Category: Utah

Utah Man Who Killed Family Was Investigated by Child Agency

SALT LAKE CITY—Child protective services had opened an investigation of a Utah man over alleged child abuse and threats to his family just weeks before he killed seven of his family members and then himself, new documents reveal. Caseworkers were at the Haight house in the small town of Enoch on Dec. 19, two weeks…


Judge’s Ruling That Sex Assaults Were Medical Malpractice Now Before Utah Supreme Court

A Utah judge ruled that sexual assaults alleged by more than 100 women against an OB-GYN falls under medical malpractice claims and dismissed their complaint in a civil suit they had filed against the doctor. Fourth District Court Judge Robert Lunnen made the ruling in October, but the Utah Supreme Court, in a rare decision,…


19 State Attorneys General Warn Grocers, Big-Box Retailers Against Mailing Abortion Pills

The attorneys general of 19 different states have sent a letter to Costco and Kroger warning the retail brands against sending abortion pills through the mail. Last month, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced updated rules that allow stores with pharmacies, such as Costco and Kroger, to dispense the abortion drug mifepristone through…


Fentanyl Seizures Have ‘Skyrocketed’ in Montana Since 2019: State Attorney General

There has been an almost 11,000 percent increase in fentanyl seizures in Montana since 2019, according to the state’s attorney general. In 2022, the Rocky Mountain High-Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (RMHIDTA)—a federal program that consists of 30 counties altogether in Colorado, Montana, Utah, and Wyoming—confiscated 206,955 dosage units of fentanyl in The Treasure State, a…


Utah Houses Passes Bill Restricting Abortion Clinics in the State

The Utah House of Representatives passed House Bill 467 on Feb. 17 that seeks to restrict the operation of abortion clinics in the state while also making changes to related regulations. “No abortion clinic may operate in the state on or after January 1, 2024, or the last valid date of an abortion clinic license…


Utah House Passes Bill Restricting Abortion Clinics in the State

The Utah House of Representatives passed House Bill 467 on Feb. 17 that seeks to restrict the operation of abortion clinics in the state while also making changes to related regulations. “No abortion clinic may operate in the state on or after January 1, 2024, or the last valid date of an abortion clinic license…


Utah Governor Tells Californians to ‘Stay in California’ Amid Exodus to Red States

Utah Gov. Spencer Cox, a Republican, said Friday that Californians fleeing high taxes, crime, and other problems shouldn’t relocate to Utah, which has been the fastest-growing state over the past decade and faces a housing and water crunch. “We would love for people to stay in California instead of coming as refugees to Utah,” Cox…


Utah Man Googled ‘Gunshot in a House’ Before Murder-Suicide

SALT LAKE CITY—A Utah man who fatally shot his wife, her mother, and their five kids before turning the gun on himself had done online searches about how loud different guns sound and whether neighbors could hear gunshots five days before the killings, new court records posted online show. According to a document containing the…


Ugandan Activist’s Family Awarded $10.5M for Utah Park Death

SALT LAKE CITY—The United States will pay family members of a Ugandan human rights activist killed in an accident at Arches National Park more than $10 million in damages, a federal judge ruled Monday. Though the amount was substantially less than pursued, attorneys representing the family of Esther Nakajjigo celebrated the judgement, saying it was…


Utah Bans Transgender Surgeries and Puberty Blockers for Children

Utah has become the first state in 2023 to ban most youth from receiving transgender surgery and puberty blockers. The legislation, SB16, passed the state Senate on Friday with a vote of 20–8; two Republican state senators joined with the chamber’s six Democrats in voting against the bill. Republican Utah Gov. Spencer Cox had ten days…