West Valley teen makes 'miraculous' recovery after gunshot wound, deaths of family; Utah agencies mobilizing to help fight CA wildfires
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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 | Jan. 9, 2025

It's Thursday and a National Day of Mourning.

What you need to know

  • Today is former President Jimmy Carter's funeral in Washington National Cathedral beginning at 8 am Mountain Standard Time, with coverage beginning at least an hour before. Networks that are covering the services include ABC, CBS, BBC, NBC and PBS. The memorial service can also be streamed live on Hulu and Disney+. All five living U.S. presidents are expected to attend the service.

Rapid Relevance

 

Utah Headlines

Political news

  • Sen. Mike Lee will reintroduce the SAVE Act, on noncitizen voting (Deseret News)
  • Derek Miller: From dysfunction to solutions — a values-driven immigration framework (Deseret News)
  • ‘We must be different’: Gov. Cox gets personal at his second inauguration (Deseret News)
  • 'Faith, family and community': Cox reflects on what makes Utah special in inaugural address (KSL)
  • Stuart Adams: The Utah Senate majority’s blueprint for 2025 (Deseret News)
  • While other cities sign on, Logan is the only one to reject a costly fossil fuel energy contract (Salt Lake Tribune)
  • LDS House Republican proposes bill to keep franchise locations from having to open Sundays (Salt Lake Tribune)
  • Utah Legislature could explore switching authors of ballot initiatives (Daily Herald)
  • Grand County audit compliance releases $13.4 million in frozen state revenue (Salt Lake Tribune)
  • Meet newly inaugurated Utah Attorney General Derek Brown (Inside Sources)

Utah

  • Dozens of Utah firefighters prepare to help fight California fires (KSL TV)
  • Park City Mountain ski patrol approves new contract, headed back to slopes (Deseret News)
  • 2 new billboards in Utah call for support of Jewish Americans and an end to antisemitism (Deseret News)
  • Utahns feel more confident about economy than most Americans, report shows (Fox13)

Biz/Tech

Culture

  • Girl Scouts are retiring these two cookie flavors after 2025 (Deseret News)
  • A new Bible hit the market Monday. It celebrates Trump’s inauguration (Deseret News)
  • Utah native wins award at Miss America 2025 (Deseret News)

Education

  • Parents, experts worry real threats may be ignored amid surge of threat hoaxes in Utah (KUTV)
  • Urgent care coming to Utah schools through enhanced health (KSL TV)

Environment

  • Utah’s snow year is a mixed bag, but that can change (Deseret News
  • Biden’s new ban on offshore drilling. Will it stand? (Deseret News)

Housing

  • Salt Lake's housing market is one of the hottest in the country (Deseret News)
  • Mortgage rates hit 6-month high, loan applications dwindle (Deseret News)
  • Salt Lake City's newest apartments took about a decade to finish but hit a big need (KSL)
  • Ogden city officials raise concerns over location of housing unit for disabled and homeless (KSL Newsradio)
  • Where are we building new homes in Utah? Almost only in these 2 places. (Salt Lake Tribune)
 

National news

General

  • California fires: Hollywood Hills burn as LA engulfed by 'the big one' (Reuters)
  • Fire hydrants ran dry in Southern California just when they were needed most (AP)
  • Houses of worship among the buildings destroyed by Los Angeles fires (Deseret News)
  • Hollywood stars among thousands evacuated by California wildfires. Here’s what they are saying (Deseret News)
  • As L.A. burns, Trump blames Newsom — and California governor pushes back (Washington Post)
  • Ex-FBI informant who fabricated bribery story about Biden and his son Hunter gets 6 years in prison (AP)

Politics

  • What Trump promises to do Day 1 (Deseret News)
  • Trump looks to Greenland to cement his legacy and expand sphere of US influence (Reuters)
  • Speaker Johnson says House will vote to impose sanctions on International Criminal Court to protect Israel and U.S. interests (Deseret News)
  • Opinion: Advancing religious freedom with refugee resettlement (Deseret News)
  • Senators introduce measure making daylight saving time year-round standard (The Hill)

Ukraine 

  • Russian strike kills 13, injures 113 in Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia (Reuters)
  • Trump’s Ukraine envoy postpones planned trip to Kyiv, top Ukrainian diplomat says (AP)

Israel/Gaza

  • Body of an Israeli hostage is found in Gaza, possibly alongside his son’s remains, army says (AP)

World news

  • Lebanese parliament elects Joseph Aoun president after 2-year deadlock (Washington Post)
 

Number of the Day 

Number of the Day, Jan. 9, 2025

 

News Releases

Utah consumer sentiment rises in December

Utah’s consumer sentiment increased again in December (3.6%, from 88.1 in November to 91.3 in December), according to the Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute’s Survey of Utah Consumer Sentiment. A similar survey conducted by the University of Michigan found a slightly smaller change (3.1% increase) in sentiment among Americans as a whole during the same time (from 71.8 to 74).

“This latest month marks the highest level of consumer sentiment among Utah residents in over three years,” said Phil Dean, chief economist at the Gardner Institute. “It also represents the largest disparity between the U.S. and the state’s consumer sentiment since the Utah index began in October 2020." (Read More)


President Biden signs Maloy bill allowing court to meet in Moab and Monticello

Recently, President Joe Biden signed into law Rep. Celeste Maloy’s (UT-02) bill – H.R. 8666 – to authorize additional federal case locations in Moab and Monticello, Utah. Senator John Curtis (R-UT) cosponsored this legislation while serving in the House. (Read More)

 

Tweet of the Day

Screenshot 2025-01-09 at 7.27.19 AM

 

Upcoming

  • Jan. 9 — What’s Up Down South Economic Summit. St. George. Register here
  • Jan. 10 — Utah Economic Outlook & Public Policy Summit with the SL Chamber & Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute, 7:30 am - 12:00 pm, Grand America Hotel, Register here 
  • Jan. 10 — Rural Utah Data Symposium. St. George. Register here
  • Jan. 11— Special election for HD4, 2 pm
  • Jan 14 — Utah Taxpayers Association Legislative Outlook Conference, 9 am - 12:00 pm, Little America Hotel, Register here
  • Jan. 21 — Utah legislative session begins
  • Mar. 7 — Utah legislative session ends
 

On This Day In History

  • 1793 - First successful balloon flight completed in the U.S.
  • 1811 - The first women’s golf tournament is held at Musselburgh Links Golf Club in Scotland. The first-place winner received a fishing basket and the 2nd and 3rd winners got handkerchiefs.
  • 1859 - Carrie Chapman Catt is born. She was the president of the National American Woman Suffrage Association when the 19th Amendment was ratified in 1920
  • 1913 - Richard M. Nixon is born
  • 2007 - Steve Jobs unveils the first iPhone
  • 2022 - Bob Saget dies of head trauma at 65

Quote of the Day

"No written law has ever been more binding than unwritten custom supported by popular opinion."
—Carrie Chapman Catt


On the Punny Side

I was attacked by a flock of sheep this afternoon.

I was only grazed.

I was very lucky I wasn't fleeced.

 

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