Though 2024 Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris carried a handful of western states — together with California, New Mexico, Colorado, Oregon and Washington — Nevada and Arizona have been nail-biters that Donald Trump gained by single digits ultimately. Utah, nevertheless, remained deep crimson, with Trump profitable it by 22 p.c.
But certainly one of Utah’s greatest employers, an Inner Income Service (IRS) heart in Ogden, is being adversely affected by the mass layoffs of federal employees being carried out by the Trump Administration with the assistance of the Division of Authorities Effectivity (DOGE). Now, Ogden is receiving one other monetary blow because of the partial authorities shutdown that went into impact on October 1.
MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” took a take a look at Ogden’s troubles in a report aired on Friday morning, October 3.
Reporting from Ogden, MSNBC’s Rosa Flores described the “trickle-down impact” that the IRS heart’s issues are having within the Utah metropolis: When IRS employees have much less cash to spend, the native companies that they patronize additionally take successful.
Flores emphasised that the companies’ “backside traces” are hurting, including, “There’s additionally an emotional toll to the enterprise house owners who actually commit their coronary heart and soul to these companies.”
Flores interviewed Larry Whitnack, a 78-year-old man who, she reported, “had a espresso store right here on this avenue for 20 years,” Jesse Jean’s Café, earlier than he needed to shut down. The enterprise, in line with Whitnack, suffered a variety of hardships — from a earlier authorities shutdown to the COVID-19 pandemic.
A tearful Whitnack instructed Flores, “It was household. The individuals we acquired to know — and so many have come and gone. So many have lived and died that it is supplied life expertise for me I by no means would have had with out Jesse Jean’s Café.”
Flores instructed MSNBC’s Jonathan Lemire, “You in all probability heard the emotion in Larry’s voice. And he stated that that ache is the worth of human connection. And he stated that human connection is what’s lacking in Washington proper now. That human connection is what he says can cross the divides and unite America.”
