UPR Picks Up Behind the Headlines - KCPW: Recent Episodes
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A look at banned books in Utah’s biggest school districts brings some surprises. The Utah Supreme Court weighs whether to revive a lawsuit accusing a Provo OB-GYN of sexually abusing dozens of women. A new report raises alarms about child care access. And a Utah Lake official steps down after he’s asked about letters in…
A solar eclipse wows crowds in Utah. Latter-day Saints are among the least worried about climate change. And Salt Lake City stands alone in its bid for the 2034 Olympics. Salt Lake Tribune reporters Anastasia Hufham, Tamarra Kemsley and Julie Jag, along with news columnist Robert Gehrke, join Utah Public Radio’s Tom Williams to talk about the week’s top…
A Salt Lake City rabbi says a member of his congregation was killed in Israel. Gov. Spencer Cox says Utah is not a “sanctuary state,” citing an “outdated” Immigration and Customs Enforcement memo shared with state leaders. Northern Utah’s ozone problem isn’t getting any better. And a new survey shows what Utahns think about how the state should grow. At 9…
At age 99, President Russell Nelson preaches “celestial” thinking and temple building at the just-concluded General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. How one of the largest deeply affordable housing projects in Utah fell apart. And new OB-GYNs are avoiding abortion-restrictive states like Utah. At 9 a.m. on Friday, Salt Lake Tribune reporters Tamarra Kemsley, Blake Apgar…
A transgender Jordan School District student speaks out as adults discuss school restroom use. A look at what the Great Salt Lake’s dust is doing to our bodies. And Brigham Young’s southern Utah wine mission fueled Latter-day Saint profits, prophecy and alcoholism. At 9 a.m. on Friday, Salt Lake Tribune reporters Carmen Nesbitt, Leia Larsen and Mark Eddington join Utah Public…
In a rare public rebuke, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints condemns Tim Ballard’s “morally unacceptable” behavior. A doctor with ties to anti-LGBTQ hate groups is now serving on Utah’s trans sports commission. And hundreds of affordable homes will be built in seven Utah cities. At 9 a.m. on Friday, Salt Lake Tribune…
Mitt Romney announces he won’t run for the Senate again in 2024. Housing markets are the least affordable in Utah history. And new census data shows how the state is changing. At 9 a.m. on Friday, Salt Lake Tribune reporters Tony Semerad and Megan Banta, along with news columnist Robert Gehrke, join Utah Public Radio’s Tom Williams to talk about…
Celeste Maloy wins in a tight Utah 2nd Congressional District GOP primary. Groups sue Utah, trying to save Great Salt Lake through the public trust doctrine. And 30 years after the “September Six” purge, would The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints do it again? At 9 a.m. on Friday, Salt Lake Tribune reporters Emily Anderson Stern, Leia…
Another inland port project has been approved on imperiled Great Salt Lake wetlands. Detecting when students use artificial intelligence for homework is this school year’s newest challenge. Here’s how one Utah district is dealing with it. And the Utah Pride Center won’t be closing, leaders say, backtracking on an earlier statement. At 9 a.m. on Friday, Salt Lake Tribune…
On this episode, we discuss baby animals, really big trees, a growingly notorious nightclub in Salt Lake City, a US Senator considering his political future, and how the recent indictments in Georgia may affect the upcoming presidential election including here in Utah.Salt Lake Tribune reporters Paighten Harkins and Kolbie Peterson along with news columnist Robert Gehrke, join guest host Matthew LaPlante to…
Why those who suffer the most from the Salt Lake Valley’s bad air may speak out the least. A southern Utah resort practices smudging, which is rooted in Indigenous ceremonies. Is this cultural appreciation or appropriation? And a Utah therapist built a reputation of helping gay Latter-day Saints. Several men say he sexually abused them.At 9 a.m. on Friday, Salt…
President Joe Biden visits Utah as part of a Western tour. A Provo man who made threats against the president is shot and killed during an FBI raid. An appeals court reinstates James Huntsman’s tithing lawsuit against The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. And a cleanup plan for toxic waste created by US Magnesium has a significant flaw: a dwindling supply…
How would Utah women’s lives change if the state ratified the Equal Rights Amendment? Two Utah school districts took opposite paths when the COVID-19 pandemic hit. And Salt Lake County District Attorney Sim Gill is working to evacuate Afghan prosecutors targeted by the Taliban. At 9 a.m. on Friday, Salt Lake Tribune reporters Emily Anderson Stern, Carmen Nesbitt and Jordan…
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis takes a shot at Donald Trump during a Utah campaign event, saying that a GOP wave can happen with “no distractions.” A Rocky Mountain Power program gives rebates to customers who let the utility use their home-battery systems when needed. And citizen scientists are identifying Salt Lake City’s hottest places. At 9 a.m. on Friday, Salt…
According to a new report, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is on its way to becoming a trillion-dollar faith. A Utah sanctuary is rescuing horses from becoming human food. And Utah lawmakers gave millions to support a private landowner’s unusual wildfire prevention method. Does it work? At 9 a.m. on Friday, Salt Lake Tribune reporters Tony…
The Utah Supreme Court hears arguments over the challenge to how the state’s majority-Republican Legislature went about drawing new congressional districts. Analysis shows that Ute Tribe schoolchildren have been failed by public schools more than any other students in the state. The Paiute Tribe considers “how best to honor and memorialize” children who died at a former boarding school site. And the Utah…
Incoming Utah State University leaders come from an Arizona school rocked by an on-campus slaying. A Utah teen had sex at school; his Latter-day Saint parents sued the district — and lost. And thousands of nesting birds have vanished from the Great Salt Lake’s Gunnison Island. At 9 a.m. on Friday, Salt Lake Tribune reporters Jacob Scholl, Michael Lee and…
In Utah, “inadequate” long-term care facilities see lax oversight, the Disability Law Center reports. Vulnerable residents rely on Medicaid for health coverage, but tens of thousands are losing it. And how an emerging housing approach is making homeownership attainable. At 9 a.m. on Friday, Salt Lake Tribune reporters Paighten Harkins, Emily Anderson Stern and Sofia Jeremias join Utah Public Radio’s Tom…
Utah education was “already a leaky boat” before the COVID-19 pandemic. Camping in Color and other initiatives aim to diversify outdoor recreation, but are they working? And does the notorious past of Ogden’s 25th Street play a role in its present walkability? At 9 a.m. on Friday, Salt Lake Tribune reporters Megan Banta, Julie Jag…
Does Utah need (or want) a sixth national park, in this case enshrining the Great Salt Lake? Utah’s only abortion clinic outside Salt Lake City is “temporarily” closed, and people are finding that out the hard way. In addition, 81 “high hazard” Utah dams need safety upgrades. Fixing them could cost $450 million. At 9 a.m. on Friday, Salt…
The Bible is banned in some Utah elementary and middle schools for “vulgarity or violence.” Records show that four GOP lawmakers pushed the Utah Transit Authority to remove a pride-themed bus. And congressmen tell the Supreme Court that Utahns have no right against partisan gerrymandering. At 9 a.m. on Friday, Salt Lake Tribune reporters Courtney Tanner, Jordan Miller and Emily Anderson…
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 first-appointed Great Salt Lake czar is heartened by the wet winter but says “we still have great cause for concern.” The latest on Davis County’s landslide risks. And a Utah man is charged with murder nearly 30 years after he told police his wife died by suicide. At 9 a.m. on Friday, Salt Lake…
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…
This week in Utah news: Residents generally feel better about their finances and future than other Americans. The Ute Tribe alleges discrimination was behind a rejected bid to buy Tabby Mountain. And a Salt Lake City couple went from “living in a homeless camp on a mountainside with a newborn baby” to a home and steady work. At 9 a.m. on…
This week in Utah news: Flood risks in Utah remain high as the weather cools. A Utah judge blocks an abortion clinic ban — for now. Zion National Park has too many people and too little management. And Pornhub, the nation’s busiest porn site, blocks Utahns ahead of a new age-verification law. At 9 a.m.…
This week in Utah news: How Salt Lake City tried to keep the Bees baseball team, and why it didn’t work. With projections showing a 71-foot rebound coming, Lake Powell resumes the Grand Canyon’s experimental floods. And a Utah woman couldn’t find a good list of dog-friendly places in Salt Lake City, so she started making one. At 9…
This week in Utah news: The state’s newest ski resort is for the megarich only. Moms who are former members of the polygamous Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints say their kids have gone missing since Warren Jeffs’ latest revelation from prison. And an audit alleges former Cache County prosecutors misused public resources. At 9 a.m. on Friday, Salt…
This week in Utah news: A coalition launches a formal bid to bring Major League Baseball to Salt Lake City. Utah’s secretive medical malpractice panels make it harder to sue health care workers. And the scientific (and not so scientific) reasons behind this year’s whale of a snow year. At 9 a.m. on Friday, Salt Lake Tribune reporters Andy…
This week in Utah news: What does spring runoff need to look like to avoid flooding? A Texas pastor aims to outlaw abortion in towns bordering Utah. And the end of Utah coal power is in sight as Rocky Mountain Power moves to renewables and nuclear. At 9 a.m. on Friday, Salt Lake Tribune reporters Emily Anderson Stern, Jacob Scholl and…
Mental health challenges for missionaries of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are rising and so is the faith’s response. A jury decides that Gwyneth Paltrow was not at fault for a Deer Valley ski crash. The trial shines light on the Wild West of ski law. And federal funds will soon be used to make Utah roads safer.…
With record snowpack, water districts around Utah are bracing for heavy spring runoff and possible flooding. In the 10 years since its creation, Utah’s Executive Branch Ethics Commission has investigated two complaints. And the University of Utah women’s basketball team is in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament. At 9 a.m. on Friday, Salt Lake Tribune reporters Jacob Scholl,…
The 2023 session of the Utah legislature concluded last week. We’ll review what the Legislature did, from banning gender-affirming health care for transgender minors to passing a new school vouchers law. And we’ll ask: Did the Legislature do enough to save the Great Salt Lake? At 9 a.m. on Friday, Salt Lake Tribune reporters Emily Anderson Stern,…
A Utah senator sees a way to ease the property tax burden on homeowners. A bill at the Legislature would make it more difficult to sue for asbestos injuries. And, with the H-1B visa lottery poised to start, some experts say the process makes it hard to hire international talent. At 9 a.m. on Friday, Salt Lake Tribune reporters Tony…
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has agreed to pay $5 million for hiding past stock holdings in a settlement with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. More than 90 women allege that a Utah doctor sexually assaulted them. And a bill at the Legislature would shield new quarries from county or municipal oversight. At 9 a.m. on Friday,…
At least 830 people were forcibly sterilized at state institutions in Utah. Gas would be cheaper and charging electric vehicles more expensive if a bill at the Utah Legislature passes. And Salt Lake City’s mayor promises there will be no police crackdown on the homeless during the NBA All-Star Game. At 9 a.m. on Friday, Salt Lake Tribune reporters Emily Anderson…
How The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints could have a say in the Great Salt Lake’s survival. Utah students barked like dogs at Asian American and Polynesian basketball players. And officials gear up to again promote crosswalk flags in Salt Lake City, but some question how effective they are. At 9 a.m. on Friday, Salt Lake Tribune reporters Leia…
Faculty members at Brigham Young University are urged to align their teaching and research better with tenets of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. A bill to regulate social media companies and minors’ access to those apps receives unanimous approval in committee at the Utah Legislature. And a promising new therapy uses a person’s own cells…
A bill to prevent doctors from providing gender-affirming care to minors advances at the Legislature as crowds rally for transgender health care at the Utah Capitol. A domestic violence database could prevent more violence in Utah. And a controversial school voucher bill passes the Utah Legislature. At 9 a.m. on Friday, Salt Lake Tribune reporters Emily Anderson Stern, Jacob Scholl and Courtney Tanner,…
Russell M. Nelson’s historic first five years as president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The Utah Legislature begins its 45-day session. And the Salt Lake Bees baseball team announces it is leaving Utah’s capital for South Jordan’s Daybreak. At 9 a.m. on Friday, Salt Lake Tribune reporters Peggy Fletcher Stack, Emily Anderson Stern and Blake Apgar, along…
Reaction pours in to former Utah Jazz player Donovan Mitchell’s criticisms of Utah. Recent snowstorms ease but do not erase water worries in the West. Divisions surface in the Heber Valley over growth and a proposed highway. And a plan to widen Interstate 15 from Farmington to Salt Lake City raises fears among west-siders. At 9 a.m. on Friday, Salt Lake Tribune…
Eight people are found dead in an Enoch home in southern Utah after what authorities are calling an apparent murder-suicide. Experts tell lawmakers that they have only months to act or the Great Salt Lake will vanish in the next five years. With Utah in limbo in the wake of the Supreme Court’s rejection of Roe v. Wade,…
After five deaths among unsheltered residents, Salt Lake City’s mayor signs an emergency order to expand shelter space in Utah’s capital. A retired federal scientist highlights a previously unconsidered threat from a proposed canal extension project to the Great Salt Lake ecosystem. And a columnist wonders why Utah taxpayers are on the hook for millions of dollars to private…
Qatar pays for Utah Senate President Stuart Adams, R-Layton, to travel to the FIFA World Cup. Utah technology layoffs continue as yet another company valued over $1 billion sheds hundreds of workers. This year’s flu season is gearing up to be the worst in years, with cases increasing and more Utahns heading to the hospital. And a state audit faults the Salt Lake…
Federal agents search polygamous leader Samuel Bateman’s homes looking for evidence of underage marriages. The state apologizes for not investigating a woman’s reported rapes by a Utah Highway Patrol trooper. And the Sundance Film Festival announces the 101 movies coming to Park City and Salt Lake City in January. At 9 a.m. on Friday, Salt Lake Tribune reporters Jessica…
Alfalfa in the spotlight: Why one crop uses more than half of Utah’s water — and how that relates to the plight of the Great Salt Lake. Mosquitoes, as predicted, are wreaking havoc at the new state prison, but addressing the problem could cause harm to an already stressed ecosystem. And state-approved coyote killing contests in Utah stir…
Members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints react to the faith’s support of a federal law that would codify same-sex marriage. Plus, Donald Trump announces another run for the presidency, but Latter-day Saint Republicans may not be in his camp. And, in an unusual move, state lawmakers say they’ll file an amicus brief opposing a hold…
Sen. Mike Lee successfully fends off his independent challenger and Utah’s all-Republican congressional delegation sails to victory in the 2022 midterm elections. And scientists say the Great Salt Lake’s ecological collapse has begun, At 9 a.m. on Friday, Salt Lake Tribune statewatch editor Jeff Parrott, water and land use reporter Leia Larsen and news columnist…
A sexual assault survivor shares her story in an attempt to stop her Utah lawmaker sister’s abortion bill. A former San Juan county attorney makes claims against current county commissioners — saying the commission has gotten too cozy with a Utah environmental organization. And, after resigning from his post, the former athletic director at Utah State University apologizes for repeating…
Utah Attorney General Sean Reyes signs onto an effort opposing the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention adding the COVID-19 vaccine to the recommended list of routine childhood immunizations. Former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr. endorses Sen. Mike Lee’s reelection bid. Utah is on the list of potential states for development of a nuclear power plant. And the Utah Jazz start their…
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…
At the last minute, Republican Rep. Burgess Owens pulls out of a scheduled political debate, citing objections to the event’s moderator: Salt Lake Tribune Executive Editor Lauren Gustus. Owens says the newspaper she leads is racist because of a political cartoon it published equating the congressman’s own fear-stoking rhetoric about immigrants to that of the Ku…
A candidate for Salt Lake County clerk walks back his assertions that the 2020 election was stolen. Drones begin delivering prescription drugs to some Utah homes. A Salt Lake City-raised poet, whose writing explores the Black history of the West, is long-listed for a National Book Award. And a columnist bemoans Utah Attorney General Sean…
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 state audit faults the Utah Inland Port Authority for awarding no-bid contracts and for accountability issues. The Salt Lake City Council fast-tracks proposed changes to off-street parking rules, shared housing and tiny homes — in what it says is an effort to address affordability. And Utah guides work to combat sexual harassment on river trips. At 9 a.m. on Friday,…
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…
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,…
Utah sues over President Joe Biden’s upsizing of national monuments downsized by former President Donald Trump. A lawsuit alleging that Utah’s redistricting process amounted to an unconstitutional gerrymander moves forward. And a deep dive with the Associated Press journalist whose reporting showed that a sex abuse “help line” for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints can divert abuse…