US House still without a Speaker but has a 4th nominee; Snow is coming to Utah this week; Arches National Park asks for public comments | | | 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 | October 25, 2023 It's Wednesday and it's World Pasta Day! ð Also, Christmas is just 2 months away. ð ð½ What You Need to Know Deseret News reporter Sam Benson revealed yesterday that he was the lead researcher on the new Mitt Romney biography. Beginning about two-and-a-half years ago, Benson began working with McKay Coppins. He said he "transcribed every minute of the interviews, read every page of the journals, and reviewed every word of the manuscript several times." He even joked with his girlfriend that he knew more about Romney than he knew about her. The book was released yesterday. Rapid Relevance Snow is coming to Utah this week â maybe even in the valleys; Arches National Park asks for public comments on crowd management; From tropical storm to Category 5 hurricane in 12 hours: Otis makes landfall and sets a record | | |
| | 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 Salt Lake County poised for hiring freeze amid 'staggeringly low' tax growth (KSL) Weber County gives preliminary OK to â24 budget calling for $3.9M tax hike (Standard-Examiner) Election news Rep. Burgess Owens endorses Arizonaâs Kari Lake for Senate (Deseret News) Pleasant Grove citizens gather signatures to place property tax increase on ballot (Daily Herald) General Utah news What would happen if the âbig oneâ shook Utah? $80 billion in losses (Deseret News) 'No woman will ever be president': A USU study of sexism in Utah (KSL) Single-parent family receives brand new home in Salt Lake Valley (ABC4) Utah author Shannon Hale speaks out against book bans (UPR) Business Inflation, record interest rates arenât going to keep the ho, ho, ho out of holiday spending this year (Deseret News) Thermal technology company breaks ground on $58M expansion of Ogden facility (KSL) Crime Staffer at teen residential treatment facility broke boy's collarbone, charges say (KSL) Culture Cheetos drops 2 new snack flavors for pretzel lovers â plus where to find them (Deseret News) Tyler Perry just made a huge deal with Netflix (Deseret News) Education University of Utah launches $100M AI research initiative aimed at tackling societal issues (KSL) Utah Tech, Dixie Tech strike partnership to help more students apply for college (KSL) Environment Prehistoric fish fossil unearthed at Zion National Park (St. George News) After a record water year, did Utahnsâ conservation habits stick? (Salt Lake Tribune) Family Dads are spending more time with their kids, but family structure matters (Deseret News) Perspective: Men who value marriage are more likely to be engaged dads (Deseret News) Utah families share emotional, financial struggles of infertility (KUTV) BYU study examines how religious faith bolsters family hope and unity (BYU) Health Does hitting the snooze button make you more tired? (Deseret News) When your parents told you not to slouch they probably didnât know this (Deseret News) 'How are the children?' Utah hosts 4th annual summit on children's mental health (KSL) Housing Urban land development conference addresses housing in Utah (KSL Newsradio) U.S mortgage rates soar to highest in more than 23 years (Reuters) | | |
National Headlines General Hunter-gatherer societies may have looked a little different than we thought, study shows. Burial sites offer evidence that women were not just gatherers, but were skilled hunters, as well (Deseret News) Gun sales surging among Jewish Americans in wake of Hamas attack on Israel (Deseret News) US antisemitic incidents up about 400% since Israel-Hamas war began, report says (Reuters) Hurricane Otis makes landfall near Acapulco as âcatastrophicâ Level 5 storm (New York Times) Politics 4th timeâs a charm? House Republicans pick new speaker nominee late Tuesday: Rep. Mike Johnson (Deseret News) Mike Johnson is the latest GOP nominee for House speaker as Republican infighting shows no end (AP) Gaetz, Burchett say ousting McCarthy was worth it to get Johnson (The Hill) âI killed him': How Trump torpedoed Tom Emmerâs speaker bid (Politico) 'We're wiser': US Republican women Reps steer clear of speaker fight (Reuters) Jenna Ellis becomes latest Trump lawyer to plead guilty over efforts to overturn Georgiaâs election (AP) Michael Cohen, once Donald Trumpâs personal fixer, confronted him in a Manhattan courtroom on Tuesday. (New York Times) Election news More Americans say they support political violence ahead of the 2024 election (NPR) Ukraine ðºð¦ Despite losing limbs, Ukrainian sappers return to work clearing land mines (Reuters) As Ukraine war grinds on, widows try to see life after loss (New York Times) Israel ð®ð± Israel refuses to grant visa to a U.N. humanitarian coordinator after a row with the secretary-general (NPR) Israel pounds southern Gaza as world leaders seek pause in fighting (Reuters) Iranian-Backed Militias Mount New Wave of Attacks as U.S. Supports Israel (Wall Street Journal) Israel ramps up feud with UN, vowing to 'teach them a lesson' (Politico) World Quakes killed thousands in Afghanistan. Critics say Taliban relief efforts have fallen short (NPR) | | |
| | News Releases Utah sues Meta for child addiction harm and deceiving parents about dangers of Facebook and Instagram Utah Gov. Spencer J. Cox and Attorney General Sean D. Reyes today announced a lawsuit against Meta Platforms, Inc. and its subsidiary Instagram, LLC, over their flagship social media products, Facebook and Instagram. The state alleges that the social media giant has violated the Utah Consumer Sales Practices Act by designing the platforms to trap children in excessive, harmful use that causes serious mental health issues. Meta also deceived parents and young users about the safety of using Instagram and Facebook. (Read More) Black Chamber CEO, Larry H. Miller Company CEO join Zions Bank Advisory Board Zions Bank has added two prominent local business leaders to serve on its Advisory Board: Utah Black Chamber of Commerce CEO Sidni Shorter, PysD, and Larry H. Miller Company CEO Steve Starks. Zions Bankâs Advisory Board meets quarterly with President and CEO Scott Anderson, Zions Bancorporation Chairman and CEO Harris Simmons, and other bank executives to offer market and industry sector perspectives and guidance. (Read More) UVUâs Idalia Serrano picks up two wins in goal for the El Salvador National Team Utah Valley University (UVU) womenâs soccer goalkeeper Idalia Serrano picked up two wins in goal for the El Salvador Womenâs National Team. The talented goalkeeper, who has been a standout for the UVU Wolverines, is now making a significant impact on the international stage. Serrano was called up to the El Salvador Senior Womenâs National Team as the squad played qualifying matches for the inaugural W Gold Cup, Sept. 17-24. She started both matches and went a perfect 2-0 in the box during the W Gold Cup Qualifying, picking up a shutout in a 3-0 win over Nicaragua and a 9-1 win against Martinique. (Read More) Romney joins effort to prohibit ESA sage-grouse listing U.S. Senator Mitt Romney (R-UT) today joined Senators Jim Risch (R-ID) and Mike Crapo (R-ID), members of the Senate Western Caucus, in a letter to Senate leadership urging the continued Endangered Species Act (ESA) listing prohibition for the greater sage-grouse. (Read More) Bridging the housing gap in the West Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) reintroduced the Helping Open Underutilized Space to Ensure Shelter or HOUSES Act legislation aimed at alleviating housing constraints experienced across the West. This initiative targets federal lands to bolster local efforts to combat rising housing costs and increase available housing stock. (Read More) | | |
Upcoming 2nd Congressional District Debate â Oct. 26, 6:00 pm UVU Conference on Mental Health â Oct. 27, 9 am - 5 pm, Register here Martha Hughes Cannon Award with Utah Women Run â Nov 2, 6:00-8:00 pm, Nominate someone here Interim Day â Nov 14-15, le.utah.gov Celebrating 30 years of the Religious Freedom Restoration Act, with the Orrin G. Hatch Foundation â Nov 16, 10 am, MST, Register here
General election â Nov. 21
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On This Day In History 1774 - Congress petitions English king to address grievances 1853 - Native Americans attack transcontinental railroad survey crew in Utah, killing 8. 1929 - Warren G Hardingâs Secretary of the Interior found guilty of accepting a bribe in the Teapot Dome scandal 1938 - American Archbishop of Dubuque (Iowa) denounces Swing music as "a degenerated musical system... turned loose to gnaw away at the moral fiber of young people", warning that it leads down a "primrose path to hell". 1939 - DuPont sold the first nylon stockings to its employees in Wilmington, DE before they were sold to consumers. 1955 - For the first time, people could prepare a meal in a microwave oven designed for home use - for just $1,295. 1962 - US Ambassador to the UN Adlai Stevenson demands USSR UN rep Zorin answer regarding Cuban missile bases saying "I am prepared to wait for my answer until hell freezes over" 1973 - President Nixon vetoes the War Powers Resolution. Congress later overrode the veto 2000 - CBS agrees to pay $8 million to female employees who had been victims of sexual harassment and promotion discrimination Quote of the Day "Regulating social media companies to protect minors is not a partisan issue, and most people across the political spectrum agree we cannot allow addictive algorithms and deceptive practices to continue harming our children." âGov. Spencer Cox On the Punny Side What does a little witch use to bake? An easy bake coven. | | |
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