International Overdose Awareness Day; Ukrainian counteroffensive pierces Russian line in southeast; soggy Labor Day weekend in the forecast | | | 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 | August 31, 2023 Today is Thursday and International Overdose Awareness Day. It's the reason the flags are at half-staff on state buildings today. What You Need to Know Rep. Burgess Owens spoke at the Hinckley Institute of Politics yesterday as part of the Sutherland Institute's 2023 Congressional series. He told a room full of students that the country's most valuable resource is its young people. He is focused on education and said he is excited to see the level of engagement from parents today. "Parents should have more power," he said, and "a big say in terms of what is happening in the school system."
The Ukrainian counteroffensive has pierced the main Russian defensive line in three different places in the southeast, reports the Wall Street Journal. It marks the first time Ukraine has penetrated the main Russian defensive line, an extensive system of minefields, trenches and antitank obstacles covered by artillery. Ukrainian forces are now working to expand the breaches in the line to allow armored vehicles and logistical support to push through. Rapid Relevance Labor Day weekend has a soggy forecast - and possible mountain snow; Utahâs Cameron Rising ânot expected to playâ against Florida; Britain Covey signs to Eaglesâ practice squad; large algal bloom warning remains in place at Utah Lake; National Archives confirm when Biden was vice president he used 3 pseudonyms; and the University of Nebraska laid claim to the world record for largest attendance at a womenâs sporting event with 92,003 filling Memorial Stadium for the Cornhuskersâ volleyball match against Omaha. | | |
| | Register for the 2023 Utah Tourism Conference | September 26-29 | St. George, Utah Join us for the Annual Utah Tourism Conference, the state's premier industry conference where professionals gather from around the state to network and learn. Whether you are part of the tourism industry or hoping to explore the possibilities of tourism in Utah, youâll leave inspired. See you there! | | |
Utah Headlines Political news Report recommends big changes to help Utah's murdered, missing Indigenous people (Fox13) Republican special election picks Tennille Johnson as Cache County Recorder (Cache Valley Daily) This Utah legislator brought a shotgun to a water fight. Literally. (Salt Lake Tribune) Election news Bruce Hough open to potential Trump pardon; Maloy and Edwards GOP candidates don't say (KUTV) Larry Elder tells us Vivek Ramaswamy stole his debate line on âthe epidemic of fatherlessnessâ (Deseret News) Why Sen. Mike Lee doesnât believe the 14th Amendment disqualifies Trump (Deseret News) Why Sen. Mike Lee wants Glenn Beck to run for president (Deseret News) What to know before Utahâs primary election (KSL Newsradio) General Utah news 70% of Utahns oppose giving legacy applicants preference in college admissions (Deseret News) Final demolition of old Utah State Prison underway (KSL) âExceptionally highâ support in Utah for spending tax dollars on Olympic facilities (Deseret News) Business Kum & Goâs Utah locations to be rebranded as Maverik gas stations (KSL) Culture Drinking pumpkin spice without the latte: 5 drinks to try at Starbucks (Deseret News) What the Beehive Stateâs high rate of weekly religious attendance means (Deseret News) Coach Bronco Mendenhall and his wife, Holly Mendenhall, talk about family, faith and football with guest host Sheri Dew (Church News podcast) Can the rising generation find purpose in an age of consumerism? (Deseret News) Education Solution to Utahâs teacher shortage? Envision Utah says raise salaries (Daily Herald) Utah schools face growing demand for psychologists to address mental health needs (KUTV) Value proposition. How higher education can provide more bang for the buck (Deseret News) Restoring the broken promise of American education (Deseret News) The âmomentum principlesâ to completing college (Deseret News) Pushing back against the pressure to conform (Deseret News) Itâs time to rethink incentives for higher ed (Deseret News) The value and power of proactive mentoring in higher ed (Deseret News) Southern Utah University is feeling Americaâs sky-high demand for aircraft mechanics (KUER) Environment Smoky skies return to Utah â but for how long? (KSL) Officials say the Utah 2023 wildfire season was ânormalâ (KSL Newsradio) Wasp infestation causes Harvey Park in Cedar Hills to temporarily shut down (KSL TV) Natural gas from poop instead of fossils? This BYU bacteria could make it happen (KUER) Family Local tech expert warns Utah parents about online safety concerns with 'Saturn' app (KUTV) Health Study finds growing mental health crisis in Utah amongst inconsistent funding (KUTV) Will your drugs get cheaper due to new Medicare policy? (Deseret News) More teens are dying due to fentanyl overdose (Deseret News) What is the best temperature for sleep? Study answer might surprise you (Deseret News) What happens when you donât sleep? And strategies for lasting restfulness (Deseret News) Are mask mandates coming back with new COVID-19 variant? Hereâs what experts are saying (Deseret News) With Utah in the middle of a COVID bump, keep an eye out for rashes in children (KUER) | | |
National Headlines General In a crisis, schools are 100,000 mental health staff short (Washington Post) Army charges military doctor in sprawling sexual abuse case (Washington Post) A fake 'sober homes' scam targeting Native Americans in Phoenix bleeds millions from taxpayers (NPR) Tropical Storm Idalia descends on North Carolina after pounding Florida, Georgia and South Carolina (AP) The longest alligator in Mississippi history - 14 feet 3 inches and 0ver 800 pounds - was captured by hunters last Saturday (AP) Politics University of Alabama to host 3rd GOP debate, report says (Deseret News) Ramaswamy leans into controversy despite political risks (The Hill) Mark Meadows is warning about a second Trump term (New York Times) White House warns GOP Biden impeachment will backfire (The Hill) Feinstein is a silent character in her sad and messy final chapter (Politico) McConnell freezes again; office says he was âlightheadedâ (Politico) Trump, under oath, says he averted a 'nuclear holocaust' (New York Times) Trump dismissive as New York attorney general accuses him of inflating his net worth by $2 billion (AP) Ukraine ðºð¦ Ukraine cries foul as fuels refined from Russian oil pour into the EU (Politico) An obsolete German tank seeks a second life on Ukraine's front lines (New York Times) Drone strikes hit military aircraft deep inside Russia (Washington Post) World U.S. presses Saudi Arabia on reported migrant massacres along the Yemen border (Washington Post) US âdeeply concernedâ about âevolving eventsâ in Gabon (The Hill) Rural areas sacrificed for Xi Jinpingâs new city, satellite imagery shows (Washington Post) Johannesburg fire in squatter building kills at least 73, say officials (Washington Post) | | |
| | News Releases RR PAC opposes decision to cancel GOP presidential primary in Utah The RR PAC opposes the decision of the Utah GOP to unilaterally cancel the Republican presidential primary vote in Utah and thereby silence the voices of hundreds of thousands of registered Republican voters. This decision is contrary to the purpose the Utah Legislature appropriated funding for Utah voters to participate in the presidential primary.... The RR PAC believes when more people participate in the selection of our elected leaders, the better the process and the better the outcomes. Holding a preference poll among caucus attendees falls far short and undermines republican principles. For the voice of Utahn Republicans to be heard, and to ensure presidential candidates pay attention to Utah rather than being a âflyoverâ state, we urge the Utah GOP Chair to reconsider this shortsighted and insular decision. (Read More) Gov. Cox orders flags to be lowered in recognition of Overdose Awareness Day Utah Gov. Spencer J. Cox has issued an order for the flags of the United States of America and the great state of Utah to be flown at half-staff on all state facilities in recognition of Overdose Awareness Day (H.C.R. 17, 2021). The flags should be lowered to the half-staff position at sunrise on Thursday, Aug. 31, 2023, and remain at half-staff until sunset on the same day. The governor extends an invitation to all private citizens, businesses, and organizations to participate in this recognition. Romney, Scott, colleagues demand Biden administration investigate CCP influence in American K-12 schools U.S. Senator Mitt Romney (R-UT) joined his Senate colleagues, led by Senator Tim Scott (R-SC), in a letter to U.S. Department of Education Secretary Miguel Cardona expressing concerns over new reports showing millions of dollars from Chinese Communist Party (CCP)-linked entities have flowed into Americaâs K-12 classrooms. The letter requests the U.S. Department of Education conduct a nationwide audit to determine the extent of funding from hostile foreign adversaries in schools. The call for an investigation comes amid revelations that, for nearly two decades, the CCP has threatened our national security by using tools such as grants, sister school partnerships, âConfucius Classrooms,â and other state-sponsored programming to compromise the integrity of Americaâs K-12 educational system. (Read More) | | |
Upcoming Municipal/Special election primary â Sept. 5 2nd Annual Conservative Climate Summit with Rep. John Curtis â Sept. 8, 8:00 am-3:00 pm, UVU, Register here Interim Day â Sept. 18, Utah Tech University, le.utah.gov A Bolder Way Forward with the Utah Women and Leadership Project â Sept. 20, 12:00 - 1:15 pm, Virtual, Register here Interim Day â Oct 10-11, le.utah.gov Interim Day â Nov 14-15, le.utah.gov General election â Nov. 21 | | |
On This Day In History 1842 - Mary Putnam Jacobi is born. She was an American physician, author and suffragist. 1870 - Maria Montessori is born. The Italian physician and educator is best known for her educational method. Today, nearly 20,000 Montessori schools provide educational services around the world. 1888 - Jack the Ripperâs first victim is murdered 1910 - Theodore Roosevelt makes a speech in Kansas advocating a 'square deal': property shall be 'the servant and not the master of the commonwealth' 1935 - President Franklin D. Roosevelt signs the Neutrality Act, which he calls an âexpression of the desireâ¦to avoid any action which might involve [the U.S.] in war.â 1936 - Marva Collins is born. She is famous for applying classical education successfully with lower-income students, many of whom had been wrongly labeled as 'learning-disabled' by public schools. 1968 - Dr. Michael E. Bakey leads the first simultaneous multi-organ transplant. The transplant included a single donor and four recipients. 1997 - Princess Diana dies in a Paris car crash. She was 36. 2015 - ââPresident Obama officially re-designates Alaskaâs Mt. McKinley as Denali, its native American name. Quote of the Day âThe greatest tragedy of life is not what we suffer but what we miss.â âMarva Collins On the Punny Side My kids replaced my bed with a trampoline. I hit the roof. | | |
| 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. |
|
|
