Tuesday, May 13, 2025
⏰ Tick Tock
91 days to Utah's 2025 municipal primary elections (8/12/2025)
175 days until Election Day (11/4/2025)
539 days until the 2026 midterm elections (11/3/2026)
👀 Here's what you need to know for Tuesday morning:
Thank you for being one of more than 1,200 people supporting Utah Political Watch with your free subscription. I'm so thankful to have you as a reader!
"Morning News Fix" is a subscriber-exclusive newsletter curating the morning's top news headlines to help you get informed before starting your day.
As an independent watchdog journalist, I work tirelessly to hold elected officials accountable and keep you informed about Utah politics. This vital work takes time, resources, and dedication.
Support impactful local journalism by becoming a paid subscriber to Utah Political Watch today. For just $5 per month—less than the cost of a coffee—you'll get exclusive access to in-depth political coverage that matters to you and your community.
Utah Headlines
Judge rules on outstanding matters in Utah school choice legal battle – clearing way for appeals. [Deseret News]
Advocates slam Utah law rolling back homeschool oversight after abuse death case. [KUTV]
Utah looks to Congress to peel back regulations and boost geothermal energy production. [Utah News Dispatch]
Why the Trump administration may be weakening air quality standards for Salt Lake City. [Tribune]
Salt Lake City close to annexing more land after hitting unexpected snag. [KSL]
"The orange rhino": Experts unpack the optimistic and pessimistic impacts of Trump's tariffs. [Utah News Dispatch]
The 2024-25 ski season wasn't the busiest on record, but it was close. [Tribune]
Hundreds of people paid for one, so where's the Great Salt Lake license plate? [Fox 13]
National/International
Here's what's in the House GOP tax bill [Bloomberg]
No tax hike on millionaires.
Maximum child tax credit would rize from $2,000 to $2,500.
No income taxes on tips, overtime wages through 2028.
Interest on auto loans would be deductible through 2028.
Private universities would face a massive tax increase on the investment income generated by their endowments.
The tax credit for the purchase of electric vehicles would be eliminated by 2026.
Inflation was lower than expected in April, coming in at 2.3%. Consumer prices rose 0.2% for the month. [CNBC]
JP Morgan has dropped its probability forecast of an economic recession to below 50%. [Bloomberg]
President Donald Trump would likely have to waive existing security specifications to use the $400 million plane offered by the Qatari government as Air Force One. [Washington Post]
Newark Liberty International Airport had as few as three air traffic controllers scheduled to work on Monday evening, far below the usual 14 controllers. [New York Times]
A new book reveals that former President Biden's physical deterioration was so severe in 2023 and 2024 that his aides privately discussed the possibility that he would need to use a wheelchair if he had won re-election. [Axios]
One in five Gazans are facing starvation. The entire territory is facing a risk of famine that is projected to worsen in the coming months. [Washington Post]
The Pentagon spent at least $21 million flying migrants to the Guantánamo Bay. The military base there currently holds just 32 migrants. [NBC News]
Briefly...
Some tech companies are learning that the remote information technology workers are actually North Korean cyber operatives who funneled their salaries to the North Korean government. [Politico]
Ticketmaster will now show the full price of tickets, including fees, upfront before checkout. [The Verge]
The GSA has revoked a 2016 policy prohibiting discrimination based on gender identity in restrooms and other facilities in federal buildings. [FEDweek]
A popular AI chatbot tutor for students provided detailed instructions on how to synthesize fentanyl, dangerous diet advice and information on other illegal activities. [Forbes]