Inside Sources

Topics we will cover on this episode of KSL's Inside Sources include:

• Pres. Trump heading to Capitol Hill to unify Republicans
• KSL launches new in-depth daily news podcast
• A block on a ban: legal troubles barring food stamp limitations
• Utah Firewatch: Why aren't leaders banning fireworks?

Severe fire growth around the state continues today, with several new fires popping up and others exploding in size. All these fires in the season has many wondering why leaders haven't banned fireworks yet. State leaders say cities need to do it themselves, but Bountiful Mayor Kate Bradshaw says the state has limited what they can actually do. She joins the show to explain. Greg and Holly finish things up discussing Amazon Prime Days and how more Americans are expected to buy essentials rather than splurging on something special or fancy.

How has work-from-home policies affected America's downtowns? Have return-to-office mandates changed that trajectory? In the several years since the COVID pandemic, we've talked a lot about the effects of changing work policies. Deseret News opinion editor Jay Evensen took a closer look at this trend and whether things have changed for the long-term. Jay joins the show for a conversation on the changing landscape of America's cities... thanks to changing working trends.

A federal judge has blocked the Trump administration -- namely the Department of Agriculture -- from barring the use of food stamps to buy things like sugary soda pop and candy. This could have some interesting effects here in Utah, where our legislature blocked using food stamps for those kinds of foods in 2025. The state applied for a waiver to make that change... but now? That could all be in question.

One of the great things about doing a talk show is that you get to spend more time on a topic. Instead of just 40 seconds, we usually get a full 8-9 minutes or so. Starting today, you have another opportunity to go in-depth on the news thanks to a brand new podcast. On the KSL News Daily podcast, KSL NewsRadio host Maria Shilaos will really dig into the most important and interesting local stories. The first episode just dropped today; Maria joins Inside Sources for a preview on this new project.

President Donald Trump is set to make a rare trip to Capitol Hill tomorrow as he tries to unify Republicans around his agenda. One of the big hang-ups for Senate Republicans is Senator Mike Lee's SAVE America Act; it doesn't have the needed number of votes quite yet. Deseret News Congressional Correspondent Cami Mondeaux joins from D.C. to explain the President's trip. She also discusses recent congressional moves on housing and social media safety for kids.

While we're all focused on the primary elections here in Utah today, there's some other interesting election-related news on the national level. Yesterday, a judge blocked the government from using a federal database to check citizenship, saying it could incorrectly purge voters. Greg and Holly discuss the ruling and how it relates to voter privacy.

Whether you're heading to the ballot box or the drop box, Utahns across the state cast their vote today in the primary election. Democrats are largely excited about the 1st Congressional District primary while Republicans look forward to just about all the other elections in the state. Between congressional races, state-level races, and county-level races, there's a lot to cover. Inside Sources has special election coverage, featuring Utah Director of Elections Ryan Cowley, Juab County Clerk Tanielle Callaway, Davis County Clerk Brian McKenzie, and Salt Lake County Clerk Lannie Chapman. Greg and Holly also discuss what will happen in the days and weeks following the polls closing later tonight.

• Judge rules on some issues in Charlie Kirk murder case
• Your Voice, Your Vote: Final day before primary election day
• Fewer teens getting driver's licenses leads to decrease in voter registration among young people
• US-Iran peace negotiations continue
• Reflecting pool problems
• Data center pushback: GOP talking points, fears vs. knowledge
• America250: Should young people have hope in the future of the country?
• GOOOOOOAL: The World Cup continues

In today's final segment, Greg and Holly share their thoughts on the games -- and the fans -- at this year's World Cup. Whether it's the USA or Cape Verde, several teams are doing incredibly well this year. And when it comes to the fans, Holly's fallen in love with both Norwegians and the Scots. Holly also shares her fun facts, and Greg shares his closing argument.

Do younger Americans still have any hope in America? Data from Harvard University's Institute of Politics Youth Poll has a staggering statistic: only 13 percent of youth feel America is heading in the right direction. With that in mind, how can we help younger people have faith and hope in the country's future? For today's America 250 segment, Greg and Holly discuss.

As data centers continue to expand across the country, the pushback from locals near these planned facilities has been growing and growing.  While it appears that the majority of people opposed to these centers are local Americans, a common talking point from GOP lawmakers across the country is that China has been influencing much of this vitriol against the projects. In addition, many say the fears around data centers are unwarranted and that new data dispels many earlier concerns. Deseret News reporter Eva Terry joins the conversation with her findings.

Problems continue for the multi-million dollar renovated reflection pool in Washington, DC. The President blames supposed vandals, and some have even been arrested for alleged vandalism. But is that really to blame? Greg and Holly don't think so; they explain their issues with how the administration is framing this story.

Mediators involved in the US-Iran peace negotiations say both sides have agreed to a new 60-day roadmap toward a final deal. There was some concern earlier on how recent threats from President Trump would affect the discussion, which continues today in Switzerland. Professor Austin Knuppe, Director of the Heravi Peace Institute at Utah State University, shares his thoughts on the latest developments.

A headline in the Utah News Dispatch this morning reads, "When teens drive less, they don't register to vote." And now, civic groups are trying to adapt to changing trends as they work to "get out the vote." This is such an interesting correlation, but it's not the only reason. Even if the rates of teen driver's licenses weren't falling, data show that registration rates among the youngest voters continue to fall. What can be done to reverse this trend?

Utah's primary election day is tomorrow and the candidates are in the final throes of the race. While candidates are in their final push to win votes, there's also some negative campaigning going on as some candidates hope to make last-minute changes to the trajectory of the races. Some of that controversy going on right now is thanks largely in part to the incumbents running and the difference between official mailers and campaign mailers. Greg and Holly discuss what's going on as we quickly approach Election Day.

The defense for Tyler Robinson -- the man charged with shooting and killing political activist Charlie Kirk -- is now asking for the possibility of the death penalty to be taken off the table. They argue that comments made by the Utah County prosecutor's office about a bullet fragment removed from Kirk's body could unfairly sway potential jurors. KSL Legal Analyst Greg Skordas shares his thoughts on the judge's decision to postpone a decision today.

It wasn't a great weekend for fires around the state -- several fires popped up and even forced evacuations. In the hills above Salt Lake City, residents are urged to be on alert and ready to go at a moment's notice should the Bonneville Fire shift directions. But in Juab County, the entire town of Eureka remains under a mandatory evacuation thanks to the 24,000+ acre Iron Fire. No buildings burned at this point, but Highway 6 remains closed in the area.

Utah Firewatch -- Inside Sources gets updates on those two fires from wildfire PIOs Sierra Hellstrom and Toby Weed. KSL Meteorologist Matt Johnson joins to talk about the forecast and the current air quality around the Wasatch Front. Benjamin Donner, Executive Director of the American Red Cross Central and Southern Utah Chapter joins to talk about the things homeowners can do to best prepare for what's to be a rough fire season.

• The effect of deepfake political ads on our elections
• Utah celebrates Juneteenth
• The unique challenges Utah's refugee population faces and how we can help
• Previewing this week's move: Toy Story 5

The big movie this week adds a new element to a nostalgic story. KSL Movie Show hosts Andy Farnsworth and Val Cameron join Greg and Holly to talk about the big movie of the week, Toy Story 5.

Imagine being forced to flee from your home -- forced to run to another country for shelter and safety. And all with the fear that you may never return. That's the very situation many refugees around the world find themselves in. Here in Utah, we house and support thousands of refugees from countries around the globe. These are our neighbors, our friends, our coworkers. And they need our support and help. Ahead of World Refugee Day tomorrow, Amy Dott Harmer with the Utah Refugee Connection joins Inside Sources for an important conversation on refugees.

Today is June 19th, Juneteenth Freedom Day. While not the day when slavery officially ended in the US, this is the day Americans come together to remember and celebrate the end of slavery. In this special hour of Inside Sources, we take a closer look at the holiday itself and at today's celebrations. We also take a deep dive into the impacts on Utah's economy because of the Black community and Black-owned businesses. For those conversations, Greg and Holly are joined by Betty Sawyer, NAACP Ogden branch president and Sidni L. Shorter, PsyD, President and CEO of the Utah Black Chamber. We also talk about the unique family history challenges that come for those of African descent; we're joined in the studio by Thom Reed of FamilySearch International for that part of the story.

Political ads dominate the airwaves and our social media pages during election season -- that's nothing new. What is new, however, is the growing prevalence of AI deepfake ads. New research from Utah Valley University finds that voters aren't very good at distinguishing fake ads from real ones. And that's causing some real issues as we move towards election day. In fact, deepfake videos received equal or even higher credibility scores than their real counterparts... meaning voters often think a deepfake AI video is legitimate, while the real one is not. Director of the Emerging Tech Policy Lab at UVU, Brandon Amacher, joins the show to explain the study.

As Utah's primary election day quickly approaches, President Donald Trump is once again taking a swing at Utah's choice to largely use vote-by-mail. The President made a slew of comments about our election processes in a post on Truth Social, claiming that voting by mail forces states to vote more liberally. But that idea doesn't seem to hold any water here in Utah, where we've been voting by mail for more than a decade and still have a Republican supermajority. Greg and Holly share their thoughts and the reaction from state leaders to the President's comments.

• SCOTUS Decisions 
• Robinson Defense Requests Roommate 
• Man Charged in Data Center Stalking 
• Your Voice, Your Vote: CD3 and other Utah races 
• Parker Kingston Case Dismissed 
• Senator Curtis Celebrates America 250, Hits the Trail! 
• The Second Puberty of Fatherhood
• Fun Facts and Closing Arguments 
   

• Algae in Bloom in the DC Reflecting Pool 
• Property Taxes in SLC 
• Fathers and Postpartum depression 
• Your Voice, Your Vote: CD3 
• Utah's Senate President Race 
• Alleged racial discrimination towards candidate
• Ghost Students
• Forest Service Employees told to get here or get out
• Utah Fans Need to Do Better 
• Fun Facts and Closing Arguments 

• Drone Attack Plan Foiled 
• Salt Lake Temple Open House
• Surfin' Draper 
• Ogden Valley Tax Lawsuit
• A bad check bounces a man back into court
• Utah's aging population 
• Torrey, Utah named top stargazing spot
• America 250: Relay for America 
• Closing Arguments 

• The Other Side of the Other Side
• America's 250th Birthday 
• Your Voice Your Vote: CD1 
• A Deadly Weekend for Daredevils 
• America's Gambling Problem 
• Fun Facts and Closing Arguments! 

• Nixonmaxxing
• Do Smear Campaigns Really Work?
• A Wrongful Arrest out of a Sci-fi Film
• The Highs and Lows of American Education
• We got the flytrap All Wrong
• A Controversial Pick for Deputy Clerk
• The KSL Movie Show!

• County Clerks accused of helping illegal immigrants escape ICE
• How is Utah doing?
• Catching up with Matt Gephardt 
• Inflation and the war in Iran 
• The fight against elder abuse 
• A political cage match, and a literal cage match
• Stuck in the middle with you
• Utah Firewatch 
• First kid, best kid? 

• SLC council seat determined by a coin toss
• Attacks ramp up again between the U.S. and Iran
• Group launches to promote better civil dialogue
• State Senator running for reelection features endorsement he didn't receive
• What would Social Security insolvency actually look like?
• The influence of AI PACs on Utah's elections
• The potential influence of higher inflation on the ongoing midterm elections
• How childhood summer experiences can influence adulthood
• America250: Patriotism vs. Nationalism
• Don't blink! Or actually… maybe blink a little more?

New research from the University of Utah Health says we're not blinking enough, and it's largely thanks to our increased screen time. Greg doesn't quite buy it, but Holly totally does. They share their thoughts and talk about the 20-20-20 rule told to them by producer Andy: every 20 minutes, take 20 seconds to stare at something 20 feet away.

This land was made for you and me. As we move towards our nation's 250th birthday, we're taking time to look closely at our country's identity. In this segment, Greg and Holly talk about democracy, patriotism, and nationalism. A lot of the time these days, nationalism and patriotism are mixed. But that's not always a good thing -- it's led many people to harbor some deep-seated negative feelings towards our country. Inside Sources takes a more 'meta' approach to the whole thing.

As you look back on your childhood and the summers you experienced as a kid, do you remember the things you did? Do you remember the things you learned? A new opinion piece in the Deseret News explains how the summer activities we did as children can have a profound effect on adulthood and the way we act. Greg and Holly reminisce about their own summers as kids.

We've been talking about inflation going up and the higher cost of everything making it harder and harder on everyday Americans. And with the midterms well underway -- at least the primaries -- how might this increased inflation affect voters' decisions? Let's break down these new inflation numbers and their effects with our friend Robert Spendlove, senior economist at Zions Bank.

It's the season for home selling and home buying, but are people actually buying and selling? A new report from Realtor.com says that nearly 5% of home listings were taken off the market last month -- that's the highest share in 4 years. Between that and first-time homebuyers continuing to struggle, what kinds of things can we make out of this more wishy-washy housing market? For answers, Inside Sources is joined by Russell Faucette, co-founder of The Stern Team of Omada Real Estate.

AI and "big data" has sure taken a prominent place on the midterm stage both here in Utah and around the country. Now, we're learning more about the influence AI groups have on some Utah candidates, as AI-related PACs give money to a few people hoping to represent Utahns in the U.S. Congress. It's not chump change -- we're talking more than $1.3 million spent on Utah's primaries alone. Deseret News political reporter Brigham Tomco explains his latest reporting.

We've heard the same warning for decades now: Social Security is running out. Just yesterday, we learned Social Security could become insolvent by 2032… much faster than previously thought. Among the reasons for this drop are stiffening immigration policies and tax cuts. So if Social Security actually does run low on money -- or fully runs out -- what would that look like? Deseret News opinion editor Jay Evensen joins Inside Sources to share his thoughts.

Endorsements can hold a lot of weight. Or, they can also mean absolutely nothing. But either way, you don't say someone endorsed you unless they actually endorse you. In a hotly contested race in Utah's Senate District 18, one candidate included an endorsement from Senator John Curtis on some flyers, even though Senator Curtis hadn't endorsed him. And while State Senator Dan McCay's team has admitted the mistake, those flyers still showed up in voters' mailboxes, much to the chagrin of his opponent, current State Representative Doug Fiefia.

• Utah lawmakers look to make additional changes to voter information privacy
• Partnership penned between state, federal government over public land management
• Family: Helping young people start families, encouraging conversations among teens and parents
• Mixing sports and the law: Thoughts on a recent ruling on a Big 12 football player
• Artificial intelligence and our relationship with God
• Kearns High School removes mirrors from restrooms
• Pres. Trump nominates Todd Blanche to be next U.S. Attorney General
• China selling surveillance and policing to other countries; should we be worried?
• Hunting glow-in-the-dark scorpions; Happy 1st Birthday to Inside Sources with Greg and Holly!

Grab your black lights and glow sticks... we're hunting scorpions. Wait what? You'll want to hear what one Utah state park is doing. Greg and Holly also celebrate the first anniversary of the all-new Inside Sources.