Salt Lake Tribune
- Utah lawmakers support bill that would make it harder for stalking victims to get help – HB21 faced pushback from victims, victim advocates and attorneys but passed out of committee unanimously.
- Utah is about to run out of COVID-19 vaccines — again – As counties highlight their new vaccination strategies, Gov. Spencer Cox says the state can’t get all the doses it needs.
- Bill to require fathers to pay 50% of pregnancy costs advances through Utah House committee – Rep. Brady Brammer’s bill would apply to a pregnant mother’s health insurance premiums and all medical costs related to the pregnancy from conception to birth, as part of an effort to increase “the responsibility for men in the bringing of life into the world.”
- Qualtrics poised to break another Utah record with Thursday stock sale. How much might it raise? – This IPO could bring in an eye-popping $1.46 billion for the Provo software company.
- Nominee for U.N. ambassador joins Mitt Romney to warn about Chinese influence in Africa – Linda Thomas-Greenfield says U.S. must step up involvement there to overcome growing threat by China.
- Sizzling Wasatch Front home sales, prices reached record highs. Here’s why. – Low interest rates and pandemic-related buying made the suburbs a hot place to live.
Deseret News
- America’s unique religious response to the COVID-19 pandemic – Nearly 3 in 10 Americans say that their faith has increased amid the pandemic.
- Why this conservative thinker says we’re back to ‘normal politics’ – Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist George Will says that the new administration can turn down the heat on American politics.
- What I’ve Learned: Abby Huntsman – The daughter of former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr. and granddaughter to billionaire businessman Jon Huntsman Sr., was a rising media star. But after getting a taste of her dream job at “The View” — with celebrities, bright lights and unending demands for her attention — Huntsman wanted out.
- It’s time to Sundance! Here are 13 movies we’re excited to watch – They include big-name documentaries, awards contenders, films that will really hit home during a pandemic and more.
- Could making unwed fathers help pay for pregnancy, delivery decrease abortions? Rep. Brammer says his bill is a pro-life bill.
- Utah gun advocate still fighting to overturn federal bump stock ban – Clark Aposhian sued the DOJ and the ATF in 2019, alleging the federal agencies violated the Constitution in prohibiting bump stocks. He maintains that only Congress should be able to ban the devices. His attorney argued the case in front of the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals yesterday.
- Senator wants to keep ‘killing machines’ off Utah roads by returning to at least 1 safety check – According to statistics from the Utah Highway Patrol there have been 1,633 accidents caused by malfunctions of the car, including bad tires, worn brakes, nonworking headlights and insufficient windshield wipers, at least 734 people were injured in those accidents and 7 people died.
- Salt Lake County rolls out ‘mobile health centers’ to boost COVID-19 vaccine distribution – The vehicles are intended to bring COVID-19 vaccines to the homebound as well as underserved areas of the valley.
- Bill would fix gap that rewarded brothers convicted in officer’s death for committing new crimes – Rep. Craig Hall, R-West Valley City sponsored HB67 that would ensure that a youth who has been sentenced to detention for the maximum possible time — until age 21 — ultimately will remain in the state’s custody for at least that long.
- IOC remains committed to already postponed Tokyo Olympics – “We are not speculating on whether the Games are taking place. We are working on how the Games are taking place.”
- Biden wants to send more stimulus checks, but who will get them? – “Targeting the stimulus payments to lower-income households would both better support the households most in need and provide a large boost to the economy in the short-run,” said Brown University economics professor John Friedman.
Other
- Mayor urges local support as UDOT construction project threatens Riverton businesses (KUTV) – A seven-month road closure at Bangerter Highway and 12600 South is threatening their future at an already difficult time. Mayor Staggs asks the community to support the roughly 70 businesses affected.
- Salt Lake County prosecutors weeks away from ruling on K-9 bite cases (KUTV)
COVID Corner
- Biden’s first big Covid test: Keeping parents of school kids from losing it (Politico) – “We definitely plan to go after folks on this,” said Michael McAdams, a spokesperson for the National Republican Congressional Committee. “It’s a politically toxic position for Joe Biden and Democrats that they are denying the science in favor of the teachers union and the millions of dollars their party benefits from.”
- COVID-19 Vaccine Distribution: How High-Tech California Is Now Trying To Fix It (NPR) – The in-progress revamp includes the launch of a statewide vaccine portal next month and bringing in a third-party administrator to help fix a jumbled system that basically has each of the state’s 58 counties running its own vaccine program.
- CDC doesn’t know if new Covid-19 variants are causing rare complication in children (CNN) – Multisystem inflammatory syndrome (MIS-C) in children is a troubling complication of Covid-19 infection that can cause heart damage and typically shows up about three weeks after a child has been infected. MIS-C has disproportionately affected children of color.
- COVID-19 vaccine is the ‘long game.’ So you should do this instead (Deseret News) – People should focus on wearing masks, washing their hands and staying away from others in order to stop the coronavirus right now.
- California is lifting restrictions. But it’s still worried about the variants and vaccine rollout (Deseret News) – “This would not be the time to think just because we are reopening that things are looking rosy,” said Los Angeles County public health director Barbara Ferrer.
- These dogs can sniff COVID-19 on you, and an NBA team wants to use them (Deseret News) – Humans will walk up to the arena, dogs will sniff them before they enter – if the dog sits down, then it suggests they detected COVID-19. The fan will then be asked to leave with their group.
