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Situational Analysis - April 21, 2021

Welcome to mid-week. It's Wednesday and National Kindergarten Day in honor of Friedrich Wilhelm August Frobel who is credited with starting the very first Kindergarten in Germany in 1837. Also as a heads-up: tomorrow is National Take Our Kids to Work Day.

Yesterday's formatting was a bust. The consistent message I heard back from you is that it was tl:dr (too long, didn't read). Back to short snippets it is.

News you need to know

The news that is dominating outlets everywhere is the guilty verdicts for former police officer Derek Chauvin on the charges of second-degree murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter. The statutory maximum sentence for second-degree murder, with no prior criminal history is 30 years.
He is the first white police officer in Minnesota's history to be held accountable for killing a Black man. For context, Minnesota became a state in 1858. There have been 208 police-involved deaths in Minnesota since 2000. 55 were Black, 10 were Asian, 9 were Hispanic, 15 were Native American and 119 were white.
Tucker Carlson claims that jurors were intimidated into finding Chauvin while Ted Cruz is saying that comments made by President Biden and Rep. Maxine Waters are grounds for a mistrial.
Minutes before the verdict was announced, police in Columbus, Ohio, shot four times and killed a 15 year-old Black girl who was wielding a knife.
Charles Geschke, Adobe co-founder who helped spark desktop publishing, died last week at age 81. He and John Warnock built one of the world's largest software companies. He also made headlines after being kidnapped in 1992 and spending five days in captivity.

Countdown

3 days until the United Utah Party Organizing Convention and the Utah County GOP convention (04/24/2021)
9 days until the Biden/Harris administration's first 100 days are up (04/30/2021)
10 days until the in-person Utah GOP Organizing Convention (05/01/2021)
143 days until half-way through the Cox/Henderson's administration's 500-day plan (09/11/2021)

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Today At Utah Policy

Commentary: To balance federal/state power, state legislators must rise to their constitutional role
By LaVarr Webb
How Freedom is Protected. In Federalist 51, James Madison wrote: "In the compound republic of America, the power surrendered by the people is first divided between two distinct governments (federal and states), and then the portion allotted to each (is) subdivided among distinct and separate departments (executive, legislative and judicial). Hence, a double security arises to the rights of the people. The different governments will control each other, at the same time that each will be controlled by itself."

Utah Headlines

Deseret News

"The Derek Chauvin verdict is personal to me." One writer's reaction to a historic conviction
Utah Rep. Burgess Owens says comparing Georgia voting law to Jim Crow is an insult
Hope replaces anger: Utah leaders, advocates celebrate verdict in George Floyd's death
President Joe Biden, Mia Love and others respond to Derek Chauvin verdict
Jazz owner Ryan Smith and team react to Derek Chauvin's conviction in George Floyd's death
Governor, lawmakers laud 'equity' bills aimed at homelessness, housing, immigration
George W. Bush makes a case for immigration reform with his new book "Out of Many, One."

Salt Lake Tribune

Ex-cop Derek Chauvin guilty of murder and manslaughter in George Floyd case
'A turning point in America': Hundreds march to George Floyd mural in SLC
Derek Miller: Building an immigration consensus for America with the Utah Compact as a guide
Utah gets a little less red, says the Partisan Voter Index from The Cook Political Report. All four districts show some change
Lawmakers are asking if Utah can ignore federal laws that restrict gun rights.

Other

Civil rights activists respond with relief, tears at Chauvin verdict (Daily Herald)
Study: Utah ranks third in country for cheapest energy bills (Daily Herald)
Weber County civil rights activists respond with relief, tears at Chauvin verdict (Standard Examiner)
Sales tax report: 2020 proved a boon for most Northern Utah cities (Standard Examiner)
Bureau of Land Management seeks partners to support management and protection of wild horses, burros (St. George News)
March in downtown Salt Lake City after ex-cop found guilty of George Floyd's murder (KUTV)
Gov. Cox talks with 2News about homelessness, path forward, and what success looks like (KUTV)
Jury finds Derek Chauvin guilty of all charges (ABC4)
'It was solidarity': Community members march through streets after Chauvin guilty verdict (ABC4)
The verdict brings new conversation, lots more work to be done. (ABC4)
Utah activists celebrate 'moment of joy' after Chauvin verdict announced (Fox13)
Utah leaders, officials react to Chauvin guilty verdict (Fox13)
Hundreds take to downtown SLC after Chauvin guilty verdict (Fox13)

COVID Corner

April 20 data: 8 more COVID-19 deaths in Utah, 315 new cases, rolling 7-day average is 375 per day. (KUTV)
Dr. Angela Dunn stepping down as 'steady voice' leading Utah through COVID-19 crisis, to lead Salt Lake County Health Department (Deseret News)
Hitting latest vaccine milestone of 200 million shots in arms in 100 days, Biden pushes shots for all (AP)
Brazil, India and Iran hit new records for virus cases, deaths (AP)
India's raging virus surge tops 200,000 new cases for seventh straight day (Washington Post)
Hawaii will ease restrictions for vaccinated travelers, starting with inter-island visitors (Washington Post)
Bipartisan lawmakers weigh in on post-pandemic health care costs (The Hill)
States have a new Covid problem: Too much vaccine (Politico)
Japan eyes state of emergency for Tokyo, Osaka regions amid virus surge. The emergency measures would cover close to a quarter of Japan's population (NBC News)

National Headlines

The top stories across virtually every website I checked this morning have the Chauvin verdict as their top story, and usually multiple stories. Here are some other national stories of interest.

U.S. considers more weapons shipments to Ukraine amid Russian buildup (Politico)
Bush: Today's GOP is 'isolationist' and 'nativist' - "It's not exactly my vision," the former president said. (Politico)
Norfolk fires police lieutenant who donated to accused vigilante Kyle Rittenhouse (Fox News)
Rep. Val Demings explodes at Rep. Jim Jordan on law enforcement in House hearing. The Florida Democrat said she'd served as a law enforcement officer for 27 years (Fox News)
Georgia governor Brian Kemp faces uphill battle overcoming Trump's rage (The Hill)
Senate GOP crafts outlines for infrastructure counter proposal (The Hill)
The Super League that wasn't: The organizers of a European soccer league didn't believe in their idea enough to defend it. (New York Times)
Archaeologists solve a decades-old Harriet Tubman mystery: The location of the Maryland cabin where the Underground Railroad conductor lived as a young adult. (New York Times)
Marjorie Taylor Greene and the implosion of the America First Caucus: Rep. Greene is now completely distancing herself from the effort and blaming staff. Here's why that's implausible. (New York Times)
Putin warns world: Anyone who threatens Russia 'will regret it' (New York Times)
Idriss Dby, repressive president who ruled Chad for 30 years, dies on the front lines at age 68, one day after being declared the winner of a sixth term in office. (Washington Post)

Policy News

Rep. Curtis on upcoming Derek Chauvin verdict: 'There's work to do ahead'
Today, Representative John Curtis (R-UT) released the following statement:

Nominees announced for 8th District Juvenile Court vacancy
The Eighth District Judicial Nominating Commission has selected nominees for a vacancy on the Eighth District Juvenile Court. The vacancy results from the retirement of Judge Keith Eddington, June 1, 2021.

Sen. Lee introduces State Grazing Management Authority Act
Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) has introduced the State Grazing Management Authority Act, a bill to allow states to manage grazing programs on federal allotments.

Tanner LLC named top national CPA firm
Tanner LLC has been named by Accounting Today as one of the Fastest Growing Accounting Firms for 2021. The publication's annual recognition honors CPA firms across the country for their overall superior performance on dozens of criteria.

Smith's offers free telenutrition service to promote healthy eating
Smith's in partnership with Kroger Health, the healthcare division of The Kroger Co. (NYSE: KR), is offering free telenutrition service to help customers shop for, prepare and enjoy healthy fresh and non-perishable foods during the COVID-19 crisis.

Business Headlines

The 2021 Impacted Small Business Catalyst Grant is now open. Apply before the grant closes on April 27 at 5 pm. (Utah Business)
A year later, Utah's employment rates nearing pre-pandemic levels (KJZZ)
Utah manufacturing holding strong despite pandemic impacts (Deseret News)
Restaurants, delivery apps still at odds as demand grows (AP)
How a sweetheart deal gives GameStop CEO a $179 mln goodbye gift (Reuters)
Amazon to let Whole Foods shoppers pay with a swipe of their palm (Reuters)
Netflix subscription growth has slowed in 2021. Pace of new signups drops as the pandemic eases
Welcome to the YOLO Economy. Burned out and flush with savings, some workers are quitting stable jobs in search of postpandemic adventure. (New York Times)
Apple's new devices target markets led by smaller rivals and plans to release software with a privacy feature that worries advertisers. (New York Times)

On This Day In History

(From History.com)

753 BC - According to legend, today is the day that twins Romulus and Remus establish Rome

1898 - Spain declares war against the United States.

1910 - Mark Twain dies

1939 - Sister Helen Prejean is born. A leading American advocate for the abolition of the death penalty and Roman Catholic sister, she founded the group SURVIVE, to help families of victims of murder and related crimes. She served as the National Chairperson of the National Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty from 1993 to 1995.

Wise Words

"There's no such thing as being apolitical. If we sit back and do nothing, leaving all the policy making to others, that is, in fact, a position of support for the status quo, which is a very political stance to take."

~ Sister Helen Prejean

Lighter Side

"This is the 50th anniversary (of 4/20) because, back in 1971, a group of California high school students used to gather to smoke pot every day at 4:20 p.m. Admirable punctuality for a group of kids who were always high."

- STEPHEN COLBERT

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