Evaluating the firework ban, Senate President race begins

Evaluating the firework ban, Senate President race begins

Utah's America 250 celebrations came and went without mass displays of personal fireworks across much of the state. Governor Cox's executive order clamping down on those displays expired July 5th, but our fire danger has not subsided. Lindsay Aerts sits down with Utah's State Forester Jaimie Barnes to dig into what worked about the policy, what didn't and whether we might see its return for Pioneer Day. Plus, the race to replace Senate President J. Stuart Adamsis on. Adams is out of office at the end of the year, leaving a vacancy for the Senate's top job for the first time in years. Senator Evan Vickers joins the show to explain why he's throwing his hat in the ring, and how he'll run the upper chamber if elected by his peers.

Where the Prop 4 fight goes next, D.O.J pressures election officials

Utah lawmakers will not pursue another version of Amendment D, the voided proposal to rein in the power of voter-led initiatives to change state law. It's the latest development on the many fronts of the war over Prop 4 and redistricting in Utah. Analysts Erin Rider and Adam Gardiner join Lindsay to explain why lawmakers are taking a beat here, and what this means for their overall strategy. Plus, the Department of Justice sends threatening letters to election officials across the country, floating funding cuts and possible prosecution if they don't fall in line with federal demands. It comes in the midst of a long-running dispute between the feds and Utah Lieutenant Governor Deidre Henderson over her refusal to turn over private voter data for a federal probe.

Trump wades into World Cup politics, state weighs efficacy of firework ban

The USMNT is out of the World Cup after their loss to Belgium, but it's the action off the field driving conversation. President Donald Trump made a personal call to FIFA president Gianni Infantino to review the red card against star US striker Folarin Balogun. Our panelists Taylor Morgan and Leah Murray join Lindsay to weigh whether this was an appropriate use of presidential power, and whether it does the game more harm or good in America. Plus, the 4th of July weekend has come and gone without another major wildfire. What does that mean for the state's expanded prohibition on personal fireworks, and could we see a ban for Pioneer Day?

Supreme Court ends 2025 term with a bang, GOP hoping to hold down CD-1 in November

The United State Supreme Court has gone home for the summer, but not before dropping some landmark decisions. The high court handed President Trump a loss on one of his marquee policy proposals, denying him the ability to abolish birthright citizenship via executive order. On the same day we saw a win for conservative-governed states like Utah, with the court upholding laws banning transgender girls from women's sports teams. Longtime Utah Supreme Court Justice Christine Durham joins Lindsay Aerts to unpack how the justices made these big decisions. Plus, Utah Republicans are facing a new challenge in CD-1: running as underdogs. Their nominee, Riley Owen, joins the show to explain how he hopes to edge out former Congressman Ben McAdams in a district that analysts expect to heavily favor Democrats.

U.S. Supreme Court wraps term with a set of landmark rulings

The United States Supreme Court has dropped their final rulings from the October 2025 term. It was a run of cases for the history books, between a pair of cases upholding bans on transgender girls in women's sports, a major loss for the president on birthright citizenship, and a potential game changer for campaign finance. Panelists Leah Murray and Sarah Reale join Lindsay to discuss the implications of those decisions, and to evaluate the state of the highest court in the land.