Plus, a plan to create a $300M scholarship endowment is on track after Utah’s exit from student loan processing.
Good morning. Salt Lake City will have a high of 49° and a low of 28°. If you haven't heard of Wordle, it's a free (and wildly popular) online game where players try to guess a five-letter word in six tries. My husband and I finally gave into the Wordle craze and have begun a nightly ritual of competing to guess the word in fewer tries. If you're also competing to be your family's Wordle champion, I have good news for you: Deseret News has compiled some tips to up your strategy. I will be immediately incorporating these strategies, and maybe not-so-immediately sending them to my husband. Also on our mind today: When Utah could be getting its first COVID-19 vaccine doses for toddlers and infants, the religious significance of "Star Wars" and how the Ottawa trucker protests could affect the global supply chain. |
| These Western states are taking cryptocurrency seriously |
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| | What's happening now: Recent proposals in Arizona and Wyoming would allow people to pay their taxes with digital currencies. Background: In 2018, Ohio became the first state to allow businesses to pay tax bills with Bitcoin. But after less than a year, it was declared illegal and shut down. Why it matters: There is concern among global financial regulators about displacing a national currency, which could undermine the ability of national governments and central banks to regulate the economy. There are potential legal and political obstacles for both proposals, and even if they pass, it's possible that Congress could pass a law banning the practice, said Rohan Grey, research director of the Digital Fiat Currency Institute. |
Read more about the push to make cryptocurrency mainstream. |
| What's happening?: SB172 would create a permanent endowment that would be managed by the state treasurer. The intent is to fund initiatives that support the Board of Higher Education’s priorities, which include college access, affordability, completion and workforce connections, said Utah Commissioner of Higher Education David Woolstenhulme. Context: Last fall, the Utah Board of Higher Education authorized the sale of the Federal Family Education Loan Program portfolio administered by the Utah Higher Education Assistance Authority. Financial advisers estimate the net proceeds of the sale could yield $260 million to $300 million, Woolstenhulme said. How would it work?: Interest earnings would be used to fund scholarships and other initiatives of the Utah System of Higher Education, which would require approval of the Utah Legislature annually. Read more about the bill. More in Politics Poll shows little unity among Utahns when it comes to mask mandates and who should enact them (Deseret News) Utah Legislature poised to approve $200M tax cut. See what’s in the plan (Deseret News) Utah has a mental health problem. Here's what lawmakers are doing about it (KSL.com) Senate committee moves forward with rule to limit press access at Capitol (Deseret News) | COVID Utah may see first doses of COVID-19 vaccine for infants, toddlers as soon as Feb. 21 (Deseret News) Should we drop all these mask mandates? Here’s what the CDC director says (Deseret News) Faith The religious significance of ‘Star Wars’ (Deseret News) Church releases groundbreaking date, site location and rendering for fifth temple in Argentina (Deseret News) A high-profile pastor’s prescription for the country: More conversations, fewer confrontations (Deseret News) RootsTech has invited a Palestinian comedian and actress to be a keynote speaker (Deseret News) Southern Utah Officials break ground on American Packaging Corp. facility in Cedar City (St. George News) Northern Utah Could a new visitor center help 'invisible state park' by the Great Salt Lake? (KSL.com) Teen survivor of shooting near Hunter High is home from the hospital (KSL.com) The Nation Congress wants to ban members from trading stocks (Deseret News) Is marrying later really better? Here’s what marriage research says (Deseret News) Millions of low-income Americans are eligible for a huge tax refund boost this year. Here’s how to get it (Deseret News) University of California reaches $243.6 million settlement after former UCLA gynecologist allegedly sexually abused hundreds of women (Deseret News) The World Ottawa truckers protests can have serious impact on the supply chain (Deseret News) U.S. troops are preparing for Americans to flee Ukraine if Russia invades (Deseret News) Afghanistan: Evidence mounts of Taliban reprisal arrests and killings (BBC News) Explaining why natural gas plays such a big role in the Russia-Ukraine crisis (NPR) | That's all for today! Please continue to let us know what you think about Utah Today by replying or emailing us at newsletters@deseretnews.com. — Ashley |
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