[ Boulder County ]

•Presbyterian Manor is planning a major expansion next to its venerable 11-story tower on Arapahoe Avenue, directly across the street from the Boulder Public Library’s main branch. However, the over 50-year-old area is up for historic preservation protection, sparking a city-wide debate.

•The City of Boulder has joined a national program to explore the potential of artificial intelligence to improve how local governments deliver services and interact with community members. Boulder is one of ten cities in the nation taking part.

•The University of Colorado and Medtronic, a global leader in health care technology located in Colorado, have entered into a strategic research agreement to accelerate the development of transformative health technologies. The goal is to create better lab testing that can be done bedside.

[ State ]

•The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service gave Colorado approval to move forward with its wildlife action plan. The plan, developed by Colorado Parks and Wildlife, is based on science-backed guidelines to protect plants and animals native to the area.

•Several Colorado school districts have brought forward a federal lawsuit that challenges the state’s anti-discrimination law, violating students’ rights by allowing transgender youth to play on school sports teams that match their gender identity.

[ National News ]

•ICE agents shot and killed Alex Pretti, an Intensive Care nurse, in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The agents claimed they murdered him in self-defense. Cell phone footage contradicts this claim.

•A partial government shutdown began on February 14 when Democrats refused to support legislation that would continue to fund the Department of Homeland Security. They have said they will not support any funding measures until oversights and reforms for immigration officers are made.

•Gladys West, the mathematician honored in the historical film Hidden Figures and whose work helped pave the way for GPS, passed away at 95.

[ International News ]

•Russian airstrikes have left over 6,000 homes in Ukraine without power amid freezing temperatures.

•At least 61 people are dead, and 110 are injured, after severe rain and snowfall in Afghanistan, with 458 homes completely destroyed.

•The Chinese military’s top general, Zhang Youxia, is being investigated for suspected serious violations of discipline and law, the Defense Ministry said Saturday during a military purge.

[ Small Talk ]

“We are disgusted by ICE’s actions in Eagle County. Leaving a racist death card behind after targeting Latino workers is deliberate intimidation rooted in a long history of racial violence. This is an abuse of power.”

–Alex Sanchez of Voces Unidas, an immigrant advocacy organization based in Colorado

“I am a vice president who practices what he preaches.”

–JD Vance on announcing the reason he and his wife, Usha, decided to have a fourth child. Vance had previously encouraged Americans to have more babies.

“I’m anti-them.”

–Donald Trump on his decision not to watch the Super Bowl Halftime show featuring Bad Bunny and Green Day, both of whom are publicly against the Trump administration.

“When I was leaving the ground, you’re like, ‘oh, it’s kind of intense, there are so many people watching, but then honestly, they’re all wishing me well. I mean, basically, it just makes the whole experience feel almost more festive, all these nice people are out supporting me and having a good time.”

-American climber Alex Honnold after climbing a 1,600+ foot tower in Taiwan without a rope.

“When we drive into Denver, I get a little bit of a tingle because we’re coming into the stock show. It’s highly competitive. It attracts the best cattle from everywhere. It’s the difference between the Super Bowl and a regular-season game.”

–Bill Wilkerson, a competitor at the National Western Stock Show, which celebrated its 120th year.

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