This is your daily news rundown for Thursday, July 16. In this edition:
- Two Utah groups are suing Kevin O'Leary for falsely accusing them of being Chinese agents
- Another road closure is in effect because of the Stookey Fire near Vernon
- This state lawmaker is now also the CEO of a conservative lobbying group
These anti-data center groups are suing Kevin O’Leary for defamation
Two Utah groups that oppose the massive Stratos data center project are suing celebrity developer Kevin O’Leary and the Fox News network for defamation.
O’Leary previously accused Elevate Strategies and Alliance for a Better Utah of being agents of the Chinese Communist Party.
The groups claim those comments were a coordinated smear campaign to discredit them and their opposition to the data center.
They also accuse Fox News of giving O’Leary a national platform to repeat those claims by having him on multiple times.
O’Leary walked back his claims in June, saying he had no evidence of them despite previously claiming he did. Fox News said they publicly corrected the record on every program where O’Leary’s comments were made.
Both plan to defend against the lawsuit.
The Stookey Fire forced another road closure near Vernon
Another road closure is in effect near Vernon as crews battle the Stookey Fire.
The Tooele County Sheriff’s Office closed Hatch Ranch Road between State Route 199 and Pony Express Road.
Pony Express Road at State Route 36 and Sharp Road are also still closed.
Law enforcement officials said they hope to reopen the road by Pioneer Day, but it will depend on current conditions.
Residents east of the Stookey Fire, which is currently over 10,000 acres, are still under a “ready” evacuation status.
A state lawmaker is now also the CEO of a conservative lobbying group
A conservative lobbying group hired state Sen. Todd Weiler as its next president and CEO.
Sutherland Institute is a conservative think tank known for promoting, lobbying, and polling on political topics.
It has backed laws like the Utah Fits All Scholarship, the state’s controversial school voucher program, and one that lets medical professionals decline medical care if it conflicts with their religious beliefs.
Weiler said he wouldn’t lobby his colleagues while he serves in the Senate. However, critics like former state Sen. Nate Blouin argued being both a state lawmaker and the CEO of a lobbying group is a conflict of interest.
