Situational Analysis | May 16, 2022

Hello Monday morning! It's National Do Something Good for Your Neighbor Day. 

Be in the Know

1. A(nother) mass shooting, this time in a grocery store in Buffalo, NY. The 18-year-old gunman had written about wanting to carry out a mass shooting almost a year ago. This weekend, he did. Motivated by a white supremacist ideology known as replacement theory, or the notion that white Americans are at risk of being replaced by people of color, he opened fire at a supermarket in Buffalo on Saturday. He methodically shot and killed 10 people and injured three more, almost all of them Black. He also livestreamed the killings. 19 weeks into the year and America has already seen 198 mass shootings.

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Utah Headlines

General

• Why people accused women of being witches: power (Deseret News)
• St. Johns has a secret. Rex Lee Sr.’s violent death split a tiny Arizona town in two. Eighty-eight years later, the town is still healing (Deseret News)

Politics

• Why religious freedom keeps coming up in the abortion debate (Deseret News)
• Editorial Board: Utah Debate Commission - and Utahns - should not allow one party to hijack one of the few democratic institutions left in this state. (Salt Lake Tribune)
• Abortion-rights rally draws about 2,500 to Utah Capitol, including women who fought for Roe v. Wade decades ago (Salt Lake Tribune)
• Jeff Silvestrini: Federal infrastructure investments will build a stronger Utah economy (Salt Lake Tribune)

Education

• Merrimack College poll: Teacher satisfaction is the lowest since the 1980s. 44% of educators who responded to a Merrimack College survey said they were ‘fairly’ or ‘very likely’ to leave the profession within two years (Deseret News)
• Move over ‘Dixie State,’ Utah Tech University has arrived (St. George News)
• Utah Tech University rebranding itself after ditching 'Dixie' name — here's the new look (KSL)
• Alpine School District issues statement allowing cultural wear at graduations (KSL)
• ♥️ Viral story leads to donations of $1 million for coach of underdog debate team (Washington Post)

Environment

• The Colorado River is in crisis and getting worse every day (Washington Post)
• Why the number of wildlife refugees is on the rise in Utah. Drought and development spur wildlife displacement (Deseret News)
• Still idling your car? Here’s why you’re in the minority in Utah. (Salt Lake Tribune)

Family

• The tiniest babies: Shifting the boundary of life earlier (AP)
• Amid formula shortage, Texas governor blasts Biden for helping migrant families (Deseret News)
• Australian study may hold answer to sudden infant death syndrome in babies (Deseret News)
• The danger of trying to use data to ‘hack’ parenting. Experts say data on child-rearing is complicated and may tell the average story, but not necessarily yours (Deseret News)

Health

• What a new BYU study says about ‘dirty’ money and COVID-19 (Deseret News)

Housing

• How a unique student housing project at the U. could generate $1B in student aid over 99 years. The Clark and Christine Ivory Trust, the University of Utah and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints broke ground for University Ivory House. (Deseret News)

Utah/Ukraine Connection

• Fueled by Facebook and goodwill from strangers, Biden’s Uniting for Ukraine takes shape (Deseret News)
• Utah man in Ukraine helps set up ambulance service in war-torn areas (KSL)

National Headlines

General

• ‘Hero’ guard, shoppers among Buffalo shooting victims (AP)
• California churchgoers hog-tied gunman in deadly attack (NPR)
• The Lost Americans. Nearly 1 million people have died from Covid in the United States. Many of the loved ones they left behind are grieving, feeling isolated from a nation that wants to move on. (New York Times)
• Elon Musk says Twitter legal team told him he violated an NDA (Reuters)
• UN rights leader condemns ‘shocking’ attack on mourners of journalist Shireen Abu Akleh (The Hill)

Politics

• A fracture in Idaho’s G.O.P. as the far right seeks control. Ahead of a primary vote, traditional Republicans are raising alarm about the future of the party, warning about the growing strength of militia members, racists and the John Birch Society. (New York Times)
• The list of anti-Ukraine Republican lawmakers is quickly growing. Two months ago, three voted against the first pro-Ukraine bill. This week, 57 opposed a request for weapons and humanitarian aid. (Washington Post)
• McConnell, GOP senators meet Zelenskyy in surprise Kyiv stop (AP)
• McConnell says the Senate will pass the largest Ukraine aid package yet on Wednesday (NPR)

Ukraine 🇺🇦 

• Growing evidence of a military disaster on the Donets pierces a pro-Russian bubble. (New York Times)
• Ukraine counter-attacks Russian forces in the east (AP)
• Sweden’s ruling party greenlights joining NATO; bloc chief calls potential adds ‘historic’ (Washington Post)
• Russia is furious that Finland is joining NATO but can’t do much about it (Washington Post)
• Ukrainians react to Eurovision 2022 win with ‘happiness’ and ‘tears of joy’ (Washington Post)
• 10 weeks in Ukraine, making images hard to forget (AP PHOTOS)
• Ukrainian troops holding destroyed village believe Russians withdrawing across border (Reuters)
• Battle rages for Ukrainian region of Donbas (Reuters)
• Russian Soldiers Shot Three Brothers and Threw Them in a Ditch. One Survived. (Wall Street Journal)
• Britain says Russia has lost a third of its forces in Ukraine (Reuters)
• Ukraine: The children's camp that became an execution ground (BBC)

News Releases

Gov. Spencer J. Cox appoints members to serve on the Utah Board of Higher Education

Gov. Spencer Cox has appointed the following members to serve on the Utah Board of Higher Education: Stan Albrecht, Julie Beck, Rich Christiansen, Hope Eccles, and Steve Starks. The governor’s nominations are subject to confirmation by the Utah Senate.

The Utah Board of Higher Education oversees the Utah System of Higher Education, which includes eight public colleges and universities and eight technical colleges. The 18-member board sets policy, reviews degrees and programs, hires and evaluates institutional presidents, and submits an annual budget request to the governor and Legislature, among other responsibilities. (Read More)

Romney Joins Colleagues in Demanding NEPA Review of Biden Administration’s Undefined 30x30 Initiative

U.S. Senator Mitt Romney (R-UT) joined colleagues, led by Senators Kevin Cramer (R-ND) and Roger Marshall (R-KS), in sending a letter to White House Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) Chair Brenda Mallory demanding they adhere to the National Environmental Policy Act requirements and undergo the proper analysis and public comment period for the Biden Administration’s goal of conserving at least 30 percent of our lands and waters by 2030, otherwise known as “30×30.” (Read More)

Six Salt Lake County programs win national recognition

This week, the National Association of Counties (NACo) granted six Salt Lake County programs 2022 Achievement Awards, which recognize innovative government programs from across the nation. This year, Animal Services’ Hounds Around Town program was named as Best in Category for Volunteers. This is the first time Salt Lake County has received this specific honor and only the second time for any county in the state of Utah. 

“These programs are increasing access to STEM resources, monitoring air quality, improving services for seniors, getting more dogs fostered and adopted, and connecting disadvantaged small business owners to resources. I am proud of Salt Lake County’s wide and exceptional services and how our staff are going above and beyond for our community,” said Salt Lake County Mayor Jenny Wilson. (Read More)

43rd Giant in Our City to honor Ray Pickup

The Salt Lake Chamber will honor Ray Pickup, recently retired CEO of WCF Insurance, with the 43rd Giant in Our City award next Thursday. The award honors those who have provided exceptional and distinguished service and reached extraordinary professional achievement and is widely recognized as the most prestigious business award given in Utah.  The event will recognize Pickup’s dedicated service to the state and will celebrate his accomplishments and commitment to the community.

At the event, the Chamber, in partnership with Utah Community Builders, will also recognize Aden Batar, Director of Migration and Refugee Services for Catholic Community Services of Utah, with the 4th annual Lane Beattie Utah Community Builder Award. The award recognizes an inspirational individual who has gone above and beyond the call of duty to address critical community needs. (Read More)

Utah State Board of Education: Utah Young Technology Scholar Award winners announced

The Utah State Board of Education and Micro Focus today announced the 2022 winners of the Young Technology Scholar Award. The award recognizes talented high school students who demonstrate impressive technological skills and well-rounded character. For more than two decades, the Young Technology Scholar Award has been given to students from schools across Utah and helped fund scholarships to further their education in pursuing a technology related degree. This year, eight students were awarded a total of $18,000. (Read More)

Owens backs resolution honoring law enforcement, National Police Week

Rep. Burgess Owens (UT-04) co-sponsored a resolution recognizing “National Police Week of 2022” to honor the 619 law enforcement officers killed in the line of duty last year. 

“America’s law enforcement officers serve around the clock to protect our communities and keep us safe,” said Rep. Owens. “During National Police Week, we honor these heroes and express our immense gratitude for their commitment to serving others. May we never forget the selfless sacrifice of our men and women in blue and the 619 law enforcement officers we lost last year.” (Read More)

Engaged Informed Americans discuss the Little Cottonwood Canyon Gridlock

Engaged Informed Americans (EIA), a Salt Lake City-based non-profit, holds its next meeting which will bring together locals and project stakeholders to discuss how to address the Little Cottonwood Canyon gridlock. The meeting will take place at the Hampton Inn and Suites on 1345 South Foothill Drive Salt Lake City, Utah 84108  on May 24 at 7 p.m. and feature representatives from the Utah Department of Transportation (UDOT), Friends of Little Cottonwood Canyons, and Gondola Works. (Read More)

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Upcoming

• Breakfast Briefing with Utah Foundation, May 17, 8:30-10:00 am
• Envision Utah Breakfast, May 25, 8:00-9:30 am, Register here
• Ballots are mailed â€“ June 7
• Primary election day â€“ June 28
• General election â€“ Nov 8

On This Day In History

• 1918 - US Congress passes the Sedition Act
• 1943 - The Warsaw Ghetto uprising ends. 13,000 Jews have died, about half burnt alive or suffocated, German casualties were less than 300. The surviving residents were deported to Treblinka, where virtually all of them were dead by the end of the war.
• 1975 - Junko Tabei, Japanese mountaineer, becomes the first woman to summit Mount Everest. 
• 1990 - Jim Henson, American puppeteer, artist, screenwriter and filmmaker, and creator of 'the Muppets" (Sesame Street; The Muppet Show), dies of toxic shock syndrome at 53
• 2014 - Barbara Walters signs off, after some 50 years on the air.

Wise Words

“There's not a word yet, for old friends who've just met.”
 â€• Jim Henson

Lighter Side

“North Korea reported its first coronavirus outbreak and ordered all cities and counties to enter a lockdown. Or as they call it, ‘business as usual.’” 

— SETH MEYERS

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