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Lee: Mask mandates for young children reflect “real hubris”
Sen. Mike Lee teed off on the CDC guidance that children as young as two years old wear masks to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, saying whoever came up with the mandate has not spent much time with children.”
“We have these guidance documents in place directing people to put masks on children when our peer nations all over the world have set it much, much higher,” said Lee on Fox News.
Lee noted that other nations had suggested masks for children around 11 or 12 years old, and even the World Health Organization is not as aggressive as the CDC, recommending masks for five years old.
“To set it at two and up in the United States reflects some real hubris,” said Lee. “It reflects what happens when somebody issuing the guidance documents doesn’t spend a lot of time with two-year-olds.”
Lee said he sent a letter to the CDC director asking for the reasoning behind the guidance he finds objectionable.
“We know that children of that age have a lower rate of infection. We have reason to believe that they tend to spread the virus less. So I want to know what their scientific evidence is that we need to have children as young as two being forced to wear a mask,” he said.
Here’s what you need to know for Monday morning:
Utah will get more than $1.5 billion in federal money from the latest COVID relief bill. Here’s how lawmakers are thinking about spending those funds [Tribune].
Former Salt Lake County GOP Chair Scott Miller, who resigned after several women complained of a toxic culture within the party, is recanting his apology and is claiming he’s being “Kavanaughed” by false allegations [Tribune].
Freshman Rep. Blake Moore was elected as co-leader of the Congressional Future Caucus, aiming to reduce partisan rancor in Washington [Tribune].
Utah still allows medical marijuana users to buy firearms, but it’s still a legal gray area as the substance is still illegal under federal law [Tribune].
President Joe Biden will hit his 100th day in office this week. Here’s where he stands on fulfilling some of his key campaign promises [AP].
53% of Americans approve of Biden’s job performance, which is 13% higher than former President Donald Trump at the same point in his term, but behind Barack Obama and George W. Bush [NBC News].
House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy repeatedly refused to answer questions about his reported phone call with Trump during the January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol [Daily Beast].
Republican members of Congress are holding strategy meetings in Florida this week [Politico].
The wave of gun violence in March pushed demand from first-time gun buyers to record levels. The FBI conducted 4.7 million background checks for firearm purchases last month [NPR].
India’s coronavirus crisis continues unabated, recording another record number of cases. Several countries, including the U.S., are sending urgent medical aid [Reuters].
The European Union will let U.S. citizens who have been fully vaccinated against the coronavirus visit this summer [NYT].
The U.S. military begins withdrawing the final troops from Afghanistan [NYT].
A new vaccine against malaria is showing more than 75% efficacy against the disease [CNN].
Monday’s Utah news roundup
Washington
Led by Mitt Romney, lawmakers complain Utah’s share of money to improve public lands is ‘shockingly low’ - Tribune
How social media and ‘attention economy’ politics are redefining power in Washington - Deseret News
Utah
Utah survivor of military sexual assault says more needs to be done to stop sexual trauma - KUTV
Legislature
Utah lawmakers question school mask mandate for K-12 kids - KSL
COVID
LDS Church embraces the U.N., but some members see the global group as ‘satanic’ - Tribune
Utah’s coronavirus percentage rate continues to climb slightly - Tribune
Environment & development
If a Bears Ears monument, larger or smaller, won’t guarantee cultural sites aren’t trashed, what will? - Tribune
Local government
Amelia Powers Gardner elected to fill Utah County Commission vacancy - Daily Herald
On the opinion pages
Robert Gehrke: The only solution to the toxic tone of social media is for each of us to try to be better [Tribune].
ICYMI
Utah Politics podcast: Can Utah ignore new federal gun laws? - Tribune
LDS Church makes a push for all its missionaries to get a COVID-19 vaccine - Tribune
Clinic turns to personal relationships to overcome vaccine delays and hesitation among Hispanic Utahns - Tribune
You say it’s your birthday?!!
Happy birthday to former Utah Senate President and current State Tax Commission Chairman John Valentine, and happy belated birthday over the weekend to former state Rep. and current SLC mayoral adviser David Litvack.
If you have a birthday you’d like us to add to our calendar, send us an email.
— Tribune reporter Karina Andrew contributed to this story.
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