Tuesday morning, July 21, 2020
Northern Utah
Proposed Resolution To Honor Law Enforcement
Utah state Rep. Carl Albrecht, R-Richfield, is pursuing a resolution honoring law enforcement and first responders. The move comes as anti-police brutality protests continue across the country in the wake of police killings of George Floyd in Minneapolis and Breonna Taylor in Louisville. Albrecht said there are a few bad apples in law enforcement, but most are good at what they do. But Utah Against Police Brutality organizer Jade Arter argued that Albrecht is missing the point of recent protests, which are calling for accountability in law enforcement. Read the full story. — Sonja Hutson
Research Finds Economic Benefits To Masks
Researchers at Brigham Young University have released an easy-to-read guide to the latest science on masks. The team reviewed more than 115 scientific studies. Lead researcher Ben Abbott says the findings are clear — wearing a mask does help slow the spread of COVID-19. Beyond the health benefits, he said economic analyses show that if everyone were wearing masks, it could result in a $1 trillion savings for the U.S. economy. The guide also lays out why scientific opinions on masks have changed since the beginning of the pandemic. Read the full story. — Caroline Ballard
Southern Utah
St. George Tremor
A minor earthquake struck a remote corner of Utah early Tuesday morning. The U.S. Geological Survey reports that a magnitude 3.7 earthquake shook the desert at 3:44 a.m. The epicenter was in Utah's southwest corner, about 28 miles north of St. George. People also reported feeling it in Hurricane. University of Utah Seismograph Stations said a total of six earthquakes of magnitude 3.0 or greater have happened in the same area since 1962. The largest one was a magnitude 4.2 tremor in 1981. — Roddy Nikpour
State
Latest COVID Numbers In Utah
Utah health officials reported 409 more confirmed cases of COVID-19 Monday. They also reported that four more people have died. All four men were either hospitalized or in a long-term care facility at the time of their deaths. So far, more than 100 long-term care facility residents have died due to the disease. The state has now seen 34,526 cases of COVID-19, and 469,404 people have been tested. — Ross Terrell
Follow KUER’s coverage of the coronavirus in Utah.
Region/Nation
Nuclear Weapons Test Ban Continues
Nuclear weapons testing will continue to be prohibited on U.S. soil under a bill passed Monday in the U.S. House. Rep. Ben McAdams, D-Utah, sponsored an amendment that passed as a part of the 2021 National Defense Authorization Act. The U.S. hasn’t tested a nuclear weapon domestically since 1992. In 1996, it signed the Comprehensive Nuclear Test-Ban Treaty. McAdams said in a statement that bomb tests in the past have affected thousands of Utahns. He added that the tests have left a “legacy of illness, suffering and death.” — Ross Terrell
Isolation And Domestic Abuse
Nationally, the domestic abuse hotline has seen an uptick in calls since the start of the coronavirus pandemic. That’s a trend that seems to be reflected in our region, too. In Idaho, for example, the Women and Children’s Alliance saw call volume nearly triple on their domestic violence hotline in April. Victims are particularly vulnerable right now because they’re isolated from people and activities that may normally get them away from their abusers. If you or anyone you know needs help, call 1-800-799-7233. Or, if you're unable to talk, text LOVE-IS to 1-866-331-9474. — Amanda Peacher, Mountain West News Bureau
Some Latter-Day Saint Temples Enter Phase Two Of Reopening
Officials with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints have announced that 12 temples will move into phase two of their reopening plan on July 27. Only four of those will be in the U.S. Locations in Montana, North Dakota, Ohio and Nebraska received approval, but none in Utah. Under Phase Two, temples can perform all living ordinances, like sealings between a child and their parents, and marriage ceremonies. Also on the 27th, three more temples will move into phase one of reopening, bringing the total to 125. Those are in Washington, Ecuador and England. — Ross Terrell
