Situational Analysis | June 30, 2022

It's Thursday and National Meteor Watch Day. If the skies are clear tonight, take a look!

Be in the Know

• Three years ago, Native Americans in Oklahoma rejoiced when the Supreme Court ruled that the eastern half of Oklahoma is on tribal land, and that the state could not bring criminal prosecutions for crimes on Native American land without the consent of the Native American tribes. But on Wednesday, the court narrowed that decision, and dramatically increased the power of states over Native American tribes, prompting an angry dissent from Justice Neil Gorsuch, the author of the 2019 decision, and an ardent proponent of Native American rights.
• Speaking of the Supreme Court, today is Justice Breyer's last day and Justice Jackson's first. He will retire at noon and swear in Ketanji Brown Jackson immediately afterward.

Rapid Roundup

• Get to know Utah's Second Gentleman, Gabe Henderson.
• Do you think Utah drivers are the worst? Turns out we're among the most responsible drivers in the nation. 🤔 
• Stuffed elephant, a memento of a murdered baby, was stolen from a car at a Sandy gold course. Heartbroken mom would like it back. 

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Utah Headlines

General

• How this ‘Caribbean of the Rockies’ pumps millions of dollars into Utah (Deseret News)
• Not all shortages create crises, like that from the infant formula shortage. But if you want to build a house, use tampons or have a penchant for hot food, supply chain woes may be more than inconvenient (Deseret News)
• What the Utah Jazz are saying about Will Hardy now that the hire is official (Salt Lake Tribune)
• Man charged with crashing stolen truck in the Navajo Nation, killing kidnapped girl in back seat (Salt Lake Tribune)
• Missing in Utah: Family cuts ties with investigator in Dylan Rounds case (ABC4)
• 18 yo shoots at his 12-yr-old sibling, leading to a 90-minute chase (KUTV)

Politics

• Jana Riess: Latter-day Saints now look liberal on abortion — by not changing. GOP has swung so far to the right that Latter-day Saints’ nuanced abortion stance, once commonly accepted by fellow conservatives, now looks liberal by comparison. (Salt Lake Tribune)
• Utah Supreme Court sides with inland port, says zoning doesn't violate state law (KSL)
• Utah governor sends messages to those on both sides of abortion debate (KSL)
• Rep. Moore eager to shift gears after primary win: ‘I want to get back to work’ (Standard-Examiner)
• Is there a split in the GOP? Look no further than the primaries in Utah County (KUER)

Elections

• Trump’s last-minute endorsements of Utah Republicans pad his win-loss record (Deseret News)
• Overnight election results: The latest on Utah’s primary races (Salt Lake Tribune)
• Utah County Attorney David Leavitt loses bid for reelection (Fox13)
• McMullin calls out Lee ahead of November election battle (Fox13)
• One primary race in Washington County remains too close to call, others show clear victors (St. George News)

Environment

• Is Utah ready for a major quake? Political will and money, lots of it, are needed to prepare for a disaster that could flatten buildings and destroy infrastructure. (Salt Lake Tribune)
• Southwest Utah records its driest May in 127 years, water district says (Fox13)

Family

• Perspective: Love doesn’t belong in the sharing economy (Deseret News)

National Headlines

General

• Blinken, Pompeo, Pelosi and Rubio display nonpartisan importance of religious freedom at D.C. summit. “Everybody — Democrat and Republican, right and left and center — has come together to defend this foundational right.” (Deseret News)
• R. Kelly sentenced to 30 years in sex trafficking case (AP)
• U.S. newspapers continuing to die at rate of 2 each week (AP)
• Randy Cox, 36, was being transported in a police van when it came to a sudden stop on June 19. He is now in the hospital, barely able to move and the New Haven police are being investigated (New York Times)
• 1955 warrant in Emmett Till case found; family seeks arrest. Carolyn Bryant Donham made the allegations that led to Till's lynching in Mississippi. (Politico)
• Economists expect slower growth in U.S. household spending in May compared with the prior month as high inflation weighs on consumers’ purchasing power. (Wall Street Journal)

Politics

• Liz Cheney says US is 'confronting a domestic threat' in Donald Trump (CNN)
• Cheney: GOP must choose between loyalty to Trump or the Constitution (The Hill)
• Republicans dismiss Hutchinson testimony (The Hill)
• Hutchinson's bombshell Jan. 6 testimony sways legal experts and conservative media (NPR)
• Jan. 6 committee subpoenas Pat Cipollone, Trump's former White House counsel (NPR)
• Facebook and Instagram are removing posts offering abortion pills (Deseret News)
• Antiabortion lawmakers want to block patients from crossing state lines. Some advocacy groups and their allies are crafting legislative language that could be adopted in Republican-led state capitals. (Washington Post)
• Andrew Giuliani had the name ID and his famous father. He just didn’t have the votes. (Politico)

Ukraine 🇺🇦 

• Russia steps up attacks in Ukraine after landmark NATO summit (Reuters)
• Putin still wants most of Ukraine, war outlook grim -U.S. intelligence chief (Reuters)
• The U.S. will make its biggest military expansion in Europe since the Cold War, including its first permanent troop presence in Poland, as NATO prepares for two more members to join the alliance in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. (Wall Street Journal)
• Russia abandons Snake Island in strategic victory for Ukraine (Reuters)

News Releases

Utah Foundation: Despite booming economy, analysis shows Utah community quality of life in decline

Today, the Utah Foundation releases The 2022 Utah Community Quality of Life Index: Is a Booming Economy Making Life Better? The report focuses on community quality of life – based on a survey where Utahns rate their communities on a series of 20 factors. In this report, the Utah Foundation discusses the results of the 2022 survey, compares 2022 data with previous years, analyzes responses by population group, and suggests targeted ways that policymakers might improve quality of life in Utah communities.

Since 2011, the Utah Foundation has measured community quality of life with the Index five times. In 2022, the Community Quality of Life Index stands at 64 out of a possible 100 points, making this year the clear low mark. (Read More)

Utah Inland Port Authority statement on Utah Supreme Court ruling

The Utah Inland Port Authority (UIPA) is pleased with today’s decision by the Supreme Court of Utah to affirm in part the Third District Court’s previous ruling rejecting Salt Lake City’s legal challenges to the creation of the UIPA.

UIPA will continue to support the State of Utah in challenges related to the tax provisions of the Utah Inland Port Authority Act. The Port Authority will also continue to fulfill the charge of the Utah Legislature by providing smart, sustainable, and equitable logistics solutions for all of Utah. UIPA is committed to future-proofing Utah’s link in the global supply chain, modernizing logistics to safeguard Utah’s natural beauty and reduce risk, and improving quality of life by enhancing community livability.

Owens announces UT-04 Congressional Art Competition Winner

Today, Rep. Burgess Owens (UT-04) announced Westlake High School senior Reagan Swensen as the winner of the 2022 Congressional Art Competition for Utah’s Fourth District.

Reagan’s artwork, titled “Mirror,” will be displayed in the United States Capitol alongside the winners from each Congressional district for the year. (Read More)

Goldman Sachs announces 2022 10,000 Small Businesses Summit, largest gathering of small business owners in the U.S.

Goldman Sachs today announced the 2022 10,000 Small Businesses Summit to bring together more than 2,500 small business owners from across the country – the largest gathering of its kind in the U.S. – from July 19-20. The Summit will be held over two days at the Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center and Nationals Park where thousands of small business owners and alumni of Goldman Sachs’ 10,000 Small Businesses education program, top entrepreneurs, members of congress, and administration officials will come together to define the future of America’s small business agenda. Following the pandemic and amid historic inflation, supply chain and workforce challenges, the Summit will bring together policymakers to share solutions to accelerate growth and create jobs to power our economic recovery. (Read More)

2022 Clear the Air Challenge kick off

The Salt Lake Chamber, along with its partners Utah Clean Air Partnership (UCAIR) and TravelWise, kicked off the 13^th Annual Clear the Air Challenge today. Issued by business, government and community leaders, the Challenge is a month-long competition designed to encourage Utahns to reduce their vehicle emissions by choosing alternatives to driving alone. 

The Clear the Air Challenge begins July 1. 

How to Participate:

1. Sign up on the Clear the Air Challenge website at cleartheairchallenge.org and enter your information to create an account. 
2. Challenge your friends and co-workers to participate as a team or individually.
3. As a business owner or team manager, send out the challenge fact sheet available in the Startup Toolkit to your employees that explains what the challenge is and why you want them to participate. (Read More)

Utah farm and business leaders to call for action on farm labor shortage

On Thursday, June 30, at 1:00 pm MT/3:00 pm EST, the Utah Farm Bureau Federation, the Salt Lake Chamber, and the American Business Immigration Coalition will hold a press event calling attention to the urgency of fixing Utah’s and the nation’s extreme farm labor shortages by passing new Senate agriculture workforce solutions at Schmidt’s Farm and Greenhouse, 9120 S. Redwood Road, West Jordan, Utah 84088. (Read More)

Curtis bill to protect health research from Chinese influence gets committee hearing

Today, the House Energy and Commerce Committee’s Subcommittee on Health held a hearing on Congressman Curtis’s bill, the Fix Nondisclosure of Influence in Health Research Act, or the Fix NIH Research Act.

“I am deeply concerned by foreign influence in research institutions through China’s Thousand Talents Program,” said Rep. Curtis. “My bill before us today, the NIH Research Act, would help prevent these nefarious influence operations. The Fix NIH Research Act is in the bipartisan China package, and I urge my colleagues to maintain its inclusion and pass this common-sense legislation into law.” (Read More)

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Upcoming

• Hatch Center Webinar: Preserving Judicial Integrity — July 14, 11:00 am, MDT. Register here
• ULCT Annual Convention - Oct 5-7, Salt Palace Convention Center, Register here
• General election â€“ Nov 8

On This Day In History

• 1702 - Elizabeth Timothy is born. The colonial immigrant became the first female newspaper editor and publisher in America. After the death of her father, Timothy assumed his role in printing the South Carolina Gazette under contract with Benjamin Franklin.
• 1883 - Dorothy Tilly is born. She was a civil rights reformer who devoted her life to reforming southern race relations
• 1899 - Margaret Byrd Rawson is born. An educator and researcher, she identified and treated reading disorders including dyslexia
• 1906 - US Congress passes the Meat Inspection Act and the Pure Food and Drug Act; these laws owe much to the expose journalism of the period (Upton Sinclair's 'The Jungle' in particular)
• 1934 - Hitler orders the assassination of hundreds of members of his own political party in the Night of the Long Knives.
• 1936 - Gone with the Wind is published.
• 1938 - Superman first appears in a comic
• 1982 - The ERA fails, 3 states short of ratification.
• 2014 - Burwell v Hobby Lobby is decided in a 5-4 vote
• 2021 - Donald Rumsfeld dies at age 88

Wise Words

“If freedom of speech is taken away, then dumb and silent we may be led, like sheep to the slaughter.” 

—George Washington

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