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The Republican-led state is currently enforcing a near-total abortion ban, with exceptions for rape, incest or the life of the mother. NORTH CAROLINA: House Republicans have introduced a bill to ban abortion from conception, except to preserve the life or health of the mother. The Senate tabled discussion of a near-total abortion ban on Thursday after it had been approved by the House. PROTECTIONSCALIFORNIA: A Democratic state senator has introduced a bill to protect doctors who prescribe medication abortion pills to patients in other states. ILLINOIS: Democratic Governor J.B. Pritzker in January signed a law protecting abortion providers and out-of-state patients from legal attacks waged by other states.

☆ Senators unveil bipartisan legislation to ban kids under 13 from joining social media platforms
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-26 | by ( Brian Fung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

The proposed legislation by a bipartisan group of US senators aims to address what policymakers, mental health advocates and critics of tech platforms say is a mental health crisis fueled by social media. “Social media companies have stumbled onto a stubborn, devastating fact,” Schatz said. But it would represent a potentially vast expansion of the government’s role in regulating websites where age verification is a requirement. Tech companies could still develop their own in-house age verification technology or hire third party companies to perform the verification, lawmakers said. Violations of the proposed law could mean millions of dollars in Federal Trade Commission fines for social media companies.

Here is a snapshot of pending and passed legislation seeking to restrict or protect access in 2023. KANSAS: Although Kansans voted in favor of state abortion rights on a ballot measure last year, the Republican-led state Senate has passed a prohibition on prescribing abortion pills via telemedicine. The Republican-led state is currently enforcing a total abortion ban, with exceptions for rape, incest or the life of the mother. MONTANA: The Republican-led state Senate has passed a bill seeking to overturn a 1999 state Supreme Court ruling that found that the state constitution protected a right to abortion. SOUTH CAROLINA: Despite the fact that the state Supreme Court recently struck down a six-week abortion ban in a 3-2 vote, Republicans have introduced a near-total abortion ban and a six-week ban this year.

REUTERS/Lawrence Bryant/File PhotoApril 3 (Reuters) - Planned Parenthood on Monday asked a state court judge in Utah to block a law set to take effect next month that would effectively ban abortion clinics from operating in the state. The case is before Judge Andrew Stone, who last year issued a preliminary order preventing the state from enforcing an earlier abortion ban while he hears a legal challenge by Planned Parenthood. Planned Parenthood argued that Stone should block the newer law for the same reason, saying it would ban 95% of abortions in the state if allowed to take effect on May 3. "As promised, Planned Parenthood Association of Utah is fighting back and doing everything in our power to make sure that Utahns can get the care they need to stay healthy," Sarah Stoez, interim president and CEO of Planned Parenthood Association of Utah, said in a statement. Twelve of the 50 U.S. states now ban abortion outright while many others prohibit it after a certain length of pregnancy, according to the Guttmacher Institute, a research organization that supports abortion rights.

☆ Utah just passed a bill that will force children to get parental consent before joining social media platforms
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-24 | by ( Sawdah Bhaimiya | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Utah's governor Spencer Cox passed legislation restricting teenagers' access to social media. The new bill requires social media firms to obtain parental consent before children can open accounts. It also requires social media companies to establish a curfew for teens from 10:30 p.m. to 6:30 a.m.Sign up for our newsletter for the latest tech news and scoops — delivered daily to your inbox. Republican Governor Spencer Cox passed the Social Media Regulation Act, which aims to force social media companies to verify the age of all Utah residents before they can sign up for or maintain a social media account. The Associated Press reported that social media companies will likely sue to stop the law going into effect.

☆ Utah to Require Parental Consent for Children to Use Social Media
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-23 | by ( Talal Ansari | Ginger Adams Otis | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

At least one civil-liberties group had written to Utah Gov. Spencer Cox to oppose the new regulations. Spencer Cox signed two bills on Thursday aimed at regulating how and when children and teens use social media. 152, will require social-media companies to verify that users are at least 18 years old to open an account as of March 1, 2024. Those under age 18 will need the consent of a parent or guardian to open an account.

☆ Utah governor signs laws curbing social media use for minors
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

March 23 (Reuters) - Utah Governor Spencer Cox on Thursday signed two laws intended to restrict social media use by minors, becoming the first U.S. state to require parental permission for anyone under 18 to use such platforms as Instagram, TikTok and Facebook. The two bills, passed earlier this month by Utah's Republican-controlled legislature, are also meant to make it easier to sue social media companies for damages. The impact of social media on children has been the subject of a growing national debate in the United States, where service providers are largely protected from liability over their content under Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act. "We're no longer willing to let social media companies continue to harm the mental health of our youth," Cox, a Republican, said in a message on Twitter. The bills, which the tech industry opposes, requires all users to submit age verification before opening a social media account.

☆ Utah governor signs bill requiring teens to get parental approval to join social media sites
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-23 | by ( Samantha Murphy Kelly | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

As part of the bill, called the Utah Social Media Regulation Act, social media platforms will have to conduct age verification for all Utah residents, ban all ads for minors and impose a curfew, making their sites off limits between the hours of 10:30 p.m. - 6:30 a.m. for anyone under the age of 18. The bill will also require social platforms to give parents access to their teens’ accounts. “Social media provides a lifeline for many young people, in addition to community, education, and conversation,” said Jason Kelley, director of activism at the EFF. Given that the bill is unprecedented, it’s unclear how exactly the social media companies will adapt. Inouye said minors could “steal” identities – such as from family members who don’t use social media – to create accounts that they can access and use without oversight.

☆ Democrats, Republicans, and companies all seem to agree: college degrees aren't the future
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-22 | by ( Ethan Dodd | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

A bachelor's degree has become a common requirement for landing US jobs, even those that didn't previously require one. Josh Shapiro signed an executive order opening up 92%, or roughly 65,000, of state jobs to those without college degrees. They urged more states to follow to move the economy away from a preference for college degrees, restoring a sense of fairness many Americans feel is lost. Oregon also issued a temporary order in 2022 allowing those without bachelor's degrees to work as substitute teachers. A college degree may increase your earning potential, but it may not hold the keys to the middle class for much longer.

☆ Obama wants companies to strip degree requirements from more six-figure jobs to address the labor shortage
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-20 | by ( Jason Lalljee | Ethan Dodd | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Former President Barack Obama said more states should drop degree requirements for government jobs. It's an example of "a smart policy that gets rid of unnecessary college degree requirements and reduces barriers to good paying jobs," Obama said on Twitter. In recent years, states have eliminated four-year degree requirements to shore up their understaffed governments, and Republican governors have led the way. Arizona and Oregon have temporarily loosened degree requirements to address a teacher shortage. Georgia and Alaska are considering dropping degree requirements to fill government vacancies as well.

☆ Former Bush aide says Marjorie Taylor Greene has become so powerful in the GOP that she can't be dismissed as a fringe figure anymore
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-24 | by ( Cheryl Teh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Marjorie Taylor Greene is too powerful a figure to be overlooked, former Bush aide Peter Wehner wrote in an op-ed for the Atlantic. Wehner wrote that Greene is "giving voice" to a "growing sentiment" in the GOP. "The temptation of many people, eager to move past America's political freak show, will be to ignore her comments and dismiss her as an outcast, a fringe figure, deranged but isolated," Wehner wrote. Greene is "giving voice to a widespread and growing sentiment in the Republican Party," Wehner wrote. Marjorie Taylor Greene, GOP power playerRepublican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia boos President Joe Biden during the State of the Union Jim Watson/AFP/Getty ImagesGreene is known for her anti-trans rhetoric, track record of pushing outlandish, anti-Semitic messages, and her well-documented beliefs in QAnon conspiracy theories.

☆ Mitt Romney says Marjorie Taylor Greene's pitch for a 'national divorce' is insane
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-23 | by ( Cheryl Teh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Mitt Romney thinks Marjorie Taylor Greene's idea to break up the US is unhinged. "Mitt Romney is so bad I couldn't even vote for him for president against Barack Obama," Greene told the outlet. Greene's idea for a national divorce has also received pushback from other members of her party. Spencer Cox called the Georgia congresswoman's call to break up the United States "evil" and "destructive." Representatives for Romney and Greene did not immediately respond to Insider's requests for comment.

☆ MTG defends her call to split up the US by saying the country is moving towards another civil war: 'We have to do something about it'
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-22 | by ( Sinéad Baker | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

She said the US was moving closer to a civil war and "we have to do something about it." Greene responded by saying that she doesn't want a civil war, but that the country was moving towards one and action needs to be taken. "The last thing I ever want to see in America is a civil war. "We need to separate by red states and blue states and shrink the federal government," she said. She described it not as a civil war but "a legal agreement to separate our ideological and political disagreements by states while maintaining our legal union."

☆ Utah's Republican governor hits back at MTG's call to break up the United States: 'This rhetoric is destructive and wrong and—honestly—evil'
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-21 | by ( Joshua Zitser | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

A Republican governor hit back at Marjorie Taylor Greene's call for a "national divorce" in the US. Spencer Cox called Greene's rhetoric "destructive" and "evil." This isn't the first time Greene has called for the break up of the US. Utah's Republican governor called the rhetoric "destructive and wrong and — honestly — evil." On Monday, Marjorie Taylor Greene had suggested that there should be a "national divorce" – the separation of the US into red and blue states.

Utah Republican Gov. Spencer Cox told "Meet the Press" on Sunday that "I would love a governor" to be the GOP nominee for president. On former Arkansas Republican Gov. Cox did rule out one governor running for president in 2024 — himself. Phil Murphy, who joined Cox on "Meet the Press," said he wanted to see Cox run, the Republican replied "that is definitely not happening."

Governors gathered in the nation’s capital in recent days for the National Governors Association winter meeting. And while they were focused on their jobs at hand, questions about the 2024 presidential race were unavoidable. Asked on Saturday if she would like to see Biden run again, Michigan Gov. At a Democratic Governors Association press conference on Thursday, a group of 11 governors echoed support for Biden’s potential re-election campaign. Spencer Cox also joined “Meet” and weighed in on the presidential race, saying he would like to see his party nominate a governor.

☆ Biden lauds 'bipartisan progress' as he dines with Republican, Democratic governors
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-12 | by ( Andrea Shalal | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/5] U.S. President Joe Biden speaks to the U.S. governors and their spouses for a black-tie dinner in the East Room of the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S. February 11, 2023. REUTERS/Ken CedenoWASHINGTON, Feb 11 (Reuters) - U.S. President Joe Biden appealed to Republican and Democratic governors on Saturday to continue working across political divides to improve Americans' lives and rebuild the economy after the hardships brought by the COVID-19 pandemic. Speaking at a black-tie dinner at the White House attended by Vice President Kamala Harris and 31 governors, Biden said the passage of laws on investing in infrastructure and domestic manufacture of semiconductors by both Republicans and Democrats was evidence of "some bipartisan progress." Republican Governor Spencer Cox of Utah, vice-chair of the National Governors Association, said it was "very symbolic" to have Republicans and Democrats "breaking bread together" at the White House. The bipartisan laws passed last year were gamechangers for the U.S. economy, New Jersey Governor Chris Murphy, a Democrat who chairs the association, told a governors' event at the White House on Friday.

☆ I'm a 17-year-old trans kid in Utah, and I'm uprooting my life because of a law that bans gender-affirming care
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-04 | by ( Yelena Dzhanova | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Luka, a 17-year-old trans kid living in Utah, is moving to Portland to evade the ramifications. Then I learned I'm trans. They really, really helped me figure out who I am and helped me feel comfortable living as who I am. So I'm planning to leave Utah. So I'm making the decision to leave Utah as soon as I can.

☆ Utah is poised to be the first state to pass a gender-affirming care ban in 2023
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-28 | by ( Jo Yurcaba | Jo Yurcaba Is A Reporter For Nbc Out. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +5 min

Utah is likely to become the first state to ban gender-affirming medical care for transgender minors this year. The Utah Senate approved a bill Friday that would bar minors from receiving gender-affirming surgeries and place an indefinite moratorium on their access to puberty blockers and hormone therapy. Spencer Cox, who became the second Republican governor last year to veto a bill that bars transgender students from playing girls’ sports. Bri Martin, the editor of the student newspaper at West High School, described gender-affirming care as “nothing short of life-saving,” the Salt Lake Tribune reported. The bill also allows minors to sue medical providers for malpractice for gender-affirming medical care if the minor “later disaffirms consent” before they turn 25.

☆ With Great Salt Lake at rock bottom, lawmakers aim for rescue
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-21 | by ( Evan Bush | Evan Bush Is A Science Reporter For Nbc News. He Can Be Reached At Evan.Bush Nbcuni.Com. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +4 min

Water volume on the Great Salt Lake has dropped by more than two-thirds since pioneers once settled the Salt Lake Valley. Much of the lake surface is now exposed. Photographs of empty marinas and the cracking crust of the lake’s surface often illustrate the lake’s decline. The rivers and streams that feed The Great Salt Lake are overallocated, which means farmers and other water users collectively have rights to more water than what typically flows through each year. Spencer Cox last November closed the Great Salt Lake basin to appropriations for new water uses, effectively capping the line of water users wanting to use what flows into the lake.

☆ Republicans went after BlackRock and sustainable investing in 2022. Meet 12 officials crusading against 'woke capitalism.'
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-28 | by ( Rebecca Ungarino | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +14 min

A group of vocal conservative officials are criticizing aspects of ESG investing. Players in the ESG ecosystem, like S&P Global and BlackRock, the world's largest money manager and an influential proponent of ESG investing, are often the subject of their critiques. Instead, officials often paint large financial firms' ESG strategies as functions of left-leaning agendas. Here are key GOP players who are taking aim at ESG investing. Abbott, who is seeking reelection in November, was early to denouncing ESG investing.

☆ Meet 12 Republican officials crusading against BlackRock and ESG investing
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-01 | by ( Rebecca Ungarino | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +14 min

☆ Nikki Hiltz: How this professional runner is making their sport more inclusive
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-09 | by ( Issy Ronald | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

“I was open about my sexuality at that point, but not my gender identity,” Hiltz tells CNN Sport. After coming out as trans and non-binary, Hiltz continues to compete in the women’s division. “You know, I have no business putting on an in-person race,” Hiltz jokes. Spencer Cox’s veto of a bill that bans transgender women from competing on women’s and girls’ sports teams. Since coming out as trans and non-binary last year, Hiltz has had conversations with race directors and announcers about making running more inclusive.

☆ Gen X is late to the leadership table in US politics, prompting the question: Will it ever produce a president?
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-28 | by ( Darren Samuelsohn | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +21 min

By historical standards, Gen X should be in charge of the US by now. Think of them as the godparents of the "Xennials" — those born in the late 1970s or early 1980s who aren't fully Gen X or millennial. No matter whether you deny the 61-year-old Obama is a boomer, Gen X is starting to get up there in age. Michael Ciaglo-Pool/Getty ImagesWhat's the US missing without a Gen X president? "It's like seeing a ghost that doesn't appear," she said of any expectation the presidency would just suddenly open up for Gen X.

☆ A 3-way game of geriatric chicken featuring Trump, Biden, and Bernie has younger Democrats and Republicans itching for change
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-19 | by ( Darren Samuelsohn | Kimberly Leonard | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +11 min

The 2024 presidential race is already coming into view. These are arguments Biden is readying to run on as Trump — despite his numerous legal troubles — flirts with another White House bid. It's also the case that Sanders' 2024 aspirations remain in their own holding pattern until Biden makes his own formal declaration of his intentions. It's a fact the White House doesn't want to talk about. "The fact they both made it to the White House makes them think they both know how to get to the White House," said Brinkley.

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