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.
Rep. Kera Birkeland announced she will resign Jan. 10, citing increased family and professional responsibilities, specifically her mother's illness. Birkeland described her time in the Utah House of Representatives as âimmensely fulfillingâ and said she hopes her successor will continue âupholding the common sense and values that define Utah.â
Karen Crompton & Karen Hale: Utahâs judicial independence is at risk (Deseret News) Utahâs peculiar year in politics (Deseret News) âWeâve lived this beforeâ: How activists are working to support Utah immigrants during Trumpâs return (Salt Lake Tribune) Riverdale Senior Center faces uncertain future as county weighs funding (Standard-Examiner)
Utah
Changes have taken the bounce out of college basketball (Deseret News) Ogden hosting Kwanzaa event; organizer touts celebration as 'something that brings us together' (KSL) Utahâs black license plates are hot. Theyâve also raised $6.4M for history (KUER)
Crime/Courts
Feds seek information after climbing bolts found on Uintah County petroglyph panel (KSL) Utah man has car stolen out of dialysis clinic parking lot while he was getting treatment (KUTV)
Culture
âWickedâ will be available to stream very soon (Deseret News) Utah dancer living her dream on R&B star Usher's world tour (KSL)
Education
Hereâs what the presidents of Utahâs universities told The Tribune about possible program cuts (Salt Lake Tribune) AI is a game changer for students with disabilities (AP) 100K Utah high schoolers go to seminary. The legality was settled decades ago (KUER)
Environment
The highs and lows (when it comes to weather) in 2024 (Deseret News) Snow is on the way. What does that mean for avalanche danger? (Deseret News)
Health
Bird flu virus shows mutations in first severe human case in US, CDC says (Reuters) U.S. whooping cough cases soar to highest level in a decade, nearly 5 times as many as last year (Washington Post) FDA approves GLP-1 generic for Type 2 diabetes (The Hill)
Housing
FOX 13 Investigates: For Utahâs homeless, âCode Blueâ is colder than neighboring states (Fox13)
National Headlines
General
Holiday travel hits new highs amid packed roads and airports (Deseret News) How the stock market defied expectations again this year, by the numbers (AP) Giving a kidney to a stranger? Researchers call it 'extraordinary altruism' (NPR)
Political news
Should Congress have term limits? Rep. Kay Grangerâs situation makes a âcompelling caseâ (Deseret News) Abortion opponents shift focus to pills with lawsuits, proposed laws and possible federal action (AP) A wild year in politics, by the numbers (NPR) A MAGA âCivil Warâ on X between Musk and the far right over H-1B visas (Washington Post) Musk influence sparks fresh talk in Congress on high-skilled immigrants (Politico) The 2028 Democratic primary is already underway. But the first real moves are just around the corner. (Politico)
Ukraine ðºð¦
Ukraineâs military intelligence says North Korean troops are suffering heavy battlefield losses (AP)
Israel and Gaza
Israeli forces raid north Gaza hospital, health ministry says contact with staff lost (Reuters) Israeli attorney general orders probe into report that alleged Netanyahuâs wife harassed opponents (The Hill)
World news
South Korea's acting president Han Duck-Soo impeached as Yoon goes on trial (Reuters) China sanctions 7 companies over US military assistance to Taiwan (AP) Finland detains Russia-linked vessel over damaged undersea power cable in Baltic Sea (NPR)
Number of the Day
Tweet of the Day #1
Tweet of the Day #2
Upcoming
Jan. 9 â Whatâs Up Down South Economic Summit. St. George. Register hereJan. 10 â Rural Utah Data Symposium. St. George. Register hereJan 14 â Utah Taxpayers Association Legislative Outlook Conference, 9 am - 12:00 pm, Little America Hotel, Register hereJan. 21 â Utah legislative session begins Mar. 7 â Utah legislative session ends
On This Day In History
1822 - Louis Pasteur is born 1930 - Mary Ellen (Meg) Greenfield, an American editorial writer, was born. She was named editorial editor at Washington Post in 1979 after winning a Pulitzer Prize â and penned commentaries on civil rights, integration, nuclear arms and the military establishment. 1932 - Radio City Music Hall opens 1934 - Shah of Persia Mohammad Reza Pahlavi declares Persia is now Iran 1944 - FDR seizes control of Montgomery Ward 1945 - International Monetary Fund formally established by 29 member countries based on ideas of Harry Dexter White and John Maynard Keynes 1985 - Dian Fossey, 53, who had studied mountain gorillas in Africa for nearly 20 years, was found murdered in her cabin in Rwanda. 2007 - Pakistani politician Benazir Bhutto assassinated 2012 - Norman Schwarzkopf dies at 78 2016 - Carrie Fisher dies
Quote of the Day
"I don't think Christmas is necessarily about things. It's about being good to one another, it's about the Christian ethic, it's about kindness." âCarrie Fisher
On the Punny Side
Whatâs the difference between a reindeer and a knight in shining armor?
One is slaying a dragon and the other is dragging a sleigh.
