Deseret News
- What the GOP can learn from 1,000 Trump voters – About 67% of the Trump voters in 2020 voted for Romney in 2012 and 29% had voted for Obama or third parties in 2012.
- Mike Lee objects to House impeachment manager’s narrative about Trump phone call – Lee said the statements attributed to him about the specifics of the phone conversation between Trump and Tuberville were false and said, “I’m the only witness.”
- How President Trump misdialed Utah Sen. Mike Lee while the Capitol was under siege – On Jan 7, Sen. Lee talked to reporters about the phone call from Trump.
- How do we resolve racial tensions? Start with reclaiming Black family history – Black families have persisted and survived. They have overcome tremendous struggles and managed to find ways to maintain connections, despite all that stood in their way. To forget that legacy is a disservice to all.
- After emotional debate, bill to rename Dixie State University clears Utah House – Many representatives from the St. George area voted against the bill, some of whom said the process had been rushed and there had not been sufficient community input.
- Resolution recognizing Utah’s election success OK’d — but not without a challenge – But Rep. Phil Lyman, R-Blanding and Rep. Michael Petersen, R-North Logan, voted against it.
- Only U.S. attorney appointed by Obama and Trump submits resignation – Utah U.S. Attorney John Huber, who served under both Democratic and Republican presidential administrations, announced he will step down at the end of February.
- COVID-19 vaccines may give false positives in breast cancer screenings – Women are now being advised to either get their annual mammograms before being vaccinated against COVID-19, or wait at least a month after their final dose to avoid a mistaken breast cancer or other cancer diagnosis due to a side effect from the shots.
Salt Lake Tribune
- Mitt Romney has harrowing cameo in impeachment videos that show Capitol violence – Capitol Police Officer Eugene Goodman was running to respond to the initial breach when he passed Sen. Mitt Romney who was headed straight towards the mob and turns Romney around in order to get him to safety.
- Tenant advocacy group calls on Salt Lake City’s redevelopment director to resign – A rally against mass evictions is scheduled for Saturday after an out-of-state developer evicts dozens of low-income renters.
- Utah health officials say most adults who want the COVID vaccine should be able to get one by the end of May – Those rosy projections are completely dependent on the ability of manufacturers to produce vaccines as promised, however.
- What Sen. Mike Lee told me about Trump’s call the day of the Capitol riot – Lee related the story of how then-President Donald Trump mistakenly called his phone thinking it belonged to Tommy Tuberville, the newly-elected senator from Alabama. The call became a controversial part of the impeachment trial on Wednesday.
- These Walmarts in Utah will begin providing COVID-19 vaccines to seniors on Friday – Don’t try to walk in; appointments will be required for the limited number of vaccinations.
- Utah Legislature’s Clean Air Caucus calls for historic investment in clean air initiatives – The bipartisan group has turned its sights toward big-ticket budget requests this session in an effort to address the state’s poor air quality.
- Cosmetology licensing amendment curls hair among community members – SB87 “creates an exemption from licensure under the cosmetology act for an individual who only dries, styles, arranges, dresses, curls, hot irons, shampoos, or conditions hair.” Cosmetology industry objects.
Other
- New video shows Romney directed away from U.S. Capitol rioters (Fox 13) – “It was heartbreaking and overwhelming to witness the violence our law enforcement officers faced on January 6,” said Romney in a statement.
- SLCC is giving students an edge with affordable education (KSL.com) – As the state’s largest two-year college, SLCC is a launchpad to four-year degrees.
COVID Corner
- Fully vaccinated people can skip Covid quarantines, CDC says (CNN) – “Fully vaccinated persons who meet criteria will no longer be required to quarantine following an exposure to someone with COVID-19.”
- Covid masks save lives. The CDC says double-masking may save more. (NBC News) – Masks have saved far more lives than any other biomedical intervention for Covid-19.
- WHO expert group recommends use of AstraZeneca vaccine (Associated Press) – Independent experts advising WHO about immunization on Wednesday recommended the use of AstraZeneca’s vaccine even in countries that turned up worrying coronavirus variants in their populations.
- The U.S. may not reach herd immunity until Thanksgiving (Deseret News) – Top officials within Biden’s team have warned that the slow rollout of the COVID-19 vaccine and the COVID-19 variants from the United Kingdom and South Africa could delay herd immunity.
- Every Utah adult who wants vaccine could get it by end of May, director says (Deseret News) – Mass COVID-19 vaccination sites are set to begin operating in Utah in March and three months from now, every Utahn who wants protection against the virus should have an opportunity to receive their shots, health officials told state lawmakers Wednesday.