Utah Policy: Incredible monopolistic power and riches of Google, Facebook & Twitter

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Utah Policy Daily Newsletter

The UtahPolicy.com daily newsletter gets you up to speed on the top local and national news about politics and public policy. Send news tips or feedback to lwebb@utahpolicy.com,.

Situational Analysis - October 29, 2020

Welcome to Thursday. If you think Trump will win, invest in property overseas. Plenty of Democrats will be moving there.

TICK TOCK

5 days to the 2020 general election (11/3/2020)
7 days to legislative leadership elections (11/5/2020)
19 days to the Board of Canvassers meeting (11/17/2020
46 days until the Electoral College meets (12/14/2020)
82 days to inauguration day (01/20/2021)
88 days to the start of the 2021 Utah Legislature (1/25/2021)

Trivia Quiz Answer

Ron Fox was first to correctly answer Dave Buhler's trivia question: The Utah Governor and Lieutenant Governor used to run for office independently, meaning, they could even be from different political parties. Who were the last Gov./Lt. Gov. independently elected? Answer: Democrat Scott Matheson and Republican Dave Monson, 1976 & 1980.
We'll have a new, tough question from Ron Fox on Monday.

Today At Utah Policy

Analysis: The incredible monopolistic power and riches of Google, Facebook & Twitter
By LaVarr Webb
Are gigantic technology companies like Facebook, Google and Twitter platforms or publishers? That's not just an academic question. It's a very practical issue important to the future of all of us. And here's a related question: Have these companies grown so massive that they are monopolistic and too-powerful gatekeepers in the flow of news and information? When the "information highway," as we used to call it, was emerging as an important component of society, it was thought that this thing called the Internet would be a great equalizer and disrupt large, centralized, bureaucratic organizations.Webb's Wrap: Can we still call them newspapers? . . . The silly mailer wars . . . Are there 'shy' Biden supporters?
By LaVarr Webb
Here are questions that inquiring minds really want to know: After the first of the year, when the Deseret News and the Salt Lake Tribune go nearly all-digital, will we still be able to call them newspapers? There will be a lot of news, but not much paper. So, should we call them news mongers? Digital information services? Magical cyberspace machines that miraculously insert news and information into your computer, phone or tablet? Someone please help me come up with a good name for them.Guest opinion: Reflections on the newspaper business
By Steve Handy
Sometimes a stunning announcement, even when it is inevitable and probably makes sense from a business standpoint, is still a little hard to process. I'm talking about the announcements from the Deseret News and The Salt Lake Tribune about the future of their print editions, whose futures aren't exactly bright.

Utah Headlines

Deseret News

Editorial: Amy Coney Barrett's qualifications should put Americans at ease When pastors go into politics: Who are the religious leaders running for Congress? Bountiful, Beaver opt out of nuclear power project planned in Idaho Salt Lake School Board issues apology to those 'disparaged or embarrassed' by texts McAdams calls for Owens to condemn QAnon; Owens' camp says he's condemned it 'many times' COVID-19 transmission still rampant throughout Utah as 10 more deaths reported

Salt Lake Tribune

Salt Lake City school board apologizes for vulgar messages, agrees to remedial trainings Feds look to approve helium well inside new wilderness area as opponents decry political 'mischief' Do hunting and fishing in Utah need constitutional protection? More Utah women are donating to Biden as Trump struggles with female voters UTA budget calls for service at 91% of pre-COVID levels next year Utah County commissioners give pros and cons of changing local form of government Salt Lake County Democrats file complaint against GOP, council candidate's disclosures

Other

Utah County Commission approves tentative 2021 budget with property tax rate decrease (Daily Herald) Utah Republican Party messaging targeting Rep. Lou Shurtliff draws fire (Standard-Examiner) Chaos or calm? Valley residents offer predictions on election aftermath (Logan Herald Journal) Diplomat turned candidate: Meet Kael Weston, the Democrat running for Utah's CD2 (St. George Spectrum) Early voting underway in Washington County; rumors about armed militia at polling location discredited (St. George News) California invasion? It's not reflected in Park City School District's enrollment, though other schools have seen growth. (Park Record)

National Headlines

Polls Say Biden Leads in PA. It Sure Doesn't Feel Like It (New York Times) Israel-Sudan Deal Seals Trump's Mideast Legacy (Bloomberg) 10 Ways to Call Something Russian Disinformation Without Evidence (Matt Taibbi) Joe Biden's gaffe could sink his US presidency bid (Daily Telegraph) Little time, big differences threaten lame-duck spending deals (Roll Call) Senators criticize social media executives, and each other (Roll Call) This is the future of abortion in a post-Roe America (Vox) Court Packing Is Radical. Dems Must Say Where They Stand. (RealClearPolitics) Morning in America or mourning in America? (Spectator) We thought Reagan was the devil then came Trump (Guardian) Another sign of intensity for Trump in Pennsylvania (Washington Examiner) Beto O'Rourke Has Some Final Advice for the Biden Campaign (POLITICO) With Biden Corruption, Democrats Are Once Again Reaping The Consequences Of Their Gentle Primary (Federalist) Watchdog sees massive potential loan fraud at SBA, sparking fight with agency (POLITICO) Washington, Oregon, Nevada join California plan to review COVID-19 vaccine (The Hill) Historic vaccine race meets harsh reality (POLITICO) Social Security Seemed Like a Future Problem. The Virus Changed That. (New York Times) Stocks Just Had Their Worst Day In Four MonthsHere's How The Election Could Make Things Worse (Forbes)

Policy News

Utah is one of five states to receive 'A' grade in a government technology survey
SALT LAKE CITY - The Center for Digital Government announced the state of Utah again topped the Digital States Survey. Conducted every two years, the survey evaluates states' use of technology to improve service delivery, increase capacity, streamline operations and reach policy goals, and assigns each state a grade based on quantifiable results.Hatch Center unveils policy blueprint to fix nation's civics crisis
Washington, DC- The Hatch Center-the policy arm of the Orrin G. Hatch Foundation has released Commonsense Solutions to Our Civics Crisis, a nonpartisan report that establishes strong links between poor civic education and a number of ills plaguing our democracy, including depressed voter turnout, low trust in institutions, and decreasing faith in the free market. To reverse these trends, the report calls on policymakers across all levels of government to devote increased state and federal resources to address the civics crisis. In doing so, it outlines a policy blueprint to recenter civics at the heart of America's public-school system.President Adams' statement about the sale of the Utah Jazz
Salt Lake City - Utah Senate President J. Stuart Adams issues the following statement regarding Gail Miller an announcing agreement to sell the Utah Jazz to Ryan Smith: "The Miller family has been and will continue to be a pillar in our community. They invested in Utah and built our state's professional basketball team that Utahns are proud to cheer for. The legacy of Larry and Gail Miller built the last 35 years will continue to be carried out by Utah business owners Ryan and Ashley Smith. I'm delighted that the Smith family shares the commitment to keeping the Utah Jazz in the beehive state."Leadership Tip: Growing Others
"Before you are a leader, success is all about growing yourself. When you become a leader, success is all about growing others." -- Jack Welch

BUSINESS HEADLINES

Act 2: Salt Lake City International Airport opens another new concourse (Salt Lake Tribune) Fly away: Salt Lake opens second concourse at new billion-dollar airport (Deseret News) Virtual energy summit underscores Utah's diverse resources (Deseret News)

ON THIS DAY IN HISTORY

(From History.com)

1618 - Sir Walter Raleigh, English adventurer, writer and favorite courtier of Queen Elizabeth, is beheaded in London, under a sentence brought against him 15 years earlier for conspiracy against King James I.
1901 - Pres. William McKinley's assassin, Leon Czolgosz, is executed in the electric chair at Auburn Prison in New York. He had shot McKinley on Sept. 6, 1901.
1956 - Israeli forces invade Egypt, initiating the Suez Crisis, after Egypt nationalized the Suez Canal. The Israelis were soon joined by French and British forces.
1998 - At age 77, Sen. John Glenn returns to space as a payload specialist aboard space shuttle Discovery. He was the oldest human ever to travel to space. He first went to space in 1962 as one of America's first astronauts.