Jimmer Fredette retires from basketball; AGâs office announces child sex abuse sting operation; Utah Lake ready to shed its bad reputation | | | 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 | Apr. 24, 2025 It's Thursday and National Pigs in a Blanket Day! Happy birthday to Rep. Tom Peterson! ðð ð What you need to know The University of Utah will soon be offering academic credit to returned missionaries, active duty military and veterans and other eligible students who have performed humanitarian service in their communities and beyond. Students can receive up to 12 hours â the equivalent of one semester â âfor what they have already learned and put into practice across the globe." Rapid Relevance Jimmer Fredette retires from basketball; AGâs office announces child sex abuse sting operation; and Utah Lake is ready to shed its bad reputation | | |
Utah Headlines Political news Utah school choice program will keep running pending Supreme Court appeal (KSL) Municipal news Burying downtown SLC train tracks could bring multibillion dollar lift to Utahâs economy (Salt Lake Tribune) Jordan River trail now connects to a new city: Millcreek. Will the new addition help it reach its full potential? (KSL) Utah City development to celebrate Arbor Day by planting 1,000 trees to emphasize sustainability (KSL) Logan Mayor Holly Daines announces she won't seek re-election (UPR) Herriman city council passes land swap for new athletic complex (KUTV) Private parking enforcement in Provo goes unchecked in overcharging drivers (Daily Herald) Utah Jimmer Fredette has officially retired from basketball (Deseret News) Utahraptor State Park offers history beyond dinosaurs and fossils (KSL TV) Gina Cornia: I work with Utahâs hungriest populations. Federal cuts put our health and economy at risk. (Salt Lake Tribune) Biz/Tech 'Up in the air': Several hundred Ogden IRS workers take part in job event amid talk of cuts (KSL) Crime/Courts Community rallies to combat sexual violence in Utah (KSL TV) 'Not going away': FBI sees rise of child sex crimes in Utah (Fox13) One of the first women included on Utahâs inaugural appeals court dies (Salt Lake Tribune) Culture/Community How to find happiness when it seems the whole world is conspiring against it (Deseret News) While the Trump administration targets foreign aid, the LDS Church remains all-in (Salt Lake Tribune) Economy New report projects U.S. headed for tariff double-shock of higher inflation, slower growth (Deseret News) Education - K-12 Alpine School District approves $238 million bond to build two new schools (ABC4) Education - Higher Budget cut update: Weber State University eliminates 49 staff positions, 89 classes (Salt Lake Tribune) Trump signs order setting new rules for college accreditation process (Fox13) Utah Tech student presents at undergraduate research program in Washington, D.C. (St. George News) Environment Utahâs cloud seeding program is the envy of the drought-weary West (KUER) Family Perspective: Elon Musk doesnât have the answer to depopulation (Deseret News) Utah advocates concerned over privacy invasion connected to proposed autism registry (Fox13) Health Funding cut for landmark study of women's health (NPR) Housing First non-congregate shelter for families opens in South Salt Lake (Deseret News) Renting costs a lot less than buying a home, especially in the West. Hereâs how big the gap is in the Salt Lake area (Deseret News) 'We need these units desperately': Low-income Salt Lake senior housing reopens after renovation (KSL) | | |
National Headlines General David Brooks: Whatâs happening is not normal. America needs an uprising that is not normal. (New York Times) Nintendo Switch 2 launches in June with new Mario Kart World game (AP) Political news What JD Vance just said about being one of the last people to meet with Pope Francis (Deseret News) Democratic US Senator Dick Durbin to retire, sparking competitive Illinois primary (Reuters) Bessent says IMF and World Bank need reform and thereâs an âopportunity for a big dealâ with China (AP) Hegseth had Signal messaging app installed on an office computer (Washington Post) Trump orders changes to civil rights rules, college accreditation (Washington Post) Immigration/Deportation Trump insists deportation process should bypass trials for immigrants in the country illegally (Deseret News) Why is Trump so intent on sending illegal immigrant noncriminals to prison camps in El Salvador? (CATO Institute) Tariffs China says no tariff negotiations underway, contradicting Trump (The Hill) Most Americans expect higher prices as a result of Trumpâs tariffs, a new AP-NORC poll finds (AP) A small U.S. town grew a big company. Can it weather the tariff blizzard? (NPR) Trump-honored economist Art Laffer, says tariffs causing scariest period in his lifetime (Axios) China sends Boeing planes back to US over tariffs (BBC) DOGE/Musk Trump's cabinet ready to reassert power as Musk steps back (Reuters) Small agency focused on developing poor countries to be dismantled (New York Times) A subdued Musk backs away from Washington, but his project remains (New York Times) 100 days of DOGE: lots of chaos, not so much efficiency (Reuters) Ukraine/Russia Trump says Zelenskyy is prolonging war in Ukraine by resisting calls to cede Crimea to Russia (AP) Trump administration unwinds efforts to investigate Russian war crimes (Washington Post) Russia pummels Kyiv amid U.S. threats to abandon peace talks (New York Times) White House debates lifting sanctions on Russian energy assets, Nord Stream (Politico) Heads, Ukraine loses, tails, Russia wins (The Atlantic) UK blocks video game controller exports to Russia, seeking to thwart drone pilots (Reuters) Israel, Gaza, Syria Freed Israeli hostage feared the âmany ways to dieâ in Gaza but kept hope alive (AP) Israelâs European allies urge lifting of âintolerableâ Gaza aid blockade (Washington Post) Gaza's shattered landmarks. From the Great Omari Mosque to Al Qaisariyya Market, centuries-old structures are now in ruins. (Reuters) World news Forgiving the man who killed her children. A stirring lesson from Rwanda (Deseret News) Will Trump flip the Canadian election? The Conservative Party lost a 25-percentage-point lead after Trump threatened to annex Canada (Deseret News) Bite marks reveal gladiator's fatal encounter with a lion in ancient Britain (Reuters) | | |
| | News Releases Construction set to begin on Upper Mill Creek Canyon Road Improvement Project Salt Lake County, in coordination with the U.S. Forest Service and the Federal Highway Administration, is announcing that construction on the long-planned Upper Mill Creek Canyon Road Improvement Project is scheduled to begin on May 1, 2025, with bridge work at the Elbow Fork area starting before May 1. The project, funded through the Federal Lands Access Program (FLAP), will address roadway safety concerns, improve drainage and erosion control, and enhance long-term access for canyon visitors. During the winter, the roadway above the Winter Gate will be groomed for winter recreation. (Read More) Utah students take stand against youth violence at 25th annual âDo the Write Thingâ luncheon On Friday, April 18, the Utah State Board of Education (USBE) proudly hosted the 25th annual âDo the Write Thingâ luncheon, celebrating the powerful voices of students across the state who are taking a stand against youth violence through their writing. From the challenge emerged an inspiring group of students from 16 schools across Utah. Thirty-three teachers reported that over 1,315 students participated in meaningful in-classroom discussions about forms of violence, how it starts, how it impacts all our lives, and how to stop it. Over 930 students prepared writings and 338 students decided to submit writings about youth violence for review. Abigail Owens of Fort Herriman Middle School was named Utahâs distinguished finalist, or âAmbassador for Peace,â for the 2025 year. (Read More) | | |
Upcoming Apr 24 â Giant in Our City with the Salt Lake Chamber, 6:00-9:00 pm, Register here Apr 26 â Utah Forward Party/United Utah Party Organizing Convention, 9:00 am â2:30 pm, Salt Lake Community College, Taylorsville Campus Thayne Center, RSVP here May 1 â Utah Foundation's annual luncheon and 80th birthday celebration, 11:30 am - 1:30 pm, Grand America Hotel, Register Here May 6 â "State AG Offices and the New Administration" webinar hosted by the Orrin G. Hatch Foundation, 10:00 am MDT, Register here May 12 â Utah Taxes Now Conference with the Utah Taxpayers Association, Grand America Hotel, 9:00 am - 1:00 pm, Register here May 17 â Utah GOP Organizing Convention, at UVUâs UCCU Center. May 31 â Utah Democratic Party Organizing Convention, Ogden High School Aug 7 â Titan of Public Service gala with Sen. Tom Cotton hosted by the Orrin G. Hatch Foundation at the Grand America Hotel. More Information Here | | |
On This Day In History 1184 BC - Greeks enter Troy using the Trojan Horse 1800 - Library of Congress established with a $5000 allocation 1915 - Armenian genocide begins 1945 - President Truman is briefed on the Manhattan Project 1961 - JFK accepts "sole responsibility" following Bay of Pigs 1980 - Iran hostage rescue mission ends in disaster, with 8 servicemen dead and no hostages rescued. 1990 - Hubble telescope deploys 2018 - Golden State Killer suspect Joseph DeAngelo arrested and charged with eight murders after being identified through genealogy websites. 2021 - President Joe Biden becomes the first US president to officially recognize the killing of Armenians in the Ottoman empire as genocide Quote of the Day "Every man, every woman who has to take up the service of government, must ask themselves two questions: 'Do I love my people in order to serve them better? Am I humble and do I listen to everybody, to diverse opinions in order to choose the best path?' If you don't ask those questions, your governance will not be good." âPope Francis On the Punny Side Whatâs the difference between a sprinter and a duck? One goes quick, the other goes quack. | | |
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