Utah Headlines

Legislative session

• ‘Underwear and socks?’ Why Utah’s state budget may resemble an austere Christmas (Deseret News)
• Send Utah guard to Texas-Mexico border, Senate leader urges Gov. Cox (Salt Lake Tribune)

Business and Labor

• Training for Utah’s eyelash techs could take month, not years, with this bill (KSL Newsradio)

Economic Development and Workforce Services

• Opinion: What would Utah’s version of the Religious Freedom Restoration Act look like? (Deseret News)
• House OKs bill to enhance homelessness data reporting, reinstate 'code blue' camping mitigation (KSL)

Government Operations

• Does Utah need a new ‘independent’ state agency to oversee elections? Here’s what happened to a bill taking that job away from the lieutenant governor (Deseret News)

Health and Human Services

• Will Utah lawmakers help patients win insurance battle? (Fox13)

Judiciary, Law Enforcement, and Criminal Justice

• Bill would consider victims’ needs when student offenders go back to school (Deseret News)
• How Utah politicians in Salt Lake and D.C. lead out on pornography laws (Deseret News)
• ‘We need to be colorblind’: Utah’s revised interracial marriage bill passes House (St. George News)
• In the wake of tragedy, Om’s Law aims to reform Utah’s family court system (KUER)

Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment

• Could a new $100 million pipeline help the Great Salt Lake and birds? (Deseret News)

Other Utah News

Political news

• Editorial Board: Washington can’t afford to retreat on immigration (Deseret News)
• Utah school board member Natalie Cline questions high school athlete’s gender, causing social media uproar and requiring extra security for the student (Salt Lake Tribune)
• Gov. Cox, civil rights organizations rebuke state school board member over targeting student athlete (Deseret News)
• 'Embarrassed the state': Cox denounces school board member for post about student-athlete (KSL)
• Parents of female student-athlete at the center of controversy call on school board member to resign (KSL TV)

Utah news

• Fire breaks out at old Wagonmaster Steak Company building near Murray City Cemetery (KUTV)

Business/tech 

• How a no-frills carrier became one of America's best airlines (Wall Street Journal)

Crime

• School bus driver arrested for enticing underage girl who was actually undercover FBI agent (KSL TV)

Culture

• ‘They can feel like lepers.’ Ministering to the most marginalized (Deseret News)
• How to ‘subvert the culture’ with love, according to happiness expert Arthur Brooks (Deseret News)

Education

• From panic to potential: How SchoolAI is aiming to change the classroom game (Deseret News)

Environment

• Utah DWR seeking to restore stream habitat with beaver dam analogs (Standard-Examiner)

Family

• BYU study illuminates gender difference in vigilance at night Women scan constantly, men plow straight ahead when walking in the dark (Deseret News)

Health

• A death sentence: Native Americans have least access to liver transplant system despite having the highest rate of death from liver disease (Washington Post)

National Headlines

General

• Mexico overtakes China as the leading source of goods imported by US (AP)
• ‘Puppy Bowl’ celebrates 20 years of adorable counter-programming (AP)
  
• America has never had so many 65-year-olds. They're redefining the milestone (Wall Street Journal)

Political news

• The most controversial question before the Supreme Court — insurrection (Deseret News)
• The Supreme Court hears landmark election case seeking to kick Trump off ballot over Capitol attack (AP)
• Oregon pioneered a radical drug policy. Now it's reconsidering. (NPR)
• Republican Rep. Chip Roy knocks Trump over border claim: ‘That didn’t happen’ (The Hill)
• Republicans knock House GOP leadership after 2 failed votes (Politico)
• Speaker Johnson amid criticism: ‘Mess’ in House not ‘a reflection on the leader’ (The Hill)

Election news

• Republican parents, Democratic daughters and what they mean for the GOP (Deseret News)
• AI fakes raise election risks as lawmakers and tech companies scramble to catch up (NPR)
• Loyalty is a one-way street in Donald Trump’s GOP. Just ask Ronna McDaniel (Politico)

Ukraine 🇺🇦

• Ukraine needs more troops fighting Russia. Hardened professionals from Colombia are helping (AP)
• Front-line Ukrainian infantry units report acute shortage of soldiers (Washington Post)
• Taken by Russia, then rescued, young Ukrainians speak out (NPR)

Israel 🇮🇱

• Blinken leaves Israel after talks; Netanyahu rebuffs Hamas terms on Gaza deal (Washington Post)
• In Gaza, anger grows at Hamas along with fury at Israel (NPR)
• The shaky US-Israel alliance (New York Times)

World news

• U.S. drone strike kills Iraq militia leader behind deadly attack on American base (Wall Street Journal)
• January was world's warmest on record, EU scientists say (Reuters)
• Iceland volcano erupts again, spewing huge lava fountains into air (Reuters)
• Shocker. Russia bars antiwar candidate from challenging Putin in March election. (Washington Post)

Number of the Day 

News Releases

Gov. Spencer Cox, Lt. Gov. Deidre Henderson denounce behavior of Utah School Board Member Natalie Cline

Gov. Spencer J. Cox and Lt. Gov. Deidre Henderson released the following joint statement about comments made by Utah School Board Member Natalie Cline:

“We were stunned to learn of the unconscionable behavior of board member Cline and others toward a high school student today. The last thing our children need is an elected official harassing them on social media. Sadly, this is not the first time that board member Cline has embarrassed the state of Utah and State Board of Education. We urge the State Board of Education to hold her accountable and we commend Granite School District for taking swift action to protect this student’s safety and well-being.” 

UASSP announces 2024 secondary school principals of the year

The Utah Association of Secondary School Principals (UASSP), whose mission is to recognize, promote, and enhance the leadership of Utah’s secondary school administrators, has selected Utah’s high school and middle level school principals of the year for 2024. The three winners were notified and presented with their awards by State Superintendent of Public Instruction Sydnee Dickson at the UASSP Mid-Winter Conference held last week. 
The 2024 secondary school principals of the year are: Principal Roger Arbabi of Park City High School, Principal Brian Stevenson of Crimson Cliffs Middle School, Assistant Principal Melody Apezteguia of American Fork High School. (Read More)

Curtis introduces state border reimbursement plan

Yesterday, Representative John Curtis (R-UT) introduced the Border Security State Reimbursement Act to reimburse states for expenses associated with securing the United States borders. This legislation was introduced in conjunction with Congressman Curtis trip to the southern border to monitor the situation first-hand.

The Border Security State Reimbursement Act would reimburse states for funds used to send law enforcement to secure the border. It ensures costs incurred due to federal government inaction don’t cut into other necessary services. (Read More)

Tweet of the Day

Upcoming

• Feb. 8 — Women in Leadership Executive Speaker Series: Traditional Industries, 2:00-3:00 pm,Register here
• Feb. 21 — Women in Leadership Executive Speaker Series: Women Focused Organizations, 11:30 am-12:30 pm,Register here
• Feb. 22 — Understanding Utah’s Caucus-Convention System, with GOP Chair Rob Axson and Dem. Chair Diane Lewis, sponsored by Utah Women Run, 6:00-7:30 p.m., Register here
• Mar. 1 — Legislative session ends 
• Mar. 5 — Caucus night
• Mar. 20 — Utah Foundation Annual Lunch, 11:45 am-1:30 pm; Grand America, Purchase tickets here
• Apr. 20 — United Utah Partyconvention
• Apr. 27 — State GOP and Democratic Conventions

On This Day In History 

• 1587 - Mary, Queen of Scots, is beheaded for treason.
• 1725 - Peter the Great, emperor of Russia, dies.
• 1894 - Congress repeals the Enforcement Act which makes it easier for some states to disenfranchise Black voters. 
• 1910 - The Boy Scouts are founded.
• 1915 - “The Birth of a Nation,” opens, glorifying the KKK.
• 1943 - Americans secure Guadalcanal.
• 1944 - Harry S. McAlphin becomes the first Black journalist accredited to attend White House press conferences. 
• 1968 - Officers kill 3 Black students protesting segregation of a bowling alley.
• 1986 - Oprah Winfrey becomes the first Black woman to host a nationally syndicated talk show. 
• 2002 - The U.S. Winter Olympics open in Salt Lake City.
• 2013 - A massive blizzard begins in the US and Canada that resulted in 15 deaths, 5,300 canceled flights, and loss of power for 900,000 people

Quote of the Day

"Every right move I’ve made has come from listening deeply and following that still, small voice, aligning myself with its power."

—Oprah Winfrey, 2023 commencement address

On the Punny Side

My mom has forbidden me from making any more breakfast puns.

She says if I do, l'm toast. My dad keeps egging me on, though. He's such a ham.

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