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Group founded by Tim Ballard gets big contract for immigration work

Ballard resigned amid misconduct allegations. Its new CEO is an ex-ICE agent.

News

The Trump administration has awarded more than $244 million in a no-bid legal services contract to Our Rescue — formerly<a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text=" Operation Underground Railroad" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/salt-lake-city/2023/09/20/tim-ballard-sound-of-freedom-mormon-senate" data-vars-content-id="4d2aabc6-b876-4676-827c-3ec6f98d3a62" data-vars-headline="Group founded by Tim Ballard gets big contract for immigration work" 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/2023/09/20/tim-ballard-sound-of-freedom-mormon-senate" target="_self"> Operation Underground Railroad</a>, the nonprofit whose founder, Utah celebrity activist Tim Ballard, resigned <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="amid sexual misconduct allegations" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/salt-lake-city/2023/09/28/tim-ballard-sexual-misconduct-trafficking-our-sound-freedom" data-vars-content-id="4d2aabc6-b876-4676-827c-3ec6f98d3a62" data-vars-headline="Group founded by Tim Ballard gets big contract for immigration work" 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/2023/09/28/tim-ballard-sexual-misconduct-trafficking-our-sound-freedom" target="_self">amid sexual misconduct allegations</a>.Why it matters: The contract appoints Our Rescue to represent vulnerable migrant children under a <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="federal law" data-vars-click-url="https://www.congress.gov/bill/110th-congress/house-bill/7311/text" data-vars-content-id="4d2aabc6-b876-4676-827c-3ec6f98d3a62" data-vars-headline="Group founded by Tim Ballard gets big contract for immigration work" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/110th-congress/house-bill/7311/text" target="_blank">federal law</a> requiring legal counsel for unaccompanied minors who came to the U.S. without a parent.

Utah's wildfire season reaches historic extremes

As of Wednesday, 838 fires had burned more than half a million acres in Utah in 2026.

Utah&#x27;s wildfires are scorching woodlands and forest at an unprecedented pace, according to a new University of Utah <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="analysis" data-vars-click-url="https://attheu.utah.edu/facultystaff/utahs-historic-fire-season-of-2026/" data-vars-content-id="7e7e0634-69c8-4bbd-8ce6-0fc3ee189d05" data-vars-headline="Utah&#x27;s wildfire season reaches historic extremes" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://attheu.utah.edu/facultystaff/utahs-historic-fire-season-of-2026/" target="_blank">analysis</a>.Why it matters: We&#x27;re only halfway through the state&#x27;s wildfire season, leaving time for more potential blazes exacerbated by Utah&#x27;s <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="poor snowpack" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/salt-lake-city/2026/02/11/storm-brings-hope-utah-snowpack" data-vars-content-id="7e7e0634-69c8-4bbd-8ce6-0fc3ee189d05" data-vars-headline="Utah&#x27;s wildfire season reaches historic extremes" 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/2026/02/11/storm-brings-hope-utah-snowpack" target="_self">poor snowpack</a> and <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="blistering temperatures" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/salt-lake-city/2026/07/29/salt-lake-city-heatwave-weather-temperature-weekend" data-vars-content-id="7e7e0634-69c8-4bbd-8ce6-0fc3ee189d05" data-vars-headline="Utah&#x27;s wildfire season reaches historic extremes" 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/2026/07/29/salt-lake-city-heatwave-weather-temperature-weekend" target="_self">blistering temperatures</a>.

Salt Lake City's unemployment rate dipped to 3.6% in June

Utah's capital added 22,900 jobs since last June, according to new federal data.

Salt Lake City&#x27;s unemployment rate declined to a seasonally adjusted 3.6% in June, matching national trends, new federal data shows.Why it matters: Half of the cities and metro areas tracked in the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="jobs report" data-vars-click-url="https://www.bls.gov/news.release/metro.nr0.htm" data-vars-content-id="c9543578-8bd6-4571-9b9a-917f230fcce7" data-vars-headline="Salt Lake City&#x27;s unemployment rate dipped to 3.6% in June" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.bls.gov/news.release/metro.nr0.htm" target="_blank">jobs report</a> posted higher unemployment rates, but Salt Lake City&#x27;s low figure suggests its labor market remains solid.

Utah might miss the "biggest stargazing night of 2026"

The weather isn't looking good for stargazers.

The <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Perseid meteor shower" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/salt-lake-city/2025/07/30/meteor-showers-utah-perseids-alpha-capricornids-delta-aquariids" data-vars-content-id="6ad007b0-e1a6-472a-b427-859e372dc0ff" data-vars-headline="Utah might miss the &quot;biggest stargazing night of 2026&quot;" 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/2025/07/30/meteor-showers-utah-perseids-alpha-capricornids-delta-aquariids" target="_self">Perseid meteor shower</a> will peak this week in perfect moonlight conditions — but the show might be clouded out in Utah.The big picture: Outside magazine is <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="calling" data-vars-click-url="https://www.outsideonline.com/adventure-travel/advice/perseid-meteor-shower-2026-how-to-watch/" data-vars-content-id="6ad007b0-e1a6-472a-b427-859e372dc0ff" data-vars-headline="Utah might miss the &quot;biggest stargazing night of 2026&quot;" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.outsideonline.com/adventure-travel/advice/perseid-meteor-shower-2026-how-to-watch/" target="_blank">calling</a> Wednesday &quot;The Year&#x27;s Greatest Stargazing Day,&quot; thanks to the meteors&#x27; optimal timing with the darkness of a new Moon.

Yes, there still are rules on the lands removed from Utah's national monuments

Many sites are still protected — but the Trump administration is looking at changing those rules.

Environment

When President Trump <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="decimated" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/salt-lake-city/2026/07/13/trump-cuts-grand-staircase-escalante-bears-ears-national-monuments-utah" data-vars-content-id="d80645ac-1120-4147-895b-04c47fddf4ee" data-vars-headline="Yes, there still are rules on the lands removed from Utah&#x27;s national monuments" 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/2026/07/13/trump-cuts-grand-staircase-escalante-bears-ears-national-monuments-utah" target="_self">decimated</a> Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante national monuments, he left behind a <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="patchwork" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/salt-lake-city/2026/07/15/map-trump-cuts-grand-staircase-escalante-bears-ears-national-monuments" data-vars-content-id="d80645ac-1120-4147-895b-04c47fddf4ee" data-vars-headline="Yes, there still are rules on the lands removed from Utah&#x27;s national monuments" 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/2026/07/15/map-trump-cuts-grand-staircase-escalante-bears-ears-national-monuments" target="_self">patchwork</a> of protected designations whose rules for recreation vary — and aren&#x27;t always well-known. Why it matters: Some critics and supporters of Trump&#x27;s cuts have inaccurately characterized the removed lands as a free-for-all, where four-wheelers may roam at will and mine shafts will soon pock the landscape.

Southern Utah pushing for last-minute trips as weak tourism season nears end

Wildfires and drought hurt the industry, but summer isn't over.

<figure><img alt="A mostly-empty trail at Bryce Canyon." height="880" id="1b2e496c-2111-4612-a5dc-0e929f115065" src="https://images.axios.com/HrcXhsJD7IEQpMb4NkEHq7eIRJc=/2026/07/30/1785450153609.jpg" width="1178"/><figcaption>A mostly-empty trail at Bryce Canyon. Photo: Courtesy of Jason Darrah</figcaption></figure>If you want a cheap staycation in southern Utah, businesses there are still sweeping their welcome mats and offering deals in the aftermath of wildfires that <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="hobbled the tourism industry this summer" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/salt-lake-city/2026/07/17/wildfires-tank-summer-tourism-in-southern-utah" data-vars-content-id="7265df63-fdfd-490b-9beb-0c1e961b6830" data-vars-headline="Southern Utah pushing for last-minute trips as weak tourism season nears end" 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/2026/07/17/wildfires-tank-summer-tourism-in-southern-utah" target="_self">hobbled the tourism industry this summer</a>. The big picture: Visitors bureaus are still trying to talk tourists out of their weather and wildfire fears.

Wildfires tank summer tourism in southern Utah

BUT — you can get some screaming deals on vacation lodging.

<figure><img alt="Two hikers wade the Virgin River Narrows at Zion National Park on Monday. Photo: Courtesy of Jason Darrah" height="1567" id="4e3e37d3-82cd-474d-8f13-4963a3414d73" src="https://images.axios.com/bdO5mmpOUsKvOML3tFaB0XNRHwc=/2026/07/15/1784144656160.jpg" width="1178"/><figcaption>Two hikers wade the Virgin River Narrows at Zion National Park on Monday, during what is normally peak tourism season. Photo: Courtesy of Jason Darrah</figcaption></figure>Tourism is cratering in southern Utah after massive wildfires made national headlines.The intrigue: People are canceling trips weeks in advance due to fires that will almost certainly be gone by the time they arrive, one business owner <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="tells ABC 4" data-vars-click-url="https://www.abc4.com/news/southern-utah/businesses-tourism-hit-cottonwood-fire/amp/" data-vars-content-id="d1e87cc9-0390-411f-ad77-c9a2f462a6cf" data-vars-headline="Wildfires tank summer tourism in southern Utah" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.abc4.com/news/southern-utah/businesses-tourism-hit-cottonwood-fire/amp/" target="_blank">tells ABC 4</a>.

Why Idaho Falls is a hidden gem of the Mountain West

In this western city, the River Walk is the improbable beating heart of hometown pride.

If you&#x27;re traveling north and need a stopping point, Idaho Falls is one of the nicest surprises I&#x27;ve found in the West.The intrigue: My family got stuck there this week because our car broke down, so it shouldn&#x27;t have been fun.

Lo, the glories of standard time in June

We squint with jealous eyes toward the cool (or at least reasonable) evenings to the hot, hot south.

In the never-ending debate about daylight saving time, one western state is unique — and by God, I&#x27;m gonna miss it.State of play: I&#x27;ve been in Tucson for the past week, and my whole family slipped into <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Arizona&#x27;s standard-time summer" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/phoenix/2024/03/11/arizona-decided-in-1968-that-it-didnt-need-to-save-any-daylight" data-vars-content-id="ca360c97-1dfd-40a3-9fbe-9a25c453d1b5" data-vars-headline="Lo, the glories of standard time in June" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/phoenix/2024/03/11/arizona-decided-in-1968-that-it-didnt-need-to-save-any-daylight" target="_self">Arizona&#x27;s standard-time summer</a> like we were born for it.

What's happening to the Utahns exposed to hantavirus

Unlike COVID-19, this virus requires close, prolonged contact to spread.

<a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Hantavirus" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2026/05/13/hantavirus-response-raises-readiness-concerns" data-vars-content-id="91bee977-034c-4839-bcee-b7accd31f8f3" data-vars-headline="What&#x27;s happening to the Utahns exposed to hantavirus" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2026/05/13/hantavirus-response-raises-readiness-concerns" target="_self">Hantavirus</a> has been on our minds since state health officials revealed that three Utah residents were among the passengers on a cruise ship linked to an outbreak.Why it matters: Hantavirus is highly dangerous and frequently fatal.

SLC airport braces for shutdown chaos as flight cuts loom

Trump's transportation secretary had already threatened to close some airspace.

Salt Lake City International Airport will likely see delays and cancellations if flights are cut this week, as <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="the Federal Aviation Administration promised Wednesday" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2025/11/05/flights-delays-airports-cancellations-faa" data-vars-content-id="70f864ee-d164-4af3-9b22-920df9ba03b0" data-vars-headline="SLC airport braces for shutdown chaos as flight cuts loom" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2025/11/05/flights-delays-airports-cancellations-faa" target="_self">the Federal Aviation Administration promised Wednesday</a> amid the federal government <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="shutdown." data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2025/11/02/flight-delays-staffing-shortages-government-shutdown" data-vars-content-id="70f864ee-d164-4af3-9b22-920df9ba03b0" data-vars-headline="SLC airport braces for shutdown chaos as flight cuts loom" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2025/11/02/flight-delays-staffing-shortages-government-shutdown" target="_self">shutdown.</a>The latest: The FAA said 10% of air traffic at 40 &quot;high-traffic&quot; U.S. <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="airports" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2025/10/23/government-shutdown-flight-delays-air-traffic-control" data-vars-content-id="70f864ee-d164-4af3-9b22-920df9ba03b0" data-vars-headline="SLC airport braces for shutdown chaos as flight cuts loom" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2025/10/23/government-shutdown-flight-delays-air-traffic-control" target="_self">airports</a> will be cut starting Friday, if the shutdown continues.

Salt Lake City airport operations steady as shutdown enters Week 3

Major airports across the country are feeling staffing strains two weeks into the shutdown.

With the U.S. government shutdown heading into its third week, services at Salt Lake City International Airport are still running &quot;smoothly,&quot; according to a spokesperson for the airport.Why it matters: Staff <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="shortages" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2025/10/08/government-shutdown-airports-flight-delays-air-traffic" data-vars-content-id="96488870-2af6-476b-b913-5dd7b3ee06c2" data-vars-headline="Salt Lake City airport operations steady as shutdown enters Week 3" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2025/10/08/government-shutdown-airports-flight-delays-air-traffic" target="_self">shortages</a> at major airports are worsening as the federal government shutdown <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="drags on" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2025/10/14/senate-democrats-private-government-shutdown-meetings" data-vars-content-id="96488870-2af6-476b-b913-5dd7b3ee06c2" data-vars-headline="Salt Lake City airport operations steady as shutdown enters Week 3" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2025/10/14/senate-democrats-private-government-shutdown-meetings" target="_self">drags on</a>, forcing employees to work without pay and causing flight delays and cancellations.

Passengers describe chaos on SLC-Amsterdam flight that hospitalized 25

People, belongings and a beverage cart went flying, passengers say.

Seatbelt signs were off and beverage service was in progress as a Delta flight from Salt Lake to Amsterdam <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="hit &quot;significant turbulence&quot;" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2025/07/31/delta-flight-turbulence-slc-minneapolis-injured-hospital" data-vars-content-id="3e7e0f59-1210-4a55-bd8f-bd476919c80f" data-vars-headline="Passengers describe chaos on SLC-Amsterdam flight that hospitalized 25" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2025/07/31/delta-flight-turbulence-slc-minneapolis-injured-hospital" target="_self">hit &quot;significant turbulence&quot;</a> that injured dozens before an emergency landing Wednesday in Minneapolis, passengers say.Zoom in: Upon the first sudden drop, over Wyoming, &quot;everything that wasn&#x27;t nailed down was up in the air,&quot; passenger Joseph Carbone told <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="WCCO-CBS News" data-vars-click-url="https://www.cbsnews.com/minnesota/news/minneapolis-airport-flight-emergency-landing-turbulence-injuries/" data-vars-content-id="3e7e0f59-1210-4a55-bd8f-bd476919c80f" data-vars-headline="Passengers describe chaos on SLC-Amsterdam flight that hospitalized 25" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.cbsnews.com/minnesota/news/minneapolis-airport-flight-emergency-landing-turbulence-injuries/" target="_blank">WCCO-CBS News</a>.

The most wish listed Airbnb in Utah

Watch the stars or bighorn sheep from a cabin perched high above the desert near Zion National Park.

The most wish listed Airbnb in Utah is a hilltop lodge south of Zion National Park, with breathtaking views and bighorn sheep roaming the rugged desert landscape, the company tells Axios.The intrigue: The house, known as Elevation 40 Zion, is extremely remote, reached by a road that requires four-wheel drive.

Travel

Yes, there still are rules on the lands removed from Utah's national monuments

Southern Utah pushing for last-minute trips as weak tourism season nears end

Wildfires tank summer tourism in southern Utah

Why Idaho Falls is a hidden gem of the Mountain West

Lo, the glories of standard time in June