BYU advances, Utah State does not; Trump signs order to begin 'eliminating' the Dept of Ed; London's Heathrow Airport shut down for the day | | | 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 | Mar. 21, 2025 It's Friday and World Down Syndrome Day. What you need to know Utah Reps. Celeste Maloy and Mike Kennedy held a chaotic town hall at the University of Utah, with audience members shouting down responses about DOGE, deportations and defying court orders. The first question asked, because it received over 200 thumbs up from attendees, came from Brigham Young University professor Peter Reschke: âIf the current administration continues to defy court orders, will you commit to call for articles of impeachment to protect our republicâs checks and balances?â Short answer: no. Rapid Relevance BYU advances in March Madness tournament play while Utah State does not; Trump signs executive order to begin 'eliminating' the Department of Education; London's Heathrow Airport shut down for the day after massive fire causes power outage | | |
Utah Headlines Political news Reps. Maloy, Kennedy face angry voters in disruptive town hall (Deseret News, KSL, Salt Lake Tribune, KUTV) Gov. Cox says destructive DOGE protesters should be imprisoned (Deseret News) Major changes coming to Utahâs government records access law (Deseret News) âA blatant power grabâ: Emails show virtually no support for public records bills (KSL TV) William C. Duncan: Utah legislative fights over judiciary highlight need to reinforce separation of powers (Deseret News) Axson vs. Lyman: Inside the battle for Utah Republican Party chair (Deseret News) Utah lawmakers bolster AI consumer protection laws (KSL) âToo many billsâ: Gov. Cox calls on Utah Legislature to be more DOGE-like (Salt Lake Tribune) Cox âhopes President Trump is rightâ on tariffs as housing advocates worry over rising costs (KUER) Property tax changes will hurt children of low-income seniors, disabled Utahns, county treasurer warns (Salt Lake Tribune) Candidates should have multiple paths to the ballot, Utah voters say (Salt Lake Tribune) Utah Salt Lake Salvation Army offers 'choice-model' food pantry to residents in need (KUTV) Hogle Zoo welcomes female Chinese red panda (KSL) Biz/Tech Utah's own Trü Frü moves downtown as it expands into global market (KSL) In latest blow to Tesla, regulators recall nearly all Cybertrucks (AP) Crime/Courts Utah registered nurse arrested, accused of killing former roommate to receive life insurance (KSL) Utah Supreme Court rules on youth climate change lawsuit (Salt Lake Tribune) Utah man accused of running 'ponzi scheme'; used investor funds for personal chef (KUTV) Culture/Community Growing grace: Rev. Dr. Heber Brown III is the 2025 Social Innovator of the Year for the BYU Ballard Center for Social Impact for his work with the Black Church Food Security Network (Deseret News) Utah community initiative seeks to improve mental health by furnishing homes of people in need (KSL) A new taste: Cheesecake Factory eliminates 13 dishes, introduces 22 options (Fox13) Education - K-12 Utah educators say theyâll provide guidance as Trump signs order to eliminate Education Department (KSL Newsradio) âOur mission remains unchangedâ: Utah officials react to Trumpâs order to dismantle Department of Education (Salt Lake Tribune) Iron County School District opens new teen center for students in need (Fox13) Gov. Cox signs new bill addressing transitional procedures amid Alpine School District split (Daily Herald) Education - Higher Some Utah State faculty worry big changes will make it harder to attract students (KUER) Environment âThis is a crisisâ: A southern Utah city is set to build a power station on top of a premier dinosaur fossil site (Salt Lake Tribune) Mike Lee, Brian Somers, Jonathan Freedman, Aaron Starks: America needs critical minerals. Why wonât Washington let us mine them? (Deseret News) Hawaiiâs Kilauea volcano puts on dazzling show with lava fountains hundreds of feet high (AP) Family âI stole her from my brotherâ: Donny Osmond on bonding with his wife (Deseret News) Inside the rat race reshaping family life (Deseret News) Health Latinos health fair set for Saturday with 20-plus organizations planning to be there (KSL) Cedar City Hospital emergency room to almost double in size (KSL) University of Utah opens third SUPeRAD clinic to address substance abuse during pregnancy (KSL TV) Housing Ogden debates using repurposed shipping containers as Salt Lake City project moves forward (KSL) | | |
National Headlines General Dining alone: Why Americans are less happy than ever, according to a new report (Deseret News) Zimbabweâs Kirsty Coventry elected to lead the International Olympic Committee. (Deseret News) Detentions of European tourists at US borders spark fears of traveling to America (AP) US government cannot deport Georgetown scholar until court rules, judge orders (AP) Political news Trump calls for the elimination of Education Department (Deseret News) GOP senator says heâll draft bill to dismantle Department of Education after Trump executive order (Deseret News) Trump invokes emergency powers to boost US critical minerals production (BBC) Exclusive: FBI scales back staffing, tracking of domestic terrorism probes, sources say (Reuters) White House begins review of federal agency plans for second round of mass layoffs, sources say (Reuters) Trump urges Supreme Court to limit judges' power to impede his agenda (Reuters) Pentagon spokesman sidelined after uproar over Jackie Robinson article (Washington Post) Government answers on migrant flights âwoefully insufficient,â judge says (Washington Post) DOGE/Musk Musk set to receive top-secret briefing on US war plans for China (Wall Street Journal) Tim Walz Attacks Musk With Language From the Trump Playbook (New York Times) Ukraine/Russia Editorial Board: Dealing with 'realisms' in Ukraine (Deseret News) Russian drones hammer Ukraine's Odesa as Czech leader visits (Reuters) European military leaders discuss Ukraine peacekeeping force (NPR) Israel, Gaza, Syria In Israel, little appetite for more war in Gaza amid weary reservists, protests (Reuters) Israel returns to war in Gaza with wider aims and almost no constraints (AP) World news Global flight turmoil as London's Heathrow closed by huge fire (Reuters) Menaced by Trump, Canada prepares to join E.U. military industry buildup (New York Times) | | |
| | News Releases Nominees announced for Eighth District Juvenile Court vacancy The Eighth District Judicial Nominating Commission has selected nominees for a vacancy on the Eighth District Juvenile Court. This position results from the appointment of Judge Ryan Evershed to the Second District Juvenile Court on Nov. 20, 2024. The nominees for the vacancy are: Jarell Dillman; Aliisa Leon; Eric Stott; Michelle Sullivan; and Jordan Van Oostendorp. Written comments can be submitted to the Eighth District Judicial Nominating Commission at judicialvacancies@utah.gov or Commission on Criminal and Juvenile Justice, P.O. Box 142330, Salt Lake City, UT 84114-2330. The deadline for written comments is noon on March 31, 2025. Womenâs Business Center of Utah receives Womenâs Business Center of Excellence Award from U.S. Small Business Administration Ahead of National Small Business Week, the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) announced this yearâs SBA specialty award winners. The Womenâs Business Center of Utah (WBCUtah) was selected as the winner of the Womenâs Business Center of Excellence Award for 2025. This award is part of the SBA Resource Partner Awards, which recognizes SBA-funded training and assistance partners for their impact on local economic growth, job creation and entrepreneurial support. (Read More) UVU takes 1st in International Cybersecurity Policy competition In a riveting display of Wolverine grit, Utah Valley Universityâs (UVU) âW0LV3R1NESâ cybersecurity team claimed first place among 45 top university, military, and private sector teams worldwide in the 2025 International Cyber 9/12 Strategy Challenge, hosted by the Atlantic Council on March 15. (Read More) | | |
Upcoming Mar 22 â MWEG annual conference with plenary speaker Sharon Eubank, UVU, Register here Apr 7 âPillars of the Valley Elder Matthew S. and Paige Holland, with the Utah Valley Chamber of Commerce, 7:00-9:00 pm, Register here Apr 24 â Giant in Our City with the Salt Lake Chamber, 6:00-9:00 pm, Register here May 1 â High school writing contest deadline with The Rostra: Applying the wisdom of the past to the problems of today. More info here Aug 7 â Titan of Public Service, Sen. Tom Cotton, with the Orrin G. Hatch Foundation, Grand America Hotel | | |
On This Day In History 1617 - Matoaka dies at age 20. We know her by her nickname - Pocahontas. 1873 - Hannah Kaaepa is born. Hannah was a Hawaiian immigrant who moved to Iosepa, Utah who boldly spoke for Hawaiian womenâs voting rights. 1891 - A Hatfield marries a McCoy, ending a 20-year long bloody feud that began with an accusation of pig-stealing. 1916 - Albert Einstein publishes his Theory of General Relativity in the scientific journal Annalen der Physik. 1947 - US President Harry Truman signs Executive Order 9835 requiring all federal employees to have âcomplete and unswerving loyalty to the United Statesâ 1963 - Alcatraz prison closes. 1965 - Martin Luther King, Jr. begins march from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama. 1975 - Ethiopia abolishes its monarchy after 3000 years 1980 - President Carter announces that the US will boycott the Olympics to take place in Moscow later that summer. 1985 - In a race riddled with storms, Libby Riddles claimed victory in the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race, becoming the first woman to win the famed endurance race. 1986 - Debi Thomas becomes first African American woman to win the World Figure Skating Championship. 2006 - Twitter is born! 2014 - Russia formally annexes Crimea amid international condemnation 2019 - New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announces a ban on military-style semiautomatic weapons, 6 days after the Christchurch terrorist attack 2021 - 10 people shot dead at a supermarket in Boulder, Colorado, by 21 year-old gunman Quote of the Day "Love and compassion are necessities, not luxuries. Without them humanity cannot survive."
âDalai Lama On the Punny Side Can everyone who is here for the yodelling lessons... Please form an orderly orderly orderly orderly queue. | | |
| â Advertise With Us â Subscribers may receive special messages with information about new features, special offers, or public policy messages from clients and advertisers. |
|
|
