[NATIONAL]

• Ex-president Donald Trump is indicted for payments to porn star Stormy Daniels in an attempt to squash news of his affair, which occurred just 4 months after Trump’s wife Melania gave birth. He previously announced the day of his arrest, which, like most of his statements, turned out to be false. He pleaded not guilty to all 34 charges.
• Nashville school shooting leaves 6 dead, including 3 nine-year olds in the latest string of gun related tragedies plaguing the nation, making this over 130 mass shootings in 2023 so far.
• Lori Lighfoot (D) comes in third place, losing her Chicago mayoral reelection bid which historically has seen the incumbent remain in power for decades.

[INTERNATIONAL]

• Mass protests spread in Paris following the proposed raising of the retirement age. While France is looking at raising it from 62 to 64, we could learn a thing or two about solidarity in the face of stripped benefits.
• UBS takes over one of its largest competitors, Credit Suisse, in a buyout following news of the bank’s fragility.
• Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovic is detained by Russia who accuses him of spying.
• Fire in a detention center for migrants that have been sent back from the U.S. to Mexico kills at least 38 people trapped in the facility.
• Archaeologists have found evidence of horseback riding that pushes the domestication date of these animals back to about 5,000 years ago.

[LOCAL]

• North Boulder was placed under a shelter in place order for several hours after a standoff with armed suspect near 17th and Yarmouth.
• Prop 125 took effect this month allowing sellers of beer to also stock wine on their shelves. Expect more and more faux wine snobs to come out of the woodwork.
• Jenna Ellis, one of Trump’s numerous former lawyers, has been rightly censured in Colorado over fabricated statements regarding the 2020 elections.
• Lauren Boebert announces her underage son will soon be a father, having impregnated an even younger girl. Boebert will be a grandmother at age 36. 
• CU Boulder signed a football player to their program that is under investigation by the El Paso County sherriffs dept for rape, sexual assault, and sexual exploitation of a minor. A petition to expel him is currently circulating but the administration has made no decision by the date this was published.
• Denver East high school experiences a shooting with two injuries and the death of the shooter. Students staged a protest at the State capitol in a plea for lawmakers to do something.

Small Talk

“I have looked into the terrified eyes of many children after they’ve been shot and tried to comfort them… I tell them they’re in a safe place now, but in my heart, I don’t know if they are.” – Dr. Halden Scott on treating child survivors of mass shootings. 

“Aurora Civil Service Commission quietly approved a package of changes to entry-level hiring rules for police and firefighters, giving the commission… the ability to hire candidates whose backgrounds include caveats that would have previously gotten their applications thrown out.” – according to the Colorado Sentinel‘s In The Blue project.

“To all the trans youth who may be affected by this legislation: we stand by you, and we will not stop fighting. You are cherished. You are loved. You belong,” – Kentucky ACLU on the State passing a bill that, among other restrictions, bans all gender-affirming medical care for those under 18.

“The police department is destroyed. City Hall is destroyed. The county courthouse is damaged. The fire department is devastated. There’s no grocery store that’s operable in the community.” – US Rep. Bennie Thompson on the tornado that devastated Rolling Fork, Mississippi.

“What you’re telling me is, you don’t mind  infringing free speech to protest children [from drag show readings] but when it comes to children that have died, you don’t give a flying f*ck to stop that because ‘that shall not be infringed.’ That is hypocrisy at its highest order.” – Jon Stewart to Oklahoma State Senator Nathan Dahm during their conversation on drag shows and gun rights.

By the Numbers 

11 – Candidates still in the Denver mayoral race as voting comes to a close, with Mike Johnston and Kelly Brough now facing each other in a top-two runoff.

19% – American children deaths are from gun violence, now the leading cause of death for those under 18.

48% – Superior residents are renters according to 2020 census data reviewed by Mayor Mark Lacis.

311,000 – Jobs added last month in an already strong labor market 

47% – Of all building and permit fees for the Town of Superior have been issued as rebates to residents wishing to rebuild.