KSL's Inside Sources

It's the update we know you've all been waiting for: the Fat Bear Week champion has now been crowned! A bear named Backpack took the title, just 7 years after his mother did.

Over the last few years, state leaders have put a renewed emphasis on the importance of trade skills -- of making sure our young people are getting opportunities to learn in ways besides traditional higher education. It comes at a good time as nearly 1/4 of current tradespeople are expected to retire soon. In this segment, we want to talk about a report that just came out on the State of America's Skilled Trades Workforce. Maria Flynn, President and CEO of Jobs for the Future, joins Inside Sources to explain the need for more tradespeople.

If a judge doesn't rule in your favor, you generally appeal to the next higher court -- you don't usually try to get the judge removed from the bench. But that's exactly what Senator Mike Lee is proposing; he wants to impeach a federal judge who ruled against President Trump. The ruling in question paused the President's push to restrict mail-in voting. Greg and Holly have no shortage of thoughts on the move.

Major projects at Utah's national parks are now on hold after the federal government blocked $1.7 million in funding. The projects were designed to support research and protect resources across the state. This money wouldn't have only gone to Utah's "Mighty 5 Parks"; it would also have gone to recreation areas in the state managed by the federal government.

If you have kids, you probably know the struggle of finding good, affordable child care nowadays. And it feels like it's only getting harder. So what can be done to make things better for Utah's families? This weekend, KSL NewsRadio will air a special presentation called "Utah's Childcare Crisis: Navigating the lack of availability and affordability in a costly world." Ahead of that special, we want to talk more about the issues of childcare. For more on that, Greg and Holly are joined by the producer and host of this special, KSL NewsRadio's Heather Peterson.

Utah's population is changing and that's going to mean a bit of an enrollment crunch for Utah's colleges and universities in the coming years. New data from the Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute re-emphasizes a warning from the state's Speaker of the House: we need to be looking at the future and prepare now. With more on this new data and how colleges can prepare, Greg and Holly are joined by Deseret News reporter Jason Swensen.

Election season is ramping up here in Utah and the first debates are finally underway. Last night, candidates for Utah's First Congressional District took to the debate stage. Remember, this is the district that now leans towards Democrats. The candidates are Republican Riley Owen and Democrat Ben McAdams. Greg and Holly share their thoughts on the matchup and we hear the KSL Truth Test analyzing the debate.

We started out the show with a discussion on new tech: artificial intelligence. In this segment, we shift the conversation to a newer kind of tech… that's also not really new anymore: podcasts. It's International Podcast Day! KSL has a large presence in the podcast world, from Dave Cawley's COLD to Maria Shilaos' KSL News Daily and everything in between. With more on how podcasts work and why they are so popular -- both among listeners and among podcast creators -- is Amy Donaldson, executive producer with KSL Podcasts.

It's being called a kind of "AI Constitution" -- leaders in the artificial intelligence industry have come together with the White House and agreed on a set of safeguards for AI development. Basically, the tech leaders have agreed to police themselves. The agreement comes amid several dire warnings from AI leaders about the future of the tech and how it could lead to the end of humanity. So, what do these safeguards mean for the average American? Or the average AI user around the world? Joining us for more is Tim Kapp, founder of the tech firm Cinco AI and an adjunct professor at BYU.

Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth doesn't want "fat" people in the military -- he's said so several times before. Today, he's expected to announce several changes to the military, including the elimination of 20% of admirals and generals. He's calling it the "State of the Force." Ahead of his remarks, Greg and Holly share their concerns about a push towards looks for military members and leaders instead of a push towards ability and skill.