James Huntsman, son of billionaire philanthropist Jon Huntsman, is suing the LDS Church for $5 million for back tithing. He says the church misled him into believing that all of his tithing would be used for charitable purposes. When he learned that the money was actually spent on financing the bailout of the Church’s life insurance company and the Mormon Mall he resigned his … [Read more...]
Big MLM trouble in Big China
Can USANA deal with Chinese laws? Major multi-level marketing companies like USANA face crackdowns in China, where the business practice is widespread, sometimes violent, and very illegal. The following story was written and reported by The Utah Investigative Journalism Project in partnership with Utah Stories. USANA encounters multi-level problems in China Multi-level … [Read more...]
A brief history of newspapers in Utah
"The newspaper is the first rough draft of history." — Philip Graham When Utah was just a territory and the Transcontinental Railroad was not yet complete, news was a priceless commodity to the pioneer inhabitants who needed a connection to the rest of the country and the world. Alone in an … [Read more...]
Utah farmer seeking medical cannabis grow permit
Medical cannabis will be sown in Utah, but will the profits be reaped elsewhere? Now that medical cannabis in Utah has been legalized, it's time to turn our attention to how the medicinal plant will be grown—will there be supply to meet the projected demands?—and, maybe more importantly, who will be able to grow it? It's an important question because the State will … [Read more...]
What Will President Trump’s Review of National Monuments Mean for Utah?
On Wednesday, President Donald Trump took an official step toward re-considering the protection of 40 national monuments, including Bears Ears National Monument. Barack Obama brought the monument under federal protection in the final days of his presidency, in a move Trump called, “an egregious abuse of power." The new administration is now reviewing whether they believe power … [Read more...]
Inside Heroin Addiction and Homelessness in Salt Lake City
If a lighthouse were planted on Lookout Peak above Salt Lake City, you could trace the lambency of its beacon in a southwestern direction down the mountainside, across the polished spires of the Mormon temple, through the glass façade of Vivint Arena, and finally into the Block, where the light would disperse and settle like falling snow. The Block is the gathering place for … [Read more...]
Build a Better Burger
It's a summertime staple: grilled, barbecued cheeseburgers topped with lettuce, pickles, onions and fresh, vine-ripened tomatoes. It doesn't get much better than this, except for the addition of an ice-cold beer. Americans consume an average of 73 pounds of red meat per person per year. But how is all of this beef produced? In one pound of ground beef (from most major … [Read more...]
Utah Restaurants: Gone But Not Forgotten
As Utah Stories planned September's food issue we asked our readers to share their memories of a favorite restaurant that has since closed. Some of our fond memories include Der Ratskeller Pizza, Della Fontana, Beau Brummel, The Paprika, La Parisienne, Bratten's Seafood Grotto, The Hawaiian, and The Print Shop. Actually we could go on and on. It is not just the great food that … [Read more...]
Civil Asset Forfeiture
Did you know that your private property can be seized and kept by police, even though you have not been charged with a crime? You may be totally innocent of any wrongdoing, but police and state prosecutors can still grab your home, vehicles, bank account and any cash you may have available-everything you own. Worse, you may never be able to get that property returned. In … [Read more...]
West-ward Ho: Cowboy West Taylor
The pursuit of happiness comes in all forms, including how one St. George man made his dreams come true after having his house foreclosed and losing everything. “I remember being in the city and working and the stress, and I was wondering how I was going to just get happy. How am I ever going to achieve happiness?” West Taylor is sitting with us under a leaky outdoor … [Read more...]