Israel-Hamas cease-fire ends and fighting resumes in minutes; George Santos faces another expulsion vote; Trump gag order reinstated | | | The Utah Policy newsletter is your one-stop source for political and policy-minded news. We scour the news so you don't have to! Send news tips or feedback to Holly Richardson at editor@utahpolicy.com. | | |
Situational Analysis | Dec. 1, 2023 It's Friday and National Peppermint Bark Day. What You Need to Know After 23 years, Utah once again has two women in major elected office, with Lt. Governor Henderson and Rep. Celeste Maloy. It matters. Years of research have shown that "communities and states benefit when more equal numbers of men and women work together in decision making and problem solving." With the special elections of Sen. Heidi Balderree and Rep. Ariel Defay, Utah now has a record number of women in the legislature.
After a weeklong pause in fighting, a temporary ceasefire agreement between Hamas and Israel to allow for the release of hostages from Gaza expired early this morning. Fighting resumed within minutes and scores of new deaths have been reported. Rapid Relevance The House will vote today on a resolution to expel George Santos, after a brutal Ethics Committee report found "substantial evidence" he broke federal law; a New York appeals court on Thursday reinstated the gag order in former President Donald Trumpâs civil fraud case; and it's World AIDS Day, in recognition of the day in 1981 that the disease was officially recognized. Today on the Hill 8:45 am: School Security Task Force | | |
| | BLM Releases Plan that finally protects Labyrinth Canyon After years of prioritizing off-road vehicles, a recent decision from the Bureau of Land Management brings balance to this special place. Travel plans are an opportunity to develop reasonable, balanced, and forward-thinking blueprints that ensure public access while preserving the backcountry and minimizing damage. Learn more at suwa.org | | |
Utah Headlines Political news Jay Evensen: Did we ever really solve the problem of the federal government spying on Americans? (Deseret News) Robert F. Kennedy Jr. appeals to disaffected partisans during Salt Lake presidential rally (KSL) Mayors Michelle Kaufusi and Dawn Ramsey: Utah is growing ... and we have a plan (Deseret News) SLC planning commissioner resigns, citing âlack of expertiseâ from colleagues. Andra Ghent, a University of Utah professor, wrote a scathing letter outlining why she was leaving the commission before the end of her term. (Salt Lake Tribune) Weber County tax hike proposal generates backlash: âDeath by cutsâ (Standard-Examiner) Abby Cox on trailblazing statewide initiatives (Utah Business) Election news Robert F. Kennedy Jr. rallies in Salt Lake, says 'we're going to make history' (KUTV) 60 years after famous JFK speech, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. returns to Salt Lake City (Deseret News) Holiday corner How the Festival of Trees embodies hope and healing for a domestic violence survivor (KSL Newsradio) Utah news Warnings, advisories issued as 'significant' winter storms heads toward Utah (KSL) Utah liquor board gives licenses to three new bars and eight restaurants (Salt Lake Tribune) USU alumna and NASA astronaut Mary Cleave dies at 76 (Cache Valley Daily) Business/Technology Elon Musk apologizes for antisemitic tweet then launches foul-mouthed tirade against X advertisers (Deseret News) Crime/Courts Company calls human trafficking charges 'outrageous' (KSL) ACLU Utah speaks on behalf of homeless in lawsuit filed against Salt Lake City (KSL) Utah universities go to court to stop release of NIL contracts (Deseret News) Salt Lake City UPS employees arrested for alleged theft of items worth over $6,000 from packages (KUTV) Culture I only want the Olympics back in 2034 if it means the return of the Roots beret (Deseret News) New website on slavery in early Utah includes debate between Brigham Young and LDS apostle Orson Pratt on race (Salt Lake Tribune) Utah influencer named Krispy Kremeâs âChief Donut Dreamerâ after winning flavor contest (ABC4) Education BYU and Utahâs sovereign tribes are creating lessons so students know âWeâre still hereâ (KUER) Environment New EPA proposal would require all lead water pipes in the U.S. be replaced within 10 years (Deseret News) Water levels still below normal statewide, but another banner snow season will fill reservoirs (Fox13) Kolob Canyons Road reopens and Zionâs shuttle service shuts down until the Christmas holidays. Visitors can use personal vehicles. (Salt Lake Tribune) Family Utahâs mental health crisis starts in childhood. Children in Utah are more likely than kids elsewhere to have an adverse childhood experience or a parent whoâs struggling with mental health, and less likely to get treatment or counseling when theyâre struggling themselves. (Salt Lake Tribune) Health What happens when you quit taking Ozempic? (Deseret News) Maker of Wegovy, Ozempic showers money on U.S. obesity doctors (Reuters) Utah has âvery highâ COVID-19 levels in wastewater, new CDC tool shows (Salt Lake Tribune) Utah Navajo Health System looks to bring 'winter blessings' to community (Fox13) The USDA is giving Utahâs rural telehealth services a $1.7 million boost (KUER) Housing Mortgage rates drop for fifth straight week (KSL) Study says the US is ill-prepared to ensure housing for the growing number of older people (KSL Newsradio) | | |
National Headlines General The power of music during the Holocaust. Leo Geyer of England restored damaged sheet music from Auschwitz to tell a story of hardship and hope (Deseret News) Indiana judge dismisses stateâs lawsuit against TikTok that alleged child safety, privacy concerns (Salt Lake Tribune) The iceberg cometh: It's the size of Oahu, and it's moving into the open ocean (NPR) Political news DeSantis and Newsom call each other bullies during heated debate (Deseret News) Senate Judiciary Committee issues subpoenas to private citizens connected to Clarence Thomas (Deseret News) Rand Paul successfully used the Heimlich maneuver on Joni Ernst at a GOP lunch (NPR) Lies, charges and questions remaining: George Santosâs stories can be hard to keep straight, so we broke them down. (New York Times) Speaker Johnson singed by a blast of conservative fury (Politico) Election news What if Donald Trump is convicted? The 2024 Republican convention rules donât address the issue (AP) Haley and DeSantis are relying more on outside campaign groups with time running out to stop Trump (AP) âA dumpster fireâ: DeSantis struggles grow in GOP presidential race (Washington Post) Trump tries to embrace Black Lives Matter, a group he previously said âhates our countryâ (Washington Post) Trump targets wife of New York judge overseeing civil fraud trial (The Hill) Ukraine ðºð¦ For eastern Ukrainians, the ordeal of war is entering its second decade (Reuters) Zelenskyy says the Israel-Hamas war could divert attention from Ukraine's conflict (AP) Russian POWs describe 'nightmare' of combat in Ukraine (Wall Street Journal) Israel ð®ð± Nearly 2 months into the war, many Israelis have no idea if their relatives are dead or alive (AP) Israel plans to kill Hamas leaders around the world after war (Wall Street Journal) | | |
| | News Releases Romney welcomes investment from bipartisan infrastructure bill to advance Wildfire Resilience in Utah U.S. Senator Mitt Romney (R-UT) today applauded an announcement from the Department of Interior that more than $10 million from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, negotiated by Romney and his colleagues, would be invested in Utah to advance wildfire resilience work and support fuels management projects on 43,240 acres of land across the state. This announcement follows the latest report released by the Wildland Fire Mitigation and Management Commissionâwhich Senator Romney secured in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Actâoutlining recommendations to prevent, mitigate, suppress, and manage wildland fires. (Read More) | | |
Upcoming Jan. 2 â Candidate filing period opens Jan. 16 â Legislative session begins Mar. 1 â Legislative session ends | | |
On This Day In History 1641 - Massachusetts becomes the first colony to give statutory recognition to slavery 1824 - Presidential election goes to the House of Representatives after no candidate receives a majority of the electoral votes. The House chooses John Quincy Adams. 1862 - Abraham Lincoln delivers the State of the Union address, 10 weeks after the Emancipation Proclamation. 1878 - First White House telephone installed 1893 - Dorothy Detzer is born. She investigated child labor infringements for several years and became the national secretary of the Womenâs International League for Peace and Freedom (1924-46), where she became known as the âLady Lobbyistâ in Congress, respected for her research and integrity â no personal favors, private dinners or backroom deals 1913 - The worldâs first assembly line begins at Ford Motor Company 1941 - Japanese Emperor Hirohito signs declaration of war 1955 - Rosa Parks refuses to give up her seat on the bus to a white man. 1978 - US President Jimmy Carter more than doubles the national park system size 1981 - AIDS virus officially recognized 1988 - Benazir Bhutto named the first female Prime Minister of a Muslim country (Pakistan) 1990 - Ty Detmer wins the Heisman 2019 - Earliest traceable patient, a 55-year-old man, develops symptoms of a novel coronavirus (COVID-19) in Wuhan, China Quote of the Day "We know how to save the Unionâ¦In giving freedom to the slave, we ensure freedom to the freeâhonorable alike in what we give, and what we preserve. We shall nobly save, or meanly lose, the last, best hope of earth.â âAbraham Lincoln, in his State of the Union address on Dec. 1, 1862 On the Punny Side Mariah Carey is opening her Christmas present. Inside she finds a deed to an undeveloped plot of land that is zoned residential. Disappointed, she set the deed down and says.. "I don't want a lot for Christmas" | | |
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