Happy Mother's Day this weekend to all who celebrate; KSL Radio turns 100; US economy adds 428,000 jobs
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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 6, 2022

Happy Friday! It's National Crepe Suzette Day and this weekend is Mother's Day, so perhaps make crepes for mom. 

And, a very happy 100th birthday to KSL Radio - that's a good long while. 🎉 

Be in the Know

  1. Funeral services for Senator Orrin Hatch will be held today at 1:00 pm at the Institute of Religion on the University of Utah campus. The services will be live-streamed on KSL and KUTV.

  2. The US economy added 428,000 jobs in April for the 12th straight month of gains. The unemployment rate held steady at 3.6%. In other news, the stock market had its worst day in nearly two years yesterday, one day after it had its best day in nearly two years.

 

FROM OUR SPONSOR, ENVISION UTAH

Join Envision Utah for a discussion on the future of housing!

You’re invited to Envision Utah’s Spring Breakfast! Join us and hundreds of community leaders as we dive into the future of Utah housing with national expert, Ali Wolf. We'll discuss current housing trends, steps for improved affordability, and predictions for the future. Register today!

 

Utah Headlines

General

  • Orrin Hatch's longest staffer tells the story of the man behind the title (Deseret News)
  • Orrin Hatch’s finest hour. In all his 42 years in the Senate, Orrin Hatch’s greatest achievement was his last-minute rescue of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. (Politico)
  • Lunar eclipse to turn moon dark red over Utah on Sunday, May 15 (Fox13)
  • Michelle Goldberg: Antisemitism increased under Trump. Then it got even worse. (Salt Lake Tribune)
  • Salt Lake City forming safety task force, UDOT pledges new funds amid spike in deadly crashes (KSL)
  • Longtime federal prosecutor confirmed, sworn in as Utah's US Attorney (KSL)

Politics

  • Sen. Mike Lee says leaked Supreme Court opinion meant to ‘intimidate’ conservative justices (Deseret News)
  • Why Mitt Romney says it’s time for Homeland Security secretary to go (Deseret News)
  • Make the late Sen. Orrin Hatch’s dream come true. Sen. Hatch believed that children who were brought to the U.S. as children deserve a chance to stay (Deseret News)
  • 'Hell no!' Emotions flare at San Juan County meeting over attorney drama (KUTV)
  • Utah County Commission approve registry for people with special needs (Daily Herald)
  • Davis County GOP focused on elections as Lee-Handy flap simmers (Standard-Examiner)
  • Mayor Trent Staggs honored by U.S. Global Leadership Coalition (Riverton Journal)

Education

  • A decade of perfect grades has Taylorsville High and now U of U graduate Aija Moore dreaming of serving on the U.S. Supreme Court (Taylorsville City Journal)
  • South Jordan science teacher earns praise for greenhouse learning (Fox13)
  • Workforce Services to offer $4M in scholarships for degrees in early childhood education (Fox13)
  • Principal of Heritage Elementary to be awarded Outstanding Administrator of the Year (Herald Journal)
  • Are culture war concerns over schools overblown? A Utah parent survey offers clues (KUER)
  • Murray teen named 2022 Utah State Youth of the Year (Murray Journal)
  • Susan Madsen: Honoring Our Mothers by Seeking Higher Education (Cottonwood Heights Journal)

Environment

  • Utah's drought conditions keep worsening (Fox13)
  • West Valley City legalizes artificial turf in Utah's drought emergency (Fox13)
  • How shared stewardship aims to save lives, forests and water in Utah (Deseret News)
  • Evidence shows Utah drought stacks up to Dust Bowl (ABC4)
  • Ogden woman gets conservation head start on new water guidelines (KUTV)
  • US Dept. of Energy awards Delta hydrogen project $504 million loan guarantee (Millard County Chronicle Progress)

Family

  • Treating parents equally shortchanges mothers. Pregnancy, childbirth and recovery are not gender-neutral processes. Leave policies shouldn’t be either (Deseret News)

Housing

  • Mortgage rates up: Here’s how much more homebuyers will pay per month (Deseret News)
  • What’s the ‘biggest obstacle’ to solving housing crisis? It’s us, Utah expert says (Deseret News)
  • Tiny home village coming to SLC to serve homeless (ABC4)

Utah/Ukraine Connection

  • Sandy families donate bake sale funds to Ukraine (Sandy Journal)

COVID Corner

  • 3226 new weekly cases, 13 new deaths
  • Despite cases nearly doubling, some good news for Utah's COVID status (Fox13)
  • The total COVID-19 death toll is estimated at nearly 15 million (Deseret News)
  • How should Utahns react to 1 million U.S. deaths from COVID-19? (Deseret News)
  • Utah COVID-19 case counts have increased, but virus rates in wastewater are leveling, state reports (Salt Lake Tribune)

National Headlines

General

  • Stop freaking out about Elon Musk buying Twitter. We have no clue what will happen. (Yahoo News)
  • The success of investments in broadband equity depends on pinpointing where gaps exist. New maps from Utah State University’s Center for Growth and Opportunity aim to bring them into better focus. (Governing)
  • America’s love affair with the lawn is getting messy (AP)
  • Americans are moving out of major cities and opting for southeastern states, data show (The Hill)

Politics

  • GOP works to get out the vote after calling elections rigged (AP)
  • Karine Jean-Pierre will become the 1st Black White House press secretary (NPR)
  • Louisiana legislators advance bill classifying abortion as homicide (Reuters)
  • U.S. elections may thwart Democratic effort to cap insulin cost (Reuters)
  • Bipartisan climate talks pick up steam (The Hill)
  • Texas governor ready to challenge schooling of migrant children Gov. Greg Abbott may target a 1982 Supreme Court ruling that requires schools to educate all children. (New York Times)
  • Madison Cawthorn 'won't back down' after naked tape leak (BBC)

Ukraine 🇺🇦 

  • Jill Biden to meet Ukrainian refugees during border visit this weekend (AP)
  • Ukraine says more civilians rescued from Mariupol steelworks (AP)
  • Russians wreak havoc on Ukrainian farms, mining fields and stealing equipment (NPR)
  • Mass graves in Ukraine reveal mounting death toll. Analysis of satellite imagery indicates expanding mass burial sites outside Kyiv and Mariupol (Wall Street Journal)
  • To resettle Ukrainian refugees, U.S. depends on kindness of strangers. Volunteers and private organizations extend a warm welcome, in a potential model for the future (Wall Street Journal)
  • Video shows Russian ‘filtration camp,’ Mariupol mayor’s office says (Washington Post)
  • Ukraine is on heightened alert ahead of Russia’s Victory Day celebrations. (New York Times)
  • NASA satellites meant to detect wildfires offer a peek at Ukraine’s front lines. (New York Times)
  • How millions of Russians are tearing holes in the Digital Iron Curtain (Washington Post)
 

News Releases

Senate unanimously passes Lee, Romney resolution honoring Late Sen. Hatch

The United States Senate unanimously passed a resolution introduced by Sens. Mike Lee (R-UT) and Mitt Romney (R-UT) honoring the late Sen. Orrin Hatch who died on April 23.  The resolution highlights Hatch’s service in the Senate and his dedication to Utah and the United States.

The resolution reads in part, “The Honorable Orrin G. Hatch was elected to the Senate in 1976 and served Utah in the Senate with devotion and distinction for 42 years, which is the ninth longest term of service in the history of the Senate; 

“Orrin G. Hatch dedicated his time in the Senate to strengthening the economy of the United States, protecting individual liberty, and safeguarding the system of limited government of the United States;

“the Senate has heard with profound sorrow and deep regret the announcement of the death of the Honorable Orrin G. Hatch, former United States Senator for the State of Utah;

“[the Senate] honors the life and legacy of the late Senator Orrin G. Hatch for his unwavering dedication to Utah as a Senator and a public servant; and  accomplishments in legislating with principle and dedication for the good of the people of the United States.”


Business community releases industry-specific toolkits for workplace mental fitness

Utah Community Builders, the social impact foundation of the Salt Lake Chamber, along with business and community leaders debuted three new resource guides today for the construction, legal and hospitality industries. Each guide contains industry-specific data, best practices, and actionable steps for businesses to improve the mental and emotional wellness of their employees.

“We all recognize the impact of mental health on the individual and their loved ones is paramount,” said Derek Miller, president and CEO of the Salt Lake Chamber and Downtown Alliance. “As business leaders, we have a responsibility to promote mental and emotional well-being in the workplace and should never underestimate the role we play in our employees’ mental health. By making a plan and taking a stand against stigma, businesses can save countless lives and ensure Utah’s workforce is resilient, mentally and emotionally fit, and ready for the challenges and opportunities of the future.” (Read More)


Number of the Day

Number of the Day, May 6, 2022
 

Tweet of the Day

Screen Shot 2022-05-06 at 7.15.24 AM

 

Upcoming

  • USU Research Landscapes: Outdoor Recreation & Tourism in Utah, May 12, 4:30 pm, OC Tanner HQ, RSVP here
  • Breakfast Briefing with Utah Foundation, May 17, 8:30-10:00 am
  • Envision Utah Breakfast, May 25, 8:00-9:30 am, Register here
  • Ballots are mailed â€“ June 7
  • Primary election day â€“ June 28
  • General election â€“ Nov 8
 

On This Day In History

  • 1856 - Sigmund Freud is born. 
  • 1862 - Henry David Thoreau, American writer (Walden Pond), dies of tuberculosis at 44
  • 1922 - KSL launches.
  • 1935 - President Franklin D. Roosevelt signs an executive order creating the Works Progress Administration (WPA).
  • 1937 - German airship Hindenburg explodes in flames at Lakehurst, New Jersey, killing 35 of the 97 on board and 1 on the ground and ends the age of zeppelins.
  • 1947 - Martha Craven Nussbaum, one of the foremost American philosophers, was born today.
  • 1954 - Roger Bannister becomes first to run a sub-4 minute mile at 3:59:4
  • 1960 - President Eisenhower signs the Civil Rights Act of 1960.
  • 1981 - Architecture student Maya Lin wins a national competition for the design of the Vietnam Veteran’s Memorial to be built in Washington, D.C.
  • 1987 - William J. Casey, American head of the CIA during the Iran-contra scandal (1981-87), dies of aspiration pneumonia at 73
  • 1994 - The “Chunnel” officially opens, linking England and France through an underwater tunnel.

Wise Words

"To me, the American Dream is being able to follow your own personal calling. To be able to do what you want to do is incredible freedom."

— Maya Lin


Lighter Side

“Happy Cinco de Mayo. Yeah, it’s that one day when people are excited to hear someone say, ‘I’ve got Corona!’” 

— JIMMY FALLON

 

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