Loading...
| The UtahPolicy.com daily newsletter gets you up to speed on the top local and national news about politics and public policy. Send news tips or feedback to bschott@utahpolicy.com, or message us on Twitter. Situational awareness - March 18, 2020Good Wednesday morning from Salt Lake CityTICK TOCK38 days to the Utah Republican and Democratic state conventions (4/25/2020)104 days to the 2020 Utah primary elections (6/30/2020)230 Days to the 2020 election (11/3/2020)308 days to inauguration day [01/20/2021)313 days to the start of the 2021 Utah Legislature (1/25/2021)Here are the stories you need to pay attention to this morning:Congress considering a $1 trillion economic stimulus package. Unemployment could hit 20% without government intervention. Gov. Herbert orders bars and restaurants closed to in-person dining.Thanks for subscribing to Utah's must-read daily political news rundown.If you know of friends or colleagues who would benefit from our daily news roundup, please encourage them to sign up for our emails.Today At Utah PolicyAnalysis: The most 'conservative' and 'liberal' members of the Utah SenateBy Bob Bernick, Contributing Editor While a few Utah House Republicans and Democrats are somewhat close to each other in their political leanings, you don't find that in the state Senate -- in that smaller, more elite body, members of the two major political parties are very, very far apart philosophically.Should Utah make changes to how education is funded? We asked the GOP candidates for governor By Bob Bernick, Contributing Editor UtahPolicy.com asked the now-seven major GOP candidates for governor about the plan to amend the Utah Constitution to allow income tax revenue to go to more than just higher and public education.Are two-dollar bills counterfeit? - Bernick and Schott on politics podcast By Bryan Schott, Managing Editor We're socially isolating because of the COVID-19 outbreak, but the podcast rolls on. Bryan Schott and Bob Bernick bring you the latest news from Utah politics.Guest opinion: Utah must display unrivaled economic resilience By Michael Parker Our state, nation, and the globe are facing an unprecedented challenge associated with the COVID-19 pandemic. While addressing the public health aspects of this crisis is paramount, we must begin immediately working on how we can protect and respond to this challenge economically.2020 Utah candidate tracker - Statewide and congressional races By Bryan Schott, Managing Editor Keep up to date with the latest candidate filings in the race for governor and Utah's four seats in Congress.2020 Utah candidate tracker - Utah Senate By Bryan Schott, Managing Editor 2020 means another election cycle is upon us. Half of the Utah Senate seats are up for election this year. Here's a running list of declared candidates.2020 Utah candidate tracker - Utah House By Bryan Schott, Managing Editor All 75 Utah House seats are up for election this year. Here's our running list of who has declared to run so far this year. OTHER UTAH HEADLINESDeseret News Derek Monson: New prescription drug law will increase transparency, help consumers State School Board to meet via video to consider attendance waiver over pandemic UTA suspends certain bus routes in wake of coronavirus and resort closures Utah small businesses fighting to survive statewide coronavirus shutdown Utah company ready to crank out 50K COVID-19 tests per day Trump open to Mitt Romney idea to send Americans cash to get through pandemic No red rock respite from COVID-19 as new health order for Moab puts tourism in limbo Longtime Salt Lake lawyer Greg Skordas running for Utah attorney general Legislature passes two controversial abortion bills: What's next? Some Utah inmates may be released due to COVID-19, sheriff's group says Dining in all Utah restaurants restricted as COVID-19 cases jump to 52 Coronavirus: Salt Lake County, city leaders bracing for economic declineSalt Lake Tribune Derek Miller: Utah builds success on integrated education system Zion Canyon gets clogged with cars as park idles shuttles; Moab says stay away Amid coronavirus supplies shortage, Utah is now telling most patients not to seek testing Utah's pandemic expert says we can't contain the coronavirus, but he says our actions today matter greatly Polygamy opponents see lessening of penalties as latest sign Utah doesn't want to help Trump supports Sen. Mitt Romney's pitch to give checks to every American State auditor dings teen chef education program over 'dummy' checks Mitt Romney says Tokyo Olympics should go on without spectators Salt Lake City Council gives early approval to $1 million relief package for businesses affected by coronavirusOther Weber County commission race draws 3 hopefuls as candidate filing period opens (Standard-Examiner) Weber County shuts libraries, county offices through March over coronavirus worries (Standard-Examiner) First official case of COVID-19 reported in Box Elder County (Logan Herald Journal) Law enforcement personnel are responsible for enforcing mandatory business restrictions in Summit County (Park Record)NATIONAL HEADLINES"We want to go big"Congress and the White House is moving toward a bailout package that could cost northward of $1 trillion [New York Times]. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin reportedly told GOP senators that unemployment in the U.S. could hit 20% without government intervention [Bloomberg]. Layoffs because of the COVID-19 outbreak are just starting in the retail and hospitality sectors [New York Times]. Americans are likely to get a check from the federal government for $1,000 or more in the coming weeks [Washington Post]. Nearly 1 in 5 households have lost work because of the coronavirus outbreak according to a new survey [NPR]. The Treasury Department says Americans should file their taxes by April 15, but they will have an extra 90 days to pay [Bloomberg]. Coronavirus latestThe virus has now hit all 50 states with more than 100 deaths nationwide [Washington Post]. The Trump administration will turn back all undocumented immigrants and asylum seekers at the southern border to control the virus outbreak [New York Times]. New York City may be the next big metropolitan area to be under a "shelter in place" order [New York Times]. The U.S. military is readying hospital ships to help respond to the growing coronavirus crisis [WSJ]. The U.S. and Canada are preparing to suspend non-essential travel between the two countries [CNN]. The 26 European Union countries are sealing their borders for 30 days to help control the crisis [BBC]. Amazon shifts gearsAmazon will ban its warehouses from stocking nonessential items during the coronavirus pandemic. Instead, the online retailer will prioritize household staples and medical supplies [Vox]. Flip-flopping?President Donald Trump claimed Tuesday he "felt it was a pandemic long before it was called a pandemic." Trump was downplaying the severity of the outbreak for weeks before adopting a more serious tone in the past few days [New York Times]. Cue Alice CooperA lot of schools across the country will remain closed until the next academic year [CNN]. 2020Joe Biden romped over Bernie Sanders in three states on Tuesday, taking a commanding lead in the race for the Democratic nomination [Washington Post]. President Trump clinched the Republican nomination on Tuesday [The Hill]. Hmmm...President Trump's approval rating has slipped to 44 percent amid the coronavirus outbreak, dropping 5 percent [Gallup]. BUSINESS HEADLINESDerek Miller: Utah builds success on integrated education system (Salt Lake Tribune) Salt Lake City Council gives early approval to $1 million relief package for businesses affected by coronavirus (Salt Lake Tribune) As ski resorts close due to coronavirus, thousands of seasonal employees scramble (Deseret News) Utah small businesses fighting to survive statewide coronavirus shutdown (Deseret News) Utah company ready to crank out 50K COVID-19 tests per day (Deseret News) Coronavirus: Salt Lake County, city leaders bracing for economic decline (Deseret News)Policy NewsState orders restaurants, bars to suspend dine-in services to slow spread of COVID-19The Utah Department of Health, in coordination with the Governor's Office and Utah COVID-19 Community Task Force, issued an order to all restaurants, bars, and food service establishments in the state of Utah to suspend dine-in operations for a period of two weeks. Smith's offering special hours for senior citizen shopping Starting Wednesday, March 18, Smith's Food & Drug Stores will dedicate the first hour on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 7:00 am to 8:00 am, solely to the shopping needs of senior citizens until further notice. This group is the most vulnerable to the COVID-19 coronavirus.United Ways of Utah to provide support with COVID-19 community response fund United Ways of Utah announced the COVID-19 Community Response Fund, in a collective effort to alleviate some of the economic impact many Utah families are facing as a result of the ongoing Coronavirus.Utah Food Industry Association urges calm and responsible shopping in the wake of the emergence of the coronavirus The coronavirus (COVID-19) is impacting retailers, our customers and employees nationwide. Our members operate grocery, pharmacy, home improvement and convenience stores throughout the state. Utah retailers' first priority is always the health and safety of our customers and employees. We urge consumers to shop responsibly during this public health event. More National HeadlinesFlashback: Obama Played Golf the Same Day His Administration Declared H1N1 a Public Health Emergency (PJ Media) White House advisor Peter Navarro: I'm bringing an executive order to Trump that would reduce US foreign dependency on medicines (CNBC) Left's Pet Issues Like Mass Transit, Reusable Bags Prove Deadly During Coronavirus Crisis (Brietbart) Hong Kong Has Largely Survived Coronavirus. Can New York, And The U.S., Do It Too? (Hot Air) Leftists Echo Chinese Communist Party in Slamming Trump's 'Chinese Virus' Tweet as Racist (PJ Media) China Boomeranging (National Review) Coronavirus has this small Ohio city longing for a return to normal (Washington Examiner) Los Angeles releasing inmates, urging fewer arrests in coronavirus fight (NBC News) Philly police to delay arrests in drug, theft, prostitution and other crimes amid the coronavirus pandemic (Philadelphia Inquirer) New York: The city that never sleeps on lockdown (BBC News)ON THIS DAY IN HISTORY1766 - The British Parliament repeals the Stamp Act. 1850 - American Express is founded by Henry Wells and William Fargo. 1925 - The worst tornado in U.S. history hit eastern Missouri, southern Illinois and southern Indiana, killing 695 people, injuring thousands of others and causing $17 million in damage. 1942 - The War Relocation Authority is established in the United States to take Japanese Americans into custody. 1944 - The eruption of Mount Vesuvius in Italy kills 26 people and causes thousands to flee their homes. 1965 - Cosmonaut Alexei Leonov becomes the first person to walk in space. 1968 - Congress takes U.S. currency off the gold standard. 1995 - Basketball superstar Michael Jordan announced he was returning to the NBA after a 17-month break. 2005 - Doctors removed the feeding tube keeping Terri Schiavo alive after a wide-ranging fight over the brain-damaged Florida woman's care that involved President George W. Bush and Congress. Wise WordsDo Something"The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing."Edmund Burke Lighter SideBright Side"First, the World Health Organization has officially just declared coronavirus a global pandemic. Which yes, is scary for us humans, but from corona's perspective, it's pretty cool, yeah? Because for a virus this is like going platinum, you know? It is a big day. Started from the Wuhan, now we're here."- TREVOR NOAH Listen to us on_Apple Podcasts Subscribers may receive special messages with information about new features, special offers, or public policy messages from clients and advertisers. |
Loading...
Loading...
