5th anniversary of COVID-19 being declared a global pandemic; recession fears are growing & Trump says he will buy a Tesla to support Musk. | | | 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. 11, 2025 It's Tuesday and National Johnny Appleseed Day. ð ð What you need to know today Utah comes in as the least federally dependent Republican-led state in the nation, according to WalletHub, at #46. They looked at three key metrics including return on taxes paid, share of federal jobs, and federal funding as a share of state revenue. The least federally dependent states are Massachusetts, Delaware, California and New Jersey. Rapid relevance It's the 5th anniversary of COVID-19 being declared a global pandemic; recession fears are growing as tariffs begin and stock market tanks, losing $4 trillion in value yesterday; and Pres. Trump says he will buy a Tesla today to support Elon Musk. | | |
Utah Headlines Politics In final minutes, Utah lawmakers ax commission meant to boost womenâs equality (Salt Lake Tribune) Passes & fails from Utahâs 2025 legislative session (KUER) Utah Attorney Generalâs Office charges 11 defendants in signature gathering fraud scheme (Deseret News) Bill allowing Utah schools to pay athletes directly awaits governorâs signature (Deseret News) Bruce Lindsay: Utah needs an independent debate commission, not one created by government (Deseret News) Bill targeting abortion providers could put Utah schools and hospitals in a difficult spot (KSL TV) County clerk voices concern with bill changing Utahâs vote by mail system (KSL Newsradio) Utahnsâ favorite and least favorite Trump executive orders (Deseret News) How the group that wrote Project 2025 got Utah to end universal vote by mail (Salt Lake Tribune) Utah 'A real need': Nonprofit hosts workshop at Utah Tech to help survivors of abuse navigate justice system (St. George News) 'Really scary': Immigrant advocates worry about DACA amid Trump's crackdown (KSL) After Trumpâs freeze, another Utah contractor says feds owe him thousands. Itâs not the money heâs worried about. (Salt Lake Tribune) Biz/Tech Future of flight? Electric air taxi glides into Salt Lake City (Deseret News) New research shows gender pay gap slowly shrinking in US, but not in Utah (KSL Newsradio) Trumpâs call to scrap âhorribleâ chip program spreads panic (New York Times) Crime/Courts Alleged kidnapping thwarted in southern Utah after victim slipped note to bystander (Fox13) Delta Middle School teacher charged with unlawful sex with teen student (KSL) Utah will soon have a statewide model for sexual assault investigations (KSL TV) Utah woman arrested for 7th DUI; found with open bottles, impairing medications (KUTV) Culture At annual gala March 13-14, Polynesian leaders light the way for youth (Deseret News) What Utahâs billboards tell us about our culture (Deseret News) Education, K-12 How this special task force plans to save more lives from an active shooter (KSL TV) Definition of âbullyingâ to change; Lawmakers warn schools to follow the law (Fox13) Higher education USU announces $17.3 million in budget cuts, which includes voluntary buyouts, possible layoffs (Cache Valley Daily) Poll: Unlike many Americans, Utahns are generally happy with how their colleges are doing (Deseret News) BYU Music Buildingâs âcrown jewelâ is 3rd largest pipe organ in Utah (KSL) Funding freeze leaves Fulbright and study-abroad scholars stranded (Washington Post) Energy What could small nuclear reactors mean for Eagle Mountain's future? Residents & experts weigh in (Fox13) Environment/Outdoors Salt Lake City prepares for water conservation tactics despite 'great' snowpack (KSL) Family Utah Food Bankâs âFeed Utahâ event helps families fight hunger (KSL TV) Health Travelers at Dulles airport may have been exposed to measles (Deseret News) Housing Warming center volunteer wants to change the dialogue of the homeless (Davis City Journal) Condo construction keeps declining in Utah. How state lawmakers are trying to change that. (Salt Lake Tribune) | | |
National Headlines General Deadliest phase of fentanyl crisis eases, as all states see recovery (NPR) 4-year-old calls police in Wisconsin after mom eats his ice cream ð¦ (AP) What to know about this week's 'blood worm moon' total lunar eclipse (NPR) Political news US stock market loses $4 trillion in value as Trump plows ahead on tariffs (Reuters) Trump loves the Gilded Age and its tariffs. It was a great time for the rich but not for the many (AP) Recession talk spreads as Trumpâs tariffs hit the ground (Deseret News) Trump: âResurrect the American shipbuilding industryâ (Deseret News) Supreme Court turns down religious discrimination case over 2 justices' objections (Deseret News) Trump celebrates immigration arrest of Columbia student, vows to target others (Washington Post) How the White House hired Republican political firms to launch an anti-migrant ad campaign (AP) VP Vance asks local leaders to comply with immigration laws, gets pushback (Deseret News) JD Vance's cousin criticises him for 'belittling' Zelensky (BBC) Rubio announces that 83% of USAID contracts will be canceled (NPR) Judge orders U.S.A.I.D. and State Dept. to pay funds âunlawfullyâ withheld (New York Times) Farmers are caught in a political brawl over climate and DEI language (Washington Post) DOGE/Musk VA secretary: Cutting 80,000 jobs âis our targetâ (The Hill) USDA cancels $1B in local food purchasing for schools, food banks (Politico) Musk calls Sen. Mark Kelly a âtraitorâ in response to post about visiting Ukraine (Washington Post) Musk eyes Social Security and benefit programs for cuts while claiming widespread fraud (AP) Ukraine and Russia Ukraine must cede territory in any peace deal, Rubio says (New York Times) Russia says it makes big new advance in its Kursk region against Ukrainian troops (Reuters) Three weeks that changed the world: How Trump turned against Ukraine and Europe (Reuters) Israel, Gaza, Syria Israeli fire kills 4 Palestinians in Gaza Strip, 3 in the occupied West Bank (AP) World news Tanker, cargo ship collide off UK coast causing blaze and casualties (Reuters) âWe donât have anywhere to go.â In Ghana, rising seas, powerful waves sweep away homes (AP) Former Philippine leader Duterte arrested on an ICC warrant over drug killings (AP) | | |
| | News Releases Institute for Justice applauds Utah for reforming baby blood retention policies On Friday, Utah Gov. Spencer Cox signed a bill into law that requires the state Department of Health and Human Services to obtain parental consent before retaining any blood drawn from newborns in the state. âWe applaud Utah lawmakers for protecting the constitutional rights of newborn babies and their families by making these needed reforms,â said IJ Attorney Brian Morris. âUtahâs new law is now the gold standard and a model for other states throughout the country, and we urge other lawmakers to follow Utahâs lead.â (Read More) Utah economy remains strong but uncertainty looms The Salt Lake Chamber, in partnership with the University of Utahâs Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute, has released the February 2025 Roadmap to Prosperity Economic Dashboard to inform business leadersâ understanding of Utahâs economy. This tool prioritizes key data on the stateâs economic outlook and actionable context for decision-makers. âAlthough consumer sentiment has declined nationwide, Utahâs is still higher than the 2024 average,â said Derek Miller, president and CEO of the Salt Lake Chamber. âWe are closely monitoring trends, such as the decline in the construction industry, to ensure we adapt to shifting economic conditions and make thoughtful, informed decisions that promote sustained long-term stability.â (Read More) | | |
Upcoming Mar 15 â Utah Women Run annual training, 8:00 am - 2:30 pm, Hinckley Institute of Politics, Register here Mar 22 â MWEG annual conference with plenary speaker Sharon Eubank, UVU, 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 1779 - Congress establishes the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers 1904 - Hilde Bruch is born. She escaped from Nazi Germany in 1933 to England and then America. Her pioneer work made her the leading expert in eating disorders, especially anorexia nervosa. 1918 - US Army mess cook Private Albert Gitchell of Fort Riley, Kansas becomes the first documented case of a new flu. Itâs the start of a worldwide pandemic that killed 50-100 million. 1921 - Charlotte Friend, a microbiologist in the 1950s at Sloan-Kettering Institute, was born today. She discovered a link between defective maturation and tumor growth in mice -- discoveries that were critical in establishing the role of viruses in some cancers. 1941 - FDR signs the Lend-Lease Bill which lends money to Britain for their war effort. 1985 - Mikhail Gorbachev replaces Konstantin Chernenko as Soviet leader. 1997 - The ashes of Star Trek creator, Gene Roddenberry are launched into space. 2011 - 8.9 earthquake hits Japan, triggering a tsunami killing thousands of people and causing the second worst nuclear accident in history at Fukushima nuclear plant. 2020 COVID-19 declared a pandemic by the head of the World Health Organization Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, with 121,564 cases worldwide and 4,373 deaths. NBA suspends 2019-20 season until further notice after Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert tests positive for COVID-19. President Trump announces 30-day ban on travel to the US. Dow Jones drops 20% Harvey Weinstein is sentenced to 23 years in prison for a criminal sex act and rape in New York Quote of the Day "WHO has been assessing this outbreak around the clock and we are deeply concerned both by the alarming levels of spread and severity, and by the alarming levels of inaction. We have therefore made the assessment that COVID-19 can be characterized as a pandemic." âWHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, March 11, 2020 On the Punny Side Over 200 years ago, two brothers announced they could fly. Turns out they were Wright. | | |
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