Thursday evening, Jan. 6, 2022
State
Utah’s congressional delegation wants truth in regards to Jan. 6 insurrection
Utah politicians are reacting to the one-year anniversary of the U.S. capitol insurrection. Rep. Blake Moore, R-Utah, was in the House chamber when it was locked down and called the experience "harrowing." Moore said to avoid another Jan. 6, Congress needs to agree on whether objecting to or overturning the results of an election is constitutional. Rep. John Curtis, R-Utah, said he’s disappointed we don’t yet have answers to some critical questions about that day. "Our mistake was when we didn't put together a bipartisan commission of experts who could have studied this and given us better answers," he said. A Democrat-controlled committee is now investigating, but Curtis fears political ideology could impact people’s willingness to accept the findings. Read the full story. — Sonja Hutson
Utah continues to shatter single-day COVID records
Utah has set a second single-day COVID record in just as many days. Health officials reported more than 8,900 cases Thursday. That has taken a drastic toll on the state’s hospitals. Tracey Nixon, with University of Utah Health, painted a dire picture of the situation. “I am unable to care for the patients that we need to,” Nixon said. “We have closed beds in our hospital. One of the hardest decisions we've ever made. We are facing shifts where we are so understaffed that our staff are afraid to come to work.” About 95% of all ICU beds in the state are occupied. Officials also said 13 more people died due to the virus. One of them was a child between the ages of 1 and 14. — Ross Terrell
Follow KUER’s coverage of the coronavirus in Utah.
What will Harry Reid’s death mean for liberal Latter-day Saints?
Former Democratic Senator Harry Reid’s death may threaten the liberal Latter-day Saint tradition. That’s what American history professor Benjamin Park wrote in a recent op-ed in the Washington Post. Park said the next generation of LDS leaders won’t follow Reid’s liberal path. “As long as the church maintains its rigid exclusion of LGBT people within its ranks, I don't think you're going to see the left-leaning younger generation remain in the faith,” Park said. Reid died last week at the age of 82. His funeral is Saturday in Las Vegas. He will lie in state in the U.S. Capitol Rotunda Wednesday. Read the full story. — Leah Treidler
Northern Utah
Davis County School superintendent announces his retirement
The Davis County School District Superintendent has announced he will retire at the end of this school year. Reid Newey has served in the position since December 2016. His retirement comes after the U.S. Department of Justice released a report last fall detailing a pattern of discrimination and harassment in the Davis district. It will now have to meet certain requirements set out by the DOJ to address racism in schools. The school board will meet to create a timeline for the search for Newey’s replacement. — Caroline Ballard
Could the Utah Royals make a return back to Salt Lake?
The Utah Royals soccer team could make a return to Salt Lake City in the next few years. The professional women’s team played in Utah from 2018 until it was sold to Kansas City in December 2020. That team is now known as the Kansas City Current. David Blitzer is part of the new ownership group of men’s team Real Salt Lake. He told the Salt Lake Tribune that bringing the Royals back is “a function of when, not if.” The Royals Twitter account posted a graphic of the quote. It was its first post since the team was sold. — Caroline Ballard
Region/Nation
Nevada activists decry violence of insurrection on anniversary
Activists in Northern Nevada held a rally Thursday marking the one-year anniversary of the Jan. 6 insurrection. They condemned the violent assault on the U.S. Capitol and continued attempts by some Republican officials to undermine the 2020 presidential election. Reno resident Edwin Lyngar told the crowd those efforts are pushing the country towards autocracy and urged them to take action. Lyngar supports abolishing the Electoral College and eliminating the filibuster. The Reno rally was part of a national day of action hosted by progressive groups. Other events were held in Colorado, Utah, New Mexico, Arizona and Idaho. — Bert Johnson, Mountain West News Bureau