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Good morning. Salt Lake City will have a high of 62° and a low of 36°.

If you're observing Lent, I hope it's a blessed and reflective time for you!

If you think Wordle has been harder since The New York Times bought it, you're not alone — a new study found that Google searches for “today’s wordle” rose 196% after the acquisition.

Also on our mind today: A new geofence lottery for the Wave, how a Utah tech company is supporting its employees in Ukraine and changes in COVID-19 policies at the Provo MTC.

Global sanctions are pummeling Russia. How will they affect Utah?

Sanctions targeting Russia resulted in a record devaluation of the ruble, and Russian citizens are lining up at banks and ATMs to withdraw money, concerned about the effects of sanctions on their economy.

But it's likely that the conflict will also have rippling global economic impacts. How is it impacting Utah?

According to Miles Hansen, president/CEO of World Trade Center Utah:

Utah consumer product companies that have significant sales in Russia are figuring out how to adapt after UPS and FedEx announced they're stopping shipments into Russia.
Utah technology businesses that use developers in Russia and Ukraine, as well as local firms that were planning expansions into the region, are reconfiguring in the face of the sanctions and uncertainty.
Sanctions on Russian exports will likely have the biggest effects on consumer energy prices, including for gasoline, as well as raw materials and agricultural products.

Read more about the effects of sanctions targeting Russia on the global economy.

What Utahns in Congress said about the State of the Union

In his first State of the Union address, President Joe Biden spoke about Russia's attack on Ukraine, the economy and the future of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Here's how Utahns in Congress reacted:

Rep. John Curtis, R-Utah: "Each of us who were there tonight will take away different messages, but for me the most important is showing unity in fighting evil around the world, and especially Putin."

Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah: "Instead of giving Americans a reason to have hope in the future, Biden can’t seem to get past the crises of his own making."

Rep. Blake Moore, R-Utah: "Parallel to the invasion of Crimea in 2014, the world is reminded of what Vladimir Putin is capable of when the White House projects weakness and division instead of unity and power."

Rep. Burgess Owens, R-Utah: "Despite what we heard tonight, the real state of our union is this: Skyrocketing inflation, rising crime, a humanitarian crisis and security threat at our southern border, supply chain gridlock, unconstitutional government overreach, a growing national debt, and weakness on the world stage."

Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah: "Yes, Russia is the problem of today. But we must not forget that China is operating in the background and remains the problem of tomorrow."

Rep. Chris Stewart, R-Utah: “The state of the union is stressed, and the American people cannot be jawboned into believing otherwise.”

Read more about last night's State of the Union.

More in Politics

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Utah lawmakers, Union Pacific make nice: Bill to force clean switchers put on hold (Deseret News)
Homeless advocates ask for more affordable housing as Legislature slashes funding bill (Deseret News)

COVID

A New York study shows COVID-19 vaccines quickly lose effectiveness in kids 5-11. Should Utah parents worry? (Deseret News)
Missionaries at Provo MTC no longer need COVID-19 vaccination, testing; masks now optional (Deseret News)

Faith

How to fix a broken world, according to this rabbi (Deseret News)
How the Wilford Woodruff Papers Foundation is celebrating the church leader’s 215th birthday (Deseret News)
Latter-day Saints, Methodists back latest Scouting bankruptcy plan to fund survivor claims (The Salt Lake Tribune 🔒)

Arts

Pioneer Theatre Company’s ‘Something Rotten!’ is something that reminds us of the magic of theater (Deseret News)

Southern Utah

Looking to catch the Wave? Bureau to replace walk-ins with new geofence lottery (KSL.com)
Zion National Park leader reaches out under the weight of record-setting visitation (St. George News)

Northern Utah

Snowbird to replace its 50-year-old tram cabins, offer riders a rooftop experience (KSL.com)
4-year-old shot at police 'because he wanted his daddy back'; Utah father now charged (KSL.com)

The Nation

Black female WWII battalion awarded Congressional Gold Medal (Deseret News)
Which national parks require reservations? Here’s a breakdown (Deseret News)
The ACLU sues to block Texas from investigating parents of trans youth (NPR)

The World

Turkey and China urge for a ceasefire between Russia, Ukraine (Deseret News)
Where does former President Trump stand on Russia? (Deseret News)
Opinion: The world is changing. Just look at how Russia’s invasion is affecting Scandinavia (Deseret News)
Utah tech company scrambles to support employees in Ukraine (KSL.com)

Trending

Brandon Sanderson is releasing four secret novels (Deseret News)
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Jazz know now’s not the time to get fat and happy

The Utah Jazz are feeling pretty good right now after consecutive wins against Western Conference playoff-bound teams, including their win on Sunday against the league-leading Phoenix Suns. But they’re cautious about letting the recent wins create a false sense of security.

So, as the team prepares for its next three games, all against teams at the bottom of the Western Conference, starting with the Rockets on Wednesday night, the message is crystal clear. This is not the time to start feeling safe or to relax.