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Sen. Mike Lee was tapped as Energy and Natural Resources chairman at the beginning of this year, taking over the powerful committee at a crucial time for Republicans, Cami Mondeaux reported.

Utah’s senior senator has big plans for the committee, particularly when it comes to issues such as public lands and permitting reform.

“A lot of our Western communities have managed public lands with unmatched expertise for generations and have been able to balance multiple interests from ranching, grazing, recreation and conservation,” Lee said. “We’ve achieved this despite sometimes hostile, overbearing federal policies that can distort that balance and threaten our way of life.”

What other key issues will Lee be navigating?

One of those issues includes intraparty disagreements over what to do with former President Joe Biden's signature Inflation Reduction Act.

Several Republicans, including Lee, would like to fully eliminate the IRA, while others would like to preserve specific parts of the legislation.

“I know there’s a wide range of opinions on this,” Lee said. “I think the minute you start trying to draw perimeter lines around certain projects, it‘s going to be very difficult to contain the damage.”

What else will Lee focus on as chairman?

Another focus of his time at the helm of the committee will be to rein in the power of the federal government and to minimize government overreach.

Trump’s small business czar defends tariff negotiations during Utah visit

During a tour of Davis Technical College, the head of President Donald Trump's Small Business Administration said that Trump understands the strain small businesses are facing because of tariffs.

She told reporter Brigham Tomco that the unpredictability of Trump’s economic policy is actually proof that his administration is prioritizing main street over Wall Street.

“We’ve already seen 75 countries at the negotiating table, already done two great deals, one with China, one with the U.K., and so we’re seeing President Trump’s entire agenda work for small businesses,” Kelly Loeffler said.

States like Utah have recognized the importance of technical education, a trend she said will continue as factories return to American soil.

The Small Business Administration saw an 80% increase in the number of loans taken out during Trump’s first 100 days, she said, a sign that businesses are confidently planning for the future.

Read more about small business.

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Utah

Rocky Mountain Power still investigating outages that left 14K customers without power (KSL.com)

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Even Utah — mostly-self-sufficient — relies on federal funds (Axios)

Last chance for Southern Utahns to weigh in on Endangered Species Act change (St George News)

UDOT: Contrast striping projects set to resume along regional highways (Daily Herald)

Health

Neurologist explains why Utah leads nation in stroke treatment time (KSL.com)

U.S. halts cattle imports from Mexico amid screwworm fears (Deseret News)

Antihistamines, masks and showers: How to manage seasonal allergies (The Guardian)

Faith

Antofagasta Chile Temple now open to the media, public prior to dedication (Church News)

Behind the surge of young men turning to religion (Fox News)

Politics

Trump drops sanctions on Syria and warns Iran during Middle East trip (Deseret News)

Protests erupt, arrests made at U.S. Capitol as Congress debates Medicaid cuts (Deseret News)

The Nation and the World

Overall inflation down in April but likely about to head the other direction (Deseret News)

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Sports

BYU names Brian Santiago as its new director of athletics (Deseret News)

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Here are the new names helping to organize Utah’s 2034 Winter Games (Deseret News)

Entertainment and Travel

Salt Lake City named one of the best travel destinations for this summer. Here’s why (Deseret News)

AMC will offer 50% off movie tickets on Wednesdays (Deseret News)