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ICE watchdogs chortle as MAGA Sen. Mike Lee deletes post linking masks to cartels

"Cartel hitmen wear masks," Lee said of footage of veiled attackers. "Leftists aren't complaining."

News

In a now-deleted X post on Sunday, Sen. Mike Lee appeared to compare masks worn by ICE agents to those worn by <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="cartels setting fire to a gas station in Mexico" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2026/02/23/mexico-cartel-leader-el-mencho-drug-lord-killed" data-vars-content-id="8b6b1b86-e7bc-4d31-8227-fc3bf48f76ba" data-vars-headline="ICE watchdogs chortle as MAGA Sen. Mike Lee deletes post linking masks to cartels" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2026/02/23/mexico-cartel-leader-el-mencho-drug-lord-killed" target="_self">cartels setting fire to a gas station in Mexico</a>.The intrigue: The comparison directly — if temporarily — contradicted the Trump administration&#x27;s defense of immigration agents&#x27; concealment of their identities during raids, arrests and other public actions.

Utah measles cases rise as new exposures reported

Almost 60 new cases were reported in the past three weeks.

Health

As measles case counts increase, Utah health officials are warning of new possible exposure incidents across the state.By the numbers: The state health department has <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="confirmed" data-vars-click-url="https://files.epi.utah.gov/Utah%20measles%20dashboard.html" data-vars-content-id="df761057-f3e9-4acc-8bf5-d45c8afbd45b" data-vars-headline="Utah measles cases rise as new exposures reported" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://files.epi.utah.gov/Utah%20measles%20dashboard.html" target="_blank">confirmed</a> 300 measles cases in Utah during the outbreaks that began in 2025.

Colorado River cuts loom after states miss deal

The seven Colorado River Basin states missed a key federal deadline to reach a new water usage agreement.

The seven Colorado River Basin states missed a key <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="federal deadline to reach a new water usage agreement" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/phoenix/2026/02/03/katie-hobbs-colorado-river-agreement-upper-basin-burgum-meeting" data-vars-content-id="4baac60f-b299-46a1-96f6-8b56471c417e" data-vars-headline="Colorado River cuts loom after states miss deal" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/phoenix/2026/02/03/katie-hobbs-colorado-river-agreement-upper-basin-burgum-meeting" target="_self">federal deadline to reach a new water usage agreement</a>, and the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation is now likely to impose a solution of its own.Why it matters: The Colorado River is a vital source of municipal water for residents living along the Wasatch Front, and beyond and federal intervention could mean forcing mandatory cuts.

Most Utahns don't support Christian nationalism

Christian nationalism is deeply entrenched inside today's Republican Party, according to the survey.

Less than one-third of Utahns <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="hold Christian nationalist beliefs" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/salt-lake-city/2024/03/11/utah-republican-christian-nationalism-view-politics" data-vars-content-id="5158a0e6-9106-40b5-811a-a886eb215a81" data-vars-headline="Most Utahns don&#x27;t support Christian nationalism" 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-republican-christian-nationalism-view-politics" target="_self">hold Christian nationalist beliefs</a>, according to a sweeping 50-state survey by the nonpartisan Public Religion Research Institute.Why it matters: The once-fringe ideology holds that the U.S. was founded as a Christian nation and should be governed according to strict fundamentalist Christian values, even as the country becomes <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="less religious" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2025/12/26/great-unchurching-america-religiously-unaffiliated" data-vars-content-id="5158a0e6-9106-40b5-811a-a886eb215a81" data-vars-headline="Most Utahns don&#x27;t support Christian nationalism" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2025/12/26/great-unchurching-america-religiously-unaffiliated" target="_self">less religious</a>.

Brian Head Resort brings speed dating to the slopes

Look for love 10,000 feet above sea level.

A ski resort in Southern Utah is turning its <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="chairlifts" data-vars-click-url="https://www.brianhead.com/event/the-love-lift-speed-dating/" data-vars-content-id="8b6d79b5-bbd4-43b8-9d2d-ad59adb09ee5" data-vars-headline="Brian Head Resort brings speed dating to the slopes" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.brianhead.com/event/the-love-lift-speed-dating/" target="_blank">chairlifts</a> into a chance at love this Valentine&#x27;s Day.State of play: Brian Head Resort is taking romance to new heights — about 10,000 feet above sea level — with speed dating on its Blackfoot chairlift.

SLC weekend: Olympics watch party, Valentine's Tea and Frida film

It's not Valentine's Day weekend yet, but that doesn't mean you can't start celebrating early.

It&#x27;s not yet Valentine&#x27;s Day weekend, but why not start celebrating early?<ul><li>Here&#x27;s what&#x27;s happening in and around Salt Lake City this weekend:</li></ul>

Sundance takes its final bow in Utah, leaving festivalgoers divided

The Robert Redford-founded event elevated independent cinema for more than four decades.

As the curtain falls on Utah&#x27;s final <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Sundance Film Festival" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/salt-lake-city/2025/12/10/sundance-2026-final-utah-lineup-film-festival" data-vars-content-id="3f7c440f-f2c5-41e5-a6c5-2d80fd40a592" data-vars-headline="Sundance takes its final bow in Utah, leaving festivalgoers divided" 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/2025/12/10/sundance-2026-final-utah-lineup-film-festival" target="_self">Sundance Film Festival</a> before its <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="move" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/salt-lake-city/2025/03/27/sundance-film-festival-utah-boulder-park-city" data-vars-content-id="3f7c440f-f2c5-41e5-a6c5-2d80fd40a592" data-vars-headline="Sundance takes its final bow in Utah, leaving festivalgoers divided" 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/2025/03/27/sundance-film-festival-utah-boulder-park-city" target="_self">move</a> to Boulder, Colorado, the transition has stirred mixed emotions among festivalgoers.Why it matters: The <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Robert Redford-founded event" data-vars-click-url="https://www.sundance.org/festival-history/" data-vars-content-id="3f7c440f-f2c5-41e5-a6c5-2d80fd40a592" data-vars-headline="Sundance takes its final bow in Utah, leaving festivalgoers divided" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.sundance.org/festival-history/" target="_blank">Robert Redford-founded event</a> elevated independent cinema for more than four decades, launching the careers of many <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="prominent filmmakers" data-vars-click-url="https://www.imdb.com/list/ls524098946/" data-vars-content-id="3f7c440f-f2c5-41e5-a6c5-2d80fd40a592" data-vars-headline="Sundance takes its final bow in Utah, leaving festivalgoers divided" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.imdb.com/list/ls524098946/" target="_blank">prominent filmmakers</a> and movie stars.

What I'll miss (and won't) about Sundance

Here's what made covering the Sundance Film Festival special — and not-so-special.

After going to the <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Sundance Film Festival" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/salt-lake-city/2025/12/10/sundance-2026-final-utah-lineup-film-festival" data-vars-content-id="7da66481-581c-4fb6-8dfa-4a9fda745eec" data-vars-headline="What I&#x27;ll miss (and won&#x27;t) about Sundance" 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/2025/12/10/sundance-2026-final-utah-lineup-film-festival" target="_self">Sundance Film Festival</a> for the past three years, I can&#x27;t help but appreciate the little things that made covering the event special to me.<ul><li>Except for the parts I never want to deal with again.</li></ul>

Celebrities protest ICE at Sundance Film Festival

The independent film festival has long been a hub for artistic expression and social activism.

Hollywood heavyweights, from Olivia Wilde to Natalie Portman, are leveraging the global spotlight of the <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Sundance Film Festival" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/salt-lake-city/2025/12/10/sundance-2026-final-utah-lineup-film-festival" data-vars-content-id="0fb95072-9b09-4032-914d-9c5d75378673" data-vars-headline="Celebrities protest ICE at Sundance Film Festival" 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/2025/12/10/sundance-2026-final-utah-lineup-film-festival" target="_self">Sundance Film Festival</a> to publicly denounce U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.State of play: A <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="&quot;Sundancers Melt ICE&quot; protest" data-vars-click-url="https://www.instagram.com/p/DT9BT3ngStx/?utm_source=ig_embed" data-vars-content-id="0fb95072-9b09-4032-914d-9c5d75378673" data-vars-headline="Celebrities protest ICE at Sundance Film Festival" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DT9BT3ngStx/?utm_source=ig_embed" target="_blank">&quot;Sundancers Melt ICE&quot; protest</a> took place Sunday evening on Park City&#x27;s Main Street to remember <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Renee Good" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/twin-cities/2026/01/07/ice-shooting-victim-identified-renee-nicole-good-minneapolis" data-vars-content-id="0fb95072-9b09-4032-914d-9c5d75378673" data-vars-headline="Celebrities protest ICE at Sundance Film Festival" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/twin-cities/2026/01/07/ice-shooting-victim-identified-renee-nicole-good-minneapolis" target="_self">Renee Good</a> and <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Alex Pretti" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2026/01/26/trump-minnesota-ice-immigration-cases-alex-pretti" data-vars-content-id="0fb95072-9b09-4032-914d-9c5d75378673" data-vars-headline="Celebrities protest ICE at Sundance Film Festival" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2026/01/26/trump-minnesota-ice-immigration-cases-alex-pretti" target="_self">Alex Pretti</a>, two U.S. citizens who were fatally shot by federal immigration agents in Minnesota this month.

Utahns ranked among the most active in the U.S.

That tracks when you consider how embedded outdoor recreation is in Utah culture.

Less than one in five Utahns report doing no physical activity or exercise outside their job, according to a new report.The big picture: That tracks when you consider how embedded outdoor recreation is in Utah culture, so much so that opting out could <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="hurt your chances" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/salt-lake-city/2024/02/14/dating-utah-mormon-church-religion-apps-love" data-vars-content-id="90e25434-c136-428d-ab96-a2ba967686aa" data-vars-headline="Utahns ranked among the most active in the U.S." 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/2024/02/14/dating-utah-mormon-church-religion-apps-love" target="_self">hurt your chances</a> in the local dating pool.

Here's how the New York Times spent 36 hours in Park City

The packed guide features must-see attractions and hidden gems favored by locals.

Things to Do

The New York Times recently published a packed <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="36-hour itinerary for Park City" data-vars-click-url="https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2025/12/25/travel/things-to-do-park-city.html" data-vars-content-id="85422334-3e50-46d0-934d-6608945a1d83" data-vars-headline="Here&#x27;s how the New York Times spent 36 hours in Park City" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2025/12/25/travel/things-to-do-park-city.html" target="_blank">36-hour itinerary for Park City</a>, featuring must-see attractions and hidden gems favored by locals.State of play: The guide named Utah Olympic Park, Deer Valley Resort, Park City Mountain Resort and the geothermal hot spring Homestead Crater in Midway as key stops.

Violence, politics and social media dominated Utah headlines in 2025

2025 reshaped the state in ways few saw coming.

Utah didn&#x27;t just make headlines in 2025 — it was the story.The big picture: From a shocking campus killing to a court-ordered redistricting that produced the state&#x27;s first blue-leaning congressional seat in years, the year upended Utah politics and public life in ways few predicted.

Michelin's arrival could motivate Utah restaurants to up their game

The 2026 Michelin Guide may finally put Utah's restaurants on the national map.

Food and Drink

The renowned Michelin Guide is <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="expanding to the American Southwest" data-vars-click-url="https://guide.michelin.com/en/article/news-and-views/michelin-guide-arizona-colorado-nevada-new-mexico-utah" data-vars-content-id="856acd09-a14e-434f-b710-3ebc8269f7d1" data-vars-headline="Michelin&#x27;s arrival could motivate Utah restaurants to up their game" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://guide.michelin.com/en/article/news-and-views/michelin-guide-arizona-colorado-nevada-new-mexico-utah" target="_blank">expanding to the American Southwest</a>, giving Utah its first real shot at the sought-after recognition.Why it matters: No Utah restaurant has ever earned a Michelin nod, but the 2026 guide is expected to feature the Wasatch Region as the state&#x27;s dining scene matures and local chefs <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="garner national attention" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/salt-lake-city/2025/07/23/salt-lake-city-chef-bobby-flay-food-network" data-vars-content-id="856acd09-a14e-434f-b710-3ebc8269f7d1" data-vars-headline="Michelin&#x27;s arrival could motivate Utah restaurants to up their game" 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/2025/07/23/salt-lake-city-chef-bobby-flay-food-network" target="_self">garner national attention</a>.

Salt Lake City Spotify listeners favor "manosphere" podcasts

In 2025, the bros were on repeat in Salt Lake City.

Salt Lake City couldn&#x27;t stop listening to the bros in 2025. Driving the news: Male-dominated shows hosted by Joe Rogan, Theo Von, Tucker Carlson and Shawn Ryan were the city&#x27;s most popular on Spotify this year, according to the platform.

Culture

Brian Head Resort brings speed dating to the slopes

SLC weekend: Olympics watch party, Valentine's Tea and Frida film

Sundance takes its final bow in Utah, leaving festivalgoers divided

What I'll miss (and won't) about Sundance

Celebrities protest ICE at Sundance Film Festival