Elaine Hatch dies at 91; former Supreme Court Justice David Souter dies at 85; Trump endorses Rob Axson in GOP chair race against Phil Lyman | | | 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 | May 12, 2025 It's Monday and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Day. Happy birthday on Saturday, May 10 to Sen. John Curtis and on Sunday, May 11 to Rep. Sandra Hollins! ð ð ð What you need to know Utah House Majority Leader Jefferson Moss is leaving the legislature to become the new executive director of the Governor's Office of Economic Opportunity. Moss joined the Utah Legislature in 2017. He also serves as the associate commissioner of innovation, commercialization and economic development for the Utah System of Higher Education, a leadership role he will retain. Moss will replace Ryan Starks who was just named director of the Economic Development Corporation of Utah. His resignation, effective May 30, will set up a special election for HD51 and a House leadership election as well. Rapid Relevance Elaine Hatch, wife of late Sen. Orrin Hatch, dies at 91; former Supreme Court Justice David Souter dies at 85; Trump endorses Rob Axson in GOP chair race against Phil Lyman. | | |
Utah Headlines Political news Jay Evensen: Why a 1906 law keeps angering Utahns (Deseret News) Cox signs government efficiency order, says Utah did âDOGEâ before it was cool (KSL) Why off-roading access matters to these Utah senators (Deseret News) Find âcourage to respondâ â Utah religious leaders pray for immigrants and refugees, condemn government crackdown (Salt Lake Tribune) Change the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America? All four of Utah's U.S. House members voted for it. (Salt Lake Tribune) Municipal news Salt Lake County Council member to resign. Democrats will decide who gets to succeed him. (Salt Lake Tribune) Summit County declines to fund Sundance marketing for 2026 festival (Salt Lake Tribune) Utah Utah Valleyâs 100 Women Who Care provide over $190K for local charities (KSL) 'Keepers of people': Emmy-nominated Utahn's documentary highlights rural West through quilters (KSL) Biz/Tech From Janâs kitchen to the shelves at Costco (Deseret News) Motherhood as a âheroâs journeyâ â How Solly Baby founder Elle Rowley is changing the conversation around moms (Deseret News) Andy Pierucci: International aid and trade fuel Utahâs economy (Deseret News) Here's what Utah's import/export business looks like (Deseret News) âExistential threatâ: Utah businesses grapple with the uncertainty of Trumpâs tariffs (Salt Lake Tribune) Crime/Courts Man with 114 prior arrests charged in connection with fatal hit-and-run crash (KSL) Education - Higher Start intentionally looking for opportunities to âstack days, stack wins,â Sheri Dew tells SVU graduates (Deseret News) âA force for goodâ: 3,385 students graduate from Salt Lake Community College (KSL) Utah mom and daughter graduate college together (Sunday Edition) Utah students make a film about WWII incarceration at Topaz, and find a link to Trumpâs deportation policy (Salt Lake Tribune) Environment Iâve been to 37 national parks. Here are the best ones Iâve seen (Deseret News) Ogden Valley developer suing water district over dispute about water availability (KSL) A Republican push to sell public lands in the West is reigniting a political fight (AP) Family Opinion: Without child care reform, Utah will fall apart. Here's what we can do (Deseret News) Parental instincts: Politics, parenting and sharing the load (Deseret Magazine) Perspective: Motherhood is the greatest power in the world (Deseret News) How a prayerful surgeon â Dr. Russell M. Nelson â helped ensure many joyful Motherâs Days for BYU coach Heather Olmstead and her family (Deseret News) Perspective: The future of feminism is maternal â and it always has been (Deseret News) Health FDA approves at-home test for cervical cancer (Deseret News) Eli Lilly's Zepbound outperforms Novo Nordisk's Wegovy for weight loss in trial (Reuters) | | |
National Headlines General US suspends Mexican cattle, horse and bison imports over screwworm pest (Reuters) Amid Trumpâs battle against DEI, nonprofits filling critical labor gaps are caught in the crossfire (AP) Political news Trump blasts Democratic criticism of Qatar plane gift: âWorld Class Losers!!!â (The Hill) Raskin blasts Trump for Qatar plane âgriftâ (The Hill) USAID is all but gone. For one family, 3 generations of service were defined by it (AP) Kennedy squabbles with former running mate over Casey Means nomination for surgeon general (Deseret News) U.S. likely to hit debt limit by August if Congress doesnât act, Treasury warns (Deseret News) Trump to sign executive order to cut prices of medicine to match other countries (Reuters) Trump administration fires top copyright official days after firing Librarian of Congress (AP) House Republicans unveil Medicaid cuts that Democrats warn will leave millions without care (AP) Josh Hawley: Don't cut Medicaid (New York Times) FEMA acting Administrator David Richardson said he would make all decisions himself: 'I alone will speak on behalf of FEMA' (Politico) Birthright citizenship debate erupts as Supreme Court arguments near (The Hill) Immigration/Deportation Opinion: Why embracing legal immigration benefits all Americans (Deseret News) First white South Africans board plane for US under Trump refugee plan (Reuters) Tariffs U.S., China Agree to Large Tariff Cuts; Global Markets Rally (WSJ) Hereâs whatâs on first Chinese ships arriving in U.S. subject to Trumpâs 145% tariff (Deseret News) This US-owned factory in China made toys bound for Walmart. Tariffs put it on life support (Reuters) I was a GOP governor. Iâm supporting a lawsuit against Trumpâs tariffs. (Washington Post) DOGE/Musk The hidden ways Trump, DOGE are shutting down parts of the U.S. government (Washington Post) RFK Jr., DOGE gutted legally required offices. Courts may undo it all. (Politico) Ukraine/Russia Zelenskiy tells Putin to come to Turkey if he wants talks, after Trump intervention (Reuters) Russian drones attack Ukraine after the Kremlin turns down a ceasefire proposal (AP) Middle East Hamas says it will release Israeli-American hostage Edan Alexander (Reuters) Gaza aid dries up as Israeli blockade enters a third month (AP) World news Argentina's top court finds 80 boxes of Nazi materials in its basement (Reuters) Ancient wooden spears found in Germany may have been wielded by Neanderthals, a new study suggests (AP) Kurdish PKK disbands and ends 40-year Turkey insurgency (Reuters) | | |
| | Guest opinion: Donât yank the rug out from under small businesses like mine by Travis Nicolaides As the CEO of a newly launched small business (GOGO EV Corp.), I know all too well how much work and planning goes into the process of creating, developing, and managing a business. While Congress and President Trump look to balance the budget itâs imperative that their actions consider small businesses like mine. Reigning federal spending and cutting wasteful programs is a goal that we all get behind. But this should be done carefully with a scalpel, not a chainsaw. The Inflation Reduction Act created investments that have allowed companies, & nonprofits to purchase EVs through credits. These credits have allowed us to launch and operate and taking them away could make the difference between success and closing... We can all agree that the budget deficit is a problem that requires urgent solutions but yanking the rug out from under customers like ours is not going to bring economic benefits to the country. If anything, it will wreak havoc, costing America and Utah thousands of jobs as businesses would be forced to curtail spending or hiring to cope with the loss of business. (Read More) News Releases Gov. Cox launches GRIT initiative to increase efficiency and improve government services Today, Gov. Cox signed an executive order launching GRIT â Government Reform, Innovation & Transparency â a statewide initiative to improve efficiency and deliver better results for the people of Utah. The GRIT initiative calls on every state agency to evaluate how government works â and how it can work better. It builds on Utahâs longstanding reputation as the best-managed state in the nation and calls for even greater transparency, innovation, and employee-led problem solving. (Read More) Utah-Peru partnerships take center stage at Dining Around the World Gala Utahâs long-standing relationship with Peru was celebrated at Utah Global Diplomacyâs annual Dining Around the World Gala on Friday, May 9, 2025, at the Utah Cultural Celebration Center. The event spotlighted Peruvian culture, music, and cuisine, while honoring prominent Utah-Peruvian leaders who have helped build lasting ties between Utah and Peru. With an estimated Peruvian-Utah population of 40,000 to 50,000 individuals, Utah shares deep ties and a rich history with Peru. In 2023, local leaders launched the Peru-Utah Chamber of Commerce to facilitate increased trade and cultural connections. In 2024, Peru established a consulate office in downtown Salt Lake City to serve the Peruvian-Utahn population. In addition, the State of Utah has led trade missions to Peru, while religious and nonprofit organizations have sent humanitarian workers and missionaries to the country. Utah Global Diplomacy has also welcomed more than 56 Peruvian delegates to the state over the past five years. (Read More) | | |
Upcoming May 12 â Utah Taxes Now Conference with the Utah Taxpayers Association, Grand America Hotel, 9:00 am - 1:00 pm, Register here May 17 â Utah GOP Organizing Convention, at UVUâs UCCU Center. May 20-22 â Interim Days May 31 â Utah Democratic Party Organizing Convention, Ogden High School 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 | | |
On This Day In History 1820 - Florence Nightingale is born. 1900 - Mildred H. McAfee is born. She became the first director of the WAVES (Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service) in the United States Navy during World War II, first woman commissioned in the U.S. Naval Reserve and the first woman to receive the Navy Distinguished Service Medal, first woman to serve on the boards of New York Life Insurance, the New York Public Library, and RCA. She also served as president of Wellesley College, a U.S. delegate to the United Nations Education, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), and co-chair of President John F. Kennedyâs Womenâs Committee for Civil Rights. 1928 - Benito Mussolini ends womenâs rights in Italy. 1932 - The body of baby Charles Lindbergh was found less than a mile from his home two months after he was kidnapped. 1949 - The Soviet Union lifts its 11-month blockade against West Berlin after the blockade had been broken by a massive U.S.-British airlift of vital supplies to West Berlinâs two million citizens. 1968 - A 12-block Motherâs Day march of âwelfare mothersâ is held in Washington, D.C., led by Coretta Scott King accompanied by Ethel Kennedy. 1978 - US Commerce Department says hurricane names will no longer be only female 2021 - US Republicans vote to demote Liz Cheney from party leadership after she publicly rebuked Donald Trump for lies about the election Quote of the Day âIn our country, we donât swear an oath to an individual, or a political party. We take our oath to defend the United States Constitution. And that oath must mean something." âLiz Cheney On the Punny Side Not to brag about my finances or anything, but... My credit card company calls me almost everyday to tell me that my balance is outstanding! | | |
| 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. |
|
|
