Good Thursday morning Utah! Thanks for reading “The Rundown”.
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Romney makes a deal
News broke late Wednesday that a bipartisan group of senators, including Utah Sen. Mitt Romney, said Wednesday they had reached an agreement with the White House on a framework for an infrastructure package.
Politico reports the deal contains $559 billion in new infrastructure spending.
Romney said Wednesday night the group would head to the White House Thursday to discuss the deal with President Joe Biden.
Of course, the devil is in the details. Will the White House accept the deal? Will 10 Senate Republicans get on board? Will the more progressive Democrats in Congress support the agreement, which is far less than they have advocated for?
The other question is how to pay for it all? President Joe Biden is adamant he won’t raise taxes on Americans making less than $400,000 per year, while Republicans have said a tax increase on corporations or the wealthy is a red line they’re unwilling to cross.
While Wednesday’s agreement is a good start, there’s still a long way to go.
More coverage:
Senators say deal reached on infrastructure proposal as bipartisan agenda faces make-or-break moment. [CNN]
Bipartisan group of senators to brief Biden on infrastructure ‘framework’ after potential breakthrough in talks. [WaPo]
Infrastructure negotiators agree to framework for package. [WSJ]
Here’s what you need to know for Thursday morning
Local news
Rep. John Curtis is leading an effort by House Republicans to promote market-based solutions to climate change. [Tribune]
Are out-of-state buyers driving up housing prices in Utah? What’s behind the state’s “hyper-, hyper-competitive” real estate market. [Tribune]
Utah officials are blaming China for rising ozone pollution levels in the state. [Tribune]
Southern Utah University tells students waiting for a spot in on-campus housing to open up that they should make alternate housing plans. [Tribune]
The Provo Missionary Training Center re-opened for the first time since the pandemic forced a shut down last spring. [Tribune]
National news
President Joe Biden outlined some actions his administration was planning to curb a spike in gun violence and the number of violent crimes. [NYT]
In a few weeks, Congress will have to raise the $28 trillion debt ceiling. Congressional Democrats are still working on how to accomplish that. [Politico]
The Supreme Court ruled 8-1 a Pennsylvania school violated a cheerleader’s First Amendment rights when she was suspended for a profanity-laden rant on Snapchat. [SCOTUSBlog]
Justices also struck down a regulation giving union organizers the right to visit farmworkers on agricultural fields. [WSJ]
Apple Daily, a pro-democracy newspaper in Hong Kong, was forced to close after a crackdown by police. [NYT]
California Gov. Gavin Newsom will face a recall election within 90 days after more than 1.5 million signatures on the recall petitions were verified by state officials. [Fox News]
A new book says former President Donald Trump told others he hoped COVID-19 would “take out” his former national security adviser John Bolton. [Axios]
Just 10% of the world’s population has been vaccinated against COVID-19. [CNN]
Nearly 900 Secret Service agents were infected with the coronavirus. Many of those agents were on assignments to oversee the safety of the president and vice president. [WaPo]
A building near Miami Beach collapsed overnight, killing at least one person. [Miami Herald]
Big tech companies could not stop a House committee from advancing several anti-trust measures aiming to reduce their power. [WSJ]
Top aides to former President Trump hope to ride the current panic about critical race theory to political power. [Politico]
A devastating report from a GOP-led committee in the Michigan Senate thoroughly debunks false claims about voter fraud during the 2020 election. [NYT]
The first Capitol rioter to be sentenced by a judge was given no jail time. [BuzzFeed].
As financial markets were faltering due to the pandemic, top U.S. economic officials were in near-constant contact with the head of BlackRock, a Wall Street firm that stood to benefit from government rescue plans. [NYT]
New home sales in the U.S. fell to a one-year low as the median home price jumped more than 18%. [Reuters]
Russian military jets buzzed a British Royal Navy ship sailing close to the Crimean peninsula, which Russia annexed from Ukraine in 2014. [BBC]
Thursday’s Utah news roundup
Utah
Utah’s first proton therapy center could be a game changer for hundreds of cancer patients. [Tribune]
Returning to the office? Some women of color aren’t ready. [Tribune]
Can Salt Lake community gardens keep feeding families during drought? [Deseret News]
Politics
Richard C. Howe, former Utah Supreme Court chief justice, dies at 97. [Tribune]
Amid some confusion, Utah lawmakers plan to revisit state fireworks law. [KUTV]
COVID-19
Utah isn’t ‘out of the woods yet’ — there are 527 new cases of COVID-19. [Tribune]
The delta variant is spreading, and this age group’s vaccine hesitancy may be making it worse. [Deseret News]
Local news
Police Chief gets $70,000 settlement in legal back and forth between city, councilmember. [KUTV]
On the opinion pages
Nate Alder: ‘Polytechnic’ is fine, but leave ‘State’ to the Aggies. [Tribune]
Sherri Park: ‘Monster Money’ is driving up the price of homes. [Tribune]
🎂 You say it’s your birthday?!!
Happy birthday to former state Sen. Karen Hale, co-chair of the Utah Debate Commission.
Got a birthday you’d like us to recognize in this space? Send us an email.
