Good morning. Salt Lake City will have a high of 66° and a low of 41°.
I literally shuddered reading that, according to The Guardian, the average American has 47 unread text messages and 1,602 unopened emails. But I very much relate to the "cognitive overload" the article describes as a reaction to the constant barrage of texts, calls, emails and Slack messages that make up our modern world.
Daniel Post Senning's advice is not new, but still excellent: "You don’t have to give your time and attention to everyone who asks for it."
Also on our mind today: Utah's 2022 Sterling Scholar semifinalists, the various items you can dispense from Utah vending machines and the camaraderie between two of America’s most religious campuses.
Why Salt Lake City won't sponsor public fireworks displays this July
What happened: The Salt Lake City Council on Tuesday voted 4 to 3 against a $25,000 budget item to supply fireworks for any holiday festivities.
Arguments against having public fireworks displays:
Drought: The National Weather Service Climate Prediction Center is predicting that spring will be drier than average for Salt Lake City and surrounding areas. Some council members pointed to possible fire safety concerns this summer.
Air quality concerns: Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall reminded the council that smoke from out-of-state wildfires caused most of the air quality concerns last summer, and the same issue could happen this year, regardless of how severe Utah's fire season is.
Arguments for having public fireworks displays:
Timing: With only a few months left before the Fourth of July and Pioneer Day, city officials aren't sure how to celebrate if not with fireworks.
Possible unintended consequences: Councilman Chris Wharton, who voted in favor of spending the money on fireworks, referenced a discussion with city fire officials who warned that the use of personal fireworks increases during each holiday when there's no public display.
What's happening?: The Biden administration told lawmakers last month it may need about $30 billion in additional aid to combat the coronavirus.
But in a letter to President Joe Biden, 35 GOP senators — including Utah Sen. Mitt Romney — asked for an accounting of how the government has allocated taxpayer funds to combat the pandemic and said it's not clear why additional funding is needed.
What are their concerns?: The 35 senators want to know how much American Rescue Plan funding remains unspent, how much the government has spent on vaccines and testing, and how much of the $350 billion made available to state and local governments has been used to date for vaccines and testing.
They also pointed to a Washington Post investigation that found “immense fraud” in the use of coronavirus funds.
The Jazz started their post-All-Star slate with wins over the West’s fifth-place Dallas Mavericks and the league-leading Phoenix Suns, but again the upcoming schedule will not be forgiving.
March will either make or break this Utah Jazz team.
Read more about the games that await the Jazz in March.
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