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Situational Analysis | May 06, 2026
It’s Wednesday and National Skilled Trades Day!
Happy Birthday to Pres. Stuart Adams! 🥳🎂🎉
What you need to know
A slew of bills become law today, including no need to signal when leaving a roundabout, helmets required for ebike operators under 21, a ban on unadulterated kratom, and interestingly, a data center water transparency law.
Rapid relevance
Auto insurance fraud on the rise in Utah; Utah student lunch debt nears $4 million as cost of living squeezes families; parents protest as Salt Lake City School Board votes to raise meal prices, cut mental health staff
On the Hill
11:00 am: Senate Education Confirmation Committee
Government program stabilizes care for Utah seniors while strengthening healthcare statewide
A lesser-known government program stabilizes care for Utah seniors while strengthening healthcare statewide. The program provides $100M in federal funding each year at no cost to Utah, making it important to understand how it works and why it matters. Learn more at UtahUPL.com.
Utah Headlines
Political News
Utah bookstore cancels promotion for governor’s book on peacemaking after online backlash (Deseret News)
More than 3,700 protests lodged over water rights for the Box Elder data center (KUER)
Kevin O’Leary says data center campus protesters were ‘bused in’ from out of state (Salt Lake City)
‘I’ve never felt this threatened’: Box Elder County Commissioner addresses backlash over controversial data center agreement vote (ABC4)
Opinion: Is a third party in Utah’s future? (Deseret News)
What’s the fastest-growing city in Utah? (Deseret News)
Salt Lake City approves new name for 500 South after removing Cesar Chavez's name (KSL)
'Not a choice we made lightly': Salt Lake City seeks 12.5% property tax increase (KSL)
Vineyard City park listed for auction due to unpaid property taxes (KSL TV)
SLC Council to investigate sexual misconduct allegations against Eva Lopez Chavez (Salt Lake Tribune)
Voices: Three incidents in one school year reveal a chilling pattern in Utah of silencing even the appearance of viewpoint diversity (Salt Lake Tribune)
New law aims to stop Utahns from accessing porn websites with a VPN (Salt Lake Tribune)
New Utah law expected to address problem of sex offenders without fixed addresses (KUTV)
Utah
Inside the meeting between the Utah gov and RFK Jr. where they discussed how to ‘Make America Healthy Again’ (Deseret News)
'Spirit of community': How Utah County is planning to celebrate America 250 (KSL)
Utahns more likely than rest of nation to say they will celebrate America’s 250th (Deseret News)
Ogden family searches for answers after storage unit mistakenly auctioned off (KUTV)
Biz/Tech/AI
The chatbot said she was a doctor. Pennsylvania says it was a lie (Deseret News)
Opinion: Let’s test and learn from AI medicine in Utah (Deseret News)
Tracking where AI data centers are being built in Utah: Interactive map (ABC4)
Opinion: China is laying a technological trap. Call it the ‘Silicon Curtain.’ (Washington Post)
Crime/Courts
Culture/Community
First-generation farmers hope to give the next generation 'the Farm' experience (KSL)
Opinion: Salt Lake City’s new arts institution is presenting music in a unique way (Deseret News)
Will Winter Games stick to snow and ice sports? (Deseret News)
Utah’s first Magnolia Bakery location finally has an opening date (The Salt Lake Tribune)
Sidewalk project in Sanpete County aims to boost safety but also raises property concerns (FOX 13)
Hollywood tried for decades — now the ‘Fablehaven’ movie is finally happening (Deseret News)
Economy
Gasoline costs 50% more in the US than it did before the Iran war (AP)
Education
Out-of-bounds behavior prompting more high school sports officials to walk away (Deseret News)
Utah school administrators earn 61% more than teachers, new report finds (ABC4)
Lake Mountain School District acquires 100 acres for joint education campus (KSL)
Is religion claiming a more prominent place in America’s K-12 classrooms — including in Utah? (Deseret News)
How YouTube Took Over the American Classroom (WSJ)
Taxpayer funds used now for schools in soon-to-be separate districts (KUTV)
Economy
Here’s what families in Utah and nationwide say about slumping U.S. economy (Deseret News)
Environment/Energy
Faith
Opinion: Choosing joy and light despite life’s hardships (Deseret News)
What’s wrong with ‘debating’ faith differences (Deseret News)
New Temple, new Temple Square app (KSLTV)
Health
Trump restores Presidential Fitness Test Award for students (Deseret News)
Deaths of older adults in long-term care often underexamined, advocates say (Fox13)
A promising new depression therapy focuses on finding paths to joy (Washington Post)
Housing
Trump backed forced treatment for homeless people. Utah shows the challenges. (The Salt Lake Tribune)
Utah's warm winter leaves extra funds for homeless services (KSL)
National Headlines
General
Federal judge apologizes to man accused of trying to kill Trump over jail conditions (Deseret News)
2 hikers injured in bear attack along popular Yellowstone attraction (KSL)
Huge 2025 tsunami in Alaska fjord was second-highest on record (Reuters)
Political News
Trump restores Presidential Fitness Test Award for students (Deseret News)
Opinion: Turn America’s tax system upside down to tax the rich (Deseret News)
Trump ‘disappointed’ in GOP leaders for not eliminating Senate filibuster (Deseret News)
Trump administration ties health aid to trade deals, raising fears over HIV treatment access (FOX 13)
Vice President Vance woos Iowa Republican voters ahead of 2028 (AP News)
Republicans include $1 billion for White House ballroom in funding package (Deseret News)
Takeaways from Indiana, Ohio and Michigan: Trump’s flex pays off and Democrats win special election (AP)
Former ICE deputy director loses GOP congressional primary in Ohio (Washington Post)
Poll finds broad rejection of religion-related messages from Trump, Hegseth (Washington Post)
Immigration
For many Americans, Trump’s immigration crackdown is personal, new AP-NORC poll shows (AP)
Dick Durbin: Yes, Trump is deporting ‘dreamers.’ Now here’s the quiet part. (Washington Post)
Ukraine/Russia
Zelenskyy slams Russia as strikes kill 22 in Ukraine before announced ceasefire (NPR)
Pro-Kremlin lawyer’s turn against Putin reveals rift in Russian power circles (Washington Post)
US/Iran
China is stepping up its Iran war diplomacy ahead of Trump’s summit with Xi (AP)
Iran's Revolutionary Guard says ships can now pass the Strait of Hormuz (NPR)
Iran has hit far more U.S. military assets than reported, satellite images show (Washington Post)
World
Skeletons in their clothing: Recovering bodies from the rubble in Gaza (NPR)
Number of the Day
News Releases
Inaugural subcounty population estimates for Utah
The Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute today released the first-ever statewide subcounty population estimates for Utah. The data offer a comprehensive look at population change from 2024 to 2025, for all 255 incorporated cities and towns across the state, in addition to 29 unincorporated county areas. 2025 place-level estimates show over half of Utahns reside in cities with populations over 50,000. (Read More)
Hatch Center brings together experts on reconciliation, fiscal outlook, and national security
The Hatch Center convened a panel of leading experts today to examine the intersection of budget reconciliation, the U.S. economic outlook, and the evolving national security environment as Congress prepares to return from recess with a compressed timeline to advance key legislative priorities. (Read More)
Utah school administrators earn 61% more than teachers, new report finds
School administrators across Utah earn, on average, 61% more than classroom teachers, according to a new statewide analysis of public school finances released today by the Utah Taxpayers Association.
The report finds that administrator salaries average 161% of teacher pay across all 41 school districts. At the same time, classroom teachers make up just 45% of total school staff on average, highlighting how education dollars are distributed between instruction and administrative functions. (Read More)
UVU Hosts Utah NASA Space Grant Consortium Fellowship Symposium
Utah Valley University (UVU) hosted the Utah NASA Space Grant Consortium Fellowship Symposium and Annual Meeting of Affiliates on Monday, May 4. The event brought together undergraduate and graduate students, faculty, and institutional partners from across Utah to share research findings and highlight student achievement in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. (Read More)
Tweet of the Day
Upcoming
May 15 — Utah Taxes Now Conference with Utah Taxpayers Association, 9:00 am, Grand America Hotel, Register here
May 19-21 — Interim Days
May 21 — 2026 Solutions Utah Conference, Noon-1:30 pm, Grand America Hotel, Register here
June 23 — Utah primary election
Aug 4-6 — One Utah Summit, SUU America First Event Center, Register here
Aug 13 — Titan of Public Service Gala with the Orrin G. Hatch Foundation, Grand America
Nov 3 — General election
On This Day in History
1922 - KSL launches.
1935 - President Franklin D. Roosevelt signs an executive order creating the Works Progress Administration (WPA).
1937 - German airship Hindenburg explodes in flames at Lakehurst, New Jersey, killing 35 of the 97 on board and 1 on the ground and ends the age of zeppelins.
1947 - Martha Craven Nussbaum, one of the foremost American philosophers, was born today.
1954 - Roger Bannister becomes first to run a sub-4 minute mile at 3:59:4
1960 - President Eisenhower signs the Civil Rights Act of 1960.
1961 - George Clooney is born.
1981 - Architecture student Maya Lin wins a national competition for the design of the Vietnam Veteran’s Memorial to be built in Washington, D.C.
1987 - William J. Casey, American head of the CIA during the Iran-contra scandal (1981-87), dies of aspiration pneumonia at 73
1994 - The “Chunnel” officially opens, linking England and France through an underwater tunnel.
Quote of the Day
Knowledge is not a guarantee of good political behavior, but ignorance is a virtual guarantee of bad behavior
On the Punny Side
Decided to quit my job and travel the world until I run out of money!
I should be home in time for dinner.
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