Deseret News
- From Reagan to Romney, a brief history of Republican thinking on the minimum wage – Economist Milton Friedman inspired a generation of conservatives resistant to government-set wages.
- Confessions of a gun enthusiast: Doing away with safety requirements could hurt women and children – The link between gun violence and domestic violence is undeniable.
- (Still) in this together – Despite a flood of hardships for families, some teens have found a silver lining a year after the COVID-19 pandemic began.
- Bill targets how police use info showing where you’ve been and what internet searches you make – HB251 would create some new law enforcement boundaries where none previously existed when it comes to the scope of location data searches.
- Massive $2.26B transportation proposal would be biggest in Utah’s history – House Majority Leader Mike Schultz, R-Hooper, is sponsoring HB433, which would authorize the issuance of $1.4 billion in bonds for transportation and transit projects, plus nearly $823 million in one-time general fund revenues.
- Apple, Utah Jazz, Imagine Dragons rally to launch groundbreaking LGBTQ youth program – Tim Cook, Ryan Smith and Dan Reynolds pledge $4M to establish eight new Encircle homes in four states.
- The House has passed the Equality Act, but religious freedom concerns remain – The Equality Act would add sexual orientation and gender identity-based protections to federal civil rights law.
- Salt Lake NAACP president: The name ‘Dixie’ is racist and must go – For well over 15 years, the NAACP has fought to remove confederate symbols from Dixie State University and to change its name. The opportunity for the state of Utah to support HB278, sponsored by Sen. Michael K. McKell, is now.
- Taylor Swift countersues Utah’s Evermore Park for using songs without permission –
- Pleasant Grove theme park leveled similar allegations against Swift earlier this month.
Salt Lake Tribune
- Utah Senate kills then resurrects bill to eliminate signature-gathering path for candidates – Some worry the bill would lead to a referendum effort to do away with Utah’s convention system. A valid worry, since this bill violates the compromise agreed to in 2014.
- New generation of Utahns finds power and pride through ‘breaking’ and hip hop culture – Created by Black and Latino youths in the 1970s on NYC streets, break dancing has its own history in Utah — and is now an Olympic sport.
- Utah House committee refuses to hear bill filed in wake of Reyes’ pro-Trump actions – The legislation would’ve required the state attorney general to consult with the governor before intervening in certain legal actions.
- SUWA can sue over Zinke’s secret meetings with Utah county commissioners over monuments – State’s high court also removes hefty fines as Bears Ears and Grand Staircase are the focal point of yet another legal tussle.
- Health department investigating SLC party over possible violations of COVID-19 restrictions – An organizer for the event at Sky SLC says the high schoolers were not allowed inside without a mask but social media posts show hundreds of kids without masks and not social distancing.
- Plan to combine Utah health, human services agencies gains ground in Legislature – Proponents of the merger say it will improve efficiency and information-sharing.
- Salt Lake County Mayor Jenny Wilson says 2021 will be a year of ‘rebuilding’ – In State of the County address she says priorities remain public health, public spaces and equity.
- Mitt Romney says if schools want pandemic aid, they need to offer in-person classes – The Utah Republican claims — as do many in the GOP — that schools halting in-person classes has had more to do with pressure from teacher unions than from any scientific evidence of increased threats from COVID-19 through in-person teaching.
Other
- How to schedule COVID-19 vaccine appointments in Salt Lake County under Feb. 25 eligibility (ABC 4) – To schedule an appointment, visit SaltLakeHealth.org and click “COVID Vaccine Information.” Health officials say you may also call 385-468-7468.
- Salt Lake County to reopen performing arts venues March 25 (KSL) – Abravanel Hall, Capitol Theatre, Eccles Theater, and the Rose Wagner Performing Arts Center will reopen with COVID-19 measures in place. The venues will require face coverings, distancing between parties and reduced capacities.
- Google Fiber coming to South Salt Lake (ABC 4) – Mayor Cherie Wood made the announcement during a City Council meeting, explaining that the agreement allows Google Fiber to begin building its fiber-to-the-home network in South Salt Lake.
- ‘It hit me so hard’: Utah ICU nurse battling COVID-19 released from hospital after double lung transplant (KSL) – After spending months in the hospital sick with COVID-19 and eventually undergoing a double lung transplant, Jill Holker, a Utah intensive care nurse has finally been discharged.
COVID Corner
- BLM launches Survival Fund amid federal COVID-19 relief wait (AP) – The Black Lives Matter Global Network Foundation is formally expanding a $3 million financial relief fund that it quietly launched earlier this month, to help people struggling to make ends meet during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
- Utah expanding list of who can now get their COVID-19 vaccines, governor announces (Deseret News) – Utahns 16 and older with certain medical conditions can now be vaccinated against COVID-19.
- Pfizer director Dr. Scott Gottlieb explains how a third Covid shot may protect against variants (CNBC) – Dr. Scott Gottlieb told CNBC on Thursday that Pfizer is researching two distinct methods to try providing vaccine protection against new coronavirus variants – a booster, or a new shot.
- Dozens got coronavirus from high-intensity workouts in gyms. The CDC warns that masks, better ventilation are a must. (Washington Post) – Fifty-five of 81 people who attended high-intensity classes at a facility between Aug. 24 and Sept. 1 would eventually test positive.
- New coronavirus variant in NYC has vaccine-evading mutation (LiveScience) – This latest coronavirus variant, dubbed B.1.526, first emerged in New York in November 2020, and it now accounts for about 25% of coronavirus genomes that were sequenced from New York in February.
- Most COVID-19 survivors can weather risk of reinfection, study says (Axios) – COVID-19 survivors tend to have a roughly tenfold increase in protection against the virus, according to a government-funded study published Wednesday.
- Amid COVID pandemic, flu has disappeared in the US (New York Post) – Experts say that measures put in place to fend off the coronavirus — mask wearing, social distancing and virtual schooling — were a big factor in preventing a “twindemic” of flu and COVID-19.
- COVID-19 vaccines not believed to have impact on fertility, expert says (Yahoo! News) – The myth that COVID-19 vaccines may negatively impact fertility has been spread largely on social media.
- Study says you’re less likely to catch COVID-19 if you wear these (BGR): Eyeglasses
- New study reveals new ways COVID-19 symptoms impact children (Deseret News) – There are major differences in the two ways children become severely ill from COVID-19. About half the patients had COVID-19 similar to adults. The other half had multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children or MIS-C.
- This new ad campaign will call for you to get the COVID-19 vaccine (Deseret News) – The ads will be featured on Pandora and Spotify, as well as other platforms.
- Traumatized and tired, nurses are quitting due to the pandemic (CNN) – “The mental-health impact this is going to have on nurses … I don’t think we’ve even scratched the surface of it yet.”
