Photo: Judi Morell

• On November 15, Former President Trump announced his plan to run for President again in 2024 amid continued investigations into his criminal activities including the events of January 6th, 2020 and the discovery of stolen classified documents at his Mar-a-lago resort.
• A blast killed two people in Poland on November 16. According to NATO and the Polish government, the blast likely resulted from a stray Ukrainian defense missile responding to an incoming Russian barrage.
• On November 16, NASA successfully launched its first rocket in its Artemis project. The unmanned flight will go around the moon and is a test meant to be the first step in returning astronauts to the moon after decades of missions aimed at low-Earth orbit.
• On November 16, the US Senate advanced legislation to protect same-sex marriage. In a 62-37 vote, 12 Republicans voted with all Democrats to move forward with the bill. It is expected to pass where it will then move to the House for approval.
• On November 16, it was announced that Republicans had flipped the House back in their favor. Although a so-called “red wave” was predicted by Republicans, the majority is extremely slim and took nearly a week of vote-counting for it to be clear that the party had won the majority.
• In the wake of the overturning of Roe v. Wade, Michigan, California and Vermont voters all approved sweeping amendments to their states’ constitutions guaranteeing the right to abortion and other reproductive health services. This comes after it was announced that Kentucky voters rejected an anti-abortion amendment meant to insulate a state abortion ban.
• On November 4, Elon Musk assumed his position as CEO of social media company Twitter after his acquisition of the company. He immediately laid off half the company’s staff and implemented certain content bans as to what users could post, contradictory to his promises that his acquisition would create greater opportunities for free speech.
• Aaron Carter, who became a beloved teen-sensation in the early 2000’s, was found dead at age 34 at his home on November 5th.
• Colorado Governor Jared Polis won another term over his opponent Heidi Ganahl.
• After a neck-and-neck race, it was announced that Lauren Boebert, the controversial representative of Colorado’s 3rd district, had beaten her opponent, Adam Frisch, by 0.2% of votes. The race result will undergo a mandatory recount.
• Colorado voters voted to legalize psilocybin and psychedelic therapy, becoming the second state to do so after Oregon did in 2020. Similarly to Oregon, Colorado voters also approved Proposition 122 which will decriminalize the growing, use, and possession of psychedelic mushrooms.
• Nathaniel Stark, a 27 year old Boulder man, was sentenced to 12 years in prison for second-degree sexual assault. Stark had previously pleaded guilty to the abuse of his former girlfriend’s pet cats and dog and is serving a 3 year sentence for animal abuse concurrently with the 12 year second-degree sexual assault sentence. The courts have labeled Stark as a “violent sexual offender,” a designation given to sexual offenders deemed likely to reoffend.
• On November 18, Colorado Open Lands granted permanent protection to the Tucker Open Space outside of Nederland. The 323-acre space was privately owned until it was purchased in 2020 by Boulder County.

Small Talk

“We are willing to look at it operationally. There are things we can do. I think as you suggested — off hours (on) Saturdays — we may be able to come to some agreements on that at an operational level. I think it’s something that through the negotiation, I think we were pretty consistent that the school district was not willing to accept that.”

– Boulder Valley Senior Planner Glen Segrue in regards to the negotiations surrounding the controversial proposal for Boulder Valley School District to annex 48 acres at 6500 Arapahoe Rd. in Boulder for its Education Center property and a modular home factory for students to build homes for Habitat for Humanity.

“It’s quite a bit busier. Everyone working together to keep the clients safe and warm helps us not burn ourselves out, which is kind of our goal this winter.”

– Larry Jacobs, a professor of political history, elections and voting behavior at the University of Minnesota, in regards to election deniers reportedly increasing efforts to sabotage upcoming elections.

“We are excited to announce our ice rink is back for passengers and community members to enjoy.”

– Denver International Airport CEO Phil Washington in regard to the return of its ice rink to its outdoor plaza which has been shut down since 2020 due to COVID.

“I’ve been processing flowers and sweeping floors since I was little. I’ve been around the business for a really long time, but the transition from being around the business to being intimately involved with the business is pretty big.”

– Nate Golter, new owner of Longmont Florist, a 53-year town staple. Golter inherited the business from his grandfather, Gary.

By The Numbers