Monday - May 25, 2026
Public Policy Tipoffs Involving Utah Newsletter for Tuesday May 19, 2026 ( 18 items )  

Center of the American Experiment Issues Commentary: Would a Gas Tax 'holiday' Help Minnesotans?
MINNETONKA, Minnesota, May 14 -- The Center of the American Experiment, a civic and educational organization that says it creates and advocates policies, issued the following commentary by economist John Phelan: * * * Would a gas tax 'holiday' help Minnesotans? In February, gas prices in the Twin Cities hit their lowest level since May 2021. In April, as Figure 1 shows, they hit their highest level since September 2023. This 35% jump in gas prices was the biggest in a two-month period since a  more

Chairman Lee Applauds Senate Confirmation of ENR Nominees
WASHINGTON, May 19 -- Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, chairman of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, issued the following statement on May 18, 2026: * * * Chairman Lee Applauds Senate Confirmation of ENR Nominees Today, Senator Mike Lee (R-Utah), Chairman of the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, released a statement after the Senate confirmed an additional 49 of President Trump's nominees this week, three of which came out of the ENR Committee. Under Lee's leadership, t  more

Deputy Chief of Staff for Army Logistics Donahue Testifies Before Senate Appropriations Subcommittee
WASHINGTON, May 19 -- The Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Military Construction, Veterans Affairs and Related Agencies released the following testimony by Army Lt. Gen. Michelle Donahue, deputy chief of staff for Army logistics, from a May 14, 2026, hearing on the fiscal 2027 budget request: * * * Chairman Boozman, Ranking Member Ossoff, and distinguished members of the subcommittee, thank you for this opportunity to discuss the Army's Fiscal Year 2027 (FY27) budget request for military   more

EPA Announces Availability of 2 Environmental Impact Statements
WASHINGTON, May 18 (TNSFR) -- The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency published a notice on May 15, 2026, announcing the availability of new Environmental Impact Statements (EISs) filed with the agency from May 4-11, 2026. The notice appeared in the Federal Register pursuant to requirements under the National Environmental Policy Act and the Clean Air Act. According to the notice, Section 309(a) of the Clean Air Act requires the EPA to publicly disclose its comments on Environmental Impact Sta  more

FCPS Students Win Special and Category Awards at the 2026 International Science and Engineering Fair
FALLS CHURCH, Virginia, May 18 -- Fairfax County Public Schools issued the following news: * * * FCPS Students Win Special and Category Awards at the 2026 International Science and Engineering Fair * Nine students from Fairfax County Public Schools won awards at the International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF) that took place last week in Phoenix, Ariz. Bennett Huang and Jason Pan of Langley High School were the recipients of the European Union Contest for Young Scientists Award, whic  more

Gov. Spencer J. Cox's Schedule: May 18 - May 22, 2026
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah, May 18 -- Gov. Spencer J. Cox, R-Utah, issued the following news release: * * * Gov. Spencer J. Cox's Schedule: May 18 - May 22, 2026 * **The governor's schedule is subject to frequent change** **All times are listed in the local time zone** Monday, May 18 9:00 a.m. Volunteer with Habitat for Humanity team service project Location: Tooele Media Access 6:00 p.m. Host America 250 neighborhood potluck Location: West Bountiful Tuesday, May 19 9:00 a.m  more

Idaho's housing unit growth rate leads the nation in 2025
BOISE, Idaho, May 18 -- Gov. Brad Little, R-Idaho, issued the following news release: * * * Idaho's housing unit growth rate leads the nation in 2025 * Boise, Idaho - Governor Brad Little commented today on new information from the Idaho Department of Labor that shows Idaho led the nation in housing unit growth in 2025. "Idaho's nation-leading housing unit growth is no accident. We have prioritized permitting reform, cut red tape, and invested in LAUNCH and other career training programs t  more

Lee Cosponsors BLUE Act with Protections Against Doxxing Police Officers
WASHINGTON, May 18 -- Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, issued the following news release: * * * Lee Cosponsors BLUE Act with Protections Against Doxxing Police Officers * WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Mike Lee (R-UT) cosponsored the Blocking Leaks Undermining Law Enforcement (BLUE) Act during National Police Week with Senator Rick Scott (R-FL) to protect law enforcement officers from being doxxed. This legislation would shield federal law enforcement officers and their families from credible violent threa  more

Letter of the Law: USU Court Interpreter Training Program Promotes Due Process, Rewarding Careers
LOGAN, Utah, May 18 -- Utah State University issued the following news: * * * Letter of the Law: USU Court Interpreter Training Program Promotes Due Process, Rewarding Careers * Standing before a judge in a courtroom, whether for a criminal or civil offense, is a grueling, stressful experience. Beyond those in the legal profession, few of us understand the procedures required in the grinding, often lengthy process, further adding to feelings of dread and helplessness. For many, the situati  more

Mayer Brown Partner Lauren Shurman Named a 2026 "Woman to Watch" by Utah Business
CHICAGO, Illinois, May 19 [Category: BizLaw/Legal] -- Mayer Brown, a law firm, issued the following news: * * * Mayer Brown partner Lauren Shurman named a 2026 "Woman to Watch" by Utah Business SALT LAKE CITY - Mayer Brown partner Lauren Shurman has been named among Utah Business' 2026 list of "Women to Watch," which honors 40 of the state's most influential female business leaders. As a Litigation & Dispute Resolution partner in Mayer Brown's Salt Lake City office, Lauren focuses her pract  more

Representatives Moore, Carbajal Lead Bipartisan Effort to Support Transit Infrastructure in Mid-Sized Cities
WASHINGTON, May 18 -- Rep. Blake Moore, R-Utah, issued the following news release: * * * Representatives Moore, Carbajal Lead Bipartisan Effort to Support Transit Infrastructure in Mid-Sized Cities * WASHINGTON, D.C. -Representatives Blake Moore (R-UT) and Salud Carbajal (D-CA) introduced bipartisan legislation to provide more federal support for transportation infrastructure in medium-sized cities. The Medium Transit Intensive Cities (MTIC) Authorization Act creates a new Medium Transit I  more

Rockefeller Foundation Awarded $350M+ to Reach 731 Million People Amid 2025's Historic Decline in Global Aid
NEW YORK, May 19 (TNSrep) -- The Rockefeller Foundation posted the following news release on May 17, 2026: * * * Rockefeller Foundation Awarded US$350M+ to Reach 731 Million People Amid 2025's Historic Decline in Global Aid 2025 Impact Report, "Big Bets, Real Results," highlights $32 billion in total capital mobilized into solutions for millions of people in Africa, Asia, Latin America & the Caribbean, Europe, the United States, and more * The Rockefeller Foundation today released its 2025   more

Scientists uncover centuries of climate chaos -- and human resilience
LA JOLLA, California, May 18 -- The University of California San Diego campus posted the following news: * * * Scientists uncover centuries of climate chaos -- and human resilience * The climate of the ancient Eastern Mediterranean was far more turbulent than previously thought -and a new study suggests that people adapted anyway. An international team of scientists, spearheaded by UC San Diego's Center for Cyber-Archaeology and Sustainability (CCAS) and the University of Haifa's Recanati I  more

Senate Republicans Confirm 13 U.S. Attorneys, 8 U.S. Marshals
WASHINGTON, May 19 -- Sen. Charles E. Grassley, R-Iowa, chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, issued the following news release on May 18, 2026: * * * Senate Republicans Confirm 13 U.S. Attorneys, 8 U.S. Marshals Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) applauded the Senate's confirmation of 13 U.S. Attorneys and eight U.S. Marshals. The nominees were confirmed as part of a nominations package of 49 executive nominees, by a vote of 46-43. Under Grassley's leadership   more

U.S. Space Force Assistant Deputy Chief Kolbe, USAF Deputy Chief of Staff Bell Testify Before Senate Appropriations Subcommittee
WASHINGTON, May 19 -- The Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Military Construction, Veterans Affairs and Related Agencies released the following joint testimony by Kathryn Kolbe, assistant deputy chief of space operations, installations and logistics at the U.S. Space Force, and Air Force Lt. Gen. Kenyon Bell, deputy chief of staff for logistics, engineering and force protection, from a May 14, 2026, hearing on the fiscal 2027 budget request: * * * Chairman Boozman, Ranking Member Ossoff, a  more

University of Utah: HCI Team Reveals New Signal Pathway in Cells That Could Advance Cancer Research
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah, May 19 (TNSjou) -- The University of Utah issued the following news release: * * * HCI team reveals new signal pathway in cells that could advance cancer research A clearer map of "Hedgehog" pathway may help scientists design more precise therapies and understand why some treatments stop working. * Huntsman Cancer Institute researchers have uncovered a previously unrecognized molecular mechanism by which cells send signals to one another--insight that could help resear  more

USU Libraries Employee Receives Conference of Intermountain Archivists Mentor Award
LOGAN, Utah, May 18 -- Utah State University issued the following news: * * * USU Libraries Employee Receives Conference of Intermountain Archivists Mentor Award * LOGAN -Dan Davis, photograph curator and instruction coordinator for Special Collections & Archives at Utah State University Libraries, has received the Conference of Intermountain Archivists Mentor Award, an honor recognizing dedication to mentoring students and emerging professionals in the archival field. The CIMA Mentor Awar  more

Worker bumble bees help determine which baby bee will become queen
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pennsylvania, May 18 -- Pennsylvania State University posted the following news: * * * Worker bumble bees help determine which baby bee will become queen * Every bumble bee colony has a queen, but a new study led by researchers at Penn State suggests the process of determining which baby bee reigns supreme may be less monarchal than the royal title suggests.  The study, published in the journal Insect Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, explored why some bumble bee larvae   more