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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 - Dec. 4, 2020Welcome to Friday. It's National Cookie Day. Can't go out and visit, so might as well make a batch of chocolate chip with pecans to watch Saturday football. Have a great weekend! TICK TOCK10 days until the Electoral College meets (12/14/2020) Today At Utah PolicyNew committee assignments out in the Utah HouseBy Staff House Speaker Brad Wilson released his list of committee assignments for 2021 with the following statement: "The time-tested committee system is essential to the legislative process that enables the best policy and budget ideas to be considered by the full body of the House. I am confident the committee chairs will provide strong leadership and ensure each bill and every budget item receive the consideration they merit as we address the challenges and opportunities before us."Webb Wrap: Death of a newspaper . . . Utah 17th in highway rankings . . . Reader response By LaVarr Webb Media Watch. Another sign of the tough times in journalism is the closing of the Davis County Clipper after 129 years of serving the citizens of Davis County. I never worked for the Clipper, but its long-time publisher, R. Gail Stahle, gave me my first real job. I was a college intern in the mid-70s, working a summer for the famous columnist, Jack Anderson, in Washington D.C. Stahle called me out of the blue and offered me a job in St. George, Utah, at his new paper, the Color Country Spectrum.Friday change of pace: The birds of winter By LaVarr Webb It's December, and it's cold outside. The birds are hungry. Some folks buy bird seed and put it in feeders to attract wild birds. On the farm, we just feed the chickens, ducks and geese their regular cuisine and the wild birds take advantage - especially those cheeky wild turkeys. All the fair weather fowl -- the wild ducks and geese, swallows, some hawks, blackbirds, and a lot of songbirds -- have flown off to warmer climes where I assume they hang out at the beach. But we still have the tough guys, the hardy species who laugh at the cold, sharing the frosty days and bitter nights with us. These birds, both domestic and wild, provide ample winter amusement. Utah HeadlinesDeseret News Why these religious schools believe they deserve to be open After a Black Friday and Cyber Monday, the world needs a Forgiving Wednesday Utah's Jewish community prays creative Hanukkah events will bring 'light and hope' amid COVID-19 Your questions about visiting Santa during the pandemic, answered Worst COVID-19 days likely ahead as Utah places first order for 'breakthrough' vaccines Jobseekers, homebuyers new to Utah boost state's growth as births decline BYU study shows some alcohol-free hand sanitizers effective at fighting COVID-19 State School Board to seek $5 million-plus to enhance Utah students' broadband access A vaccine doesn't mean troubles are over. Take a look How Sen. Mike Lee proposes to end 'discrimination' in U.S. immigration systemSalt Lake Tribune Nearly 1 in 4 coronavirus tests are positive and we haven't seen full impact of Thanksgiving, says Utah's epidemiologist Researchers find pollution linked to lower student test scores Here's how Utah's first vaccinations will be distributed and when you will get yours Utah bar owners ask Gov. Herbert to remove the 10 p.m alcohol ban Utah births plummet but the state's population continues to growOther Gov. Herbert warns next two months of pandemic may be 'toughest' (KUTV) Utah senior living centers using 'NBA Bubble' approach to COVID-19 safety (FOX 13)National HeadlinesBiden will ask Americans to wear masks for his first 100 days as president (WCVB) Tulsi Gabbard urges Senate to vote 'NO' on this Biden cabinet pick (Fox News) Wait, so Republican senators care about tweets now? (CNN) The Senate's dereliction of duty: Republicans have the gall to call Joe Biden's pick of Neera Tanden too partisan? (NY Daily News) Joe Biden asks Anthony Fauci, the federal coronavirus expert, to become his chief medical adviser (Yahoo! News) David Perdue appears to tacitly acknowledge Biden's victory in video call with Republican group (Washington Post) Vaccines offer hope for end to pandemic, but brutal months lie ahead (Washington Post) Second stimulus check updates: Optimism grows as House Democrats promise some measure of COVID relief before the holidays (Chicago Tribune)Policy NewsRep. Hollins asked to help on national anti-slavery amendmentRepresentative Sandra Hollins has been asked to help with a national anti-slavery Constitutional amendment. She was the sponsor of Utah's recent change removing slavery from the language of our Constitution. As you probably recall, Amendment C passed with over 80% of the vote. Federal lawmakers unveiled a joint resolution on Wednesday which would amend the 13th Amendment to "expressly prohibit involuntary servitude as a punishment for crime." House sponsor Representative William Clay said the amendment "seeks to finish the job that President Lincoln started." Updated economic dashboard is released showing Utah's on-going COVID-10 recovery The Salt Lake Chamber's Roadmap to Recovery Coalition, in partnership with the Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute, has released the November Roadmap to Recovery Economic Dashboard, a new tool for the business community to track the state's path to a full and complete economic recovery from the COVID-19 recession.CYBER24 Episode 110: Key security efforts to double-check when making an incident response plan Crafting an incident response plan is hard work, mainly because you have to think through so many variables. What are all the things that could possibly go wrong? And are we really prepared for any of them? But it's also a great time to think through the protection tools you have in place and to determine if you are doing enough to make sure you don't need the very incident response plan you are working on. In this episode, we look at the top security tools you need to deploy to keep cybercriminals at bay.Listen on the podcast site or in the player below. Treasurer appoints Tim Donaldson as new director of Land Trusts Protection and Advocacy Office Utah State Treasurer David Damschen has announced the appointment of Tim Donaldson as the new director of the Land Trusts Protection and Advocacy Office. During the 2018 general session, the Legislature authorized the creation of the office to advocate for Utah trust lands beneficiaries, oversee the School and Institutional Trust Lands Administration (SITLA) and School and Institutional Trust Funds Office (SITFO) administrations and help the public understand and support these endowments. The office is overseen by the state treasurer and the Land Trusts Protection and Advocacy Committee. The office's first director, Justin Atwater, resigned his position earlier this fall for another opportunity.SL Chamber advocates for small business relief with CARES Act money The Salt Lake Chamber, Downtown Alliance, and Utah Chamber Policy Coalition sent the following letter to Legislative leaders to advocate for targeted appropriation of remaining CARES Act funds to go towards small and local businesses: "Dear Governor Gary Herbert, President Stuart Adams, and Speaker Brad Wilson: "On behalf of the Salt Lake Chamber, Downtown Alliance, and the Utah Chamber Policy Coalition, I write to you today regarding use of the State's remaining CARES Act funds. Business HeadlinesCalifornia tops Hawaii as the state with the worst unemployment picture in the US (Yahoo Finance) Boeing sells 75 more 737 MAX jets to budget airline Ryanair (Fox Business) Airbnb requiring 2-night stays for New Year's Eve to prevent house parties (Fox Business) The Justice Department is suing Facebook for side-stepping visa rules (The Verge)On This Day In History(From History.com) 1942 - In Warsaw, Poland, two Christian women form the Council for the Assistance of the Jews. They put their own lives at risk to assist Jews under threat of extermination by the Nazi occupiers. Wise WordsPerspective; "If you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change." Wayne Dyer Lighter SideMedication for ThatI work in the front office of a housing complex that supports people living with mental illness. On one particularly hectic day, a tenant came in to pay her rent. Frazzled, I said, "Ever have one of those days when you feel everyone is out to get you?" She smiled and replied, "I take medication for that." Reader's Digest Subscribers may receive special messages with information about new features, special offers, or public policy messages from clients and advertisers. |
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