Plus, electric landscaping tools on state-owned property; expanding childcare facility options; and Trump's Gaza plan sparks sharp reactions | | | 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. | | |
Utah Headlines Legislative session A 'waste of time'? Utah House passes bill to end daylight saving time (KSL) Business and Labor Public labor union bill back to a complete ban on collective bargaining (Deseret News) Is your babyâs identity safe? Utah lawmakers debate heightened E-Verify requirements to prevent child identity theft (Deseret News) Education Brandon Fugal, Shauna Smith, Jeremy Hafen: Letâs be thoughtful in our approach to higher education in Utah (Deseret News) Washington County school board expresses concern over class size reduction bill (St. George News) Government Operations Utah lawmakers address federalism while working to balance state, federal jurisdiction (Deseret News) Editorial Board: Keep Utah government transparent (Deseret News) The end of voting by mail in Utah? Lawmakers advance two controversial election reform bills. (Salt Lake Tribune) Law Enforcement Utahâs call for action: Addressing sexual assault through prevention and support (Deseret News) Health and Human Services Opinion: State lawmakers should help make medication more affordable for Utahns battling chronic diseases (Deseret News) Utah lawmaker takes aim at candy, soda and food dyes with 2 new bills (KSL TV) Other Utah News Politics Riverton says ânoâ to fluoride in resolution (Deseret News) Senator John Curtis on Faith, His Brush with the Democratic Party, and the Importance of a Purple Tie (RadioWest) Utah news Hill Air Force Base braces for return of remote employees after presidential order (KSL) Utah FBI agents appear on list over Jan. 6 cases (Fox13) Biz/Tech Union reps offer support to Ogden-area IRS workers as buyout proposal deadline looms (KSL) Culture The time The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints donated 7,000 Qurans to Muslims (Deseret News) Hereâs what Vice President JD Vance just told believers about Trumpâs religious freedom plans (Deseret News) âDignity is a universal birthright,â Elder Soares says at religious freedom summit (Deseret News) Education Hundreds of Utah schools request alternatives for their school guardian program (KUTV) Utah students honing critical thinking skills to spot medical misinformation (Fox13) Environment Battle over cattle pits two environmental organizations against each other (Deseret News) Health Racial gap widened in deaths among US moms around the time of childbirth (AP) Struggling with your mental health after surviving a disaster? Hereâs how to look after yourself (AP) Housing Nearly 4 months late, Weber County finally has a winter shelter plan (KUER) | | |
National Headlines General Is it a crime to be in the country illegally? We answer your questions (Deseret News) Scientists solve the mystery of sea turtlesâ âlost yearsâ (AP) Parked Delta plane apparently struck by Japan Airlines plane that was taxiing at Seattle airport (AP) Judge blocks Sandy Hook families' settlement in Alex Jones' bankruptcy (Reuters) NWSL to pay players $5 million in new abuse settlement (Deseret News) Pennsylvania thieves haul away precious loot: 100,000 eggs (Reuters) NSA museum covered plaques honoring women and people of color, provoking an uproar (NPR) Political news Trump unleashes a supercharged MAGA agenda and Republicans come aboard (AP) 'It's a bad deal': Union president warns federal workers against accepting offer (NPR) USAID is going away. Hereâs what itâs been doing in South America (AP) America canât just unpause USAID. The speed with which the Trump administration took the agency apart will be felt for years to come. (The Atlantic) Pam Bondi is sworn in as attorney general as the Justice Department braces for major shakeup (AP) CIA offers buyouts to staffers as new director looks to stamp Trumpâs imprint on the agency (AP) Trumpâs birthright citizenship order is put on hold by a second federal judge (AP) Would it be legal for Trump to send U.S. citizens to El Salvador's jails? (NPR) 'I thought we voted for America first' - Trump Gaza plan divides his party (Reuters) World leaders react to Trumpâs Gaza proposal. Congress also is divided, some calling the proposal âethnic cleansing,â others saying the move will âbring peaceâ (Deseret News) DOGE aides search Medicare, Medicaid agency payment systems for fraud (Wall Street Journal) Trump signs order aiming to ban trans athletes from womenâs sports (Washington Post) Senate ditches plans for âone big beautiful bill,â sidesteps House on budget reconciliation (Deseret News) Shutdown fears grow as Trump battles multiply (The Hill) CIA sends White House unclassified email with names of agency new hires (CNN) Ukraine and Russia Ukraine welcomes Trump offer to trade its minerals for military support (Washington Post) Ukraine wants partner countries to join in postwar development worth billions (AP) Israel and Gaza âI wonât leave. Put that in your brain.â Palestinians reject Trumpâs call to expel them from Gaza (AP) A brief history of Gaza's tortured role in the Middle East conflict (NPR) Other world news Hope turns to regret among Syrians returning home from Turkey (Reuters) âDays of mass burials aheadâ as Congo mourns its dead in Goma (New York Times) | | |
| | Guest Opinion: The incivility crisis within the legal profession by Kimball Dean Parker Several years ago, I helped a friend and mentor wrap up his business affairs as he struggled with an aggressive form of dementia. He could no longer understand his situation fully or make independent decisions. And his family asked me to help. One of the issues I helped with was a lingering legal situation regarding the business he founded. And I worked with my friendâs attorney to settle the dispute. As the matter was wrapping up, an attorney representing the other side wrote an email accusing my friend of faking his dementia. The tone was mocking and he included several other offensive and untrue accusations. That message found its way to me and my friendâs wife in an email chain that contained the settlement details. It was one of the cruelest statements I have ever witnessed and it caused considerable pain to the family. When I asked my friendâs lawyer about the accusation, he let me know that the attorney exhibited this type of behavior throughout the lawsuit. And I have since learned that this lawyer has a long-standing reputation for incivility. As a former litigator myself, the attorneyâs conduct was offensive and hurtful, but it was not surprising. Nor was the firmâs lack of a response. The legal profession has a long-standing, festering issue with incivility, especially within litigation. In my short legal career, I witnessed judges demean and belittle attorneys arguing a case. Iâve been in depositions when attorneys have yelled and screamed at witnesses and opposing counsel. Iâve seen law firm partners mistreat and harass younger attorneys. And Iâve read outrageous accusations and threats in email correspondences. Any litigator can regale you with stories of inappropriate and unethical behavior from opposing counsel (and colleagues). It has become an accepted and regrettable part of the practice of law. And it has driven several people I know away from the profession altogether....(Read More) News Releases UVU First Gentleman Jeffrey S. Tolk passes away Utah Valley University shared the following with its campus community today. âIt is with deep sadness that we share the passing of Jeffrey S. Tolk, husband of President Astrid Tuminez and First Gentleman of Utah Valley University. We will miss him more than words can express. âDuring this time, we are asking for privacy for President Tuminez and her family. We will share more information about the funeral services when it is available. If you would like to share your condolences or memories, please visit uvu.edu/president/meet. | | |
Upcoming Feb 10 â Gail Miller: Making a Difference with UWLP, 11:30 am - 12:30 pm, Register here Feb 11 â "Heart on the Hill" Day with the American Heart Association, 9:30 am - 12:00 pm, Copper Room in the Senate Building Feb 12 â Navigating the 2025 Tax Reconciliation Bill webinar with the Hatch Center, 10:00 am - 11:00 am, MST, Register here Feb 12 â Crossing the Divide: Making an Impact in Career and Community with UWLP, 11:30 am - 12:30 pm, Register here Feb 20 â BioHive Live, 9:00 am - 3:00 pm, Hale Centre Theater, Sandy, Register here Mar. 7 â Utah legislative session ends | | |
On This Day In History 1867 - Peabody Fund is established to promote Black education in the South. 1887 - Florence Luscomb is born. She became an architect and reformer and was the first woman to graduate from MIT as an architectural graduate. In 1909, she gave 222 speeches for woman suffrage in 14 weeks, 1911 - Ronald Reagan is born. 1952 - Elizabeth becomes the Queen of England when her father, King George VI dies. 1985 - The âReagan Doctrineâ is announced during the State of the Union and was President Reaganâs approach to foreign policy. 1988 - The Alaskan legislature establishes the Elizabeth Peratrovich Day due to her âcourageous, unceasing efforts to eliminate discrimination and bring about equal rights in Alaska.â Peratrovich was the president of the Alaska Native Sisterhood and testified repeatedly about the unfair treatment indigenous peoples received across the state. 1993 - Arthur Ashe dies of AIDS he contracted receiving blood after heart surgery. He was the first Black tennis player to win at Wimbledon. 2022 - Queen Elizabeth II becomes the first British monarch to celebrate a Platinum Jubilee, marking seventy years on the throne 2023 - 7.9 earthquake hits southern Turkey Quote of the Day âFreedom is not the sole prerogative of a chosen few; it is the universal right of all Godâs children.â âPresident Ronald Reagan, announcing the "Reagan Doctrine" toward foreign policy On the Punny Side Peruvian owls always hunt in pairs. It's because they're Inca hoots. Owl show myself out.... | | |
| â Advertise With Us â Subscribers may receive special messages with information about new features, special offers, or public policy messages from clients and advertisers. |
|
|
