Construction Underway, Scheduled Operation: 2025

The Intermountain Power Project's transformational “IPP Renewed” project is under construction and on track for mid-2025 start-up. The project includes new natural gas-fueled electricity generating units that will also utilize "green" hydrogen for long-term, dispatchable storage of renewable energy. There are currently 600 workers on site in Millard County, with 1200 expected during peak construction. Click here to watch construction unfold. For more information, visit www.ipprenewed.com

Utah Headlines

Legislative session

• Utah chief justice expresses concerns over national political polarization and institutional distrust (Deseret News)
• Utah Democratic lawmakers respond to DEI ban, transgender bathroom bill (Deseret News)
• On first day of Utah Legislature, Speaker Schultz says, ‘This isn’t going to be business as usual’ (Deseret News)
• Education, conservation, taxes top priorities as Utah's legislative session begins (KUTV)
• Multiple controversial bills open the 2024 Utah legislative session (KSL TV)
• Utah’s GOP leaders zero in on diversity, education and energy on day 1 (KUER)
• Dems worry about the fallout as Utah’s GOP supermajority tees up culture war bills (KUER)
• President J. Stuart Adams 2024 General Session opening day speech (Utah Policy)
• Speaker Mike Schultz opening day speech (Utah Policy)

Business and Labor

• Utah Legislature to revise social media limits for youth as it navigates multiple lawsuits (KUTV)
• Utah’s new social media regulation may ‘completely change’ this year on heels of second lawsuit (Salt Lake Tribune)

Criminal Justice

• ‘Swatting’ directed at Utah public schools could result in 2nd degree felony charge under bill passed by Utah House (Deseret News)

Education

• Lawmakers propose bill to eliminate diversity statements (KSL Newsradio) 
• How much is spent on DEI administration at Utah’s public colleges and universities? Here’s a look. (Salt Lake Tribune)
•  Diversity, equity and inclusion bill enters the Utah Legislature (UPR)
• Should the Ten Commandments hang in Utah’s public schools? Thus saith this lawmaker: yes. (Salt Lake Tribune)
• Ute student test scores continue to worsen, and Utah lawmakers say they have no plans to help (Salt Lake Tribune)
• Resolution seeks to condemn abusive coaching practices in Utah (KUTV)

Government Operations

• On the first day of the Utah legislative session, talk of changes to mail-in ballots (KSL Newsradio)

Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment

• How state leaders are using Utah’s roads to oppose ‘federal overreach’ (Salt Lake Tribune)
  

Politics

• In Utah, Jill Biden focuses on teacher wellness post-COVID (Deseret News)
• In Utah, first lady Jill Biden tells donors ‘democracy is on the line’ (Salt Lake Tribune)

Election news

• Why Utah’s Supreme Court Chief Justice thinks judges should not be elected to the bench (Salt Lake Tribune)

Utah news

• Salt Lake City church shelter in dire need of volunteers with second location opening (KSL)

Business/Tech

• Utah ranked as the nation’s prime spot for budding entrepreneurs (Deseret News)
• Overdraft fees could drop to as low as $3 under new Biden proposal (AP)

Crime/Courts

• FIRE files suit challenging Utah’s Social Media Regulation Act (Deseret News)
• Man extradited from Scotland continues to dispute his identity in Salt Lake court (KSL)
• “Impossible to calculate”: Prospector accused of damaging 1,000-year-old historical site in southern Utah (ABC4)

Environment

• 'Like winning the lottery': Here's where 2023 landed in Utah's climate record book (KSL)
• Utah has a first strategic plan aimed at getting the GSL to good health (Deseret News)
• Utah national parks and the towns around them are getting busier. Here’s how they’re trying to adapt. (Salt Lake Tribune)

Housing

• Millions of dollars still available through Utah's first-time homebuyer assistance program (KUTV)

National Headlines

General

• 5 quotes from Church leaders in honor of U.S. National Religious Freedom Day (Church News)
• Gen Z is skeptical of religious institutions, but supports people of faith, survey shows (Deseret News)
• It's so cold, Teslas are struggling to charge in Chicago (NPR)
• Blinken says US in demand as he mourns 'gutwrenching' scenes in Gaza (Reuters)
• Cocaine residue was found on Hunter Biden’s gun pouch in 2018 case, prosecutors say (Politico)

Political news

• Senators reject Bernie Sanders’ effort to curb Israel-Hamas war but the vote signals rising unease (AP)
• Iowa Sen. Chuck Grassley, oldest member of Senate, hospitalized with infection (NPR)
• Assassination attempts are on the rise worldwide — is the US next? (The Hill)

Election news

• Turnout tactics and confident challengers: How Donald Trump won Iowa (Deseret News)
• Former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson ends his 2024 campaign after sixth-place finish in Iowa caucuses (AP)
• ABC cancels New Hampshire debate after Haley, Trump decline to participate (Washington Post)

Ukraine 🇺🇦

• Russia calls Ukraine peace meetings 'pointless', says plan can't succeed (Reuters)
• Putin says Ukraine's statehood at risk if pattern of war continues (Reuters)
• How one officer class offers a glimpse into Russia’s military amid Ukraine war (Reuters)

Israel 🇮🇱

•  Israel's war in Gaza enters its most perilous phase yet (Wall Street Journal)
• Qatar, France strike deal to supply medicine to Israeli hostages, Gazans (Washington Post)

World news

• US to return Yemen's Houthi militia to terrorism list (New York Times)
• China's population drops for 2nd year, raises long-term growth concerns (Reuters)
• France to reform parental leave after births hit post-war low (Reuters)

Number of the Day 

News Releases

Rep. Moore and colleagues introduce legislation to enhance transparency into federal spending

Congressman Blake Moore (R-Utah) introduced the Fiscal State of the Nation Act, bipartisan legislation requiring the Comptroller General to annually deliver a nonpartisan, objective, and public analysis of the nation’s finances to a Joint Meeting of Congress. (Read More)

Région Sud of France brings delegation to Utah

President Renaud Muselier of Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur (also known as Région Sud) led a French delegation to Utah to increase collaboration across education, film, tourism, and business. Région Sud’s visit was a direct result of the letter of intent that Gov. Cox signed with President Muselier last June in Paris. (Read More)

Faith and community groups to gather at Utah Capitol to support proposals for reducing homelessness

On Thursday, January 18, 2024, representatives from dozens of faith and community organizations will be gathering in the Board Room at the Utah Capitol Building for Faith, Hunger and Homelessness Day to express support for legislative proposals that would reduce homelessness. (Read More)

Hatch Foundation releases 2023 policy review on conservative approaches to climate change

Today, the Orrin G. Hatch Foundation released its 2023 Policy Review, entitled “Conservative Solutions to Climate Change.” This comprehensive report continues Senator Hatch’s legacy by focusing on innovative and conservative approaches to environmental stewardship and climate change...

By bringing together different viewpoints and emphasizing bipartisan cooperation, this year’s Policy Review aims to bridge partisan boundaries, aligning with Senator Hatch’s vision of a more civil, solution-oriented political discourse. (Read More)

Tweet of the Day

Upcoming

• Jan. 16 — Legislative session begins
• Jan. 17 — Local Officials Day on the Hill
• Feb. 5 — Women in Leadership Executive Speaker Series: Healthcare, 11:30 am-12:30 pm, Register here
• Feb. 7 — Women in Leadership Executive Series: Finance, 11:30 am-12:30 pm,Register here
• Feb. 8 — Women in Leadership Executive Speaker Series: Traditional Industries, 2:00-3:00 pm,Register here
• Feb. 21 — Women in Leadership Executive Speaker Series: Women Focused Organizations, 11:30 am-12:30 pm,Register here
• Mar. 1 — Legislative session ends 
• Mar. 5 — Caucus night

On This Day In History 

• 1706 - Benjamin Franklin is born.
• 1893 - Americans led by Sanford Dole overthrow Queen Liliuokalani and establish a new provincial government with - surprise - Dole as president.
• 1910 - Edith Green is born. She became the 2nd woman from Oregon to be elected to the U.S. House when she won in 1954. She served 10 terms and was instrumental in passing numerous bills, including the Higher Education Facilities Act, the National Defense Education Act and the 1972 Equal Opportunity in Education Act, aka Title IX.
• 1950 - 11 men steal more than $2 million from the Brink’s Armored Car depot in Boston. Only a small part of the money was ever recovered.
• 1961 - President Dwight D. Eisenhower warns of the increasing power of the military-industrial complex in his farewell address. 
• 1964 - Michelle Obama is born
• 1977 - Gary Gilmore is executed by firing squad in Utah.
• 1994 - The Northridge quake rocks Los Angeles.
• 1997 - Ireland grants a divorce for the first time in the country’s history.
• 2004 - ‘Napoleon Dynamite’ is shown for the first time at the Sundance Film Festival.
• 2015 - Rebecca D. Lockhart, first female Speaker of the Utah House, dies.

Quote of the Day

"I think I would like to be remembered as a person who loves the process and who trusts it, who's not afraid of ideas, who's not afraid of debate, who wants every voice to be heard, even if they're the smallest minority."

—Speaker Rebecca Lockart, Oct. 2014

On the Punny Side

What does a baby computer call his dad?

Data.

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