Utah Breaking News, Sports and Weather

Judge rejects Phil Lyman's voter-data challenge, citing lack of real harm

Emma Pitts, Deseret News  |  Posted Jan. 16 - 4:32 p.m.  |  Save Story

A U.S. district judge threw out a case filed last summer by gubernatorial candidate Phil Lyman against Utah Lt. Gov. Deidre Henderson on Thursday, saying he lacked standing.

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Watch live: Jeff Gray to testify as judge considers disqualification motion in Robinson case

Emily Ashcraft, KSL  |  Updated Jan. 16 - 4:04 p.m.  |  Save Story

In a hearing Friday for Tyler Robinson, attorneys are calling witnesses over whether the Utah County Attorney's Office should prosecute the man accused of killing Charlie Kirk at UVU.

Scaffolding to come down as Salt Lake Temple renovation enters last full year

Carter Williams, KSL  |  Posted Jan. 16 - 4:01 p.m.  |  Save Story

The scaffolding outside of the Salt Lake Temple is set to slowly come down in the coming months, as a multiyear effort to renovate the historic temple enters its final full year.

'Unconscionable': Demonstrators protest possible new immigrant detention facility in Utah

Tim Vandenack, KSL  |  Updated Jan. 16 - 3:58 p.m.  |  Save Story

Demonstrators protested at the site of a rumored new immigration detention facility in Salt Lake City while federal officials kept largely mum on the possibility.

Have You Seen This? The skies turned pink over an English city (and it wasn't the northern lights)

Tim Vandenack, KSL  |  Posted Jan. 16 - 3:32 p.m.  |  Save Story

The skies turned a bright pink over Birmingham, England, last week thanks to lighting used to keep the grass on a soccer field healthy and foggy, overcast weather.

New map reveals hidden landscape under Antarctica's ice sheet

Will Dunham, Reuters  |  Updated Jan. 16 - 1:31 p.m.  |  Save Story

Scientists have devised the most detailed map to date of the terrain hidden below the vast ice sheet blanketing Antarctica, uncovering an exuberant landscape of mountains, canyons, valleys ​and plains while discerning for the first time tens of thousands of hills and other smaller features.

School boards approve names for 3 new Utah County school districts

Curtis Booker, KSL  |  Posted Jan. 16 - 12:02 p.m.  |  Save Story

New Utah County school districts set new names ahead of 2027 launch

Holy Score: After near-miss in 2025, Utah is well positioned for success in post-Whittingham era

Jon Wilner, Bay Area News Group  |  Posted Jan. 16 - 11:34 a.m.  |  Save Story

Most schools hope to escape college football's roiling, unpredictable offseason with one capable quarterback. Utah emerged from the fray with two.

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Need a new vehicle? Ford has what you want at the 2026 Utah Auto Expo

Jason Bell  |  Posted Jan. 16 - 11:30 a.m.  |  Save Story

From crossovers, off-road SUVs, family-haulers and, of course, trucks, Ford's lineup is a can't-miss this weekend

A third of Utahns delay care, many incur debt due to medical costs, survey shows

Emily Ashcraft, KSL  |  Posted Jan. 16 - 11:04 a.m.  |  Save Story

The One Utah Health Collaborative released findings of a survey of 1,000 Utahns which showed one-third are skipping care and one-fourth have incurred debt due to rising costs.

Washington state boy gets dream Make-A-Wish trip to meet Mariners

Kirstin O’Connor, KXLY via CNN  |  Posted Jan. 16 - 10:05 a.m.  |  Save Story

Walk into 13-year-old Seton James' room, and you'll see priceless sports memorabilia, proof that dreams really do come true. But it's not as big as the one he fulfilled recently.

Salt Lake City tore down 29 murals last year. It's now looking for new Fleet Block art

Carter Williams, KSL  |  Posted Jan. 16 - 9:45 a.m.  |  Save Story

Utah's capital city is seeking artists nationwide for a major new public art project tied to the Fleet Block, inspired by social justice murals removed last year.

Kathleen Kennedy, steward of 'Star Wars,' steps down from Lucasfilm

Jake Coyle, Associated Press  |  Posted Jan. 16 - 9:23 a.m.  |  Save Story

After more than 13 years at the helm of Lucasfilm, Kathleen Kennedy is stepping down from the "Star Wars" factory founded by George Lucas, she announced on Thursday.

Flu facts for families: How to protect kids and know when to seek care

Emma Benson, KSL  |  Posted Jan. 16 - 9:05 a.m.  |  Save Story

Flu season is in full swing, with the U.S. seeing its highest rates in 25 years. Here's what you can do to prevent the spread of the flu and how you can manage it if you're sick.

Pedestrian hit and killed in Sandy DUI crash, police say

Logan Stefanich, KSL  |  Posted Jan. 16 - 8:30 a.m.  |  Save Story

A 40-year-old man crossing the street in Sandy was hit and killed by a DUI driver Thursday night, police say.

Health Department to launch study on cellphone radiation, spokesman says

Puyaan Singh, Reuters  |  Posted Jan. 16 - 8:07 a.m.  |  Save Story

The Department of Health and Human Services will ​launch a study on cellphone radiation, a department spokesman said on Thursday, building on Health Secretary Robert ⁠F. Kennedy Jr.'s criticism.

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Test Drive: Nissan LEAF continues to set the standard for affordable EVs

Jason Bell  |  Posted Jan. 16 - 8:00 a.m.  |  Save Story

Nissan's turned over a new Leaf, and it might just be your next EV

Republican lawmaker says Utah Legislature needs to 'step up' on child care

Daniel Woodruff, KSL  |  Posted Jan. 16 - 7:31 a.m.  |  Save Story

The Utah legislative session starts in less than a week, and state Rep. Jason Thompson is pushing for more affordable child care to be front and center this year on the agenda.

Musk says unaware of Grok generating explicit images of minors

Reuters  |  Posted Jan. 16 - 7:04 a.m.  |  Save Story

Elon Musk said on ​Wednesday he was not aware of any "naked underage images" ⁠generated by xAI's Grok chatbot, as scrutiny ‌of the AI tool intensifies ⁠worldwide.

Mummified cheetahs found in Saudi caves shed light on lost populations

Adithi Ramakrishnan, Associated Press  |  Posted Jan. 16 - 6:31 a.m.  |  Save Story

Scientists have uncovered the mummified remains of cheetahs from caves in northern Saudi Arabia.

Utahns split on Trump's actions in Venezuela

Cami Mondeaux, Deseret News  |  Posted Jan. 16 - 6:15 a.m.  |  Save Story

Utah voters are largely split on whether they agree with the strikes against Venezuela and whether President Donald Trump had authority to approve it without congressional oversight.

John Marino's deflected goal in late 3rd lifts Mammoth to win over visiting Stars

Jaxon Wynder, KSL  |  Posted Jan. 15 - 11:44 p.m.  |  Save Story

Karel Vejmelka made 26 saves to help the Mammoth hold off a late rally from the Stars as Nick Schmaltz and John Marino each pick up two points in the 2-1 victory.

Family remembers Utah man killed in Wyoming avalanche

Andrew Adams, KSL  |  Posted Jan. 15 - 10:32 p.m.  |  Save Story

Family members on Thursday were remembering Nicholas Bringhurst, who was killed in an avalanche in Wyoming, as an adventurer who loved life and others around him.

Former Utah Senate candidate's sexual abuse trial ends with a hung jury

Daniella Rivera, KSL  |  Posted Jan. 15 - 10:03 p.m.  |  Save Story

The sexual abuse trial for former Utah state Senate candidate Brandon Beckham ended with a deadlocked jury. KSL explains what comes next in a third attempt to try Beckham.

State School Board toils over legislative mandate to cut millions from budget

Logan Stefanich, KSL  |  Posted Jan. 15 - 9:34 p.m.  |  Save Story

The Utah State Board of Education is grappling with how to navigate recent directives from the Utah Legislature to trim or reallocate $163 million of the state's education budget.

Utah lawmaker proposes bill to put a check on immigration enforcement action in state

Tim Vandenack, KSL  |  Posted Jan. 15 - 9:02 p.m.  |  Save Story

With immigration enforcement action increasingly in the public eye, a Democratic Utah lawmaker has proposed a bill to put a brake on such activity in the state.

Weekly jobless claims fall unexpectedly, but labor market treading water

Lucia Mutikani, Reuters  |  Updated Jan. 15 - 8:29 p.m.  |  Save Story

The number of Americans filing new applications for unemployment benefits unexpectedly fell last week, but the drop was likely due to ongoing challenges adjusting the data for seasonal fluctuations.

Trump accepts Nobel medal from Venezuelan opposition leader Machado

Steve Holland, Bo Erickson and Gram Slattery, Reuters  |  Updated Jan. 15 - 7:25 p.m.  |  Save Story

Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado gave her Nobel Peace Prize medal to President Donald Trump on Thursday during a White ​House meeting as she tries to gain influence in shaping her country's future.

Advocates call for lawmakers to spend more on affordable housing to fight homelessness

Bridger Beal-Cvetko, KSL  |  Posted Jan. 15 - 7:11 p.m.  |  Save Story

Advocates and lawmakers called for more funding for housing and homeless services during a rally ahead of the upcoming legislative session Thursday.

Idaho offering $50M in tax credits for private education, but you must apply quickly

Rett Nelson, EastIdahoNews.com  |  Posted Jan. 15 - 6:28 p.m.  |  Save Story

A bill implementing the Idaho Parental Choice Tax Credit went into effect on Jan. 1, and the application period is now open.

Ogden woman sentenced to 2 years of jail in friend's death from 2025 crash

Tim Vandenack, KSL  |  Posted Jan. 15 - 5:47 p.m.  |  Save Story

Alyssa Palomo has been sentenced to two years of jail stemming from a 2025 crash that killed an occupant of her car.

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How the 'one big, beautiful bill' is breaking Western state budgets

Brigham Tomco, Deseret News   |  Posted Jan. 15 - 5:11 p.m.  |  Save Story

President Trump's legislative centerpiece has thrown legislatures into disarray by reducing revenues

Life of man killed in South Ogden shooting 'marked by humility, generosity and unwavering love'

Tim Vandenack, KSL  |  Posted Jan. 15 - 5:03 p.m.  |  Save Story

Brandon Kay, who died of gunshot wounds sustained last week in a South Ogden shooting, was a devoted Christian and family man with a strong work ethic.

Utah Health Policy Project addresses expected changes to health care in Utah

Tyrese Boone, KSL  |  Posted Jan. 15 - 4:32 p.m.  |  Save Story

Officials on Thursday addressed uncertainty within the current health policy landscape and urged lawmakers to find other ways to fund Medicare in Utah.

Have You Seen This? Couple shows off table tennis skills, no table necessary

Logan Stefanich, KSL  |  Posted Jan. 15 - 3:39 p.m.  |  Save Story

After attending a screening of "Marty Supreme," table tennis prowess has been on my mind more than I'd like to admit.

Utah shattered 91-year-old temperature record, other records in 2025

Carter Williams, KSL  |  Posted Jan. 15 - 2:47 p.m.  |  Save Story

2025 was the hottest year in almost a century, snapping a longstanding Utah record dating back to 1934, per new federal climate data.

Former NCAA players and fixers charged over rigged basketball games, prosecutors say

Marc Levy And Tassanee Vejpongsa, Associated Press  |  Updated Jan. 15 - 2:15 p.m.  |  Save Story

Federal prosecutors are charging 26 people, including former college basketball players who allegedly tried to fix games as recently as last season, in what they call a scheme to rig NCAA and Chinese Basketball Association games.

Trump threatens to use military over Minnesota anti-ICE protests

Reuters, Associated Press  |  Updated Jan. 15 - 2:05 p.m.  |  Save Story

President Donald Trump threatened on Thursday to invoke the Insurrection Act to deploy military forces in Minnesota after days of angry protests over a surge in immigration agents on the streets of Minneapolis.

Europeans send troops to Greenland as Trump presses claim

Jacob Gronholt-Pedersen and Stine Jacobsen, Reuters  |  Updated Jan. 15 - 1:30 p.m.  |  Save Story

European countries sent small numbers of military personnel to Greenland on Thursday as Denmark said it was pressing on with plans for a "larger and more permanent" NATO presence to secure the island.

Former Salt Lake County judge pleads guilty to sexual battery

Emily Ashcraft, KSL  |  Posted Jan. 15 - 12:45 p.m.  |  Save Story

Former 3rd District Judge William Kendall pleaded guilty Monday to sexual battery and attempt to distribute controlled substances as part of a plea deal.

Will Utah stay cold enough to host more Winter Games beyond 2034?

Lisa Riley Roche, Deseret News  |  Posted Jan. 15 - 12:00 p.m.  |  Save Story

A look at the impact of climate change on Winter Games sites shows Utah is still among some number of locations worldwide that could be capable of hosting for decades to come.

Australia social media ban hits 4.7 million teen accounts in first month

Reuters  |  Updated Jan. 15 - 11:20 a.m.  |  Save Story

Social media companies have collectively deactivated nearly five million accounts belonging to Australian teenagers just ​a month after a world-first ban on under‑16s took effect.

Riverton to bring city leaders, residents, youth together to examine future of skate park

Curtis Booker, KSL  |  Posted Jan. 15 - 10:45 a.m.  |  Save Story

Riverton is forming a new committee to evaluate the future of its recently shuttered skate park.

BYU football's portal trend focused on retaining top-15 team with targeted additions

Sean Walker, KSL  |  Posted Jan. 15 - 10:22 a.m.  |  Save Story

More than 4,000 FBS players have entered the NCAA transfer portal looking for a new home, but BYU's approach to college football's version of free agency has the Cougars focused on retention with only targeted additions.

Commission delivers blow to request to rezone 80 acres of land near Great Salt Lake

Carter Williams, KSL  |  Posted Jan. 15 - 10:00 a.m.  |  Save Story

A plan to turn some of the last remaining agricultural land in northwest Salt Lake City into light industrial space failed to receive a key recommendation.

How to cut down on pollution during an inversion

Shelby Lofton, KSL  |  Posted Jan. 15 - 9:17 a.m.  |  Save Story

That familiar and unwelcome layer of smog is back. So as air quality plummets in Utah, experts are providing solutions for cutting down on pollutants.

4 astronauts return to Earth after medical issue forces early ISS exit

Jackie Wattles, CNN  |  Updated Jan. 15 - 8:40 a.m.  |  Save Story

Four astronauts aboard a SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule splashed down early Thursday in the Pacific Ocean, ending a weeklong effort to get an unnamed crew member home to evaluate a medical issue.

Wilderness therapy group saves man's life after UTV crash in Emery County

Dan Rascon, KSL  |  Posted Jan. 15 - 8:20 a.m.  |  Save Story

A wilderness therapy group in central Utah are being hailed as heroes after jumping into action to save a couple trapped beneath their overturned UTV on Monday afternoon.

Utah pinballers have a flipping good time with upcoming state championships

Cassidy Wixom, KSL  |  Posted Jan. 15 - 8:05 a.m.  |  Save Story

Endurance, grit, determination, quick calculations, split-second decisions and competitive spirits were at all-time highs during a pinball tournament at Kiitos Brewing.

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American Lung Association encourages Utah residents to test their homes for radon this month

UtahRadon.org  |  Posted Jan. 15 - 8:00 a.m.  |  Save Story

Health experts warn that long-term radon exposure can lead to lung cancer, even in people who have never smoked.

Actor Kiefer Sutherland arrested, accused of assaulting a ride-hail driver, police say

Jaimie Ding and Andrew Dalton, Associated Press  |  Updated Jan. 15 - 7:15 a.m.  |  Save Story

Actor Kiefer Sutherland was arrested for investigation of making criminal threats early Monday after Los Angeles police say he assaulted a ride-hail driver.

Senate narrowly blocks effort to rein in Trump's Venezuela war powers

Patricia Zengerle, Reuters  |  Updated Jan. 15 - 6:51 a.m.  |  Save Story

Senate Republicans blocked a resolution on Wednesday that would have barred President Donald Trump from further military action in Venezuela without Congress's authorization.

RSV vaccination push made a huge difference for Utah's kids, Intermountain Health says

Emily Ashcraft, KSL  |  Posted Jan. 15 - 6:15 a.m.  |  Save Story

Doctors at Intermountain Health are seeing a big difference in infant hospitalizations for RSV after pushing for Utahns to get vaccines in the last two years since they were approved in 2023.

Big 2nd half lifts No. 11 BYU past TCU for 4-0 start to Big 12 play

Sean Walker, KSL  |  Updated Jan. 15 - 1:20 a.m.  |  Save Story

AJ Dybantsa looked more like himself in the second half while battling an illness.

Utah State gets defensive in latest win over Nevada

Shawn Harrison, Herald Journal  |  Posted Jan. 15 - 12:52 a.m.  |  Save Story

Ten unanswered points midway through the second quarter proved to be the difference for the freshly ranked Aggies in a heavyweight Mountain West Conference bout late Wednesday night.

Utah women go cold in double-digit loss to No. 18 Baylor at home

Josh Furlong, KSL  |  Updated Jan. 14 - 10:42 p.m.  |  Save Story

No. 18 Baylor was ultimately too much, and Utah couldn't find a consistent rhythm on the offensive side of the ball, en route to a win on Utah's home court.

New mayor highlights future priorities and challenges in White City

Curtis Booker, KSL  |  Posted Jan. 14 - 10:31 p.m.  |  Save Story

White City voters elected a new mayor.

Recalled Super Greens diet supplement powder sickens 45 with salmonella

Jonel Aleccia, Associated Press  |  Updated Jan. 14 - 10:02 p.m.  |  Save Story

At least 45 people in nearly two dozen states, including Utah, have been sickened with salmonella tied to the Super Greens brand of diet supplement powder, federal health officials said Wednesday.

Man dies in Helper trailer fire

Curtis Booker, KSL  |  Posted Jan. 14 - 9:33 p.m.  |  Save Story

A man was found dead after a trailer fire on Wednesday in Helper.