• State Fairpark’s finances looking up even as auditor dings management for lax oversight of employee expenses

    The 2018 Utah State Fair was a big hit — nearly doubling admission receipts from the previous year.The State Fair Corporation’s annual financial statement released Tuesday by the State Auditor’s Office uses words like “stellar," “fantastic,” and “one of our most successful years in history.”Long troubled by shaky finances, the publicly owned Fairpark, now the beneficiary of a new 10,000-seat arena, appears more stable than in many years, with opera
  • Corey Baird’s experience with Real Salt Lake helping his chances with USMNT

    Herriman • When Corey Baird receives news that he will join the United States Men’s National Team for camps or other types of call-ups, the first people he notifies are those closest to him. His mother, father and brother get the first text messages, followed by his best friends on Real Salt Lake and back home.Baird said his parents are still excited any time he tells them he’s been chosen for something related to the national team. So it stands to reason that they felt the exac
  • Utah legislative leaders say state’s tax structure, not revenue, is the problem that needs fixing

    Three months after walking away from an urgent effort to expand taxes on service-oriented business, Utah lawmakers have changed their messaging — from an imminent fiscal cliff in sales tax receipts to a long-term, comprehensive economic strategy.This shift coincides with new state revenue estimates showing roughly 5% and 7% growth in the sales and income taxes, respectively.“We’ve got plenty of money to run on, we’re not trying to have a tax increase,” said Senate P
  • BYU won its first outright conference baseball championship in 30 years, but may need to win WCC tournament to get NCAA berth

    Provo • Yes, there is a bubble for the NCAA Baseball Tournament, just like in basketball.And the BYU Cougars are squarely on it, despite being ranked No. 24 in the country by Baseball America, having a sparkling 36-15 record and having defeated seven Power Five opponents, the most in school history.It is true, even though the Cougars won their first outright regular-season conference championship in 30 years last weekend, finishing with a 19-8 West Coast Conference record to edge Gonzaga (3
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  • Richard Davis: On abortion, there is more that unites us than divides us

    With the recent departure of Justice Anthony Kennedy from the U.S. Supreme Court and the appointment of now Justice Brett Kavanaugh, it appears that abortion will be on the Supreme Court’s docket soon. Abortion has been a divisive issue in American politics for the past 50 years, even before the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision. But the reality is that there is more about abortion that unites us than divides us.The portrayal of an either-or nature to this issue forces Americans to choose one of t
  • At abortion clinics, new laws sow confusion, uncertainty

    Huntsville, Ala. • Abortion clinics are facing protesters emboldened by a flurry of restrictive new state laws as they reassure confused patients that the laws have yet to take effect, abortion providers said."We have actually had many people calling and say, 'Are you open? Are you still seeing patients? Is abortion now illegal? Will something happen to me if I come for care?'" said Dr. Willie Parker, one of two doctors providing abortions at the Alabama Women's Center in Huntsville recentl
  • Hundreds rally at Utah Capitol to protest abortion bans in the state and around the country

    More than 300 people joined a rally at the Utah Capitol on Tuesday as part of a national movement to oppose abortion bans passed by state legislatures attempting to challenge the 1973 Supreme Court ruling in Roe v. Wade.“We must stop these bans, we must stop the mayhem,” Karrie Galloway, Planned Parenthood of Utah executive director, said to loud cheers.The enthusiastic crowd, filled with young people — mostly women and girls — whooped and raised homemade signs with sayin
  • The tiny town of Enterprise, Utah, isn’t known for producing world-class sprinters, but it has one in BYU freshman Jaslyn Gardner

    Provo • The tiny southwestern Utah town of Enterprise (pop: 1,711) is known for its annual Corn Fest, raising some of the best hay, corn and kids — according to its website — and being the nearest community to Mountain Meadows and the Old Spanish Trail.It will now also be known for producing the fastest female sprinter in state history.Meet BYU freshman Jaslyn Gardner, a humble, soft-spoken speedster who recently broke a 22-year-old school record in the 100-meter dash. Gardner r
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  • Monson: The Pac-12 is no longer the Conference of Champions. It’s the Conference of Chump Change.

    After watching a kind of State of the Sagging Union news conference regarding the Pac-12 on Monday, three notables reared up, one of which we already were painfully aware, the other two complete surprises, one a negative, the other a positive.The first is that the league is lagging behind other power conferences, not just competitively in the two major sports, but in something far more important — money. The Pac-12 dispersed to its schools some $20 million less, each, than the Big Ten. The
  • [Fansided: Hoops Habit] - Utah Jazz: A look at their recent NBA Draft results

    With the Utah Jazz having the Nos. 23 and 53 picks in the 2019 NBA Draft in June, let's take a look back at their draft history prior to 2019. With May qui...
  • Luka Doncic, Trae Young unanimous NBA All-Rookie 1st-teamers

    New York • With Dallas’ Luka Doncic and Atlanta’s Trae Young leading the way, the top five NBA draft picks from 2018 have been selected as the top five NBA rookies this season.Doncic and Young were unanimous first-team selections for the NBA All-Rookie team, which was announced Tuesday. Phoenix's Deandre Ayton, Memphis' Jaren Jackson and Sacramento's Marvin Bagley III are also on the first team, which was chosen by 100 voters who cover the league.Ayton, Bagley, Doncic, Jackson a
  • Former BYU QB Riley Nelson will replace Marc Lyons as analyst on BYU football radio broadcasts

    Provo • BYU is replacing one former quarterback with another for its football radio broadcasts on the BYU Sports Network.The school announced Tuesday that Riley Nelson will replace Marc Lyons, who retired at the end of the 2018 season after a 38-year career in the booth.“I am extremely excited about the opportunity to be a part of game day against at BYU,” Nelson said in a school news release. “My days as a player for the Cougars were some of the most memorable times of my
  • Commentary: On press freedom, this pope might be infallible

    Over the weekend, Pope Francis delivered a speech about the importance of free expression and press freedom, underscoring the growing threats that people around the world face from disinformation campaigns and the injustice of drowning out the voices of the oppressed.Addressing members of the Foreign Press Association of Italy at the Vatican, the pope urged journalists “to work according to truth and justice, so that communication is truly an instrument for building, not for destroying; fo
  • [Deseret Morning News] - How NBA draft hopeful Darius Bazley almost made history with Salt Lake City Stars but took a internship with New Balance instead

    Bazley earned $1 million as an intern for New Balance.
  • [SB Nation: SLC Dunk] - Are the Utah Jazz spending too much money at PF and C?

    What might that mean for Derrick Favors?
  • How NBA draft hopeful Darius Bazley almost made history with Salt Lake City Stars but took a internship with New Balance instead

    Darius Bazley, left, in action during the Jordan Brand Classic high school basketball game, Sunday, April 8, 2018, in Brooklyn.Gregory Payan, APDarius Bazley brings the ball up court during the Jordan Brand Classic high school basketball game, Sunday, April 8, 2018, in Brooklyn.Gregory Payan, APCHICAGO — Measuring 6-foot-7.75 inches without shoes with an official weight of 208.4 pounds, 18-year-old NBA prospect Darius Bazley showcased his basketball ability in front of scouts during last w
  • Bomb-laden drone from Yemen rebels targets Saudi airport

    Dubai, United Arab Emirates • Yemen’s Iranian-allied Houthi rebels attack a Saudi airport and military base with a bomb-laden drone, an assault acknowledged by the kingdom as Middle East tensions remain high between Tehran and Washington. There were no immediate reports of injuries or damage.The attack on the Saudi city of Najran came after Iran announced it has quadrupled its uranium-enrichment production capacity, though still at a level far lower than needed for atomic weapons, a y
  • [Deseret Morning News] - NBA draft prospect Zion Williamson says Thanos should have won in 'Avengers: Endgame'

    Former Duke basketball player Zion Williamson is expected to be the 2019 NBA draft’s first pick.
  • NBA draft prospect Zion Williamson says Thanos should have won in 'Avengers: Endgame'

    Duke forward Zion Williamson on the court warming up before the start of the NCAA East Regional final against Michigan State in Washington, Sunday, March 31, 2019.Patrick Semansky, Associated PressSALT LAKE CITY — Is Zion Williamson a Thanos supporter?Williamson, who is expected to be the 2019 NBA draft's first pick, told Slam magazine that he believes Thanos (Josh Brolin) should have been victorious at the end of "Avengers: Endgame."But it's not just a hot take. Williamson presents solid
  • Utah offensive coordinator Andy Ludwig’s $2.5 million contract ranks high among Pac-12 assistants

    Andy Ludwig is the first offensive coordinator to have worked under Utah football coach Kyle Whittingham and says he wants to be the last person in that job. The school is investing heavily in an effort to make that happen.The three-year contract Ludwig signed in January when he rejoined the program after a 10-year absence is worth $2.5 million, by far the most lucrative deal ever awarded to a Ute assistant coach. Ludwig’s 2019 salary of $820,000 is significantly more than Utah paid former
  • Dana Milbank: Trump paved the way for Alabama’s abortion law

    Washington • The ship has sailed, the train has left the station, the horse is out of the barn, the genie is out of the bottle, and the toothpaste is out of the tube.Enter President Trump.“As most people know, and for those who would like to know, I am strongly Pro-Life, with the three exceptions — Rape, Incest and protecting the Life of the mother — the same position taken by Ronald Reagan,” Trump tweeted on the weekend.He was trying to distance himself from Alabama
  • Prosecutors: Michael Cohen campaign finance probe is active

    New York • Prosecutors aren’t quite finished investigating campaign finance violations by President Donald Trump’s former personal lawyer.U.S. District Judge William H. Pauley III agreed Tuesday to keep search warrant materials related to the investigation of Michael Cohen under seal until July 15 after prosecutors submitted a letter last week explaining why the probe continues. That letter remains sealed.Pauley cited "ongoing aspects" of the government's investigation as he dir
  • Racial slurs and death threats: A feud between two Utah high school coaches reaches a boiling point

    Midvale • Intermountain Christian School and Tabiona High each called for punishment of the opposing school’s head boys’ basketball coach for alleged behavior during two incidents where racial slurs, taunting and death threats were said to have occurred.Lawyers representing the board of education for Duchesne School District — Tabiona is located there — and ICS argued their cases for nearly six hours Monday to a five-person panel of representatives from the Utah High
  • Former White House counsel Don McGahn fails to show at Judiciary hearing, amping up anger among House Democrats

    Washington • Former White House counsel Donald McGahn was a no-show Tuesday at a House committee hearing, infuriating Democrats who are ramping up calls to start impeachment proceedings against President Donald Trump despite continued resistance from House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif.During an opening statement, House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler, D-N.Y., vowed that his panel would eventually hear McGahn's testimony about alleged obstruction of justice by Trump "even if we
  • Former BYU golfer Mike Weir qualifies for the U.S. Open at age 49

    Having recently turned 49, Sandy resident Mike Weir will be among the oldest golfers in the U.S. Open field next month.Weir advanced through sectional qualifying Monday in Dallas, shooting 69-67 to tie for fifth place and earn one of 10 available spots among 102 contestants. Weir shares a birthdate with Jim Furyk, who's exempt for the 2019 U.S. Open, scheduled June 13-16 at Pebble Beach Golf Links in California. David Toms, 52, is eligible to play as the reigning U.S. Senior Open winner.St. Geor
  • Catherine Rampell: We don’t know what Trump’s tax returns are hiding. But the hints are troubling.

    When you look at the short span of President Trump's political career, one question jumps out: How much of his craziest, most paranoid and norm-violating behavior is motivated by a desire to keep his financial arrangements secret?It began with Trump’s bizarre refusal to release his tax returns, in defiance of both a nearly half-century practice and Trump’s own promise that he’d do so.Then there was his refusal to divest from his sprawling multinational empire, or even put it in
  • Coaches at Intermountain Christian and Tabiona high schools accuse each other of racism and death threats

    Midvale • Intermountain Christian School and Tabiona High each called for punishment of the opposing school’s the head boys’ basketball coach for alleged behavior during two incidents where racial slurs, taunting and death threats were said to have occurred.Lawyers representing the board of education for Duchesne School District — Tabiona is located there — and ICS argued their cases for nearly six hours Monday to a five-person panel of representatives from the Utah
  • Attorneys: Ohio State needs to reveal who knew about decades-long sexual abuse by team doctor

    Toledo, Ohio • Administrators at Ohio State University should release the names of all coaches, trainers and personnel who knew of but failed to act on complaints about a now-dead team doctor who sexually abused male students for nearly two decades, said attorneys for some of the victims.They also are calling on the university to give them a specific plan by June that shows how Ohio State will deal with future sexual abuse allegations and how it will make sure this never happens again.The a
  • Hoover Dam ceremony marks Colorado River drought plan

    Boulder City, Nev. • Federal, state and tribal water managers are marking completion of a long-negotiated plan for 40 million people and vast irrigated farms to share crucial Colorado River water despite ongoing drought in the arid U.S. Southwest.Interior Department official Tim Petty, Bureau of Reclamation chief Brenda Burman and representatives from seven states met Monday at Hoover Dam to commemorate an agreement spurred by nearly 20 years of drought and shrinking reservoirs.President Do
  • [Fansided: The J-Notes] - Utah Jazz notes: Jazz alums in EuroLeague Final, Rockets’ Twitter suspended

    Multiple former Utah Jazz players were involved in the EuroLeague Final over the weekend. Also -- crazy news regarding the Houston Rockets' Twitter account...
  • Iran has quadrupled its production of enriched uranium, officials say

    Tehran, Iran • Iran quadrupled its uranium-enrichment production capacity amid tensions with the U.S. over Tehran’s atomic program, nuclear officials said Monday, just after President Donald Trump and Iran’s foreign minister traded threats and taunts on Twitter.Iranian officials made a point to stress that the uranium would be enriched only to the 3.67% limit set under the 2015 nuclear deal with world powers, making it usable for a power plant but far below what’s needed f
  • Idaho teen found unharmed; alleged kidnapper is in custody

    A 17-year-old girl who was reportedly abducted Sunday night in Idaho has been found safe in Arizona, and the man who allegedly kidnapped her is in custody.Police in Jerome, Idaho, issued an Amber Alert on Monday afternoon for Sandra Rios-Chavez after she “may have been forcibly kidnapped" from the parking lot of a Wendy’s restaurant by Miguel Rodriguez-Perez, 18, on Sunday at about 6 p.m. According to a Facebook post by police in Surprise, Ariz., Rice-Chavez has been located is &ldqu
  • Utah Jazz notes: Jazz alums in EuroLeague Final, Rockets’ Twitter suspended

    Multiple former Utah Jazz players were involved in the EuroLeague Final over the weekend. Also — crazy news regarding the Houston Rockets’ Twitter account. Much has been said and written about former Utah Jazz players finding success during the NBA Playoffs. Most recently, former Jazzman Jonas Jerebko and the Golden State Warriors officially punched their […]
    Utah Jazz notes: Jazz alums in EuroLeague Final, Rockets’ Twitter suspended - The J-Notes - The J-Notes - A Utah
  • Letter: Utah risks having more homeless than donors

    Being a senior citizen, I wish to reply to the “Serving the homeless” editorial of the Sunday Tribune.There was a time when the terms millions, billions and trillions of dollars were not commonly used unless it was a catastrophic event. Now it seems as though a million dollars is like pocket change, a billion dollars is like some folding money and a trillion dollars means one can make a small deposit in the bank.As I am reading the words of Lt. Gov. Spencer Cox regarding the homeless
  • Letter: Support women and uplift the poor

    Thanks to E.J. Dionne for understanding both sides of the abortion debate and exposing politicians who use it for elections (“Alabama’s unexpected lesson on abortion,” Tribune, May 20).Send his column to those who represent you, highlighting the last line, underlining the last part: “support women and lift up the poor.” This final part is the actual way to “defend the right to life,” not just use the issue for political purposes.Start with the current bu
  • Letter: The Tribune’s overly independent movie reviews

    “Utah’s Independent Voice” of The Salt Lake Tribune has become overly independent of Utah when it comes to movie reviews in Friday’s The Mix.As an example, the May 10 edition contained two movie reviews, one for “Poms,” written by an Associated Press writer and another for “The Chaperone” written by a Washington Post writer. Both the more popular “The Hustle” and more substantive “Tolkien,” premiering at the same time, were
  • Letter: It’s not ‘pro-life.’ It’s repression of women.

    Ryan Phillips’ piece (“Why Riverton’s pro-life sanctuary resolution matters,” May 19) provides not only an interesting juxtaposition to Leonard Pitts’s column in the same issue (“The Republican Party working to repeal the 20th century”), but illustrates what’s lacking in the so-called right to life movement.Phillips outlines examples of marches to freedom, apparently trying to equate the end of slavery (which was not “perpetuated for decades&
  • Letter: Only women should pass laws that only affect women

    Would a group of white men want a group of black men to pass a law that only affected the white men? Would a group of men want a group of women to pass a law that only affected the men?I believe that legislatures made up predominantly of men have no right passing laws that affect women. A legislator should recuse himself from voting on a bill which will not affect him; but will affect another group of people. Yes, that's the point. Only women should pass laws that affect only women.Barbara Taylo
  • Kirby: Driving Mr. Kirby — It’s not where you go but who you know.

    On Sunday, as we were leaving church, my neighbor’s 14-year-old son, Ryan, asked his mother if he could drive home. It’s only a matter of a few blocks between our houses and the Lord’s, but Mom was nevertheless nervous.“I don’t know,” she said. “Maybe if Ethan rides home with Kirby, it will be safer.”The idea here was that Ryan, who doesn’t have a license, might get into an accident and jeopardize the well-being of his 11-year-old brother. It
  • Letter: Women will not go back

    I call upon all the women of Utah. It is the right of each woman to have safe, legal abortions as part of health care. Going back before Roe vs. Wade, when women died from an abortion in large numbers, is unconscionable.There must be women who do not want the federal or the state government to be ruling the health care of a woman's body. The Republicans’ direction is once again overreaching and destroying women's health care and against the Affordable Care Act, which provides the insurance
  • Political Cornflakes: He helped launch the war in Iraq. Now he’s warning against efforts to start one with Iran.

    Happy Tuesday! Back in 2003, as sabers rattled toward the eventual war in Iraq, Lawrence Wilkerson was the chief of staff to then-Secretary of State Colin Powell and was deeply involved in Powell’s famous address to the United Nations pressing for an international coalition. Now, as Trump and some of his aides are rattling their own swords over Iran, Wilkerson is warning about the dangers of jumping into another conflict. [NYTimes]Topping the news: Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Sain
  • Rich Lowry: Comrade Sanders targets charter schools

    Few things offend Bernie Sanders as much as people escaping from command-and-control government systems, even minority students whose parents are desperate to get their kids a decent education.The socialist wants to turn George Wallace on his head and not block black children from attending traditional public schools, but block them from exiting those schools for something better.The New York Times wrote a long, devastating report the other day on the then-Burlington, Vermont, mayor's love affai
  • Want a license to grow medical cannabis in Utah? Expect to spend upward of $100K.

    Just the hope of winning a Utah license to grow medical cannabis could cost contenders $10,000.And that will be a fraction of the total bill for landing a license, which could carry a price tag of $100,000 a year.Those figures, which appeared in draft rules for Utah’s new medical marijuana program, are just estimates and could change before the regulations are finalized. But they’re in the ballpark, said Melissa Ure, senior policy analyst with the Utah Department of Agriculture and F
  • More Utah youth are being kept out of courtrooms and detention centers — the goal of a law that brought sweeping reform

    In the past two years, 3rd District Juvenile Court Judge James Michie has noticed a shift in his courtroom.Gone are those smaller cases where young Utahns had been accused of smoking weed or getting in a schoolyard fight. Now, those before his court are almost universally accused of more serious crimes, and are looking at more serious penalties.That’s exactly what Michie and others involved in the juvenile justice system are hoping for.It was two years ago that Utah lawmakers passed legisl
  • Warriors complete sweep of Trail Blazers with 119-117 overtime victory

    Portland, Ore. • The Golden State Warriors swept their way to a fifth straight NBA Finals, getting triple-doubles from Stephen Curry and Draymond Green in a 119-117 overtime victory over the Portland Trail Blazers on Monday night.Green had 18 points, 14 rebounds and 11 assists, and made a key 3-pointer in overtime. Curry added 37 points, 12 rebounds and 11 assists. He and Green became the first teammates to have triple-doubles in the same playoff game.The Warriors will face the winner of th
  • Intermountain Christian and Tabiona high schools exchange divergent claims of bad behavior at basketball games

    Midvale • Intermountain Christian School and Tabiona High each called for punishment of the opposing school’s the head boys’ basketball coach for alleged behavior during two incidents where racial slurs, taunting and death threats were said to have occurred.Lawyers representing the board of education for Duchesne School District — Tabiona is located there — and ICS argued their cases for nearly six hours Monday to a five-person panel of representatives from the Utah
  • [Fansided: The J-Notes] - Rudy Gobert said it best – Utah Jazz can no longer be “the team that’s close every year”

    Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert wants to see the Utah Jazz take things to the next level in 2019-20. Can they finally avoid being "the team that's close ...
  • First black woman sworn in as Chicago mayor vows big reforms

    Chicago • Lori Lightfoot told aldermen and other city powerbrokers assembled at her inauguration Monday as Chicago’s first black woman mayor that she meant what she said on the campaign trail about top-to-bottom reforms in the nation’s third largest city."For years, they've said Chicago ain't ready for reform," said Lightfoot, speaking minutes after her swearing-in at the Wintrust Arena. "Well, get ready, because reform is here."She spoke about curtailing some powers of city cou
  • Rudy Gobert said it best – Utah Jazz can no longer be “the team that’s close every year”

    Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert wants to see the Utah Jazz take things to the next level in 2019-20. Can they finally avoid being “the team that’s close every year”? In a recent sit down with Aaron Falk of UtahJazz.com, Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert had some pointed statements to make. Namely, it’s time for […]
    Rudy Gobert said it best – Utah Jazz can no longer be “the team that’s close every year” - The J-Notes - The J-Notes - A Utah Jazz Fan S
  • Fred Hiatt: The persecuted come here in search of help fighting repression, but they find vacuum

    Against all odds, against evidence and logic, they keep coming to Washington: dissidents, human rights crusaders, relatives of the persecuted from around the world. They hope for just one moment of moral clarity from America's leaders.Last week alone, petitioners included the grieving fiancee of a Saudi journalist, slaughtered last year by a hit squad dispatched by that nation's crown prince; the forlorn daughter of a Uighur scholar who has not seen her father since he was torn from her in the B

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