Utah Headlines

Political news

• Mike Lee can't stop throwing social media grenades. His church isn't happy (Politico)
• Mike Kennedy, Celeste Maloy, Blake Moore & Burgess Owens: WHy we voted for Pres. Trump's 'beautiful' bill (Deseret News)
• Mike Lee wants Supreme Court to take case involving prayer at a high school football game (Deseret News)
• Steve Handy: Curtis puts conservative, commonsense values into action in budget bill’s energy deal (Deseret News)
• Big Pharma pays up: Utah to get millions in opioid settlement (Deseret News)
  
• Is the rest of the US catching up to Utah in terms of civic engagement? (KSL)
  

Municipal news

• Mayoral hopefuls in one of Utah’s newest cities address development, water, short-term rentals (KSL)
• 'It helped him realize he was not alone': Grief support center for children expands to Washington County (St. George News)

Utah

• BYU chef wins national competition in her home state of Utah (Deseret News)
• After Herriman explosion, officials statewide urge residents to sign up for emergency alerts (KSL)
• Utah has a ‘good track record’ when it comes to disaster prep and alerts (KUER)
• Utah’s black and white license plate is now the state’s most popular and it’s bringing in millions (KSL TV)
• Voices: I’ve seen many of my family members experience discrimination. I fear it will only get worse. (Salt Lake Tribune)
• 'It's scary, it's sad;' Video sparks worries over random questioning of Utah residents (Fox13)

Biz/Tech

• Snap, crackle, sale: Nutella maker Ferrero plans to buy WK Kellogg for $3 billion (AP) 
• A recent high-profile case of AI hallucination serves as a stark warning (NPR)
• This TikTok video is fake, but every word was taken from a real creator (NPR)
• AI kingpin Nvidia crowned as first public company with a $4 trillion valuation (AP)

Crime/Courts

• Man pleads guilty to attempted murder, sentenced in St. George double stabbing case (KSL)
• Former Washington County Sheriff deputy charged with manslaughter following motorcycle accident (Fox13)
• Salt Lake D.A. uses Utah’s newly created ‘child torture’ law (Utah News Dispatch)

Culture/Community

• How Utah's next Olympics will be different for a Wasatch Back community (KSL)
• Addiction recovery group celebrates achievements of those who sought help (KSL)
• Native American culture to be featured at Native Market Days in Orem (KSL)
• This lavender farm in northern Utah was inspired by France. It’s throwing a festival this weekend. (Salt Lake Tribune)

Education

• Utah teachers concerned immigration raids could impact students (KSL Newsradio)
• An ‘emblem makeover’? University of Utah unveils new institutional logo (Deseret News)
• Department of Education pauses $40M worth of grants, impacting Utah schools (KUTV)
• Lawmakers seek solutions as teacher misconduct complaints rise in Utah (KUTV)
• Since COVID, threats to local school officials have nearly tripled, research finds (NPR)

Environment

• Deer Creek wildfire in San Juan County grows to 4,000 acres (KSL TV)
• Wildfire near La Sal in San Juan County prompts evacuations (KSL)
• Utah on track to have one of its driest, warmest years as half of state in severe drought (KSL)
• Officials tracking an earthquake swarm at Mount Rainier say there is no cause for concern (PBS)

Faith

• How Utah’s faith leaders — and the LDS Church — responded to IRS allowance of political endorsements from pulpit (Salt Lake Tribune)

Health

• Utah health experts alarmed by decrease in childhood vaccine uptake (Deseret News)

Housing

• Here’s the Utah city where homes are priced the highest (and it's not Park City) (Deseret News) 
• While officials stay silent, demand for homeless services has grown in Utah County. Everyone’s struggling with the influx. (Salt Lake Tribune)
• Utah County recognized for efforts in providing warmth and safety to the homeless (Daily Herald)

National Headlines

General

• Good luck canceling that gym membership — court blocks ‘click to cancel’ rule (Deseret News)
• A Denver dino museum makes a find deep under own parking lot. Like ‘a hole in one from the moon.’ (AP)
• A Texas family clung to life on their roof, capturing the terrifying flooding in photos and video (AP)

Political news 

• Judge blocks Trump’s birthright citizenship order through class action lawsuit (Deseret News)
• Republicans block effort to change gambling tax in Trump policy bill (Deseret News)
• 6 suspended, no firings: Secret Service takes blame for Trump assassination attempt (Deseret News)
• Prices are now starting to rise because of tariffs. Economists say this is just the beginning (Fox13)
• Trump puts 35% tariff on Canada, eyes 15%-20% tariffs for others (Reuters)
• US State Department tells staff planned layoffs to begin soon (Reuters)
• As FEMA aids Texas flood victims, Noem urges eliminating US agency 'as it exists today' (Reuters)
• Many Liberians take offense after Trump praises their president’s English (AP)
• GOP senators question Hegseth leadership after weapons ‘goof-up’ (The Hill)
• Trump hands Congress a ‘weapon’ he once warned would do ‘grave damage’ to presidency (Politico)
• State Department is firing over 1,300 employees under Trump administration plan (Washington Post)
• Trump's Texas visit highlights an us-vs-them approach to disasters (Reuters)

Immigration/deportation

• California surgical center staff demand to see warrant as ICE agents detain landscaper (AP)
• Surge in US concern about immigration has abated (Gallup)

Ukraine/Russia

• 'We go on living': Kyiv embraces city routines after nights of terror (Reuters)
• Russian drones strike Ukraine's 2nd-largest city, damaging a maternity hospital (Washington Post)

Middle East

• Gaza doctors cram babies into incubators as fuel shortage threatens hospitals (Reuters)
• Europe unveils a deal for more food and fuel for Gaza. Israeli strike kills 15 outside a clinic (AP)

World news

• Support for Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh risks collapse, UN refugee agency says (Reuters)

Number of the Day

News Releases

Utah secures $720 million nationwide settlement from 8 opioid drug makers

Utah Attorney General Derek Brown and Utah Department of Commerce Executive Director Margaret Woolley Busse today announced approximately $720 million nationwide in settlements with eight drug makers that manufactured opioid pills and worsened the nationwide opioid crisis. Based on the overwhelming participation by states across the country, all eight defendants have agreed to proceed with a sign-on period for local governments.  Utah could receive up to $8.8 million. (Read More)

Lee defends religious freedom in football game prayer case

U.S. Senator Mike Lee (R-UT) led an amicus brief today to protect Americans from religious discrimination by state governments. Senator Lee filed the brief to defend free speech and religious observance from infringement by government entities as part of the case Cambridge Christian School v. Florida High School Athletic Association. (Read More)

Tweet of the Day

Upcoming

• Aug 7 â€”  Titan of Public Service gala with Sen. Tom Cotton hosted by the Orrin G. Hatch Foundation at the Grand America Hotel. More Information Here
• Aug 12 â€” Municipal primary
• Aug 19-21 â€” Interim Days
• Nov 4 â€” General election
• February 4-7, 2026 — Summit, with Silicon Slopes and Visit Salt Lake

On This Day In History

• 1274 - Robert the Bruce, Scottish king (1306-1329) and national hero, is born in Turnberry Castle, Ayrshire
• 1656 - First Quaker colonists land at  Boston in the Massachusetts Bay Colony
• 1767 - John Quincy Adams is born 
• 1798 - U.S. Marine Corps formally re-established by a congressional act
• 1804 - “The damn fool that shot him.” Aaron Burr shoots Alexander Hamilton in an early-morning duel. 
• 1916 - US Congress passes Federal Aid Road Act
• 1945 - Soviets agree to hand over power in West Berlin
• 1955 - Congress authorizes all US currency to say "In God We Trust"
• 1960 - “To Kill a Mockingbird” is published.
• 1975 - Spencer J. Cox is born.
• 1977 - US Medal of Freedom awarded posthumously to Rev Martin Luther King Jr.
• 1988 - Mike Tyson hires Donald Trump as an advisor

Quote of the Day

“Mockingbirds don’t do one thing but make music for us to enjoy. They don’t eat up people’s gardens, don’t nest in corncribs, they don’t do one thing but sing their hearts out for us. That’s why it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird.”
― Harper Lee, To Kill a Mockingbird

On the Punny Side

Why aren’t dogs good dancers? Because they have two left feet.

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