Inside Sources Full Show January 24th, 2025: State of the State, Future of FEMA, Mingling religion and politics

Hosts: Marty Carpenter and Erin Rider 

Analyzing Governor Cox’s ‘State of the State’ address 
Last night, Governor Spencer Cox gave his annual ‘State of the State’ address before the Utah Legislature. It’s arguably his biggest speech of the year, and his message was all about building. He highlighted 5 specific areas where Utah can “build” as we grow. Inside Sources hosts Erin Rider and Marty Carpenter discuss the overall message and share their biggest takeaways from the governor’s speech. 

Recapping the 1st week of Utah’s Legislative General Session 
We’re finishing up the first week of the 2025 Utah Legislative General Session. With 41 days left to go, where do things stand now? Our partners at Deseret News have been tracking the bills closely. Reporter Brigham Tomco has been focusing on election bills and joins us to recap some of the big ones released or discussed this week. The hosts also share updates on a few other bills. 

President Trump questioning the need for FEMA 
President Trump is making his way across the country today, touring areas ravaged by recent natural disasters. This morning, he was in North Carolina seeing the damage from Hurricane Helene. This afternoon, he's in California touring areas destroyed by wildfires near Los Angeles. As he's prepared for this trip -- and even this morning -- he's questioned the need for FEMA. Inside Sources discusses the pros and cons of this federal agency. 

Hegseth faces Senate confirmation vote tonight 
The full Senate is set to vote on whether to confirm Pete Hegseth to be President Trump's Secretary of Defense. How's the vote looking? He already looks to have lost the support of two Republican Senators; how many more can he lose? The two GOP Senators who won’t vote for him say it’s because of his alleged lack of morals. Hosts Marty and Erin discuss the importance – or lack thereof – of morals among government officials. 

Politics mingling with religion, affecting culture 
Politics and the division of the American people into groups of red and blue seems to extend into every part of our culture – including religion. And Many Americans are growing disillusioned with both religion and politics. Jonathan Rauch, Senior Fellow at the Brookings Institution joins Inside Sources to share his insights and knowledge on the crossroads between politics, religion, and culture. 

DOGE sets sights on the beloved penny 
The newly-minted Department of Government Efficiency is looking for ways... to make the government more efficient. One way they hope to do that is by eliminating the penny from US currency. Andy Cupp, Executive Producer of Inside Sources hops on the microphone to share some thoughts about the least valuable coin in America. 

The latest in news and politics with a range of political expert hosts every day. Inside Sources gives a refreshing take on the day's news with each host bringing their unique perspective and expertise to the conversation.