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Prosecutors to seek death penalty against man accused of killing two police officers; family of suspect's wife releases statement
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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 21, 2025
It's Thursday and National Senior Citizens Day
What you need to know
- Utah lawmakers want the governor to appoint the state Supreme Court’s chief justice. After a bill from the general session was vetoed by Gov. Cox, the interim Judiciary has changed the bill to bring it back in a potential special session next month. Changes include expanding the chief justice's term to 8 years, but limiting them to one term. Sponsor Sen. Chris Wilson said he has not spoken directly with the Utah Supreme Court on this and is unsure what their stance on the legislation is. When Gov. Cox vetoed the previous bill, he wrote “I admit it is very tempting to sign this bill and assure that the Chief Justice would need to stay in my good graces to retain his or her position...But just because I can, doesn’t mean I should.”
Rapid Relevance
On the Hill
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Utah Headlines
Political news
- Will Trump get to heaven? The president thought about it aloud (Deseret News)
- Arrests, citations up ‘significantly’ in Salt Lake City, Chief Redd tells lawmakers (Deseret News)
- Draft legislation aims to make it easier for officials to raise Great Salt Lake berm (KSL)
- Lawmakers order audit of Utah State’s spending and governance practices (Deseret News)
- Utah leaders consider strengthening risk assessments in domestic violence cases (KUTV)
Municipal
- Here's who is running for Salt Lake City Council, other county races (KSL)
Utah
- ‘I’m broken.’ Deputy injured in Tremonton shooting recovering, thankful for support (KSL)
- Ogden apartments sustain $600K in damage in the city’s 4th serious blaze this month (KSL)
- A hiker died picking up this creature. What to do if you encounter one (Deseret News)
- Utah teacher turns devastating diagnosis into a superpower (KSL TV)
- Utah-based organizations work to increase literacy, provide scholarships to low-income readers (ABC4)
Biz/Tech
- Target CEO to step down amid company struggles (AP)
Crime/Courts
- Pediatric nurse arrested in child sex abuse material investigation (KSL)
- Minnesota teacher charged with sharing marijuana vape with students during Utah field trip (KSL)
- Arrests, citations up ‘significantly’ in Salt Lake City, Chief Redd tells lawmakers (Deseret News)
- Police deaths in Utah: Historical context shows progress despite recent tragedy (Fox13)
- ‘Why do we need to shoot him?’ Death penalty opponents want mercy for Ralph Menzies (KUER)
Culture/Community
- Neighbor Works Salt Lake paints 15 homes, including one of a former SLCPD officer (ABC4)
- Service workers offer help for survivors of domestic violence after Tremonton shooting (ABC4)
- Box Elder County Fair honor Tremonton officers killed during centennial anniversary (Fox13)
- Nearly 10,000 register to find bone marrow match for 3-year-old Utah boy (Fox13)
Education
- Mental health resources for parents and students going back to school (KSL Newsradio)
- How the University of Utah is helping students' stress and anxiety (Fox13)
- Hurricane High briefly evacuated after fire in bathroom (ABC4)
- Ogden and SLC school districts want immigrant students to feel safe in school (KUER)
- US Education Department quietly removes rules for teaching English learners (Washington Post)
Environment/Energy
Faith
- Latter-day Saint mission leader shot during attempted robbery in Mexico City released from hospital (Deseret News)
Family
Health
- New virus detected in Salt Lake County mosquitoes, CDC confirms (KSL)
Housing
- Groundbreaking for new affordable housing near State Fairpark (KSL TV)
- ‘Major holes in our system’: How a Utah family’s housing and medical needs are falling through the cracks (Salt Lake Tribune)
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National Headlines
General
- At least 600 CDC employees are getting final termination notices, union says (AP)
- International students look to the U.K. instead of the U.S., as Trump squeezes visas (NPR)
Political news
- The Texas House OK’d GOP-favored redistricting. California intends to counter with map of its own (AP)
- Gabbard slashing intelligence office workforce and cutting budget by over $700 million (AP News)
- What Larry Echo Hawk told Trump’s Latter-day Saint nominee for Indian Affairs (Deseret News)
- Trump reignites battle with Smithsonian museums (Deseret News)
- D.C. residents overwhelmingly oppose Trump’s police takeover: Poll (Deseret News)
Immigration/deportation
- Appeals court allows Trump to end temporary protections for migrants from Central America and Nepal (AP News)
- Living in the shadows: Stateless people face unique perils during Trump's crackdown (NPR)
Ukraine/Russia
- Russia says talks on Ukraine's security without Moscow are a 'road to nowhere' (Reuters)
- Russia wants … Russia to have veto over Western security guarantees for Ukraine (Politico)
- Opinion: Ukraine escalation would trigger U.S. financial crisis (Deseret News)
- Zelenskyy says he wants 'strong' US reaction if Putin not ready to meet (Reuters)
- Major Russian drone and missile attack on Ukraine kills 1, injures 15 (AP)
- In Eastern Ukraine, fear and disbelief over proposal to cede land to Russia (Wall Street Journal)
Middle East
- Israel says it has taken first steps of military operation in Gaza City (Reuters)
- Israel to mobilize 60,000 reservists ahead of an expanded Gaza City operation (AP)
World news
- Drone explosion in Haiti kills 2 SWAT members and injures 6 others (New York Times)
- New malaria drug for babies offers hope to health workers in Uganda (AP)
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Number of the Day
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News Releases
Weber State professor, students research environmental impact on snowy plovers
For over 15 years, John Cavitt, a respected zoology professor of Weber State University’s College of Science, has been a leading expert in avian ecology and spearheaded critical efforts to study and protect the endangered western snowy plover. The snowy plover is a small shorebird that has been evading extinction for decades, though vulnerable to threats like natural predators, habitat loss, and destructive human activity. (Raad More)
Utah State Bar launches Constitution Day webpage
The Utah State Bar is proud to announce the launch of a new Constitution Day webpage designed to engage families, lawyers, educators, and community members in celebrating the nation’s founding document. This digital resource provides tools and opportunities to deepen understanding of the U.S. Constitution while encouraging active citizen participation. (Read More)
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Tweet of the Day
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Upcoming
- Aug 21 —Sutherland Institute Congressional Series with Rep. Burgess Owens, 12 pm, Hinckley Institute of Politics & livestream
- 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
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On This Day In History
- 1614 - Elizabeth Báthory, the world's most prolific female serial killer, dies at 54
- 1831 - Former slave Nat Turner leads uprising against slavery.
- 1920 -Christopher Robin’s birthday.
- 1959 - Hawaii becomes the 50th state.
- 1974 - The Equal Educational Opportunities Act takes effect
- 1980 - People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) is founded
- 1986 - An eruption of lethal gas from Lake Nyos in Cameroon kills nearly 2,000 people and wipes out four villages.
- 2015 - First female soldiers graduate from US Army Ranger School
- 2018 - Michael Cohen, President Donald Trump’s former personal lawyer and fixer, pleaded guilty to campaign-finance violations and other charges
Quote of the Day
"I had a vision - and I saw white spirits and black spirits engaged in battle, and the sun was darkened - the thunder rolled in the Heavens, and blood flowed in streams - and I heard a voice saying, 'Such is your luck, such are you called to see, and let it come rough or smooth, you must surely bear it.'"
— Nat Turner
On the Punny Side
A clown held the door open for me. What a nice jester!
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