National Ugly Christmas Sweater Day; Harvard names first Black president; 13,000+ docs released re: JFK's assassination | | | 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 | Dec. 16, 2022 Good Friday morning to you! Are you watching Avatar: The Way of Water this weekend? I am! Also, today is National Ugly Christmas Sweater Day. Party party! A very Happy early Hanukkah to our Jewish friends. Hanukkah begins Sunday night and lasts for 8 days. Be in the Know A lot is happening in D.C. right now as Congress tries to finish things up before the 117th Congress wraps up. Yesterday, the Senate voted 71-19 to pass a one-week continuing resolution to fund the government. The Senate also passed the 2023 NDAA, authorizing and directing $858 billion in defense and military spending. Retail sales fell 0.6% in November, the largest decline this year. The Dow Jones Industrial average fell more than 750 points on recession fears. The Labor Department also reported that initial jobless claimsâa proxy for layoffsâfell by 20,000 week-over-week to a seasonally adjusted 210,000 last week, remaining near historic lows and indicating the labor market remains tight. Thousands of files related to the JFK assassination went online yesterday. Some 13,173 documents were posted by the National Archives and Records Administration. Harvard University named Claudine Gay, the school's dean of Faculty Arts and Sciences, as its 30th president, the first Black person and only the second woman to ever hold the job. She will take office just as the university faces a Supreme Court decision on affirmative action. Rapid Roundup A PhD student at Cambridge solved a 2500-year-old Sanskrit problem; outgoing Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker will become the new NCAA president; COVID is on the rise again - get 4 more free test kits delivered to your door; copper theft from substation leaves thousands in Sandy without power (!!); and after 78 years, the remains a WWII airman who crashed in the Himalayas returned home to Provo. Holiday Service Opportunities If you know of opportunities I've missed, please send them to me for inclusion here Utah charities make urgent plea for donations before Christmas (KSL) 'Light the World' giving machines Meals on Wheels (year-round) Sub for Santa Just Serve - a plenitude of opportunities await Angel Trees Quarters for Christmas The link between happiness and charitable giving (Deseret News) Fundraiser helps pay off West Jordan school's lunch debts (Fox13) | | |
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Utah Headlines General Former Deseret News editor John Hughes dies at 92. Hughes won a Pulitzer Prize for reporting on the collapse of the Sukarno regime in Indonesia (Deseret News) The power of kindness might surprise you. Studies show that acts of kindness are contagious. They give recipients and warmth that makes them want to do nice things for others (Deseret News) Firefighter did âall that I could doâ to save skier after avalanche in Neffâs Canyon. Tom Elbrecht gave skier his coats and granola bar and stayed with him for eight hours as search and rescue team wrangled with danger of more slides. (Salt Lake Tribune) Utah companies gift $20,000 in toys to children at Primary Childrenâs Hospital (ABC4) Politics Should TikTok be banned in the United States? Utah Sen. Mike Lee says the idea of stopping the social media app from operating in U.S. worth considering (Deseret News) Will more Utah tax cuts help with inflation? Gov. Cox says yes (KSL) Gov. Cox calls 2023 "Year of the Teacher" (UPR) Business More layoffs in Utah's tech industry as Pluralsight announces cutbacks (KUTV) âI just criedâ: recent layoffs could signal the Utah tech boom is tapering (KUER) Why companies do layoffs around Christmas. December is often the second-highest month for job cuts. January is worse. (Wall Street Journal) Culture A place at the table. How one rabbi is bridging the partisan divide (Deseret News) The top trending recipe in Salt Lake City is ... blueberry compote? (Deseret News) Education Cox open to school vouchers if lawmakers cough up enough cash for public education (KUTV) Machelle Maxwell: This library is a safe space. This librarianâs library is more than book shelves; it is a place to connect, play, learn and recharge (Deseret News) Parents urged to attend training as state, school districts ramp up suicide prevention (KUTV) New West High School in Salt Lake could improve security efforts (KUTV) Environment Governor welcomes snow but says state has 'a long ways to go' to beat drought (KUTV) Shipwrecks revealed in shrinking Great Salt Lake (Deseret News) Some of America's biggest vegetable growers fought for water. Then the water ran out (NPR) Family What we can do about the dramatic rise in teenage marijuana use (Deseret News) Housing Despite lack of shelter, Provo community does what they can for those experiencing homelessness (Fox13) People want affordable housing, and Utahâs governor wants the Legislature to fund it (KUER) Tech âCandid Storiesâ â Instagramâs take on the viral BeReal app (Deseret News) National Headlines General Trumpâs âmajor announcementâ? $99 NFTs for Christmas. âWould make a great Christmas gift. Donât wait,â Trump said in the post. âThey will be gone, I believe, very quickly!â (Deseret News) Twitter suspends several journalists who shared information about Musk's jet (NPR) How a viral siege is making some people sick for weeks, even months. Itâs like âa big bomb of viruses went off,â said pediatrician treating kids with flu, RSV, strep and covid. (Washington Post) She testified to Congress about being sexually assaulted. Now she's being sued. (Politico) Politics The IRS wants to know if you earn more than $600 on Venmo (Deseret News) US judge blocks Biden bid to end âRemain in Mexicoâ policy (AP) Congress votes to remove a bust of the Dred Scott decision's author from the Capitol (AP) House Democrats introduce legislation to bar Trump from office under 14th Amendment (The Hill) Ukraine ðºð¦ Russia launches another major missile attack on Ukraine (AP) Russian missile strikes knock out heating systems in towns and cities amid freezing temperatures. (New York Times) âWe are fed upâ: Anger boils over in Kyiv after another wave of missiles. (New York Times) âWiped outâ: War in Ukraine has decimated a once feared Russian brigade. The bloody fate of the 200th Separate Motor Rifle Brigade is emblematic of Vladimir Putinâs derailed invasion plans (Washington Post) The death of an 8-year-old boy stokes anger over explosives left behind where Russia has withdrawn. (New York Times) World News Peru declares state of emergency in response to protests (Deseret News) Huge Berlin aquarium bursts, spilling 1,500 fish onto road (Reuters) | | |
News Releases Senate passes defense bill with Romney measures to counter China, save the Great Salt Lake, and assist Utahns U.S. Senator Mitt Romney (R-UT) today applauded Senate passage of the James M. Inhofe National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2023 which authorizes funding for our national defense and critical security priorities, ensuring our troops have the resources they need. The NDAA also includes significant provisions Romney fought for, including his Great Salt Lake Recovery Act, a measure that bolsters his efforts to open a passport agency in Salt Lake City, and his legislation to develop a strategy to recycle and recover critical minerals from batteries used in the federal electric vehicle fleet. The NDAA also includes Romneyâs efforts to strengthen global health security, support Taiwan, and counter Chinaâs efforts to become the worldâs superpower. (Read More) Senate passes defense bill with Romney measures to counter China, save the Great Salt Lake, and assist Utahns U.S. Senator Mitt Romney (R-UT) today applauded Senate passage of the James M. Inhofe National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2023 which authorizes funding for our national defense and critical security priorities, ensuring our troops have the resources they need. The NDAA also includes significant provisions Romney fought for, including his Great Salt Lake Recovery Act, a measure that bolsters his efforts to open a passport agency in Salt Lake City, and his legislation to develop a strategy to recycle and recover critical minerals from batteries used in the federal electric vehicle fleet. The NDAA also includes Romneyâs efforts to strengthen global health security, support Taiwan, and counter Chinaâs efforts to become the worldâs superpower. (Read More) State Auditor completes audit of the State of Utahâs 2022 Annual Comprehensive Financial Report The State of Utahâs (State) Division of Finance completed the Stateâs Annual Comprehensive Financial Report (ACFR) for the fiscal year ended on June 30, 2022. The Office of the State Auditor (Office) has audited the ACFR and issued its audit opinion which is contained within the ACFR. The Office appreciates the Division of Financeâs professionalism and hard work in completing the ACFR and facilitating the Officeâs audit work. As of June 30, 2022, long-term liabilities for the Stateâs governmental activities was $2.98 billion. The Stateâs business-type activities reported $396 million in long-term liabilities, while the Stateâs component units had $5.92 billion in long-term liabilities. (Read More) USBE: Public comment sought on updates to Humanities, Professional and Technical Communication supplemental standards The Utah State Board of Education (USBE) is seeking public comment on drafts of the stateâs English language arts new supplemental standards for Humanities and Professional and Technical Communication. Comments will be accepted through January 13, 2023. (Read More) New Utah Foundation Misery Index compares state to neighbors and U.S. Today, the Utah Foundation released The 2022 Utah Misery Index: A Glimpse into the Fiscal Measures of Happiness. The report uses an index of financial âmiseryâ to compare Utah to neighboring states, the U.S., and the world. Utah Foundation President Shawn Teigen notes that the topic of financial âmiseryâ is certainly a downer during this holiday season. âHowever, the flip side of misery is happiness,â Teigen said. âOur survey work of Utahnsâ quality of life suggests that increasing financial happiness would go a long way toward improving our overall quality of life during the holidays and beyond.â (Read More) | | |
Tweet of the Day Congrats, Senator Blouin! | | |
Upcoming 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 Legislative session begins, Jan. 17, 2023, le.utah.gov | | |
On This Day In History 1773 - Disguised as Mohawk Indians, a group of colonists board three British ships and dump 342 chests of tea into the Boston harbor. 1775 - Jane Austen is born. 1901 - Margaret Mead is born. She became a renowned cultural anthropologist, author, lecturer and for 28 years, the curator at the Museum of Natural History 1907 - As a gesture of the US's new presence as a world power, President Theodore Roosevelt sends the 'Great White Fleet' on a two-year, round-the-world voyage 1924 - Hiram Bingham, the first white man to see Machu Picchu, is elected to serve in the US Senate - after serving as the governor of Connecticut for just one day. 1944 - The Battle of the Bulge begins, the last major German offensive of WWII 1950 - President Truman declares state of emergency over Korean War 1953 - First White House Press Conference is held with President Eisenhower & 161 reporters 1980 - Colonel Harland Sanders, founder of Kentucky Fried Chicken, dies at 90 1998 - President Bill Clinton orders air strikes against Iraq 2009 - The blockbuster sci-fi film âAvatarâ opens in theaters Wise Words âNever ever depend on governments or institutions to solve any major problems. All social change comes from the passion of individuals.â
â Margaret Mead On the Punny Side What goes âOh, Oh, Ohâ? Santa walking backward! | | |
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