| Provo School District on 2-hr delay; Navajo Code Talkers disappear from military websites; Israel shatters ceasefire, 400+ Palestinians killed .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 [email protected]. | | |
Situational Analysis | Mar. 18, 2025 It's Tuesday and National Sloppy Joe Day! Happy birthday to Rep. Ashlee Matthews! ð ð ð What you need to know - Utah Gov. Spencer Cox is encouraged by the Trump administrationâs aggressive actions to reduce the role of the Department of Education and âreturning power where it belongs: to states and local communities.â He wrote in a Washington Examiner op-ed that "Dismantling the Department of Education may sound bold. But it's also common sense."
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Utah Headlines Political news - Sen. John Curtis gives BYU students career advice, explains what good governance looks like (Deseret News)
- Sen. John Curtis: Federal layoffs a 'stop-the-car moment' for America (KSL)
- Education bills passed by the Utah Legislature this year (Deseret News)
- Burgess Owens: President Trump is delivering for Utah â and weâre just getting started (Deseret News)
- Jay Evensen: Wyoming senator Alan Simpson was simply too honest (Deseret News)
- Anti-collective bargaining bill petition signing party held in bill sponsor's neighborhood (KSL)
Utah - Former BYU basketball coach Roger Reid facing âa fight for his lifeâ (Deseret News)
- Utah is overdue for a big earthquake. Are we prepared? (Deseret News)
- 5 years since major jolt, Utah earthquake fears are rising, but they take a back seat to human-caused disasters (Salt Lake Tribune)
- Utah âless safeâ after new emergency alert system on âholdâ by Trump administration funding freeze (Salt Lake Tribune)
- Hill AFB begins large detonations at Utah Test and Training Range (Standard-Examiner)
Biz/Tech Crime/Courts - Hackers are stealing Utahnsâ food stamp benefits and reimbursement funds have run out (KSL TV)
- 5th judge recuses from former Utah fire chief's child sex abuse materials case (KUTV)
- Child exploitation case against former fire chief transferred to FBI over conflict of interest (ABC4)
- ATF announces reward of up to $5,000 for information in Provo construction site fire investigation (Daily Herald)
Culture/Community - Sandy City celebrates new sister city in Ukraine (ABC4)
Economy - Utah farmers, miners concerned about impact of Trump's pending tariffs on Canada (KUTV)
Education - K-12 - Timpview star â and BYU commit â Jane Hedengren just set national records in 2 different events (Deseret News)
- Utah teacher loses teaching position after making finals for âAmericaâs Favorite Teacherâ (KSL Newsradio)
Education - Higher - Details emerge of USU, WSU plans to trim spending in line with $60.5M budget cut (KSL Newsradio)
- With ongoing cuts, Weber State students being taught tough lesson (Fox13)
- Is the general education overhaul at USU an academic attack or a ârescue missionâ? (KUER)
- Voices: We teach at USU. SB334 is an attack on our academic freedom, and itâs bad for students. (Salt Lake Tribune)
Environment - Facing historically dry winter, this booming southern Utah county has yet to agree on water conservation plan (Salt Lake Tribune)
Health - Why doctors are giving some patients prescriptions for food (Deseret News)
Housing - Triple daily rent is a mandatory judgment in Utah. Lawmakers voted against making it optional. (Salt Lake Tribune)
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National Headlines General - Last surviving pilot from the Battle of Britain, John âPaddyâ Hemingway, dies at age 105 (AP)
- After an extended stay in space, NASA astronauts are flying home (Washington Post)
Political news - A massive budget bill is coming. Hereâs what Trump and congressional Republicans want to include (Deseret News)
- Conservatives criticize courts as Trump deports alleged Tren de Aragua members to El Salvador (Deseret News)
- 80,000 pages of unredacted JFK files coming Tuesday afternoon, Trump says (Deseret News)
- Presidents have used autopens for decades. Now Trump objects to Biden's use of one (AP)
- Trump faces court deadline to explain deportation of Venezuelans (Reuters)
- Exclusive: Gates warns White House he can't fill shortfalls in US global health funding (Reuters)
- Editorial Board: Trump, deportations and the law. He campaigned on deporting gang members, but he canât defy court orders. (Wall Street Journal)
- Amid âDEIâ purge, Pentagon removes webpage on Iwo Jima flag-raiser (Washington Post)
- White House says it will eliminate national monuments â then scrubs the announcement (The Hill)
- Bondi on continued deportation flights despite judgeâs order: âAbsolutelyâ (The Hill)
DOGE/Musk - Trump administration guts board of US Institute of Peace, an independent nonprofit. Group says DOGE arrives (AP)
- Top House Democrats are seeking DOGE details under the Freedom of Information Act (AP)
- New York Post says Musk is âway out of his laneâ in calling for impeachment of Judge Boasberg (The Hill)
Ukraine/Russia - Trump to hold call with Putin in test of deal-making strength (Reuters)
- Ukraine and Russia have conditions that could affect a ceasefire. What are they willing to concede? (AP)
Israel, Gaza, Syria - Israel consulted US on its strikes in Gaza, White House told Fox News (Reuters)
World news - Pelicot's daughter pursues conviction that he raped her, too (New York Times)
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Number of the Day 
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 | News Releases Utah Speaker, representatives reviewing 2025 legislative session at UVU After an historic legislative session, Utah Speaker of House Mike Schultz, Representative Val Peterson, and Representative Stephanie Gricius will address the Utah Valley community at a âLegislative Wrap-Upâ luncheon/panel with a Q&A discussion hosted by the Herbert Institute for Public Policy and the Utah Valley Chamber of Commerce. - Who: Speaker of the House Mike Schultz, Representative Val Peterson, and Representative Stephanie Gricius, with the Herbert Institute for Public Policy and the Utah Valley Chamber of Commerce
- When: Tuesday, March 18, 2025, 11:30 AM to 1:30 PM
- Where: Clarke Building (CB) 510/511, Utah Valley University, 800 W. University Pkwy, Orem UT, 84058
USBE invites educators to attend Personalized Competency-Based Learning Summit Educators across Utah will come together on March 27 to explore new ways to improve student learning through personalized, skills-based teaching methods. The Utah State Board of Educationâs Personalized Competency-Based Learning (PCBL) Summit will take place at the Davis Conference Center, offering teachers new strategies to tailor lessons to each studentâs needs. (Read More)
Gov. Cox signs four bills in the 2025 General Legislative Session Today, Gov. Cox signed four bills in the 2025 General Legislative Session. Information on these bills can be found below: - HB 441, Franchisee Protection Act
- SB 188, School District Modifications
- SB 279, High School Rodeo Amendments
- SB 282, Higher Education Hiring Amendments
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Tweet of the Day  | | |
Upcoming - Mar 18 â Legislative wrap-up, UVU, 11:30 am-12:30 pm
- Mar 22 â MWEG annual conference with plenary speaker Sharon Eubank, UVU, Register here
- Apr 7 âPillars of the Valley Elder Matthew S. and Paige Holland, with the Utah Valley Chamber of Commerce, 7:00-9:00 pm, Register here
- Apr 24 â Giant in Our City with the Salt Lake Chamber, 6:00-9:00 pm, Register here
- May 1 â High school writing contest deadline with The Rostra: Applying the wisdom of the past to the problems of today. More info here
- Aug 7 â Titan of Public Service, Sen. Tom Cotton, with the Orrin G. Hatch Foundation, Grand America Hotel
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On This Day In History - 1766 - After four months of widespread protest in America, the British Parliament repeals the Stamp Act.
- 1837 - Grover Cleveland is born. During his tenure as US President, he used his veto power 584 times.
- 1845 - Johnny Appleseed dies at age 70.
- 1852 - Henry Wells and William Fargo start their shipping and banking company.
- 1933 - Unita Blackwell is born in Lula, Mississippi. She was an American civil rights activist and the first black woman mayor elected in Mississippi.
- 1942 - US President Franklin D. Roosevelt signs Executive Order 9102, creating the War Relocation Authority, which was charged with overseeing the internment of Japanese Americans during World War II.
- 1964 - Bonnie Blair is born. A speed skater, she was one of the most successful Winter Olympians in U.S. history and a 5 time gold medalist.
- 1970 - Over 100 women stage a sit-in at Ladies Home Journal to protest the way the magazine depicted female interests and perspectives.
- 1995 - Michael Jordan unretires after a 17-month hiatus from the NBA
- 2018 - Vladimir Putin is elected to another six-year term (his fourth) as Russian President with only 76% of the vote.
- 2020 - 5.7 earthquake hits Salt Lake City
- 2024 - Putin wins another âelectionâ with 88% of the vote. Shocker.
Quote of the Day âWe should all dare to question. Dare to question political parties, presidents, local and state officials. This country was founded on the right to ask questions.â âUnita Blackwell
On the Punny Side Iâm not having much luck with jobs lately. I couldnât concentrate in the orange juice factory; wasnât suited to be a tailor; the muffler factory was just exhausting; couldnât cut it as barber; didnât fit in the shoe factory and I just couldnât see any future as a historian. | | |
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