It's National Graham Cracker Day!: Utahn Simon Smith headed to the Trampoline World Cup; 2 UT CO firefighters hospitalized due 2 overheating | | | 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 5, 2023 It's Wednesday and National Graham Cracker Day. National Marshmallow Day is the end of August and National Chocolate Day is in October. So why is National S'mores Day in early August? What You Need to Know The Chinese government has announced buyers of gallium and germanium, used in computer chips, solar panels and military applications will need to apply for export permits, starting on Aug. 1. The export controls are "just a start," said Chinese trade policy adviser Wei Jianguo on Wednesday. He also said that countries should brace for more, saying the controls were are "well-thought-out heavy punch." China is the world's biggest producer of rare earths, a group of metals used in EVs and military equipment. The State Department recently issued an updated travel advisory for China, recommending Americans âreconsiderâ any travel to the country due to its âarbitrary enforcement of local lawsâ and the ârisk of wrongful detentions.â Rapid Relevance Utahn Simon Smith headed to Portugal for the Trampoline World Cup; two Utah County firefighters hospitalized due to overheating while battling brush fire in Birdseye; and the oldest living Tulsa Race Massacre victim publishes memoir at age 109. | | |
| | Get tickets for the Utah Days of '47 Rodeo for some country fun from July 19th-22nd, 24th. This summer, experience the wild west without wandering too far from home. Whether you're a Salt Lake downtowner or a tiny hometowner, come to the Utah State Fairpark for live music, food, and family fun. Join us July 19th-22nd and the 24th for the Utah Days of '47 Rodeo. | | |
Utah Headlines Political news Utah Solicitor General Melissa Holyoak tapped to serve as FTC Commissioner (ABC4) Editorial Board: The Supreme Courtâs unanimous ruling restores religious liberty (Deseret News) Vickie Samuelson: Itâs been 100 years. Itâs time to ratify the ERA. (Salt Lake Tribune) 5 Utah bills that went into effect at the start of July you should know about (ABC4) Election news Application period to fill former SLC councilwoman's seat closes next week (KUTV) General Utah news Anti-human trafficking group Operation Underground Railroad under criminal investigation by Utah prosecutor (Fox13) 2 killed in Davis County motorcycle crash identified as law enforcement officers engaged to be married (KSL) Freedom Festival Grand Parade dazzles newcomers and parade veterans (KSL) Utah Army veteran spreads hopeful message through 1st novel (KSL) How SLC airport officials prevent travelers from being gouged at its restaurants (Salt Lake Tribune) Holladay woman seeks answers after stranger slashes Tesla tire in driveway (KUTV) Salt Lake Cityâs wide streets are a pedestrian problem, but also an opportunity (KUER) Business Inside the star-studded resort hiding in the middle of Utahâs nowhere. Starting at over $4K a night, Amangiri is among the worldâs most expensive resorts. Who pays to come here, and how did it end up in Utah in the first place? (Deseret News) Undercover video shows âin-your-faceâ sales tactics, ârushedâ experience at True Health clinic (KSL) Meta looks to target Twitter with a rival app called Threads (AP) Women are returning to the job market in droves, just when the U.S. needs them most (NPR) Culture Key partner in NAACP-LDS alliance calls for Black reparations â now. âWeâve got to act and stop just talking, not just saying we are sad,â says the Rev. Amos C. Brown. âWe got to stop just having a plan. We got to execute that plan.â (Salt Lake Tribune) A Texas barbecue renaissance that began roughly 15 years ago has transformed a local tradition into arguably the most dynamic vernacular cuisine in the U.S. Now younger pitmasters are advancing the form using flavors from Black, Mexican and Asian cuisines. (New York Times) Education BYU students can major in machine learning â the technology behind ChatGPT â this fall (Deseret News) University of Utah students hoping to help NASA get to the moon (KSL) Horse debate raises questions of anti-Indigenous bias in research (KUER) Environment Utah faces severe wildfire danger, governor warns (Fox13) Perspective: The troubling health cost of the âenergy transition.' A dramatic increase in lithium mining will have serious consequences for Utah (Deseret News) A special turf that uses less water in Utah's drought is growing in popularity (Fox13) Extreme swings from climate change pose new threat for Utahâs aging dams (KUER) World swelters to unofficial hottest day on record (AP) Family Perspective: Why is the stigma around placing a child for adoption growing? (Deseret News) Spectrum Sailing to host free Autism Sailing Camp in Utah (ABC4) Health U.S. maternal mortality more than doubled since 1999, and most deaths were among Black women (NBC News) Harmonizing health: The surprising health benefits of joining a choir (Deseret News) CDC issues alert as fungal meningitis claims 7 lives after medical procedures in Mexico (Deseret News) Salt Lake City mosquito population skyrockets after wet winter. What that means for malaria and West Nile virus risk in Utah. (Salt Lake Tribune) Utah needs more services for adults with autism, report says (KSL) | | |
National Headlines General Rocketsâ red glare. Deconstructing Americaâs pyrotechnic obsession (Deseret News) The American flag wasnât always revered as it is today. At the beginning, it was an afterthought (AP) Doctor Who was right about time being 'wibbly wobbly,' researcher says (Reuters) The boomers are retiring. See why thatâs bad news for workers. (Washington Post) Politics Theresa Dear: The good news and the bad news about affirmative action. The Supreme Courtâs decision takes us back in time. But we have a playbook to use as we go forward (Deseret News) A civil rights group announced that it has petitioned the federal government to force Harvard University to stop giving a boost to children of alumni in the admissions process. (Washington Post) Trump allegedly pressured Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey after 2020 election (Deseret News) Swing state Republicans bleed donors and cash over Trump's false election claims (Reuters) Former Trump press secretary says he showed classified documents to people on Mar-a-Lago dining patio (The Hill) Senate Republicans fear abortion could derail hopes for majority (The Hill) Inside the House GOPâs plan to go after FBI and DOJ (Politico) âWe are way behindâ: Top DeSantis PAC official sounds alarm (Politico) Ukraine ðºð¦ Ukraine and Russia trade accusations of imminent attack on Europeâs largest nuclear plant. (AP) Inside Ukraine's tech push to counter Russian 'suicide' drone threat (Reuters) The Ukraine war forced this Finnish company to choose politics over business (New York Times) 'Dig, dig, dig': A Russian soldier's story (New York Times) Wagner rebellion raises doubts about stability of Russiaâs nuclear arsenal (Washington Post) World Leon Gautier, the last surviving member of the French commando unit that waded ashore on D-Day alongside allied troops to begin the liberation of France, died at 100 (Reuters) The US funds shadow police units all over the world (Wall Street Journal) | | |
Guest Opinion: Federal permitting reform would help advance economic development in Utah by Derek Miller Investments in infrastructure and economic development help create jobs, strengthen Utah businesses, and support a stronger, more vibrant economy for our entire state. However, an onerous, inefficient permitting process can often delay or prevent these efforts from moving forward under a reasonable timeframe, undermining economic growth that could improve our communities. To address this issue, Congress should work to pass federal permitting reform in a timely manner while agreement abides on both sides of the aisle for this issue. In Utah and across the country, businesses face enormous obstacles when seeking federal permits for a range of infrastructure and economic development projects. Burdensome regulations and government red tape create massive delays that can increase costs, reduce flexibility, and prevent the benefits of these projects from ever reaching Utah communities. Congress must work to pass additional meaningful, bipartisan legislation that simplifies, streamlines, and modernizes our nationâs outdated federal permitting process to reduce the time it takes to obtain a permit. Commonsense permitting reform would help improve coordination between different government agencies so businesses can move critical projects forward more efficiently while being able to respond to market demands and create jobs for Utahans more effectively. The recent debt ceiling negotiations and deal included a step in the right direction by setting quicker time limits for assessments, but more work needs to be done with legislation specifically focused on direct permitting reform. (Read More) Guest Opinion: Making musicians central to the startup economy by Geraldo Ramos Salt Lake City has continually made a name for itself in the tech and entrepreneurial sector â and for good reason. Our access to the mountains, favorable business climate, and vibrant startup community have spurred jobs and opportunities for techies across the city with a passion for developing ideas into realities... While Iâve had the privilege of pursuing a number of entrepreneurial ventures over the course of my career, none have been so close to my heart as Moises.ai, an app allowing users to isolate and remove the sounds of instruments in their favorite songs, enabling them to master instruments by playing along without that background support... The infrastructure of todayâs digital marketplace has been essential for getting Moises.ai into the hands of users. The consumer feedback our company receives through our developer network has allowed us to grow using data-informed decisions around how our customers interacted with our app in real time. And, digital marketplaces allow us to sell our app, including through Google Play and other app markets, enabling our company to reach a greater audience than if we were attempting to promote and sell our app independently. Iâm just as excited to see the future developments of Moises as I am for the other apps and ideas that will come out of Salt Lake! (Read More) | | |
Upcoming Municipal election filing period for cities using ranked choice voting â Aug. 8-15 'Titan of Public Service' gala recognizing Senator Mitch McConnell and former Transportation and Labor Secretary Elaine Chao, hosted by the Orrin G. Hatch Foundation â Aug. 22, 7 p.m., Register here Municipal/Special election primary â Sept. 5 General election â Nov. 21 | | |
On This Day In History 1687 - Isaac Newton's great work Principia published by Royal Society in England, outlining his laws of motion and universal gravitation 1801 - David Farragut, American admiral ("Damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead!"), born in Campbell's Station, Tennessee 1852 - Frederick Douglass, fugitive slave, delivers his 'What to the Slave Is the Fourth of July?' speech to the Ladies' Anti-Slavery Society in Rochester, condemns the celebration as hypocritical sham 1899 - Anna Hedgeman is born. A civil rights activist and educator, she was the first African American woman to serve in the cabinet of the New York mayor (1954-58), and helped plan the 1963 March on Washington 1946 - The bikini is introduced. The name of the daring two piece swimsuit is inspired by a news-making U.S. atomic test that took place off the Bikini Atoll in the Pacific Ocean earlier that week. 1950 - Private Kenneth Shadrick becomes the first identified American soldier killed in the Korean War 1975 - Arthur Ashe becomes the first Black man to win Wimbledon. 1994 - Jeff Bezos incorporates Cadabra, the company that became Amazon a few months later 1996 - Dolly the sheep becomes the first mammal successfully cloned from an adult cell. 2003 - The World Health Organization declares SARS contained. Technically the SARS-CoV coronavirus, it first appeared in China in 2002. The disease spread to 29 countries, resulting in 774 deaths before it was stopped. Quote of the Day "Happy 4th of July, America! Only the brave gain independence and only the best of the brave are able to pass the freedom from generation to generation.
It is an honor for us to be an ally of such dream, bravery and freedom." âVolodymyr Zelenskyy, President of Ukraine On the Punny Side I tried to come up with a carpentry pun... that woodwork. I think I nailed it, but nobody saw it. | | |
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