| A black bear mauled a 3-year-old girl; UTA Change Day brings more than the usual changes; and extreme heat is driving up utility costs .png?width=1200&upscale=true&name=Utah_Policy_Logo_Email_Full%20(1).png) | 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. If you're a candidate in 2024 and want to advertise on UtahPolicy.com, contact Suzanne Benitez. | | |
Situational Analysis | Aug. 14, 2024 It's Wednesday and National Creamsicle Day! Happy birthday to Rep. Doug Owens! ð ð ð What you need to know - The Utah Supreme Court rejected cases by Colby Jenkins and Phil Lyman regarding this year's primary election. Jenkins called the court's decision a "sad day for Democracy," and Lyman said he would run for governor as a write-in candidate.
Rapid relevance | | |
.jpg?width=1200&upscale=true&name=12824-8_PLPCO_DesNews_Photo%20(1).jpg) | Stand for Our Land Recently, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has significantly restricted access to Utah public lands and continues to restrict access. We need you to get involved. Learn how your access is being affected and voice your concerns to the BLM. Your input will help shape the future of Utah. | | |
Utah Headlines Election news - Rep. Celeste Maloy officially beats Colby Jenkins following Utah Supreme Court decision (Deseret News)
- Salt Lake County places proposed $507M public safety bond on the November ballot (KSL)
Utah - Snow plows called out to shovel mounds of hail off I-15 in Utah County (KUTV)
- Orem Skate Park floods, turns into impromptu community pool (KUTV)
Olympics - IOC President Thomas Bach isnât running for reelection. What that means for Utahâs 2034 Winter Games (Deseret News)
- What you need to know about the Paralympic Games (Deseret News)
Business/Tech - Pumpkin spice a summer flavor? IHOP, Krispy Kreme are latest retailers to say 'yes' (KSL)
Crime/Courts - Draper teen warns of new social media scam hitting Utahns (KSL TV)
Education - Itâs back-to-school time across the country. Hereâs what public school teachers say about conditions at school (Deseret News)
- âBe patientâ: Officials urge drivers to obey laws for sharing road with school buses (KSL)
- Utah drivers face higher fines for school zone traffic violations this year (Fox13)
- USU rolls out new engineering tech degree to give students more hands-on learning (UPR)
- Utahâs oldest public high school urgently needs upgrades â and could see a complete rebuild (Salt Lake Tribune)
Environment - Parts of Utah doubled their summer precipitation in 1 day. What does it mean for soil moisture? (KSL)
- Utah Lake seeing less toxic algal blooms (KSL Newsradio)
- Colorado Riverâs biggest user inks massive conservation agreement with federal government (The Hill)
Family - Women want more children than theyâre having. America can do more to help (Deseret News)
Housing - U.S. housing market boom: Number of trillion-dollar metros doubles amid rising home values (Deseret News)
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National Headlines General - The U.S. is not the most religious country in the world. Is it even close? (Deseret News)
- How young women stand out in recent surveys on religion (Deseret News)
- Former police chief faces a felony charge in the raid of a Kansas newspaper (NPR)
- Why Everyone Needs a âDigital Death-Cleaningâ Plan (Wall Street Journal)
Political news - The crisis of trust driving the 2024 election (Deseret News)
- Editorial Board: Can someone please simplify the income tax form? Please! (Deseret News)
Election news - Iran using social media and fake sites to influence U.S. election (Deseret News)
- Young Black voters are becoming more conservative than their parents. Here's why (NPR)
- Trump vs. Harris magnifies Americaâs generational and cultural divides (Washington Post)
- Democrats warn Harris must get ready for Trump onslaught (The Hill)
Ukraine ðºð¦ - Ukraine pounds Russia with drones and says it is advancing deeper (Reuters)
- Top Ukrainian commander says his forces now control almost 390 square miles of Russiaâs Kursk region (AP)
Israel and Gaza - US approves $20 billion in weapons sales to Israel amid threat of wider Middle East war (AP)
- Palestinian newborn twins killed as father obtained birth certificates (Reuters)
World news - Mpox has been declared a public health emergency in Africa. What is it and whatâs the WHO doing? (AP)
- Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida to step down next month (Washington Post)
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Number of the Day 
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 | Guest opinion: Thoughts and prayers are exactly what we need by Justin Stapley One of the more disturbing developments in recent years is the growing attacks on thoughts and prayers in the wake of tragedy. More and more people are shouting that thoughts and prayers are ânot enoughâ in the wake of tragedy. Many are also doubling down on the idea by calling thoughts and prayers an excuse to do nothing. This assertion not only strikes me as wrong-hearted but fundamentally in ignorance of two honest observations. Firstly, those who attack thoughts and prayers ignore the necessity to grieve and the resolve that arises in the hearts of those who mourn. Offering thoughts and prayers provides a message of unity and compassion. Itâs a unified message that the victims of tragedy do not stand alone. The time where we offer thoughts and prayers is a time where we can set aside our petty differences and unite in mourning. Further, it has often been my observation that those who offer heartfelt and fervent thoughts and prayers are the ones who arise from their knees, wipe the tears from their eyes, and provide the most energetic actions towards the support of others. Secondly, the attitude of mocking the thoughtful and prayerful is yet another example of the degradation of what holds us together as a society. It is a manifestation of our nationâs rotting core of community and brotherhood. Thoughts and prayers are not keeping us from solutions to the problem. Thoughts and prayers are the only true beginning to real solutions for the problems that ail our country. (Read More) News Releases Salt Lake County moves a bipartisan public Safety Bond Initiative Through a bipartisan vote of 8-1, the Salt Lake County Council moved to accept Mayor Jenny Wilsonâs recommendation to put a Public Safety Bond on the ballot this November. The Public Safety Bond is a key part of Salt Lake Countyâs plan to make homelessness brief, rare, and non-recurring. The bipartisan bond proposal is endorsed by Governor Spencer Cox and Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall. The public will be asked to invest in the construction of a Justice and Accountability Center and the consolidation of the two county jails into one; including increased capacity, modernized mental health units, and a newly constructed transitional unit to prepare those exiting the jail to reenter the community. (Read More) | | |
Tweet of the Day 
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Upcoming - August 14 â Hatch Foundation "Titan of Public Service" recognizing Sen. John Thune, Grand America, Register here
- August 20-21 â Interim Days
- September 17-18 â Interim Days
- October 4 â Conservative Climate Summit, 7:30 am - 3:00 pm, UVU, Register here
- October 4 â Hatch Foundation hosts Civil Dialogue Symposium with Dana Perino, 2:00 pm, USU, Register here
- October 7-9 â One Utah Summit, SUU, Register here
- October 15-16 â Interim Day
- November 15 â Women & Business Conference & ATHENA Awards Luncheon with the Salt Lake Chamber, Grand America Hotel, Register here
- November 19-20 â Interim Days
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On This Day In History - 1784 - Russians settle Alaska
- 1870 - David Farragut, American Admiral ("Damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead!"), dies at 69
- 1899 - Caroline Ware is born. A history professor and pioneer in the âcultural approach to History,â she was also an expert on consumer affairs and the Chair of the American Association of University Women Committee on Social Studies
- 1911 - Ethel Payne is born. Called âThe First Lady of the Black Press,â she was the first African American female radio and television commentator at a national news organization (CBS) in 1972.
- 1935 - The Social Security Act becomes law. The sweeping legislation created a pension program based on and supported by workersâ income.
- 1937 - After 10 years of work, the Appalachian Trail from Georgia to Maine is completed. More than 2,000 miles of trails and paths entice hikers from all over the country.
- 1945 - V-J Day, Japan surrenders unconditionally to end WW II
- 1986 - After a 43 year military career, Rear Admiral Grace Murry Hopper retires from active duty in the U.S. Navy. Known as the âgrandmother of the computer age,â Hopper was a pioneer of computer language.
- 1997 - Convicted Oklahoma City bomber Timothy McVeigh is formally sentenced to death by Oklahoma Court of Appeals
- 2018 - After a 2-yr investigation, a Pennsylvania grand jury alleges 300 "predator priests" abused over 1000 children over 30 years and Catholic leaders covered it up.
- 2019 - Iowa congressman Steve King says that without rape and incest "âWould there be any population of the world left if we did that?" in video for "The Des Moines Register"
- 2021 - It rains for the first time at Greenland ice sheets' highest point, at Summit Station research facility, above freezing conditions create some melting for 337,000 square miles of ice
Quote of the Day âThe only phrase Iâve ever disliked is, âWhy, weâve always done it that way.â " âAdmiral Grace Hopper
On the Punny Side I had no idea that rubbing your feet on the carpet creates static.
I was a little shocked. | | |
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