Utah News Dispatch
@utahnewsdispatch.com
Utah News Dispatch is a nonprofit, nonpartisan news source covering government, policy and the issues most impacting the lives of Utahns.
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Utah News Dispatch
@utahnewsdispatch.com
· Jan 22
We keep you informed about Utah government and policy news.
Want to see how issues you care about are playing out in other states too? Follow our @statesnewsroom.com accounts and journalists from across the country. Our Starter Pack makes it easy:
Want to see how issues you care about are playing out in other states too? Follow our @statesnewsroom.com accounts and journalists from across the country. Our Starter Pack makes it easy:
Utahns have put their coats away this December, the second-warmest one the National Weather Service has recorded.
utahnewsdispatch.com/briefs/salt-...
utahnewsdispatch.com/briefs/salt-...
Salt Lake is experiencing its second-warmest December on record • Utah News Dispatch
Three December days have broken records for highest temperatures in the Salt Lake Valley, making this the second-warmest December.
utahnewsdispatch.com
December 24, 2025 at 5:55 PM
Utahns have put their coats away this December, the second-warmest one the National Weather Service has recorded.
utahnewsdispatch.com/briefs/salt-...
utahnewsdispatch.com/briefs/salt-...
President Donald Trump’s administration will start garnishing the wages of student loan borrowers in default beginning early next year.
Read more from @statesnewsroom.com
Read more from @statesnewsroom.com
Trump administration to garnish wages for defaulted student loans • Utah News Dispatch
President Donald Trump’s administration will start garnishing the wages of student loan borrowers in default beginning in early 2026.
utahnewsdispatch.com
December 24, 2025 at 3:10 PM
President Donald Trump’s administration will start garnishing the wages of student loan borrowers in default beginning early next year.
Read more from @statesnewsroom.com
Read more from @statesnewsroom.com
State officials have created a new online map that Utahns can use to check how at-risk their homes are to wildfire. The map will also be used to assess fees on property owners in high-risk areas to help conduct assessments meant to minimize risk. #utpol
Utah to start assessing fees on properties in ‘high risk’ wildfire areas to encourage prevention • Utah News Dispatch
A new online map lets Utahns check their homes' wildfire risks — and enables state officials to assess fees on high-risk areas.
utahnewsdispatch.com
December 23, 2025 at 11:20 PM
State officials have created a new online map that Utahns can use to check how at-risk their homes are to wildfire. The map will also be used to assess fees on property owners in high-risk areas to help conduct assessments meant to minimize risk. #utpol
The Trump administration updated its plan to protect greater sage-grouse in eight Western states, allowing more public lands to become available for energy development and worrying environmentalists concerned with the birds' future.
BLM makes more lands inhabited by greater sage-grouse available for energy development • Utah News Dispatch
The Trump administration updated its plan to protect greater sage-grouse in eight Western states, worrying environmentalists.
utahnewsdispatch.com
December 23, 2025 at 3:06 PM
The Trump administration updated its plan to protect greater sage-grouse in eight Western states, allowing more public lands to become available for energy development and worrying environmentalists concerned with the birds' future.
Big companies, including Google, are bringing their attention and wallets to a geothermal project in Utah that's set to export power to California.
Big companies bring their attention and wallets to geothermal project in Utah • Utah News Dispatch
Fervo's ongoing geothermal project in southern Utah has the eyes and the money of big companies searching for cleaner energy sources.
utahnewsdispatch.com
December 22, 2025 at 6:59 PM
Big companies, including Google, are bringing their attention and wallets to a geothermal project in Utah that's set to export power to California.
Nearly 1,800 U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service employees have left in the last year, records obtained by conservation advocates find, as pressure mounted from President Donald Trump and his administration’s policies meant to cut the federal workforce.
Read more from @oregoncapitalchronicle.com
Read more from @oregoncapitalchronicle.com
US Fish and Wildlife sees nearly 20% drop in staff since Trump took office • Utah News Dispatch
Nearly 1,800 U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service employees have left the agency under pressure from President Donald Trump.
utahnewsdispatch.com
December 22, 2025 at 3:06 PM
Nearly 1,800 U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service employees have left in the last year, records obtained by conservation advocates find, as pressure mounted from President Donald Trump and his administration’s policies meant to cut the federal workforce.
Read more from @oregoncapitalchronicle.com
Read more from @oregoncapitalchronicle.com
Sen. Mike Lee said "selling national parks was never on the table," but advocates are still concerned about the future of Utah's "Mighty 5"
Mike Lee backs off change that advocates called a ‘green light’ to sell national parks • Utah News Dispatch
Utah Sen. Mike Lee is no longer proposing a change to federal legislation that drew criticism from conservation groups, his office said.
utahnewsdispatch.com
December 20, 2025 at 1:09 AM
Sen. Mike Lee said "selling national parks was never on the table," but advocates are still concerned about the future of Utah's "Mighty 5"
A candlelight vigil in Salt Lake City honored about 80 people who died in 2025 while experiencing homelessness. Remembering their lives, speakers called on Utahns to do more for the state's unsheltered. #utpol
‘We need to do more’: Utah vigil honors 80 who died in 2025 while homeless • Utah News Dispatch
How many homeless people died in 2025? A candlelight vigil honored about 80 people who died in 2025 while homeless in Utah.
utahnewsdispatch.com
December 19, 2025 at 7:00 PM
A candlelight vigil in Salt Lake City honored about 80 people who died in 2025 while experiencing homelessness. Remembering their lives, speakers called on Utahns to do more for the state's unsheltered. #utpol
President Donald Trump signed an executive order to loosen federal restrictions on marijuana, which Trump said reflected the drug’s potential medical benefits while discouraging recreational use.
Read more from @statesnewsroom.com
Read more from @statesnewsroom.com
Trump signs order to loosen federal restrictions on marijuana, but it’s still illegal • Utah News Dispatch
President Donald Trump signed an order to loosen federal restrictions on marijuana for medical uses, but discouraging recreational use.
utahnewsdispatch.com
December 19, 2025 at 3:06 PM
President Donald Trump signed an executive order to loosen federal restrictions on marijuana, which Trump said reflected the drug’s potential medical benefits while discouraging recreational use.
Read more from @statesnewsroom.com
Read more from @statesnewsroom.com
The Ute Indian Tribe says one of Utah's top lawmakers helped craft plans to block it from buying a portion of ancestral land in eastern Utah, but he says the tribe's lawsuit contains a narrative "that is simply inaccurate."
Ute Indian Tribe says a top state lawmaker meddled when it tried to buy back land • Utah News Dispatch
The Ute Indian Tribe alleges a top state lawmaker plotted with other officials to block it from buying part of its ancestral land.
utahnewsdispatch.com
December 19, 2025 at 1:08 AM
The Ute Indian Tribe says one of Utah's top lawmakers helped craft plans to block it from buying a portion of ancestral land in eastern Utah, but he says the tribe's lawsuit contains a narrative "that is simply inaccurate."
The U.S. Department of Justice has sent a confidential draft agreement to more than a dozen states — including Utah — that would require election officials to remove any alleged ineligible voters identified during a federal review of their voter rolls.
Read more from @stateline.org
Read more from @stateline.org
Trump's DOJ offers states — including Utah — 'confidential' deal to wipe voters flagged by feds as ineligible • Utah News Dispatch
The DOJ has sent confidential draft agreements on voter data sharing to more than a dozen states in an effort to get unredacted voter rolls.
utahnewsdispatch.com
December 18, 2025 at 10:13 PM
The U.S. Department of Justice has sent a confidential draft agreement to more than a dozen states — including Utah — that would require election officials to remove any alleged ineligible voters identified during a federal review of their voter rolls.
Read more from @stateline.org
Read more from @stateline.org
A new group of bipartisan state legislative leaders — including from Utah — issued a declaration at their first meeting calling for a renewed focus on states’ rights and an end to federal intrusion into state laws.
Read more from @stateline.org
Read more from @stateline.org
Respect states' rights, new bipartisan group of legislative leaders tells feds • Utah News Dispatch
A group of bipartisan state legislative leaders issued a declaration calling for a renewed focus on states’ rights and an end to federal intrusion.
utahnewsdispatch.com
December 18, 2025 at 8:10 PM
A new group of bipartisan state legislative leaders — including from Utah — issued a declaration at their first meeting calling for a renewed focus on states’ rights and an end to federal intrusion into state laws.
Read more from @stateline.org
Read more from @stateline.org
In the next few weeks, the public will get their first look at a critical document two and a half years in the making that will define how the Colorado River is managed for the next decade.
Read more from @nevadacurrent.com
Read more from @nevadacurrent.com
Feds close to releasing draft environmental review of Colorado River management options • Utah News Dispatch
In the next few weeks, the public will see a critical document that will define how the Colorado River is managed for the next decade.
utahnewsdispatch.com
December 18, 2025 at 6:07 PM
In the next few weeks, the public will get their first look at a critical document two and a half years in the making that will define how the Colorado River is managed for the next decade.
Read more from @nevadacurrent.com
Read more from @nevadacurrent.com
U.S. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins has indicated more changes could come to SNAP, the federal food assistance program serving about 85,000 households in Utah. #utpol
More uncertainty surrounds SNAP program as new changes take effect • Utah News Dispatch
The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, is still in the spotlight, with big changes taking effect and more that could follow.
utahnewsdispatch.com
December 18, 2025 at 3:07 PM
U.S. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins has indicated more changes could come to SNAP, the federal food assistance program serving about 85,000 households in Utah. #utpol
A month after the seven Western states that rely on the Colorado River missed a deadline to make a deal on sharing the water, California’s biggest water districts presented their own framework for how to the river’s dwindling water supply.
Read more from @nevadacurrent.com
Read more from @nevadacurrent.com
California, the biggest water user in the basin, pitches Colorado River framework • Utah News Dispatch
Colorado River water users in California presented their own framework for how to share the river’s dwindling water supply, including the state’s proposal for conserving 440,000 acre-feet of river…
utahnewsdispatch.com
December 17, 2025 at 9:30 PM
A month after the seven Western states that rely on the Colorado River missed a deadline to make a deal on sharing the water, California’s biggest water districts presented their own framework for how to the river’s dwindling water supply.
Read more from @nevadacurrent.com
Read more from @nevadacurrent.com
Citing its highly addictive properties and strong withdrawal issues, Utah lawmakers will consider banning an increasingly popular substance sold in gas stations and vape shops — kratom. #utpol
Utah Legislature will consider a kratom ban next year • Utah News Dispatch
Citing addictive properties and strong withdrawal effects, Utah lawmakers are proposing a kratom ban in the state.
utahnewsdispatch.com
December 17, 2025 at 7:29 PM
Citing its highly addictive properties and strong withdrawal issues, Utah lawmakers will consider banning an increasingly popular substance sold in gas stations and vape shops — kratom. #utpol
U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich of New Mexico is reintroducing legislation to improve federal support for tribal buffalo herds, an effort he hopes will return the buffalo “to the prominent place they once occupied as the keystone species on American shortgrass prairies.”
Read more from @sourcenm.com
Read more from @sourcenm.com
New Mexico U.S. Sen. Heinrich reintroduces act to strengthen tribal buffalo herds • Utah News Dispatch
Heinrich hopes dedicated Interior funding will return the buffalo to the "prominent place they once" occupied within his lifetime.
utahnewsdispatch.com
December 17, 2025 at 3:07 PM
U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich of New Mexico is reintroducing legislation to improve federal support for tribal buffalo herds, an effort he hopes will return the buffalo “to the prominent place they once occupied as the keystone species on American shortgrass prairies.”
Read more from @sourcenm.com
Read more from @sourcenm.com
In Utah, the increase isn’t as dramatic as national trends, but more women are becoming homeless compared to past years. From 2023 to 2024, the number of Utah women experiencing homelessness rose from 1,385 to 1,420, roughly a 3% increase. #utpol
How many women in Utah are experiencing homelessness? • Utah News Dispatch
A new report shows that more women are becoming homelessness in Utah, although men continue to access the majority of homeless services.
utahnewsdispatch.com
December 17, 2025 at 12:18 AM
In Utah, the increase isn’t as dramatic as national trends, but more women are becoming homeless compared to past years. From 2023 to 2024, the number of Utah women experiencing homelessness rose from 1,385 to 1,420, roughly a 3% increase. #utpol
Nematodes were proven to be part of Great Salt Lake’s ecosystem through an earlier study, but Utah researchers now say that at least one of the tiny roundworm species is different from the hundreds of thousands of other documented species of its kind.
utahnewsdispatch.com/2025/12/16/g...
utahnewsdispatch.com/2025/12/16/g...
Great Salt Lake's latest species discovery gets a name fit for the lake's native history • Utah News Dispatch
Nematodes were proven to be part of Great Salt Lake's ecosystem through a study published last year, but Utah researchers now say that at least one of the tiny roundworm species found in the lake is…
utahnewsdispatch.com
December 16, 2025 at 3:47 PM
Nematodes were proven to be part of Great Salt Lake’s ecosystem through an earlier study, but Utah researchers now say that at least one of the tiny roundworm species is different from the hundreds of thousands of other documented species of its kind.
utahnewsdispatch.com/2025/12/16/g...
utahnewsdispatch.com/2025/12/16/g...
Salt Lake City Council member Eva Lopez Chavez has announced her candidacy for newly-drawn congressional District 1 under Utah’s court-ordered map. #utpol
utahnewsdispatch.com/briefs/salt-...
utahnewsdispatch.com/briefs/salt-...
Salt Lake City Council member joins race for newly-drawn congressional district • Utah News Dispatch
Salt Lake City Council member Eva Lopez Chavez, who is serving her first term in the city, is vying for a newly drawn congressional district.
utahnewsdispatch.com
December 16, 2025 at 12:22 AM
Salt Lake City Council member Eva Lopez Chavez has announced her candidacy for newly-drawn congressional District 1 under Utah’s court-ordered map. #utpol
utahnewsdispatch.com/briefs/salt-...
utahnewsdispatch.com/briefs/salt-...
Utah Auditor Tina Cannon said she's weighing her next steps on fighting the move of her office, but she's worried the vote could have a chilling effect on her office and whether it's able to audit the Capitol Preservation Board independently. #utpol
Utah auditor sued over plan to move her office, then board re-voted to dodge her challenge • Utah News Dispatch
Utah Auditor Tina Cannon sued over a plan to move her office, but the Capitol Preservation Board re-voted to avoid her legal challenge.
utahnewsdispatch.com
December 15, 2025 at 10:23 PM
Utah Auditor Tina Cannon said she's weighing her next steps on fighting the move of her office, but she's worried the vote could have a chilling effect on her office and whether it's able to audit the Capitol Preservation Board independently. #utpol
Arrests in the United States have fallen to levels not seen in decades, according to a new report that reconstructs national arrest trends in the absence of federal data.
Arrests nationwide have fallen to historic lows, report finds • Utah News Dispatch
Arrests in the United States have fallen to levels not seen in decades, according to a new report that reconstructs national arrest trends in the absence of federal data.
utahnewsdispatch.com
December 15, 2025 at 8:44 PM
Arrests in the United States have fallen to levels not seen in decades, according to a new report that reconstructs national arrest trends in the absence of federal data.
After President Trump signed an executive order to preempt states from governing AI, Utah leaders have some concerns, but ultimately they say it won’t stop them from trying to regulate the technology, especially in children’s hands. #utpol
What Utah leaders say about Trump’s preemption on AI state regulations • Utah News Dispatch
A Trump administration executive order is seeking to preempt states on AI regulations. Here's what Utah Republicans think.
utahnewsdispatch.com
December 15, 2025 at 5:02 PM
After President Trump signed an executive order to preempt states from governing AI, Utah leaders have some concerns, but ultimately they say it won’t stop them from trying to regulate the technology, especially in children’s hands. #utpol
The U.S. House of Representatives voted to reauthorize the Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination Act, and to provide lapsed payments for two years. The vote came after a year-long campaign led by bipartisan federal lawmakers from the West.
Read more from @oregoncapitalchronicle.com
Read more from @oregoncapitalchronicle.com
After nearly two-year lapse, Congress renews Secure Rural Schools funding • Utah News Dispatch
The Secure Rural Schools act provides tens of millions each year to schools and communities across the West.
utahnewsdispatch.com
December 15, 2025 at 3:06 PM
The U.S. House of Representatives voted to reauthorize the Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination Act, and to provide lapsed payments for two years. The vote came after a year-long campaign led by bipartisan federal lawmakers from the West.
Read more from @oregoncapitalchronicle.com
Read more from @oregoncapitalchronicle.com
State lawmakers of both parties said they plan to keep passing laws regulating artificial intelligence despite President Donald Trump’s efforts to stop them. #utpol
States will keep pushing AI laws despite Trump’s efforts to stop them • Utah News Dispatch
State lawmakers of both parties say they plan to keep passing laws regulating artificial intelligence despite President Donald Trump’s efforts to stop them.
utahnewsdispatch.com
December 12, 2025 at 10:29 PM
State lawmakers of both parties said they plan to keep passing laws regulating artificial intelligence despite President Donald Trump’s efforts to stop them. #utpol