Colorado

(Newser) - A black jazz singer got plenty of glares before the mayor's address in Denver this week when instead of singing "The Star-Spangled Banner" as expected, she sang "Lift Every Voice and Sing"—known as the "black national anthem." Many in the audience appeared shocked and the mayor later said he regretted the "distraction." More »

(Newser) - Denver has a pretty lax marijuana policy (small amounts are legal) and pro-pot advocates are wondering whether, after a recent rash of "air rage" incidents, such permissiveness shouldn’t extend to the city airport’s smoking lounge, CW2 News reports. “This madness has got to stop,” said a proponent. “And we're providing a very viable solution.” More »

(Newser) - You can pledge to make your Dem convention “the greenest…in the history of the planet” (as Denver’s mayor recently did), you can hire a Director of Greening—but it’s still no small task to throw a sustainable presidential nominating conference. That's what the Journal discovered in a look at party preparations, which include a stymied search for organic, union-made baseball caps and participation by Coors—which has long been charged with discriminatory practices. More »

(Newser) - Democrats are scaling back their national convention plans in the face of fundraising shortfalls, the AP reports. The Denver host committee has just $29 million of the $40.6 million it promised to deliver by yesterday. The committee says it’s confident it’ll get the money before the convention begins Aug. 25, but organizers are shaving $3 million off events and vendor obligations. More »

(Newser) - A Colorado company accused of spamming must pay MySpace $6 million in damages and legal fees after an arbitrator ruled for the social networking site, the AP reports. Media Breakaway and its CEO, aka the "Spam King," were accused of using hijacked or "phished" accounts to send millions of advertising messages to MySpace members. The site has banned the company and its employees. More »

(Newser) - As the sun scorches the East Coast, the West is shivering from a brisk few weeks. Areas of Washington are expected to get up to 5 inches of snow, while Aspen, Colo., is re-opening its slopes. There's still an average of 3 feet of white stuff on Aspen Mountain's upper slopes, which will reopen June 13 to 15, leftover from winter's record snowfall. More »

(Newser) - The best cities are those where you can not only find work and affordable housing, but are also infused with culture and creativity, Kiplinger's Personal Finance writes. Its (somewhat surprising) top 10: Houston: Flush with museums, nightlife, and a teeming job market. More »

(Newser) - A letter written by a jailed Colorado gang member could tie him to the murder of Denver Broncos cornerback Darrent Williams, the Rocky Mountain News reports. The letter, intercepted by the suspect's cellmate, mentions the man's worries about a witness who saw him shoot "D-Will." Williams was gunned down in a drive-by shooting on New Year's Day 2007. More »