Government Shutdown Watch: Is it up to Senate Democrats to keep the government running? 

It all rests on the Senate. And not just the Senate as a whole -- on Senate Democrats. The U.S. House approved a Continuing Resolution to keep the government funded past Friday. But will the Senate concur? Republicans in the Senate have quickly framed the messaging: it's up to Democrats to vote in support of the budget... or force a government shutdown. 

 

Dept. of Education lays off nearly half their staff 

Roughly half of the staff working at the U.S. Department of Education are in the process of being laid off today as President Trump continues his push for a complete elimination of the agency. The new Secretary of Education says the workforce reductions are the first step in the dismantling of the department. Inside Sources discusses the latest updates on the future of the DOE. 

 

Immigration app to be replace by “self-deportation” app 

During the Biden administration, migrants coming to the US could schedule appointments at points of entry through an app called CBP One. When President Trump took over, he quickly got rid of that feature. Now, the administration is set to release a new app – not for immigration, but for deportation. The new CBP Home app will launch with a new "self-deportation" feature. 

 

Which executive orders do Utahns like the most? 

Since re-entering office on January 20th, President Trump has signed 83 executive orders. Between that and hundreds of other executive actions, many in the country have voiced concerns about the executive branch doing too much. In Utah however, new polling shows that voters are more supportive of the President's actions than the rest of the country. What executive orders do Utahns like the most? 

 

Box Elder County public officials facing charges of sexual exploitation of minors 

On Inside Sources, we discuss the biggest political stories of the day. Sometimes, that means we discuss legal stories too. And sometimes, it means talking about some rather uncomfortable situations. One of the biggest stories in Utah right now deals with allegations and charges of sexual exploitation of minors and child pornography usage and dissemination between a judge in Box Elder County and the now former Tremonton Fire Chief. With KSL Legal Analyst Greg Skordas co-hosting today's show, Inside Sources talks through some of the more technical aspects of the cases. 

 

On the Hill 2025: How are Utahns feeling about nuclear power? 

One of the hot topics during this year's legislative general session was energy -- how can the state expand energy production? One method discussed was nuclear power. House Bill 249 set a kind of stage to explore the ins and outs of nuclear. The Inside Sources hosts dig into new polling data that shows just how Utahns feel about this potential energy source. 

 

Fmr. Congresswoman Mia Love shares her “living wish” for America 

Former Congresswoman Mia Love's battle with brain cancer is coming to an end; she's stopped responding to treatment. Now, she's writing her "living wish" -- what she hopes the country will do in the future. Yesterday, she penned an opinion piece in the Deseret News highlighting her finals hopes for America. Inside Sources discusses a few of the principles she focused on. 

 

Local city councilman joins national committee to represent Utah 

Utah is the 30th most populated state in the country. We're not the biggest, but our impact is pretty dang large. It's an exciting thing whenever our leaders take on larger roles in national politics, representing Utah to the rest of the country. Recently, Riverton City Councilman Andy Pierucci announced his appointment to the Community Leaders of America National Steering Committee.  He joins us today to chat about the group and what his presence on the committee means for Utah. 

 

Utah is the 30th most populated state in the country. We're not the biggest, but our impact is pretty dang large. It's an exciting thing whenever our leaders take on larger roles in national politics, representing Utah to the rest of the country. Recently, Riverton City Councilman Andy Pierucci announced his appointment to the Community Leaders of America National Steering Committee.  He joins us today to chat about the group and what his presence on the committee means for Utah. 

Former Congresswoman Mia Love's battle with brain cancer is coming to an end; she's stopped responding to treatment. Now, she's writing her "living wish" -- what she hopes the country will do in the future. Yesterday, she penned an opinion piece in the Deseret News highlighting her finals hopes for America. Inside Sources discusses a few of the principles she focused on. 

One of the hot topics during this year's legislative general session was energy -- how can the state expand energy production? One method discussed was nuclear power. House Bill 249 set a kind of stage to explore the ins and outs of nuclear. The Inside Sources hosts dig into new polling data that shows just how Utahns feel about this potential energy source. 

On Inside Sources, we discuss the biggest political stories of the day. Sometimes, that means we discuss legal stories too. And sometimes, it means talking about some rather uncomfortable situations. One of the biggest stories in Utah right now deals with allegations and charges of sexual exploitation of minors and child pornography usage and dissemination between a judge in Box Elder County and the now former Tremonton Fire Chief. With KSL Legal Analyst Greg Skordas co-hosting today's show, Inside Sources talks through some of the more technical aspects of the cases. 

Since re-entering office on January 20th, President Trump has signed 83 executive orders. Between that and hundreds of other executive actions, many in the country have voiced concerns about the executive branch doing too much. In Utah however, new polling shows that voters are more supportive of the President's actions than the rest of the country. What executive orders do Utahns like the most? 

During the Biden administration, migrants coming to the US could schedule appointments at points of entry through an app called CBP One. When President Trump took over, he quickly got rid of that feature. Now, the administration is set to release a new app – not for immigration, but for deportation. The new CBP Home app will launch with a new "self-deportation" feature. 

Roughly half of the staff working at the U.S. Department of Education are in the process of being laid off today as President Trump continues his push for a complete elimination of the agency. The new Secretary of Education says the workforce reductions are the first step in the dismantling of the department. Inside Sources discusses the latest updates on the future of the DOE. 

It all rests on the Senate. And not just the Senate as a whole -- on Senate Democrats. The U.S. House approved a Continuing Resolution to keep the government funded past Friday. But will the Senate concur? Republicans in the Senate have quickly framed the messaging: it's up to Democrats to vote in support of the budget... or force a government shutdown. 

Ukraine agrees to 30-day ceasefire 

Breaking just before our show today: Ukraine has agreed to a 30-day ceasefire with Russia. It comes after talks with United States officials in Saudi Arabia. However, Russia has not yet agreed to the ceasefire. But it's a big step for Ukraine, which had previously been apprehensive about a ceasefire deal with Russia. Does this willingness to sign a ceasefire signal a change in how Ukraine is approaching the situation? Rusty Cannon and Erin Rider give their analysis. 

 

Representative Blake Moore speaks on budget vote, DOGE actions 

Later this afternoon, the US House will vote on a Continuing Resolution to keep the government funded past this Friday. US Representative Blake Moore (UT-1) joins Inside Sources to discuss the latest on the CR vote. Rep. Moore also shares some insights on the DOGE process and what he’s watching as co-chair of the DOGE caucus.  

 

Federal judge says DOGE must comply with open records requests 

A federal judge says the Department of Government Efficiency must comply with public records requests. It comes following the refusal of DOGE to give records access to a watchdog group, even though they had filed a legal request under the Freedom of Information Act, also known as FOIA. It's the latest development as government watchdog groups nationwide seek transparency from DOGE. 

 

Pres. Trump announces 50% tariffs on steel, aluminum from Canada 

The talk of tariffs and a possible recession have thrown the market into a free-fall over the past few days. Today, President Trump is doubling down -- announcing 50% tariffs on steel and aluminum from Canada. But just a short time ago, Ontario Premier Doug Ford said the province would not impose additional surcharges on electricity. When President Trump announced the increased tariff, he blamed it on the electricity surcharge. If that’s off the table, what happens now? 

 

11 people charged with forgery, related crimes dealing with signature gathering 

A new investigation by the Utah Attorney General's Office found nearly a dozen instances of forgery and forgery-related crimes... all centered around signature-gathering for candidate petitions. While it’s a small amount – that probably wouldn’t have changed the end result – it still sparks an additional conversation on election security. The Inside Sources hosts dig into the charges. 

 

On the Hill 2025: How the state will spend your tax dollars next year 

As the dust settles, and everyone takes a deeper look at the bills passed during the legislative session, it got us thinking: what are the biggest things our taxpayer dollars are going to fund going forward? Our friends at Deseret News had similar questions and did some digging. What new things will your hard-earned tax dollars go to fund? Listen to find out. 

 

On the Hill 2025: Passed legislation on elections, housing, childcare 

Leading up to the Legislative Session -- and during the 45-day session itself -- we discussed tons of bills. Now, we check on some of the legislation that passed and now awaits the Governor's signature... or veto. This segment, we discuss legislation on elections, housing, and childcare. 

 

Study: How much does Utah rely on the federal government for funds? 

Here in Utah, we pride ourselves on self-reliance. It's one of the founding principles of our state -- a carry-over from the pioneers. It's not always possible to be 100% self-reliant though; sometimes we need assistance from the federal government. But just how much do we rely on the federal government? A new study puts us towards the bottom of the list.