INSIDER
Utah Supreme Court crushes constitutional amendment deemed 'counterfactual' by lower court
Read full article: Utah Supreme Court crushes constitutional amendment deemed 'counterfactual' by lower courtUtah voters will not decide this November on a proposed constitutional amendment asking voters to cede power over ballot measures to lawmakers after the Utah Supreme Court upheld a lower court decision voiding the amendment.
Federal judge temporarily blocks Utah social media laws aimed to protect children
Read full article: Federal judge temporarily blocks Utah social media laws aimed to protect childrenA federal judge in Utah temporarily blocked social media access laws aimed at protecting childrenโs mental health and privacy.
Arlington cemetery controversy shines spotlight on Utah Gov. Spencer Cox's sudden embrace of Trump
Read full article: Arlington cemetery controversy shines spotlight on Utah Gov. Spencer Cox's sudden embrace of TrumpA few months ago, Utah Gov. Spencer Cox was one of the few prominent Republicans consistently keeping his distance from Donald Trump.
Utah Gov. Cox faces scrutiny for using military cemetery photo with Trump in campaign email
Read full article: Utah Gov. Cox faces scrutiny for using military cemetery photo with Trump in campaign emailUtah Republican Gov. Spencer Cox has came under fire for sending a campaign email that included a photo of him and Donald Trump at Arlington National Cemetery during a wreath-laying ceremony.
Utah man who killed woman is put to death by lethal injection in state's first execution since 2010
Read full article: Utah man who killed woman is put to death by lethal injection in state's first execution since 2010Utah death row inmate Taberon Dave Honie has been put to death by lethal injection for the stabbing death of his girlfriendโs mother in the stateโs first execution since 2010.
IOC awards 2034 Winter Games to Utah and pushes state officials to help end FBI investigation
Read full article: IOC awards 2034 Winter Games to Utah and pushes state officials to help end FBI investigationAs expected, Salt Lake City will be an Olympics host again after the IOC formally awarded the 2034 Winter Games to the United States bid.
US Rep. John Curtis wins Utah GOP primary for Romneyโs open seat, while Gov. Spencer Cox also wins
Read full article: US Rep. John Curtis wins Utah GOP primary for Romneyโs open seat, while Gov. Spencer Cox also winsA pair of moderate Utah Republicans have won primary elections for U.S. Senate and governor over far-right candidates who are loyalists to former President Donald Trump, the latest example of how Utah is a rare Republican state that doesnโt fully embrace Trumpโs stranglehold on the GOP.
Rollout of transgender bathroom law sows confusion among Utah public school families
Read full article: Rollout of transgender bathroom law sows confusion among Utah public school familiesUtah educators have been rushing to prepare students and staff as the state starts cracking down on any public school found not enforcing new bathroom restrictions for transgender individuals.
Utah GOP picks Trump-backed mayor as nominee to replace Sen. Mitt Romney, but primary foes await
Read full article: Utah GOP picks Trump-backed mayor as nominee to replace Sen. Mitt Romney, but primary foes awaitThe Utah Republican Party has selected Trent Staggs as its nominee to replace Mitt Romney in the U.S. Senate, hours after the local official received former President Donald Trumpโs endorsement.
College athletes will need school approval for NIL deals under bill passed by Utah Legislature
Read full article: College athletes will need school approval for NIL deals under bill passed by Utah LegislatureCollege athletes in Utah who are looking to profit off their name, likeness and image will have to seek written approval from their school for any business deal exceeding $600.
Kids are using phones in class, even when itโs against the rules. Should schools ban them all day?
Read full article: Kids are using phones in class, even when itโs against the rules. Should schools ban them all day?The scene in classrooms around the country is similar: Kids are on their phones, even when school rules forbid it.
Biden and Utah's governor call for less bitterness and more bipartisanship in the nation's politics
Read full article: Biden and Utah's governor call for less bitterness and more bipartisanship in the nation's politicsPresident Joe Biden and Utah Gov. Spencer Cox are calling for less bitterness and more bipartisanship in American politics.
Biden tells governors he's eyeing executive action on immigration, seems 'frustrated' with lawyers
Read full article: Biden tells governors he's eyeing executive action on immigration, seems 'frustrated' with lawyersPresident Joe Biden has told the nationโs governors that heโs exploring what executive actions he can take to address migration across the southern border after a bipartisan deal collapsed in Congress this month.
First lady Jill Biden implores an 'often mired in gridlock' Congress to follow governors' lead
Read full article: First lady Jill Biden implores an 'often mired in gridlock' Congress to follow governors' leadFirst lady Jill Biden is lamenting the partisanship that permeates Capitol Hill and politics writ large, telling governors at the White House that she wishes more lawmakers would follow their lead.
Utah governor approves censure of school board member who questioned a student's gender
Read full article: Utah governor approves censure of school board member who questioned a student's genderUtah Gov. Spencer Cox has signed legislation censuring a conservative member of the state Board of Education whose social media post questioning the gender of a high school basketball player triggered a firestorm of derogatory comments.
Utah is the latest state to ban diversity, equity and inclusion efforts on campus and in government
Read full article: Utah is the latest state to ban diversity, equity and inclusion efforts on campus and in governmentUtah has become the latest state to prohibit diversity training, hiring and inclusion programs at universities and in state government.
A group representing TikTok, Meta and X sues Utah over strict new limits on app use for minors
Read full article: A group representing TikTok, Meta and X sues Utah over strict new limits on app use for minorsA trade group that represents TikTok and other major tech companies has sued Utah over its first-in-the-nation laws requiring children to get parental consent to use social media apps.
Gates will be locked and thousands of rangers furloughed at national parks if government shuts down
Read full article: Gates will be locked and thousands of rangers furloughed at national parks if government shuts downGates will be locked and thousands of rangers will be furloughed from national park sites if Congress doesnโt reach a budget agreement.
Utah and Arizona will pay to keep national parks open if federal government shutdown occurs
Read full article: Utah and Arizona will pay to keep national parks open if federal government shutdown occursArizona and Utah will keep iconic national parks in those states open if a federal government shutdown cuts off funding nationwide.
The Great Salt Lake is shrinking rapidly and Utah has failed to stop it, a new lawsuit says
Read full article: The Great Salt Lake is shrinking rapidly and Utah has failed to stop it, a new lawsuit saysA coalition of environmental groups is suing Utah's government, saying the state has failed to stop the Great Salt Lake from shrinking at an alarming pace.
Court dismisses challenge to Biden's restoration of Utah monuments shrunk by Trump
Read full article: Court dismisses challenge to Biden's restoration of Utah monuments shrunk by TrumpA U.S. judge has dismissed a lawsuit from the state of Utah challenging President Joe Bidenโs restoration of two sprawling national monuments that were downsized by former President Donald Trump.
Biden praises political unity at anniversary of the PACT Act expanding veterans benefits
Read full article: Biden praises political unity at anniversary of the PACT Act expanding veterans benefitsPresident Joe Biden has praised leaders from both parties for unifying behind veterans a year ago, when they joined in passing the largest expansion of veterans benefits in decades.
DeSantis, in deeply conservative Utah, says he's driven more by faith in God than by politics
Read full article: DeSantis, in deeply conservative Utah, says he's driven more by faith in God than by politicsRon DeSantis is rebuffing concerns about trailing rival Donald Trump and boasting about endorsements and support in Utah as his campaign looks toward states later in the election calendar and aims to reset.
Utah bans abortion clinics in wave of post-Roe restrictions
Read full article: Utah bans abortion clinics in wave of post-Roe restrictionsThe decision by Utahโs Republican governor to sign into law a ban on abortion clinics is raising concerns about how already overburdened hospitals will accommodate becoming the only place for legal abortions in the state.
Utah bans transgender athletes in girls sports despite veto
Read full article: Utah bans transgender athletes in girls sports despite vetoGOP lawmakers in Utah have pushed through a ban on transgender youth athletes playing on girlsโ teams, overriding a veto and joining 11 other states with similar laws amid a nationwide culture war.
Latest transgender sports ban veto spurs Utah override push
Read full article: Latest transgender sports ban veto spurs Utah override pushUtahโs governor vetoed a ban on transgender students playing girlsโ sports on Tuesday, becoming the second Republican governor to reject such legislation this week.
Biden announces Uber, Lyft rides amid July 4 vaccine push
Read full article: Biden announces Uber, Lyft rides amid July 4 vaccine pushPresident Joe Biden is highlighting new programs from ride-sharing companies Uber and Lyft to provide free rides to and from vaccination sites as the pace of vaccination shots nationally declines.
Utah governor defends support for NBA minority scholarship
Read full article: Utah governor defends support for NBA minority scholarshipUtah's governor has defended his position to support a minority scholarship program sponsored by the Utah Jazz despite criticism from some who have called the program racist.
Utah campaign against porn marches on with phone filter plan
Read full article: Utah campaign against porn marches on with phone filter planConservative lawmakers in Utah have fired another salvo in their longtime campaign against online porn with a new requirement that all cellphones and tablets sold in the state automatically block pornography in a plan that critics call a significant intrusion on free speech. AdCombating porn is a perennial issue for Utah lawmakers who have previously mandated warning labels on print and online pornography and declared porn a โpublic health crisis.โUtahโs generally conservative culture means racy mainstream magazines and lingerie catalogs can be considered risquรฉ. AdBut even more important is comprehensive sex education to counteract messages kids might get from porn, she said. And he said no existing filters are that sophisticated: โItโs not like you put a judge in your phone,โ he said. AdThe American Civil Liberties Union of Utah said the bill is an overreach that imposes the same standards on everyone.
The Latest: Governor extends Oregon's state of emergency
Read full article: The Latest: Governor extends Oregon's state of emergencyKate Brown on Thursday extended Oregonโs declaration of a state of emergency until May 2 as confirmed COVID-19 cases drop but hundreds of new cases continue to be reported daily. The Oregon Health Authority on Thursday reported 553 new confirmed COVID-19 cases, bringing the state total to 154,554. ___MISSOURI __ Missouri teachers and child care providers will be eligible for COVID-19 vaccination in mid-March, Gov. The nation of 10.7 million had almost 1.2 million cases with 19,835 deaths. AdLast week the Democratic governor announced that at least 10% of the stateโs vaccine supply would go to education workers.
States eye allowing concealed carry of guns without a permit
Read full article: States eye allowing concealed carry of guns without a permitFifteen states already allow concealed carry without a permit, and lawmakers in nine others have proposed allowing or expanding the practice. Against that backdrop, the efforts to loosen concealed carry requirements are a frightening trend for Shannon Watts, founder of the gun control group Moms Demand Action. He pointed to a multistate study published in 2018 by the Journal of the American College of Surgeons that found loosening concealed carry permit laws didnโt lead to more homicides or violent crime. In Montana, the House recently passed a bill to allow people to carry concealed firearms without a permit in most places. Similar bills that would allow or expand concealed carry without a permit have been introduced in Texas, South Carolina, Florida, Indiana, Alabama and Georgia.
Campaigning during coronavirus, GOP ex-envoy falls short
Read full article: Campaigning during coronavirus, GOP ex-envoy falls shortUtah Republican gubernatorial candidate Lt. Gov. The competitive four-way contest was conducted entirely by mail during the coronavirus pandemic, which also shaped the campaign. But his comeback attempt fell short in a GOP primary as he contended with a crushing pandemic and a fresh-faced opponent. A very early start to his campaign also proved fortuitous in hindsight, allowing Cox, 44, to clock months visiting voters before the coronavirus hit. The Huntsman campaign answered those challenges in part by encouraging people to register as Republicans so they could vote in the closed primary.
Utah governor race has conservative coronavirus fault lines
Read full article: Utah governor race has conservative coronavirus fault linesJon Huntsman, Jr., speaks during the Utah Gubernatorial Republican Primary Debate in Salt Lake City. He stepped down as U.S. ambassador to Russia under Donald Trump to return to Utah and make a run and reclaiming his seat. Now, it's showcasing conservative fault lines over the coronavirus crisis response and what recovery looks like. Hes still deciding between Huntsman and Cox, but has so far been impressed with the states handling of the coronavirus crisis. You keep hearing over and over that Utah wasn't locked down, Utah is doing so great, he said.
Huntsman announces GOP bid for old job as Utah governor
Read full article: Huntsman announces GOP bid for old job as Utah governorDuring an appearance in southern Utah, Huntsman responded to speculation about his unusual political pivot by saying he would serve out a full term rather than leave if offered another national job. After two years, Huntsman left Russia amid heavy speculation about a potential gubernatorial run. Republican state Sen. Todd Weiler said Huntsman is going to have to convince voters that Utah isnโt an โoverlooked girlfriendโ or a platform between more high-profile roles. Herbert has served as governor since Huntsman left for China but is not running again in 2020. Other Republicans who have already declared include Utah County businessman Jeff Burningham and Salt Lake County Councilwoman Aimee Winder Newton.