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Trump promises to refill the Great Salt Lake as Utah leaders poo-pooh conservation

Lawmakers want to spend $1 billion on pipelines and desalination rather than asking Utahns to use less water.

News

Utah officials are preparing to ask the federal government for $1 billion to support the <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Great Salt Lake" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/salt-lake-city/2024/07/10/great-salt-lake-dust-disproportionately-impacts-latinos-pacific-islanders" data-vars-content-id="3e22fb82-d552-41e6-a56c-dcd4847c26f1" data-vars-headline="Trump promises to refill the Great Salt Lake as Utah leaders poo-pooh conservation" 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/2024/07/10/great-salt-lake-dust-disproportionately-impacts-latinos-pacific-islanders" target="_self">Great Salt Lake</a> following President Trump&#x27;s recent statement that it&#x27;s &quot;very important&quot; to save the lake.The big picture: Republican lawmakers are <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="looking at measures" data-vars-click-url="https://senate.utah.gov/securing-utahs-water-future/" data-vars-content-id="3e22fb82-d552-41e6-a56c-dcd4847c26f1" data-vars-headline="Trump promises to refill the Great Salt Lake as Utah leaders poo-pooh conservation" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://senate.utah.gov/securing-utahs-water-future/" target="_blank">looking at measures</a> that sidestep asking Utahns to use less water.

Salt Lake Bees unveil "Utah Dirty Sodas" alternative look

The new look nods to Utah's dirty soda culture.

The Salt Lake Bees are stirring up a <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="bubbly rebrand" data-vars-click-url="https://www.milb.com/salt-lake/news/salt-lake-bees-stir-things-up-with-new-alternate-identity-utah-dirty-sodas" data-vars-content-id="736b6548-c448-44ee-b511-3530a2600b46" data-vars-headline="Salt Lake Bees unveil &quot;Utah Dirty Sodas&quot; alternative look" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.milb.com/salt-lake/news/salt-lake-bees-stir-things-up-with-new-alternate-identity-utah-dirty-sodas" target="_blank">bubbly rebrand</a> with a splash of <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Utah&#x27;s dirty soda flair" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/phoenix/2023/08/11/swig-sodalicious-dirty-soda-phoenix-mesa-tiktok-popular" data-vars-content-id="736b6548-c448-44ee-b511-3530a2600b46" data-vars-headline="Salt Lake Bees unveil &quot;Utah Dirty Sodas&quot; alternative look" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/phoenix/2023/08/11/swig-sodalicious-dirty-soda-phoenix-mesa-tiktok-popular" target="_self">Utah&#x27;s dirty soda flair</a>.State of play: The Utah Dirty Sodas, the minor league baseball team&#x27;s new alter-ego, will debut April 1 and appear at every Wednesday home game for the rest of the season.

Salt Lake City breaks ground on Pioneer Park revamp

Despite being downtown's largest park, it remains underused when not hosting the summer farmers market.

Salt Lake City leaders broke ground on about $18 million in much-needed improvements to <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Pioneer Park" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/salt-lake-city/2025/05/22/downtown-farmers-market-pioneer-park-redevelopment" data-vars-content-id="fa19bcfc-5761-4e2d-ad6d-daddf8878ba4" data-vars-headline="Salt Lake City breaks ground on Pioneer Park revamp" 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/2025/05/22/downtown-farmers-market-pioneer-park-redevelopment" target="_self">Pioneer Park</a> on Friday, aiming to revitalize one of the city&#x27;s oldest public spaces.Why it matters: Downtown&#x27;s largest park sits largely empty except for the summer farmers market, and city officials are determined to shake its <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="reputation" data-vars-click-url="https://www.pioneerpark.co/downtown-crisis#:~:text=According%20to%20the%20Pioneer%20Park%20Coalition%2C%20public,which%20have%20led%20to%20slowed%20response%20times." data-vars-content-id="fa19bcfc-5761-4e2d-ad6d-daddf8878ba4" data-vars-headline="Salt Lake City breaks ground on Pioneer Park revamp" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.pioneerpark.co/downtown-crisis#:~:text=According%20to%20the%20Pioneer%20Park%20Coalition%2C%20public,which%20have%20led%20to%20slowed%20response%20times." target="_blank">reputation</a> for crime and safety concerns.

Utah bill would boost reporting on violence against hospital workers

Violence against health care workers has soared since the COVID-19 pandemic.

As <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="hostility toward health care workers" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2025/04/14/protections-workplace-violence-nurses-hospitals" data-vars-content-id="6de3ecae-f94d-42aa-b952-f2c2dc4829a8" data-vars-headline="Utah bill would boost reporting on violence against hospital workers" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2025/04/14/protections-workplace-violence-nurses-hospitals" target="_self">hostility toward health care workers</a> rises, Utah lawmakers are advancing a <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="proposal" data-vars-click-url="https://le.utah.gov/Session/2026/bills/static/HB0380.html" data-vars-content-id="6de3ecae-f94d-42aa-b952-f2c2dc4829a8" data-vars-headline="Utah bill would boost reporting on violence against hospital workers" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://le.utah.gov/Session/2026/bills/static/HB0380.html" target="_blank">proposal</a> that would require all hospitals in the state to create formal workplace violence reporting systems.Why it matters: Violence against health care workers has <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="soared" data-vars-click-url="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11543170/#R2" data-vars-content-id="6de3ecae-f94d-42aa-b952-f2c2dc4829a8" data-vars-headline="Utah bill would boost reporting on violence against hospital workers" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11543170/#R2" target="_blank">soared</a> since the COVID-19 pandemic, and supporters of the measure say more consistent reporting would clarify the scope of the problem and inform policy decisions in the state.

Utah's cast of COVID characters: Where they are now

These were the big players in Utah's COVID response. Some aged better than others.

COVID

With a <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="canceled NBA game" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/salt-lake-city/2024/03/11/utah-jazz-rudy-gobert-covid-nba-season-postponed-flashback" data-vars-content-id="fbd81cfc-6acc-4507-95d3-1122c1a1e77b" data-vars-headline="Utah&#x27;s cast of COVID characters: Where they are now" 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/2024/03/11/utah-jazz-rudy-gobert-covid-nba-season-postponed-flashback" target="_self">canceled NBA game</a>, COVID-19 seized Utah&#x27;s consciousness five years ago today.<ul><li>Here&#x27;s a look at some major players in the pandemic, and where they are now.</li></ul>

Retracted COVID drug study helped fuel Utah controversy

The study was used to justify a proposed $8M for an ineffective drug.

A flawed study that helped trigger a run on <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="hydroxychloroquine" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2020/05/29/hydroxychloroquine-prescriptions-exploded-march" data-vars-content-id="21046acb-8048-4793-91a3-2c40b4fd4a7b" data-vars-headline="Retracted COVID drug study helped fuel Utah controversy" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2020/05/29/hydroxychloroquine-prescriptions-exploded-march" target="_self">hydroxychloroquine</a> early in the COVID-19 pandemic has been formally retracted by the journal that published it.Why it matters: Utah lawmakers <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="cited" data-vars-click-url="https://www.sltrib.com/news/politics/2020/04/15/utah-bill-would-clear-way/" data-vars-content-id="21046acb-8048-4793-91a3-2c40b4fd4a7b" data-vars-headline="Retracted COVID drug study helped fuel Utah controversy" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.sltrib.com/news/politics/2020/04/15/utah-bill-would-clear-way/" target="_blank">cited</a> the paper to <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="support" data-vars-click-url="https://www.sltrib.com/news/2020/03/20/utah-officials-say-two/" data-vars-content-id="21046acb-8048-4793-91a3-2c40b4fd4a7b" data-vars-headline="Retracted COVID drug study helped fuel Utah controversy" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.sltrib.com/news/2020/03/20/utah-officials-say-two/" target="_blank">support</a> a proposed multi-million dollar effort in 2020 to dispense the drug via lucrative, no-bid contracts with vendors tied to the controversial testing program TestUtah.

Jazz legend John Stockton sues Washington state over pandemic rules

Stockton has previously spoken out against COVID-19 mask mandates and lockdowns.

Former Utah Jazz player John Stockton filed a federal lawsuit against the Washington attorney general&#x27;s office, challenging a pandemic policy that disciplines doctors who spread COVID-19 misinformation. The big picture: Stockton has previously spoken out against COVID-19 mask mandates and lockdowns.

Utah gets a pre-holiday COVID warning

The doody doesn't lie — and with holiday travel coming up, it could get worse.

Utah has &quot;very high&quot; levels of <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="COVID-19" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2023/11/21/covid-omicron-variant-coronavirus-cases" data-vars-content-id="bb3e0e3a-069a-4fb5-b0e0-827e9d02091d" data-vars-headline="Utah gets a pre-holiday COVID warning" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2023/11/21/covid-omicron-variant-coronavirus-cases" target="_self">COVID-19</a> as we head into the holiday travel season, Alex Fitzpatrick and Alice Feng report from the latest CDC wastewater data.Why it matters: Given how much traveling people will be doing this month, it&#x27;s likely that the state&#x27;s COVID situation will worsen over the coming weeks.

Utah sees slow uptake for updated COVID-19 shots

Nearly 200,000 have rolled up their sleeves for the updated coronavirus vaccines.

About 5% of Utahns — or nearly 200,000 — have rolled up their sleeves for the updated <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="COVID-19 vaccines" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/salt-lake-city/2023/09/06/covid-utah-spike-vaccine-eg5-variant" data-vars-content-id="925a540a-91b2-4d62-a063-5acef56792cd" data-vars-headline="Utah sees slow uptake for updated COVID-19 shots" 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/2023/09/06/covid-utah-spike-vaccine-eg5-variant" target="_self">COVID-19 vaccines</a> released in September, according to data from the state Department of Health and Human Services.Why it matters: COVID-19 cases in Utah are expected to climb as colder temperatures and upcoming holidays drive more indoor gatherings, Rich Lakin, DHHS immunization director, told Axios.

COVID spiking in Utah before new vaccine launch

The new shots will target a variant that is eluding previous immunity.

COVID is spiking in Utah <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="just before an improved vaccine" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2023/08/25/biden-vaccines-september-covid" data-vars-content-id="4f57c7fa-e9a7-4407-8b23-639f324411b2" data-vars-headline="COVID spiking in Utah before new vaccine launch" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2023/08/25/biden-vaccines-september-covid" target="_self">just before an improved vaccine</a> is made available later this month.Driving the news: New COVID hospital admissions were up 57% last week, according to data released this weekend by state health officials.

Utah braces for another COVID fall with better vaccines but less vigilance

A late-summer COVID uptick doesn't spell doom, but less testing and data could hide outbreaks.

COVID has ticked up slightly in Utah, joining a recent national rise in hospitalizations as fall approaches.<ul><li>When the seasonal threat returns this year, fewer resources to track and treat the virus will be in place.</li></ul>

1 in 4 parents hid their kids' COVID, study finds

"Personal freedom" was the most common explanation.

Lots of parents say they misled others when their kids tested positive for COVID-19, according to a nationwide report coauthored by University of Utah researchers.By the numbers: 24% of parents surveyed in December 2021 admitted to not disclosing they knew or suspected their kids had COVID to people who were exposed, per the study, which appeared this week on <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="JAMA Network Open" data-vars-click-url="https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2802004?utm_source=For_The_Media&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_campaign=ftm_links&amp;utm_term=030623" data-vars-content-id="6ca34d26-759d-4fbf-a1ec-1adb28bb7b02" data-vars-headline="1 in 4 parents hid their kids&#x27; COVID, study finds" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2802004?utm_source=For_The_Media&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_campaign=ftm_links&amp;utm_term=030623" target="_blank">JAMA Network Open</a>.

New Utah study affirms COVID vaccine is safe for kids

The study, co-authored by a doctor at Primary Children's Hospital, looked at 185 kids who suffered from MIS-C.

A new Utah-led study shows the COVID-19 vaccine didn&#x27;t trigger dangerous responses in children who previously had a severe reaction to the virus itself.Driving the news: The study, co-authored by a doctor at Primary Children&#x27;s Hospital, looked at 185 kids who suffered from MIS-C, a rare condition in which severe inflammation develops a few weeks after a COVID infection.

A fall COVID surge could still happen in Utah

So far, hospitalization data show we could finally break pandemic's the annual pattern but health officials want people to get vaccinated..

Utah&#x27;s COVID hospitalizations are declining this September — but that doesn&#x27;t mean we&#x27;ve sidestepped a potential fall surge. Driving the news: Fewer Utahns are hospitalized with COVID now than in late September of the past two years, state data show.

COVID 🦠

Utah's cast of COVID characters: Where they are now

Retracted COVID drug study helped fuel Utah controversy

Jazz legend John Stockton sues Washington state over pandemic rules

Utah gets a pre-holiday COVID warning

Utah sees slow uptake for updated COVID-19 shots