Scandals

The five dumbest celebrity products ever pushed on the public

Maria Sharapova, the number two-ranked World Tennis Association player and former Sports Illustrated swimsuit model, just launched a line of boutique candies -- including little lemon-lime tennis balls. This seems a little weird, considering Sharapova's athleticism and the nation's current examinati ... More >>

The 50 worst rock/pop lyrics of all time: 30-21

Just when you think the suck factor has been turned all the way up, here comes another batch of songs to push the needle further in the red. Today as the countdown of total crappiness continues, we've got tunes by Kid Rock, Nickleback, Michael Jackson, Sublime and more. Keep reading to see which son ... More >>

Scott Gessler: Inside Colorado's charges and prosecutions of voter fraud

This week's cover story on Scott Gessler delves into two of the Republican Secretary of State's biggest controversies -- allegations that he misused public dollars for partisan travels and accusations that he has suppressed voters. Gessler earned the latter criticisms for his initiatives to prevent ... More >>

Scott Gessler didn't do enough to stop voter fraud, say critics at Arapahoe County event

Pre-election news coverage about Secretary of State Scott Gessler often focused on his efforts to weed out non-citizen voters and prevent fraud through an initiative some activists called a wild goose chase. But at an event in Arapahoe County, where Gessler invited public feedback, most took the opp ... More >>

Reader: Scott Gessler's critics don't seem to mind voter fraud when it benefits them

Sam Levin's recent post in which Scott Gessler's office shared evidence of voter fraud brought out a supporter of the frequently attacked Colorado Secretary of State. The reader believes those most apt to bash Gessler would be happy to look the other way if cheating gave their candidates a boost.

Scott Gessler won't intimidate us on election day, Latino groups say

Secretary of State Scott Gessler has a Republican agenda and is trying to prevent Latinos and new citizens from voting on election day. At least that's the charge from a group of left-leaning advocacy organizations working to get Hispanic voters to the polls in Colorado. Gessler's office, however, i ... More >>

Scott Gessler's office shares evidence of voter fraud in Colorado

Secretary of State Scott Gessler has gotten a lot of attention for his effort to weed out illegal voters and frequent clashes with voter rights advocacy groups that complain he is devoting too much time to a wild goose chase. Here, we take you behind the scenes at Gessler's office, where his staff ... More >>

Gazette's Wayne Laugesen on why he thinks Planned Parenthood covers up statutory rape

Update: This weekend, Colorado Springs Gazette editorial page editor Wayne Laugesen published a scathing piece in which he argued that Planned Parenthood was likely worse than Penn State when it came to covering up sexual assaults on children; our previous coverage is below. Laugesen explains the ti ... More >>

Reader: Jeffrey Ross's joke crossed the line, but people need to lighten up

Comic Jeffrey Ross joked about the Aurora shooting during a Comedy Central roast of former Denverite Roseanne Barr -- and then hurried to explain his comparison of Seth Green to James Holmes. "That is what the roasts are about," he said. "That's what Roseanne is about -- unapologetic comedy. If I ... More >>

Jeffrey Ross's Aurora theater shooting joke won't be aired by Comedy Central

Update: Earlier this morning, we posted about comic Jeffrey Ross making an Aurora theater shooting joke at a Comedy Central roast of onetime Denver resident Roseanne Barr; see our earlier coverage below. We noted that Ross hasn't apologized for the gags, and he still hasn't. But he's now admitting ... More >>

Voter suppression bill dies in front of House Judiciary Committee

Yesterday, state Republicans killed a bill that sought to make it a felony-level crime to intentionally mislead citizens about voting information during an election. Known as the Fairness in Voting bill, it came under political fire during its tenure in the legislation over accusations that it was a ... More >>

Daniel Junge on his Oscar nomination, Saving Face, and the Colorado film industry

​This isn't Daniel Junge's first trip to the Oscars. The Colorado-based filmmaker was nominated for an Academy Award in 2010 for his documentary The Last Campaign of Governor Booth Gardner; this time he's nominated in the Documentary Short category for Saving Face, a film that follows a Pakist ... More >>

After Whitney died, pundits got out the soapboxes in record time

Video: Video: With Whitney Houston, the only difference was that everyone knew her name

Rod "Blago" Blagojevich, shmuck -- for trying to work the prison system like he did politics

Blago.​Rod Blagojevich, the disgraced former Illinois Governor who's headed to prison for trying to broker a political deal, is now trying to broker another. Blago, who was sentenced to fourteen years in the clink for trying to sell the U.S. Senate seat vacated by Barack Obama (among other for ... More >>

Reader: Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests praises Fr. Richard Kurtz's alleged victim

Last week, we reported about the arrest of Father Richard James Kurtz, a Jesuit priest based in Chicago, for an alleged sexual assault on a male under the age of eighteen back in 2001. The post attracted a comment from the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, complete with a salute to the v ... More >>

Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests coordinate protests with filing against Vatican

Big pics below.​Yesterday, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests accused the Vatican, as well as four officials, including Pope Benedict XVI, of crimes against humanity at the International Criminal Court in the Hague. To draw more attention to this action, members of SNAP's Denver ... More >>

Nobody files more frivolous lawsuits than Lindsay Lohan

Rockies' Mike Jacobs becomes first U.S. professional athlete to test positive for HGH

Sky SoxJacobs.​So far, the most notable moment of the Rockies season was when management traded Ubaldo Jimenez, the best pitcher in team history. And now we have another notable -- but not positive event -- with which to mark the season: Mike Jacobs, first baseman for the Rockies' Triple-A te ... More >>

Charles Chaput: Advice for Denver archbishop as he takes on troubled Philadelphia archdiocese

Charles Chaput.​The appointment of Denver Archbishop Charles Chaput to succeed embattled Cardinal Justin Rigali as the Archbishop of Philadelphia is receiving mostly positive reviews in his new home city, at least thus far. That may say more about antipathy for Rigali, who critics accuse of fa ... More >>

Lindsay Lohan's ad and other attention-grabbing antics from celebs under house arrest

Man, house arrest is rough.​House arrest isn't just for political prisoners, Pol Pot and Ponzi scheme artists anymore. In the last few years, many celebrities have had the pleasure of serving hard time in the comfort of their own cushy homes -- including Lindsay Lohan, who was placed under hou ... More >>

Comment of the day: "Do you read? Do you comprehend?"

​Whatever your opinions about him -- and don't lie; you have some opinions about him -- there's no doubt that Barry Bonds is one of the most polarizing figures in modern sports, almost universally either revered or reviled. The thing that polarizes people about him is his use of steroids, but ... More >>

Lance Armstrong doped in opinion of Bicycling editor and Tour De Lance author Bill Strickland

​Lance Armstrong, who joined Bill Ritter last August to hype the just-renamed Quiznos Pro Challenge bike race, is the subject of an ongoing federal investigation into his potential use of performance-enhancing drugs. And now, the journalist who's likely closer to Armstrong than any other belie ... More >>

Stop lying about Black Swan and score some other new releases this week, March 29, 2011

​Denver is finally starting to show signs of spring, which means one thing: We need a variety of media that simulates real outdoor activities so we don't actually have to leave the house at any point. Thankfully, Tiger Woods is still somehow a spokesman for a golf game, some new books are comi ... More >>

Top 5 songs nodding to Notorious B.I.G

​Ah, Christopher Wallace, aka the Notorious B.I.G. There hasn't been -- and as long as hip-hop is a genre, won't be -- a quiet passing of March 9. Similar to when Buddy Holly took the fateful flight that inspired a nation to observe the day the music died, the day Biggie Smalls was slain is fo ... More >>

The complete David Fincher collection takes over the Denver FilmCenter in March

​David Fincher has made a name for himself by giving audiences cerebral stories with a penchant to wash out color as often as possible. His latest film was the universally applauded Social Network, but before he wowed the critics he won over the common people with some of the best films to eve ... More >>

Katia Birge's case of alleged rape by a Catholic lay minister: Does it signal new kind of abuse?

Chaput.​ SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, is criticizing Catholic officials in Denver, including Archbishop Charles Chaput, for their handling of the Katia Birge case. Birge claims to have been raped by a Denver lay minister in 2008, when she was 25 years old.

The Lindsay Lohan family is really reaching on Dogs in Pocketbooks lawsuit

The Lohan PR machine at work​The gossip blogs are abuzz today about the Lindsay Lohan PR machine's reaction to a movie in the works that's reportedly based on her. In one corner, filmmaker Charles Castillo, who has repeatedly mentioned Lohan's name with regard to his upcoming Dogs in Pocketboo ... More >>

10 teen pop stars who fell from the public's grace

Smile!​Lindsay Lohan may or may not go to prison (again) because she may or may not have assaulted a staff member of the rehab facility she's staying in. Her parents must be so proud. Oh, wait... never mind. Lohan, whose music career was brief and mostly predicated upon cleavage, joins a panth ... More >>

Fantasy Voter Fraud

Charlie Sheen: Will porn star Capri Anderson fly to Aspen, ask Pitkin DA to revoke his probation?

Charlie Sheen.​Update: The Pitkin County District Attorney's Office reportedly has no interest in hauling Two and a Half Men star Charlie Sheen back to Aspen on a charge of violating his probation, even though there are plenty of indications he did so during a hotel-room-trashing NYC bender. B ... More >>

Things To Do in Denver When You're Dead

Myrl Serra, DA for 7th Judicial District, busted for unlawful sexual conduct, indecent exposure

Myrl Serra.​Colorado Attorney General's office spokesman Mike Saccone confirms that Myrl Serra, district attorney for the 7th Judicial District, which covers several Western Slope counties, is in Montrose County jail following his arrest this morning on three startling charges: unlawful sexual ... More >>

Five songs Lindsay Lohan might want to leave off her iPod when she heads to court tomorrow

​Lindsay Lohan, America's freckled-faced-sweetheart-turned-hot-freakin'-mess is in boiling water yet again. Ms. Lohan is facing thirty days in the slammer after testing positive for cocaine during a mandatory drug test last week. The actress is scheduled to appear before a judge on Friday who ... More >>

Mark Matson & William Mueller: Twists in cases about alleged molesting priest, Catholic brother

Mark Matson.​Fresh developments in two cases involving alleged child molesters from religious backgrounds with a past in Colorado. This week, a judge declined to toss a lawsuit against Father Mark Matson, who's accused of molesting a teenage boy at a Denver boarding school circa the '70s. And ... More >>

Dog the Bounty Hunter dissed by Perez Hilton as "racist douchebag"

Duane "Dog" Chapman.​Local fave Duane Chapman, better known as Dog the Bounty Hunter, is getting widely varied treatment from a pair of powerful websites. RadarOnline comes to Chapman's defense over a lawsuit filed in Colorado Springs by a man claiming to have been defamed by his on-camera ar ... More >>

Lindsay Lohan, 90 Days in Jail: Five alternative sentencing ideas

Lindsay Lohan cried this week in a sentencing hearing when she was ordered to spend ninety-days in jail, followed by probation. Harsh. All the same, with no less than two DUIs under her belt at age 24 -- and honestly, it's not like she couldn't afford someone to chauffer her around morning, noon ... More >>

Lindsay Lohan's Colorado SCRAM anklet not the reason she's going to jail

No tears.​Actress Lindsay Lohan's going to jail -- but her SCRAM ankle bracelet, tracked by Littleton's Alcohol Monitoring Systems, isn't why. Indeed, Lohan reportedly gave a California judge plenty of reasons to put her behind bars beyond keeping her out of them.

Charlie Sheen can serve Aspen's community one of these five ways

​Charlie Sheen was supposed to sign off on a sweet plea bargain last week. Rumor has it that the Pitkin County Sheriff is recommending a work-release program for the actor in exchange for his pleading no contest to felony menacing and 3rd-degree assault and criminal mischief in connection with ... More >>

Lance Armstrong a doper? Boulder's Floyd Landis says "yes"

Floyd Landis says Lance Armstrong had help living strong.​One of the most persistent rumors in cycling involves seven-time Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong's alleged use of performance-enhancing drugs -- the kind he didn't use to get his Colorado girlfriend pregnant despite his previous c ... More >>

Andrew Romanoff campaign manager Bill Romjue sees "a serious deficit of leadership"

A photo we grabbed from Andrew Romanoff's website months ago -- before the doctoring controversy.​It's a critical time for Andrew Romanoff's senatorial candidacy. There are no more caucus straw polls to win or county assemblies to ring up. And rival Michael Bennet's decision to petition his w ... More >>

Charlie Sheen just the latest example of Colorado's domestic-violence laws

​Charlie Sheen didn't study his Colorado legal history before he headed to Aspen for a vacation last Christmas. Three decades ago, Colorado was at the cutting edge of recognizing the dangers of domestic violence. The first battered women's shelters in the country were established here, and Co ... More >>

Brian Bonsall, former Family Ties child star, pleads guilty, gets work release, community service, probation

Three faces of Brian Bonsall that "Family Ties" fans never could have imagined.​The latest legal chapter in the up-and-down life of Brian Bonsall, former child star and Family Ties cast member, has been closed. As the Boulder Daily Camera reports, Bonsall pleaded guilty to felony menacing and ... More >>

Broken Bells, Jimi Hendrix top sellers at local record stores

​The Broken Bells' self-titled debut, which features the duo of Danger Mouse and the Shins' Mercer, was a strong seller at local record stores for the week ending March 28. Jimi Hendix's Valleys of Neptune, a new album made of a dozen unreleased tracks that the guitarist recorded four decades ... More >>

This Justin Bieber thing is out of control, as proven by the Free Scooter movement

Before we get into the whole Free Scooter thing, which is mind-blowing on a couple levels and takes a little explaining, let's take a second to think about Justin Bieber, who is probably a stranger pop star than Lady Gaga. Above is a video of Beiber performing his hit "Baby" on, of all places, The ... More >>

Flobots, Gorillaz top sellers at local record stores

​Flobots' Survival Story, released last week on Universal Republic, grabbed the top spot at Albums on the Hill, while coming in second behind Ludacris' Battle of the Sexes at Independent Records. Gorillaz's Plastic Beach was also a strong seller for the week ending March 21. See the full brea ... More >>

The Game

Nothing to Kill or Die For

The Killing of John Lennon examines a murderer.

Pranking the MySpace Presidential Campaign Trail

Check out my comments section: Clinton and Obama are close personal friends of mine.

Crowning Achievement

Almost fifty years after becoming Miss America, Marilyn Van Derbur still takes life day by day.