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Axios Salt Lake City

A new Salt Lake salon is making waves by eliminating gendered prices on haircuts.

Driving the news: In a move that is at once revolutionary and eons behind reality, stylists at the new Lucero Hair and Wellness are pricing haircuts by the hour and hair length, rather than charging women more than men.

The move is intended to welcome nonbinary and transitioning customers, de-stigmatize gender-nonconforming haircuts and be more equitable.

Why it matters: The salon is opening as trans and nonbinary Utahns are under fierce attack.

The state recently banned gender-affirming health care for minors, including temporary puberty blockers.

Popular drag shows at a Salt Lake tea house were suspended last month after armed far-right protesters showed up.

School libraries in Utah are pulling titles by LGBTQ authors.

What they're saying: "The best thing we can do through our services is allow gender-affirming haircuts," salon owner Josh Lucero told Axios.

"From a business standpoint, it's smarter," he added, noting stylists will set their own rates and be paid for time worked.

Details: The salon also is refusing tips, and stylists are charging what they want to earn.

A 30-minute cut for short hair starts at $37.50; a two-hour session for long hair is $150. 

The salon also offers facials, waxing, coloring and hair replacement.

Meanwhile, customers dealing with housing insecurity can get free haircuts and other services on the first Sunday of each month.

The offer is designed to help young people who have been kicked out of their homes over their sexuality or gender identity.

Salt Lake City gets a gender-inclusive hair salon

Cuts are priced by hair length, not by gender.

A woman sweeps a salon floor with a Progress Pride flag in the window.

A woman sweeps the floor at Lucero Hair and Wellness at the end of a Friday. Photo: Erin Alberty/Axios

LGBTQ

A new Salt Lake salon is making waves by eliminating gendered prices on haircuts.Driving the news: In a move that is at once revolutionary and eons behind reality, stylists at the new <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Lucero Hair and Wellness" data-vars-click-url="https://lucerohairandwellness.com/" data-vars-content-id="18141ae2-573e-4dbb-9213-ff6ca1ef08ee" data-vars-headline="Salt Lake City gets a gender-inclusive hair salon" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://lucerohairandwellness.com/" target="_blank">Lucero Hair and Wellness</a> are pricing haircuts by the hour and hair length, rather than charging women more than men.

Business

News

A $500 million fraud case in Las Vegas has Utah ties, and serves as a reminder that Latter-day Saints may be particularly vulnerable to financial predation by other church members.

Driving the news: Federal investigators have accused Michael Beasley, Jeffrey Judd and others of targeting members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in a $500 million "Mormon Ponzi scheme," the Las Vegas Review-Journal and the Washington Post recently reported.

The plan attracted 900 investors from 2017 to 2022, per the Post.

Why it matters: The church and FBI have long warned members of a pattern of affinity fraud — a financial crime that exploits bonds of trust, such as shared affiliation with a religion or other group.

Utah has more Ponzi schemes per capita than any other state, and in 2015 became the first to create a white-collar crime registry.

That pattern allegedly played out with Judd, Beasley and others who were charged in an SEC civil complaint filed last year.

What they're saying: "Because we were friends and belonged to the same church, the red flags were heart-shaped," Ann Mabeus, one of the alleged victims, told the Post. "My bishop was involved and invested, and so were my closest friends."

Between the lines: Prosecutors and investigators have pointed to a "well-known sense of trust" among Mormons to explain members' susceptibility to fraud within the fold. 

Religion author Joanna Brooks argues cultural values like "'insider' status, kinship ties [and] hierarchy" heighten that trust.

Details: The SEC accused Beasley, Judd and other defendants of telling investors they could earn annual returns of 50%, risk-free, by lending money to slip-and-fall plaintiffs who settled lawsuits and awaited payments.

But there were no actual loans, the SEC alleges. Instead, the group used some of their new investors' money to pay fake "returns" to other investors and kept most of it for themselves.

Beasley was shot by agents who raided his and the other men's homes in March 2022. He was charged with assaulting a federal officer, while the others face only the civil charges.

Catch up quick: A few examples of affinity fraud cases in Mormonism include:

Four Utah men were charged last year with defrauding church members of roughly $10 million by claiming their business was founded on a "spiritual revelation" — even though two of the men were previously convicted of fraud.

A businessman and former commissioner of Utah County pleaded guilty in a 2016 fraud case worth $1 million, in which they fabricated documents to pose as a top church leader. 

The same year, a Kaysville insurance agent pleaded guilty to a $72 million Ponzi scheme in which investors agreed to high interest rates because of his church membership.

Of note: Judd was a church member, but Beasley wasn't — and while most cases have arisen between members, Beasley is not the first nonmember to be accused of leveraging those connections to win victims' trust. 

Zoom in: Efforts are underway to expose affinity fraud in Utah.

A Salt Lake City accountant was the first to report Beasley and Judd to the SEC, per the Post.

Mark Holt, a Salt Lake City entrepreneur who was defrauded a decade ago, agreed to serve as bait for investors who gathered evidence against Beasley and Judd and wanted to record Judd's pitch.

Mormons targeted in alleged $500 million Ponzi scheme

Utah has more Ponzi schemes per capita than any other state.

Illustration of a one hundred dollar bill with Benjamin Franklin blindfolded holding out the scales of justice.

Fraud

A $500 million fraud case in Las Vegas has Utah ties, and serves as a reminder that Latter-day Saints may be particularly vulnerable to financial predation by other church members.Driving the news: Federal investigators have accused Michael Beasley, Jeffrey Judd and others of targeting members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in a $500 million &quot;Mormon Ponzi scheme,&quot; the Las Vegas Review-Journal and the Washington Post recently <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="reported" data-vars-click-url="https://www.reviewjournal.com/investigations/alleged-500m-ponzi-scheme-preyed-on-mormons-it-ended-with-fbi-gunfire-2720343/?utm_campaign=widget&amp;utm_medium=most_read&amp;utm_source=lvrj" data-vars-content-id="2b642b59-3679-40f2-9410-ed37e20724de" data-vars-headline="Mormons targeted in alleged $500 million Ponzi scheme" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.reviewjournal.com/investigations/alleged-500m-ponzi-scheme-preyed-on-mormons-it-ended-with-fbi-gunfire-2720343/?utm_campaign=widget&amp;utm_medium=most_read&amp;utm_source=lvrj" target="_blank">reported</a>.

Utah high schoolers would be required to learn about the "superiority" of American free markets under new guidelines the state school board is considering this week. 

Driving the news: Teachers would have to "explain why free market systems are superior and have made America the most free and prosperous country in the world" under new standards proposed for financial literacy courses.

All students are required to take the class to graduate from public high schools in Utah.

The big picture: The claims in the proposed standards are controversial among economists, social scientists and the public. 

While polling suggests most Americans think the country is "among" the greatest, only a small minority believe it's the best. Nearly 60 countries got higher "freedom" ratings under the Freedom House Index, and the nation ranked 20th for prosperity, according to the investment firm Legatum.

Half of Americans surveyed by Pew in 2020 said the U.S. economic system needed "major" changes, and while "free enterprise" is popular, multiple polls indicate enthusiasm for capitalism is declining.

Of note: Many economists say that America is not truly a "free market" economy, pointing to limits created both by government regulation and corporate monopolies.

Between the lines: Those disagreements are what conservative State Board of Education member Natalie Cline said she wanted to elide by adding the provision in a January committee meeting.

Cline pointed to a state law requiring civics classes to teach "the benefits of a free enterprise system." 

The addition will "make sure … [students] walk away without any question in their mind, regardless of how it might have been presented … that this is the superior system," Cline said.

Details: Under state law, the board must review statewide standards for financial literacy courses every three years. 

Current guidelines, adopted in 2019, only require students to learn how different economic systems affect growth and don't address the "superiority" of any one system.

What they're saying: "It feels like … telling students what to believe … rather than helping them understand our free market and why it's beneficial to Americans," said Democrat Sarah Reale, who represents Salt Lake City on the board and has taught political science at Salt Lake Community College. 

Reale, the only member who voted against the measure in committee, described it as "a statement that could be considered opinion."

Catch up quick: Utah's financial literacy classes, which the Legislature began requiring in 2007, have drawn scrutiny for outdated advice and occasional forays into non-financial, personal subject matter.

Salt Lake City students in 2017 received checklists of gender-specific dating advice, exhorting girls to "be feminine and lady-like."

A few months later, students in Roy were given "purity tests" in the class, with points for French kissing, having an abortion or answering yes when asked: "Even though you are straight, would you go kinky to see what it's like?"

What's next: The board could approve the new standards as early as Thursday.

Utah schools could be required to tout "superior" U.S. capitalism

Free markets "made America the most free and prosperous country in the world," the proposal asserts.

Illustration of a flying eagle about to grab a book

Schools

Utah high schoolers would be required to learn about the &quot;superiority&quot; of American free markets under new guidelines the state school board is considering this week. Driving the news: Teachers would have to &quot;explain why free market systems are superior and have made America the most free and prosperous country in the world&quot; under new standards proposed for financial literacy courses.

Politics

We've got a February full of celebrations as Black History Month gets underway.

The acclaimed writer will appear for a public talk at Westminster College.

Admission: Free, but register online to reserve a seat. 

All are free and at the Taylorsville Redwood campus.

Poetry Slam | noon-1:30pm Thursday, Feb. 2

Fashion Extravaganza | noon-2pm Thursday, Feb. 9

African American Read-In | noon-2pm Tuesday, Feb. 14

Black-owned pop-up shops |  noon-4pm Thursday, Feb. 16

"Thin Blue Line" screening and panel discussion | noon-2:30, Thursday, Feb. 23

The third annual Black History Month open mic features poetry, comedy and other performances at the University of Utah.

Where: Union Theater, 200 S. Central Campus Drive

The traveling exhibit of the Utah Black History Museum shares stories from local and national Black history and culture.

Also check out the "Who Made It?" kids activities and scavenger hunt celebrating Black inventors, available all month.

Join podcaster and mixologist Alexi Fisher for a cocktail class featuring recipes created by Black bartenders. 

Where: Cocktail Collective, 824 S. 400 West, B128

Hear from the renowned activist and poet at Weber State University.

Support Utah's Black-owned businesses and enjoy music, food and games.

The film explores the life of Louis Armstrong through the eyes of his daughter, Sharon Preston-Folta. 

Join filmmaker John Alexander for a Q&A, with Preston-Folta appearing via Zoom.

This launches the Black, Bold & Brilliant spring film series.

Where: Nancy Tessman Auditorium, City Library

“Notes from the Margins,” Urban Arts Gallery

Works from Black Utah artists like Essie Shaw and Andrea G. Hardeman will be on display all month.

When: Noon-9pm Tuesdays through Sundays until Feb. 27

The festival will feature a Black art gallery, Black-owned business expo, pop-up history and living wax museum, live entertainment, rides, games and a drone show during All-Star Weekend in Salt Lake City.

Admission: $15, $7.50 for kids 12 and under 

NBA HBCU Classic — Grambling State vs. Southern University

The schools are bringing their bands, dance squads and basketball teams for the annual Black History Month game during All-Star Weekend.

Where: Huntsman Center, University of Utah

Join the U of U's Black Student Union for music and roller skating.

Enjoy art, live music, beauty tutorials, spoken word performance, games and film screenings.

Where: 2006 Space Oddity, 2006 S. 900 East, Salt Lake City

Tickets: $22, or $28 if bought after Feb. 20

How to celebrate Black History Month in Utah

From disco skating to NBA All-Star events, we've got you covered.

Illustration of the state of Utah lit by red, green and yellow lights.

We&#x27;ve got a February full of celebrations as Black History Month gets underway.

Things to Do

Utahns have a lower risk of burnout than workers in any other state, a new study reveals.

Driving the news: Relatively low weekly work hours and short commutes mean Utah scored dead last for burnout risk in national rankings of "hustle culture" by the employment website Lensa.

The study also reviewed wage data and Google searches for the word "burnout."

By the numbers: Utahns work 37.1 hours per week on average, the lowest in the nation, according to American Community Survey data from 2019 and 2021.

At 22 minutes, Utah had the 11th-shortest average commute of any state.

Zoom in: In a separate study by the remote access technology company Kisi, Salt Lake City ranked No. 1 in the nation for work-life balance.

A 2017 survey by Slack also ranked Salt Lake No. 1 for work-life balance, citing the 72% of workers who said they seldom have to be available for after-hours work and the 90% who said their lives were well-balanced or somewhat balanced.

A 2019 study by the personal finance company Fabric ranked three Utah metro areas in the top 10, with Provo-Orem at the very top.

Between the lines: Women's weekly work hours are likely driving down the state's average.

Utah has the highest share of women working part time and the lowest share working full time of any state, according to 2021 census data.

Having one stay-at-home parent while the other works full time is the most desired family arrangement, according to statewide polling in 2022; two parents working full time was the least desired.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has historically discouraged mothers from working outside the home, and members have described a stigma against women who pursue careers.

Of note: The Lensa study uses the total number of Google searches for "burnout" and wage data unadjusted for the cost of living.

Axios calculated search volume per capita and adjusted wage data according to average rent in each state. Using Lensa's scoring formula, Utah still ranks in the bottom three states for burnout risk despite high housing costs.

Utah has nation's lowest burnout risk, study finds

Utahns work 37.1 hours per week on average, the lowest in the nation, according to survey data.

Illustration of a business man being crushed by a large briefcase.

Occupational burnout

Utahns have a lower risk of burnout than workers in any other state, a new study reveals.Driving the news: Relatively low weekly work hours and short commutes mean Utah scored dead last for burnout risk in national rankings of &quot;hustle culture&quot; by the employment website <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Lensa" data-vars-click-url="https://lensa.com/insights/hustle-culture-the-us-states-with-the-highest-burnout-risk/" data-vars-content-id="c2ccbc9e-a7ca-4fa7-b08b-5355953fe394" data-vars-headline="Utah has nation&#x27;s lowest burnout risk, study finds" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://lensa.com/insights/hustle-culture-the-us-states-with-the-highest-burnout-risk/" target="_blank">Lensa</a>.

Erin Alberty

Featured stories

Salt Lake City gets a gender-inclusive hair salon

Mormons targeted in alleged $500 million Ponzi scheme

Utah schools could be required to tout "superior" U.S. capitalism

How to celebrate Black History Month in Utah

Utah has nation's lowest burnout risk, study finds