Good Tuesday morning Utah! Thanks for reading “The Rundown”.
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Burgess Owens fined by the FEC for failing to report campaign donations
On Monday, Freshman Republican Burgess Owens was fined nearly $4,000 by the Federal Election Commission for failing to report $34,000 in last-minute campaign donations to his 2020 campaign.
Roll Call reported Monday Owens failed to file three reports during the final 20 days before the 2020 election. Campaigns are required to disclose donations of $1,000 or more within 48 hours during certain time periods before an election.
The Owens campaign did not respond to a request for comment.
This is not the first time Owens has run into controversy with campaign donations. In October, Owens accepted approximately $135,000 in campaign donations over the legal limit, which was about 40% of his available cash in the election’s final weeks. Owens has since refunded most of the money.
Owens is one of 21 Republican incumbents Democrats have targeted for defeat in the 2022 midterm elections. So far, no one has stepped up to challenge Owens next year.
Here’s what you need to know for Tuesday morning
Local news
Gov. Spencer Cox is calling on Utah businesses to take steps to conserve water amid the drought. [Tribune]
Two Utah towns are putting a moratorium on new housing construction due to the state’s extreme drought. [Tribune]
James Huntsman will be deposed in August as part of his lawsuit against the LDS Church. [Tribune]
Rio Tinto Stadium will return to full capacity this weekend. [Tribune]
National news
The Supreme Court declined to hear a case over whether transgender students must be allowed to use restrooms that match their gender identity. [Scotusblog]
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi says she’s considering a Republican to a select committee to investigate the January 6 assault on the Capitol. GOP leaders in the House are struggling to decide whether they’ll appoint members to the committee or refuse to participate. [Politico]
President Joe Biden and his administration are doing damage control after flubbing a bipartisan infrastructure deal rollout. Biden suggested the deal wouldn’t pass unless a larger spending bill was passed through reconciliation but was forced to walk that back. [WaPo]
Lawyers for former President Donald Trump are making a last bid to fend off criminal charges against the Trump Organization. Those charges could come as soon as this week. [NYT]
Documents show Ivanka Trump gave inaccurate testimony under oath when deposed in the Trump inauguration scandal lawsuit. [Mother Jones]
The COVID-19 Delta variant is causing officials to rethink public safety measures, even for those who have been vaccinated. Los Angeles is reinstating voluntary mask guidelines for indoor spaces. [CNN] The WHO is urging people to keep wearing masks. [NYT]
A study suggests mixing the Pfizer and AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccines provides strong protection against the virus. [NYT]
The president of the condominium association of the Miami-area condo that collapsed earlier this week told residents the building was in desperate need of repair and urged them to pay the $15 million to fix structural problems. At least 11 people are dead, and 150 remain missing. [WSJ]
E-cigarette manufacturer JUUL settled a lawsuit with North Carolina for $40 million. The suit alleged the company used deceptive marketing tactics targeting teenagers. [NYT]
A federal court dismissed a pair of anti-trust cases brought against Facebook. [The Hill] In response, Facebook’s stock soared, pushing the company’s valuation above $1 trillion for the first time. [CNBC]
California banned state-funded travel to 5 more states with laws discriminating against LGBTQ residents. [AP]
The Biden administration wants to let thousands of deported immigrants back into the U.S. [Politico]
Officials in Maricopa County say they will replace voting equipment because a GOP-backed election review has compromised security on the machines. [WaPo]
Gasoline prices are rising sharply, and some are warning of shortages ahead of the holiday weekend. There aren’t enough drivers to transport fuel to filling stations. [CNN]
Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas said Monday federal laws making marijuana possession illegal might no longer be needed. [NBC News]
Tuesday’s Utah news roundup
Utah
Chairman of the Utah liquor board talks bar licenses, wine in grocery stores and the LDS influence on alcohol policy. [Tribune]
Restrooms in Pioneer Park? You can weigh in here. [Tribune]
What do you believe would best fix Little Cottonwood congestion: Gondola or buses? [Tribune]
Faith leaders say religious liberty is not synonymous with discrimination. [DNews]
What most Utahns think should be done about fireworks amid this year’s drought. [DNews]
Olympian’s company received $10 million in pandemic bailout despite conflicting numbers. [FOX13]
Utah seeks to block animal rights activists from justifying factory farm break-in. [FOX13]
COVID-19
Utah reports two more COVID-19 deaths and 254 new cases. [Tribune]
Local Government
Utah County Attorney’s Office says no plans for phone policy following records appeal. [Herald Extra]
Weber County officials put focus on water safety at Pineview after near drowning. [Standard Examiner]
Ogden City Council adopts budget, officials officials tout healthy finances coming out of pandemic. [Standard Examiner]
Environment
How changing the landscaping of a single lawn can save 100,000 gallons of water a year. [KUTV]
Rangers find graffiti, human waste at Antelope Canyon. [KUTV]
Education
These BYU students created an underground newspaper to report on issues they say are censored on campus. [Tribune]
Weber State easing COVID-19 rules; most classes this fall will be in-person. [Standard Examiner]
Salt Lake City schools given $47K donation to support STEM. [ABC4]
On the Opinion Pages
Vaccines, fires are life and death in Utah. What you can do about it, from the Tribune Editorial Board. [Tribune]
Eric Hubner: Democrats must protect the right of all citizens to vote. [Tribune]
Jay Evensen: Can Utah’s compromise on LGBTQ rights and religious liberty be duplicated? [DNews]
— Tribune reporter Connor Sanders contributed to this report.
