Brooklyn Hughes Roemer is taking over for Holly Richardson this week while Holly is on vacation.

Situational Analysis | June 28, 2023

It's Wednesday and tonight is Eid-al-Adha, the Islamic holiday celebrating the Feast of Sacrifice commemorating Father Abraham's willingness to give everything to God.

What You Need to Know

In a 6-3 majority, the Supreme Court rejected a theory from North Carolina Republicans that would give lawmakers unchecked power in elections through the “independent state legislature” theory. Chief Justice Roberts wrote in the majority opinion, "The Elections Clause does not insulate state legislatures from the ordinary exercise of state judicial review."

Rapid Relevance

Yellowstone River train derailment cleanup begins; using groundwater has shifted the Earth's axis; Colorado Club Q mass shooting suspect pleads guilty.

Utah Headlines

Political news

Jay Evensen: Biden isn’t the only president with problematic relatives (Deseret News)
U.S. Rep. Blake Moore thinks Hunter Biden received ‘preferential treatment’ (Standard Examiner)

Election news

Robert Gehrke: How Celeste Maloy went from long shot to a front-runner for Congress (Salt Lake Tribune)
Utah Democratic Party to hold virtual convention Wednesday night (KSL Newsradio)
Celeste Maloy addresses questions about her residency and voting record (KSL Newsradio)

General Utah news

Utahns could see or hear munitions testing at the Tooele Army Depot this week (KSL TV)
Cost to expunge criminal history soon going up in Utah as pilot program ends (Fox13)
Officials remind public that Bridal Veil Falls trail is closed for their own safety (Fox13)
West Jordan water main break to force days-long road closure (Fox13)
Fatal Monday night motorcycle crash in West Haven under investigation (Standard Examiner)

Business

Brooklyn Hughes Roemer: Are you satisfied with your salary? Pay transparency makes wage negotiations easier (Deseret News)
Is AI regulation the key to harnessing a new power for good? (Deseret News)
Customer says wireless company refuses to cancel plan though they're too ill to use the phone (KSL TV)
First Dave’s Hot Chicken coming to Salt Lake area (ABC4)

Culture

Why these martyrs made the ultimate sacrifice for religious freedom (Deseret News)
From high school teacher to Hollywood: how a former MGM content head joined “The Chosen” (Deseret News)
‘The battle of Utah’ just played out on ‘American Ninja Warrior’: Who won? (Deseret News)
Sundance will throw a mini-festival of free movies for Utahns in July (Salt Lake Tribune)
Costner, crew team up with Southern Utah tribe to protect, preserve while filming on reservation (Salt Lake Tribune)

Education

Technology can raise barriers to learning English, ESL students and teachers say (Salt Lake Tribune)
The University of Utah shares some fun, kid-friendly science projects to do at home this summer (Salt Lake Tribune)
U of U students hoping to help NASA get to the moon (KSL Newsradio)
Nevada’s Duck Valley Indian Reservation will get $64M for new school construction (KUER)

Environment

Utah ‘refillery’ businesses help customers ditch single-use plastics (Salt Lake Tribune)
The plant protein that could push meat off your plate (Washington Post)
Study involving 9,000 children shows ‘no safe level’ of air pollution (Deseret News)
New State of Utah Wildland Fire Operations Center coming to South Salt Lake (KSL Newsradio)
Utah wildlife officials rescue moose trapped at bottom of canal (KUTV)

Family

It’s about to get easier to be a working mom with a baby (Deseret News)
Insects, heat and water safety: How to keep you and yours safe this summer (St. George News)
Setting off fireworks early causes more harm than happiness (KSL Newsradio)
‘Everyone can play’: All-abilities playground opens in Hurricane (St. George News)

Health

Utah nurse gifted with Dream Team surprise for unwavering dedication to patients (Fox13)
Stomach virus spreads through cruise ships at fastest pace in years (Wall Street Journal)
Report alleges lack of oversight of care facilities after patient with mental illness died by suicide (KSL)

Housing

Final decision on Firefly development in Eagle Mountain tabled until July 5 (Daily Herald)
You can rent nearly anything online. Here are 3 times it’s smarter than buying (Deseret News)

National Headlines

General

Misconduct by federal jail guards led to Jeffrey Epstein’s suicide, Justice Department watchdog says (AP)
What to know about malaria after rare cases are found in Florida, Texas (Washington Post)
Ford plans to lay off at least 1,000 contract, salaried workers (Wall Street Journal)
‘I could have been on it’: MrBeast is the latest influencer claiming they turned down an opportunity to ride the Titan (Deseret News)
Borrowers stare down student loan repayments after years of high inflation (The Hill)
DeSantis says he’s ‘immune’ from Disney suit, asks judge to dismiss (The Hill)

Politics

Biden is eager to run on the economy — ‘Bidenomics’ — but voters have their doubts (AP)
More than 100 U.S. political leaders have ancestors who were slaveholders (Reuters)
What the DeSantis fentanyl plan owes George W. Bush (Washington Post)
Audio undercuts Trump’s assertion he did not have classified document (New York Times)

Ukraine 🇺🇦

What we know about Russia’s armed rebellion and its aftermath (Deseret News)
Wagner chief arrives in Belarus, state media says (New York Times)
Ukraine reprimands Kyiv mayor Klitschko after bomb shelter audit (Reuters)
Utahns hope Russia insurrection sheds light back on Ukraine war (Fox13)

World

A scientist’s 4-decade quest to save the biggest monkey in the Americas (AP)
The China-U.S. military chill: do they talk at all? (Reuters)
U.S. to send its biggest sub to Korean Peninsula in message to North and South (Wall Street Journal)
Pope Francis sends peace envoy to Moscow (Wall Street Journal)

News Releases

Romney Welcomes Investment from Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill to Expand High-Speed Internet in Utah

U.S. Sen. Mitt Romney (R-UT) today applauded an announcement from the Department of Commerce that the State of Utah would be awarded more than $317 million in a Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment (BEAD) program grant. The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act — negotiated by Sen. Romney and his colleagues — created the BEAD program to help expand high-speed internet access to rural and underserved communities. (Read more)

Rep. Owens Announces Key D.C. Staff Changes

Rep. Burgess Owens (UT-04) has announced several key changes in staff leadership. The office is proud to welcome Lee Lonsberry as the new Chief of Staff and Devon Murphy as the Legislative Director, as well as announce promotions for Emma Hall and Kalyn Swihart. (Read more)

On This Day In History

1762 - Russian Tsarina Catherine II seizes power, declaring herself sovereign ruler of Russia
1820 - Tomato is proven to be non-poisonous by Colonel Robert Gibbon eating a tomato on steps of courthouse in Salem, New Jersey
1836 - James Madison dies
1914 - Austria’s Archduke Ferdinand and his wife Sophie are assassinated by a Bosnian Serb nationalist, setting in motion the events that led to WWI.
1919 - Treaty of Versailles is signed, officially ending WWI. John Maynard Keynes predicts economic chaos because of the harsh terms of the treaty.
1969 - Stonewall riots start. The Stonewall riots marked a major turning point in the modern gay civil rights movement in the United States and around the world.
2007 - Egyptian Health Ministry officially bans female genital mutilation
2011 - Christine Lagarde becomes the 1st women to be elected head of the International Monetary Fund (IMF)

Quote of the Day

"When women do better, economies do better."

—Christine Lagarde

On the Punny Side

What washes up on tiny beaches?

Microwaves.