O'Leary sued over Chinese operative allegations, Sen. Weiler joins Sutherland Institute

O'Leary sued over Chinese operative allegations, Sen. Weiler joins Sutherland Institute

The data center backlash continues to drive the conversation in Utah politics. Local Democrat-aligned groups are suing Kevin O'Leary, the celebrity investor and backer of the Stratos data center project. They claim the Shark Tank star defamed them when he alleged their opposition to the project stemmed from a Chinese influence operations. Analysts Sarah Reale and Adam Gardiner join Lindsay to discuss the merits and what this says about the salience of the emerging data center issue. Plus, Sen. Todd Weiler is taking the top job at a local conservative think tank. We weigh what impact that could have on capitol hill.

Utah monument shrunk in pair of executive orders, NYT reporters subpoenaed

Utah's congressional delegation, Governor Spencer Cox and House Speaker Mike Schultz joined President Donald Trump in the Oval Office as he signed a pair of executive orders shrinking Grand Staircase Escalante and Bears Ear national monuments. The monuments have been a political football for decades, established by Democrats and shrunk twice now by President Trump. Panelists Adam Gardiner and Leah Murray join Lindsay to weigh the political impacts of the brace of orders, and to evaluate whether this is a case of the government working well. Plus, we dig into some national headlines, including the announcement that the administration is subpoenaing reporters with the New York Times for information they used to report on the Qatari-gifted Air Force One.

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?