The Hinckley Report, PBS Utah’s weekly political roundtable, returns Sept. 9 at a new time, 7 p.m. Hosted by Jason Perry and produced in partnership with the Hinckley Institute of Politics on the University of Utah campus, the program provides insight and analysis of the most pressing political issues facing our state.

Utah Headlines

General

• Christopher Koopman & Will Rinehart: Twitter isn't a public square. It's a coliseum. (Newsweek)
• Report says BYU police couldn't find evidence of racial slur directed at Duke volleyball team (KSL)
• These stories will help you better understand the ups and downs of race relations at BYU and in the LDS Church (Salt Lake Tribune)
• Susan R. Madsen: Utah is still the worst state for women’s equality. But has anything changed? (Salt Lake Tribune)
• Utah prosecutors take sex assault cases to trial less often when they are based primarily on a victim’s word. The Utah Investigative Journalism Project reviewed more than 150 sexual assault cases that were scheduled or went to trial. (Salt Lake Tribune)

Politics

• Sole candidate for San Juan County attorney withdraws from race after judicial nomination (KUTV)
• UDOT makes its pick for Little Cottonwood Canyon — and it’s a gondola, eventually (Salt Lake Tribune)
• Salt Lake County mayor vows to fight Little Cottonwood Canyon gondola, says Legislature should fund other needs (Salt Lake Tribune)
• Utah Debate Commission announces dates for general election debates (KSL Newsradio)
• Gov. Cox optimistic about GSL’s future, touches on abortion, growth during visit to Ogden (Standard-Examiner)
• Utah Gov. Spencer Cox names Salt Lake County Council member to lead new Office of Families (Salt Lake Tribune)

Business

• The Utah ‘cookie wars’ roar on, through Linkedin comments and an Instagram response (Salt Lake Tribune)
• The Utah Department of Workforce Services is hosting a statewide virtual job fair from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Thursday in celebration of Workforce Development Month. Approximately 100 Utah employers are participating in the free online event with thousands of open positions. (Standard-Examiner)
• Oil falls, stock futures point to more losses (Wall Street Journal)

Economy

• How a ‘prairie populist’ from Roy, Utah became the conservative bulwark against inflation on the Fed (Deseret News)
• Survey indicates most employees are hoping for a raise amid inflation (Deseret News)

Education

• This Utah high school dress code allows pajamas, midriff tops and ripped jeans. Educators say the updated policy reflects how students dress in 2022 and is intended to keep students in the classroom. (Deseret News)
• Utah State University forms new division, focusing on diversity, equity and inclusion (KSL TV)
• Tooele High releases students after broken AC causes uncomfortable class temps (KSL TV)
• The majority of Utah health teachers want help teaching sexuality and mental health (KUER)
• Total student debt cancellation possible for nonprofit workers (UPR)
• American students’ test scores plunged during the pandemic to levels unseen for decades (Washington Post)

Environment

• Warnings — and a call to conserve energy — as heat dome settles over the West. Record-breaking temperatures expected over the next few days (Deseret News)
• Proposed sand mine near Dinosaur shelved by unlikely allies — red tape and sage grouse. The BLM must determine whether fracking is a “common” or “uncommon” use for sand before it can authorize such projects on public land (Salt Lake Tribune)

Family

• Utah County nonprofit hopes to 'empower' families by providing them extra support (KUTV)

Health

• Life expectancy in the U.S. fell precipitously in 2020 and 2021, the sharpest two-year decline in nearly 100 years, largely because of Covid.(New York Times)
• Utahns unite in an effort to stop overdose deaths on international day of awareness (Fox13)

Housing

• ‘Further to fall’: Housing downturn will worsen in 2023, Goldman Sachs predicts (Deseret News)

National Headlines

General

• Reports of sexual assaults across the U.S. military jumped by 13% last year, driven by significant increases in the Army and the Navy. (NBC News)
• School safety concerns rise to highest level in 20 years (The Hill)

Politics

• The problem with Liz Cheney and the Republican Party, according to Ben Shapiro (Deseret News)
• Newly aggressive Biden shifts from compromise to combat. President Biden is spending less time hailing the virtues of unity and more time calling out Republicans and dangers to democracy. (New York Times)
• Obstruction now a major focus in Trump documents probe (AP)
• Days before Mar-a-Lago subpoena, Trump lawyer claimed she scoured his office, closets and drawers (Politico)
• At first, Republicans were highly critical of the FBI search of Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort, but as new details emerge about the more than 100 classified documents the former president haphazardly stashed at his private club Republicans have grown notably silent. (AP)
• Trump's lawyers downplay discovery of classified records at his Florida home (Reuters)
• Mary Peltola beats Sarah Palin, wins Alaska House special election to serve out remainder of former Rep. Don Young's term. She will become the first Alaska Native and the first woman to hold the seat. (AP)

Ukraine 🇺🇦 

• The U.S. says it has determined that Russia is suffering severe manpower shortages in its six-month-old war with Ukraine. The situation has allegedly become so dire that soldiers wounded earlier in the war are being compelled to return to combat. (AP)
• UN inspectors head to Ukraine nuclear plant despite fighting (AP)
• Witness to the massacre in Mariupol. Survivors describe the defining atrocity of the war in Ukraine (New York Times)

World News

• Yet another mother searching for her disappeared son has been killed in northern Mexico, becoming the third volunteer search activist killed in Mexico since 2021. (KSL TV)
• The United Nations says crimes against humanity may have happened in China's Xinjiang (NPR)
• To China’s fury, UN accuses Beijing of Uyghur rights abuses (AP)
• Russia launches war games with China, others (AP)
• (Another) top Russian oil official dies - this time after a fall from a hospital window (Reuters)

News Releases

Utah Civic Learning Collaborative releases report with recommendations to improve civics education in Utah

The Utah Civic Learning Collaborative (UCLC) released a report, CIVICS EDUCATION POISED FOR INNOVATION: LISTENING TOUR FINDINGS. In collaboration with the Utah State Board of Education, the UCLC interviewed more than 400 teachers and administrators to learn about current approaches, barriers to civic teaching, and what educators need to expand their efforts. 

“Educators take the historical ‘civic mission of schools’ very seriously,” said report author Judi Hilman; “but many struggle to make time for civics in the face of competing pressures, like the need to boost achievement in areas that are regularly tested like reading and math.”  The report describes a consensus on the need for guidance on how to discuss current events and issues that matter to students. “No matter what they do, even meeting core standards for teaching about slavery, teachers feel like they are under constant scrutiny,” adds Hilman, “They want clarity and leadership from administrators around fostering civic skills like civil dialogue.” (Read More)

Gov. Cox names Aimee Winder Newton as senior advisor and director of new Office of Families

Today, Gov. Spencer Cox named Aimee Winder Newton as a senior advisor and director of the new Office of Families. She takes on this new role effective Sept. 1, 2022.

The Office of Families aims to support Utah families through proactive rather than reactive strategies and policies. This includes promoting what already makes Utah the best place for children and parents to thrive as well as pursuing policies, legislation and innovation that will strengthen families at all economic levels. (Read More)

Gov. Spencer J. Cox nominates Alex Goble to serve as Sixth District Juvenile Court judge

Today, Gov. Spencer J. Cox nominated Alex Goble to serve as a judge in the Sixth District Juvenile Court. 

This is a new judicial position created during the 2022 General Legislative Session. The governor’s nominations are subject to confirmation by the Utah Senate. (Read More)

Utah Senate requests public comment on 6th District Juvenile Court nominee

The Utah Senate Judicial Confirmation Committee is seeking public comment on attorney Alex Goble, who Governor Spencer J. Cox nominated to serve as a juvenile judge in the 6th District Juvenile 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. Thursday, September 15, 2022. 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)

WGU and Salt Lake Bees award tuition for one year to four students

Western Governors University (WGU) and the Salt Lake Bees teamed up to grant four scholarships worth a year’s tuition to local students on Saturday night. Recipients Shaun Belland, Brinlee Atkinson, Carroll Glidden, and Aubree Jacobsen were awarded the scholarships by WGU Senior Vice President of Regional Operations Gene Hayes and Vice President of Financial Aid Bob Collins following the fifth inning of Salt Lake’s Triple-A baseball game at Smith’s Ballpark.

Each of the winners are scheduled to start at WGU and submitted an official entry form earlier in the season. Belland is pursuing a Master of Science in Nursing, Atkinson is pursuing a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration Management, Glidden is pursuing her Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, and Jacobsen will be pursuing a Bachelor’s degree in Special Education. (Read More)

Voices for Utah Children releases new report about Utah working families’ economic opportunity

Voices for Utah Children released today the fifth in its series of economic benchmarking reports that evaluate how the Utah economy is experienced by median- and lower-income families by benchmarking Utah against another state.  This year’s report compares Utah to Texas.  While the Economic Opportunity benchmarks come out nearly even, with Utah ahead in 11 and Texas ahead in 8, in the Standard of Living category Utah predominates in 20 categories and Texas in just two.  (Read More)

StoryCorps Mobile Tour coming to Salt Lake City

KUER is thrilled to announce the StoryCorps Mobile Tour is stopping in Salt Lake City at the Utah Museum of Contemporary Art (UMOCA) from Sept. 8 to Sept. 24. An opening day press event will be held at UMOCA at 11:30 a.m. on Thursday, Sept. 8 where best-selling authors Shannon and Dean Hale will be Salt Lake City’s first interview.

In a StoryCorps interview, two people record a meaningful conversation about who they are, what they’ve learned in life and how they want to be remembered. A trained StoryCorps facilitator guides them through the interview process. After each 40-minute recording session, participants receive a digital copy of their interview. With participant permission, a second copy is archived at the American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress for future generations to hear. (Read More)

Number of the Day

Tweet of the Day

Upcoming

• “Impulsivity, poor decisions, and what to do about it" with USU Blue Plate Research — Sept 9, 11:30 am, Gallivan Hall downtown SLC, Register here
• Women in the Money with Utah State Treasurer's Office — Sept. 15-16, Salt Lake Sheraton + online, Register here
• Interim Days — Sept. 20-22, le.utah.gov
• ULCT Annual Convention — Oct 5-7, Salt Palace Convention Center, Register here
• One Utah Summit — Oct 11-13, Southern Utah University, Register here
• Senate debate between Mike Lee and Evan McMullin — Oct. 17, 6 pm, at UVU
• Interim Days — Oct 18-20, le.utah.gov
• General election â€“ Nov 8
• Utah Economic Outlook and Public Policy Summit with the Salt Lake Chamber — Jan. 12, 2023, Salt Lake City Marriott, 8 am - noon, Register here

On This Day In History

• 1775 - King George refuses Olive Branch Petition
• 1807 - Aaron Burr is acquitted of treason on the grounds that, although he had conspired against the United States by plotting to annex parts of Louisiana and Spanish territory in Mexico, he was not guilty of treason.
• 1836 - Narcissa Whitman, one of the first white women to settle west of the Rocky Mountains, arrives at Walla Walla, Washington.
• 1850 - P.T. Barnum brings European opera star Jenny Lind to New York
• 1914 - The world’s last known carrier pigeon dies at the Cincinnati Zoo.
• 1932 - Forrest E. Mars introduces the Mars Bar.
• 1933 - Anne Richards is born. She became the second woman elected governor of Texas when she won her race in 1990.
• 1939 - Adolf Hitler orders the extermination of the mentally ill, Germany invades Poland and in the "scoop of the century," journalist Clare Hollingworth becomes the first to report the outbreak of World War II
• 1972 - Bobby Fischer becomes the first American to win the World Chess Championship
• 1983 - Korean Airlines flight 007 is shot down by the Soviet Union, killing all 269 passengers and crew.
• 1985 - The wreckage of the Titanic is found on the ocean floor
• 2001 - First Muslim holiday U.S. postage stamp is issued
• 2015 - Pope Francis tells priests to pardon women who have had an abortion, in a letter released by the Vatican

Wise Words

"We're not going to have the America that we want until we elect leaders who are going to tell the truth - not most days, but every day."

—Ann Richards

The Punny Side

What's the difference between a literalist and a kleptomaniac?

A literalist takes things literally.

A kleptomaniac takes things, literally.

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