Access Utah

“Leave it as it is,” Theodore Roosevelt announced while viewing the Grand Canyon for the first time. “The ages have been at work on it and man can only mar it.” Roosevelt’s rallying cry signaled the beginning of an environmental fight that still wages today.

It’s the day after Election Day. We don’t know for sure who has won the presidential election. Control of the U.S. Senate is still unclear. Many votes are still being counted. The picture in Utah is clearer. We’ll talk about where we are and where we go from here.

Today we check in with representatives from several arts organizations in Utah. With COVID cases not only continuing but increasing in many of our communities, how are arts organizations adapting? And how can audiences support the arts while staying safe?

Utah recently set a new single-day record for Covid-19 cases. Governor Herbert has announced new guidelines. And the Utah Public Health Association is calling for stricter measures to be taken to slow the spread of the coronavirus.

The Utah Women’s Giving Circle is presenting their “Resilient 2020 Speaker Series | From Susan B. Anthony to RBG: The history, resilience and call to community.” The concluding event in the series is on Thursday and is titled “New Possibilities Amidst the Unraveling” Sara Jones, CEO of InclusionPro will talk about how to identify opportunities in the midst of turmoil. She will remind us that unraveling our expectations gives us space, freedom, and clear eyes to see things differently.

On a page on their website titled “Fix Our Broken System,” and in answer to the question: Why a third party? The Green Party says that third parties can force progress on political issues; they can provide an “emotional bridge” for voters weary of voting for one major party but not ready to vote for the other; and they can help turn one of the major parties out of power.

According to the BBC a new round of “...[p]rotests calling for an end to police brutality began on 7 October [in Nigeria]. The demonstrations, dominated by young people, started with calls for a police unit, the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (Sars), to be disbanded.” The Sars unit has been accused of extortion, torture and extrajudicial killings. Nigeria’s president has announced that the unit is being disbanded, but protests have continued, with protesters seeking broader reforms. The president has said that criminals have hijacked the protests and has ordered police to end the “violence, killings, looting and destruction of property.”

As the election approaches, we want to hear from you. Today, we're inviting you to join us on Access Utah to share your thoughts and feelings leading up to the election which is, now, one week away. Which candidates are you passionate about? What issues are top of mind? Which races are you following most closely?

The Fall speaker series from the Utah Women’s Giving Circle continues on Thursday with a presentation titled “Triaging Resilience in the Midst of Crisis.” The speaker, clinical therapist Em Capito, says she’ll share “a research-based tangible framework for triaging our personal resilience along with the strategic shifts that deepen our roots, for ourselves, our families and our teams, toward the collective resilience that will lead our communities into the reinvention and renewal ahead.” Em Capito will join us for Monday’s Access Utah.

The first book-length treatment of Utah’s distinctive food heritage, “This is the Plate” traces Utah’s food history from pre-contact Native American times through the arrival of multinational Mormon pioneers, miners, farmers, and other immigrants to today’s moment of “foodie” creativity, craft beers, and “fast-casual” restaurant-chain development.