Gov. Cox wants Utahns to swap screen time for family time next week; Utah Asian Festival set for Saturday; free meals to kids this summer
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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 | June 6, 2025

It's Friday and National Donut Day 🍩 Here are some of the best deals!

It is also the 81st anniversary of D-Day. The world can't afford to forget.

And, it's the last day to file for office for this year's election cycle — unless you live in a city that uses ranked choice voting, then you have until August.

What you need to know

  • The Associated Press began a news story yesterday with this: "Donald Trump and Elon Musk’s alliance took off like one of SpaceX’s rockets. It was supercharged and soared high. And then it blew up." Break-ups are messy but this one played out in a very public, very personal way, with taunts, insults and threats from both sides. This morning, the president said in an interview with ABC News that he was "not particularly interested" in speaking to Musk and calls him "the man who has lost his mind."

Rapid Relevance

 

Beyond Fun and Games

Nearly half of Boomers and 36% of the Silent Generation play video games weekly — for mental sharpness, stress relief, and fun. Learn more and game on.

 

Utah Headlines

Political news

  • Sen. Mike Lee on Musk, Trump fallout: ‘But ... I really like both of them’ (Deseret News)
  • Utah’s members of Congress in tough spot amid drama over Trump’s ‘big beautiful bill’ (KSL TV)
  • Utah attorneys sanctioned by appeals court for using AI to write legal brief (Deseret News)
  • Sen. Mike Lee proposes ousting every member of Congress when inflation rises too high (Deseret News)
  • Trump and Musk Split, New Utah Political Power Players, and Pride Month Backlash (Take 2)

Municipal news

  • Salt Lake City approves $200K loan to help ‘legacy business’ relocate in Sugar House (Deseret News)
  • What to expect as downtown Main Street goes carless every weekend this June (KSL)
  • City council candidate can't use her preferred name to run due to new state law (KSL)
  • UDOT seeking feedback on trail, road improvements along US 40 in Wasatch, Summit counties (KSL
  • Salt Lake City's growth has been mammoth. How long can that last? (KSL)
  • Is this Utah’s coolest city hall? A mini-golf course and skate park are coming, in addition to its climbing wall and coffee shop (Salt Lake Tribune)
  • Hooper mayor's future still in limbo months after council's proposal to remove her powers (Fox13)
  • Disability advocates discuss parking issues when public spaces are closed off in downtown Salt Lake City (Fox13)

Utah

  • Remember YouTube football sensation Sam Gordon? She’s back in Utah — and back on the gridiron (Deseret News)
  • Weber County seeks creation of special court to aid veterans caught up in the legal system (Deseret News)
  • 200 evacuated in fire at Salt Lake County Jail (KSL)
  • The Pride Month ‘vibe shift’ comes to Utah. Can Utahns find common ground this June? (Deseret News)
  • Stanley Pup to feature Logan Drooly of the Utah Mammoth (Deseret News)
  • Share of Spanish, Portuguese speakers at home in Utah rises; English-only speakers dips (KSL)
  • Veggies or grass? Foodscaping Utah is on a mission to turn lawns into gardens (KUER)
  • Zion National Park opens temporary museum exhibit on Southern Utah's Triassic period (St. George News)

Biz/Tech

  • Michaels is expanding its fabric selection following Joann's collapse (KSL)

Crime/Courts

  • 16-year-old arrested, accused of shooting uncle in Riverton front yard (Deseret News)
  • Roosevelt Elementary School construction site damaged by suspected vandals (KSL Newsradio)

Culture/Community

  • Why this weekend’s Sailfest could be a last hurrah for Great Salt Lake boaters — for now (Deseret News)
  • Church of Jesus Christ helping women and children worldwide through innovative partnerships (KSL)
  • Through battles and baseball, Buffalo Soldiers changed Utah. Here’s how to follow their trail. (Salt Lake Tribune)
  • Cache Valley refugee advocates to observe World Refugee Day on June 14 at Willow Park (Cache Valley Daily)

Education - Higher

  • U. terminates Sigma Nu fraternity, citing 'egregious' hazing, policy violations (KSL)

Energy

  • Energy tax credits help Utah’s economy thrive (Deseret News

Environment

  • 10 hikes with stunning wildflowers across Utah (ABC4)
  • Water officials ask Utahns to cut outdoor use (Fox13)
  • Southern Utah might find a little hope in the summer monsoon forecast (KUER)

Family

  • Kids falling behind as parents treat ‘iPads as pacifiers’ (Deseret News)

Health

  • What do you do if you encounter a moose in the forest? (Deseret News)
  • Allergy experts questioning if Benadryl’s time is past (Deseret News)
  • University of Utah opens center to support stroke patients and their families (KSL Newsradio)

Housing

  • This new Salt Lake City housing complex signals start of a district's major redevelopment (KSL
 

National Headlines

General

  • Dismay and disbelief as Trump bans visitors from a dozen countries (Reuters)
  • Harvard files legal challenge over Trump’s ban on foreign students. Overseas, admitted students wait (AP News)
  • Judge puts temporary hold on Trump’s latest ban on Harvard’s foreign students (AP)
  • U.S. Embassy warns of kidnappings in popular vacation spots. Here’s how to stay safe (Deseret News)

Political news - Trump

  • Trump torched the American Bar Association. Then the Federalist Society. Who’s left? (Deseret News)
  • Reviewing Trump’s second travel ban and national security concerns (Deseret News)
  • What the Trump travel ban means for the 2026 World Cup and 2028 Olympic Games (AP)
  • Trump keeps stack of executive orders ready to play as needed (Washington Post)
  • The implosion of a powerful political alliance: Trump and Musk in their own words (AP)
  • The day that Trump and Musk torched their partnership (Wall Street Journal)
  • Musk’s threat to withdraw Dragon capsule would leave NASA with 1 option: Russia (AP)

Other political news

  • GOP leaders rush into Elon Musk damage control (Politico)
  • Top Democrat was Hegseth that he’s violating the Constitution and federal law by accepting a $400 million luxury jet from Qatar, without congressional approval (New York Times)

Immigration/deportation

  • He was fired under Biden. Under Trump, he's now leading an immigration court (NPR)
  • ICE officers stuck in Djibouti shipping container with deported migrants (Washington Post)
  • Steve Bannon calls on Trump to deport Elon Musk and ‘seize’ SpaceX: ‘Strong belief that he is an illegal alien’ (New York Post)

Ukraine/Russia

  • Exclusive: Ukraine hits out at Europe's payout from frozen Russian cash (Reuters)
  • How Ukraine changed assumptions about war (Deseret News)
  • Three killed, 49 wounded in intense Russian air attacks on Ukraine (Reuters)
  • Trump says it may be better to let Ukraine, Russia ‘fight for a while’ as Merz blames Putin for war (AP)

Middle East

  • Netanyahu confirms Israel arming clans opposed to Hamas in Gaza (BBC)
 

Number of the Day 

Number of the Day, June 6, 2025 (1200 x 1000 px)

 

News Releases

Gov. Cox announces Family Connection Week

Families across Utah are invited to celebrate Family Connection Week from June 9–15, 2025 — a dedicated time to unplug from devices and reconnect through meaningful, screen-free activities. This special week encourages families to be fully present with one another to create lasting memories and stronger bonds. (Read More)


Utah consumer sentiment increases slightly in May

Utah’s consumer sentiment rose 1.4% in May, according to the Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute’s Survey of Utah Consumer Sentiment. This modest monthly change (from 80.0 in April to 81.1 in May) falls well within the survey’s margin of error. A similar survey conducted by the University of Michigan found no change in sentiment during May among Americans as a whole. (Read More)

 

Tweet of the Day

 

Upcoming

  • June 2-6 â€” Municipal candidate filing period
  • June 9 — Show Up Summer Service Fair, 4:00-8:00 pm, Electric Park, Thanksgiving Point
  • June 17-19 â€” Interim Days
  • 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
 

On This Day In History

  • 1683 - World’s first university museum opens in Oxford, England
  • 1799 - Patrick Henry dies at 63
  • 1816 - There are 10" of snow in New England, part of a "year without a summer" which followed the eruption of Mount Tambora in Indonesia
  • 1939 - Marian Wright Edelman is born. After earning a degree at Yale Law School, she became the first Black woman admitted to the Mississippi Bar. In 1973, she founded and became president of the Children’s Defense Fund.
  • 1944 - D-Day
  • 1968 - Senator Robert F. Kennedy dies from his wounds after he was shot the previous night
  • 2013 - Edward Snowden discloses US government operations

Quote of the Day

“We must not, in trying to think about how we can make a big difference, ignore the small daily differences we can make which, over time, add up to big differences that we often cannot foresee.”

—Marian Wright Edelman


On the Punny Side

What kind of donuts can fly?
The plain ones.

 

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