[ Local ]

• Boulder City Council unanimously votes to end occupancy limits that restricted how many unrelated people could occupy a house together after Gov. Jared Polis signed a law making such occupancy limits illegal. Traditionally, occupancy limits have been used to discriminate against same-sex couples and non-traditional families.
• Thousands gather at the state capitol in Denver on March 8 in honor of International Women’s Day to protest for better rights for women, equal pay, reproductive justice, and other issues pertaining to women.
• A new proposal in the Colorado general assembly would add a separate category of “gender” to death certificates as separate from biological sex to ensure that transgender individuals’ identities are respected after death.
• Boulder City Council member Taishya Adams faces a code of conduct complaint after she blocked residents on Instagram over a disagreement about the War in Gaza, raising interesting questions about First Amendment rights and how they intersect with social media practices

[ National ]

• During Donald Trump’s speech to a joint session of Congress, as Trump was bragging about his election win and demonstrating a supposed mandate, Democratic Congressman from Texas Al Green stands up in the chamber to remind Trump that he has no mandate to cut Medicaid. Green is removed from the chamber and censured by Congress in the following days.
• Anora, a low-budget comedy film about a sex worker, manages to sweep most of its categories at the Oscars, including a shocking win for Best Picture.
• Trump imposes 25% tariffs on Mexico and Canada, with tariffs on automakers and goods covered by the USMCA free trade treaty getting a temporary reprieve until April, raising continued concerns about a trade war and an upcoming recession.
• Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) continues to slash government jobs and agencies without legal authorization to do so amidst conflicting court orders.

[ International ]

• In an embarrassing display, Donald Trump erupts in a meeting in the Oval Office with Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy, accusing the foreign leader of being insufficiently grateful for the United States’ assistance. Trump then cancels the planned press conference with Zelenskyy and claims that Ukrainian president is “not ready for peace” as many fear that Trump is aligning himself with Russian leader Vladimir Putin.
• Pope Francis, who is 88-years-old, is hospitalized following multiple bouts of respiratory infection resulting from double pneumonia.
• Israel blocks aid and cuts off electricity to Gaza amidst a stalemate over how to move forward with the agreed-upon ceasefire deal with Hamas. Israel seeks to extend the first of the deal’s three phases while Hamas seeks to move onto the second phase as outlined in the original agreement.
• Former banker Mark Carney wins the race to become the new head of Canada’s ruling Liberal Party and will take over for current Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau when he steps down.

Quotes

“We call on the world to take serious actions to stop the injustice and to stop the ethnic cleansing of Palestinian people. About two months ago, I became a father, and my hope to my daughter that she will not have to live the same life I’m living now.” 
– Palestinian journalist, activist, and filmmaker Basel Adra accepting the Academy Award for Best Documentary for the joint Palestinian-Israeli film “No Other Land”

“America is not Canada. And Canada never, ever will be part of America in any way, shape or form. We didn’t ask for this fight, but Canadians are always ready when someone else drops the gloves.”

– Canadian Prime Minister-Elect Mark Carney

“I really appreciate the direction that this takes us towards looking at protecting our community strictly around life safety issues, and in that way, providing more safety for our community members by not being overly prescriptive about how people live their lives.”

– Mayor Pro Tem Lauren Folkerts regarding the decision to end occupancy limits in Boulder

“Ukraine has been seeking peace since the very first second of the war, and we have always said that the only reason why the war continues is because of Russia. Ukraine is not only ready to take the necessary steps for peace, but we are also proposing what those steps are. And I ask you to support us in this – support Ukraine and those European leaders who are helping to pave the way for peace”

– Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy in response to Trump’s claim that Ukraine is “not ready for peace”

By the Numbers

1928

The year Boulder’s first occupancy limits were made into law

62,530

Estimated number of government jobs cut so far in 2025 (it’s unclear how many, if any, were cut legally)

25%

The tariff that Ontario’s Premiere Doug Ford announced for electricity exported to U.S. states in response to Trump’s tariffs on Canada

70,000

The number of Ukrainian soldiers killed so far in the war with Russia. I believe the Ukraine is more than ready for peace.

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