Convention weekend for Utah's Democrats and Republicans, Russia declares their intent to take over the east and south of Ukraine | | | 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 | April 22, 2022 It's Friday! Best of luck to everyone participating in conventions this weekend or running in the Salt Lake City Marathon. Be in the Know Happy Earth Day! Governor Cox has ordered another emergency drought declaration, wildfire smoke is already in Utah skies but, air quality is slightly improved in Salt Lake while St. George has some of the cleanest air in the nation. If you are looking for a project, the Earth Day cleanup of Jordan River is still accepting volunteers. To top off Earth Day celebrations, a significant storm system is expected statewide. Well done, Mother Nature. Well done. Rustam Minnekayev, deputy commander of Russia's central military district, said today that Moscow wants to take all of southern and eastern Ukraine, the first time they've said publicly that this is about more than "freeing" Ukraine from "Nazis." Ukraine's defense ministry tweeted "They've stopped hiding it." Two major cities in southern Ukraine are Odesa and Mykolayiv. The TASS news agency in Russia said that controlling the south of Ukraine would let them (Russia) "free" the "oppressed people" in Transdniestria. Like they "freed" Mariupol after two months of constant shelling. Ukraine estimates that tens of thousands of civilians dies during the siege and 100,000 are still trapped. Russia admits that 140,000 have been "relocated" deep within Russia. Dazed survivors are begin to describe the horrors of the last two months. ð¢ | | |
| | FROM OUR SPONSOR, CHRIS STEWART FOR UTAH Congressman Chris Stewart is the clear choice for current issues Representative Chris Stewart is working to preserve our constitutional rights, protect religious liberty, combat unnecessary surveilling of the American people and support mental health through legislation. Learn more about how Chris Stewart is the conservative voice for Utah. | | |
Utah Headlines General Are you middle class, upper middle class, or something lower on this scale? (Deseret News) Former UHP trooper charged with child sexual abuse (ABC4) Politics VIDEO: Utah Gov. Spencer Cox's April monthly news conference (KUER) Incumbent Rep. Steve Waldrip drops out, 2 GOPers remain in race for District 8 Utah House post (Standard-Examiner) Are Utah Republicans mad at Gov. Cox for transgender veto? Let political chips fall, he says. âIf youâre governing to keep your poll numbers up, then youâre not leading,â Gov. Spencer Cox says of Tucker Carlson rant (Deseret News) Gregg Lund: Democrats wonât beat Mike Lee by following the âparty above all elseâ principle (Salt Lake Tribune) Gov. Cox will run for re-election (KUTV) Education Lt. Gov. Henderson, son walk at BYU Commencement after both graduate this year (KUTV) Westminster College standing by plans to offer elective pornography studies class despite social media onslaught (Deseret News) Sara N. Mathis: Teaching diversity begins at home. Schools need the help of parents and families to help work against racism. (Salt Lake Tribune) Environment Why a dry Chilean lagoon matters to the future of the Great Salt Lake (Deseret News) Why Cox got fired up over fossil fuel development and climate change. Utah governor asserts abandoning fossil fuels is a false choice (Deseret News) Itâs only April and Arizona wildfire smoke is filling Utah skies (Deseret News) Salt Lake City air quality has slightly improved â and one Utah city ranks among the best in U.S. (Salt Lake Tribune) Utah, neighboring states agree to emergency plan that will send more water to Lake Powell from Flaming Gorge. Critics say the plan amounts to âputting out firesâ and will not be enough to save the reservoir. (Salt Lake Tribune) Weber State University saves 50 million gallons of water a year, more savings planned (KSL TV) Biden order aims to protect old-growth forests from wildfire (AP) Housing Rent control? Leave the free market be? What Utahns want done about wild housing prices. Poll: Utahnsâ answers run the gamut on what state, local government should do about housing market (Deseret News) U.S. home mortgage rates up again, but 5.11% isnât a peak (Deseret News) Median home prices exceed $600k for first time in Salt Lake County (KUTV) COVID Corner 1197 new cases last week, 4 new deaths Utahâs COVID-19 cases, emergency room visits and wastewater levels are increasing (Salt Lake Tribune) Woman accused of selling negative COVID-19 tests to travelers at Salt Lake City airport (Fox13) National Headlines General In its first detailed plan to slow the rise in drug overdose deaths, the Biden administration is emphasizing harm reduction. The administration also wants to ensure patients have access to medications for opioid use disorder while in treatment. (NPR) Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen called for a reshaping of global supply chains during the spring meetings of the IMF and World Bank, as policymakers discuss how to revive economic growth, combat inflation and be less reliant on adversarial countries. (New York Times) Patrick Lyoya fled Congo to escape war. A traffic stop in Michigan cost him his life (NPR) Portuguese prosecutors say man named formal suspect in McCann case (CNN) In Polarized Texas, Rare Accord: A Hispanic Mother Shouldnât Be Executed (New York Times) Politics Shot: Kevin McCarthy attacks the New York Times for publishing a story that claimed McCarthy would ask Trump to resign. (NYT) Chaser: There's audio. (AP) Mark Meadows was simultaneously registered to vote in three states (Washington Post) Ukraine ðºð¦ Possible mass graves near Mariupol as Russia attacks in east (AP) UN rights chief sees âhorror storyâ of violations in Ukraine (AP) Russian general says Moscow aims to capture southern Ukraine (Reuters) Ukrainian volunteers recount three weeks in Russian captivity, allege beatings (Reuters) In obliterated Kharkiv, Ukrainian survivors struggle to hold out. Parts of what was a sophisticated hub of Ukraineâs science and research now lack basic amenities like running water and electricity (Wall Street Journal) U.S. sends Ukraine new Phoenix Ghost drones, howitzers for Donbas battle (Washington Post) Mystery drone: How the Air Force fast-tracked a new weapon for Ukraine (Politico) | | |
Happy Earth Day! by The Nature Conservancy This Earth Week, Dr. Katharine Hayhoe, one of the worldâs top climate scientists and communicators, visited Utah to share inspiration, and make a simple request: letâs talk more about climate change. Seven in 10 Americans believe climate change is happening and 6 in 10 are worried about it. Yet more than half of Americans rarelyâif everâtalk about climate change with their friends and families. In polarized times, these conversations arenât always easy. But Hayhoe stresses that despite our differences, there is much more that unites us. âTo care about climate change, you only have to be one thing, a human living on planet earth, and weâre all that,â says Hayhoe. As part of her visit this week, Dr. Hayhoe joined local fourth graders on a field trip to The Nature Conservancyâs Great Salt Lake Shorelands Preserve and shared tips for kids on how to start constructive conversations about climate change. The field trip was the first time since 2020 that Utah students were able to return to the preserve as part of TNCâs Wings & Water program, which had been sidelined by the pandemic. Dr. Hayhoeâs mission in Utah this Earth Day is about finding hopeâand helping people of all ages start climate change conversations that connect us instead of dividing us. Honest, one-one-one talks are vital first steps to action, on an individual and then a community level. This Earth Day, take a few minutes to watch Katharine Hayhoeâs TED talk, âThe most important thing you can do to fight climate change: talk about it,â which has nearly 4 million views. News Releases Gov. Spencer J. Cox issues drought emergency order Gov. Spencer J. Cox declared a state of emergency due to the dire drought conditions affecting the entire state. This declaration activates the Drought Response Committee and triggers increased monitoring and reporting. It also allows drought-affected communities, agricultural producers and others to report unmet needs and work toward solutions. âWeâve had a very volatile water year, and unfortunately, recent spring storms are not enough to make up the shortage in our snowpack,â Gov. Cox said. âOnce again, I call on all Utahns â households, farmers, businesses, governments and other groups â to carefully consider their needs and reduce their water use. We saved billions of gallons last year and we can do it again.â (Read More) Congressional delegation, state officials send letter blasting S&P Global for publishing ESG credit indicators Today, in an effort coordinated by Utah Treasurer Marlo M. Oaks and Utah Attorney General Sean Reyes, Utahâs entire Congressional delegation, all Constitutional officers, and Utahâs legislative leaders sent a letter to S&P Global Ratings President and CEO Douglas Peterson and President Martina Cheung demanding S&P withdraw its recently released Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) credit indicators for states and state subdivisions. In the letter, Utahâs leadership categorically objects to any ESG ratings, ESG credit indicators, or any other ESG scoring system that calls out ESG factors separate from, in addition to, or apart from traditional credit ratings. (Read More) | | |
Upcoming GOP Convention, April 23, 10 am, Mt. America Expo Center Dem Convention, Apr 23, 8 am, Cottonwood High School Breakfast Briefing with Utah Foundation, May 17, 8:30-10:00 am Ballots are mailed â June 7 Primary election day â June 28 General election â Nov 8 | | |
(On This Day In History 1500 - The Portuguese discover and then claim Brazil. 1857 - Sarah B. Cochran is born. She was an American coal magnate, philanthropist and womenâs suffrage supporter in southwestern Pennsylvania. 1891 - Laura Gilpin is born. An early photographer, she won acclaim for mastery of the platinum printing process in the early 1920s. Her early work with autochromes of still-life and portraits allowed her to record 35 years of vanishing rural America. 1904 - Robert Oppenheimer, American theoretical physicist known as the father of the atomic bomb (Manhattan Project), is born in NYC, New York. 1925 - Saltaire fire 1945 - Hitler admits defeat 1970 - The first Earth Day is celebrated. 1976 - Barbara Walters becomes the first female US nightly news anchor. 1994 - Former President Nixon dies. 1994 - 7,000 Tutsi slaughtered by Hutus in the stadium at Kibuye, Rwanda. 2000 - In a pre-dawn raid, federal agents seize six-year-old Elián González from his relatives' home in Miami, Florida. 2004 - Pat Tillman killed by friendly fire in Afghanistan. Wise Words âKeep close to Natureâs heart⦠and break clear away, once in awhile, and climb a mountain or spend a week in the woods. Wash your spirit clean.â âJohn Muir Lighter Side In honor of Earth day, I'm sending all of my work-related emails to my "recycle" folder. (Kidding, boss. I'm kidding) | | |
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