Firefighter injured while fighting Forsyth Fire; human-caused Monroe Canyon Fire grows to over 8,600 acres | | | 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 | July 17, 2025 It's Thursday and World Emoji Day 𥳠What you need to know Early this morning, the U.S. Senate approved the rescissions package that claws back $9 billion in already-approved spending. Most of it comes from cuts to foreign aid, then $1.1 billion will be cut from public broadcasting. The vote was 51-48, with GOP Sens. Collins and Murkowski voting against. The bill now goes back to the House for final approval by Friday at midnight. Rapid Relevance Latter-day Saint sites to include in your summer family vacation; firefighter injured while fighting Forsyth Fire; human-caused Monroe Canyon Fire grows to over 8,600 acres | | |
Utah Headlines Political news Readersâ Forum: Why two teens traveled to Kenya â and why weâre asking Utahns to watch our film (Deseret News) DNC and White House launch websites with competing narratives on the Trump tax bill (Deseret News) Utah Supreme Court case could redefine citizen power in Utah (Deseret News) President Eyring, Gov. Cox among dignitaries celebrating completion of University of Utahâs Applied Science Project (Deseret News) Sen. Curtis says D.C. shouldnât dictate âred linesâ for Ukraine attacks on Russia (Deseret News) Utah Supreme Court case could redefine citizen power in Utah (Deseret News) Municipal news Utah County OKs plans to bolster cooperation with immigration officials despite heavy opposition (KSL) Hate symbol and possible arson at Sanpete County Attorneyâs home (KSL TV) After public comments, Fairview City Council votes 4-1 to end operation of neighborhood motocross track by December 2025 (KSL TV) Salt Lake Cityâs Public Safety Plan could be better with support from state legislature, Mayor says (KSL Newsradio) Kane County braces for hit to tourism as wildfires cut off Grand Canyon access (KUTV) Irrigation line break damages American Fork homes, businesses (KUTV) Idaho mayor arrested for allegedly threatening City Council with gun during meeting (KSL) Utah Why did a giant sculpture of Elon Muskâs head show up at Utah national park? (Deseret News) Work set to begin on $3.7M reconstruction of Panguitch Lake Dam (Deseret News) Water main breaks surge across Wasatch Front (KUTV) Should Kane County ambulance service travel into Arizona? (Deseret News) Police: 'Nihilistic extremists' targeting young people in Utah (KSL) Forget what youâve heard about Utah drivers ... (Deseret News) Biz/Tech Investment in AI, energy ramps up under President Trump (Deseret News) Crime/Courts 2 men charged with kidnapping after allegedly interrogating a 'snitch' (KSL) Colorado woman charged in Lake Powell boating crash that severely injured teen (KSL) Death row inmate set for execution asks for clemency (KSL) âNo Kingsâ protest investigation is now in the hands of the DA (KSL Newsradio) Education Linking âeducationâ with âcompassionâ: Utah Valley University/Bingham Foundation opening free health clinic (Deseret News) Utah teachers, staff still waiting for promised bonuses months after announcement (Fox13) Faith Speaker Mike Johnson: The true meaning of the âseparation of church and stateâ (Deseret News) Family Perspective: Do babies belong with drug-addicted mothers? New Mexico has a change of heart (Deseret News) Christmas in July: How to budget now for holiday spending (Fox13) Health Wildfire smoke creating haze in some areas of Utah (Deseret News) Back ache? Arthritis? Studies hint that bees could take the sting out of chronic pain (Deseret News) Utah lawmakers outlawed fluoride in drinking water. Now a Utah dentist worries the FDA may ban childrenâs supplements. (Salt Lake Tribune) Housing Where are the most new homes being built in the U.S.? Utah? (Deseret News) A look inside the home insurance crisis that's walloping the West (Deseret News) Retiree renting grows by 50% in Salt Lake over last decade (KUTV) Stuck in the mud? What should homeowners caught in a mudslide do first? (Fox13) Families, kids most at risk of losing HUD housing with Trumpâs proposed time limits (AP) | | |
National Headlines General An Alaska tsunami warning had residents scrambling for high ground after 7.3 magnitude earthquake (AP) Some Australian dolphins use sponges to hunt fish, but itâs harder than it looks (AP) Political news Editorial Board: Trump's good decision to send arms to Ukraine (Deseret News) Bondi facing mounting criticism from the right, still backed by Trump (Deseret News) Trump, White House race to contain Epstein conspiracy fallout (Reuters) Trump slams his own supporters as 'weaklings' for falling for what he now calls the Epstein 'hoax' (AP) US DOJ fires federal prosecutor Maurene Comey, daughter of ex-FBI head James Comey (Reuters) Trump says heâs âhighly unlikelyâ to fire Fedâs Powell after floating that idea in private (AP) State Department layoffs affect key Trump priorities like intelligence, energy and China (AP) Trump officials halt âdangerousâ research, overriding NIH career scientists (Washington Post) Trump says Coca-Cola to switch to cane sugar in U.S. â just like Mexican Coke (Washington Post) Immigration/deportation Army veteran and US citizen arrested in California immigration raid warns it could happen to anyone (AP News) As Iran Deports a Million Afghans, âWhere Do We Even Go?â (New York Times) A refugee deported to Bhutan by the U.S. finds himself stranded and stateless (NPR) Trump's approval on immigration falls to lowest level of his term, Reuters/Ipsos poll finds (Reuters) Army veteran and US citizen arrested in California immigration raid warns it could happen to anyone (AP) Inside âAlligator Alcatraz,â detainees report relentless mosquitoes, limited water (Washington Post) Ukraine/Russia Zelenskiy aims to woo both public and Trump with fresh-faced Ukraine cabinet (Reuters) Russia attacks Ukraine with hundreds of drones, energy infrastructure hit (Reuters) Middle East Israel strikes Syria's capital, Damascus, pledging to defend Druze minorities (NPR) Another key ally quits Netanyahuâs governing coalition in a major blow to Israelâs leader (AP) World news Men who felled beloved Sycamore Gap tree are sentenced to more than 4 years in prison (NPR) New Details in Air India Crash Probe Shift Focus to Senior Pilot (Wall Street Journal) | | |
| | | News Releases Curtis talks Ukraine and Waltz with Jake Tapper U.S. Senator John Curtis (R-UT) appeared last night on CNNâs The Lead with Jake Tapper to discuss the Trump Administrationâs decision to sell military equipment to Ukraine, as well as the Senate Foreign Relations Committeeâs confirmation hearing for Michael Waltz as U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations. (Read More) | | |
Upcoming Aug 7 â Titan of Public Service gala with Sen. Tom Cotton hosted by the Orrin G. Hatch Foundation at the Grand America Hotel. More Information Here Aug 12 â Municipal primary Aug 19-21 â Interim Days Nov 4 â General election February 4-7, 2026 â Summit, with Silicon Slopes and Visit Salt Lake | | |
On This Day In History 1762 - Catherine II becomes Tsarina of Russia following the murder of Peter III. She will later be known as Catherine the Great. 1763 - John Jacob Astor is born in Germany. He made a fortune in furs in the American West, becoming the USâs first multi-millionaire after immigrating in 1793. 1790 - Adam Smith, Scottish economist (Wealth of Nations) and moral philosopher, dies at 67 1867 - 1st US dental school, Harvard School of Dental Medicine, established 1887 - Dorothea Dix, American pioneering nurse and social activist who created the first American mental asylums, dies at 85 1902 - Engineer and inventor, Willis Carrier designs the first modern air conditioner. It should be a national holiday. 1948 - US Air Force pilot Gail Halvorsen encounters children at Templehof Airport in Berlin during the Berlin Blockade, giving him the idea to drop candy in 'Operation Little Vittles' 1955 - Disneyland opens. 2009 - Walter Cronkite, American broadcast journalist and news anchor (CBS Evening News 1962-81), dies at 92 2020 - Congressman and civil rights icon John Lewis dies of pancreatic cancer at age 80. Quote of the Day "I believe race is too heavy a burden to carry into the 21st century. It's time to lay it down. We all came here in different ships, but now we're all in the same boat." â John Lewis On the Punny Side If you saw a heat wave, would you wave back? | | |
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