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A sixth grader from Utah made it all the way to the finale on a popular baking show that aired recently.

Eleven-year-old Arielle Yang competed on Food Network's "Kids Baking Championship" alongside a dozen other junior bakers and made it all the way to the top three trying to win the $25,000 prize.

Arielle, who was 10 at the time of filming, was the youngest baker competing in the finale, Lottie Johnson reported.

Although she didn't win, she took the opportunity to represent her state during her final bake with a Utah-inspired cake.

“The show was such a fun experience,” she told the Deseret News. “I think it’ll give me memories that I’ll have forever.”

🍰 Read Lottie's story to find out what happened in the finale.

New poll: How do Utahns feel about the Legislature’s tax cuts this year?

The Utah Legislature passed its tax cut package with young families and senior citizens in mind.

Legislative leadership prioritized keeping their four-year streak of reducing income taxes while making room for Utah Gov. Spencer Cox’s requests to expand tax credits for children and Social Security beneficiaries, Brigham Tomco reported.

Here are three key points:

The Utah Legislature cut income taxes by .05% and expanded the child tax credit to all children under 6.
Lawmakers also removed the state tax on Social Security benefits for 90,000 senior Utahns.
The $127 million in combined tax relief was prioritized by Gov. Spencer Cox and legislators in a tight budget year.

What do Utahns think about the tax cuts?

A new poll conducted by HarrisX among 805 registered Utah voters found the following:

87% of Utah voters said they support reducing the income tax.
86% said they support reducing the sales tax on groceries.
81% said they support removing all taxes on Social Security.

Education Department faces uncertain future — even with a new Trump-appointed chief

Newly appointed Secretary of Education Linda McMahon confirms her vision for the Department of Education aligns with President Donald Trump's "to send education back to the states."

In the past, Trump has said a goal for McMahon is to "put herself out of a job" and close down the Department of Education — a move that would ultimately require congressional approval.

“President Trump understands that we’ll be working with Congress,” McMahon said during her recent confirmation hearing. “We’d like to do this right.”

The Trump administration has started overhauling much of the department's work, with Trump adviser Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency cutting dozens of contracts and gutting the Institute of Education Sciences.

How do Utah kids benefit from Department of Education allocations?

More than 108,000 Utah K-12 students benefit from federal funds allocated by the Department of Education, including Title I money, Jason Swensen reported. Those funds aim to help students from low-income families achieve in the classroom.

What is the role of the Department of Education?

The department’s largest K-12 task is overseeing implementation of the Every Student Succeeds Act, which requires states to monitor their schools’ progress and intervene in poorly performing schools in exchange for federal money, Swensen writes.

Read more about the Department of Education.

FROM OUR SPONSOR UTAH BUSINESS

Utah Business 2025 30 Women To Watch

Know a woman who should be celebrated for accomplishing amazing things in Utah? Nominate today!

Utah

Utah consumer sentiment down in February (Utah Policy)
RootsTech connects people around the world in efforts to discover their family (KSL.com)
Photo gallery: Salt Lake City International Airport opens sensory room (Deseret News)
150 Years of Change: How Old Photos, Recaptured, Reveal a Shifting Climate (🔒 The New York Times)
Report: Utah sits well above national average for adults' degree attainment (St George News)
2002 Salt Lake Olympian now on FBI's Top 10 Most Wanted list (KUTV)
Lagoon is phasing out its zoo, has already relocated big cats (KSL.com)
SR 92 closed near Provo Canyon after 2 vehicles crash into river (KSL.com)

Health

Second measles death reported as outbreak grows in Southwest (The Hill)
Why Step Count Remains the Most Impactful Fitness Stat (WebMD)

Faith

While pursuing education, ‘look to the Lord for the help you need,’ says Elder Christofferson (Church News)
First Presidency announces, invites to 195th Annual General Conference (Church News)

The Nation and the World

Trump announces delay on Mexico tariffs, Canada also likely to get a reprieve (Deseret News)
US and Ukraine officials to meet next week to discuss peace plans, Zelensky says (BBC)
Butterfly populations declining rapidly in U.S. with 22% disappearing in 2 decades, study finds (CBS News)

Sports

State of the Utah Jazz’s rebuild: A timeline for contention (Deseret News)
What attending a Utah Warriors professional rugby game looks like, sounds like and feels like (Deseret News)
See BYU basketball fans welcome the team at the airport after its upset win — a day later than expected (Deseret News)
What do visiting NHL players think about Utah? ‘Nothing but good things to say about this place’ (Deseret News)
Utah’s Erica Lavén wins 7.5K classic at NCAAs (Deseret News)
From No. 1 recruit to budding Red Rocks star, Avery Neff is creating her own 'legacy' (KSL.com)

🗓️ Events Calendar

We put together a calendar list of events and activities going on around the state of Utah during the next month. Check it out and let us know if we are missing anything!

Here are some highlights for events in Utah today:

Salt Lake City Home and Garden Show | Mountain America Expo Center, Sandy
Lyle Lovett | Tuacahn Amphitheatre
“Les Miserables” | The Eccles Theater, Salt Lake City
“James and the Giant Peach Jr.” | Timpanogos Valley Theatre, Heber City
BYU baseball vs. Stetson | 3 p.m.
BYU men’s volleyball vs. USC | 7 p.m.
USU women’s gymnastics vs. Air Force | 7 p.m.
UVU volleyball | 1:15 p.m.
SUU softball vs. Tarleton State | 1 p.m.
SUU women’s gymnastics vs. Boise State | 6:30 p.m.
Utah Tech women’s tennis vs. Colorado Mesa | 11 a.m.
Utah Tech baseball vs. Saint Mary’s | 6:05 p.m.

Please reach out to me at [email protected] if you have any thoughts, feedback or ideas you would like to share!

✨ Cheers ✨

— Gambles

What do Utahns think about the tax cuts?

More in Politics

Education Department faces uncertain future — even with a new Trump-appointed chief

How do Utah kids benefit from Department of Education allocations?

What is the role of the Department of Education?

🗓️ Events Calendar