Situational Analysis | May 15, 2025

It's Thursday and International Family Day!

Happy birthday to Sen. Evan Vickers! ð ð ð

What you need to know

John Curtis wove pioneer legacy, clean energy and fighting debt into his first Senate floor speech. He also included a shout-out to former Utah Congresswoman Mia Love, who recently passed away, noting that âMia broke barriers as the first Black Republican woman elected to Congress. She used her voice to lift and to call us to our better angels, and now Mia is one." He also called for "honest conversations" from his colleagues about today's challenges.

Rapid Relevance

Walmart raising prices due to tariffs; Gov. JB Pritzker scheduled to speak at Utah Dem convention; 'Mormon cricket' infestation returns to Utah

Utah Headlines

Political news

Marathon budget hearing has an impact on Rep. Blake Moore, who had to take a little nap (Deseret News)
Opinion: Medicaid saved my sonâs life. Congress shouldnât cut it (Deseret News)
Rep. Blake Moore spearheads proposal to create âMAGAâ savings accounts for children (Deseret News)
$300 million set aside for road construction of possible Delta Center pedestrian plaza (KSL TV)
Utah streamlines ICE prisoner release process for those in US illegally, no change in deportation process (KSL TV)
What Trumpâs Utah GOP chair endorsement says about this weekendâs convention (KUER)
Axson or Lyman? Utah Republican delegates to elect their next leader (Daily Herald)
This weekendâs Utah GOP convention faces a big question: Who decides which Republicans go on the ballot? (Salt Lake Tribune)

Municipal news

Riverton Mayor Trent Staggs tapped to join Pres. Trump's administration (Salt Lake Tribune)

Utah

Whatâs the timeline for organizing Utahâs 2034 Winter Games? (Deseret News)
Salt Lake City's Living Traditions Festival starts Friday. Alex Cuba will be the headlining performer (KSL)
Delta crew pays tribute to LDS missionary during his âfinal flightâ home (ABC4)

Biz/Tech

Concerned transit operators press UTA for workplace changes (KSL)
Major upgrades, overhaul expected to change Provo Towne Centre into 'mini town' (KUTV)
Ford recalls nearly 274,000 Navigator and Expedition SUVs due to risk of loss of brake function (AP)

Community/Culture

Voices: As Utahâs fertile land and family farms vanish, we lose the roots that once held our communities together (Salt Lake Tribune)

Crime/Courts

Manâs alleged abuse led to girlfriendâs suicide, prosecutors say (KSL TV)

Economy

Inflation and trade whiplash expected to keep interest rate cuts on hold (KUTV)

Education - K-12

Jordan School District high school students create, install âbuddy benchesâ at elementary schools (KSL TV)

Education - Higher

New BYU athletic director Brian Santiago extends an olive branch to his detractors (Deseret News)
Are Utahâs college students being poached? Inside the deep discounts one out-of-state school is offering our undergrads. (Salt Lake Tribune)
âReal worldâ experiences can yield college credit for Utah Valley University students (Deseret News)
Lawsuit filed after ICE deletes Utah student visa records (UPR)

Energy

Trump expected to sign several executive orders on nuclear energy, regulations (Deseret News)
Republicans advance major rollbacks to Bidenâs clean energy policies (Deseret News)

Environment

Collapsing Great Salt Lake could take Utahâs economy down with it (Salt Lake Tribune)
Native tribe alleges Rep. Maloyâs land sale proposal violates NEPA (KSL Newsradio)
âThis was waterâ art exhibit presents Utah without Great Salt Lake (ABC4)

Health

Seasonal allergies making you miserable? Try these tips (Deseret News)
Utah sees rising overdose deaths as national rate drops nearly 24% (KUTV)
Trump surgeon general pick praised unproven psychedelic therapy, said mushrooms helped her find love (AP)

Housing

MIDA to bring 6,000+ units to northern Wasatch County, 25% nightly rentals (Salt Lake Tribune)

National Headlines

General

Hotline between military and air traffic controllers in Washington hasn't worked for over 3 years (NPR)
In Harvardâs archives, British scholars find an extraordinarily rare Magna Carta (Washington Post)

Political news - Trump

Trump announces major deal with Qatar, meets with Syrian president on second day in the Middle East (Deseret News)
Hereâs where Qatar is spending to increase influence in the U.S.: A luxury gift to President Trump, billions of dollars to American universities and media and massive investments in energy and technology (Deseret News)
Qatar Airways orders 160 Boeing twin-aisle jets during Trump visit (Reuters)
Jay Evensen: Trump's proposed budget won't solve Washington's fiscal problems (Deseret News)
Trump's Syria announcement surprised his own sanctions officials (Reuters)
Trump marvels at wealth of his Arab hosts while he eyes White House and Air Force One upgrades (AP)
Trump wants a new plane. Now, so does Homeland Security Secretary Noem. (Washington Post)

Other federal political news

Republicans advance Trump tax agenda with increase in child tax credit. Here's how much more parents could get (Deseret News)
GOP tax bill on track to add more than $2.5 trillion to U.S. deficit (Washington Post)
Perks now, pain later: 12 ways Trumpâs megabill pushes tradeoffs beyond Election Day 2028 (Politico)
Gabbard fires leaders of intelligence group that wrote Venezuela assessment (Washington Post)
Lawmaker demands explanation for Trump administration's ouster of intelligence analysts (Reuters)
Democrats are deeply pessimistic about the future of their party, an AP-NORC poll finds (AP)
Democrats rattled again by fresh claims that Biden aides hid his frailty (Washington Post)
RFK Jr. to Congress: âI donât think people should be taking medical advice from meâ (Washington Post)

DOGE/Musk

This program has saved consumers $200 billion. Why does DOGE want to end it? (Washington Post)
White House considers plan B as DOGE cuts hit a wall on the Hill (Politico)
Inside Musk's X feed: Trumpism, falsehoods and lots of love for himself (New York Times)

Tariffs

APEC warns of US tariff impact on trade as members seek deals with US (Reuters)

Ukraine/Russia

Putin, Trump to skip Ukraine's peace talks that Russian leader proposed (Reuters)
Poland is bracing for a Russian invasion (NPR)
Amid diplomatic flurry, Ukrainian hospital treating war-wounded yearns for peace (Reuters)

Middle East

Bypassed by Trump, Israel dismayed but silent (Reuters)
Trump suggests US âtakeâ Gaza, make it âfreedom zoneâ (The Hill)
Israeli military strikes kill scores in Gaza, as Trump visits the region (Reuters)

News Releases

Lee honors law enforcement officers for National Police Week

U.S. Senator Mike Lee (R-UT) honored Utahâs law enforcement officers this week supporting two resolutions recognizing their service and the observance of National Police Week.

âThe courageous men and women of law enforcement put their lives on the line every day to protect our families and our communities,â said Senator Mike Lee. âIn the face of outrageous attacks against these American heroes, we salute them, we thank them, and we pray for them.â (Read More)

Gov. Cox orders flags lowered to half-staff in honor of Peace Officers Memorial Day

Utah Gov. Spencer J. Cox has ordered the flags of the United States of America and the state of Utah to be flown at half-staff on all state facilities in recognition of Peace Officers Memorial Day.

Flags will be lowered to the half-staff position beginning at 12:01 a.m. on Thursday, May 15, 2025, and will return to full-staff at sunset the same day.

The governor invites all private citizens, businesses, and organizations to join in this recognition by lowering their flags as a sign of respect and gratitude.

Curtis delivers maiden speech on Senate floor

Five months into his Senate term, U.S. Senator John Curtis (R-UT) today delivered his first address on the Senate floorâhonoring the Senateâs tradition of new members waiting a ârespectful amount of timeâ to listen and learn before offering their maiden speech.

The Senator approached the address by taking to heart advice given to him by his great-grandmother, âListen first, speak when it matters, and let your actions carry the weight.â (Read/Watch More)

On This Day In History

1869 - The National Woman Suffrage Association forms in New York, founded by Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton
1901 - Dorothy H. Andersen is born. She was the American physician who was the first person to identify and describe cystic fibrosis
1930 - Ellen Church becomes 1st female airline stewardess aboard a United flight from San Francisco to Cheyenne
1937 - Madeleine Albright, American politician and diplomat and 1st female U.S. Secretary of State (1997-2001), born in Prague, Czechoslovakia
1938 - Diane Nash is born. A civil rights activist, and a leader and strategist of the student wing of the Civil Rights Movement, her efforts included the first successful civil rights campaign to integrate lunch counters, the Freedom Riders, co-founding the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC), and co-initiating the Alabama Voting Rights Project and working on the Selma Voting Rights Movement
1970 - Anna Mae Hays and Elizabeth P. Hoisington officially receive their ranks as U.S. Army Generals, becoming the first women to do so.
2010 - Australian sailor Jessica Watson completes a solo, nonstop circumnavigation of the globe in a 34-foot yacht. She was 16.

Quote of the Day

âWhen you regard your opponent as a human being instead of somebody to fight, you can really work out problems.â

âDiane Nash

On the Punny Side

What do you call someone who pretends to be Swedish?

An artificial Swedener