Governor Cox apologizes for math error, health experts ask Utahns to limit time outdoors, Utahns worried about inflation | | | The Utah Policy newsletter is your one-stop source for political and policy-minded news. Send news tips or feedback to editor@utahpolicy.com. | | |
Situational Analysis | July 13, 2021 Hello there, Tuesday. It's hotter than Hades, but summer is winding down. School starts for my kiddos five weeks from today and, if you've been to the store in the last few days, back-to-school supplies are filling the aisles. Even as an adult, I wonder how summer flees so quickly. Be in the Know Governor Cox sends letter to Utahns: "We screwed up." Turns out Utah didn't actually hit the 70% mark for COVID vaccinations, but we're close at just over 67%. The air quality in Utah right now is not great and Utahns are being asked to limit their time outdoors. When you can taste the wildfires, that's pretty solid advice. The Senate unanimously confirmed Jen Easterlyâan Army veteran and National Security Agency alumnaâto serve as the new director of the Department of Homeland Securityâs Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) on Monday. A new, statewide Deseret News/Hinckley Institute of Politics poll found 85% of Utahns said they were very or somewhat concerned about inflation. And among that group, 25% said higher prices would be âtemporaryâ versus 60% who believe inflation will be a âlastingâ concern. | | |
Utah Headlines General Father of 7-year-old shot through wall: 'I don't wish this pain to anybody' (KUTV) Microsoft is urging Windows users to immediately install an update after security researchers found a serious vulnerability in the operating system. (KSL) Second-grade Grant Elementary boy wins national award, offers words of wisdom (Murray Journal) Willow Canyon second-grader wins national Reflections, wants to win âAmericaâs Got Talentâ (Cottonwood Heights Journal) Ogden civil rights pioneer Bettye Gillespie leaves behind a legacy of activism (Standard-Examiner) Two Utah County men, Stan Lockhart and Mike McKell, lengthen their stride, find purpose in running (Daily Herald) Some abatement crews describe 2021 as the worst mosquito season ever in Utah (KSL) Politics South Salt Lake creates civilian review board for police, activists say it lacks teeth (KUER) A federal judge said Florida canât curb social media platforms. Utah lawmakers want to try. (Salt Lake Tribune) These Republicans are standing for voting rights. Will their party listen? (Deseret News) Can the $300 million âtroubled teenâ therapy sector be reformed by legislation and public pressure? (Deseret News) COVID Corner 1,245 more cases of COVID-19 in Utah over three days this weekend, six more deaths COVID-19 transmission picking up in Cache County among unvaccinated individuals (Herald Journal) 'Our staff is tired': St. George Regional Hospital seeing a surge of COVID-19 patients (KUTV) Former triathlete and vaccine skeptic has a message for Utahns who think they donât need the COVID-19 vaccine (Deseret News) Drought/Wildfires/Heat Wildfire shuts down I-15 in both directions near Virgin River Gorge (Fox13) Hot temperatures are killing fish in Lake at the Hills (St. George News) IN FOCUS Discussion: Wildfire mitigation (ABC4) Neighbor wasting water? Is âwater shamingâ the answer? Mormons did it in the 19th century, and thousands of Utahns did it last month. (Salt Lake Tribune) The worst wildfires in the U.S. ⦠and that includes a fire tornado (Deseret News) Economy As the Utah recovers from COVID-19, a familiar problem has reemerged: worker shortages. (Economy Utah) Pandemic relief for small Utah businesses: What's left? (KSL) Education Utah State University Extensionâs Rural Online Initiative (ROI) program receives national award (Cache Valley Daily) Will BYU students be required to get vaccinated against COVID-19 this fall? One of 3 campuses has said yes. (Deseret News) UVU student overcomes heartache, loss to obtain degree (Daily Herald) Amid critical race theory debate, what's really taught in Utah's history classes? (KUTV) Energy Hill AFB, RMP complete solar project, will seek more energy savings amid future growth (Standard-Examiner) Environment BLM to remove âexcessâ wild horses from Utahâs beloved Onaqui herd (Salt Lake Tribune) Local Communities Four Box Elder taxing entities eyeing rate increase (Box Elder News Journal) Park City prepares to appoint a new city attorney, Margaret Plane (Park Record) Service A mechanic opened a restaurant. On his days off, he fixes junk cars and gives them to people in need. (Washington Post) National Headlines General Thousands of pages documenting slavery found in attic of Eastern Shore house set for demolition (The Hill) Cubans denounce âmiseryâ in biggest protests in decades (New York Times) US effort to combat Chinaâs tech rise ânot nearly enoughâ (Roll Call) Pandemic-driven hunger is making the world more unequal (Washington Post) Derision, misogyny, sexual assault: VMI women face attacks on campus and online (Washington Post) Politics âThatâs a lieâ: Jan. 6 police officer on Trump rebranding riot as âlove festâ (MSNBC) âGet on the team or shut upâ: How Trump created an army of GOP enforcers atop state Republican parties (Politico) Trumpâs revenge begins in Georgia. In standing up to Donald Trump, Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger likely sacrificed a second term. (The Atlantic) Trump getting tougher for Senate GOP to ignore (The Hill) Five takeaways from the CPAC conference in Dallas (The Hill) Texas Democrats leave state to try to stop GOP voting bill (AP) Texas Democrats land in Washington, D.C., and promise to stay out of Texas until after special legislative session ends Aug. 6 (Texas Tribune) Courts Judge rules synagogue shooting victims can sue Smith & Wesson (The Hill) Judge grills attorneys over suit attempting to overturn Michigan's electoral results (The Hill) Economy Lumber wipes out 2021 gain with demand ebbing after record boom (Bloomberg) Education An exodus of educators: Resignations hit schools amid furor over critical race theory. (NBC) Leonard Pitts: I have forgotten more about race than most people have ever known, yet until six months ago, I had never heard of critical race theory (Salt Lake Tribune) How ideological warfare threatens public higher education (Governing) What Arizonaâs 2010 ban on Mexican American studies could mean for the fight over critical race theory (Politico) Elections 'Just say we won,' Giuliani told Trump aides on election night (The Hill) The Republican Partyâs top lawyer called election fraud arguments by Trumpâs lawyers a âjokeâ that could mislead millions (Washington Post) Energy US drilling approvals increase despite Biden climate pledge (AP) International Violence spreads in South Africa as grievances boil over (Reuters) Former U.S. drug agency informant arrested in Haiti assassination, DEA source says (Reuters) Business Headlines Robinhood files for IPO showing cofounders Tenev and Bhatt stand to make billions (Forbes) JPMorgan profit more than doubles, but revenue falls (Wall Street Journal) June consumer prices likely rose sharply again as economy rebounded (Wall Street Journal) Goldman Sachs rides global dealmaking boom to smash profit estimates (Reuters) | | |
Policy News Gov. Spencer J. Cox apologizes for reporting COVID-19 vaccination data error In response to an error reported by the Utah Department of Health, Gov. Spencer J. Cox issued the following letter to the people of Utah:
My Fellow Utahns:
We screwed up. And I sincerely apologize. Read More Wasatch Innovation Network launch announcement The Salt Lake Chamber will host a press conference to launch the newly formed Wasatch Innovation Network (WIN). The network will include the Utah tech industry, academia, venture capital, local governments and regional chambers in partnership with the Salt Lake Chamber.
The partnership will connect industry to capital, startup to incumbent, and academia to market, with the purpose of creating a team of teams to scale out Utahâs innovation ecosystem. The launch event will begin a process of bringing together leaders and institutions to drive innovation across silos to broaden economic appeal and commercialization. Read More Survey respondents cite trails, skiing, and access to wilderness as most important perks in Utahâs tech industry Utah Outdoor Partners, a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization, and the Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute recently conducted a survey of Utah tech industry employees regarding the importance of outdoor recreation and access to wilderness.
Utahâs tech sector is the fastest-growing industry in the state and offers well-paying jobs that encourage a flexible work-life balance. The stateâs easy access to wilderness provides many outdoor recreation opportunities year-round. Itâs often used as a recruitment tool for marketing Utah as a place where a work-life balance is accessible, enjoyable, and awe-inspiring. Read More
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Commentary: Why isnât balanced federalism more of a campaign issue? By LaVarr Webb I believe politicians are missing out on a great campaign issue by not touting balanced federalism as a way to solve some of Americaâs biggest challenges. If handled properly, I think federalism could be a powerful issue that resonates well with voters in races ranging from legislative contests, to governorships, to Congress, to the presidency. For example, if a congressional candidate is asked why Congress is so dysfunctional and so divided, he or she could properly explain that Congress is trying to do far more than it should be doing. Congress spends an inordinate amount of time in hearings and debates on issues it will never reach consensus on because the country is too diverse to impose the same regulations and laws everywhere. Congress would be dramatically more effective if it stuck to truly national issues and didnât try to impose its will on states and local governments on matters best left to them. A good case in point is the proposed $15 per hour national wage requirement. Congress has wasted a remarkable amount of time debating this issue, without achieving agreement. The problem is that representatives from wealthy urban areas will never find common ground with those representing rural areas where wages are not as high and a $15-per-hour requirement would hurt businesses. Thatâs an issue that should obviously be decided by state and local governments, based on local conditions. And there are many more. Much gridlock on issues related to transportation, human services, education, and the environment could be avoided if Congress took a pass in key areas and allowed state and local decision-making. Congress would have a lot less to fight about. Even the national budget would be in much better shape if Congress left more tax dollars at the state level and let states decide how to spend it. Thousands of state and local elected leaders are much closer to citizens, much more responsive to their wants and needs, than 535 insulated House and Senate members in faraway Washington, D.C. There is simply not a need for a federal solution to every problem facing every American, yet Congress acts as though there is. The reality is that the federal government has exerted control over so many aspects of our daily lives that it canât possibly meet all the expectations. The national government was never intended to take care of every need of every citizen from cradle to grave. Our federal leaders have set themselves up for failure. Read More | | |
Upcoming Securing the American Dream: A conversation with Tim Scott presented by the Hatch Foundation â Aug 11 @ noon. Register here Utah Foundation Annual Luncheon with Shaylyn Romney Garrett â Sept 23 @ 12 pm. Register here | | |
On This Day In History From History.com 1787 - Congress enacts the Northwest Ordinance structuring settlement of the Northwest Territory and creating a policy for the addition of new states to the nation. 1863 - The nationâs deadliest riots begin: The New York Draft Riots. Working-class New Yorkers were angry about a new federal draft law during the Civil War and it sparked five days of some of the bloodiest and most destructive rioting in U.S. history. Black men were hung from lamp posts, a Black orphanage housing more than 200 children was burned to the ground and some 3000 Black people were made homeless. 1937 - American businessman, Vernon Rudolph, sells his first Krispy Kreme doughnuts in Winston-Salem, NC, using a secret recipe he purchased from a New Orleans French chef. 1944 - Erno Rubik is born. A Hungarian mathematician, he invented the puzzle cube that bears his name. 1985 - Live Aid concert raises $127 million for famine relief in Africa 2013 - The hashtag #BlackLivesMatter first appears, sparking a movement 2015 - Sandra Bland dies in jail after traffic stop confrontation 2016 - Theresa May becomes the second female prime minister in British history. Wise Words "Like Indiana Jones, I don't like snakes - though that might lead some to ask why I'm in politics."
-Theresa May Lighter Side âThatâs right, Branson beat Jeff Bezos to space. Thatâs why Branson got home and found a little flaming Amazon package on his front porch.â â JIMMY FALLON | | |
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