Behind The Headlines Archives - KCPW: Recent Episodes
KCPW
From its politics to its public lands to polygamy, Utah has always been fertile ground for news. Here on KCPW, The Salt Lake Tribune presents a fresh way for Utahns to process the headlines. Behind the Headlines, a live weekly broadcast, examines the week’s top local stories through the eyes of reporters on the beat.
Rep. Chris Stewart confirms he is leaving Congress, citing his wife’s health concerns. Bigger freeways don’t cut traffic congestion, many studies show. What could Utah do with Interstate 15 instead? Utah LGBTQ activist Troy Williams aims to protect his community by breaking bread with GOP lawmakers. And Brigham Young’s drag-performing son skirted traditional norms and now stirs speculation. At 9 a.m. on Friday, Salt…
This week in Utah news: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints says a “60 Minutes” episode about its investment portfolio was based on “unfounded allegations.” LGBTQ+ students in Utah County walk out to protest the school board’s silence on removing pride flags. And Kennecott’s tailings may creep even closer to Magna homes. At 9 a.m. on Friday, Salt Lake Tribune reporters…
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints permanently donates thousands of acre-feet of water to the Great Salt Lake. Zions Bank stock plummets in the wake of the Silicon Valley Bank collapse, but the Utah bank’s CEO says your money is safe. And lawmakers spend $500,000 to recruit out-of-state hunters for Utah’s war on wolves. At 9 a.m. on…
The Environmental Protection Agency looks into the operations of a Sandy medical device maker after new data shows that its use of ethylene oxide gas can pose a cancer risk to neighbors. Embattled state Sen. Gene Davis announces he’ll retire early after an investigation into sexual misconduct allegations. And yet another battle over off-road vehicles looms as the Bureau of Land…
A GOP candidate for Salt Lake County clerk insists that the 2020 election was stolen and called Democrats “Commies” and “Marxists.” Salt Lake City deploys a rapid intervention team to try to prevent the establishment of large homeless encampments. And how a state plan to turn 28,500 acres covering Tabby Mountain into a public wildlife and hunting preserve got […]
A GOP candidate for Salt Lake County clerk insists that the 2020 election was stolen and called Democrats “Commies” and “Marxists.” Salt Lake City deploys a rapid intervention team to try to prevent the establishment of large homeless encampments. And how a state plan to turn 28,500 acres covering Tabby Mountain into a public wildlife and hunting preserve got […]
Girls are removed from a new offshoot of the polygamous Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints after a federal raid. Critics decry the planned appearance of a controversial former sheriff at a Utah law enforcement conference. And time will tell if Salt Lake City’s Ballpark neighborhood will lose its baseball field. At 9 a.m. on Friday, Salt […]
Girls are removed from a new offshoot of the polygamous Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints after a federal raid. Critics decry the planned appearance of a controversial former sheriff at a Utah law enforcement conference. And time will tell if Salt Lake City’s Ballpark neighborhood will lose its baseball field. At 9 a.m. on Friday, Salt […]
A mineral company applies to lengthen two of its canals on the Great Salt Lake, worrying environmentalists. Utah Democrats sue to force Joel Ferry, head of the Utah Department of Natural Resources, off the November ballot. New leadership at the Utah Inland Port Authority hits pause on big ticket spending. And a columnist says it’s right and proper for a president […]
A mineral company applies to lengthen two of its canals on the Great Salt Lake, worrying environmentalists. Utah Democrats sue to force Joel Ferry, head of the Utah Department of Natural Resources, off the November ballot. New leadership at the Utah Inland Port Authority hits pause on big ticket spending. And a columnist says it’s right and proper for a president […]
The Utah Department of Transportation says it prefers a gondola for Little Cottonwood Canyon — eventually. BYU continues investigating reports that racist slurs were yelled at a Duke volleyball player after video footage appeared to clear the fan originally blamed. We preview the University of Utah football season ahead of its opener against Florida in “The Swamp.” And the Utah Jazz unload Donovan Mitchell, […]
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints says there were “egregious errors” in a recent Associated Press report on child sex abuse. The federal government says it is “starting the process” to significantly reduce water use in the Colorado River Basin. A judge grants access to police shooting records that West Jordan sought to keep secret. And […]
Saying that the current mayor “has totally failed,” Rocky Anderson says he’s running for Salt Lake City Mayor again in 2023. A new lawsuit says Utah police intimidated animal-rights activists and violated their free speech rights. Bristlecone pines — the world’s most long-lived organisms — are being killed by beetle infestations. And new subdivisions take the place of well established […]
A K-9 police officer accused of unnecessarily siccing his dog on arrestees sees one of two felony assault charges dismissed. A Utah man faces a second murder charge after random “purge” killings earlier this month. Minibottles move a step closer to returning to the state’s liquor stores after a three-decade absence. And remembering Kitty Pappas, who ran […]
The University of Utah acknowledges that it failed to recognize student Zhifan Dong was in danger before she was killed. A Utah oil field spilled 400 barrels near Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument last fall — and it’s still cleaning up the crude. And the only known photo of Mormon founder Joseph Smith is unearthed by one of […]
Abortion is still legal in Utah after a judge blocked the state’s trigger law from taking effect. Utah doctors are trying to figure out why some kids get diabetesafter contracting COVID-19. Salt Lake City’s widespread gentrification has all but wiped out affordable neighborhoods citywide. And the latest in Utah food and alcohol news — from […]
The Great Salt Lake hits a record low elevation — and it’s not done shrinking. With the race between Sen. Mike Lee and Evan McMullin taking shape, a columnist digs into reader questions about the contest. And the Utah Jazz get a new coach and trade a star player. At 9 a.m. on Friday, Salt Lake […]
A Utah law banning abortions after 18 weeks of pregnancy takes effect after the state’s trigger law gets put on hold. A Utah lawmaker aims to expand the available reporting options to provide rape victims legal access to abortion. The Utah Supreme Court sides with the Utah Inland Port. And congressional incumbents win easy victories in primary elections. At 9 a.m. on Friday, Salt […]
The Supreme Court strikes down Roe V. Wade. Local officials ask UDOT to start over with its transportation plan for Little Cottonwood Canyon, calling a proposed gondola a “boondoggle.” Some details emerge about the ritualistic sex abuse allegations the Utah County Sheriff’s Office says it’s investigating. And, during Congressional testimony, Arizona’s House Speaker explains how his LDS faith impelled […]
The Utah Inland Port Authority is paying millions of dollars in rent for a transloading facility that has yet to be built. After a public outcry, the expansion of a trail system in the foothills above Salt Lake City will wait at least another year. And an effort is underway to draw attention to Utah’s history of Black lynchings — by […]
During a C-SPAN appearance, Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, embraces baseless claims about fraud in the 2020 election. A Brigham Young University ecologist countersues the backers of a plan to build islands in Utah Lake, saying their lawsuit is an attempt to silence him. The head of the NAACP of Utah asks the Department of Justice to investigate allegations of harassment […]
Utah County Attorney David Leavitt calls on Sheriff Mike Smith to resign, saying the top cop may have tried to implicate him in a “ritualistic” sex ring investigation. Hate crimes against Utah’s LGBTQ community nearly doubled last year, with a big jump during Pride Month. And Iowa House, “an experiment in progress,” offers queer Utahns […]
In the wake of another mass shooting, where things stand in terms of school safety in Utah. A Utah doctor offers advice on talking to children about school shootings. And health care providers and others try to help Utah families find baby formula amid a national shortage. At 9 a.m. on Friday, Salt Lake Tribune reporters Becky Jacobs and Courtney […]
Lawmakers ponder importing water from the Pacific Ocean to rescue the Great Salt Lake. Northern Utah sees its worst dust storms in a decade, but the drying up lake isn’t to blame — yet. And new details emerge about the Utah Inland Port, including a snag for a major component of the project. At 9 […]
Tribal leaders say a landmark federal report on the legacy of Indigenous boarding schools is just a “starting point.” Paris Hilton, urging federal oversight, reveals she was sexually abused at a Utah teen treatment center. And with the Supreme Court poised to overturn Roe v. Wade, what The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints says (and doesn’t say) about abortion. […]
A trigger law banning elective abortions in Utah is slated to take effect if the Supreme Court overturns Roe v. Wade. Eighty-three women say a Provo OB-GYN sexually abused them over a span of 40 years. And, as Utah’s drought persists, clean energy advocates say it’s time to power down water-guzzling coal plants. At 9 […]
The Ute Tribe believes a Uinta Basin rancher is “misappropriating” its water, but federal courts aren’t intervening. Almost 20 years after their parents were killed in Brazil, the Staheli siblings are still seeking justice. And remembering Orrin Hatch, the longest-serving Republican senator in U.S. history and a “giant” on Utah’s political stage. At 9 a.m. […]
Sen. Mike Lee dodges questions about text messages he sent that illustrate his role in efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election. A 13-year-old transgender girl speaks out about how a new Utah law has impacted her love of swimming. And state auditors say widespread issues persist at the University of Utah, […]
Housing caseworkers decry what they say is a “blacklist” of prospective renters maintained by a powerful Utah law firm. A newly released database shows that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the fifth largest private landholder in the United States. And the Utah Jazz square off against the Dallas Mavericks in the first […]
The Salt Lake County Council bans new mines in the foothills and canyons of the Wasatch Mountains. A Utah congressional candidate brings controversial Republican adviser Roger Stone onto his campaign. And Sen. Mike Lee stays mum on former President Donald Trump’s “Complete and Total Endorsement.” At 9 a.m. on Friday, Salt Lake Tribune reporters Brian Maffly and Bryan Schott, along […]
Some Democrats (and unaffiliated voters) are switching their registration to Republican to participate in the GOP primary elections. A Utah dancer comes forward with a story of online harassment by a local choreographer — prompting a flood of #MeToo responses. And activists say underlying issues in the state’s beauty industry perpetuate hair discrimination for Black Utahns. At 9 a.m. on Friday, Salt Lake Tribune […]
The Legislature reconvenes to try to override Gov. Spencer Cox’s veto of a bill barring transgender girls from female school sports. The Outdoor Retailer trade show is headed back to Utah despite a boycott threat from some well-known brands. And an in-depth report examines how Utah boarding schools stripped Native American students of their culture. At 9 a.m. on Friday, Salt […]
Voter groups sue to try to prevent Utah from instituting new congressional maps. Retired Army Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman says Sen. Mike Lee and Rep. Chris Stewart are complicit in the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Utah Attorney General Sean Reyes is reportedly preparing to run for U.S. Senate. And how a change in water law will help the Great Salt Lake. At 9 […]
As the dust settles on Utah’s 2022 legislative session, reporters delve into some of the major issues lawmakers addressed — from water conservation to media access to a bill that bans transgender kids from competing in school sports. At 9 a.m. on Friday, Salt Lake Tribune reporters Brian Maffly and Bethany Rodgers, along with news […]
Ukrainian Latter-day Saints share stories of resilience in the face of a Russian invasion. Sen. Mitt Romney calls Vladimir Putin a “megalomaniac dictator.” The Legislature enters a frantic pace in its final hours of the year’s general session. And Salt Lake County’s health director says some residents should still mask up even as COVID-19 cases decline. At 9 a.m. on […]
Utah leaders react to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. A legislative proposal to strip Salt Lake City of its representation on the Utah Inland Port board advances with the blessing of city officials. Sweeping legislation would require secondary water metering in Utah to boost conservation — but could carry a hefty price tag. And the West’s “megadrought” means Glen Canyon Dam is perilously […]
A push to eliminate the death penalty in Utah fails to advance at this year’s meeting of state lawmakers. A teen treatment center in Utah County could face closure after state regulators say a girl died after not receiving proper medical care. And scientists fear mink farms could be incubating worrisome coronavirus variants. So why do Utah mink farmers say the […]
Salt Lake City native Nathan Chen wins Olympic gold in Beijing. Homeless advocates call for a shelter to serve the elderly and infirm. A proposal that would limit reporters’ access to the Senate floor advances at the Legislature. Community health workers in Utah would gain formal certification under a new bill. And there is a […]
At least 174,000 coronavirus tests in Utah may have been inaccurate, but patients weren’t told. A new measure at the Legislature would rekindle an old fight over school vouchers. And a proposed rule change would curb journalists’ access to lawmakers at Utah’s Capitol. At 9 a.m. on Friday, Salt Lake Tribune reporter Kim Bojórquez, independent investigative reporter Andrew Becker and […]
A Utah congressman snubs Democrats during a visit to the state Capitol. Taxpayers foot the bill for a secret construction project at the private home of Gov. Spencer Cox. After final approval of a bill at the Legislature, schools will have to seek the governor’s OK to shift to online learning because of COVID-19. And a Park City teacher says she was […]
As 2022′s legislative session gets underway, many Utah lawmakers ignore the recommendations of public health experts and gather unmasked. Senate President Stuart Adams goes a step further — presiding over his chamber after twice testing positive for COVID-19. Among the priorities this session: doing away with health orders aimed at protecting residents. Plus: The would-be dredgers of Utah Lake sue […]
With Utah coronavirus case counts and hospitalizations at record levels, health officials turn to mask requirements to try to stem the tide. Meanwhile, Utah’s COVID-19 testing capacity is ‘maxed out,’ leading to cases potentially going uncounted. And queer members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints walk a tight-rope while trying to date and remain in good […]
For the second day running, the Utah Department of Health reports the state’s highest single-day jump in coronavirus cases since the start of the pandemic, and medical professionals warn that the worst is yet to come. As a result of the COVID-19 surge, the Sundance Film Festival cancels all in-person screenings. Utah’s newest city, Erda, is allowed to incorporate — […]