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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 | Nov. 29, 2023

It's Wednesday and it's National Throw Our Your Leftovers Day! Seriously. 

What You Need to Know

  • Hamas freed 12 more hostages on Tuesday—10 Israelis and two Thai nationals—and Israel released 30 Palestinian prisoners in return. Fighting between Hamas and Israel Defense Forces (IDF) briefly flared in northern Gaza on Tuesday afternoon, however, with the IDF saying Hamas fighters had targeted Israeli troops with explosives and gunfire and that Israeli forces responded but stayed within the bounds of the truce.

Rapid Relevance

 

BLM Releases Plan that finally protects Labyrinth Canyon

After years of prioritizing off-road vehicles, a recent decision from the Bureau of Land Management brings balance to this special place. Travel plans are an opportunity to develop reasonable, balanced, and forward-thinking blueprints that ensure public access while preserving the backcountry and minimizing damage. Learn more at suwa.org

 

Utah Headlines

Political news

  • Rep. Celeste Maloy sworn in as Utah’s newest member of Congress (Deseret News)
  • 'Promise of better days': Celeste Maloy takes congressional oath of office (KSL)
  • Sen. Mitt Romney criticized for saying who he might vote for in 2024 (Deseret News)
  • Uintah Co. Clerk faces probe for 'high crimes, misdemeanors and malfeasance' (Fox13)

Election news

  • Republican Celeste Maloy was just sworn in as Utah’s newest member of Congress. She already has a Republican challenger. (Salt Lake Tribune)

Holiday corner

  • Prepare now to avoid a hectic holiday, preserve peace of mind (St. George News)

Utah news

  • A Sugar House skyscraper? Developer seeks rezone to pave way for 305-foot buildings (Deseret News)
  • IOC committee set to start three-day meeting to recommend Olympic hosting cities (KUTV)
  • TikTok files emergency appeal to the Utah Supreme Court (Fox13)

Crime

  • Man arrested for streaking on Disneyland’s ‘It’s a Small World’ (Deseret News)
  • Security cameras catch Utah woman’s ‘terrifying’ experience of being followed on her run (KSL TV)
  • Copper wire stolen from Salt Lake City schools (KSL Newsradio)
  • Police: Student put teacher in chokehold, attacked others in Kearns High classroom (KSL TV)

Culture

  • Joy and heartbreak on display in new documentary about Jon Batiste and Suleika Jaouad (Deseret News)
  • If George Santos is expelled, I’m going to miss him (Deseret News)

Education

  • Students design and build mini home to be used as Bryce Canyon National Park ranger station (St. George News)
  • Jordan School District kicks off annual charity fundraisers this week (KSL TV)
  • Meet Utah teacher Leslie Edwards and hear why she left journalism for education (KSL Newsradio)

Environment

  • A giant inland sea is now a desert, and a warning for humanity (New York Times)
  • New Google geothermal electricity project in southwest Utah could be a milestone for clean energy (Salt Lake Tribune)
  • COP28 summit: Future of fossil fuels center stage at climate talks (Reuters)

Family

  • U. Va. sociologist, Deseret News contributor tells BYU students marriage and families are the ultimate source of happiness (Deseret News)
  • How can we break the cycle of childhood trauma? Help a baby's parents (NPR)

Health

  • Forgot what you were doing? Here are some ways to improve short-term memory (Deseret News)
  • U.S. suicides reached a record high last year (Wall Street Journal)

Housing

  • Northern Utah community comes together to help shelter the homeless (KSL TV)
  • 'Stressful and frustrating': 130 Utah families set to lose their affordable housing (KUTV)
  • Utah non-profit offers affordable homes in exchange for some work (ABC4)
  • Utah County churches are lined up as needed warming shelters for the winter (KUER)
  • Cache County opens temporary warming center in response to Code Blue alert (UPR)
 

National Headlines

General

  • Why does Gen Z want to move abroad? And where do they want to go? (Deseret News)
  • Black Friday spend-a-thon doesn’t lift gloom about economy (Deseret News)
  • Consumer economic worries aren’t holding back record spending spree ahead of ’23 winter holidays (Deseret News)
  • Investor Charlie Munger, the longtime business partner of Warren Buffett, has died at age 99 (NPR)
  • A Florida election fraud chief died last year in the hallway of Ron DeSantis' office (NPR)

Political news

  • Hunter Biden tells Congress he’d testify publicly, but Republicans demand closed-door session (AP)
  • GOP senators feel ambushed by Trump’s policy promises (The Hill)

Election news

  • The holiday season is here — unless you’re running for president (Deseret News)
  • Powerful Koch group endorses Haley's 2024 Republican presidential bid (Reuters)
  • Coming to a front porch near you: Anti-Trump evangelizers (Deseret News)
  • Where the Republican presidential candidates stand on Israel, Ukraine and China (NPR)

Ukraine 🇺🇦

Israel 🇮🇱

  • Fake babies, real horror: Deepfakes from the Gaza war increase fears about AI’s power to mislead (AP)
  • Freed Israeli hostages tell families of beatings and death threats (Reuters)
  • As Congress weighs aid to Israel, some Democrats want strings attached (New York Times

World

  • Russia is preparing a 'loyalty agreement' requirement for foreigners (Reuters)
  • Despite bans, disabled women are still being sterilized in Europe (New York Times)
 

Number of the Day 

Number of the Day, Nov. 28, 2023 (1)

 

News Releases

Rep. Curtis welcomes Celeste Maloy to the U.S. House

Representative John Curtis (UT-03) welcomed newly elected Representative Celeste Maloy (UT-02) to the United States House of Representatives. After Maloy took the oath of office, Reps. Curtis and Maloy spoke on the House floor.

“I am thrilled to welcome Celeste Maloy to the House,” said Rep. Curtis. “A true southern Utahn, Celeste is known for her hard work and conservative values and is ready to serve with dedication. We stand together in believing in public service to better our country and state.”


Gov. Cox appoints Brian Bolinder to Seventh District Court

Utah Gov. Spencer J. Cox has appointed Brian Bolinder to the Seventh District Court, filling the vacancy left by Judge George Harmond’s retirement. Bolinder’s nomination requires confirmation by the Utah Senate. (Read More)


Utah Senate requests public comment on 7th District Court nominee

The Utah Senate Judicial Confirmation Committee is seeking public comment on Brian Bolinder, who Gov. Spencer J. Cox nominated to serve as a judge in the 7th District Court.  

Those who desire to comment should contact the Utah Senate Judicial Confirmation Committee electronically or by mail at the Office of Legislative Research and General Counsel by 5:00 p.m. Tuesday, December 12, 2023. Electronic comments can be emailed to senatejudicialnominees@le.utah.gov. Written comments can be mailed to the Utah Senate Judicial Confirmation Committee at the Utah State Capitol, Suite W210, PO Box 145210, Salt Lake City, Utah 84114-5210. All statements should include the respondent’s name, telephone number and mailing address. (Read More)

 

Tweet of the Day

Screenshot 2023-11-29 at 7.51.22 AM

 

Upcoming

  • Jan. 2 — Candidate filing period opens
  • Jan. 16 — Legislative session begins
  • Mar. 1 — Legislative session ends 
 

On This Day In History 

  • 1832 - Louisa May Alcott is born.
  • 1876 - Nellie Tayloe Ross is born. She became the nation’s first female governor (Wyoming), replacing her husband who died of appendicitis. Later, she was appointed the director of the US Mint, a position she held for 20 years.
  • 1898 - C.S. Lewis is born.
  • 1935 - Physicist Erwin Schrödinger publishes his famous thought experiment "Schrödinger's cat", a paradox that illustrates the problem of the Copenhagen interpretation of quantum mechanics
  • 1947 - The UN votes for the partition of Palestine and the creation of an independent Jewish state.
  • 1963 - LBJ forms commission to investigate Kennedy assassination
  • 1972 - Atari releases the first commercially successful video game, Pong. I remember playing that game. Do you?
  • 1975 - President Gerald Ford requires states to provide free education for people with disabilities..
  • 1995 - US President Bill Clinton lifts ban on exports of oil from the Alaskan North Slope
  • 2017 - Bosnian war criminal Slobodan Praljak commits suicide by poison in court at The Hague after 20 year prison term is read
  • 2021 - Jack Dorsey announces he is stepping down as CEO of Twitter. Wild couple of years since then.

Quote of the Day

“Friendship ... is born at the moment when one man says to another "What! You too? I thought that no one but myself . . .”
― C.S. Lewis, The Four Loves 


On the Punny Side

Why didn’t Rudolph make the honor roll in school this term?

Because he went down in history.

 

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