Deseret News
- BYU study: In-class beats online learning, but extra sleep benefits mental health – Policy suggestions for those figuring out right balance to help kids learn, boost mental health
- Acclaimed photographer Chris Burkard on risk, sacrifice and a rewarding career – Chris Burkard began his career with a simple goal: become a photographer and use his job to see the world he couldn’t afford to see otherwise.
- I’m not so bullish on ‘Murder Among the Mormons’ anymore – It’s quirky. It’s enthralling. It’s fun. At times it’s funny. But should it be?
- Should Utah allow recall elections? Democrats, Republicans think alike on this issue – A new Deseret News/Hinckley Institute of Politics poll shows 75% of Utahns favor a law allowing voters to recall elected officials.
- Why are wrong-way crashes up 30% in Utah and even higher across the country? – An estimated 90%-plus of wrong-way crashes in Utah were caused by an impaired driver.
- What can be done to close the Black homeownership gap? – With a homeownership rate of 44.1% for the fourth quarter of 2020, African Americans remain far behind the 74.5% rate of non-Hispanic white households who own homes, according to U.S. census data.
Salt Lake Tribune
- Utah’s Ben McAdams joins group promising to combat Republican ‘lies’ – Shield PAC, supported by former House Democrats, will seek to protect moderates in 2022.
- Utah pharmacist gets probation for illegally importing drug that officials wanted to use for COVID-19 – The Draper executive shipped chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine falsely labeled as herbal extract for his no-bid contract with the state.
- Prisoner advocates warned against allowing rival gangs to mingle. Now an inmate who was injured is suing. – Yeager Gleave’s lawsuit says prison officials “anticipated, orchestrated and encouraged a gladiator encounter.”
- Oh my heck! This beer pokes fun at how Utah swears. – Budweiser ads for “The Beer Utah Swears By” will include phrases like “Holy Shizz,” “Oh My Heck” and “Frick Yeah.”
- Service workers worry about confrontations, lack of vaccinations as the end of Utah’s statewide mask mandate approaches – For businesses that maintain mask mandates, enforcement will fall to young service workers, many of whom are already fatigued by upholding the requirements and who are not yet fully vaccinated.
- A way too early look at the 2022 U.S. Senate race in Utah and Sen. Mike Lee’s possible challengers – However, big donors are backing Lee. Club for Growth, for example, is “prepared to spend whatever it takes to make sure Senator Lee is renominated and re-elected.”
- Robert Gehrke: Utah needs a workable, certain path for homeless residents, even if that means another shelter – With clearer, streamlined leadership and a big influx of resources and without the burden of the pandemic, it’s possible we could see progress toward a lofty vision. In the meantime, however, we can’t ignore the immediate need for a more cohesive, sustainable shelter strategy.
Other
- Officials, advocates debate over how to solve Salt Lake’s homelessness issues (Fox 13) – After Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall suggested the need for a fourth homeless shelter in the area, advocates argue that’s not a long-term solution for the growing crisis.
- Westwater gets boost from legislature (Navajo Times) – Even before COVID-19 struck, the Westwater subdivision was garnering media attention for not having electricity or water, even though it’s within sight of Blanding, which does have water and electricity. The legislature just appropriated $500,000 as infrastructure seed money.
- Iron County’s metallic monolith now missing after being visited by weekend crowds (St. George News) – Cedar City News confirmed the object was there just before sunset Sunday evening and was gone by Monday morning.
- Park City Olympian ski jumper Sarah Hendrickson retires (TownLift) – Hendrickson, 26, was born and raised in Park City, and was among the first athletes, male or female, to jump at what was then the Utah Winter Sports Park (now called Utah Olympic Park).
COVID Corner
- In Michigan’s latest coronavirus surge, there’s a new kind of patient (CNN) – Their hospitals are again on the front line, but this time they have a new type of patient: younger and healthier.
- How Dr. Scott Gottlieb protects his young kids on playdates before they can get Covid shots (CNBC) – “For example, a lot of their playdates have been with kids who are in their class,” Gottlieb said. “Why? Because that’s their social pod. They’re already exposed to that social pod, and so we try to keep the interactions within that defined pod.”
- ‘Love Your Neighbor’ And Get The Shot: White Evangelical Leaders Push COVID Vaccines (NPR) – “The more we can move the discourse from a discourse about politics and political affiliation to one of mission, of love for neighbor, of following Jesus — who would honor the image of God in others — then I think we’re tapping into something profoundly motivating for evangelicals.”
- Your post-vaccination travel questions, answered (Vox) – Can Americans travel right now? Kind of. Should Americans travel right now? That’s more complicated.
- Vaccinating adults appears to protect children around them; bar opening event linked to 46 COVID-19 cases (Reuters) – In analyzing outcomes in 223 communities, researchers found that as the number of vaccinated adults went up, infection rates among unvaccinated MHS members in the same community went down – particularly among children.
- New Double Mutant Coronavirus Variant From India Found In California For First Time (Deadline) – This Indian variant contains two mutations in the same virus for the first time.
- The Rise of the Pandemic Shed (Washington Post) – In an unrelenting year, some families are building their own places of retreat: a pandemic shed.
- One of Utah’s first COVID-19 patients just got vaccinated (Fox 13) – Antonio Cruz Martinez remembers getting very sick. “The body aches were so bad, I could barely walk,” he said. Now, he is vaccinated.
- Here’s how to register for a COVID-19 vaccination in Utah (Fox 13) – Here is a list of health department links and phone numbers.
- ‘Double mutant’ of COVID-19 has been found in California (Deseret News) – Dr. Peter Chin-Hong, an infectious disease expert, said the double mutant variant is “less forgiving” than others.
- 2 things that can stop a new COVID-19 surge, according to Dr. Anthony Fauci (Deseret News) – “A, you keep pushing down and doubling down on public health measures and B, you do whatever you can to get as many people vaccinated as quickly and as expeditiously as possible.”
