Public News Service

Earlier this year, a total of 74 cases had been filed challenging congressional and legislative maps in 27 states, including Utah, as racially discriminatory or partisan gerrymanders. (Adobe Stock)

Report: UT gets 'C minus' grade for redistricting policies

A new report rates how states are managing their redistricting policies, and the State of Utah didn't fare so well. The national watchdog group …

According to GreenLatinos, Hispanics and Latinos are twice as likely to depend on public transit for transportation, but current public transit lines don't ensure access to outdoor recreational spaces. (Andy Dean/Adobe Stock)

Group Pushes to 'Take Back Cinco de Mayo'

A national group says it wants to reclaim the significance of Cinco de Mayo, the anniversary of Mexico's victory over the Second French Empire at the …

According to the Topaz Museum, the U.S. government and army removed an estimated 120,000 men, women and children of Japanese ancestry from their West Coast homes and forced them into remote camps during World War II. (Wikimedia Commons)

UT Ceremonies Keep WWII Japanese American Experience Alive

Japanese Americans gather this weekend for memorial events at the World War II Topaz internment camp in Delta, and in Salt Lake City, to mark the 80…

According to Tabron, The National Day of Racial Healing is centered around experiences in truth-telling. (Adobe Stock)

UT Events Highlight National Day of Racial Healing

Today is Martin Luther King Jr. Day, a day in which many across the country celebrate the revolutionary words and thoughts of the civil rights …

Across the United States, 46 states have laws allowing for harsher punishment for crimes based on bias. (Ludk/Adobe Stock)

Report: Utah Could Improve Its Hate-Crime Laws

SALT LAKE CITY - With rising numbers of people targeted in hate crimes and related violence, a new report analyzes the hate-crime laws in each state…

Many voting-rights advocates believe Utah's election system works well in terms of efficiency and fairness, but they're also concerned recent court rulings could prompt changes. (Popov/Adobe Stock)

Utahns Concerned Over High Court Ruling on AZ Election Laws

SALT LAKE CITY -- In a landmark decision, the U.S. Supreme Court has upheld a pair of Arizona "election security" laws that many experts believe will …

A new Gallup survey shows more than 60% of Americans say they know

Juneteenth Declared National Holiday, Amidst Progress, Upheaval

SALT LAKE CITY -- Juneteenth National Independence Day is now an official holiday, after President Joe Biden signed a bill Thursday, approved by both …

Utah has about a 35,000-unit housing deficit, after years of population growth has outpaced development of apartments and small to mid-size houses. (utah.gov)

Utah Legislature Urged to Prioritize Affordable Housing

SALT LAKE CITY -- Religious leaders, local nonprofits and lawmakers are urging the Utah Legislature to restore funding for affordable housing to pre-…

Utah lawmakers will see a slew of bills this session addressing police behavior, including one that would prevent officers from using additional force against someone who's been subdued. (Adobe Stock)

Police Reform On Docket in Utah Legislature

SALT LAKE CITY -- Police reform will be a top priority when the Utah Legislature opens next Tuesday, and groups are pressing lawmakers to pass more …

Studies show that in Salt Lake County, pre-trial detainees spend an average of 128 days in jail before their case goes to trial. (Victor Moussa/Adobe Stock)

Nonprofit Group Aims to Eliminate Utah Cash-Bail System

SALT LAKE CITY -- Four of every five people currently sitting in Salt Lake County jails haven't been convicted of a crime, but are waiting there to …

Utah's prison population peaked in 2013, but has seen a decline after the state passed some criminal-justice reforms in 2015. (meesh/Flickr)

Report: After 2015 Reforms, Utah Could Reduce Prison Population Even Further

SALT LAKE CITY – If Utah continues to reduce its prison population, taxpayers could save as much as $250 million, according to a new report …

According to GLSEN, transgender students who face hostile school environments are three times more likely to miss school days than other students. (Barbara LN/Flickr)

Utah Educators Get Guidance for Supporting Trans Youth

SALT LAKE CITY – The American Civil Liberties Union of Utah and the Utah Pride Center want teachers, school administrators and policymakers to …

Approximately 833,000 people drive for Uber in a year, which would account for 0.56 percent of all employment. But on average drivers work 17 hours per week and just three months. (Pexels)

Report: Uber Drivers Average Wage $9.21 After Expenses

SALT LAKE CITY – The nation is making progress toward full employment, according to recent data, but don't rush to attribute that to the so-…

Nearly half of households headed by someone age 65 or older are rent burdened, and more than 20 percent pay half or more of their income in rent. (Pixabay)

Study: “Rent Burdened” Households on the Rise

SALT LAKE CITY – High rents are threatening families' financial security and putting home ownership out of reach for many, according to a new …

President Donald Trump's executive order in May 2017 instructed Attorney General Jeff Sessions to �issue guidance interpreting religious-liberty protections in Federal law.� (Getty Images)

Trump Administration Guidelines Court Discrimination, Study Says

SALT LAKE CITY -- New guidelines from the Trump administration that claim to protect religious freedoms may actually infringe on more freedoms than th…

In most cases, law enforcement is prohibited from entering a family home unless the family consents or agents have a warrant. (Getty Images)

ACLU Sues Over "SWAT-Style" ICE Raids on Utah Family

SALT LAKE CITY – The American Civil Liberties Union is pushing back against what it claims is increasingly heavy handed actions by U.S…

New research suggests that communities that are able to meet and interact with people from different backgrounds tend to have less hate. (Pixabay)

University of Utah Study Maps Hate in America by Region

SALT LAKE CITY – Hate is a national phenomenon, but the way hate is directed varies depending on where you live, according to new research from …

Suicide rates among youths in Utah have tripled since 2007, and LGBTQ people are especially at risk. (Pixabay)

First Annual LGBTQ Youth Summit Set to "Ignite" in Orem

OREM, Utah – Hundreds of young people from across the state are expected to descend upon Utah Valley University this weekend for "Ignite," …

Eighty-eight percent of children in immigrant families are U.S. citizens, and just six percent under age 18 are not authorized to be in the country. (Pixabay)

Opportunity Gap Persists for Utah Kids of Color

SALT LAKE CITY – Even after the recession, Utah's children of color and those living in immigrant families face persistent challenges that make …

Hospice care can help patients and families dealing with distressing physical and mental symptoms at the end of life. (Pixabay)

Utah Patients Missing Out on Hospice Benefits

SALT LAKE CITY - More than 40 percent of Medicare patients received just 14 days or less of hospice care in 2015, according to new data. People …

Black women with advanced degrees earn less than white men with only a bachelor�s degree. (Pixabay)

African-American Women Finally Hit Equal Pay Day Mark

SALT LAKE CITY – Black women have to work seven months into 2017 to be paid the same amount of money white men took home in 2016, according to …

Physicians say Medicare for All would help President Donald Trump make good on promises for better coverage and benefits. (Gage Skidmore/Wikimedia Commons)

Physicians Call for Medicare for All to Replace ACA

SALT LAKE CITY – With the Republican plan to replace the Affordable Care Act now dead on arrival, the debate over how to fix health care in the …

As Utah communities demonstrate support for immigrants, a report summarizing four decades of research concludes that immigrants do not increase crime. (Pixabay)

Study: Cities with Higher Immigrant Populations Have Lower Crime Rates

SALT LAKE CITY – As some immigrants in Utah face the prospect of deportation – including a Centerville mother who overstayed her visa but …

A new survey says schools could be doing more to minimize bullying of LGBTQ students and better train staff members to handle these incidents. (Pixabay)

Report: Progress Slow Reducing Hostility Toward LGBTQ Students

SALT LAKE CITY – Schools that take steps to reduce bullying and provide other supports for their LGBTQ students are seeing better education outc…

More people die during police encounters than previously reported. (Grendelkhan/Wikimedia Commons)

More Civilians Die in Police Encounters than Previously Reported

SALT LAKE CITY – Police officers have the legal authority to take lives, but keeping tabs on how many people are killed each year hasn't been …

Student anxiety and incidents of harassment have increased since the 2016 presidential election, according to a survey of school personnel. (iStockphoto)

Kids Face Anxiety, Harassment at School in Wake of Election

SALT LAKE CITY – This year's presidential election has had a big impact on the nation's schools, grades K-12. According to a new national …

Many African-Americans wait twice as long as whites to vote, a new study shows. (iStockphoto)

Study: Some Blacks Wait to Vote Twice as Long as Whites

SALT LAKE CITY – As the presidential race tightens, voter turnout could play a decisive role, and a new study warns that some Americans may …

According to new data, the childhood poverty rate in Utah has decreased three percentage points since 2011, but it is still at 13 percent. (Pixabay)

Utah Sees Lower Childhood Poverty

SALT LAKE CITY - Childhood poverty has decreased significantly in Utah since its peak in 2011, according to new data from the Annie E. Casey …

Critics are calling for the impeachment of a controversial Utah judge. Credit: Serggn/iStockphoto.com.

Calls for Legislature to Impeach Controversial Judge

SALT LAKE CITY – A movement is gaining steam to oust a Utah judge who sparked a national controversy when he ordered an infant to be removed fro…

Dr. Vandana Shiva of India speaks at the Parliament of the World's Religions in Salt Lake City. Credit: N.C. Interfaith Power and Light

World Religious Leaders Gather in Salt Lake City

SALT LAKE CITY - Almost 10,000 religious leaders from around the world are fired up and ready to act on the major issues affecting the world today…

PHOTO: Efforts to pass laws in Utah and around the nation to protect LGBT individuals against employment and housing discrimination are getting support from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Photo credit: California Office of Historic Preservation.

LDS Church: We Support Laws to Protect LGBT Americans

SALT LAKE CITY - The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is publicly supporting legislation at all levels of government that would provide pro…

PHOTO: Same-sex marriage is once again legal in Utah following the U.S. Supreme Court decision Monday to not hear cases attempting to preserve bans on marriage equality in several states. Photo credit: Library of Congress.

Same-Sex Marriage Again Legal in Utah After U.S. Supreme Court Action

SALT LAKE CITY - Monday's U.S. Supreme Court announcement that it will not hear marriage-equality cases from Utah and several other states marks a …

PHOTO: Almost half of Utahns support same-sex marriage being legalized in the state, according a new survey. Photo courtesy of Freedom To Marry.

Poll: 49 Percent of Utahans Support Marriage Equality

SALT LAKE CITY - Forty-nine percent of people in Utah support same-sex marriage being legalized in the state, according to a new poll. Evan Wolfson…

PHOTO: The fate of Utah's legally contested ban on same-sex marriage is now in the hands of the nation's highest court. Photo courtesy of the FBI.

Utah's Same-Sex Marriage Case Reaches U.S. Supreme Court

SALT LAKE CITY – The legal battle over Utah's ban on same-sex marriage has entered the jurisdiction of the U.S. Supreme Court. This week the …

PHOTO: Utah state Senator Jim Dabakis says Utah and all of the U.S. have a moral obligation to care for the tens of thousands of undocumented children arriving along the nation's southern border until their immigration status is determined. Photo courtesy of the U.S. Department of Defense.

Utah State Senator Calls on Governor to Help House Migrant Children

SALT LAKE CITY - Utah state Senator Jim Dabakis is calling on Gov. Gary Herbert and state faith leaders to support efforts to temporarily house and …

PHOTO: A lawsuit filed by the ACLU and other organizations against the federal government says the government is obliged to provide undocumented children with legal counsel at immigration hearings. Photo courtesy of the U.S. Department of Defense.

Lawsuit Seeks Legal Counsel for Undocumented Kids at Immigration Hearings

SALT LAKE CITY - A lawsuit filed against the federal government by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and other groups is seeking government-pr…

PHOTO: Same-sex marriage advocates in Utah say a federal court ruling supporting marriage equality is the biggest legal win in the history of the gay rights movement. Photo courtesy of the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals.

Federal Court Rules In Favor Of Marriage Equality In Utah

SALT LAKE CITY - A federal court ruling favoring same-sex marriage in Utah is being called the biggest legal victory in the history of the gay rights …

PHOTO: In Utah, 85 percent of respondents to an AARP survey said they'd support legislation that would reduce the burden of proof required in age discrimination cases. Photo courtesy Kansas Office of the Securities Commissioner.

AARP Utah Survey Shows Strong Support for Age-Discrimination Bill

SALT LAKE CITY – A new AARP survey shows overwhelming support in Utah for bipartisan legislation in Congress that could help older workers prove…

PHOTO: A report out today (Tuesday) shows children of color face major economic and educational barriers in overall well-being. Photo courtesy FDA.

Report: Children of Color in UT, Nation Face Barriers to Well-Being

SALT LAKE CITY - Children of color in Utah and across the nation face major economic and educational barriers in nearly every category of well-being…

PHOTO: Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. is being honored at Brigham Young University and around Utah today, as the nation honors the slain civil rights leader. Photo credit: U.S. State Department.

Utah and Nation Honor MLK Today

PROVO, Utah - Activities around Utah today remember and celebrate the late Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and the work he did to bring greater racial …

PHOTO: The U-S Supreme Court took action Monday that temporarily stops same-sex couples from tying the knot in Utah. Image courtesy CDC.

U.S. Supreme Court Puts Same-Sex Marriage In Utah On Hold

SALT LAKE CITY – The U.S. Supreme Court took action Monday that temporarily stops same-sex couples from tying the knot in Utah. The high …

PHOTO: The U.S. Census Bureau reports that 15 percent of children in Utah live in poverty. Image courtesy of the Utah Education Association.

U.S. Census Bureau: 15% Of Utah Children Live In Poverty

SALT LAKE CITY - The number of children in Utah living in poverty is not going down. According to the U.S. Census Bureau's "2012 American Community …

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UT: Human Rights/Racial Justice