World Breastfeeding Week; Pee-we Herman actor Paul Reubens dies; and Phoenix cools off - to 108, ending a 31-day streak of 110 or above.
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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 | August 1, 2023

It's Tuesday and the start of a brand-new month. It's also the beginning of World Breastfeeding Week. Did you know the World Health Organization recommends breastfeeding until age 2?

What You Need to Know

  • Lori Vallow Daybell showed no remorse and accepted no responsibility in the murders of her two children and her husband's former wife. The judge described her actions as "the most shocking thing I can imagine" and told her "You chose the most evil and destructive path possible." Tammy Daybell's sister, Samantha Gwilliam, was one of the people reading a victim's impact statement. "You are not an exalted being and there’s no huge event that is going to save you. No jail walls are going to fall so you can leave. No angels are coming to rescue you." Lori Daybell told the court that Jesus understands her. She was sentenced to three consecutive life sentences without the possibility of parole, an additional two life sentences to serve concurrently plus ten years for grand theft.

Rapid Relevance

 

Honoring Healthcare Heroes

Utah Business and Roseman University of Health Sciences are proud to honor those who have made it their mission to improve the state of health in our state.
Do you know a Healthcare Hero who deserves to be recognized for their contributions to the community? Nominate them here before nominations close on August 14.

 

Utah Headlines

Political news

  • Utah lawmaker running bill to keep sexuality, politics, religion out of Utah classrooms (KSL)
  • Dignity Index to encourage civil dialogue going national (Cache Valley Daily)
  • Summit, Wasatch counties opt out of state tax map, create their own (KPCW)
  • Bluffdale City Council member sues mayor, alleges she and mayor’s husband threatened him (Salt Lake Tribune)

Election news

  • Judge denies request to pull Celeste Maloy from special election ballot (KSL)
  • Becky Edwards wants to bring bipartisan solutions to Congress (Deseret News)

General Utah news

  • She started watching ‘American Ninja Warrior’ when she was 7. Now, this Utah teen is on it (Deseret News)
  • Pioneer Park to get new improvements, construction set for 2024 (KSL TV)
  • Weber County inmate dies — 4th in 3 months, days after jail staffer was arrested (Salt Lake Tribune)
  • Union blames Salt Lake City police leadership for failure to obey towing law (Fox13)
  • Community rallies around couple dedicated to serving children with special needs (KSL)

Business

  • Black Chamber event brings top Motown group to Salt Lake City (KSL)
  • Utah is already a popular target for scams, leaving older Utahns uniquely vulnerable (KUER)
  • Elon Musk threatens to sue researchers who documented the rise in hateful tweets (AP)
  • Overstock is now Bed Bath & Beyond. Here’s what you need to know. (Washington Post)
  • RIP Overstock.com, sorta: Online giant rejuvenates under Bed, Bath & Beyond branding (Deseret News)
  • Will SLC airport break passenger record? 2023 brings big rebound from pandemic. (Salt Lake Tribune)

Culture

  • ‘It’s just wonderful': Amputee kids get running prostheses at Sandy event (KSL)
  • Nonprofit pushing Utah athletes with disabilities forward (KSL)
  • When driving isn’t an option, it becomes a team effort to move older Utahns around (KUER)
  • The Mountain Meadows Massacre, Pt. 2: Blood, Blood, Blood (RadioWest)

Education

  • How to make back to school shopping affordable (KSL Newsradio)
  • Salt Lake City School District to review potential closure of seven elementary schools (KUTV)
  • Weber School District struggles with skyrocketing construction costs for promised upgrades (KUTV)
  • Heads up to West Jordan residents — active shooter drills at elementary school (ABC4)
  • Utah schools adopting new security features ahead of new year to keep kids safe (Fox13)
  • US colleges refashion student essay prompts after ban on affirmative action (Reuters)

Environment

  • New program aims to use renewable energy to power Utah communities by 2030 (KSL TV)
  • How will Southern Utah benefit from an extra $1M for endangered species projects? (St. George News)
  • 18,000 acres will be preserved in Northern Utah. Here’s how that works (KUER)
  • The floor is lava. How concrete, asphalt and urban heat islands add to the misery of heat waves (Reuters)
  • It’s not just hot. Climate anomalies are emerging around the globe. (Washington Post)

Health

  • ‘It’s a crisis’: Maternal health care disappears for millions (Politico)

Housing

  • How many Utah children spent a night at a homeless shelter last month? (KSL)
  • Report: Salt Lake City home to most competitive rental market in the West (KSL)
  • Funds still available for $20,000 first-time homebuyer program in Utah (KUTV)
 

National Headlines

General

  • Why the IOC is making a ‘unique exception’ for a Ukrainian athlete (Deseret News)
  • The first US nuclear reactor built from scratch in decades enters commercial operation in Georgia (AP)
  • Withering heat is more common, but getting AC is still a struggle in public housing (NPR)
  • Move over, men: Women were hunters too (New York Times)
  • The Swedes know the secret to happiness: You are not your stuff (Washington Post)
  • Leprosy cases surging in Central Florida: CDC (The Hill)
  • Do you believe in angels? About 7 in 10 U.S. adults do, a new AP-NORC poll shows (AP)

Politics

  • Can this high school student fix American politics? (Deseret News)
  • Trump’s campaign finances are strained as legal peril mounts (AP)
  • Who is Will Hurd, the 45 year-old Republican presidential hopeful? (NPR)
  • After McConnell's and Feinstein's episodes, should age limits be on the table? (NPR)
  • DeSantis super PAC has $97 Million, Trump committees burning cash on legal bills (Wall Street Journal)
  • Biden shores up Democratic support, but faces tight race against Trump (New York Times)
  • More Republicans say former President Trump committed “serious federal crimes.” But they still support him. (New York Times)
  • Nobody has lost a primary after holding a lead like Trump’s (Washington Post)
  • Trump steps up war with Senate GOP (The Hill)
  • Pence, Scott pile on DeSantis over stance on nationwide abortion restrictions after DeSantis says it is a decision best left to states (Politico)

Ukraine 🇺🇦

  • The Cossacks' traditions live on near the front lines in Ukraine (NPR)
  • In Ukraine, a surge in amputations reveals the human cost of Russia's war (Wall Street Journal)
  • For these young soldiers, Ukraine has been at war for half their lives (Washington Post)
  • Graham warns Russian nuclear attack on Ukraine would be an attack on NATO  (The Hill)

World

  • France prepares to evacuate European citizens from coup-hit Niger (Wall Street Journal)
  • ISIS claims Pakistan suicide bombing, underlining twin security threats (Washington Post)
  • UNESCO wants to add Venice to list of endangered heritage sites (Washington Post)
 

Number of the Day 

Number of the Day, Aug. 1, 2023

 

News Releases

LG Henderson’s statement on 3rd District Court decision

“Today’s decision is a win for the rule of law. We appreciate the Court’s order denying the motion to halt the CD2 special election, questioning the venue, timing, and, most importantly, merits of the case.

“Lawsuits, such as this one, that are driven by politics and false accusations instead of facts, are an enormous waste of government resources and taxpayer money. We look forward to this case being dismissed entirely and encourage the petitioners to withdraw any further costly litigation. 

“In the meantime, we will continue to faithfully execute the law and administer the special election.”


UVU’s College of Science appoints 8 new members to advisory board

Leaders in Utah Valley University’s (UVU) College of Science (CoS) announced the appointment of eight new members to its advisory board who will guide the college and its leaders as they prepare students to work in Utah’s burgeoning scientific economy. The new advisory board members include Tami Goetz, executive director of Utah STEM Action Center; Kelvyn Cullimore, CEO of BioUtah; Gregory Prince, president of Soft Cell Biological Research; Jackie Larson, CEO of Centro Hispano; Stan Lockhart, principal at The Lockhart Group; Andy Pierucci, manager of State and Local Affairs at Northrop Grumman; Eduardo Baca, consul general of Mexico-Salt Lake City; and Kim Shelley, executive director of the Utah Department of Environmental Quality. (Read More)

 

Tweet of the Day

Screenshot 2023-08-01 at 7.36.17 AM

 

Upcoming

  • Sutherland Institute Congressional Series with Rep. Chris Stewart — Aug 3, 10:30 am-12:00 pm, Hinckley Institute, U of U
  • Interim Days — Aug 7-10, le.utah.gov
  • Municipal election filing period for cities using ranked choice voting — Aug. 8-15
  • Sutherland Institute Congressional Series with Sen. Mitt Romney — Aug 21, 10:00-11:30 am, Hinckley Institute, U of U
  • Sutherland Institute Congressional Series with Rep. John Curtis — Aug 22, 9:00-10:30 am, Center for Constitutional Studies, UVU
  • Sutherland Institute Congressional Series with Sen. Mike Lee — Aug 22, 3:00-4:30 pm, Hinckley Institute, U of U
  • 'Titan of Public Service' gala recognizing Senator Mitch McConnell and former Transportation and Labor Secretary Elaine Chao, hosted by the Orrin G. Hatch Foundation — Aug. 22, 7 p.m., Register here
  • Legislative Education and Mental Health Coordinating Council — Aug 23, le.utah.gov
  • Sutherland Institute Congressional Series with Rep. Blake Moore — Aug 29, 10:00-11:30 am, Olene S. Walker Institute of Politics & Public Service, Lindquist Hall, Weber State
  • Sutherland Institute Congressional Series with Rep. Burgess Owens — Aug 30, 12:00-1:30 pm, Hinckley Institute, U of U
  • Municipal/Special election primary — Sept. 5
  • Interim Day — Sept. 18, Utah Tech University, le.utah.gov
  • Interim Day — Oct 10-11, le.utah.gov
  • Interim Day — Nov 14-15, le.utah.gov
  • General election — Nov. 21
 

On This Day In History 

  • 30 BC - Mark Antony [Marcus Antonius], Roman politician and general, commits suicide after he is defeated by Octavian at the Battle of Actium at 53
  • 1818 - Maria Mitchell is born. After discovering a comet while searching the night sky with her telescope, Mitchell became America’s first female astronomer. The official name of the comet is 1847 VI. However, during Mitchell’s lifetime, it came to be known as “Miss Mitchell’s Comet” around the world.
  • 1834 - The British Empire abolishes slavery.
  • 1907 - U.S. Army establishes the Signal Corps, the first aeronautical division in the United States military. It was the precursor to the U.S. Air Force.
  • 1911 - Harriet Quimby passes her pilot's test and becomes the 1st US woman to earn an Aero Club of America aviator's certificate
  • 1933 - Death penalty is imposed for anti-fascists in Germany
  • 1936 - Adolf Hitler presides over the opening ceremonies of the Berlin Olympics
  • 1944 - Anne Frank writes her last diary entry
  • 1961 - The Joint Chiefs of Staff establishes the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) under the direction of Defense Secretary Robert S. McNamara. The organization integrated military intelligence efforts.
  • 1974 - Beverly Johnson becomes the first African American to be featured on the cover of Vogue.
  • 1981 - MTV launches
  • 2020 - Egypt tells Elon Musk its pyramids were not, in fact, built by aliens, after Musk tweets in support of a conspiracy theory that they were.

Quote of the Day

“We thought we had a good operating model but a bad name; we thought Bed Bath & Beyond had a great name but a bad operating model.”

—Jonathan Johnson


On the Punny Side

I have a pure bread dog.

His name is Fidough.

 

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