Utah and National Updates

Elections, Politics, & Government

Example of ranked choice voting ballot. Twelve cities across Utah will participate in ranked choice...
Mary Richards

Cities across Utah to decide on ranked-choice ballots

An Election Day experiment in Maine could soon be coming to other states, including Utah: ranked-choice ballots. 
8 years ago
local state of emergency...
Peter Samore

SLC Council considering a pay raise for itself

It'll look awkward, as the city's executive director put it, but Salt Lake's part-time City Council is considering giving itself a pay raise.
8 years ago
background checks...
Peter Samore

State leader: McAdams saying ‘no’ to Pelosi won’t hurt him

Utah's House Minority leader, Brian King, says a vote against Pelosi for U.S. House Speaker won't hurt the success of Congressman-elect, Ben McAdams.
8 years ago
FILE: Surrounded by her family, former Rep. Mia Love talks about election results in the 4th Congre...
Mary Richards

Rep. Mia Love talks election, future

Rep. Mia Love says she is proud of what she accomplished during her time in Congress. She says she fought hard for taxpayers, vets, victims, seniors, and unborn children.
8 years ago
Lee on Meet the Press...
Peter Samore

Lee parts ways with President over who killed Saudi journalist

"This unauthorized, unconstitutional war, from our standpoint, is not something we ought to be fighting," Lee said of Saudi Arabian involvement in Yemen.
8 years ago
climate change report...
Dan Bammes

Climate change report includes warnings, reasons for optimism

A University of Utah scientist says a new government report warning about human-caused climate change also provides some reasons to hope.
8 years ago
Mike Lee federalism...
Mary Richards

Sen. Mike Lee: violence will increase without return to Federalism

Sen. Mike Lee says the national political style of good versus evil will only get worse unless the country returns more power to the states.
8 years ago
(Photo: JORDAN ALLRED/DESERET NEWS)...
KSL NewsRadio

Medical Marijuana compromise bill revised

SALT LAKE CITY — As Proposition 2 inches closer to its effective date, lawmakers are updating the compromise bill intended to replace it. Proposition 2 passed with 52% of the vote earlier this month and on Wednesday, lawmakers released a second revision of the “Utah Medical Cannabis Act”. Among the changes, it decreased the number […]
8 years ago
Ben McAdams shutdown apartment...
Nick Wyatt

Ben McAdams to be Utah’s next Congressman

It took two weeks to finalize but it appears Salt Lake County Mayor Ben McAdams will be be Utah's next Congressman edging out Rep. Mia Love.
8 years ago
Prescription prices in the USA...
Mark Oliver

Rep. Paul Ray proposes bill to lower drug prices by giving rebates to the patients

Rep. Paul Ray says that rebates negotiated behind closed doors are a big part of the reason our prescriptions prices are so high, and he wants to change it.
8 years ago
Fourth District Race...
Associated Press and Adam Mason

McAdams confident he’s earned victory in Fourth District race

Salt Lake County Mayor Ben McAdams said he is confident he earned the victory in the Fourth District race.
8 years ago
Mandatory Minimum Sentencing Laws...
Mark Oliver

Sen. Mike Lee hopeful mandatory minimum sentencing laws will be gone by the end of the year

Sen. Mike Lee is hopeful that his First Step Act will pass and mandatory minimum sentencing laws will be off the books by the end of the year.
8 years ago
Bangerter...
Peter Samore

Four new crossings open along Bangerter Highway

WEST JORDAN — UDOT has finished four interchanges along Bangerter Highway from Taylorsville through South Jordan but some residents want a taller wall to protect their homes. During a ceremony at the new 9000 South intersections, Taylorsville Mayor, Kristie Overson, gave thanks to UDOT, “For listening to our city’s needs, for taking notes and revising quotes, […]
8 years ago
love lawsuit dismissed...
Paul Nelson and Becky Bruce

Love lawsuit over Salt Lake Co. ballot-counting dismissed

At a hearing, the judge asked why Love's lawyer had not also sued Utah County, Juab County and Sanpete County, which are also in the 4th District.
8 years ago
FILE - In this Aug. 2, 2018 file photo, CNN correspondent Jim Acosta does a stand up before the dai...
By JESSICA GRESKO and MICHAEL BALSAMO, Associated Press

Judge: White House must return CNN’s Jim Acosta’s credential

A federal judge on Friday ordered the Trump administration to immediately return the White House press credentials of CNN reporter Jim Acosta.
8 years ago
utah school enrollment...
Peter Samore

Utah public school enrollment reaches nearly 660K

Utah's public school enrollment is growing, and the state says student diversity is growing, too. A fifth of Utah's population is enrolled in Utah schools.
8 years ago
File photo Dallas Police officers comforting each other after a shooting. (Louis DeLuca/The Dallas ...
Dave Noriega

OPINION: Police officers need our support when they’re forced to take a life

The impact pulling the trigger has on police officers' lives is unimaginable. Usually, it's the moment we turn on them, but, Dave Noriega says, it's when they most need our support.
8 years ago
Utah School Safety Commission logo
courtesy House of Representatives...
Mary Richards

Utah School Safety Commission presents $195m proposal

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah — A proposal asks for 195 million dollars to make schools safer in Utah. Most of that would go toward school building improvements. 164 million dollars in one-time funding would go toward physical changes at schools like all-new layouts, protective doors, and surveillance cameras. “There could be construction that needs to […]
8 years ago
Mia Love Lawsuit: Mia Love, Sherrie Swensen, and Ben McAdams...
Mark Oliver

Mia Love campaign files lawsuit to stop ballot counting in Salt Lake County

Mia Love has filed a lawsuit to stop Salt Lake County from counting ballots in her race against Ben McAdams. Is there any justification to it?
8 years ago
human trafficking...
Mark Jackson

Man wanted on human trafficking under arrest

A man accused of human trafficking involving two women is under arrest on Wednesday, according to the Utah Attorney General's office.
8 years ago
distracted driving...
Peter Samore

State legislative panel approves bill to ban handheld cell phone use while driving

There's a new legislative attempt to ban handheld cell phones while Utahns are driving, led by State Rep. Carol Spackman Moss, D-Holladay.
8 years ago
fire crews, wildland fires...
Peter Samore

Probe begun to investigate handling of two Utah County wildland fires

Utah Legislature's Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment Interim Committee learned that a probe was set to investigate two wildland fires.
8 years ago
Fireworks explode during the 2002 Winter Olympic Games closing ceremony Sunday, Feb 24, 2002 at Ric...
Mark Oliver

Denver to vote on whether to drop Olympic bid

Denver is considering dropping its bid to host the 2030 Winter Olympics. If they do, the only American city left in the running with be Salt Lake City.
8 years ago
(Deseret News/composite picture)...
Paul Nelson

County clerks trying to determine how many unprocessed ballots remaining

Salt Lake County Mayor Ben McAdams is at the nation’s capitol learning about his new possible job as county clerks try to determine how many unprocessed ballots there are.
8 years ago