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Unemployment ticked up in Utah's metro areas, but jobless rates were still far below almost all other states.

Driving the news: Federal unemployment figures released Wednesday show all five of Utah's metro areas — urban areas with at least 50,000 people — had unemployment rates of 2.6% or less as of June.

Only four other states had lower rates for all of their metro areas: New Hampshire, Vermont and North and South Dakota.

By the numbers: Logan's unemployment rate — 2.2% — was the lowest in the state and tied for the 11th lowest of 396 cities nationwide.

Salt Lake City and Ogden-Clearfield tied for No. 22, with a rate of 2.4%

At 2.6%, St. George had the 35th-lowest jobless rate. 

Flashback: Utah's unemployment rate is consistently low, so its cities' jobless numbers had less room to fall than they did in other states.

Utah's metro unemployment rates fell less than 1%, while most of the country's workers live in cities where unemployment fell at least 2%.

Only Grand Island, Nebraska, and Yuma, Arizona, saw less of a decline than Logan's drop of just 0.2% since June 2021.

Utah's metro areas are among the nation's most-employed

Despite a slight increase, jobless rates in Utah's metro areas are far below national norms.

Illustration of increasingly desperate "now hiring" signs

Employment

Unemployment ticked up in Utah&#x27;s metro areas, but jobless rates were still far below almost all other states.Driving the news: Federal unemployment figures released Wednesday show all five of Utah&#x27;s metro areas — urban areas with at least 50,000 people — had unemployment rates of 2.6% or less as of June.

News

A judge threw out a $250 million settlement the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints agreed to pay into a fund for abused former Boy Scouts. She argued the agreement gave the church too much protection against further lawsuits.

Driving the news: Judge Laurie Selber Silverstein rejected the settlement on Friday, which was part of the Boy Scouts of America's bankruptcy reorganization. The church, which had a decadeslong relationship with BSA before ending their partnership in 2020, agreed to pay into a $2.3 billion fund for sexual abuse claimants.  

The church was the BSA's largest single sponsor for years, automatically enrolling boys as Scouts when they turned 8.

Context: The church made the contribution on the condition that former Scouts who were abused couldn't sue the church separately over incidents that occurred outside of Scouting activities.

The church argued that $250 million was enough to cover abuse both in scouting and in other church settings.

Yes, but: The judge rejected that argument, saying church abuse that happened outside Scouting isn't connected to the BSA's bankruptcy plan, so the plan can't release the church from those claims. 

For example: If a church choir director abused a child in the choir and then continued the abuse as the child's Scout leader, Silverstein's ruling would prevent the abuse in the choir from being compensated from the BSA fund.

A church spokesperson did not immediately respond to our request for comment.

Why it matters: The structure of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and its close historic ties with Scouting make it particularly likely to face allegations of abuse that span church and Scouting activities. 

Scouting long served as the church's official youth programming for boys.

In Mormon-sponsored troops, scout leaders were typically selected from congregations as a church "calling," or leadership role.

About 2,800 abuse claims filed in the bankruptcy have direct ties to the church. Another 4,900 are potentially linked to the church, according to a sex abuse claim valuation expert who testified earlier this year.

Zoom in: In explaining her decision, Silverstein noted a case where one Cub Scout leader abused children in both Scouting and church activities from 1968 to 1973. 

The bankruptcy court can approve an agreement where his victims are compensated from the BSA fund and therefore can't sue the church over abuses that happened in Scouting. 

But those victims may also be entitled to compensation for the harm they suffered in non-Scouting church activities, Silverstein wrote.

What they're saying: The church's expectation of total protection "was an overreach," victims' attorney Irwin Zalkin told Axios. "The court doesn't have jurisdiction to release claims that are not scouting-related."

What's next: The church could pay the $250 million, which would protect it from lawsuits over abuse at Scouting activities. But it would not be exempt from non-Scouting litigation.

The church could renegotiate the amount now that it doesn't cover all of the potential abuse claims — scouting and non — in question.

Or it could completely walk away from the BSA bankruptcy plan and accept exposure to more lawsuits rather than paying into the compensation fund.

Latter-day Saint Boy Scout abuse settlement rejected by judge

A bankruptcy judge said $250 million didn't exempt the church from lawsuits over abuse outside Scouting.

Illustration of a silhouetted scales of justice, with the plates moving up and down.

A judge threw out a $250 million settlement the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints agreed to pay into a fund for abused former Boy Scouts. She argued the agreement gave the church too much protection against further lawsuits.

Like the temperature, July's wind was also record-setting.

This continues a monthslong trend of extremely gusty wind in Salt Lake City.

Why it matters: High wind in summer worsens wildfire danger, spreading flames and preventing fire crews from using aircraft to fight fires.

It kicks up dust, which can be hazardous, especially for people with health problems.

It also damages trees, reducing crucial shade amid warming temperatures.

Flashback: Remember a few weeks back, when ash began falling from the sky over Salt Lake City?

That was from a wildfire in Tooele County that was spread by wind and carried in thick clouds across the Oquirrh Mountains.

Note: Gale force winds are those above 39mph; Data: NOAA; Chart: Axios Visuals

By the numbers: The average daily peak wind gust in July was the highest of any calendar month since weather watchers began recording wind speeds at the Salt Lake City airport in 1954, according to Axios' analysis of federal wind data.

May, June and July posted the highest daily peak average of those respective months — and April had the third highest average of any April on record.  

Gusts exceeded 39 mph — the definition of "gale" winds — on more days during the past four months than any four months on record.

How it works: When thunderstorms occur in drought conditions, the rain can evaporate before it reaches the ground, in what's known as "dry thunderstorms."  

The evaporation cools the air, causing it to move downward and fan out into wind gusts.

What's next: Monsoon season typically ends in September, so August could be windy, too. 

July brought new wind records to Salt Lake after a gusty spring

Utah has now seen three consecutive months of record average daily high winds.

Drought

Like the temperature, July&#x27;s wind was also record-setting.<ul><li>This continues a <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="monthslong trend" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/salt-lake-city/2022/07/07/utahs-cycle-drought-record-winds-cause-big-problems" data-vars-content-id="516c8c5b-b889-43a9-bd4b-74bda3c02e98" data-vars-headline="July brought new wind records to Salt Lake after a gusty spring" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/salt-lake-city/2022/07/07/utahs-cycle-drought-record-winds-cause-big-problems" target="_self">monthslong trend</a> of extremely gusty wind in Salt Lake City.</li></ul>Why it matters: High wind in summer worsens wildfire danger, spreading flames and preventing fire crews from using aircraft to fight fires.

Who's ready to fast-forward to fall? I am, and here's my first clue it'll be a good'un.

State of play: About 20 little pomegranates are growing in my yard!

I mentioned several weeks ago that my shrub was flowering well and might be a worthy addition to your garden.

Also, they aren't widely grown in Salt Lake, which used to be too cold.

How it works:  My pomegranate bush is "espaliered" — that is, anchored against a south-facing wall for protection and warmth.

The Parfianka variety was the hardiest one I could find when I planted it in 2016.

I don't fertilize or insulate it. Site placement seems to be the key. 

What they're saying: "That's something that does not grow so great here. You have to coax it a little bit," KRCL's Punk Rock Farmer Aldine Strychnine said when I appeared with him and Lara Jones in July on the station's RadioACTive show. 

Reality check: A handful of my pomegranates are marble-sized, and most years I have several that never get big enough to eat. 

Yes, but: The flowers fruited earlier this year than last year, so they may still have enough summer left to grow.

Pomegranates in a Salt Lake City garden? It can happen!

Site selection matters in our high and dry microclimates.

It's not a demogorgon! Photo: Erin Alberty/Axios

Climate change

Who&#x27;s ready to fast-forward to fall? I am, and here&#x27;s my first clue it&#x27;ll be a good&#x27;un.State of play: About 20 little pomegranates are growing in my yard!<ul><li>I mentioned several weeks ago that my shrub was flowering well and might be a worthy addition to your garden.</li></ul>

Food and Drink

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints used its 24-7 sex abuse "help line" to stop bishops from reporting child rape, according to a report Thursday by the Associated Press.

Driving the news: An Arizona man abused his daughters for at least seven years. He confessed his abuse, but when his bishop called the church's hotline, church lawyers ordered him not to report the abuse to police, according to sealed court documents obtained by the AP.

The AP report is the most detailed look so far into how the church funnels sex abuse reports to its hotline and how those reports are handled.

Context: The church promotes its so-called help line as a tool to protect victims of abuse.

But it instructs its volunteer clergy to call the hotline "promptly" in every case of abuse — and bishops are not instructed to call police first, Vice has reported.

Victims for years have said the hotline was used to protect the church from lawsuits.

Details: The documents obtained by the AP show the church destroys records of help line calls to ensure they remain confidential.

The church also claims attorney-client privilege for all reports that are forwarded to its lawyers.

The hotline protocols include a section called "High Risk Cases," which instructs staffers to ask questions that deal with the legal risk to the church — such as whether a leader or employee committed the abuse, or whether it happened at "a church-sponsored activity."

The latest: Three of the children in the Arizona family are suing the church and their bishops. 

The other side: A church lawyer called the children's lawsuit a "money grab."

One official said that if members thought their confessions could become public they wouldn't be willing to "confess and repent … for their souls to be saved."

Church attorneys argue the morality of keeping abuse secret is irrelevant because Arizona law "broadly exempts confidential communications with clergy" if "the clergyman himself" determines secrecy is religiously necessary.

Yes, but: The man's bishop said he did not decide by himself to keep the confession confidential, and the explanation he provided isn't religious.

Church officials told him — wrongly — that he could be sued if he reported the man to police.

Mormon sex abuse 'help line' discouraged police reports

Clergy were told to report abuse to the church, but ended up talking to lawyers who said to stay silent.

Illustration of a rotary phone with a knot in the wire.

Religion

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints used its 24-7 sex abuse &quot;help line&quot; to stop bishops from reporting child rape, according to a report Thursday <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="by the Associated Press" data-vars-click-url="https://apnews.com/article/Mormon-church-sexual-abuse-investigation-e0e39cf9aa4fbe0d8c1442033b894660" data-vars-content-id="b8e2e374-daf9-4e65-8455-bf49376d0f46" data-vars-headline="Mormon sex abuse &#x27;help line&#x27; discouraged police reports" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://apnews.com/article/Mormon-church-sexual-abuse-investigation-e0e39cf9aa4fbe0d8c1442033b894660" target="_blank">by the Associated Press</a>.Driving the news: An Arizona man abused his daughters for at least seven years. He confessed his abuse, but when his bishop called the church&#x27;s hotline, church lawyers ordered him not to report the abuse to police, according to sealed court documents obtained by the AP.

Erin Alberty

Featured stories

Mormon sex abuse 'help line' discouraged police reports

Utah's metro areas are among the nation's most-employed

Latter-day Saint Boy Scout abuse settlement rejected by judge

Pomegranates in a Salt Lake City garden? It can happen!

July brought new wind records to Salt Lake after a gusty spring