Half of Rich County Sheriff’s Office deputies resign; Ghislaine Maxwell moved to same prison as Jen Shah, fmr ‘Real Housewives of SLC’ star
View in browser

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 editor@utahpolicy.com.

 

Situational Analysis | August 6, 2025

It's Tuesday and National Root Beer Float Day🍺

What you need to know

  • The University of Utah is the latest to announce what cuts it wants to make to streamline its educational offerings. On the chopping block are 81 programs that had either zero or one student graduate over the last eight years. Most of the degree cuts there are in the College of Humanities, which lost 22 programs. Of those, 16 were specifically in the Middle East Studies Program.

Rapid Relevance

 

Utah Headlines

Political news

  • Utah’s prison workforce program could be answer to national labor shortage says Rep. Burgess Owens (Deseret News)
  • A Utah faith group sued to use psychedelic mushrooms. Here’s where the case stands (Deseret News)
  • ICE offers $50k signing bonuses in attempt to poach Utah sheriff’s deputies (KSL TV)
  • 50 attorneys general ask DOJ to step up against illegal online gambling (Utah News Dispatch)

Municipal

  • The ‘first chapter’ of Glendale Regional Park is now open. When will the rest follow? (Deseret News)
  • A resolution on empowering women, girls gets backing of SLCo Council (Fox13)

Utah

  • Colorado apology notwithstanding, Utah attorneys still worry about younger immigrants (KSL)
  • Foot bone found at Fish Lake belongs to fisherman missing since 1997, DNA confirms (KSL)
  • Utah family loses nearly everything after moving truck crashes in Nebraska (KUTV)

Biz/Tech

  •  Study says minimum wage workers in Utah face fourth-biggest pay gap in the nation (Cache Valley Daily)

Crime/Courts

  • 'I can't believe I actually did that': Price man, 82, charged with shooting, killing son (KSL)
  • Man seeks parole for 2017 killing of 14-year-old boy (KSL)
  • US violent crime fell 4.5% in 2024, down a second year, FBI says (KSL)
  • Former law enforcement officer accused of stalking, sexual exploitation of minor (KUTV)

Culture/Community

  • 10 years ago, the 10-dollar Founding Father became a Broadway star — and this Utahn has been on stage for it all (Deseret News)

Economy

  • US stocks slip following the latest discouraging signal on the economy (AP)

Education

  • Davis Community Closet giveaway provides clothes, bedding and more to students in need (Deseret News)
  • Disruptions and opportunities: SLCC President Greg Peterson reflects on his 1st year on job (Deseret News)
  • Red Cross urges school zone caution as Utah students return to class (Deseret News)
  • Construction on new Eagle Mountain middle school completed in time for school year (KUTV)
  • Alpine School District votes to raise property taxes despite public opposition (Fox13)
  • Utah Tech University VP whose office allegedly displayed ‘inappropriate’ Post-it notes is now stepping down (Salt Lake Tribune)
  • What BYU leaders, coaches, athletic directors have said about the university’s honor code (Deseret News)

Environment/Energy

  • Utah, Western states continue to burn in scorching summer heat (Deseret News)
  • Geothermal detectives sleuth out what led to massive Yellowstone eruption (Deseret News)
  • Lake officials unveil draft Great Salt Lake water distribution plan (KSL Newsradio)

Faith

  • New memo encourages religious identity at work (Deseret News)
  • Dallas Jenkins reflects on 15 years of ‘What If...’ and its impact on faith-based media (Deseret News)

Family

  • Feel like a failure as a parent? You’re not alone! (Deseret News)

Health

  • When only a stranger can save your 3-year-old (Deseret News)
  • Want to lose weight? Try minimally processed not ultra-processed foods (Deseret News)
 

National Headlines

General

  • Duffy confirms fast-track plan to build nuclear reactor on the moon (The Hill)
  • Hiroshima marks 80 years since atomic bombing as aging survivors worry about growing nuke threat (AP)

Political news 

  • Trump to lead White House task force on LA’s 2028 Olympics (Deseret News)
  • California Republican bucks GOP with effort to ban mid-decade map changes for entire country (Deseret News)
  • Republicans subpoena DOJ, Clinton family in latest for Epstein investigation (Deseret News)
  • RFK Jr. pulls $500 million in funding for vaccine development (AP)
  • Several states consider redrawing congressional maps after Texas kicks off fight (AP)
  • Trump takes an unexpected walk on the White House roof to survey new projects (AP)
  • Abbott, Paxton will seek court orders to have Democrats who broke quorum thrown out of office (Houston Public Radio)

Immigration/deportation

  • Inside Trump's new tactic to separate immigrant families (New York Times) 
  • In this Trump-supporting Ohio community, a beloved Haitian immigrant faces deportation (NBC News)

Ukraine/Russia

  • Zelenskiy says he had 'productive' call with Trump ahead of ceasefire deadline (Reuters)
  • 4 European countries agree to buy a combined $1 billion in U.S. weapons for Ukraine (NPR)
  • Rebuilding faces, lives and a sense of self in Ukraine (New York Times)

Middle East

  • Netanyahu hints at expanded war in Gaza but former Israeli military and spy chiefs object (AP News)

World news

  • Russian earthquake triggers seven volcanoes on remote peninsula (Deseret News)
  • Afghan women turn to online courses as the Taliban bans education (AP)
 

Number of the Day

 

News Releases

SL County Council Democratic Caucus statement in support of A Bolder Way Forward initiative

The Salt Lake County Council Democratic Caucus is proud to have voted today to support A Bolder Way Forward, a statewide initiative led by the Utah Women & Leadership Project at Utah State University. We also applaud the members of the council’s Republican caucus who joined us in supporting this important initiative. (Read More)

AG Derek Brown leads bipartisan effort urging U.S. Department of Justice to help address illegal offshore gaming

Today, Attorney General Derek Brown co-led a bipartisan multistate coalition of 50 attorneys general in urging the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) to assist in addressing the rampant spread of illegal offshore gaming across the country. The coalition stressed the need for action to combat harm to the rule of law, consumers, and the economy from an unprecedented growth in illicit online gambling. (Read More)

Sutherland recognizes two new school districts for transparency and access

Today, Sutherland Institute recognized two additional Utah school districts for their transparency and access to curriculum for parents, as part of its new Partners in Learning Certificate. The two new districts receiving recognition are Canyons and Ogden. (Read More)

 

Tweet of the Day


 

Upcoming

  • Aug 7 —  Titan of Public Service gala with Sen. Tom Cotton hosted by the Orrin G. Hatch Foundation at the Grand America Hotel. More Information Here
  • Aug 12 — Municipal primary
  • Aug 18-20 — Interim Days
  • Sept 11-12 — Women in the Money Conference, Sheraton Hotel and online, Register here
  • Sept 15-17 — Interim Days
  • Oct 6-8 — One Utah Summit, Cedar City, More information here
  • Oct 13-15 — Interim Days
  • Nov 4 — General election
  • Nov 17-19 — Interim Days
  • February 4-7, 2026 — Summit, with Silicon Slopes and Visit Salt Lake
 

On This Day In History

  • 1787 - The first complete draft of the proposed Constitution is debated.
  • 1911 - Lucille Ball is born.
  • 1914 - Ellen Axson Wilson, US 1st Lady (1913-14), dies during Woodrow Wilson's 1st term of Bright's Disease at 54.
  • 1926 - Gertrude Ederle becomes the first woman to swim the English Channel
  • 1945 - American bomber drops atomic bomb on Hiroshima, killing 80,000 immediately. Another 60,000 would be dead by the end of the year from the effects of radiation.
  • 1965 - President Lyndon B Johnson signs the Voting Rights Act, guaranteeing African Americans the right to vote. This legislation meant that suffrage was finally extended fully to Black women. 
  • 1991 - The World Wide Web makes its public debut as a means of accessing webpages over the Internet.
  • 2011 - Insurgents shot down a U.S. military helicopter in eastern Afghanistan, killing 30 Americans, most of them belonging to the same elite Navy commando unit that had slain Osama bin Laden; seven Afghan commandos also died.

Quote of the Day

"To me, the sea is like a person - like a child that I've known a long time. It sounds crazy, I know, but when I swim in the sea, I talk to it. I never feel alone when I'm out there."
— Gertrude Ederle

On the Punny Side

How do trees feel in the Spring?

Releaved.

 

– Advertise With Us –

Subscribers may receive special messages with information about new features, special offers, or public policy messages from clients and advertisers.

Utah Policy, 55 N 300 W Ste 500, Salt Lake City, UT 84101
Manage preferences