Happy Winter Solstice!; Ogden family honors young organ donor with Christmas tree; TSA shares travel tips for the holidays | | | 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. 21, 2023 It's Thursday and Winter Solstice. Tomorrow, our days start getting longer! What You Need to Know Gov. Spencer Cox held his monthly press conference yesterday. He says he believes diversity and inclusion are important, but called DEI statements "very political." He said he was confident the legislature would pass a bill banning requiring DEI statements for new hires at Utah's universities and he would sign it when it hits his desk. Jeanetta Williams, president of the NAACP Salt Lake Branch, released a statement on Dec. 15 saying she was âdisheartened to hear Gov. Cox talk negatively about Diversity in Colleges.â Rapid Relevance Desert Color Christmas tree serves as symbol of light, hope; Ogden family honors young organ donor with Christmas tree; TSA shares travel tips for the holidays; and a holiday weekend storm system is still tracking toward northern Utah. | | |
Utah Headlines Political news Gov. Spencer Cox: Utah Legislature plans to ban colleges from forcing new hires to sign âpoliticalâ diversity statements (Deseret News) âBordering on evilâ: Diversity hiring practices at Utahâs universities will end in 2024, Cox says (Salt Lake Tribune) Gov. Cox calls Colorado court decision barring Trump from ballot a âmistakeâ (Deseret News) Cox weighs in on Reyes not wanting official calendar made public (Fox13) Orem says farewell to outgoing City Council members Lauret, Peterson (Daily Herald) Holiday corner What I learned from a 50-year-old recording of a family Christmas (Deseret News) Last-minute Christmas shopping? Watch out for scammers. First rule of thumb: If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. (Deseret News) Utah news âI was in denialâ: How this 81-year-old woman fell victim to romance fraud (Deseret News) Business/Technology Za-pow! Utah Telescope Array captures remarkable, and rare, air-to-ground gamma ray burst (Deseret News) 2023 was full of challenges for small businesses in Utah but resources are available (KSL Newsradio) Weekly US unemployment claims rise slightly but job market remains strong as inflation eases (AP) Crime/Courts 3 Utahns were kidnapped, murdered and buried in Tooele mountains, police say (KSL) Missing girl from North Logan found alive in Oregon (KSL TV) Who should be investigating Tim Ballard? Utah Gov. Cox and a former federal judge disagree. (Salt Lake Tribune) Judge denies Chad Daybell's motion to remove the death penalty (KUTV) Culture The benefits of having friends who arenât your age (Deseret News) Cox notes 'major shift' on 10-year anniversary of Utah's same-sex marriage ruling (KSL) Kitchen, Herbert reflect on 10 years since historic court ruling (Fox13) Education Cox seeks to crack down on cellphone use in Utah public schools (Deseret News)
Environment Nuclear energy makes a huge showing at worldwide climate summit (Deseret News) Utahâs Lila Canyon mine is âidled indefinitelyâ in latest sign of coalâs decline (Salt Lake Tribune) A huge Utah solar farm being built could power thousands of homes. It will fuel Facebook and Instagram posts instead. (Salt Lake Tribune) Five wolves make history as theyâre released into the Western wild (Washington Post) Health Colon cancer is rising in young Americans. Itâs not clear why. (Washington Post) How fake sugars sneak into foods and disrupt metabolic health (Washington Post) Housing Amid lower interest rates, Utah first-time homebuyers will still face a difficult market in 2024 (Deseret News) | | |
National Headlines General 2023 was a tragic and bizarre year of wildfires. Will it mark a turning point? (NPR) Texas begins flying migrants from southern border to Chicago. (AP) Harvard backs its president after new plagiarism allegations (Wall Street Journal) Man cleared of murder after more than 48 years in prison (New York Times) Political news A judge rules Rudy Giuliani must immediately pay $148 million to two election workers (NPR) US Congress faces severe January tests over Ukraine, migration, budgets (Reuters) Senatorâs family escaped the Nazis. Now, he wonât give up on Ukraine. (Washington Post) Jack Smith added a Supreme Court specialist. Trump has the Missouri lawyer who sued Joe Biden. (Politico) Election news Keep Trump on the ballot, his GOP challengers say (Deseret News) The Colorado court that barred Donald Trump is notably nonpartisan, some observers say. (New York Times) âThe opposite of politicsâ: A conservative legal scholar says kicking Trump off the ballot is âunassailableâ (Politico) Ukraine ðºð¦ Ukraine ends year disappointed by stalemate with Russia, and anxious about aid from allies (AP) How China is cashing in on the war in Ukraine (New York Times) Israel ð®ð± Gazans are starting to blame Hamas for wartime suffering (Wall Street Journal) World news A wave of violence terrorizes Mexico as criminals kill with impunity (New York Times) | | |
| | News Releases USBE statement on events at Bonneville Elementary The Utah State Board of Education (USBE) is profoundly saddened and disheartened by the malicious defacement of property that occurred at Bonneville Elementary School in Salt Lake City over the weekend. USBE condemns all acts of hate and racism in any form. We express our full support for Bonneville Elementary School, and for the students, educators, and community members who have been affected. We will continue to strive to provide a safe and healthy learning environment for all Utah students, educators, and school staff. Moore, colleague introduce bill to protect American mining House Republican Conference Vice Chair Blake Moore, Natural Resources Vice Chairman Congressman Doug Lamborn (CO-05), and Congressional Western Caucus Chairman Dan Newhouse (WA-04) introduced a bill to block the Biden administration from damaging vital mining and mineral refining in the United States. As China works to put a chokehold on mining and refining of minerals, the Biden administrationâs latest action to slow down the mining permitting process will only put U.S. supply chains at further risk. To read the full text of the legislation Congressmen Moore, Lamborn, and Newhouse introduced to block this action, click here. (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 1891 - The first basketball game is played as 30-yr-old James Naismith introduces it to 18 students 1898 - Scientists Pierre and Marie Curie discover radium 1937 - The first full-length animated feature film, "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs", premieres at the Carthay Circle Theatre 1945 - General George S. Patton dies from a freak car accident at age 60 1948 - Samuel L. Jackson is born. 1970 - Elvis Presley meets US President Richard Nixon in the White House - the image of this meeting is the most requested photo from the entire National Archives. 1971 - The United Arab Emirates is formed. 1984 - The Miracle Bowl. BYU beats Michigan 24-17 in the Holiday Bowl to remain undefeated and earn the NCAA Division I-A football title. 1988 - Pan Am Flight 103 explodes over Scotland, killing all 243 passengers and 16 crew members on board 1995 - The city of Bethlehem passes from Israeli to Palestinian control. 2012 - âGangnam Styleâ becomes first YouTube video to reach one billion views Quote of the Day âWe should celebrate our different cultures, different backgrounds, different experiences, different languages â all of those things make us richer and make us better.â âGov. Spencer Cox On the Punny Side What was Santa's favorite subject in school? Chemis-tree! | | |
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