Utah Headlines

Legislative session

• How Utah lawmakers applied federalism in legislation passed this session (Deseret News)
• Longer prison sentences, new parental rights, immigration changes — and, yes, it’s ‘Utahns’ — after 2025 session (Deseret News)
• Utah's legislative session has come to an end. Here's what your lawmakers did (KSL)
• State lawmaker leaves GOP for Forward Party on last day of session (Deseret News)
• What Gov. Cox said about the 2025 legislative session (Deseret News)
• Stand Up for Science’ rally at state Capitol champions research, endeavor (Deseret News)
• Watch: Everything to know about the 2025 Utah legislative session explained in one video (Salt Lake Tribune)
• ‘It’s ugly, but it works’: How the Legislature will change Utahns’ lives this year (Salt Lake Tribune)
• What the Utah State Legislature did to your life (Fox13)
• Final week of the 2025 legislative session (Hinckley Report)
• Even outta sync, Utah passed 582 bills this sesh (State Street podcast)
• Passes & fails from Utah’s 2025 legislative session (KUER)

Budget

• 5 ways Utah lawmakers will spend taxpayer dollars next year (Deseret News)

Business & Labor

• Utah becomes the fourth state to pass legislation protecting kids featured in social media content (Deseret News)

Criminal Justice

• Gov. Cox thinks there’s a smarter way to be tough on crime as prison sentences set to go up in Utah (Deseret News)

Education

• What really happened with the bill banning collective bargaining? (Deseret News)

Government Operations

• Bill moving Utah State Auditor’s office staff from Capitol building won’t advance this session (Deseret News)
• Utah governor likely to sign legislation phasing out universal mail ballots (AP)

Health & Human Services

• Utah declares war on human trafficking with new legislation (Deseret News)
• Efforts to help Utah women fleeing violence could fold as lawmakers slash millions in funding (Salt Lake Tribune)

Housing

• Did the 2025 Legislature do enough for housing affordability in Utah? (Deseret News) 

Other Utah News

Politics

• Sen. John Curtis pressures Latin American countries to cut Hezbollah ties in bipartisan bill (Deseret News)
• Opinion: Opportunities for IRS effectiveness and efficiency exist, but won’t be achieved through nonstrategic contraction (Deseret News)

Utah

• SLCC unveils massive mural made by around 300 artists, featuring more than 350 women (KSL)
• Monticello’s Farm Service Agency office is on DOGE’s list, worrying rural Utahns (KUER)

Biz/Tech

• Week of turmoil: Trump tariff tumult sows uncertainty for U.S. businesses (Deseret News) 
• Stock futures fall as Trump declines to rule out recession (Wall Street Journal)

Crime/Courts

• Box Elder judge arrested, accused of sexually enticing minors on chat app (KSL) 

Economic Development

• Opinion: Why Utah needs its tax-exempt municipal bonds now more than ever (Deseret News)

Education

• BYU students devise parasite detector for beehives (KSL)
• Increased police presence planned for Mt. Nebo Middle School on Monday (KUTV)
• Being a teen is hard. Ogden High knows being a teen who’s new to the US is harder (KUER)

Energy

• A. Scott Anderson, Derek B. Miller and Christian Gardner: Making the case for a strong, stable energy policy (Deseret News)

Environment/Outdoors

• Little Cottonwood Canyon area homeowners sue UDOT over gondola project (Deseret News)
• Utahraptor State Park nears grand opening as final details take shape (The Times-Independent)
• Records dating back to 1800s show southern Utah is drier than it's ever been (Fox13)
• Mighty indeed: Capitol Reef has a record 2024, Zion is now America’s No. 2 park (KUER)

Family

• Perspective: What would happen if all 262 million American adults connected personally with their family heritage? (Deseret News)
• Uniting the human family through its shared heritage (Deseret News) 

Health

• Republican Medicaid cuts could shutter rural hospitals, maternity care (Washington Post)
• The hidden danger of measles and 'immune amnesia' (Deseret News)
• Hundreds learn cutting-edge research at UVU’s Autism Conference (Daily Herald)

Housing

• Here's how a group of UVU students is addressing Wasatch County's affordable housing crisis (KSL)

National Headlines

General

• Watch the moon turn red during a total lunar eclipse in March (AP)
• Secret Service shoots armed man near White House (Reuters)
• Gene Hackman died at home a week after wife Betsy Arakawa died from hantavirus, authorities say (AP)
• Palestinian protester arrested by ICE despite green card, lawyer says. Rubio says green card will be revoked (Washington Post)

Political news

• Republicans can only lose 1 vote to avoid government shutdown — can they stick together? (Deseret News)
• Top US health agency makes $25,000 buyout offer to most of its employees (AP)
• Drawing huge crowds, Bernie Sanders steps into leadership of the anti-Trump resistance (AP)
• HHS grants DOGE access to child support database, overriding objections (Washington Post)
• Trump’s Justice Dept. ousts national security officials in latest purge (Washington Post)
• Republicans worry Trump’s tariffs could harm economy (The Hill)
• Pence whacks Trump’s tariffs (Politico)
• Johnson looks to pass stopgap as government shutdown deadline looms (The Hill)

Ukraine and Russia

• Zelensky set to meet with Saudi Crown Prince before U.S.-Ukraine talks (New York Times)
• Fox host asks Trump whether he is ‘comfortable’ that ‘Ukraine may not survive.’ “Well, it may not survive anyway,” Trump replied. (The Hill)

Israel, Gaza, Syria

• Israel draws up new war plans to pressure Hamas (Wall Street Journal)
• 2 days of clashes and revenge killings in Syria leave more than 1,000 people dead (AP)
• Israeli energy minister cuts off electricity to Gaza (New York Times)

World news

• Mark Carney, crisis-fighting central banker, to lead Canada through US trade war (Reuters)
• Differences should be source of strength not problems, King Charles says (Reuters)

Number of the Day 

Guest opinion: Public lands are finally on the agenda again. Now it’s time for Congress to step up

by Dallin Bundy

With President Trump returning to the White House, a flurry of executive orders and changes have been implemented, including the declaration of a “National Energy Emergency” that will likely cut red tape for energy projects in Utah.

As a proud Utahn from St. George and the head of College Republicans at Brigham Young University, I am sympathetic to the renewed efforts to adjust policies regarding energy and public lands in the West, especially as we are faced with unprecedented levels of growth. 

I believe a true balance between increasing demand and protecting our beautiful state can be achieved through greater local input and management.

But while President Trump’s new directives may help speed up permitting and boost growth in Southern Utah, reform in the executive branch can and should only get us so far. The federal government owns 65% of Utah’s land – 75% in Washington County – and most of the policies making growth difficult for Utah’s public land communities can only be changed through Congress. Our representatives in Congress must, therefore, work double time in the House and Senate to pass lasting legislative reforms.   (Read More)

News Releases

Tweet of the Day

Upcoming

• Mar 15 — Utah Women Run annual training, 8:00 am - 2:30 pm, Hinckley Institute of Politics, Register here
• Mar 22 — MWEG annual conference with plenary speaker Sharon Eubank, UVU, Register here
• Apr 24 — Giant in Our City with the Salt Lake Chamber, 6:00-9:00 pm, Register here
• May 1 — High school writing contest deadline with The Rostra: Applying the wisdom of the past to the problems of today. More info here
• Aug 7 — Titan of Public Service, Sen. Tom Cotton, with the Orrin G. Hatch Foundation, Grand America Hotel

On This Day In History 

• 1452 - Ferdinand II of Aragon is born. He and his wife Isabella funded Columbus’ journey in 1492.
• 1876 - The first discernible speech is transmitted over a telephone system when inventor Alexander Graham Bell summons his assistant in another room by saying, “Mr. Watson, come here; I want you.”
• 1913 - Harriet Tubman dies of pneumonia at about age 91. She earned the nickname “Moses” for her role as a conductor on the Underground Railroad. During the American Civil War, Tubman volunteered as a cook and nurse but quickly became a scout and spy for the Union. In this role, she freed hundreds of slaves. She was buried with military honors at Fort Hill Cemetery in Auburn.
• 1940 - Chuck Norris is born. I hear it was the doctor who cried.
• 1959 - Tibetans surround the summer palace of the Dalai Lama in defiance of Chinese occupation forces.
• 1969 - James Earl Ray pleads guilty to killing Martin Luther King, Jr.
• 1972 - 3000 delegates and 5000 observers attend the first Black political convention in Gary, Indiana.
• 1982 - President Ronald Reagan declares sanctions against Libya.
• 1997 - The PalmPilot is released.

Quote of the Day

"There cannot be a crisis next week. My schedule is already full."

—Henry Kissinger

On the Punny Side

Whoever came up with the word "dentures" really missed the opportunity to call them "substitooths"

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