KSL's Inside Sources

Utah's elections are receiving top marks and high praise from R Street Institute, a center-right think tank based in Washington, D.C. According to a new report, Utah ranks among the nation's best in a new election scorecard, ranking alongside Florida, Georgia, and Ohio. While the Lieutenant Governor agrees with the findings, many on social media do not. Why? Greg and Jim share their thoughts on the state of Utah's election system.

While both of Utah's senators support the SAVE America Act, they're taking very different approaches to getting it passed. Senator Mike Lee -- who's sponsoring the bill -- has the support and backing of President Trump to end the filibuster and get the bill passed. But Senator John Curtis says, "hold up... let's think about this first." As the son and grandson of former Senators who represented Utah, guest host Jim Bennett has an interesting perspective on the filibuster and shares it on Inside Sources.

Tracking, understanding, and cleaning up Utah's air -- those are some of the goals of a new collaboration between state leaders and health experts. It's being called the Collaborative for Clean Air and aims to study the relationship between poor air quality and mental health. With more details on the collaboration and how everyone can work to improve the air, the hosts are joined by Dr. Daniel Mendoza, a research associate professor at the University of Utah and Dr. Marie Heffernan, an assistant professor in the Department of Pediatrics at Northwestern University.

One of the saddest Utah cases in the news over the past couple of years has been the death of 12-year-old Gavin Peterson. You'll recall that he was abused and neglected by his own family, which ultimately led to his death. One year ago, the people behind his death were put behind bars. And now, the prosecutors on the case are sharing their experiences and the emotional toll this has had on them. KSL Legal Analyst Greg Skordas has a lot of experience working with crime victims over the years; he also discusses the kind of emotional toll they have on him on a personal level.

It's only the end of July, but it feels like the summer has really dragged on. In some ways, it feels like we've been wandering around the desert for 40 years, you know? As the climate gets hotter and hotter -- and our summers follow suit -- what are Utahns doing to adapt to the heat? What lifestyle changes are they making? The Inside Sources hosts discuss and read listeners' comments.

After months of waiting for a decision, the federal government has finally released their plans for how western states can share water from the Colorado River. From an initial look at the new Environmental Impact Study (EIS), it appears states in the lower basin -- California, Arizona, and Nevada -- will need to cut their water usage by at least 20%. Greg and Jim share thoughts on this plan, then get overall updates on the ongoing drought across the state from Laura Haskell, drought coordinator at the Utah Division of Water Resources.

Wild Utah Weather: Lightning strikes truck in Southern Utah

Imagine this: you're driving down the highway and then *BAM* ... you've been hit by lightning. A man driving on I-15 outside of Cedar City found himself in this exact situation yesterday. He was driving on the freeway minding his own business when suddenly, his truck got hit with a bolt of lightning. When all was said and done, the truck was a total loss. The whole front part of the truck -- everything but the bed -- was burned or melted. Greg and Jim pose the question: if you only have 10 seconds to get out of your car, what would you grab?

 - Utah Heat: Is this the warmest summer on record?

Get ready for more triple-digit heat. Only the upper 90s today, but more potentially record-breaking highs are on deck for this weekend. And with those highs, many have asked the question: are our summers actually getting hotter? Or is this year more of a fluke? KSL Meteorologist Matt Johnson joins with some answers.

 - War in Iran: New data on economic effects, Israel PM not backing down

The War in Iran is being blamed -- at least in part -- for a slowing U.S. economy. This morning, new data released from the Feds show that the economy slowed more than expected due to the war and stubborn inflation. We've talked a lot about the roller coaster of gas and oil prices, but is there more to the story? Professor Jason Kotter, Assistant Professor of Finance at the Marriott School of Business at Brigham Young University shares his insights. At the same time attacks on Iran are ramping up, President Trump is voicing frustration with the way Israeli leadership are handling the conflict. We hear some of an exclusive interview from ABC News, and then the hosts discuss.

 - Privacy vs. Safety: Flock cameras and automated license plate readers

As technology expands and improves, it brings up a really interesting discussion on safety versus privacy. Right now, leaders in Salt Lake City are trying to decide how to best use automatic license plate readers -- trying to balance privacy and safety. And across the country, Americans from all walks of life are pushing back on this expansion of private "Flock" cameras, saying it's moving us closer and closer to being a surveillance state. What do you think?

 - Emergency response aircraft coming soon to a sky near you

The future is here, and it could mean the difference between life and death, especially in rural parts of the state. A new electric aircraft would provide speedy emergency response and it could be in the air before you know it. Rather than drones delivering packages and such, this kind of aircraft would help get first responders to the scene or rural or hard-to-reach emergencies. Greg volunteers on a local ski patrol and shares his thoughts on how this could help in a plethora of situations.

 - Kouri Richins' motion to remove judge in new trial denied

Even after being convicted of killing her husband and sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole, Kouri Richins isn’t giving up. She and her legal team are trying to get a whole new trial, claiming that the judge who oversaw the original case wasn’t fair and came off as “hostile” to their side. Another judge denied that motion last night. KSL Legal Analyst Greg Skordas explains the development and the future of all the appeals.

 - First feature film made using AI coming to theaters this fall

So-called AI "slop"... coming soon to a cinema near you?? The country's first AI-generated film is set to debut on the silver screen this fall. Now it's not fully artificial intelligence -- there are real people involved as well. But this movie does rely heavily on AI for special effects and other visuals. This segment, we have a conversation about what this could mean for the movie industry overall; KSL Movie Show host Andy Farnsworth joins in.

 - Poll: Majority of Utahns willing to pay higher energy costs if it promotes clean energy

Would you be willing to pay more for your electricity if you knew it was coming from clean energy sources? A new poll from Utah State University says more than half of Utahns are willing to pay more on their power bills if it means supporting clean energy. Greg and Jim see both benefits and flaws to this idea; listen in for more details.

 - Lame-duck Senators stand in way of Attorney General confirmation

Another day… another hiccup in the confirmation process for Todd Blanche as he works to become the country's next Attorney General. Now, President Trump is floating the idea of pulling the nomination… at least temporarily. What's been really interesting about this whole process is who's holding it up: two lame-duck Republican Senators. We get updates on the hearing thus far and discuss the specific reservations the two Senators seem to have.

 - Federal government expands law helping 'downwinders'

When you hear the term "downwinders," you might only think of people living in Southern Utah during the government's nuclear testing decades ago. But the government has actually expanded who qualifies as a downwinder. For people who were made ill by nuclear testing -- but lived in places like Northern Utah -- they haven't qualified for help.... until now. Deseret News reporter Lois Collins explains.

 - Davis School District superintendent wins state award

Some exciting recognition in Davis School District -- their superintendent has received the award for Utah Superintendent of the Year. Dr. Daniel Linford was recognized by his peers from around the state, who say he uplifts and trains education leaders both in his district and around the state.

Some exciting recognition in Davis School District -- their superintendent has received the award for Utah Superintendent of the Year. Dr. Daniel Linford was recognized by his peers from around the state, who say he uplifts and trains education leaders both in his district and around the state.

When you hear the term "downwinders," you might only think of people living in Southern Utah during the government's nuclear testing decades ago. But the government has actually expanded who qualifies as a downwinder. For people who were made ill by nuclear testing -- but lived in places like Northern Utah -- they haven't qualified for help.... until now. Deseret News reporter Lois Collins explains.

Another day… another hiccup in the confirmation process for Todd Blanche as he works to become the country's next Attorney General. Now, President Trump is floating the idea of pulling the nomination… at least temporarily. What's been really interesting about this whole process is who's holding it up: two lame-duck Republican Senators. We get updates on the hearing thus far and discuss the specific reservations the two Senators seem to have.