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Situational Analysis | July 6, 2023

It's Thursday already and International Kissing Day. 💋 Pucker up! (With consent, of course.)

What You Need to Know

Celeste Maloy's name was officially submitted to the Lt. Governor's office as the GOP nominee to replace Rep. Chris Stewart, who is stepping down on Sept. 15. The letter sent to the LG reads, in part, "per the Utah Republican Party Constitution and Bylaws, Ms. Maloy met the Party's eligibility requirements." Within hours, the state GOP released a lengthy statement acknowledging that some dispute Ms. Maloy's eligibility, but ultimately, she is the nominee. She will almost certainly be joined on the primary ballot by former state Rep. Becky Edwards, who submitted 12,000 signatures and Bruce Hough, who submitted 10,000. A total of 7,000 verified signatures is required.

Rapid Relevance

Got bugs? Here's what to know about the invasive Elm Seed Bugs running rampant throughout Utah right now; the stuff of nightmares as roller coaster riders were trapped upside down for HOURS; while we slept, Russia sent cruise missiles into Lviv, hitting residential buildings, dorms, an orphanage, two universities and more; and Wagner head Yevgeny Prigozhin is apparently back in Russia - at least according to Belarusian president Alexander Lukashenko. The Kremlin says they "don't track" Prigozhin's movements. Mm hmm.

Utah Headlines

Political news

How Rep. John Curtis is battling federal agencies over state lands (Deseret News)
Sen. Mike Lee says he’ll never eat Ben & Jerry’s ice cream again (Deseret News)
Utah State Capitol projects will make it more water-wise (Fox13)
Governor Cox reflects on politics in Utah (Daily Universe)

Election news

What’s next for Utah’s 2nd District, and how could the race impact national politics? (Deseret News)
Fundraising in Salt Lake City's mayoral race heats up; current Mayor Erin Mendenhall leads the pack (KSL)
GOP submits Celeste Maloy for ballot amid registration debacle (KSL Newsradio)

General Utah news

Partner of Utah mommy blogger opens up about her personal struggles prior to tragic death in an emotional interview (KUTV)
Growing pains: What the I-15 expansion will mean for Utah (Deseret News)
Going hiking this summer? Here’s how to hike safely (Deseret News)
SEC fines Utah company over misleading COVID-19 test claims, not disclosing payments to executives’ relatives. (Salt Lake Tribune)
Anonymous MLB poll ranked SLC last among expansion candidates, but some say it’s a ‘sleeper city’ (Salt Lake Tribune)

Business

US layoffs fall to seven-month low in June, report says (Reuters)
Threads pulled in more than 10 million sign-ups within hours of its debut. Advertisers are paying attention. (New York Times)

Education

Davis district closing in on goal of adding teen centers to each high school (Standard-Examiner)
She’s a 2nd-generation Utah school librarian. But after 10 years, she needs a break (KUER)
BYU refugee program is dedicated to creating lifelong service-oriented individuals (Daily Universe)
SLCC to celebrate Muslim Heritage Month for first time; 4 events set (The Globe)

Environment

Utah’s ongoing efforts to boost dam safety, and why you should care (Deseret News)
Utah County saw state’s worst air pollution after Independence Day fireworks. Neighborhood fireworks have the most impact on air quality, according to Utah health officials (Salt Lake Tribune)
Complexities surround idea of turning Great Salt Lake into national park (KUTV)
Ticks can carry infectious levels of chronic wasting disease (UPR)

Health

‘Braintaining’ in retirement: Use it or lose it (Deseret News)

Housing

New homeless shelters in Utah may happen with or without cities' involvement (KUTV)

National Headlines

General

Time moved more slowly in the early days of the universe, study finds (Deseret News)
Conservatives flock to red states and liberals go to blue as the US grows more polarized (AP)
Yankees pitcher Jimmy Cordero suspended for violating domestic violence policy (New York Times)

Politics

Trump posted what he said was Obama’s address, prosecutors say. An armed man was soon arrested there (AP)
Attorney Lin Wood, who challenged Trump’s 2020 loss, gives up law license as states weigh disciplining him (AP)
Secondary test of powder found in West Wing lobby shows it’s cocaine, Biden briefed on investigation (AP)

Ukraine 🇺🇦

Wagner rebellion raises doubts about stability of Russia’s nuclear arsenal (Washington Post)
Russian missile strike kills four in Lviv in west Ukraine (Reuters)

World

Belarus leader claims Wagner chief is in Russia, adding uncertainty about his fate after revolt (AP)
Body parts strewn around state capital outside Mexico City, apparently left by violent cartel (AP)
How Burkina Faso became the 'world's most neglected displacement crisis' (NPR)
Tracing a tragedy: How hundreds of migrants drowned on Greece’s watch (Washington Post)
Russian reporter, lawyer beaten in Chechnya ahead of high-profile trial (Washington Post)

News Releases

Senate HELP Committee release staff bipartisan discussion draft legislation to reauthorize the Pandemic and All-Hazards Preparedness Act

Staffs of U.S. Senators Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA), Ranking Member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, and Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Chair of HELP, along with U.S. Senators Mitt Romney (R-UT) and Bob Casey (D-PA), today released and are seeking feedback on a staff-level bipartisan discussion draft to reauthorize the Pandemic and All-Hazards Preparedness Act (PAHPA), legislation that would help prepare the United States for the next public health emergency.

Outside of the staff-level agreement, the Chair’s staff is requesting feedback on policy to require that all BARDA and CDC-supported products be sold to the Federal Government or in the U.S. commercial market at the lowest price among G7 countries (Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, and the United Kingdom) and at a reasonable price. Brackets surrounding this provision in Title VI—Additional Policies Outside the Staff Agreement for Stakeholder Feedback, indicate that this policy has not been agreed to.

The Senate HELP Committee is requesting comments on the discussion draft. Comments must be submitted to PAHPA2023Comments@help.senate.gov by Monday, July 10, at 10:00 AMET, to be considered. (Read More)

Zions Bank marks 150 years since incorporation

One hundred fifty years ago, on July 5, 1873, Zion’s Savings Bank and Trust Company was incorporated under the laws of the Utah Territory with a capital stock of $200,000. Four days earlier, Brigham Young had called together a group of twelve of the leading citizens of the Salt Lake Valley to discuss the organization of a savings bank. It would open for its first day of business on October 1, 1873. (Read More)

On This Day In History

1189 - Richard the Lionheart is crowned King of England, upon the death of King Henry II
1907 - Frida Kahlo is born. The Mexican painter explored questions of identity, postcolonialism, gender and race in Mexican society in a bold, distinctive style
1921 - Nancy Reagan is born.
1942 - Anne Frank's family goes into hiding in After House, Amsterdam
1944 - Fire engulfs a circus big top in Hartford, Connecticut, killing 167, two-thirds of them children
1945 - Nicaragua becomes 1st nation to ratify the Charter of the United Nations
1946 - George W. Bush is born.
1957 - Althea Gibson became the first Black player to win a Wimbledon title in women’s tennis singles.
1976 - Women inducted into the US Naval Academy for the first time.
1983 - Supreme Court rules retirement plans can't pay women less

Quote of the Day

"Feminism is the ability to choose what you want to do."
—Nancy Reagan

On the Punny Side

I told my therapist I can’t get the Grease soundtrack out of my head...

He said “tell me more”.