Situational Analysis | August 2, 2021

Welcome to August, the only month without a federal holiday. It is National Back to School Month, National Crayon Collection Month, and National Brownies at Brunch Month, so there's that. 

Be in the Know

1. MyKayla Skinner, who thought she was going home from the Olympics without competing, got a silver medal in the individual vault finals after Simone Biles withdrew. Could there be a better way to end a career for the former University of Utah athlete??

2. Simone Biles will compete in one event: the balance beam finals. Her decision to compete was announced right before the floor exercise was to begin on Monday.

3. OK, does this really need to be said?? Don't hang hammocks from high-voltage power lines. Weber County authorities saw a couple of hammocks hanging high above the ground on a power line that can carry up to 75,000 kilovolts, an electric current that can easily kill a person. You don't have to touch the power lines to be shocked - the electricity can jump.

4. Utah's Hogle Zoo celebrated its 90th birthday yesterday. It began as a small attraction in Liberty Park in 1911, but found its permanent home in 1931 when the Hogle family donated a parcel of land at the mouth of Emigration Canyon. They are celebrating their birthday with special signage and 90th birthday merchandise in the gift shop. 

Utah Headlines

General

• See videos of the rainstorm that transformed Salt Lake City’s streets into rivers (Salt Lake Tribune)
• Mudslide forces closure of Big Cottonwood Canyon (KUTV)
• Link three
• Kat Dayton: Here & there: The ‘twisties’ are not good (St. George News)
• Do conservative voices have anything to do with the low Olympic ratings? Like everything else, there’s a partisan divide over the Tokyo Games. (Deseret News)

Politics

• Will party turmoil hurt Republicans in 2022? (Deseret News)
• Is Utah using all the Colorado River water it’s entitled to? New state agency wants to find out. The Colorado River Authority of Utah, formed by the 2021 Legislature, met for the first time Friday. (Salt Lake Tribune)
• Are Utah licensing laws unfair? Governor Cox wants to remove 'harmful' regulations. (Deseret News)
• Inside Utah Politics: Childhood hunger and the summer months (ABC4)
• The IUP Panel on the rise in COVID cases and new CDC guidelines (ABC4)
• John Curtis gives bipartisan Congressional Energy Storage Caucus a charge (Daily Herald)
• Political as Heck podcast: Covid Delta Variant, Abortion at the Supreme Court, Blake Moore Stock Trades

COVID Corner

• Delta spreads 'like wildfire' as doctors study whether it makes patients sicker (Reuters)
• C.D.C. Internal Report Calls Delta Variant as Contagious as Chickenpox (New York Times)
• The 98 symptoms of COVID-19, explained (Deseret News)
• Navajo Nation president says COVID cases are rising as people let their guard down (Salt Lake Tribune)
• Refugees pushed to back of the line amid vaccine shortages (AP)
• When will the summer coronavirus surge peak? It will get worse before it gets better, experts predict. (Washington Post)
• Fauci: 'I don't think we're going to see lockdowns' (Politico)

Drought/Wildfires/Heat

• July was the hottest month ever in Salt Lake City (KSL)

Education

• ‘Our job is to teach, and we get to do our job now’; New Iron County School District superintendent shares vision (St. George News)
• Why Utah school districts are struggling to keep the wheels on the bus going round and round (Deseret News)

Elections

• Open Ogden City Council seats draw a large contingent of hopefuls (Standard-Examiner)
• GOP senate candidate hoping to oust Mike Lee stops in St. George, touts ability to collaborate with others (St. George News)
• On Message with Marty Carpenter: Turning the aircraft carrier around (UTPOL Underground)

Family

• BYU study says being engaged with 'princess culture' can have long-term benefits for kids (KUER)

Housing

• Single-family home sales slow, condo sales skyrocket (Utah Business)

Legal

• Utah legislator Paul Ray says the law for justifying police use of deadly force is fine as is (KUER)

Local Communities

• Enoch comes together with community action in response to flooding (ABC4)

National Headlines

General

• Bacon may disappear in California as pig rules take effect (AP)
• Evictions expected to spike as pandemic moratorium end (AP)

Olympics

• Medal Count: US: 62, China: 61, ROC: 50, Britain: 34, Japan: 33
• Rhyan White wins Olympic medal with USA Swimming’s women’s 4x100 medley relay. The Herriman native swam in trials race that paved the way for Lydia Jacoby, Regan Smith, Torri Huske and Abbey Weitzell to claim silver (Salt Lake Tribune)
• US women lose in soccer, win in volleyball, basketball (ABC4)
• At an extraordinary Olympics, acts of kindness abound (AP)
• Athletics-'Can we have two golds?' - Barshim, Tamberi share high jump win (Reuters)
• Weightlifting-NZ's Hubbard becomes first transgender Olympian, but exits early (Reuters)
• Dominique Dawes: As a three-time Olympic gymnast, I applaud Simone Biles — and know the weight on her shoulders (Washington Post)

Politics

• It’s in and it’s big: Senate unveils $1T infrastructure bill (AP)
• Senate finishing crafting $1 trillion bipartisan infrastructure proposal, setting delicate debate in motion (Washington Post)
• Threats of violence spark fear of election worker exodus (The Hill)

Economy

• U.S. labor revival in doubt as Delta raises worries about 'back to school' (Reuters)
• Stock futures rise to start the month (Wall Street Journal)

Elections

• 2 House Races in Ohio Will Test Democratic Divisions and Trump’s Sway (New York Times)

Policy News

Sen. Romney speaks on floor after bipartisan infrastructure bill text finalized

The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act gives Utah a seat at the table, does not raise taxes or add to the debt

U.S. Senator Mitt Romney (R-UT) today spoke on the Senate floor ahead of the introduction of legislative text of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, bipartisan infrastructure legislation negotiated by U.S. Senator Mitt Romney (R-UT) and his colleagues. (Read More)

Owens co-sponsors legislation to deliver drought and wildfire relief

Rep. Burgess Owens (UT-04) announced his support for the WHIP+ Reauthorization Act, bipartisan legislation to reactivate the Wildfire and Hurricane Indemnity Program Plus (WHIP+) for all 2020 and 2021 natural disasters, including wildfires, drought, and excessive heat.

“Utah is one of the driest states in the nation, and this season of extreme drought and dangerous risk of wildfires is threatening livelihoods and generational family farms in the Fourth District,” said Rep. Owens. “I’m proud to join this bipartisan effort to deliver urgent relief to agriculture producers and farmers as they recover from this ongoing disaster and continue providing for their fellow Utahns.” (Read More)

Owens introduces bill to extend opportunity zones

Rep. Burgess Owens (UT-04) joined Reps. Michelle Steel (CA-48), María Salazar (FL-27), and Carlos Giménez (FL-26) to announce the introduction of the Growth and Opportunity Act, legislation to extend Opportunity Zones past their current expiration of 2026. Created by the Tax Cuts & Jobs Act of 2017, Opportunity Zones are an economic development tool that encourages private investment in distressed areas of the United States that have previously struggled to attract investors. (Read More)

Number of the Day

Upcoming

• Securing the American Dream: A conversation with Tim Scott presented by the Hatch Foundation – Aug 11 @ noon. Register here
• Utah Foundation Breakfast Briefing: Mental health in anxious times – Aug 26 @ 9 am. Register here
• Utah Foundation Annual Luncheon with Shaylyn Romney Garrett – Sept 23 @ 12 pm. Register here

On This Day In History

From History.com

• 1610 - During his quest to find the Northwest Passage, Henry Hudson’s ships sailed up a large river on the eastern shore of North America. The river and bay would eventually be named after him.
• 1754 - Pierre Charles L’Enfant is born. The central design for Washington D.C. was laid out by this French-American architect.
• 1776 - While delegates from the 13 colonies formally approved the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776, it wasn’t signed by the delegates until August 2nd. However, not all the delegates signed on that day. Many signed days later and some, not at all.
• 1834 - Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi is born. This French sculptor is best known for designing the Statue of Liberty. 
• 1865 - Lewis Carroll publishes "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland"
• 1909 - The United States Mint issues the first Lincoln penny to the public. On one side, the penny displayed the profile of President Abraham Lincoln along with the words “In God We Trust” and “Liberty” and the year 1909. On the flip side, two stalks of wheat graced the coin along with the phrase “E. Pluribus Unum” across the top and the words “ONE CENT” and “UNITED STATES OF AMERICA” in the center.
• 1923 - The 29th President of the United States, Warren G. Harding, dies of a heart attack.
• 1990 - Iraq invades Kuwait

Wise Words

“Would you tell me, please, which way I ought to go from here?"
"That depends a good deal on where you want to get to."
"I don't much care where –"
"Then it doesn't matter which way you go.”
― Lewis Carroll, Alice in Wonderland

Lighter Side

Daffynition: Olympiads — Commercials shown during the Summer and Winter Games.

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