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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 editor@utahpolicy.com Situational Analysis - May 4, 2021It's Tuesday and National Star Wars Day. May the Fourth be with you. Do you remember the first time you saw a Star Wars movie? It was a whole new type of film. For me, I was a teenager living in France in 1977 when the first one came out and happily went to the theater multiple times in a row to hear Princess Leia say "Que la force soit avec toi." News you need to know Rep. Candice Pierucci went on New Day with John Berman to talk about Saturday's GOP convention. "What's critical is we ... recognize we're not a party of a person. We're a party of principles." First Lady Jill Biden will be in Utah on Wednesday. Bill and Melinda Gates are divorcing after 27 years of marriage. It happens here too. Check out this piece from the Daily Herald. "Tales From Utah Valley: Why have we kept so quiet about sexual abuse of children?" What was it like in the room where it happened? The plan to take down Osama bin Laden, that is. Check out this rivoting piece from Politico: 'I'd Never Been Involved in Anything as Secret as This' A CNN poll released Friday found that only 23% of Republicans believe that President Biden legitimately won the 2020 election. Fifty percent say there is "solid evidence" that Biden did not win, but that's a drop from 58% in January. And speaking of polls, an ABC News/Ipsos poll found that nearly two-thirds of Americans now say the country is headed in the right direction. The last time Americans were that optimistic was December 2006.Countdown 53 days until the Utah Democratic party organizing convention (06/26/21) Today At Utah PolicyOpinion briefs: No red meat, no cable news stardom . . . How to get on TV . . . more trampling of state prerogativesBy LaVarr Webb Why isn't Utah included in discussions of dynamic states? As I flip through the cable news channels, I frequently see stories (especially in conservative media) about states whose economies are booming and that have opened up and reduced or eliminated pandemic restrictions. Their governors are often interviewed and the states are contrasted with Democratic-led states that have more restrictions and whose economies are weak. Utah HeadlinesDeseret News The battle cry for a post-Trump GOP: The road forward for the GOP starts with leaders and voters who show integrity, act courageously and speak words of truth in the face of political mendacity. The GOP is not dead yet. It's as strong as ever - thanks in part to Donald Trump Booing Mitt Romney is an embarrassment - Utah Republicans booed Romney this weekend. Lamentably for the GOP, this is not an isolated incident The quiet march of Washington's moderate millennials - Utah's Rep. Blake Moore is not a household name. But he and other young representatives want meaningful solutions for America's younger generations. Boos for Romney? The ghost of President Donald Trump's presidency continues to divide Utah RepublicansSalt Lake Tribune Former President Donald Trump calls Romney a 'stone cold loser' Hope rises and 'happiness' awaits for this Utahn as Biden lifts refugee cap. After fleeing Congo, he finally may be reunited with his family, including his wife, mother, siblings and the daughter he has yet to hold. Grades start to improve in Salt Lake City School District. But don't expect pre-pandemic scores.Other Utah News Sources Woman Missing Since November Found Alive In Diamond Fork Canyon (KSL) Utah parents, advocates weigh in on critical race theory education debate (KUTV) Utah parole officials hiding a dark secret about dangerous criminals they've lost track of, some 328 statewide each month. (KUTV) First Lady Jill Biden to visit Glendale Middle School on Utah trip this week (KUTV) The Emily Effect: A story of tragedy and triumph after postpartum depression (ABC4) The Utah Domestic Violence Coalition sees an 'uptick in domestic violence homicides' (ABC4) Utah's labor and unemployment numbers explained - Utah's unemployment is 2.9%, but that number does not give the whole picture. (Fox13) Utah's new telework law takes effect this week (Fox13) Utah Sen. Mitt Romney introduces bill to protect Great Salt Lake, other saline ecosystems (Daily Herald) Shoshone rep, pioneer descendant join together to rededicate Harrisville monument for slain chief (Standard-Examiner) Sen. Romney visits Cache Valley robotics company, Autonomous Solutions Inc. (Herald Journal)COVID Corner FDA expected to OK Pfizer vaccine for teens age 12 and older within the week (Salt Lake Tribune) Only 228 new cases of COVID-19 in Utah, and no new deaths (Salt Lake Tribune) $100 as a Vaccine Incentive? Experiment Suggests It Can Pay Off. (New York Times) The Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine will likely work against the 'double mutant' found in India, says CEO Uhur Sahin. (Deseret News) Pfizer Reaps Hundreds of Millions in Profits From Covid Vaccine (New York Times) The coronavirus vaccine skeptics who changed their minds (Washington Post) Millions Are Saying No to the Vaccines. What Are They Thinking? Feelings about the vaccine are intertwined with feelings about the pandemic. (The Atlantic) 'Horrible' weeks ahead as India's virus catastrophe worsens (AP) EXPLAINER: Why India's pandemic data is vastly undercounted Cuomo warns unvaccinated people could kill grandmas (Fox News)National HeadlinesBiden quadruples Trump refugee cap to 62,500 (AP) Cheney slams Trump's attempt to brand 2020 election 'the Big Lie,' sparking new calls for her to leave GOP leadership (Washington Post) Cheney stokes GOP rift with 'big lie' rebuke of Trump. "The 2020 presidential election was not stolen," the Wyoming Republican wrote. (Politico) WSJ editorial board: GOP deserves to be in minority if Cheney is punished (Axios) The pro-Trump Republican gunning for Cheney's leadership job. Amid new knives out for the House GOP's No. 3 leader, Rep. Jim Banks (R-Ind.) is on the rise. (Politico) Allies of GOP leader vow to oust Liz Cheney (The Hill) Whose 'Big Lie'? Trump's proclamation a new GOP litmus test (AP) The G.O.P. Won It All in Texas. Then It Turned on Itself. The Republican Party trounced the Democrats at every level in Texas in November, only to see its politicians turn on one another over the pandemic and voter-fraud conspiracy theories. (New York Times) Bad blood: Pro-Trump megadonors duke it out in Cornhusker country (Politico) Democrats confront difficult prospects for midterms (The Hill) 'It's an act of war': Trump's acting Pentagon chief urges Biden to tackle directed-energy attacks (Politico) U.S. trustee opposes NRA bankruptcy petition in blow to gun rights group (Washington Post) Santorum on comments about Native American culture: 'I misspoke' (The Hill) Mexico City subway overpass collapses; at least 23 dead as metro cars topple (Washington Post) A restaurant manager who forced a Black man to work without pay owes him more than $500,000 in restitution, court rules (CNN)Education Some Black parents say remote learning gives them a reprieve from racism (AP) As schools expand racial equity work, conservatives see a new threat in critical race theory (Washington Post) The Biden administration's Department of Education appointed Richard Cordray-former director at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau-to oversee the Department's administration of federal student loans.Policy NewsGov. Cox orders water conservation measures at all state facilitiesIn response to ongoing concerns about extremely dry conditions, Gov. Spencer J. Cox issued an executive order forbidding irrigation at state facilities between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m., requiring that sprinklers are shut off during rain storms and making sure landscape watering systems are operating efficiently. Romney, Merkley Introduce Bipartisan Legislation to Protect Long-Term Health of Saline Ecosystems U.S. Senator Mitt Romney (R-UT) and Jeff Merkley (D-OR) introduced their Saline Lake Ecosystems in the Great Basin States Program Act, bipartisan legislation to facilitate an integrated regional assessment of saline lake ecosystems that would fill a critical data gap that has made it nearly impossible to address a variety of problems caused by declining water levels. Saline lakes line wetlands across the West Coast, serving as habitats for a diverse array of wildlife and providing important economic and social benefits to nearby communities.Collaboration fast-tracks U of U technology for ultra-quick, affordable COVID test The University of Utah (the U), ARUP Laboratories, and Techcyte Inc. announced that they have formed a partnership to develop NanoSpot.AI, a less than five-minute, easy-to-administer SARS-CoV-2 antibody test. NanoSpot.AI is estimated to be significantly less expensive to manufacture than other SARS-CoV-2 antibody tests, so it has the potential to be considerably more affordable than currently available tests, making it possible to extend the test to every corner of the world.Reps. Stewart and Correa Introduce Legislation to Address Suicide in Young Adults Congressman Chris Stewart (R-UT) reintroduced bipartisan legislation with Congressman Lou Correa (D-CA) and Senators Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ) and John Kennedy (R-LA). The bill, The Improving Mental Health Access for Students Act, will help address suicide amongst teens and young adults by increasing access to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline and Crisis Text Line.Gov. Spencer J. Cox names Monica Diaz to the Third District Juvenile Court Gov. Spencer J. Cox has nominated Monica Diaz to fill the Third District Juvenile Court judicial vacancy. "As director of the Utah Sentencing Commission, Monica Diaz demonstrated a thorough knowledge of the Constitution, respect for the law and expertise in policy," Gov. Cox said. "These experiences - as well as her legal work as both a prosecutor and a public defender - will serve her well as a Juvenile Court judge. I'm proud to recommend her to this important position." Business HeadlinesAmerican factories are desperate for workers. It's a $1 trillion problem (CNN) The economy is finally booming, but millions of Americans can't feel it -- yet. (CNN) Dogecoin But On Ethereum Blockchain? renDOGE Hits All-Time High (Benzinga) Billionaire Warren Buffett taps Des Moines resident as future Berkshire Hathaway CEO (Des Moines Register) Jeweler Pandora Takes Ethical Stand Against Mined Diamonds (Bloomberg) US stocks trending lower hours before the opening bell (Fox Business) Grocery workers, already reeling from the pandemic, face new trauma from store shootings (Washington Post) Clubhouse downloads plummet to 900,000 in April as competition grows (9to5) Sony really hated PS4 crossplay, confidential documents reveal (The Verge) Apple exec suggested cutting App Store commission to 20 percent as early as 2011 (The Verge)On This Day In History(From History.com) 1776 - Rhode Island becomes the first colony to declare its independence from England. 1922 - Eugenie Clark is born. An ichthyologist known for both her research on shark behavior and her study of fish in the order Tetraodontiformes, she was popularly known as "The Shark Lady" 1944 - "Gaslight", starring an 18-year-old Angela Lansbury in her film debut, is released. 1970 - The National Guard kills four students and wounds nine others in Kent State shootings. 1979 - Margaret Thatcher becomes the first woman to be elected Prime Minister of the United Kingdom 1998 - A federal judge in Sacramento, California, gives "Unabomber" Ted Kaczynski four life sentences plus 30 years after Kaczynski accepts a plea agreement sparing him from the death penalty. 2018 - Sarah Zorn becomes the first woman to lead cadets as a regimental commander at the Citadel.Wise Words"Power is like being a lady... if you have to tell people you are, you aren't." ~Margaret Thatcher Lighter SideLighter Side"According to polls, the last time we were close to being this optimistic was 2006. I'm not surprised. That was when Tom Hanks brought back the mullet." - JIMMY FALLON Subscribers may receive special messages with information about new features, special offers, or public policy messages from clients and advertisers. |
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