$25,000 is up for grabs as 6th annual Utah Treasure Hunt begins; no reservations needed at Arches National Park until end of August | | | 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 | July 8, 2025 It's Tuesday and National Video Game Day ð® What you need to know In Utah, more than 180,000 people use use the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) to feed themselves and their families, but cuts in the budget bill just passed is going to make it harder for them to access needed groceries. That will hurt already vulnerable Utahns and increase the demand on food pantries and churches, says Neil Rickard with Utahns Against Hunger. Rapid Relevance $25,000 is up for grabs as 6th annual Utah Treasure Hunt begins with first hint; no reservations needed at Arches National Park until end of August; family home to be demolished after damage from 9th Street Fire in Ogden | | |
Utah Headlines Political news Utahâs Planned Parenthood is suing over âdefundingâ measure in Trumpâs megabill. A judge pushed pause. (Salt Lake Tribune) Utah lawmakers join rally for plastic surgeon accused of destroying $28K in COVID-19 vaccines (Salt Lake Tribune) As Musk threatens a new political party, one Utah party sees opportunity (Fox13) In its first year of work, Utahâs AI office laid out mental health best practices (KUER) Municipal news Provo cancels 'Dirtylicious Dance Fitness' class, says it doesn't align with city values (KSL) Weber County League of Women Voters announces series of candidate forums (Standard-Examiner) Heroic actions help Herriman dodge disaster in massive weekend fire and explosion (KSL) Utah Latino population still motoring Utah's population growth, as in rest of the nation (KSL) Will a national parks commission help these wonders? (Deseret News) âI have home-court advantageâ: BYU chef to compete in national cook-off in Salt Lake City (Deseret News) Utah to inspect up to 80,000 homes for wildfire risk, homeowners will pay for program fee (KUTV) Biz/Tech Utah-based Awardco earns valuation over $1B in latest funding round (KSL) Crime/Courts 7-year-old girl killed in southern Utah ATV crash; driver arrested (KSL) Warrants reveal new details in Saratoga Springs shooting (KSL TV) Davis County Sheriffâs Office warns of âankle monitorâ scam targeting inmateâs families (ABC4) Menzies' attorneys ask court to reconsider competency for execution (KUTV) Culture/Community Holly Richardson: As news from Texas unfolds, I remember my own loss and the lessons I learned about mourning (Deseret News) Susan Madsen: Why we should be cautious about calling women âgirlsâ (Deseret News) Basketball program benefits refugee kids from Sudan (KSL TV) From a jail cell to a lifeline: Channae Hallerâs nonprofit, Justice By Objectives, helps Utahns turn prison time into purpose (Deseret News) Education Alpine School District set to issue bonds to help build new schools in Saratoga Springs, Eagle Mountain (KSL Newsradio) USU to offer limited veteran-only housing to students (KSL Newsradio) Energy Trump to end âgreen energyâ subsidies via new action (Deseret News) Environment Chantal strikes Carolina coast as first storm of the Atlantic season (Deseret News) Trump administration fast-tracks oil transport expansion in eastern Utah (Salt Lake Tribune) President Trump orders higher fees for foreign visitors to national parks like Utah's 'Mighty Five' (Fox13) Coyotes remain as wily as ever, even as Utah has paid millions in bounties (KUER) We canât just brush it off: Preparedness is key in wildfire prevention (St. George News) Faith Chinese government officials ban LDS Church activities in Beijing (ABC4) Religious organizations speak out against alleged hate crime at Krishna Temple (Daily Herald) Family/Friends Silver Linings: âLetâs do lunch?â (Deseret News) US adults want the government to focus on child care costs, not birth rates, AP-NORC poll finds (AP) As women have far fewer babies, the U.S. and the world face unprecedented challenges (NPR) Health US measles cases hit 6-year high at 1277 cases, Johns Hopkins data shows (Reuters) Rural hospitals brace for financial hits or even closure under Republicansâ $1 trillion Medicaid cut (AP) American kids have become increasingly unhealthy over nearly two decades, new study finds (AP) Doctors and public health organizations sue Kennedy over vaccine policy change (AP) Housing Voices: Iâve worked in housing for 20 years. Utahâs housing shortage is a full-blown emergency. (Salt Lake Tribune) Investors snap up growing share of US homes as traditional buyers struggle to afford one (AP) | | |
National Headlines General Volunteers rally in Texas to clear debris, provide aid, support recovery (Deseret News) âVast majorityâ of Americans are simply not willing to pay for news (Deseret News) Debate erupts over role job cuts played in weather forecasts ahead of deadly Texas floods (AP) Death toll from catastrophic flooding in Texas over the July Fourth weekend surpasses 100 (AP) Political news Exclusive: DOJ, FBI conclude Epstein had no "client list," died by suicide (Axios) A Marco Rubio impostor is using AI voice to call high-level officials (Washington Post) Trump to put 25% tariffs on Japan and South Korea (AP News) There's $1 billion in Trump's 'big, beautiful bill' for the LA Olympics in 2028. So how will that money be used? (Deseret News) Elon Musk wants to create a new political party, but can it succeed?(Deseret News) Trump announces new tariffs on 14 countries and warns them via letters to not retaliate (AP) IRS says churches can endorse political candidates to congregations (The Hill) Senate GOP not happy with Trump beatdown of Tillis (The Hill) Immigration/deportation US will try to deport Abrego Garcia before his trial, Justice Department attorney says (AP) Man killed after firing at US Border Patrol station in Texas (Reuters) Eight migrants deported from Djibouti to South Sudan, Homeland Security says (Reuters) Troops and federal agents briefly descend on LAâs MacArthur Park in largely immigrant neighborhood (AP) Ukraine/Russia Sacked Russian transport minister found dead in his car with gunshot wound (Reuters) Trump says US must send more weapons to Ukraine, days after ordering pause in deliveries (AP) How old-school tech is rewiring drone warfare in Ukraine (Wall Street Journal) Middle East Iran president says Tehran open to dialogue with US, accuses Israel of assassination attempt (Reuters) Valerie Hudson: Would an Emirate of Hebron help resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict? (Deseret News) World news An Australian woman is found guilty of murdering her in-laws by toxic mushrooms (NPR) Sacked Russian transport minister found dead in his car with gunshot wound (Reuters) | | |
| | | News Releases Utah Global Diplomacy to host Global Ties U.S. Regional Summit Utah Global Diplomacy and Global Ties U.S., in partnership with the U.S. Department of State, will convene national and local leaders in security and technology for the Diplomacy Begins Here Regional Summit, held at the Little America Hotel on July 18, 2025. In an era where national security is deeply intertwined with technological advancement, this summit will examine how diplomacyâparticularly citizen diplomacy and international exchange programsâplays a critical role in fostering a safer, stronger, and more prosperous United States. (Read More) | | |
Upcoming Aug 7 â Titan of Public Service gala with Sen. Tom Cotton hosted by the Orrin G. Hatch Foundation at the Grand America Hotel. More Information Here Aug 12 â Municipal primary Aug 19-21 â Interim Days Nov 4 â General election February 4-7, 2026 â Summit, with Silicon Slopes and Visit Salt Lake | | |
On This Day In History 1776 - Liberty Bell tolls to announce Declaration of Independence 1831 - John Pemberton, American pharmacist (inventor of Coca-Cola), is born in Knoxville 1902 - Gwendolyn Bennett is born. The Harlem Renaissance poet, short story writer and artist, wrote a column âThe Ebony Fluteâ for the journal âOpportunity,â co-founder of âFire!!â a literary journal 1926 - Elisabeth Kubler-Ross is born. A writer and lecturer, she developed techniques for counseling the dying and their families and âstages of griefâ to explain the process of grieving. 1932 - The low-point of the Depression as the Dow Jones Industrial Average hits 41.22 1941 - German generalâs diary reveals Hitlerâs plans for Russia: âTo dispose fully of their population.â 1951 - Paris celebrates its 2,000th birthday. The history of Paris can be traced back to a Gallic tribe known as the Parisii, who sometime around 250 B.C. settled an island (known today as Ile de la Cite) in the Seine River 1959 - The first Americans are killed in South Vietnam 1994 - Kim Il-sung, Founder, dictator and Supreme Leader of North-Korea (1948-94), dies of a heart attack at 82 2008 - American businessman T. Boone Pickens announces his "Pickens Plan", an energy policy that moves away from imported oil 2011 - Betty Ford, First Lady of the United States (1974-77) and founder of the Betty Ford Center clinic, dies at 93 2019 - US financier Jeffrey Epstein indicted on further charges of sex trafficking of minors Quote of the Day "People are like stained - glass windows. They sparkle and shine when the sun is out, but when the darkness sets in, their true beauty is revealed only if there is a light from within." â Elisabeth Kubler-Ross On the Punny Side How does the man in the moon get his hair cut? Eclipse it. | | |
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