 From Carnegie Studios in Longmont, Colorado, it's Puppet News. I'm Herman Hansen and I assure you I am not a cat. And I'm Eranda Lerr and this is Puppet News. Here are tonight's stories. Can somebody roll the teleprompter please? It's kinda hard to read if I don't have anything. Yes, my teleprompter. Because I'm the only one here. So yeah, maybe my teleprompter. Let's get it going here. Just waiting for the old teleprompter. You'd think it wouldn't be that hard. Oh, it's rolling. There's nothing on the teleprompter. This is Zen News by Herman Hansen. And do we have any stories tonight? Apparently there's not much going on in the world. Oh, look, a story. This just in. The teleprompter is rolling. Worried about continuing threats. The acting chief of the U.S. Capitol Police appealed to congressional leaders Thursday to use their influence to keep National Guard troops at the Capitol two months after the law enforcement breakdowns of the deadly January 6 insurrection. Yogananda Pittman told leaders in a letter obtained by the Associated Press that the board that oversees her department has so far declined to extend an emergency declaration required by Yogananda Keepguardsmen who have assisted Capitol officers since the riot. Pittman said she needed the leaders' assistance with the three-member Capitol Police Board which reports to them. She said the board has sent her a list of actions it wants her to implement, though she said it was unclear whether the points were orders or just recommendations. The letter underscored the confusion over how best to secure the Capitol dismal lack of protection in January and biting criticism for law enforcement's handling of the invasion. Just waiting for the old teleprompter. And it came as authorities spent the day on high alert primed for a possible plot by a militia group to storm the building again two months after Trump supporters smashed through windows and doors in an insurrection meant to halt the certification of Joe Biden's presidential victory. The list and the letter to lawmakers included partial removal of the imposing fence encircling the Capitol grounds starting Monday and a drawdown of the guard to 900 troops from the currently 5,200 remaining in Washington. Police want to keep the fence indefinitely. In her letter, Pittman said she would ask for a drawdown of the deployment based on the threat environment and physical and operational security capabilities. Earlier Tuesday, the Associated Press reported the Pentagon was reviewing a Capitol Police request to keep up to 2,200 guardsmen at the Capitol another 60 days. A statement from the police said Pittman had formally made the recommendation to the Pentagon. A similar dispute had erupted between the Capitol Police and its board before January 6 and even as rioters were storming the building the Capitol Police Board comprised of the House and Senate sergeants at arms and the architect of the Capitol it's charged with oversight of the police force. Stephen Sund, the now former Capitol Police Chief has testified to Congress that he wanted to request the guard two days before the invasion following reports that white supremacists and far-right groups would target the building to disrupt the certification of Biden's election victory over outgoing President Donald Trump. Paul Irving, who served on the Capitol Police Board as House Sergeant at Arms denied that Sund asked him to call the guard. Sund has testified that he asked repeatedly for the guard to be called as rioters stormed the building breaking police lines and running over officers unequipped to hold them off. He ultimately called the commanding general of the D.C. National Guard just before 2 p.m. who in turn testified that the request for help was not approved until after 5 p.m. as hundreds of rioters marauded through the building and left without being arrested. Five people died in the riot including a Capitol Police Officer and a Trump supporter shot by police. On Thursday, despite the warnings of new trouble there were no signs of disturbance at the heavily secured building nor was there evidence of any large group heading to Washington. The most recent threat appeared to be connected to a far-right conspiracy theory mainly promoted by supporters of QAnon that former Trump would rise again to power on March 4 and that thousands would come to Washington to try to remove Democrats from office. March 4 was the original presidential inauguration day until 1933 when it was moved to January 20. But Trump was miles away in Florida. In Washington, on one of the warmest days in weeks the National Mall was almost deserted save for joggers, journalists and a handful of tourists trying to take photos of the Capitol dome through the fencing. Online chatter identified by authorities included discussions among members of the 3%ers an anti-government militia group concerning possible plots against the Capitol on Thursday according to two law enforcement officials who were not authorized to speak publicly and spoke on a condition of anonymity. Members of the 3%ers were among the extremists who stormed the Capitol on January 6 but federal agents found no significant increases in the number of hotel rooms being rented in Washington or in flights to the area, car rental reservations or buses being chartered. Online chatter about the day on extremist sites was declining. U.S. Representative Michael McCall, Republican of Texas said by law enforcement about the possible threat and said lawmakers were braced for whatever might come. We have the razor wire, we have the National Guard, we didn't have that January 6 so I feel very confident in the security, he said but those measures aren't permanent. Some states have threatened to pull their guardsmen amid reports that some troops had been made to take rest breaks in parking garages or served spoiled food. Other guardsmen said they have been given good meals and conditions for those on vegan or halal diets. In Michigan which sent 1000 troops, Democratic Governor Gretchen Whitmer said she did not have any intention of agreeing to an extension of this deployment. Altona Middle School in Longmont was recently designated as a 2021 Colorado Trailblazer School to watch by the Colorado Association of Middle School Level Education. There are a number of St. Rain Valley Schools with a designation to 4 according to Kerry McDermid, District Chief Communications and Global Impact Officer. There are 18 middle schools with a designation across Colorado two of which were selected this year said Diane Lauer, co-director of the Colorado Schools to Watch program and Assistant Superintendent of Priority Programs and Academic Support at SBVSD. Altona Middle will be among more than 400 schools nationwide that will be recognized this year as Schools to Watch and one of more than 100 schools that will be recognized by the National Forum to Accelerate Middle Grade Reform according to a news release. The Colorado School to Watch program has been in existence since 2003 and each year we have the opportunity to review schools that are making an incredible difference in the lives of students in their communities with academic, excellent, developmental responsiveness, social equity and strong internal structures and organization, Lauer said. 20 states are a part of the National Program and at the beginning of each year Camille reviews applications and a team of middle school educators conduct site visits in schools. Lauer said adding every year between 10 to 20 schools actively seek designation. The School to Watch designation lasts three years and schools can apply to maintain the designation, Lauer said. Jeremy LaCrosse, principal at Altona Middle School said administrators applied for the designation which Altona also received in 2011 to help evaluate where the school stands in terms of the programs for pillars of excellent responsiveness, social equity and internal structures. Instead of finishing your leftovers you let them go bad and buy takeout. It's a familiar routine for many and indicative of habits that contribute to a global food waste problem that a new United Nations report says needs to be better measured so that it can be effectively addressed. The UN report estimates 17% of the food produced globally each year is wasted. That amounts to 931 million metric tons of food. The waste is far more than previous reports had indicated though direct comparisons are difficult because of differing methodologies and the lack of strong data from many countries. Improved measurement can lead to improved management, said Brian Rowe, a food waste researcher at Ohio State University who was not involved in the report. Most of the waste or 61% happens in households while food service counts for 26% and retailers account for 13% the UN found. The UN is pushing to reduce food waste globally and researchers are also working on an assessment of waste that includes the food lost before reaching consumers. The authors note the report seeks a clearer snapshot of the scale of a problem that has been difficult to assess in hopes of spurring governments to invest in better tracking. Many countries haven't yet quantified their food waste so they don't understand the scale of the problem, said Clementine O'Connor of the UN Environmental Program and co-author of the report. Food waste has become a growing concern because of the environmental toll of production including the land required to raise crops and animals as gas emissions produced along the way. Experts say improved waste tracking is key to finding ways to ease the problems such as programs to divert inedible scraps to use as animal feed or fertilizer. The report found food waste in homes isn't limited to higher income countries such as the United States and the United Kingdom. Roe of Ohio State noted that food sometimes is wasted in poor countries without reliable home refrigeration. In richer countries, people might eat out more meaning food waste is simply shifted from the home to restaurants. Roe said cultural norms and policies also could contribute to waste at home such as massive packaging buy one get one free deals or lack of composting programs. That's why broader system changes are key to helping reduce waste in households, said Chris Barrett an agricultural economist at Cornell University. For example, Barrett said people might throw away food because of a date on the product even though such dates don't always say when a food is unsafe to eat. Food waste is a consequence of sensible decisions by people acting on the best information available, he said. To clarify the meaning of labeling dates, U.S. regulators have urged food makers to be more consistent in using them. They note that labels like sell buy, best buy and enjoy buy could cause people to throw out food prematurely even though some labels are intended only to indicate when quality might decline. The U.S. Department of Agriculture estimates that a family four wastes about $1,500 in food each year but accurately measuring food waste is difficult for a variety of reasons including data availability said USDA food researcher Jean Busby adding that improved measurements are part of a government plan to reduce waste. Richard Swannel, a co-author of the UN report said food was generally more valued even when richer countries just a few generations ago since people often couldn't afford to waste it. Now, he said, awareness about the scale of food waste globally could help shift attitudes back to that era. Food is too important to waste, he said. After a young man experiencing homelessness damaged a parked car in 2020 in Durango while in the midst of a mental health crisis police officers took him to jail before he was quickly released. He didn't steal anything he just started wrecking stuff because he was disoriented said Brian Millard diversion coordinator for the 6th Judicial District. Instead of being held in jail the young man was enrolled in a 6 month mental health diversion program aimed at steering more people with unmet mental health needs who commit low level offenses away from jail and into treatment. The pilot program was created by lawmakers in 2018 for judicial districts encompassing a total of 9 counties were selected for the pilot and programs were implemented throughout spring and summer of 2019. It was just starting to gain traction last year when state lawmakers pulled its funding in July due to pandemic induced budget crisis. Implementation science tells us that fully implementing new programs in creating sustainable models takes 3 to 5 years said Elena Shively director of the center for prevention and restorative justice in Colorado's 20th Judicial District which encompasses Boulder County. So to yank funding when we're 18 or so months into building this up summer we had actually started to get referrals and started to build up the caseload. Due to budget cuts 3 of the 4 programs in the participating judicial districts were focused to a screeching halt while Boulder County remained in operation with the help of grant funding. Colorado's 8th Judicial District which encompasses Jackson and Larimer counties had to pause the program because it is relaunching a version of it this week using grant funding. Between January 2019 and July 2020 across all 4 districts 88 people had signed up for the program according to the program's annual report. Before the funding was cut the program was halted Miller had enrolled 24 people in the diversion program with a 100% success rate. Meaning participants had completed 6 months of outpatient mental health treatment and case management and hadn't commended any new crimes. Participants enrolled in the diversion program have their criminal charges dropped by the district's attorney's office. Eligible crimes include possession of a controlled substance criminal mischief trespassing and non-domestic violence related to harassment or assault. Well, the abs are at it again. How about those Broncos? And now for sports. A hunter from Colorado Springs has been permanently banned from hunting in 48 states including Colorado after he pleaded guilty to several poaching charges across the state. Colorado Parks and Wildlife said hearing examiner Stephen Cooley decided last week to permanently suspend hunting privileges for Iniki Vicky Kapu 28 after he pleaded guilty KMGH-TV reported. Colorado is a member of the Interstate Wildlife Violator Compact meaning the lifetime hunting ban also extends to the other 47 member states not including Hawaii and Massachusetts. Kapu was accused of killing 12 deer, two turkeys and a bighorn sheep ram across three Colorado counties. Kapu first pleaded guilty to illegal possession of wildlife in May 2019 and was fined $900 in Chaffee County. He then pleaded guilty in December 2019 in Teller County and again in February 2020 in Fremont County. Kapu also pleaded guilty to illegal possession of three or more big game animals. He was fined $4,600 and sentenced to six months in jail and three years of supervised probation in Fremont County as part of a plea agreement official said. He also surrendered the weapons he used for poaching. Mr. Kapu's crimes against wildlife are the essence of what defines a poacher by taking wildlife without regard for the laws protecting them Cooley said. Iniki Kapu is viewed as a serious threat to Colorado's wildlife and his violations are among the worst. The severity and level of indifference for wildlife in this case is highly seen and cannot be tolerated. Kapu did not participate in the hearing on his hunting privileges but can appeal his suspension, Parks and Wildlife said. He has 35 days to appeal the decision. It's not known if Kapu has a lawyer. He was represented in his most recent criminal case by a lawyer from the State Public Defender's Office which does not allow attorneys to comment on cases. Frank McGee an agency wildlife manager out of Springs said this should be a warning to anyone considering poaching in the state. Colorado Parks and Wildlife aggressively pursues anyone who illegally takes wildlife. When you poach you are stealing from all residents of Colorado he said. And your acts are an insult to all the hunters who follow the rules, who buy licenses that pay for wildlife management, who respect the hunting seasons and abide by the principles of fair chase. Spring will be blooming soon and the summer hiking season will swiftly follow. Camping and backpacking trips require a good amount of planning and preparation and one of the most important things to sort out is what to eat. Meal planning is a little easier when camping with a car or trailer because weight and refrigeration aren't the largest concerns. But there is still some benefit to having a plan before packing the car. Preparing as much as possible in a home kitchen takes the burden of cleaning away from the campsite. Cutting and proportioning vegetables even pre-cooking whole meals to heat up quickly on a camping stove can make for an enjoyable weekend in the wilderness that's mostly hassle free. For car or trailer camping I still pre-make as much as possible. It's much easier to have things like breakfast burritos, burger patties even spaghetti and meatballs frozen ahead of time to just heat up. It keeps everything cleaner. I don't like dealing with food prep and clean up with raw meat when we're outdoors. Laumont resident Jennifer Jensen said. I want to feel like I'm on vacation not constantly cooking. Easy breakfast packed with whole foods, complex carbohydrates and proteins are good for quick starts on chilly mountain mornings. Lunches should be lightweight and easy to eat on the move whether it's a day hike or a backpacking trip. Hard cheeses crackers, curd meats and protein or granola bars make for healthy and nutritional meals on the go. More preparation and planning is needed when it comes to backpacking tracks whether it's just a few days or a couple of months. Weight is a factor as well as ease of preparation and nutritional content. The difficulty of the route in addition to the length of each day's hikes and the calories that will be burned are considerations. After getting $500 per month for two years without rules on how to spend it, 125 people in California paid off debt, got full-time jobs and reported lower rates of anxiety and depression according to a study released Wednesday. The program in the northern California city of Stockton was the highest profile experiment in the U.S. of a universal basic income where everyone gets a guaranteed amount per month for free. Announced by former mayor Michael Tubbs with great fanfare in 2017, the idea quickly gained momentum once it became a major part of Andrew Yang's 2020 campaign for president. Supporters say a guaranteed income can alleviate the stress and anxiety of people living in poverty while giving them the financial security needed to find good jobs and avoid debt. But critics argue free money would eliminate the incentive to work, creating a society dependent on the state. Tubbs, who at 26 was elected Stockton's first black mayor in 2016 after endorsements from Oprah Winfrey and Barack Obama wanted to put those claims to the test. Stockton was an ideal place given its proximity to Silicon Valley and the eagerness of the state's tech titans to fund the experiment as they grapple with how to prepare for job losses that could come with automation and artificial intelligence. The Stockton Economic Empowerment demonstration launched in February 2019 selecting a group of 125 people who lived in census tracts at or below the city's median household income of $46,000 and 33 cents. The program did not use tax dollars but was financed by private donations including a non-profit led by Facebook co-founder Chris Hughes. A pair of independent researchers at the University of Tennessee and the University of Pennsylvania reviewed data from the first year of the study which did not overlap with the pandemic. A second study looking at year two is scheduled to be released next year. When the program started in February 2019 28% of the people slated to get the free money had full-time jobs. One year later 40% of those people had full-time jobs. A control group of people who did not get the money saw a 5 percentage point increase in full-time employment over that same time period. These numbers were incredible. I hardly believed them myself said Stacia West an assistant professor at the University of Tennessee who analyzed the data along with Amy Castro Baker an assistant professor at the University of Pennsylvania. Thomas Vargas said the extra $500 a month was enough for him to take time off from his part-time job and find full-time work that paid better. He said he was depressed at the start of 2019 but now says he is happier and healthier. Every day I get to wake up and enjoy my kids he said. My wife enjoyed time together. We didn't have that before. Tubbs cheered the results telling reporters on a conference call to tell your friends tell your cousins that guaranteed income did not make people stop working. Matt Zwolinski director of the Center for Ethics Economics and Public Policy at the University of San Diego reviewed the study and said it is really good news for supporters of a basic income guarantee but he said the study is limited because it only lasted two years and people are unlikely to drop out of the labor force if they know the extra money is temporary. Tubbs claimed that this experiment proves that a basic income doesn't negatively affect employment is overstated he said. Researchers found the people who got the money reported lower incidences of anxiety and depressive symptoms when compared to another group of people who did not get the money. Those findings could be key to next year's study which will look at how the participants fared during the pandemic. It will allow us to ask the question to what degree did that $500 serve as a financial vaccine as people were entering the pandemic Baker said. The fact that folks went into the pandemic in a much stronger position I think bodes really well for the ways in which cash can really alleviate chronic strain. People got the money once a month on a debit card to let researchers track how most of the people spent it. Less than 1% of the money went to tobacco and alcohol. Tubbs who lost his re-election bid as Stockton's mayor in November said his goal is to convince state and federal lawmakers to implement guaranteed income programs on a larger scale. Aside from conservatives who object to big government spending opposition also comes from labor unions that worry the government would end the global safety net programs to pay for it. Yang's plan would have cost nearly $3 trillion a year to provide guaranteed income to everyone. That's a question these experiments are not designed to answer said Steve Smith communications director for the California Labor Federation. Still guaranteed income programs seem to be gaining momentum. More than 40 mayors have joined mayors for a guaranteed income with many planning projects of their own. A proposal in the California legislature would offer $1,000 per month for three years to people who age out of the state's foster care system. And in Congress, Republican U.S. Senator Mitt Romney of Utah has proposed expanding the child tax credit to send most parents at least $250 per month. Tubbs said that's a big difference from when he first announced this guaranteed income program before years ago. How the pendulum has swung, he said. And that's all we have time for. For Puppet News, I'm Herman Hechting. And I'm Miranda Lerr. Good night.