War in Ukraine enters 2nd month, US to receive 100,000 refugees; US unemployment claims fall to lowest point since Sept. 1969
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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 | March 24, 2022

It's Thursday and today marks one month since Russia started a war. Ukraine still stands. 🇺🇦

Be in the Know

  1. Madeleine Albright died yesterday at age 84. Albright was born in 1937 in Prague, Czechoslovakia, to a Jewish family. When she was two years old, her family fled the country to escape the Nazi regime. They converted to Christianity in 1941. She graduated from Wellesley College in 1959 and earned a PhD from Columbia University in 1975, Her dissertation was on the Prague Spring. She was the first woman to serve as Secretary of State and did so from 1997 to 2001. An expert in foreign relations, she spoke 7 languages and understood an 8th. She also used brooches to deliver messages, including wearing a snake pin as a response to Iraqi officials' description of her as an 'unparalleled serpent' and a bug pin to let Russian diplomats know that the US was unhappy that a State Department room had been bugged. Her family said the cause of death was cancer.

  2. The number of Americans applying for unemployment benefits last week fell to its lowest level in 52 years as the U.S. job market continues to show strength. Jobless claims fell by 28,000 to 187,000 for the week ending March 19, the lowest since September of 1969. U.S. businesses posted a near-record level of open jobs in January — 11.3 million — a trend has helped pad workers’ pay and added to inflationary pressures.
 

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Utah Headlines

General

  • So long, Denver. Outdoor Retailer shows are headed back to Salt Lake City (Deseret News)
  • Sen. Mitt Romney gets an office visit from singer Ritt Momney (Deseret News)
  • Susan Madsen: The interesting origins of Women’s History Month (Deseret News)
  • Ogden boasts biggest tech growth in Utah as the industry ‘decentralizes’ (Salt Lake Tribune/KUER)

Politics

  • Utah’s transgender sports bill has NBA’s attention as Salt Lake prepares for 2023 All-Star Game. The NBA says it is “working closely” with the Utah Jazz on the matter, which could also impact future NCAA events (Salt Lake Tribune)
  • Utah governor vetoes transgender athlete bill, citing high suicide rates: ‘I want them to live’ (Washington Post)

Education

Family

  • What monthly child tax credits have to do with the war in Ukraine (Deseret News)
  • Nearly 75% of U.S. counties lost population last year as deaths outnumbered births, data shows. ‘That’s unheard of in American history,’ said demographer Kenneth M. Johnson of the Census Bureau findings (Washington Post)

Environment

  • Ski resort parking changes make a proposed gondola unnecessary (Deseret News)
  • Utah water users — from farms to small businesses — prep for more drought (Salt Lake Tribune)
  • Tribal water resilience relies on water management resources, training support (Salt Lake Tribune)

Utah/Ukraine Connection

  • How does President Joe Biden’s response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine rate? New Utah poll has answers (Deseret News)

COVID Corner

  • 119 new cases, 35 deaths
  • Symptoms from the new COVID-19 subvariant may be mistaken for spring allergies (Deseret News)

National Headlines

Politics

  • Romney knocks GOP attacks on Ketanji Brown Jackson: 'There's no "there" there' (The Hill)
  • Booker brings Jackson to tears with impassioned speech: 'You're my star' (Yahoo)
  • Jackson endures questions with racial overtones (Washington Post)
  • Takeaways: Joy, tears, culture wars dominate Jackson hearing (AP)
  • Rep. Mo Brooks says Trump asked him to 'rescind the 2020 election,' remove Biden and call special election (CNBC)
  • Trump aide Manafort removed from plane for revoked passport as he tries to fly to Dubai (AP)
  • QAnon Cheers Republican Attacks on Jackson (New York Times)
  • Biden Administration Prepares Sweeping Change to Asylum Process (New York Times)
  • U.S. to accept 100,000 Ukrainian refugees (Reuters)

Ukraine

  • Ukraine Strikes Russian Navy as War Enters Second Month (Wall Street Journal)
  • Nato leaders gather as Ukraine war enters second month (BBC)
  • One month into the Ukraine war, a defiant nation is forever changed but adapting (Washington Post)
  • Russian journalist killed by shelling in Kyiv (The Hill)
  • How Western News Is Getting Around Putin’s Digital Iron Curtain (The Atlantic)
  • Biden and Europeans to announce major plan to redirect gas to Europe (Washington Post)
  • Biden, Western allies open 1st of 3 summits on Russian war (AP)
  • The bodies of Russian soldiers are piling up in Ukraine, as Kremlin conceals true toll of war (CNN)
 

News Releases

Gov. Cox orders flags to be lowered in honor of life and legacy of former Secretary of State Madeleine K. Albright

Utah Gov. Spencer J. Cox has ordered the lowering of the flag of the United States of America and the flag of the state of Utah on all state facilities in recognition of the life and legacy of former Secretary of State Madeleine K. Albright.

Flags should be lowered to the half-staff position immediately, and return to full-staff at sunset on Sunday, March  27, 2022. Private citizens and businesses are encouraged to participate as well. Read the President’s proclamation here.


The UEA supports Governor Cox’s veto of HB11

From Utah Education Association President Heidi Matthews:

Across our races, backgrounds and genders, all of us want to be treated with dignity and respect. Yesterday, Utah Governor Spencer Cox lived up to this shared ideal by vetoing a bill that will cause great harm to our most vulnerable students.  We applaud him for doing what is just and right, instead of inflaming and dividing communities by devaluing some students because of the gender with which they identify.

We join with parents, educators, and students calling on elected officials to work with us to make sure our public schools are places where all students are free to thrive and to learn without fear or intimidation. The Utah Education Association supports Governor Cox’s veto of HB11. The Governor’s veto must stand.


Utah Foundation: Utah has nation’s strongest middle class

Today, the Utah Foundation releases the fifth report in its Utah Social Capital Series with The Soil of Common Ground: Social Cohesion in Utah. This installment focuses on social cohesion; the previous installments focused on civic engagement, social trust, community life and family life. 

The Soil of Common Ground presents data and analysis in three areas: economic stratification, language and the extent to which the population is homegrown. It looks at Utah’s performance on these measures over time, comparing the Beehive State both to the seven other Mountain States and to the nation at large. (Read More)


Owens urges DOJ to combat rise in retail crime

Today, Rep. Burgess Owens (UT-04) co-signed a letter led by Rep. Ken Buck (CO-04) to Attorney General Merrick Garland, raising concerns about the recent rise in retail crime. The Representatives are urging the Department of Justice to develop and implement a national strategy to combat organized crime exploding in American cities.

“Nationwide spikes in violent crime and retail theft pose serious threats to the safety and security of Americans, their businesses, and our communities,” said Rep. Owens. “I urge Attorney General Garland and the Department of Justice to develop a strong national strategy to maintain the rule of law and support America’s law enforcement officials.” The full letter is available here.


Owens calls for humanitarian aid airlift to Ukraine

This week, Rep. Burgess Owens (UT-04) co-signed a bipartisan letter to President Biden and key administration officials urging them to organize an international humanitarian aid airlift to quickly deliver urgently needed nonmilitary supplies, such as food, water, and medicine, to the Ukrainian people.

In the letter, the members write: â€œWhile we commend your Administration for taking action to approve Congressional funding for humanitarian and military aid for Ukraine and working with our allies and partners to impose sanctions on Russian President Putin and his government, more must be done to support the people of Ukraine and stop the war.” (Read More)


Governor signs 23 bills of the 2022 General Legislative Session

Today, Gov. Spencer J. Cox signed 23 bills. This brings the total number of signed pieces of legislation from the 2022 General Legislative Session to 230. Information on these bills can be found here.


Governor signs 84 bills of the 2022 General Legislative Session

Today, Gov. Spencer J. Cox signed 84 bills. This brings the total number of signed pieces of legislation from the 2022 General Legislative Session to 314. Information on these bills can be found here.


Senator Lee questions SCOTUS nominee Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson

Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) questioned Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson, President Biden’s nominee to serve on the Supreme Court of the United States today on the second day of questioning.  His questions focused on her past cases dealing with federal lands, her record on criminal sentencing, and the troubling history of Supreme Court precedent regarding partial-birth abortion. (Read/Watch More)


Number of the Day

 

Tweet of the Day

 

Upcoming

  • Inflection Point: US-Asia Relations with the Orrin G. Hatch Foundation â€“ Mar 30, 3:00 pm ET Register here
  • Last day for a registered voter to change voter affiliation before the regular primary election â€“ Mar 31
  • United Utah Party State Convention - April 16, 10 am, West High, SLC
  • 2022 Midyear Conference, Utah League of Cities and Towns - April 20-22, St. George Register here
  • Ballots are mailed â€“ June 7
  • Primary election day â€“ June 28
  • General election â€“ Nov 8
 

On This Day In History

  • 1826 - Matilda Joslyn Gage is born. She was a founding member of the National Woman Suffrage Association, a prolific author, an abolitionist, a freethinker, a women’s rights and Native American rights activist. She was written out of history by more conservative suffragists.
  • 1832 - Joseph Smith beaten, tarred and feathered in Ohio
  • 1882 - German scientist Robert Koch discovers and describes the tubercle bacillus which causes tuberculosis (Mycobacterium tuberculosis), and establishes germ theory.
  • 1912 - Dorothy Height is born.  In 1929, she was admitted to Barnard College but was not allowed to attend because the school did not admit African Americans. 
  • 1925 - KSL begins transmission in Salt Lake City
  • 1989 - Exxon Valdez crashes, causing one of the worst oil spills in history.
  • 1996 - Shannon Lucid becomes the first female US astronaut to live aboard a space station.
  • 1998 - Mitchell Johnson, 13, and Andrew Golden, 11, shoot their classmates and teachers in Jonesboro, Arkansas, killing five and wounding 10.
  • 2014 - Ukraine withdraws its forces from the Crimea

Wise Words

“It took me quite a long time to develop a voice, and now that I have it, I am not going to be silent.”
— Madeleine Albright


Lighter Side

“In other news, despite the current state of affairs, Vladimir Putin is still planning to attend the G20 summit with other world leaders in Bali this fall — which explains this year’s theme: ‘Awkward.’” 

— JIMMY FALLON

 

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