Joe Biden pardoned marijuana users; job market cooling slightly; Ben Sasse expected to resign; and he put WHAT down his pants?! | | | 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 [email protected]. | | |
Situational Analysis | Oct. 7, 2022 It's Friday, Friday...and, it's World Smile Day. ð Apparently there's a game this weekend between two religious schools. Do you think they'll both pray to win? ð¤ Congrats to SUU on opening the Helen Foster Snow Cultural Center tonight at 6 pm. ð Be in the Know We are not well. An overwhelming majority of people - ninety percent - in the United States think the country is experiencing a mental health crisis. About half have had a "severe mental health crisis" in their family, according to a new survey from CNN and the Kaiser Family Foundation. The struggles are intensified for those under 30, people who identify as LGBT+, and those with an annual income under $40,000. Sadly, the groups that say they are most likely to need mental health care are also the least likely to say they can get it. The most common reasons listed are being afraid or embarrassed to seek care, inability to pay, and unable to take time off. President Joe Biden announced that he is pardoning everyone convicted under federal law of simple marijuana possessionâan estimated 6,500 peopleâand urged state governors to follow suit. Biden also directed the Department of Health and Human Services and the attorney general to review marijuanaâs classification under federal law, potentially moving cannabis to a lower level on the Controlled Substances Act or descheduling the drug entirely. Governor Cox responded, calling it an election season stunt. The Labor Department reported that U.S. employers added 263,000 jobs last month â a modest decrease from the 315,000 in August. The unemployment rate dipped to 3.5%, matching a half-century low. Initial jobless claims rose slightly. Rapid Roundup McDonaldâs officially brings back Halloween Happy Meal pails; Senator Ben Sasse from Nebraska and education reformer, is expected to resign his seat to become the president of the University of Florida; Lori Vallow Daybell's trial suspended due to new concerns about her competency; Trader Joe's is (finally!) bringing back samples; a fun story about the hundreds of people that attended a memorial for a Provo restaurant that isn't closing; and finally, a New York City man has been charged with smuggling three Burmese pythons in his pants at a U.S-Canadian border crossing. ð® | | |
| | Negative Campaign Ads Negative campaign ads are dominating media outlets in Utah. Boyd Matheson, Natalie Gochnour, and Bryan Schott join host Jason Perry on The Hinckley Report this Friday at 7:00 pm to discuss whether civility still plays a role in politics. Plus, the top issues driving voters to the polls. | | |
Utah Headlines General Classic Utah. How a United Nations conference at UVU turned into a service project to assemble humanitarian kits for refugee mothers in Utah (Deseret News) University of Utah police investigating series of hospital bomb threats (KSL) FBI asks for public help in search for serial bank robber in Utah (ABC4) Driver who hit 5-year-old Weber County boy brings surprise gift to hospital (KUTV) Elections Could Republicans lose a Senate race in deep-red Utah? (KSL) Differences emerge in low-key debate between Utahâs 3rd District candidates. GOP Rep. John Curtis, Democratic challenger Glenn Wright disagree on abortion, transgender girls sports (Deseret News) Voter turnout will make or break the Rep. Phil Lyman vs. Davina Smith race (KUER) Mail-in ballots remain popular among Utah voters (UPR) Politics Utah pilot program to incentivize dignity, reject contempt (Cache Valley Daily) Sick of political rhetoric? Thereâs a new scoring system for that: the Dignity Index (KUER) Youâve heard about Utahâs inland port â hereâs the history behind the opposition (Deseret News) Ken Ivory: The removal of certain books from school libraries is not based on race, gender or sexual preference content. It is based on sexually explicit content not suitable for children (Deseret News) Gov. Cox addresses water crisis, partisan politics, other topics at Utah Tech Political Science Institute (St. George News) Congressman Blake Moore on issues important to Utah voters (KUTV) Salt Lake County DA declines to prosecute repeated domestic violence offender (KUTV) Blake Moore, Rick Jones to debate Monday in US House race (Standard-Examiner) Business Amazon is hiring 150,000 workers for holiday season (ABC4) Americans are becoming less productive, and that's a risk to the economy (NPR) Education Student debt is not the problem. The higher education cartel is. (Real Clear Education) BYU partners with Ensign College, expands continuing education program (Daily Herald) Environment America not ready for widespread EV adoption, expert says (KUTV) Family The link between fertility and marriage worldwide. Stable, long-term relationships are as important to fertility as ever, and policies to boost fertility that ignore that are likely doomed to fail (Deseret News) Freedom and abundance: How global population growth ignites increases in resources and ideas (Deseret News) Health Will a new COVID-19 variant drive a winter surge in cases? (Deseret News) Early signs a new U.S. COVID surge could be on its way (NPR) Housing Utah Housing Preservation Fund receives $10 million to save affordable housing (Fox13) Sanctioned camping. More enforcement. Hereâs how a Salt Lake business coalition wants to solve homelessness (Deseret News) Key group calls for a new approach with homeless Utahns: Get help or go to jail. Pioneer Park Coalition says its plan is ultimately more compassionate, notes that current measures are failing. (Salt Lake Tribune) She has been called Utahâs âMother Teresa.â Now a homeless resource center bears her name.. The menâs facility in South Salt Lake is at least the fourth community resource named in Pamela Atkinson's honor. (Salt Lake Tribune) National Headlines General Income inequality hasn't risen in a decade. It may not feel like it. (Time) Colorado.gov website taken down in suspected Russian cyber attack (Government Technology) Court rules DACA is illegal â whatâs next for the countryâs 600,000 âDreamersâ? (Deseret News) How the abuse report is changing womenâs soccer. Players are âhorrified and heartbrokenâ and have called for those with allegations against them to step down (Deseret News) Picking up the pieces in Florida: Hurricane Ianâs toll so far. Bridges are being rebuilt, power restored and roads cleared in a rebuilding process that could take years. Meanwhile, theyâre still counting the dead (Deseret News) 2 Russians seek asylum after reaching remote Alaska island (AP) Nobel Peace Prize awarded to jailed Belarusian activist and Russian, Ukrainian rights groups (Washington Post) Politics How can we protect American tech from âanti-innovation legislationâ?
Our innovative companies boost Americaâs economy and national security. Why would we want to harm them with restrictive laws? (Deseret News) Which issues help Democrats and Republicans the most? New national poll has answers (Deseret News) Hand-counting ballots may sound nice. It's actually less accurate and more expensive (NPR) âLet it goâ or fire back: GOP candidates face tough choice under Demsâ abortion ad assault (Politico) Ukraine ðºð¦ Missiles, drones hit Zaporizhzhia again as death toll rises (AP) Zelenskyy slams Russiaâs use of drones to target civilian infrastructure. Ukrainian leader vows to deal with the drone threat as Ukrainian forces continue their push to retake Russian-occupied territory (Wall Street Journal) Biden calls the âprospect of Armageddonâ the highest since the Cuban missile crisis. (New York Times) Putin confronted by insider over Ukraine war, U.S. intelligence finds (Washington Post) World News South Korea, U.S. stage drills with aircraft carrier after North Korean missile launches (Reuters) U.S. forces kill senior ISIS leaders in Syria, officials say. A nighttime raid and a drone strike killed three men whose activities included recruiting fighters and plotting attacks, according to American and Syrian Kurdish officials. (New York Times) | | |
News Releases SL Chamber to recognize outstanding business & community leaders at annual meeting Utahâs business and community leaders will gather for the Salt Lake Chamberâs 135th Annual Meeting on October 7, 2022. Attendees will recognize Chamber volunteers and community leaders who have shown exemplary support over the past year by committing their time and abilities to advance the Chamberâs mission and bolster the business community. The event theme is âReignite in the City of Lightsâ as we enter a new era of prosperity, we look forward to reigniting our business community and recognize the past yearâs accomplishments. The awards ceremony will honor Chamber partners who have helped to support and lend their expertise to the organization. (Read More) The Utah Housing Preservation Fund receives $10M investment from American Express National Bank The Utah Housing Preservation Fund (UHPF) announced today that it had received a $10 million contribution from American Express National Bank. This investment will allow the UHPF to find and renovate housing to protect low- to moderate-income Utah residents by preserving an estimated 100-130 affordable housing units across the state. In an effort to ensure rental housing remains affordable for low- to moderate-income Utahns, the Utah Housing Preservation Fund relies on the generous contributions of investors and donors. Along with American Express National Bank, other investors include Miller Family Philanthropy, Clark and Christine Ivory Foundation, The State of Utah, Utah Non-Profit Housing Corp, Intermountain Healthcare, Zionâs Bank, and WCF Insurance. Businesses interested in supporting this cause can find more information at UHPF.org (Read More) Number of the Day | | |
Upcoming Why it Matters international conference â Oct 5-7, UVU, Register here ULCT Annual Convention â Oct 5-7, Salt Palace Convention Center, Register here UWLP Book Club: How Women Rise By Sally Helgesen & Marshall Goldsmith âOct. 6 & Nov. 10, 12:00pm-1:00pm or 7:30pm-8:30pm; Virtual, Register here One Utah Summit â Oct 11-13, Southern Utah University, Register here Breakfast Briefing: The New Look of Transportation in the 2020s with the Utah Foundation â Oct. 13, 8:30 am, Zions Bank Founders' Room, Register here Senate debate between Mike Lee and Evan McMullin â Oct. 17, 6 pm, at UVU Interim Days â Oct 18-20, le.utah.gov Effecting Societal Change for Child Sexual Abuse â Oct. 26, 8:00am-11:30am; Virtual and in-person at Saprea in Lehi, UT, Register here General election â Nov 8 Hacks to Help Women Maximize Income and Minimize Expenses âNov. 9, Noon-1:00pm; Virtual, Register here Biases, Barriers, & Barricades for Utah Women: A Solutions-Based Workshop with UWLP and the Policy Project, Nov. 15, 12:00 pm - 2:00 pm, Sandy, Register here Utah Foundationâs 2022 Annual Luncheon â Nov. 16, noon, Salt Lake Marriott Downtown at City Creek, Register here Utah Economic Outlook and Public Policy Summit with the Salt Lake Chamber â Jan. 12, 2023, Salt Lake City Marriott, 8 am - noon, Register here | | |
On This Day In History 1913 - Moving assembly line debuts at Ford factory in Michigan 1916 - Georgia Tech, coached by John Heisman, defeats Cumberland, 222-0; most lopsided score in the history of US college football. That just seems cruel. 1920 - Kathryn Clarenback is born. She was a founding member of the National Organization for Women and the executive director of the National Committee on the Observance of International Womenâs Year (1977). 1928 - Lorna Wing is born. Through her work as a psychiatrist, she brought a greater understanding of autism and its spectra. 1931 - Desmond Tutu is born. He became the Anglican Archbishop of South Africa and the 1984 Nobel Peace Prize winner. 1943 - Japanese execute nearly 100 American POWs on Wake Island 1949 - East Germany created 1952 - Vladimir Putin is born. Unhappy birthday to him. 1960 - Kennedy and Nixon debate Cold War foreign policy 1991 - Law professor Anita Hill accuses Supreme Court nominee Clarence Thomas of making sexually inappropriate comments to her 1993 - Toni Morrison is awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature, the first Black woman to earn the honor. 1998 - Matthew Shepard is brutally attacked, beaten, tied to a fence and left to die in Wyoming because he was gay 2001 - US-led attack on Afghanistan begins 2003 - Arnold Schwarzenegger becomes California governor after voters recalled Governor Gray Davis. 2016 - Washington Post releases videotape of Donald Trump boasting of groping and kissing women without consent Wise Words âIf you want peace, you don't talk to your friends. You talk to your enemies.â âArchbishop Desmond Tutu The Punny Side What did the janitor say when he jumped out of the closet? Supplies! | | |
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