With thanks to

🌦️ 36 – 57° Logan | 🌦️ 43 – 63° Salt Lake | ⛅ 30 – 60° Manti

⛅ 46 – 72° Moab | ⛅ 37 – 68° Cedar City | ⛅ 51 – 80° St. George

Good morning!

It’s cougar season in Utah — and no, I’m not referring to Cosmo or any of his fellow BYU fans.

As the weather warms, cougars (also referred to as mountain lions and pumas) emerge in Utah’s foothills and in canyons. Although fatal encounters with cougars are rare, it can still be frightening to meet one while trail running.

My colleague Eva Terry, who is an avid hiker and rock climber, has compiled all you need to know about cougar attacks while enjoying Utah’s outdoors this summer.

Read more about what to do if you run into a cougar.

Also on our minds:

New BYU athletic director Brian Santiago has a message for his detractors
‘Real world’ experiences may yield college credit for Utah Valley University students
Seasonal allergies making you miserable? Try these tips

John Curtis weaves pioneer legacy, clean energy and fighting debt into first Senate floor speech

Sen. John Curtis brought a fellow senator to tears with a reference to late colleague Mia Love in his first Senate speech.

After a “listening tour” starting in Ensign Peak, Utah, and ending in D.C., Curtis reflected on his first 131 days in office and how the nation’s capital can better emulate his home state.

Curtis visited Arlington National Cemetery, the Holocaust Memorial Museum, and the National Museum of African American History and Culture on his tour. It was at his last stop that Curtis reflected on unity and humility — and where he was reminded of his late colleague, former Rep. Love.

“As Curtis reflected on his pilgrimage, the newly elected senator used those experiences to dictate his top priorities for his term,” Cami Mondeaux writes from D.C.

Read more about Curtis’ invitations to Utahns and Republicans.

Utah Democrats hope for revival as Gov. JB Pritzker scheduled to speak at convention

Brigham Tomco writes:

Utah Democrats hope to launch a new era of the state party on May 31 with a speech from the fighting face of the anti-Trump resistance, Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, the Deseret News confirmed on Wednesday.

The organizing convention is scheduled to feature remarks from Pritzker as state delegates meet to elect their next chair — expected to be former state House minority leader Brian King — amid a statewide push to rebuild the party’s thin bench of political leadership.

Pritzker’s visit to the Beehive State follows a series of national headlines highlighting his outspoken comments lampooning President Donald Trump, railing against fellow Democrats’ “culture of timidity” and calling for mass movements to prevent Republicans from “a moment of peace.”

Read more about the future of the Democratic Party in Utah.

Utah Business 2025 Most Influential Women Nominations

It’s time to honor women whose contributions to the state of Utah have made them pillars of the community. Submit your nomination before June 4!

Politics

What to know about the Supreme Court’s birthright citizenship case (Deseret News)
Is the push to sell public land a solution or a risk to conservation? (Deseret News)
Jay Evensen: Trump's proposed budget won't solve Washington's fiscal problems (Deseret News)
Utah Rep. Blake Moore caught sleeping during marathon budget hearing (Deseret News)

The U.S.

Egg prices drop but remain near historic highs (Deseret News)
U.S. man travels miles for help after 400-ft fall in deadly accident (BBC)

The World

Here’s where Qatar is spending to increase influence in the U.S. (Deseret News)
Israel agrees to resume Gaza aid after two month freeze, foundation says (Axios)

Sports

Analysis: New BYU athletic director Brian Santiago extends an olive branch to his detractors (Deseret News)
BYU’s Egor Demin dream of being an NBA player is about to begin. The next dream could include a return to Utah (Deseret News)
Doug Robinson: This year’s NBA draft lottery is further proof that system is a failure (Deseret News)
4 players the Utah Mammoth could get by trading the No. 4 pick (Deseret News)

Faith

Jennifer Graham: It’s not a ‘hot accessory,’ NYT. It’s a symbol of faith (Deseret News)
Stephen Cranney & Samuel T. Wilkinson: Having trouble with mental health? Try religion (Deseret News)

Health

Seasonal allergies making you miserable? Try these tips (Deseret News)
HHS backtracks on firing hundreds of federal health workers (NBC)

🗓️ Events Calendar

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

Here are some highlights for events in Utah today:

Kilby Block Party | Utah State Fairpark, Salt Lake City
BYU baseball vs. Texas Tech | 6 p.m.
University of Utah baseball vs. TCU | 6 p.m.

Check your inbox tomorrow morning for more news from the Beehive State and beyond!

And reply to this email or email [email protected] to tell us what you think of Utah Today.

Thanks for reading!

— Ariel