Daily News Roundup

July 8, 2021

COVID-19 Cases Continuing To Rise Throughout Utah

(St. George, UT)  --  COVID-19 cases keep rising throughout Utah. Yesterday, the state added nearly four-hundred new cases to the total, pushing it to 417-thousand-653.  Two new deaths related to the virus were added to the death toll, which is at 23-hundred-87.

Utah Is Now A National COVID Hot Spot

(Salt Lake City, UT)  --  Utah is the 6th worst in the nation for COVID-19 case rates, making it a national hot spot. State health officials say since June 1st, COVID cases, hospitalizations and percent positivity increased by at least 75-percent. They added that the highly-infectious delta variant of the virus now accounts for an estimated 80-percent of cases in the state. Health officials say more people need to get vaccinated and for those who are unvaccinated, it's only a matter of time before they get the delta variant, which will likely send them to the hospital.

Utah Joins 30+ Other States, DC In Lawsuit Against Google

(Salt Lake City, UT)  --  The state of Utah is joining over 30 other states and the District of Columbia in a lawsuit against Google.  The lawsuit focuses on the Google Play Store's policy of charging app developers a 30-percent commission on digital content or subscription purchases.  The suit claims Google forced potential competition out of Android app distribution through exclusionary contracts, tech barriers and "misleading" security warnings.  Utah Attorney General Sean Reyes compared the tech giant to Godzilla yesterday, saying that a company its size must be extremely careful and diligent to avoid hurting people when it's supposedly trying to help.

Man Arrested For Breaking Into Washington County Home Naked

(St. George, UT)  --  A man is in custody for allegedly breaking into a Washington County home while naked. Police say they were dispatched to a Washington City home around 3 a.m. on Monday after a man reported that a suspect entered his home through the doggy door. When officers arrived they found 37-year-old Craig Balubar in one of the bathrooms of the house, wearing nothing but socks. When questioned by police, Craig reportedly told officers he used methamphetamine that day and heard voices that told him he could find a woman to have sex with in that home. He is facing multiple charges including criminal trespass.

Utah Receiving Over 200-Million From Federal Government For Schools

(Salt Lake City, UT)  --  Utah is set to receive over 200-million-dollars from the federal government for public schools. The U.S. Department of Education approved of the funds yesterday and they will be distributed immediately. These funds are part of the American Rescue Plan Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief. State officials say the money will be used to assess the impact of lost of instruction time, re-engage students, returning to in-person learning, and for summer learning and after school programs.