I got a lot of responses to my question yesterday about where southern Utah begins and ends! Your responses ranged from starting as far north as Nephi and as far south as Cedar City, so there is a lot of room for debate!
Personally, reader Jack Graham’s explanation made the most sense to me. He’s a transplant to Utah, so he’s picked up some observational knowledge. He said, “My understanding of Utah is southern is south of I-70. central Utah is between I-70 and I-80. northern Utah is north of I-80. I-15 divides eastern and western Utah.”
Perspective: No, the Republican Party isn’t an embarrassment
Many have watched this week’s melodrama play out on the floor of the House with horror and indignation. Susanne Bates, however, thinks that the House taking its time to deliberate and vote is a good sign that democracy is working the way it is supposed to.
What’s being said: “Past leaders like outgoing Democratic Speaker Nancy Pelosi have had every incentive to consolidate power to leadership in order to tame an often unruly body of lawmakers. And while that may lead to getting more done, it doesn’t always lead to prudent lawmaking.”
Why it matters: According to Bates, this opens up an opportunity for “rank and file” lawmakers to make meaningful changes to how Congress conducts business, avoiding a consolidation of power.
Utah Rep. John Curtis, on the other hand, had strong words about the House speaker vote. “This is embarrassing, to be quite frank,” he said on KSL Newsradio. “We look very dysfunctional.”
What’s being said:
Rep. Chris Stewart said via Twitter, “A small group of egotistical members are currently holding up the House Speaker vote. But they have no candidate. They have no consensus. And they have no goal. Don’t buy their empty rhetoric about ‘draining the swamp.’ They just want fifteen minutes of fame.”
Rep. Burgess Owens tweeted, “When members are holding votes in exchange for committee positions, you see this is not about principle but personal enrichment. We DON’T sell gavels for votes. Don’t be fooled by 20 second sound bites. Over 91% of us stand behind @GOPLeader for a reason. Let’s get to work.”
Rep. Blake Moore said in a tweet, “We can either come together to advance our agenda or allow a select few to keep us from governing. I joined @OutFrontCNN last night to provide more context on the Speaker vote and my support for @GOPLeader.”
State Sen. Karen Mayne retires following cancer diagnosis (KSL)
New congressman to be sworn-in on the Constitution—alongside a Superman comic (Deseret News)
George Santos’ ‘awkward’ first day of Congress (Deseret News)
Health:
Why a new version of COVID-19’s ‘stunning increase’ has health officials concerned (Deseret News)
FDA approves pharmacies to distribute abortion pills (Deseret News)
What is commotio cordis and is it why Damar Hamlin collapsed? (Deseret News)
Economy:
27 states will raise minimum wage this year, but Utah is not among them (Deseret News)
Opinion: The plague of shoplifting is not harmless (Deseret News)
Business:
FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried pleads not guilty. What’s next? (Deseret News)
Tiny homes could be the future of housing the homeless (Utah Business)
Family and Relationships:
Does routinely checking social media change teen brain development? (Deseret News)
Trending:
U.S. college admissions scandal mastermind Rick Singer sentenced to 3 1/2 years in prison (CBC)
California man drives Tesla off a cliff with three passengers inside, charged with attempted murder (Deseret News)
Faith:
How a capstone project led BYU to be named No. 5 school in the world for game design (Church News)
Wasatch Front:
Crews worked through 'chest-deep' snow to reach ski resort employee who died (KSL)
Layton man who shot ex-girlfriend's date says 'she's been my only problem' (KSL)
Southern Utah:
Driver charged with intentionally causing head-on crash on I-70 (KSL)
Nurses are hard to come by. Moab’s hospital has a plan to hold on to them (KUER)
The West:
Is Mesa’s Latter-day Saint mayor leaving the Republican Party — or leading it? (Deseret News)
Arizona lawmaker Rusty Bowers to receive Presidential Citizens Medal (Deseret News)
The Nation:
Donald Trump endorses this candidate for House speaker after stalemate (Deseret News)
California governor declares state of emergency ahead of winter storms (The Hill)
The World:
As COVID-19 cases escalate in China, the U.S. is implementing strict requirements for Chinese travelers to enter the U.S. (Deseret News)
Sports:
If transfer portal had existed decades ago, BYU’s ‘quarterback factory’ might never have happened (Deseret News)
Why is Rudy Gay getting minutes for the Jazz? (Deseret News)
First line of defense is a priority for BYU football (Deseret News)
Photo of the Week
Casandra Friend, of Provo, celebrates after finding her luggage at the Southwest Airlines luggage carousel at the Salt Lake City International Airport in Salt Lake City on Friday, Dec. 30, 2022. Southwest Airlines says it’s poised to resume normal schedules after a tumultuous eight-day meltdown that left hundreds of thousands of passengers delayed or stranded.
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