Don't miss tonight's Hinckley Report!

Hosted by Jason Perry, director of the Hinckley Institute of Politics, The Hinckley Report brings together Utah's top journalists, lawmakers, and policy experts to provide insight and analysis on current events and political news.

Utah Headlines

Utah legislative news

• Lawmaker argues polygraph tests ineffective for sexual assault victims (KUTV) 
• Utah bill would stiffen penalties for retail theft by groups or across state lines (Standard-Examiner)

Political news

• US Sen. Mitt Romney discusses vital issues facing the country with tech leaders in Lehi (Daily Herald)

Election news

• Reps. Burgess Owens and Celeste Maloy campaign for fellow Republicans in close races (Deseret News)
• Wondering where your Utah general election ballot is? Here’s how to track it (Deseret News)
• Phil Lyman tells supporters at Capitol he will continue to challenge GOP primary (Deseret News)
• Phil Lyman asked Utah Legislature to force ‘illegitimate’ Gov. Spencer Cox off the 2024 ballot (Salt Lake Tribune)
• Meet the candidate: Rep. Burgess Owens, 4th Congressional District race (KSL Newsradio)
• Meet the candidate: Rachelle Morris, running for Salt Lake County Council (KSL Newsradio)
• Meet the candidate: Natalie Pinkney, running for Salt Lake County Council At-Large C (KSL Newsradio)
• New poll puts Cox, Curtis in commanding leads (Fox13)

Municipal news

• Cache Community Food Pantry officially opens new warehouse (Cache Valley Daily)
• Town council reviews arrest that put Mantua police chief on leave (KSL TV)
• Owner of controversial Cottonwood Heights billboard discusses relocation (KSL TV)
• Salt Lake City Council: We didn’t just make a deal for a sports arena, we invested in lasting public benefits for a vibrant downtown (Salt Lake Tribune)

Utah

• UDOT to buy and destroy at least 4 homes, 12 business properties for I-15 expansion (KSL Newsradio)
• Worker who didn't return home found dead, pinned by forklift at Lehi construction site (KUTV)
• 101-year-old athlete dominating Huntsman World Senior Games in St. George (Fox13)

Biz/Tech

• Consumers say the economy worries them but spending is on the rise (Deseret News)

Crime/Courts

• Syracuse title agent who stole $6.5M on 'rampage' sent to prison (KSL)
• Salt Lake man shot, killed driver in road rage confrontation, laughed to dispatchers, charges say (KSL)
• Utah attorney general’s office prosecutors at risk of disqualification in Ralph Menzies death penalty case (Salt Lake Tribune)
• Arrest, drug seizure made on I-15 in Utah connected to Minnesota pharmacy burglary (KUTV)

Culture

• First Presidency authorizes garment changes for Latter-day Saints in hot, humid climates (Deseret News)
• Utah's place as most-decorated state for Halloween is thanks to people like this Sandy man (KUTV)

Education

• Two Utah high school vocational ed teachers snag $50K awards (Deseret News)
• International student wins legal battle against Utah high school athletics rule (KSL)
• Voices: I work with students in rural Utah. They deserve more support. (Salt Lake Tribune)
• Utah Tech's freshman class ranks as most diverse in university's history (KUTV)

Environment

• Utah ranks 5th among top energy-efficient states (Deseret News)
• At Utah water summit, updates on the Colorado River, Great Salt Lake and property taxes (Fox13)
• U.S. approves mega geothermal energy project in Utah (Washington Post)
• Utah could have a nuclear power plant within a decade — Here’s what to know (ABC4)
• Wilderness Act anniversary highlights successes, limits to protecting public lands (KUER)

Family

• How women revolutionized the world and transmitted Christianity across generations (Deseret News)
• Moms need friends, too (Deseret News)
• South Jordan family wants to create special memories with terminally ill five-year-old (Fox13)

Health

• Opinion: Nature and human health in Utah — keeping life elevated (Deseret News)
• Intermountain receives major grant to improve care of mitral valve prolapse patients (KSL TV)
• Fentanyl deaths in the U.S. have dropped faster than expected, CDC says (NPR)

National Headlines

General

• Wealthier Americans are driving retail spending and powering US economy (AP)

Political news

• Trump family will get 75 percent of crypto token revenue (The Hill)
• Treasury Department uses AI to recover $1 billion in fraud (The Hill)

Election news

• AI-generated images have become a new form of propaganda this election season (NPR)
• What would a second Trump presidency mean for religious freedom? (Deseret News)
• Trump’s Meandering Speeches Motivate His Critics and Worry His Allies (New York Times)
• Trump delivers profanity, below-the-belt digs at Catholic charity banquet (Washington Post)
• Harris to hecklers at rally: ‘I think you meant to go to the smaller one down the street’ (The Hill)
• Obamas set to hit campaign trail with Kamala Harris (Reuters)
• Oregon closes election phone line due to out-of-state misinformation (The Hill)
• GOP cringes over Trump’s vow to wield military against opponents (The Hill)

Ukraine 🇺🇦

• Trump blames Ukraine's Zelenskyy for starting war with Russia (Reuters)
• Biden urges West to sustain Ukraine support as U.S. election looms (Reuters)
• Russia flaunts its many doomsday weapons to keep the West from ramping up support for Ukraine (AP)

Israel and Gaza

• Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar confirmed dead, Israeli military says (Deseret News)
• Hezbollah says it will escalate war with Israel after Hamas leader killed (Reuters)
• Netanyahu promises more war, dashing peace hopes after Hamas leader killed (Reuters)

World news

• UN food agency failed to act as U.S. aid was looted in Ethiopia (Reuters)
• Sudan's cemeteries swell with fresh graves as hunger and disease spread (Reuters)

Number of the Day 

Sharon McMahon, ‘America’s Government Teacher,’ to speak about her new book at UVU

Sharon McMahon, known as ‘America’s government teacher,’ will speak at Utah Valley University (UVU) on Wednesday, Oct. 23, at 7 pm. McMahon’s appearance is part of a multi-city tour for her book, “The Small and the Mighty.” In it, she highlights the remarkable contributions of everyday Americans — like telephone operators and schoolteachers — who are often overlooked in history. Through meticulous research, she uncovers their compelling stories, giving these unsung heroes the recognition they deserve. (Read More)

Tweet of the Day

Upcoming

• Oct. 21-22 — Utah Lake Symposium, UVU Campus, Register here
• Oct. 24 — CD4 Debate, UT Debate Commission, 6:00 pm
• Nov. 5 — Election Day!
• Nov. 15 — Women & Business Conference & ATHENA Awards Luncheon with the Salt Lake Chamber, Grand America Hotel. Register here
• Nov. 19-20 — Interim Days
• Jan. 9 — What’s Up Down South Economic Summit. St. George. Register here
• Jan. 10 — Rural Utah Data Symposium. St. George. Register here

On This Day In History

• 1648 - Boston Shoemakers establish the first American labor organization. 
• 1767 - Mason and Dixon draw a line, dividing the colonies
• 1867 - The US formally takes possession of Alaska after purchasing the territory from Russia for $7.2 million, or less than two cents an acre.
• 1897 - Isabel Briggs Myers is born. She later teamed up with her mother Katharine Cook Brigs to develop one of the most widely used personality inventories. 
• 1898 - US takes control of Puerto Rico.
• 1917 - Mamie Clark is born. A psychologist, she established the Northside Center for Child Development (1946) with husband, Dr. Kenneth Clark, for the mental hygiene of the whole child.
• 1931 - Thomas Edison dies at age 84.
• 1968 - US Olympic Committee suspends Tommie Smith and John Carlos for giving the Black Power salute to protest racism and injustice against African-Americans during the Olympic medal ceremony.
• 1972 - Clean Water Act becomes law.
• 1982 - Bess Truman, former First Lady (1945-53), dies in Independence, Mo at 97
• 2021 - General Colin Powell dies of COVID-19 complications at age 84.

Quote of the Day

"Avoid having your ego so close to your position that when your position falls, your ego goes with it."

–Colin Powell

On the Punny Side

I was sitting here eating lunch when I realized: cottage cheese is not actually, in reality, a cheese.

It's just a curd to me.

– Advertise With Us –

Subscribers may receive special messages with information about new features, special offers, or public policy messages from clients and advertisers.