says that attendees can expect a family event that is intended to bring the community together and help get people registered.“It is important for everyone to feel like their voice i Read more

Analysis: PTSD impacts both protesters and police THE ENEMY WITHIN Despite widespread and vocal calls for the termination of Sgt. Keith Wrede, the officer who commented “KILL EM ALL” on a June 30 livestream of a Black Lives Matter protest, Colorado Springs Police Department Chief Vince Niski announced in an Aug. 10 news release that Wrede would not be fired (see p. 7 for details).… Read more

A COVID-19 housing crisis threatens Coloradans EVICTION NOTICE Mucking horse stables, finding yardwork, driving for Uber — 47-year-old Monument resident Jody Raye has spent the last five months in a desperate hustle to pay bills and hold onto his home.… Read more

Funds available to small businesses, nonprofits for pandemic relief Sept. 7 is the deadline for small businesses and nonprofits to apply for grants in a new local program approved Aug. 18 by the Board of El Paso County Commissioners.The program, the El Paso County Regional Business Relief Fund, will be managed by the county's Department of Economic Development to funnel money to businesses and nonprofits adversely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.The fund was created with a portion of the $127.5 million the county received from the Coronavirus A Read more

Itchy-O’s Sypherlot Drive-In Radio Bath I’m always hesitant to use the phrase “the new normal” because it’s inherently understood as a qualifier of restriction and disappointment — as the great Bruce Cockburn said back in 1983, “the trouble with normal is it always gets worse.” So, while it certainly seems like we all have to settle for worse in various aspects of life, there’s no need to take it lying down.… Read more

UPDATE: Air Force Academy confirms positive tests for coronavirus within Cadet Wing UPDATE:The Academy's spokesman Lt. Col. Mike Andrews said in a statement that an employee of the Great Wolf Lodge, one of three local hotels housing 400 Academy cadets during the COVID-19 pandemic, has tested positive for the virus.However, Andrews says no cadets staying at that hotel have tested positive."The first priority of the Air Force Academy remains the health and safety of our Cadet Wing, faculty and our entire Air Force Academy community," he said in the statement. "We have a large tea Read more

Air Force Academy confirms positive tests for coronavirus within Cadet Wing The Air Force Academy refuses to say how many cadets and preparatory school candidates have tested positive for COVID-19, but says the number is fewer than 1 percent, or less than 40.Asked by the Indy about a COVID outbreak in multiple cadet squadrons, the Academy released a statement from spokesman Lt. Col. Michael Andrews:The first priority of the Air Force Academy is the health and safety of our Cadet Wing, faculty and our entire Air Force Academy community.… Read more