Wildlife Crossings Save Money—and Lives

Utah sees around 7,000 deer-vehicle collisions annually, costing taxpayers nearly $138 million in vehicle damage and injury each year.
Luckily, research shows that overpasses and underpasses with associated fencing can reduce those collisions by up to 90%. But first, they have to be funded. While wildlife crossings are sometimes included in larger road projects, Utah needs dedicated funding—funding that would accelerate the construction of projects when and where they are needed. Learn More.

Utah Headlines

Legislative session

• Here's what the legislature will prioritize in the session's final week (Hinckley Report)

Criminal Justice

• The Utah Senate shut down this House immigration bill. Why? (Deseret News)
• Opinion: An appeal for humanity — protect legal immigrants, vote no on HB226 (Deseret News)

Education

• Utah’s flag ban: Does it target LGBTQ or promote political neutrality? (Deseret News)
• Pay raise: Governor, lawmakers announce boosts to Utah teacher salaries (Deseret News)

Economic Development

• Should liability be limited at Utah’s key Olympic facilities? What state lawmakers say (Deseret News)

Environment

• Utah senators tackle solar geoengineering. What is it? (Deseret News)

Government Operations

• Utah bill to restrict, regulate zoning in newly incorporated areas sparks concern in Ogden Valley (KSL)
• Trent Staggs: Why do so many in the Utah State Legislature despise local land-use control? (Deseret News)

Health and Human Services

• ‘Every baby deserves a clean diaper’: a new way Utahns could help get diapers to those in need (Deseret News)
• American Dental Association pushes Cox to veto fluoride bill (Deseret News)

Judiciary

• Utah Senate passes bill to give governor, Senate control over picking Supreme Court chief justice (Daily Herald)

Natural Resources

• New bill would give Utah’s ‘water agent’ more ‘behind-the-scenes’ power to negotiate outside the state (Salt Lake Tribune)

Transportation

• Who’s watching who? New bill aims to reduce red light violations with proposed pilot program (Deseret News)

Other Utah News

Politics

• Brian Redd tapped as Salt Lake’s next police chief, but will he ease crime concerns? (Deseret News)
• Here’s what Utah’s senators said about Trump’s heated dispute with Zelenskyy (Deseret News)
• Heber City wants to reimagine itself — like Vernal once did — to welcome tourists. Locals ask, what about us? (Salt Lake Tribune)
• Utah County seeks property exchange with Forest Service for land near Bridal Veil Falls (Salt Lake Tribune)

Utah

• 10 influential women in Utah history to know for Women’s History Month (Deseret News)
• Civically engaged and dignity-focused, Utah's Tami Pyfer honored as a 'Woman of the Year' (Deseret News)
• UVU President Astrid Tuminez at funeral for husband: ‘May Jesus hold you till we meet again’ (Deseret News)
• Utah nonprofit works to save the world, one woman at a time (Fox13)

Crime/Courts

• 'This is a crime': Immigration lawyers warn of fraudsters preying on nervous immigrants (KSL)

Culture

• Perfectionism in perspective: Latter-day Saints' unique outlook (Deseret News)
• Here are the 2025 Academy Award winners. ‘Anora’ was the big winner on Sunday night (Deseret News)

Education

• A Ukrainian-Russian peace deal might hinge on these factors, according to this Utah State peacemaking expert (Deseret News)

Environment

• Poll: Utahns value their public lands, want continued protections (St. George News)

Health

• Health officials urge vaccination to curb measles surge in U.S. (Deseret News)

National Headlines

General

• Crews battle more than 175 wildfires in North and South Carolina amid dry conditions and gusty winds (AP)

Political news

• Shutdown showdown: Congress scrambles for spending deal with two weeks until deadline (Deseret News)
• New Deseret News/HarrisX national poll shows how Americans view some of Trump’s cabinet picks (Deseret News)
• Trump’s 5 most popular and 5 least popular executive orders ... so far (Deseret News)
• How can Americans act together when we don’t think alike? This constitutional expert has the answer (Deseret News)
• A new Deseret News/HarrisX poll shows what Americans think about ICE raids in churches and schools (Deseret News)
• The Trump administration may exclude government spending from GDP, obscuring the impact of DOGE cuts (AP)
• Poll: Majorities say state of the union is not strong, and Trump is rushing change (NPR)
• Government shutdown looms as Trump tries to assert new spending powers (Washington Post)

Ukraine and Russia

• UK, European leaders join forces to draft Ukraine peace plan to take to US (Reuters)
• UK’s Starmer says Europe is at ‘crossroads in history’ as leaders agree to steps to Ukraine peace (AP)
• John Bolton: Trump joins Putin’s camp on Ukraine (Washington Examiner)
• Sen. Chris Murphy says White House is ‘arm of Kremlin’ (The Hill)
• Murkowski rebukes Trump over Ukraine: ‘Walking away from our allies’ (Politico)
• Washington now ‘largely aligns’ with Moscow’s vision, Kremlin says (Washington Post)

Israel and Gaza

• With the Gaza ceasefire in limbo, Israel tries to impose an alternative plan on Hamas (AP)
• White House backs Israel blocking aid to Gaza (The Hill)

Number of the Day 

Lawmakers and governor to increase salaries for teachers and support professionals

Utah is once again directly increasing teacher salaries. This investment reflects the Legislature’s and Gov. Cox’s dedication to attracting and retaining top talent in classrooms, ensuring that teachers are valued, supported and empowered to provide the best education for Utah’s students. During the 2025 session, state leaders are continuing to invest in teachers by providing a direct salary increase of $1,446 and a $1,000 bonus for education support staff, in addition to a 4% funding increase for school districts to provide another boost for all employees. (Read More)

UEA responds to state leaders’ political posturing

UEA President Renée Pinkney responded to the Feb. 28 press conference by Utah Governor Spencer Cox, House Speaker Mike Schultz, and Senate President Stewart Adams: "The assertions made by Utah’s leadership are nothing more than political posturing that ignores the reality facing Utah’s public schools. While a salary increase is an important recognition of the education profession, Utah’s public schools remain underfunded, classrooms are overcrowded, and educators are struggling under the weight of unsustainable workloads." (Read More)

Governor Cox appoints Shaun Berrett as commissioner of the Utah Department of Financial Institutions

Gov. Cox has appointed Shaun Berrett as commissioner of the Utah Department of Financial Institutions (DFI) pending approval by the Utah State Senate. Dedicating more than two decades to bank supervision and regulatory oversight, Berrett brings extensive experience to the role. He will succeed Darryle Rude as commissioner. (Read More)

Tweet of the Day

Upcoming

• Mar 4 — Pres. Trump to address a Joint Session of Congress, 
• Mar 7 — Utah legislative session ends
• Mar 15 — Utah Women Run annual training, 8:00 am - 2:30 pm, Hinckley Institute of Politics, Register here
• Mar 22 — MWEG annual conference with plenary speaker Sharon Eubank, UVU, Register here
• Apr 24 — Giant in Our City with the Salt Lake Chamber, 6:00-9:00 pm, Register here
• May 1 — High school writing contest deadline with The Rostra: Applying the wisdom of the past to the problems of today. More info here
• Aug 7 — Titan of Public Service, Sen. Tom Cotton, with the Orrin G. Hatch Foundation, Grand America Hotel

On This Day In History 

• 1820 - Congress passes the Missouri Compromise, granting Missouri statehood as a slave state under the condition that slavery was to be forever prohibited in the rest of the Louisiana Purchase north of the 36th parallel, which runs approximately along the southern border of Missouri.
• 1847 - The US Post Office Department is authorized to issue postage stamps.
• 1871 - Hiram R. Revels is elected to the US Senate by the Mississippi legislature, becoming the first Black Senator.
• 1887 - Helen Keller meets Anne Sullivan for the first time.
• 1910 - John D. Rockefeller Jr. announces his retirement from managing his businesses so that he can be devoted full time to being a philanthropist.
• 1913 - The Women’s Suffrage Parade in Washington, D.C. gathered over 8000 women asking for a constitutional amendment guaranteeing the right to vote.
• 1931 - The Star Spangled Banner becomes official US national anthem.
• 1991 - LAPD officers beat Rodney King on camera
• 2017 - Mass grave of 800 children and infants confirmed at a former Catholic care home in Tuam, Ireland.

Quote of the Day

"It's (strange) how ready people always are with advice in any real or imaginary emergency, and no matter how many times experience has shown them to be wrong, they continue to set forth their opinions, as if they had received them from the Almighty!"
—Anne Sullivan

On the Punny Side

Bugs Bunny won't accept files through Google apps...
Only through WhatsApp Doc.

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