Plus, why NBA Commissioner Adam Silver is excited about SEG and the direction of the Utah Jazz
Good morning! Here are today’s temperatures: ⛅ 59 – 89° in Logan | 💧⚡ 60% ⛅ 72 – 95° in Salt Lake | 💧⚡ 50% ☀️ 79 – 102° in St. George The White House and the media are currently locked in a battle over nit-picky semantics — one that could have significant implications for the presidential race. In recent days, several national media outlets have said that Kamala Harris should not be labeled the “border czar,” despite previously reporting that Biden tasked her to oversee the administration’s immigration response. Read more about why this matters and how the White House is responding. Also on our minds: Most economists see a September Fed rate cut on horizon as latest inflation data skews positive U.S. authorities capture Mexican drug lord in Texas, thanks to El Chapo’s son Study shows 2 shots a year prevents HIV infection in women |
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| Paris Olympics open with first-ever river entrance by athletes |
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The star of Friday night’s opening ceremonies of the 2024 Summer Olympics was the Eiffel Tower, but for spectators at the nearby temporary stadium, nearly all of the show could only be seen on giant screens, including the much-anticipated arrival of athletes traveling by boat along the Seine River.
Rain fell throughout the nearly four-hour program, which featured lasers streaming from the iconic landmark dressed in the five Olympic rings and a torch relay that ended with the lighting of what seemed to be a tethered hot-air balloon located some distance away.
There were only a few performers who appeared live to the spectators huddled under plastic ponchos in the stadium, located at the Trocadéro park beside the Eiffel Tower. Celine Dion was one of them, but the singer made her first public performance since being diagnosed two years ago with stiff person syndrome perched high above in the tower.
Read more of the Deseret News’ on-the-ground coverage of the Paris Games. |
| NBA Commissioner Adam Silver’s relationship with Utah Jazz owners and Smith Entertainment Group principals Ryan and Ashley Smith started well before the couple purchased the NBA franchise in 2020 from Gail Miller and the Miller family.
In a recent Deseret News interview, Silver said he and Ryan Smith got connected years earlier through the customer experience company Smith co-founded in 2002, Qualtrics. The NBA would eventually put Qualtrics tools to work to harvest insights on the league’s global professional basketball mission.
Silver spoke of the direction and energy the Smiths have brought to the game since taking over the Jazz and expanding their sports and entertainment efforts through SEG, which recently brought an NHL franchise to the city. The Smiths have also taken the first steps in a massive revitalization project set to fundamentally reshape the Delta Center and a wide swath of downtown Salt Lake City.
Read more for more insights from the NBA’s chief executive.
More in Sports BYU’s Whittni Morgan draws on faith to achieve Olympic dreams (Deseret News) Jordan Love will now become the highest paid QB in NFL history (Deseret News) BYU basketball has hired another staff member from the NBA (Deseret News) Amid all the turmoil, the Aggies’ athletic director believes in USU football (Deseret News) Is Zach Wilson in danger of being cut by the Denver Broncos? (Deseret News) |
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