A pumpkin shortage because of drought, the "world's best cream puffs" coming to Utah, and stuck in a cavern 21 stories down... | | | 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 | Oct. 25, 2022 It's Tuesday and International Artists Day, held each year on Pablo Picasso's birthday. I enjoy many artistic styles but find prehistoric art particularly fascinating. Can you imagine what it was like, putting your child's hand on a cave wall and stenciling around it? Be in the Know The Utah legislative session is less than three months away and people are gearing up. Yesterday, I had the opportunity to meet with the Invest in Utah's Future coalition, a group of advocacy organizations working together to help legislators have a more complete picture of some of the complex needs in our state. From homelessness and affordable housing, to domestic violence, hunger, education and the health of Utah's children, Utah continues to have needs that go unmet. If the solution were easy, it would have already been done, as they say. It is encouraging to me, however, to see collaboration and cooperation on some of the state's thornier problems rather than the all-too-frequent siloing that so often occurs. Rapid Roundup Utahâs summer drought causes pumpkin shortage; âworldâs best cream puffsâ coming to Utah; actor Leslie Jordan from "Will & Grace" is dead at 67; a(nother) school shooting leaves 3 dead in St. Louis; 5 people were stranded 21 stories down at Grand Canyon Caverns as elevator malfunctions - it sounds worse than it is: there's a swanky, $1000/night hotel suite plus food service down there. Still..... | | |
| | | The Hinckley Report, PBS Utahâs weekly political roundtable, airs Fridays at 7 p.m. Hosted by Jason Perry and produced in partnership with the Hinckley Institute of Politics on the University of Utah campus, the program provides insight and analysis of the most pressing political issues facing our state. | | |
Utah Headlines General Which witch is which? A history of Salem witchcraft trials (Trivia: My 9th great-grandmother was Susannah North Martin, the 70-year old grandmother hung as a witch. She was outspoken and did not tolerate fools, traits that did not sit well with leaders of the day.) (Deseret News) Peter Reichard: Utah should grow into its gaps. Utahâs population continues to grow, but where? Infilling takes underutilized or vacant areas and develops them to optimize use (Deseret News) Historic Brigham Young Family Cemetery opens after renovation, rededication (Deseret News) Utah-based nonprofit organization for Ukraine shares need for cold weather clothing (KSL TV) Residents terrified as more than dozen shots ring out in northern Utah neighborhood (KUTV) Jail ordered for father who assaulted son over church mission refusal (Standard-Examiner) Elections Where Mike Lee, Evan McMullin stand on proposed national abortion ban (Deseret News) Why are polls sometimes different than election day results? (Deseret News) Candidate disqualified in Davis County House race for not submitting the proper paperwork (KSL) Itâs Utahâs most expensive race: Where is the money coming from? (KSL TV) Utah voters to decide Constitutional Amendment A, allowing the legislature more leeway with the money it spends during an emergency (KSL Newsradio) For just a paycheck or two, you could run to control elections in most Utah counties (Salt Lake Tribune) A quick Utah voters guide to the 2022 midterm election (KUER) Jennifer Yim: Utah voters have a say in who is a judge. Judicial Performance Evaluation Commission gives voters necessary information about their judges. (Salt Lake Tribune) Politics Gov. Spencer Cox hosts Town Hall meeting at BYU (Daily Universe) Social media, cable news âare getting us addicted to outrage,â Cox tells BYU students (KSL) Cox tackles immigration, housing and more in Latino Town Hall (KSL) Judge refuses to dismiss lawsuit challenging Utah Legislatureâs redistricting process. The League of Women Voters of Utah and Mormon Women for Ethical Government were among those suing, alleging Utahâs redistricting for federal congressional districts was âillegal gerrymandering.â (Salt Lake Tribune) County Executive David Zook appoints gas price task force (Cache Valley Daily) Did pioneer-era Latter-day Saints really split their congregations by party lines? Popular rumors about political divisions promote the false cultural script that Americans are equally divided and diametrically opposed â obscuring a richer history behind the politics of the West (Deseret News) Business High-speed rail in Utah? UTA says sure, if the moneyâs there (KUER) Education The nationâs report card shows the resounding effects of COVID-19. Online education during the pandemic leads to the steepest national math score decline ever, but âbright spotsâ shows signs of resiliency in reading (Deseret News) Utah student test scores declined during pandemic, but less than national peers (Deseret News) World-renowned Hmong shaman is preserving his culture through a masters degree at BYU (KSL) Wheelchair-bound Utah State student Sarah Frei struggles in car booting dispute (Fox13) USU looking for new Title IX coordinator (Herald Journal News) Students petition to improve the quality of menstrual products at USU (UPR) Environment Does the weekend snowstorm kick Utah off to a good water year? Will it help the drought, and is more on the way? (Deseret News) 'Bodies strewn all over the place': Why are wild horses being shot in southern Utah? (KSL) Great Salt Lake's only north-south opening modified to control salinity (UPR) Recycling plastic is practically impossible â and the problem is getting worse (NPR) Bug splatters on cars have plummeted. The explanation is surprising. (Washington Post) Family Restrictions on hunting and fishing licenses increase child support payments (UPR) Lost Boys. The internet is fertile ground for deadly racist ideology. Can parents protect their kids? (Deseret News) The digital family â co-gaming in the home. Board game nights have turned into video game nights, and side-by-side conversation paired with quality time makes for a stronger bond (Deseret News) Health HerediGene study investigates links between human genetics and disease (UPR) Men died from Covid-19 at much higher rate than women during the first year of the pandemic. Greatest difference between the genders was found in large central metropolitan areas, according to new federal report (Wall Street Journal) Housing The Westâs sharp housing market correction: Hereâs how fast home prices have fallen in 4 months (Deseret News) National Headlines General Uvalde school teacher says she is âsuffering mentallyâ after false blame during shooting aftermath (Deseret News) At 10, she speaks out for Uvaldeâs victims. But the girl she used to be is gone. (Washington Post) Prosecutor: Womenâs stories show Weinsteinâs predatory power (AP) NASA's UFO panel convenes to study unclassified sightings (Reuters) Adidas ends partnership with Ye over antisemitic remarks (AP) Social Security whistleblowers say they were sidelined for exposing fines. Two senior attorneys drew attention to a program leveling massive, unprecedented fees on poor and elderly people. (Washington Post) Elections The âEvan McMullin modelâ is headed to Arizona. In Arizona, independent congressional candidate Clint Smith is hoping to build a cross-party coalition to defeat Rep. Andy Biggs (Deseret News) Fla. Gov. DeSantis refuses to commit to serving full term (AP) Las Vegas at center of tight contests for Senate, governor (AP) Fearing a shellacking in the midterms, Democrats are rushing for a new message that acknowledges the pain of rising prices. (New York Times) The Latino vote shifted toward Republicans in 2020. Will it again? (Washington Post) Democrats growing anxious â again â over Black turnout (Politico) Politics Student loan debt plan temporarily blocked; administration confident it will move forward (Deseret News) Paul Krugman: The radicalization of rural America may be the demise of democracy (Salt Lake Tribune) Ukraine ðºð¦ Russia accused Ukraine of planning to bomb itself and blame it on Russia. (Deseret News) Where Russians retreated, Ukrainians find devastation (New York Times) Mercenary chief vented to Putin over Ukraine war bungling. Yevgeniy Prigozhin, the Russian tycoon behind the mercenary group Wagner, personally told Putin that his military chiefs are mismanaging the war, U.S. officials said (Washington Post) 'They took my big love': Ukraine woman searches for answers (AP) World News Rishi Sunak the next UK prime minister after months of turbulence (Reuters) Rishi Sunak promises to earn Britainâs trust in first speech as new leader (Washington Post) Chinaâs new guard bodes change for Beijingâs interaction with the West. Gone from the new leadership are the pro-market pragmatists who for decades helped pilot the countryâs integration into the global economy. (Wall Street Journal) | | |
News Releases USBE: Reading, math Scores drop, but Utah students fare better than most states The pandemic took its toll on fourth and eighth grade reading and mathematics results nationwide including Utah, but 2022 scores here did not fall as far mostly boosting Utahâs academic ranking among the states, according to data released today by the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), also known as the Nationâs Report Card. Utah received $900 million in federal emergency pandemic funding to help schools. While some of that funding went to health and physical safety spending because Utah chose to prioritize in-person learning, much of it went to addressing individual student learning needs to help accelerate our students or address learning gaps due to the pandemic, educational technology, afterschool and summer school programs, and student social and emotional supports, such as additional counselors and wellness rooms. (Read More) Salt Lake Chamber and State of Utah to host Utahâs second annual Business Diversity Summit The Salt Lake Chamber and State of Utah will host Utahâs Business Diversity Summit, part of the One Utah Summit Series, on October 28, 2022, at the Salt Lake Marriott Downtown at City Creek. Utahâs Business Diversity Summit will engage business and community leaders in efforts to create more diverse and inclusive workplaces. Keynote speakers, breakout sessions and agenda topics are targeted toward businesses with well-developed Diversity and Inclusion programs, as well as those businesses who want to engage on this critical topic. In addition, new to this yearâs Summit, local organizations that lead in equality, diversity and fairness will be honored. These organizations were nominated by community members and are leading actions to remove barriers, improve the working experience and engagement level of employees, and foster a sense of belonging where individuals can be their authentic selves and have a voice in the organization. (Read More) Number of the Day | | |
Upcoming Effecting Societal Change for Child Sexual Abuse â Oct. 26, 8:00am-11:30am; Virtual and in-person at Saprea in Lehi, UT, Register here "Love your enemies": An Evening with Arthur Brooks â Oct 27, 6:00 pm, UVU, Register here General election â Nov 8 Hacks to Help Women Maximize Income and Minimize Expenses âNov. 9, Noon-1:00pm; Virtual, Register here UWLP Book Club: How Women Rise By Sally Helgesen & Marshall Goldsmith â Nov. 10, 12:00pm-1:00pm or 7:30pm-8:30pm; Virtual, Register here Advancing Religious Freedom in a Divided America with Judge Thomas Griffith, hosted by Sutherland Institute and the Int'l Center for Law and Religion Studiesâ Nov. 15, 9:30 am - noon, More info here Biases, Barriers, & Barricades for Utah Women: A Solutions-Based Workshop with UWLP and the Policy Project, Nov. 15, 12:00 pm - 2:00 pm, Sandy, Register here Utah Foundationâs 2022 Annual Luncheon â Nov. 16, noon, Salt Lake Marriott Downtown at City Creek, Register here Utah Economic Outlook and Public Policy Summit with the Salt Lake Chamber â Jan. 12, 2023, Salt Lake City Marriott, 8 am - noon, Register here | | |
On This Day In History 1764 - John Adams marries Abigail Smith 1774 - Congress petitions English king to address grievances 1780 - John Hancock becomes the first Governor of Massachusetts 1853 - Native Americans attack transcontinental railroad survey crew in Utah 1854 - Charge of the Light Brigade 1881 - Pablo Picasso is born 1929 - Warren G Hardingâs Secretary of the Interior found guilty of accepting a bribe in the Teapot Dome scandal 1938 - American Archbishop of Dubuque (Iowa), Francis J. L. Beckman, denounces Swing music as "a degenerated musical system... turned loose to gnaw away at the moral fiber of young people", warning that it leads down a "primrose path to hell". 1939 - DuPont sold the first nylon stockings to its employees in Wilmington, DE before they were sold to consumers. 1955 - For the first time, home cooks could prepare a meal in a microwave oven designed for home use. At a cost of $1,295, Tappan brought the domestic microwave oven to the market. 1962 - US Ambassador to the UN Adlai Stevenson demands USSR UN rep Zorin answer regarding Cuban missile bases saying "I am prepared to wait for my answer until hell freezes over" 1973 - President Nixon vetoes War Powers Resolution 2000 - CBS agrees to pay $8 million to female employees who had been victims of sexual harassment and promotion discrimination 2018 - Sahle-Work Zewde becomes Ethiopia's first female President and Africa's only female head of state after being elected by parliament. Wise Words "All children are artists. The problem is how to remain an artist once he grows up.â âPablo Picasso The Punny Side Whatâs a witchâs favorite breakfast food? Scream of Wheat. | | |
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