KSL's Inside Sources

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

• Crumbl's cookie empire looks like it's crumbling
• Tooele County Planning Commission tables ordinance on data centers
• Brewing Utah Weather: remnants of Hurricane Rachel are coming to Utah
• Your Voice, Your Vote: CD-4 candidates spar over gas prices and Iran War
• Utah teen creates AI app to track potholes

Greg and Holly finish the week chatting about the big movie of the week with the hosts of the KSL Movie Show, Val Cameron and Andy Farnsworth. They discuss the movie The Social Reckoning and answer the movie question of the week: What is your favorite Samuel L. Jackson movie?

Rising costs for household essentials typically leads to less spending on discretionary items. And that could be playing into some financial issues for the Utah-based purveyor of sugary treats in bright pink boxes: Crumbl Cookies. The CEO recently told franchise owners of the financial difficulties facing the company. Holly and Jim discuss the potential effects a struggling economy could have on this business and others like it.

The man convicted of a mass shooting in 2009 at Fort Hood in Texas is set to be executed for his crimes in December. He'll face the firing squad, and now Sec. of Defense Pete Hegseth says the killing will be livestreamed for all to see. For a country that hasn't had public executions in several decades, Holly Richardson and guest host Jim Bennett have a lot of concerns with this move; they discuss.

It feels like every AI story we have nowadays is a bad story. So, it's a nice change when we have something positive! And this story is definitely positive. A student at Salt Lake City's West High School is using AI to find and document potholes on the road. Ivan Turan created an iPhone app called "Pothole AI". It identifies potential potholes and automatically records the location of each detection. The goal is to make it easier for road crews to then come out and fix the holes.

Gas prices and the Iran War took center stage during last night's 4th Congressional District candidate debate. Democrat Jonny Larsen and current Republican Representative Mike Kennedy sparred several times over President Trump. Rep. Kennedy defended his record, saying he's working to make Washington smaller and Utah stronger. Larsen closed his own remarks with the question: "Would you like a blue dog or a lapdog to this administration?" In this segment, we continue our coverage of the midterm election, now just 25 days away.

After several hours of public debate and discussion, the Tooele County Planning Commission has tabled a potential ordinance on data centers. The proposal would have created a specific chapter in county code that addresses data centers. County leaders say they're trying to get ahead of proposed facilities in their community, but hundreds of county residents have asked the planning commission to not approve the ordinance. For more on why they're opposed and what they hope the county does instead, the hosts hear from TooeleCARES' Amy Lawson.

Clear skies right now and a beautiful fall day on tap. But the weather is quickly going to change and we could see quite a bit of rain over the next several days. What makes this so interesting though is where the rain is coming from! It doesn't happen super often, but Utah's going to get the remnants of Hurricane Rachel from the Pacific Ocean. For more on what to expect over the weekend and into next week, Holly Richardson and guest host Jim Bennett speak with KSL Meteorologist Matt Johnson.

• New survey launched on businesses wanted for new sports and entertainment district
• Report: ChatGPT for teens not fulfilling all protection promises
• Opinion: Colleges should take advantage of debates among students on free speech
• Pres. Trump sends federal emergency funds to go to Beaver, Piute Counties after fires and floods
• Current sheriff in Wasatch County and former sheriff in Summit County indicted on criminal charges
• FCC to potentially allow more political robocalls ahead of the midterms
• Would Congress be open to bailing out the AI industry?
• Utah's Water Infrastructure: Do taxpayers have the full picture?
• New report highlights government policies that support families state-by-state
• New disclaimer on Reese's peanut butter pumpkins

Reese’s peanut butter pumpkins have a new disclaimer this year. And it has nothing to do with the ingredients — it has everything to do with the look. The disclaimer reads: "Carving not on actual product." The little image on the package has a Jack-o'-lantern cut-out, and that simple design has been the subject of a massive lawsuit over deceptive marketing. It's important to note that the lawsuit has been dismissed ... twice now. But the disclaimer is here to stay! At least for this season.

When it comes to providing assistance and support for families, it's something host Holly Richardson really cares about. Now, a new report digs into government policies across the country and examines which ones have proven effective, with data showing that they help families. Deseret News family reporter Lois Collins joins the program to explain the new study from Vanderbilt University.

Should Utahns pay more for their water to pay for future projects? It sounds pretty normal, right? The issue deals with a lack of transparency on revenue -- how much money do water districts already have? The Utah Rivers Council says the state is asking for Utahns to pay more money for their water without fully justifying why they need it or why they can't use existing revenue for it. The non-profit contacted KSL, which dug into the request and the process behind it. For more on this, we turn to KSL Investigator Daniella Rivera.

AI is seeing quite a boom right now... but what happens if there's a bust? If you remember the dot-com bubble, tech can come and go so fast, and millions of people could be affected. But if a bust happens, should the government step in to "bail" them out? Right now, members of Congress say no way. But could that change after the midterms? And for those who say AI is too big to fail, remember: nothing is immune to failure.

The Federal Communications Commission says it may loosen rules on political robocalls before next month's midterm election. Plus, they may allow AI-created calls as well. This has many concerned that unwanted, partisan, and misleading automated calls could surge in the days leading up to the election. If you hate robocalls, you'll want to hear this segment.

Two public officials are facing criminal charges right now, after a grand jury indicted them on allegations that they mishandled parts of the Kouri Richins murder investigation. The former sheriff of Summit County and the current sheriff of Wasatch County are accused of obstructing justice in the case. Holly Richardson and guest host Rusty Cannon discuss how these charges could affect the defense's push for a new trial.

Major disaster funding from the federal government will be coming to Beaver and Piute Counties. President Trump signed an emergency declaration for the communities affected by the Cottonwood Fire, plus the flooding and mudslides that followed. Utah officials say there's at least $47 million dollars in possible damage from the events over the summer. With more on this declaration and how it'll go into effect, the hosts speak with Joe Dougherty of the Utah Division of Emergency Management.

Has there been a greater push for free speech on college campuses around the U.S.? And if there has, has it resulted in more openness and more public debate? New data from the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE) says "cancel culture" is still alive and well, and it's causing many students to hold back on giving their true opinions. But the report also found that students are still talking -- even with a bit of fear. For more on this, Holly Richardson and guest host Rusty Cannon speak with Deseret News contributor and professor of politics at Sarah Lawrence College, Dr. Sam Abrams.

The supposedly safe teen accounts for ChatGPT might not be all that safe. A new report from Common Sense Media finds that some of the teen protections work -- like refusing to do explicitly sexual things. But there were a lot of protections that didn't work, like notifying parents about risky behavior and conversations dealing with things like suicide, self-harm, or eating disorders.

The rest of the country took notice of Utah this past weekend when a prominent leader of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints condemned gambling and prediction markets. Here in Utah, platforms like Kalshi and DraftKings are already illegal... or are they? Depends on who you ask. Remember, Kalshi is in a legal battle with the state right now -- they say federal law allows them to operate here. But Utah's own Attorney General says "hold up" -- they are still very much illegal. So what gives?

• Physicists voice concern with nuclear/data center project known as Project Beehive
• Healing the Great Salt Lake: dangerous dust and ongoing drought
• Gov. Cox announces new pushes for more pro-human AI in state government
• Utahns can test getting prescriptions prescribed by AI
• Appeals court overturns Arizona sentencing because judge was too influenced by AI
• KSL Investigates: UHP actually does crack down on HOV lane violators
• Local cities, ski resorts preparing for Utah 2034 Winter Olympics
• Fun Fall Festivities; leaf-peeping schedule updates
• Amazon collecting personal data and creating a deeply personal profile of who it thinks you are

You know how Amazon is always recommending things to you based on what you've bought before? Well, get a load of this! Apparently, Amazon is doing more than recommending products -- it's actually been building a little profile of who it thinks you are. And some of these descriptions are… surprisingly personal. People have been checking their Amazon “About You” profiles only to find out that Amazon has decided some shoppers have things like “flat buttocks.”  Nothing says “personalized shopping experience” like Amazon body-shaming you.

The hotter-than-average temperatures we've been experiencing definitely don't feel like fall, but things are about to change. Fall activities are already underway and KSL Meteorologist Matt Johnson says the leaf-peeping season has already passed its peak. Holly and guest host Marty Carpenter discuss some of the more unique things about fall in Utah.

There are just over 7 years to go until the world comes back to Utah for the 2034 Winter Games. And preparations are well underway -- both at the state level and down at the local level. We're learning now that the city of Park City is considering a kind of funding pool to help local businesses prepare for the Games -- that's according to the Park Record. And the ski resorts are also getting ready, with several planning expansions, new lifts, and new runs to handle the onslaught of visitors.