Why aren’t Utah’s political leaders using our budget surplus to expedite our transition? Utah has some of the very worst air quality in the world for the size of our population. In Utah, childhood asthma rates are some of the highest in the U.S. Our abnormally high rates of lung cancer, cardiovascular disease, emphysema are all linked to our particularly high-particulate … [Read more...]
Utes Used Psychedelics in Shamanic Rituals, but What Did They Eat?
A year ago on the Utah Stories podcast, we examined the practices of Native Americans in shamanic rituals, including their usage of psychedelics to conduct “vision quests” to better understand their purpose in life. We spoke to Dr. Reid Robison, who described their usage of DMT, peyote, and mushrooms in detail and how those practices are being emulated today to treat everything … [Read more...]
Should Utah Allow Transgender Girls – Biological Boys Compete in Sports against Biological Girls?
This past legislative session Utah joined 20 other states that proposed banning transgender girls (biological boys) from competing in school sports. HB 302, was introduced by Kera Birkeland R-Morgan, who is a women's athletics advocate. She made it clear in her statement: “This bill was never about not including others, and I want to make that very clear. This bill is about … [Read more...]
39-year-old Utah Woman Dies After Receiving Covid Vaccine
That is the headline reported by KUTV News, but is it true? A 39-year old Ogden mother died from flu-like symptoms just after she received the Covid-19 vaccine. It was her second dose of the vaccine, and just after she received the shot she began vomiting and the area where she was injected became sore. So, this is the most popular story on KUTV News website, it is gaining … [Read more...]
Is the Rise of Hard Seltzer the Future of Craft Beer?
It all started with a few billboards for White Claw... That was before I saw the end caps in supermarkets. Then I believe the ads appeared on buses and Trax. “Could this really be happening?“ I thought. “Could this White Claw and ‘hard seltzer’ replace beer as La Croix and energy drinks are replacing soda?" Consumer fads are hard to differentiate from actual cultural … [Read more...]
Who is Mitt Romney?
This past week Mitt Romney appeared out to prove all of the Utahns who are calling him a RINO (Republican in Name Only), that he is in fact a fiscal conservative as he called Biden's $1.9 trillion Covid Relief package, "a clunker". Romney pointed out how the United States is currently $23 trillion in debt, and that as interest rates begin to rise, there is no doubt that the … [Read more...]
Will The Church Be Softening Its Policy Regarding The Same Sex Marriage?
It’s been one year since BYU issued a statement that they will not be allowing nor providing any type of endorsement for same-sex couples or same-sex marriage. This statement released by the BYU honor code came as a blow to LGBQT students enrolled at BYU. Student organizer Baily Luck, a senior put together flyers and organized around fifty students who hiked up the hill with … [Read more...]
Utah Event Venues Will Be Opening Up
Many entertainment venues will be able to reopen Dreamscapes in Gateway will be opening to a more full capacity, due to an announcement given by Governor Spencer Cox. Venues can open up shoulder to shoulder. It appears that theaters such as Hale Center Theater will be moving to full capacity under the new health department guidelines. But if people are eating and drinking … [Read more...]
What Do Donald Trump and Joseph Smith Have in Common?
The short answer is they were both presidential candidates accused but never convicted of inciting riots. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints founder Joseph Smith had a similar anti-establishment attitude to Trump when it came to federal power and how it is wielded in Washington. And Smith certainly wanted to “drain the swamp” but in a manner that is very … [Read more...]
Have Utahns Forgotten Their Industrious Pioneer Ways?
Will we adopt California’s identity if we don’t define it ourselves? Does Utah and the West still have an identity? Are we standing up for who we are? And what we want? Or are we likely to become culturally, politically, and religiously like California? Politics flows downstream of culture, and for decades California has defined and created the culture of the west. … [Read more...]