Sen. Bob Menendez (D-NJ) indicted on bribery charges; free entry at all national parks tomorrow; watch NASA mission landing in Utah on Sun. | | | 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 | September 22, 2023 Today is Friday and it's the American Business Women's Day. What You Need to Know Governor Spencer Cox, speaking at his monthly PBS Utah news conference, said he believes there is "a very real chance over the next couple of decades of a complete failure of our democratic institutions, of our republic." Asked if he believes the U.S. is in a declining democracy, he said: âI do. It scares the hell out of me, and it should everybody else.â Rapid Relevance Free entry at all national parks tomorrow (Saturday); watch the NASA mission landing in Utah on Sunday; giant pumpkin festival, elephant farewell, FanX, fall festivals and more on tap for the weekend. and in breaking news this morning, Senator Bob Menendez, a Democrat from New Jersey, has been indicted on bribery charges. Rules require him to step down as chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. | | |
| | Construction Underway, Scheduled Operation: 2025 The Intermountain Power Project's transformational âIPP Renewedâ project is under construction and on track for mid-2025 start-up. The project includes new natural gas-fueled electricity generating units that will also utilize "green" hydrogen for long-term, dispatchable storage of renewable energy. There are currently 600 workers on site in Millard County, with 1200 expected during peak construction. Click here to watch construction unfold. For more information, visit www.ipprenewed.com | | |
Utah Headlines Political news Zelenskyy honors World Trade Center Utah president in ceremony in Washington, D.C. Jonathan Freedman, honorary consul of Ukraine in Utah, receives the The Order of Merit from Ukraineâs president. (Deseret News) Sen. Mike Lee explains his votes opposing promotions for 2 generals (Deseret News) U.S. a âdeclining democracy,â Utah governor says, and itâs time for a âwake up callâ (Deseret News) Govt. shutdown likely because âholdoutsâ want to âsabotageâ spending cuts, Rep. Moore says (Deseret News) Tim Ballard accusations 'incredibly disturbing' if true, Cox says (KSL) Take 2 Podcast: US Senate candidates, Trump UAW, Utah House Speaker race (KUTV) Housing and political polarization are major concerns for Gov. Cox (UPR) Election News Who does Utah Gov. Spencer Cox back to replace Sen. Mitt Romney? (Deseret News) Top two candidates for Ogden Mayor officially announce run for general elections (Fox13) General Utah news Rep. Tyler Clancy: Our heroes arenât in Washington â theyâre in our neighborhoods (Deseret News) Holly Richardson: Peacebuilding in a time of deep fracturing. Peacebuilding isnât for the faint of heart, but it is needed more than ever (Deseret News) The faithful scholar. Richard Bushman said he finds no contradiction between faith and scholarship (Deseret News) LDS Church appeals, says James Huntsmanâs tithing lawsuit poses âprofound threatâ to religious liberty (Salt Lake Tribune) 41 immigrants become US citizens at stunning Mt. Timpanogos ceremony (Fox13) Business âI want this hereâ: Cox waxes bullish on Utahâs MLB franchise chase as Rays work stadium deal (Deseret News) Utah Office of Tourism awards $4.7 million to boost economy (KSL Newsradio) Study notes Salt Lake entrepreneurs as youngest in United States (KUTV) Crime Safety assessment ordered for accused anti-trafficking leader Candace Rivera before bail decision (KUTV) Anti-trafficking volunteers say Exitus CEO charges bring harm to cause (Fox13) Unanswered questions surround third Connexions Classroom member's involvement (KUTV) Search warrants reveal potential 'treasure trove' of evidence in Utah child abuse case (KUTV) Rope, duct tape among items recovered from home of YouTube moms facing aggravated child abuse charges (St. George News) Fatal police shooting in Kearns raises questions over missed domestic violence assessment (KUTV) Teen girl leads trooper on 100+ mph chase through Davis County (Fox13) Culture âNobody compares with Utah,â this âLord of the Ringsâ actor said at FanX (Deseret News) Education Federal review: Alpine School District failed in response to sexual assault reports. Education Departmentâs Office of Civil Rights revealed more than â100 incidents of student-to-student sexual harassment, including at least 88 sexual assaultsâ over 3 school years commencing in 2017 (Deseret News) 'It makes you feel wanted': Weber School Foundation opens teen centers as homelessness increases (KSL) A Salt Lake City school flagged for potential closure lands on National Blue Ribbon School list (Salt Lake Tribune) Environment Why Cox isn't surprised with $1.5B price tag to mitigate Great Salt Lake dust (KSL) Washington Co. town has run out of water, officials unsure of why (KSL Newsradio) Family The long-term benefits of hands-on fathering. A new study shows that fathers who feed, change and play with their young children are making a major contribution to their development (Wall Street Journal) Julie Ertz is choosing motherhood over soccer. The 2-time World Cup champion is playing in her last game on Thursday (Deseret News) Why playing games together could stave off loneliness across generations (Deseret News) Health 10 fall superfoods and their health benefits (Deseret News) New Utah initiative aimed at curbing pregnancy-related deaths (Daily Herald) | | |
National Headlines General From hangry to chonky: Fat Bear Week is coming (NPR) Lahaina residents brace for what theyâll find as they return to devastated properties in burn zone (AP) China has scooped up human DNA from nations around the world, spurring fears of a genetic arms race (Washington Post) Politics Taylor Swift drives record traffic to Vote.org with Instagram post (Deseret News) Hard-right Republicans push dangerously closer to a disruptive federal shutdown. With the collapse of House Speaker Kevin McCarthyâs latest plan to avert a federal shutdown, lawmakers have left town with no endgame in sight. (AP) Zelenskyy delivers upbeat message to US lawmakers on war progress as some Republican support softens (AP) Biden is creating a new White House office focused on gun violence prevention (NPR) U.S. braces for costly government shutdown in eight days (Washington Post) âWaiting for him to drop outâ: DeSantisâ influence nosedives in Florida (Politico) Ukraine ðºð¦ A Ukrainian missile strike hit the headquarters of Russiaâs Black Sea Fleet, Moscow says (AP) Ukrainian troops vow to take back Bakhmut but say it won't be easy (Reuters) Ukraine sends first armored vehicles through breach in Russian defenses (Wall Street Journal) World Sudanâs military leader warns the war in his country could spread beyond its borders (AP) How Arab fighters carried out a rolling ethnic massacre in Sudan (Reuters) | | |
| | News Releases Utah Aerospace and Defense signs historic agreement with Ukrainian government The Utah Aerospace and Defense Association announced the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Ministry for Strategic Industries of Ukraine. Signed by Aaron Starks, President and Chief Executive Officer of Utah Aerospace and Defense, and Oleksandr Kamyshin, Minister for Strategic Industries of Ukraine, in Washington, D.C., the agreement represents a significant step forward in fostering collaboration between Ukraine and Utahâs aerospace, defense, and security companies. (Read More) Romney, Sinema introduce bill to responsibly reduce student loan debt, make college more affordable U.S. Senators Mitt Romney (R-UT) and Kyrsten Sinema (I-AZ) introduced the Earn to Learn Act, legislation to responsibly reduce student loan debt and help make college more affordable for students. The senatorsâ bill establishes a college matched-savings program that helps qualifying low-income students, including adult learners, pay for tuition, books, fees, and other education-related expenses. (Read More) Owens co-sponsors bill to support retired public servants Rep. Burgess Owens (UT-04) co-sponsored the Social Security Fairness Act, legislation to eliminate the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) and the Government Pension Offset (GPO), two provisions of the Social Security Act that unfairly reduce or eliminate Social Security benefits for millions of Americans who have devoted much of their careers to public service, including federal employees, police officers, firefighters, and educators. The WEP impacts approximately 2 million Social Security beneficiaries, and the GPO impacts nearly 800,000 retirees. (Read More) | | |
Upcoming Launching the Dan Jones Center for Public Service â Sept. 27, 6:00-8:00 pm, Hinckley Institute of Politics, RSVP here Understanding Sexism in Utah with the Utah Women and Leadership Projectâ Oct. 10, 12:00-1:15 pm, Register here Civics Educator Conference with "Sharon Says So" â Oct. 10, UVU, More information and registration here Interim Day â Oct 10-11, le.utah.gov Martha Hughes Cannon Award with Utah Women Run â Nov 2, 6:00-8:00 pm, Nominate someone here Interim Day â Nov 14-15, le.utah.gov General election â Nov. 21 | | |
On This Day In History 1792 - The French First Republic is formed by the National Convention, stripping the French king of his powers and abolishing the monarchy. 1862 - President Abraham Lincoln issues a preliminary Emancipation Proclamation, which sets a date for the freedom of more than 3 million enslaved in the United States and recasts the Civil War as a fight against slavery. 1888 - National Geographic publishes its first issue. 1937 - First International Hobbit Day and the birthdays of Bilbo and Frodo Baggins 1906 - Atlanta Race Riot of 1906 begins, kills 21 1970 - US President Richard Nixon requests 1,000 new FBI agents for college campuses 1975 - President Ford survives second assassination attempt 1989 - Irving Berlin dies at 101 Quote of the Day "Music is so important. It changes thinking, it influences everybody, whether they know it or not. Music knows no boundary lines."
âIrving Berlin On the Punny Side Why do the French eat snails? Because they don't like fast food. | | |
| â Advertise With Us â Subscribers may receive special messages with information about new features, special offers, or public policy messages from clients and advertisers. |
|
|
