F-35 crashes by Hill AFB; Evan McMullin and Senate committees; Liz Truss resigns; weekly jobless claims fall; and the Jazz win! | | | 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. 20, 2022 It's Thursday and National Chicken and Waffles Day. I don't really see the appeal, but hey - to each their own. Be in the Know Senator Gene Davis was removed from his committee assignments yesterday, after an independent investigation found that he "more likely than not" violated Senate harassment policies in his interactions with a former intern. He will step down after the next interim day, on November 19. "Though Sen. Davis continues to deny any wrongdoing, recent events have made it impractical for him to continue his work in the Senate," his attorney said. Senator Davis was defeated in the June primary by Nate Blouin. An F-35 crashed at the north end of the runway at Hill Air Force Base last night. The pilot was able to avoid buildings in the area and ejected safely before the plane hit the ground. An eye witness said they "heard a weird noise," looked up and saw smoke pouring out of the plane before it crashed. Rapid Roundup Breaking: Liz Truss resigns after 'disastrous' six-week tenure; U.S. weekly jobless claims fall; how 'bout them Jazz?!; butter boards and cheese parties; snake on a plane; the shocking story of a US Marine accused of abducting and adopting an Afghan couple's baby; the first Asian American to be on U.S. currency: Chinese-American movie star Anna May Wong; and finally, Utah has the lowest rate of binge drinking in the US. Is this a surprise?? | | |
| | Ballots Hit Mailboxes As voters begin to receive their ballots, our panel looks back on a contentious debate between the frontrunners in the U.S. Senate race. Jeff Merchant and Chris Bleak join The Hinckley Report with Jason Perry this Friday at 7:00 pm to discuss how Utahns are reacting. | | |
Utah Headlines General Secularism as scapegoat. In the 21st century, has faith become too easy and brittle? (Deseret News) The Tribuneâs Peggy Fletcher Stack wins top religion reporting prize for fifth year (Salt Lake Tribune) Hill AFB expansion is part of updating U.S. nuclear defense (KSL TV) Utahns doctors join team to help save lives in Gaza (Fox13) Elections This ballot strategy could sabotage yourself. Voting ânoâ on an entire section is no way to make a statement (Deseret News) There are real solutions to recession â why arenât candidates talking about them? (Deseret News) Hereâs how candidates for Utahâs state school board want to help Latino students. (Salt Lake Tribune) Why Utahâs governor-appointed judges are on your midterm election ballot (Salt Lake Tribune) Politics How does the economy weigh on President Joe Bidenâs job approval rating? New Deseret News/Hinckley Institute poll found nearly two-thirds of Utahns disapprove of Bidenâs job performance (Deseret News) Salt Lake City rezones hundreds of properties for new housing â with a twist (Salt Lake Tribune) Legislative committee recommends proposal to ban treating youth gender dysphoria with surgery in Utah (Salt Lake Tribune) Utah power brokers want more accountability for school boards (KUTV) Lt. Governorâs Office receives complaints about Orem City Councilâs proposition resolutions (KUER) Business Workers want a faith-friendly workplace â but theyâre often afraid of what it takes to get one (Deseret News) Companies risk dividing the workplace when they speak out on contentious issues (Deseret News) âRampant organized theftâ in San Francisco leads Utah-based Cotopaxi to close store (Deseret News) Restaurateur finds freedom in Utah, and a link to his Ethiopian culture (Salt Lake Tribune) A Lehi company, MX, valued at $1.9 billion last year has laid off 200 workers, former manager says (Salt Lake Tribune) Economy Rep. Mike Kohler: The real culprit behind inflated grocery store prices? Look to the farm (Deseret News) SLC appoints first Latina director for economic development (KSL) Education Spence Eccles and the University of Utah â a 70-year love affair. In 1952, the University of Utah gave freshman Spence Eccles a spot on the ski team roster; heâs been giving back ever since (Deseret News) Salt Lake City schools see another drop in students. Itâs now been at least seven years of declining enrollment in the capital city school district. (Salt Lake Tribune) Utah Utes womenâs basketball players get a lesson on leadership in the Amazon (Salt Lake Tribune) Environment Sportsman warns lawmakers of threats wolves pose to Utah game herds (Deseret News) Another BLM travel plan, another fight over motorized access. Compromise plan for Gemini Bridges leaves nearly 1,000 miles of routes covering the recreation hotspot outside Moab. (Salt Lake Tribune) Thousands of fish died during Utah reservoir maintenance project last week (KSL) Family Utah, New Jersey first ladies tour Sacred Circle, talk about infant and maternal care (Deseret News) St. George moms recount tracking down sex offender accused of enticing daughters (KSL) Health âI have a choice nowâ: Utah woman discovers she has high-risk breast cancer gene through free study. The study is available to anyone at no cost statewide. (Salt Lake Tribune) Governors from across the nation convene in Salt Lake City to discuss youth mental health (KSL) Experts link COVID-19 to increase in US pregnancy-related deaths (KUTV) How Black Death survivors gave their descendants an edge during pandemics (NPR) Housing Tiny home village for homeless gains Salt Lake City approval. Whatâs next? Vote came with misgivings from west-side council members but confidence in Other Side Academy (Deseret News) 'Mortgage rates are sinking home sales' along the Wasatch Front (KUTV) Midvale will break ground on affordable housing for those with greatest need (Fox13) National Headlines General U.S. factories emerge as a strong point in a weakening economy (NPR) Former U.S. Navy leaders profited from overlapping interests on sub deal (Washington Post) An autistic teen needed psychiatric help. He spent a total of 76 days in an ER instead. (Washington Post) Elections Election deniers could make deep changes to Arizona voting (AP) Herschel Walker is giving out 1,000 fake police badges. Hereâs why (Deseret News) The 4 hot topics of J.D. Vance and Tim Ryanâs heated debate for the Ohio Senate seat (Deseret News) Republicans hold double-digit lead on which party could better handle economic issues: poll (The Hill) An Election Day lunar eclipse â and 7 more reasons the midterms could be historic (The Hill) Politics Does Marjorie Taylor Greene represent the future of the Republican Party? (NPR) As Covid hit, Washington officials traded stocks with exquisite timing (Wall Street Journal) Trump signed legal documents that he knew included false voter fraud numbers, judge says (Washington Post) Ukraine ðºð¦ Ukraineâs utilities threatened by Russia in warâs new phase (AP) U.S. has viewed wreckage of kamikaze drones Russia used in Ukraine. Such information could prove crucial in helping the United States and its Ukrainian allies better identify and ultimately defeat the unmanned craft (Washington Post) U.S. sees opportunity for Ukraine to capitalize on Russian weakness. Ukraineâs troops could press forward and even retake the southern city of Kherson before late fall mud slows the fighting, U.S. officials said. (New York Times) World News U.K. Markets Rise as Liz Truss Steps Aside (New York Times) WHO Syria boss accused of corruption, fraud, abuse, AP finds (AP) UN genocide official: Hate speech is fueling Ethiopiaâs war (AP) | | |
Guest opinion: Evan McMullin and Senate committees by Gordon Jones Full disclosure: I am not a registered member of any political party. I voted for Evan McMullin for president in 2016; I have never voted for Mike Lee and do not expect that I will vote for him this year. My interest in writing this article is to communicate facts about which I have some expertise, not to score political points. The Rules of the United States Senate do indeed say, as Evan McMullin repeatedly notes, that âEach Senator shall serve on two and no more committeesâ¦,â but as the end of this citation hints, this is a limiting rule, not an empowering one. It is not self-executing. No Senator may appoint himself or herself to any committee and no Senator can compel anyone else to put him or herself on any committee. Senators are elected to committees by vote of the entire Senate, acting on nominations brought forward by resolutions from the two party leaders. This process is part of the procedural brush-clearing that takes place on the first day of every new Congress.... Unless either Chuck Schumer or Mitch McConnell puts Evan McMullinâs name on a resolution containing a list of Senators nominated to a specific committee or committees, Evan McMullin will not be confirmed by the full Senate to membership on any committee. As McMullin would be a sitting Senator, one could imagine him moving to amend one resolution or the other by adding his name. One cannot imagine the adoption of such an amendment. And besides, by seeking to amend either the Schumer or the McConnell nominating resolution, McMullin would be declaring a party preference, negating his Quixotic campaign to remain unaligned. Evan McMullin is correct that no sitting Senator has never been left without committee assignment. But that is because no sitting Senator has ever refused to caucus, for organizational purposes, with one of the political parties. (Read More) News Releases President Adams removes Sen. Davis from committee assignments following independent investigation, urges resignation Recently, a former legislative intern posted allegations against Sen. Gene Davis on Instagram. While the former intern did not file an official complaint, after learning about the concerning allegations, President J. Stuart Adams directed an independent investigation to review the claims. The Senate hired two attorneys with experience in workplace harassment and discrimination investigations to conduct the independent investigation. After interviewing multiple witnesses and assessing their credibility, the investigators concluded that it was more likely than not that Sen. Davisâ interactions with the intern during her legislative internship violated Senate policies. (Read More) Utah League of Cities and Towns elects 2022/2023 Board of Directors The Utah League of Cities and Towns is pleased to announce its new officers and board of directors. These local officials were elected during ULCTâs 2022 Annual Convention in Salt Lake City and represent ULCTâs eight designated regions throughout the state. Under the direction of Millcreek Mayor Jeff Silvestrini, we look forward to working together with League member cities to address the mutual interests of Utahâs cities and towns as we plan for the needs of today and those of the future. Cameron Diehl, ULCT Executive Director, says âMayor Silvestrini is very engaged in important collaborative conversations and negotiations at local, state, and federal levels. His leadership will serve the League well in representing the interests of all Utah cities and towns and their respective residents.â (Read More) Forward Party endorses 5 state and local candidates in Utah The Forward Party today announced its endorsement of 5 candidates for state and local office in the Beehive State. The Forward Party has endorsed a cross-partisan coalition of local, state and federal leaders who refuse to be defined by their party affiliation and who are committed to putting the needs of their communities above partisan demands. The endorsed candidates are: Lannie Chapman â Salt Lake City County Clerk, Ladd Johnson State House D46, Ammon Gruwell â State House D15, Kimberly Wagner â State Senate D7, and Miles Pomeroy â State House D49. (Read More) Economic contributions and health impacts of family caregiving About 1 in 5 Utahns (more than 400,000 Utah adults) care for a family member or friend with a serious health problem or disability, providing $5.1 billion worth of services annually. This is according to a report published today by the Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute, done in partnership with the College of Nursing-led interdisciplinary Family Caregiving Collaborative, which details the economic contributions and health impacts of family caregiving in Utah. The research shows that by 2030, there may be more than 100,000 additional Utah family caregivers, as the need for caregiving grows along with a growing and aging population. (Read More) Number of the Day | | |
Upcoming Interim Days â Oct 18-20, le.utah.gov 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 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 1803 - U.S. Senate ratifies the Louisiana Purchase 1904 - Enolia Pettigen McMillan is born. A civil rights leader, she was also the first woman president of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), 1917 - US suffragette Alice Paul begins a 7 month jail sentence for protesting women's rights in Washington 1947 - Congress investigates Communists in Hollywood 1955 - Publication of "The Return of the King", the 3rd and final volume of "The Lord of the Rings" by J. R. R. Tolkien 1962 - President Kennedy secretly plans blockade of Cuba 1964 - Kamala Harris is born. 2011 - Libyan dictator Muammar al-Qaddafi is killed by rebel forces 2021 - Confirmation that Vikings established settlement first in 1021 AD in the New World at LâAnse aux Meadows, Newfoundland, provided by new dating technique using solar storms Wise Words âOft hope is born when all is forlorn.â
â J.R.R. Tolkien, The Return of the King The Punny Side Whatâs a mathematicians favorite Halloween treat? Pumpkin pi. | | |
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