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Situational Analysis - May 5, 2021

It's Wednesday and Cinco de Mayo, a holiday that celebrates the date of the Mexican army's May 5, 1862 victory over France at the Battle of Puebla during the Franco-Mexican War. (It's not Mexican Independence Day - that comes in September.) In any case, it's Tex-Mex for dinner at my house tonight. How about yours?

News you need to know

Thanos snapped his fingers or was it Tony Stark? In any case, Utah has arrived at the endgame for COVID-19 restrictions. They are now lifted except for schools, private businesses, UTAs buses and trains, state-owned facilities and Salt Lake County-owned facilities.
Wanna volunteer? SLC Corps is a new program launched yesterday through Mayor Erin Mendenhall's office focused on bringing volunteers together with community partners to meet community needs. Their first project is collecting kitchen suppliescollecting kitchen supplies to go with apartments for people who have been experiencing homelessness.
The US birthrate is down again, this time dropping to a new 42-year low. It's the sixth consecutive year birthrates have fallen. The general fertility rate is dropping as well and so is family size. We are now at 1.6 children per US woman, the lowest rate on record.
Liz Cheney is under fire and likely to lose her leadership seat. The Wall Street Journal editorial board weighed in and said that "Purging Liz Cheney for honesty would diminish the GOP. GOP leaders should not have to lie to keep their jobs." She does have at least one supporter, though: Senator Mitt Romney.

Countdown

52 days until the Utah Democratic party organizing convention (06/26/21)
129 days until half-way through the Cox/Henderson's administration's 500-day plan (09/11/2021)

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Today At Utah Policy

Guest opinion: Contempt, warmheartedness and booing Mitt Romney
By Elizabeth Hedengren
Sitting in the Maverick Center on Saturday, I marveled just to be with thousands of people under one roof after a year of social distancing. It was the Utah State Republican convention, and as an elected delegate from my neighborhood, I was there to help choose the next party state leadership team. So far, we had heard a bagpipe band play military anthems and a children's choir sing "One Little Voice." Following that tear-jerker were some great talks from the current party leadership and from the congressmen and senators serving in Washington. The theme of all the talks was the need for unity in the party, the need to listen to others, the need to work together, the need to be bipartisan, the need to leave anger and rancor behind. I was proud of my party.

Taylorsville student Joshua Johnson wins national PTA Reflections award
By Holly Richardson
Bennion Jr. High 7th-grader Joshua Johnson has been selected to receive the National Award of Outstanding Interpretation in the National PTA's Reflection program. Joshua is one of only seven students nationwide to receive the award. Each year more than 300,000 students in pre-K through 12th grade participate in the Reflections program by submitting works of visual, performing and literary art based on a national theme.

Utah Headlines

Deseret News

Hundreds of new Utah laws take effect Wednesday - what changes for you?
I'm gay and an atheist. Here's why I'm a champion of religious freedom compromise.
What is the 'religious left'? And what's it up to right now?
How to get Jason Chaffetz to sing 'Happy Birthday' to your mom. Well-known conservatives are popping up on Cameo, a kind of singing telegram for the digital age, where you can pay celebrities to make a personalized video.
Why free college tuition is a bad idea. The Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget estimates this portion of Biden's American Families Plan would cost $109 billion.
What first lady Jill Biden will be doing in Utah. She will be thanking teachers and encouraging Utahns, especially the Hispanic community, to get vaccinated.

Salt Lake Tribune

Salt Lake City's proposed budget includes support for policing, affordable housing and a new park. Here are the highlights.
If you want to volunteer but aren't sure where, Salt Lake City can help. The brand-new SLC Corps will connect volunteers with local organizations that need an extra hand.
What may move in when Draper prison moves out? How about a central park and housing - lots of it? Newly unveiled plans also show world-class offices, stores, schools, entertainment venues, trails and a Jordan River Community Park.
This Salt Lake City group is making vegan, plant-based meals for the homeless. People experiencing homelessness are more likely to have inadequate nutrition and eat fewer meals than the wider population.

Other Utah News Sources

Governor responds to criticism over state losing track of its parolees (KUTV)
'I had to do a double take': New numbers show record 27% spike in Utah housing prices (KUTV)
WATCH: Pandemonium at Granite school board meeting over K-12 mask order (KUTV)
Weber County GOPers to consider Romney censure resolution at convention this Saturday. The sponsor of the resolution is also running for chair. (Standard-Examiner)
State defends Weber State in sexual harassment case, blames professor accused of misconduct (Standard-Examiner)
Utah farmers forced to slash crops as drought struggles set in (Fox13)
Final Utah National Guard troops return home from Afghanistan (Fox13)
Utah's Rep. John Curtis says he wouldn't have voted to censure Romney (Daily Herald)
Provo takes a wait-and-see approach to ranked-choice voting, voting 5-2 against the pilot option. (Daily Herald)

COVID Corner

Most state, local health orders end as Utah reaches COVID-19 pandemic 'endgame' goals (Deseret News)
Utah no longer has any COVID-19 restrictions on businesses or residents, except for schools (Salt Lake Tribune)
More than 1.3 million Utahns have gotten at least one COVID-19 shot. The state also reports 13 more coronavirus-related deaths, four of them under the age of 45 (Salt Lake Tribune)
'I used to like school': An 11-year-old's struggle with pandemic learning. Without home internet, Jordyn Coleman has had trouble staying connected to remote classes during the coronavirus pandemic. (New York Times)
WTO mulling intellectual property waivers for vaccines (AP)
Biden aims to vaccinate 70% of American adults by July 4 (AP)
He faked a covid-19 certificate to fly to Argentina, officials say. He was infected all along. (Washington Post)
India posts record daily COVID-19 deaths, delegates test positive at G7 meet (Reuters)
As Covid Ravages Poorer Countries, Rich Nations Spring Back to Life. Despite early vows, the developed world has done little to promote global vaccination, in what analysts call both a moral and epidemiological failure. (New York Times)

National Headlines

How two Black CEOs got corporate America to pay attention to voting rights (Washington Post)
Births in U.S. Drop to Levels Not Seen Since 1979 (Wall Street Journal)
The U.S. Birthrate Has Dropped Again. The Pandemic May Be Accelerating the Decline. (New York Times)
Can the Biden Agenda Fix Middle America's Deepest Problem? One key economic goal is to create the virtuous cycles of innovation and jobs that already occur in many coastal cities. (New York Times)
If Bill and Melinda Gates can't make a marriage work, what hope is there for the rest of us? (Washington Post)
'We do need to be careful': Cindy McCain cautions Republicans as GOP considers Liz Cheney replacement (CNN)
No. 2 House Republican backs Elise Stefanik to replace Liz Cheney (Axios)
Judge Says Barr Misled on How His Justice Dept. Viewed Trump's Actions (New York Times)
Why Democratic Departures From the House Have Republicans Salivating (New York Times)
Constitutional Challenges Loom Over Proposed Voting Bill
Democrats prepare for all-in Florida fight against rising GOP star Ron DeSantis (Washington Post)
Are the Bidens giants? Are the Carters tiny? Or are our eyes failing us? (Washington Post)
The Pentagon wants to take a harder line on domestic extremism. How far can it go? (Washington Post)
Derek Chauvin's attorney requests new trial, saying there was jury misconduct (Deseret News)
Earmark intrigue splits Senate Republicans. At least six Senate Republicans plan to submit earmark requests despite a longstanding ban, and more than a dozen others are still considering it. (Politico)
Democrats fret over Biden spending, worrying the steep price tag could cost the party in the 2022 midterm elections. (The Hill)

Policy News

Medical cannabis now available at Pure Utah in Payson
Today, Pure Utah unveiled Utah's southernmost state-of-the-art medical cannabis pharmacy in Payson, Utah with a ribbon cutting ceremony and open house event. The locally flavored pharmacy opened to the public Friday, April 30, 2021.

United Utah Party condemns the treatment of Senator Romney at Utah's GOP Convention
The United Utah Party calls for greater inclusion and increased civility in Utah politics and has issued the following statement:

Romney, Colleagues Introduce Bipartisan, Bicameral Bill to Support Computer Science Educators
U.S. Senators Mitt Romney (R-UT), Jacky Rosen (D-NV), Roger Wicker (R-MS), and Maggie Hassan (D-NH), announced the re-introduction of their Teacher Education for Computer Science Act (Teach CS) Act. This bipartisan legislation would support teacher training and schools in educating students in the area of computer science. The senators first introduced the bipartisan Teach CS Act last Congress.

Lee, Buck Question Amazon's Influence on JEDI Contract Procurement Process
Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) and Rep. Ken Buck (R-CO) today sent letters to Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos, Attorney General Merrick Garland, and the Acting Inspector General of the Department of Defense Sean O'Donnell regarding whether Amazon violated antitrust or ethics laws by attempting to influence the procurement process for the Joint Enterprise Defense Infrastructure ("JEDI") contract for cloud computing services for the Department of Defense. A potential 10-year, $10 billion contract to support warfighter operations across the department, it is the largest government cloud contract to a single contractor in history.

Gov. Cox taps Kathy Bounous as general counsel
Gov. Spencer J. Cox has appointed Kathy Bounous to serve as general counsel for the governor. "I'm impressed with Kathy's legal thinking, her outstanding experience as general counsel and her firm commitment to public service," Gov. Cox said. "Her legislative experience and sound advice and counsel will serve her well in this new role, and I'm excited to have her join our executive team."

Business Headlines

Tech Sees Bigger Opportunity In Utah - If The State Works On Its Image (NPR)
Dogecoin reaches an all-time high because it joined a new app called eToro (Deseret News
Cache Valley restaurants struggle to find staff amid business boom (Herald Journal)
As Cars Go Electric, China Builds a Big Lead in Factories. Fueled with money from Wall Street and local officials, automakers plan to build eight million electric cars a year there, more than Europe and North America combined. (New York Times)
3 Ways to Address Zoom Burnout (New York Times)
Microsoft to fully remove Adobe Flash from Windows 10 in July (The Verge)
Snapchat Can Be Sued For Role In Fatal Car Crash, Court Rules (NPR)
Basecamp CEO apologizes to staff in new post: 'We have a lot to learn' (The Verge)
Instagram will now let you auto-caption Stories with just a sticker (The Verge)

On This Day In History

(From History.com)

1809 - Mary Kies becomes the first woman to receive a US patent for her method of weaving straw with silk to create women's hats.

1813 - Soren Kierkegaard, Danish philosopher, is born in Copenhagen, Denmark

1818 - Karl Marx is born.

1821 - Napoleon dies in exile on Saint Helena.

1862 - An outnumbered Mexican army defeats a powerful French army at the Battle of Puebla, giving us the Cinco de Mayo celebration.

1864 - Elizabeth Seaman, aka Nellie Bly is born. She became an investigative journalist who wrote an expose of mental asylums in 1887. She also set a record for circling the world in 72 days in 1890.

1938 - Dr. Dorothy H. Andersen presents results of her medical research identifying the disease cystic fibrosis at a meeting of the American Pediatric Association.

1961 - Alan Shepard becomes the first American in space.

Wise Words

"Once you label me, you negate me."

~Soren Kierkegaard

Lighter Side

A poodle and a collie are walking together when the poodle suddenly unloads on his friend. "My life is a mess," he says. "My owner is mean, my girlfriend ran away with a schnauzer, and I'm as jittery as a cat."

"Why don't you go see a psychiatrist?" suggests the collie.

"I can't," says the poodle. "I'm not allowed on the couch."

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