KSL at Night

Host: Adam Gardiner

Examining the issues Utah liberals and conservatives agree with
In politics, we often love to focus on the topics on which we disagree. But what about the issues we – people on all parts of the political spectrum – agree? Turns out in Utah, there are several big issues Democrats and Republicans tend to agree on. Shawn Teigen, president of The Utah Foundation calls into KSL at Night to explain a new report his organization has come out with. What do we agree on here? Listen to find out!

Campaigning and fundraising: more important on the local or national level?
We are now two months from Election Day in November. Now’s the time candidates really start ramping up their campaigning, spending millions and millions of the donated money they have received. KSL at Night host Adam Gardiner talks about campaign fundraising and the role it’s playing in not only the presidential race, but also the down-ballot races across the country.

Why attacks from an Iranian-backed Houthi terrorist group matter to Utah
Recent attacks on ships in the Red Sea have prompted concerns – both politically and ecologically – from Western nations, including the United States. Most of America is probably unfamiliar with the group behind the attacks, the Houthis. Cooper Wimmer, Executive Vice President at Strider Technologies joins the program in the studio to explain to our listeners how these attacks in the Middle East affect those of us here in Utah.

Former New York top aide accused of being a Chinese spy; could it happen in Utah?
A former top aide to the New York Governor was just arrested and charged for being a spy for the Chinese government. How did this kind of thing happen? We discuss the specifics of the case and then shift the focus back to Utah – could a similar thing happen here? We continue our conversation with Cooper Wimmer, Executive Vice President at Strider Technologies; he describes a kind of “playbook” that would allow similar situations with foreign agents here in the Beehive State.

Host: Adam Gardiner

A former top aide to the New York Governor was just arrested and charged for being a spy for the Chinese government. How did this kind of thing happen? We discuss the specifics of the case and then shift the focus back to Utah – could a similar thing happen here? We continue our conversation with Cooper Wimmer, Executive Vice President at Strider Technologies; he describes a kind of “playbook” that would allow similar situations with foreign agents here in the Beehive State.

Host: Adam Gardiner

Recent attacks on ships in the Red Sea have prompted concerns – both politically and ecologically – from Western nations, including the United States. Most of America is probably unfamiliar with the group behind the attacks, the Houthis. Cooper Wimmer, Executive Vice President at Strider Technologies joins the program in the studio to explain to our listeners how these attacks in the Middle East affect those of us here in Utah.

Host: Adam Gardiner

We are now two months from Election Day in November. Now’s the time candidates really start ramping up their campaigning, spending millions and millions of the donated money they have received. KSL at Night host Adam Gardiner talks about campaign fundraising and the role it’s playing in not only the presidential race, but also the down-ballot races across the country.

Host: Adam Gardiner

In politics, we often love to focus on the topics on which we disagree. But what about the issues we – people on all parts of the political spectrum – agree? Turns out in Utah, there are several big issues Democrats and Republicans tend to agree on. Shawn Teigen, president of The Utah Foundation calls into KSL at Night to explain a new report his organization has come out with. What do we agree on here? Listen to find out!

Host: Taylor Morgan

Ballot language released for Constitutional Amendment D 
The ballot language for the constitutional amendment dealing with ballot initiatives has been released. The response has been pretty intense from people on both sides of the issue. We wanted to know more about why the ballot question was phrased the way it was, and why some are so opposed to it. State Senator Kirk Cullimore, Majority Assistant Whip explains more about how the ballot language came to be. Ryan Bell, Better Boundaries Board Member also joins the program to share why that organization is so disturbed by the ballot question’s language. 

Discussing the findings and effects of audit into signature verification process 
Utah State Auditor John “Frugal” Dougall joins KSL at Night to discuss what he found during a recent signature verification process audit. The investigation came following claims that several candidates in the June primary election didn’t have enough signatures to be on the ballot. Auditor Dougall walks listeners through the investigation and shares insights into the “statistical analysis.” 

Younger voters: will they turn out for Kamala Harris in November? 
Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris is making quite an impact on young adults across social media. But will that momentum translate to better turnout at the ballot box on Election Day? Several reports say it’s up in the air; the young generations are too unpredictable. State Senator Nate Blouin shares his thoughts on what he’s seeing with young Democratic-leaning adults. 

Host: Taylor Morgan

Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris is making quite an impact on young adults across social media. But will that momentum translate to better turnout at the ballot box on Election Day? Several reports say it’s up in the air; the young generations are too unpredictable. State Senator Nate Blouin shares his thoughts on what he’s seeing with young Democratic-leaning adults. 

Host: Taylor Morgan

Utah State Auditor John “Frugal” Dougall joins KSL at Night to discuss what he found during a recent signature verification process audit. The investigation came following claims that several candidates in the June primary election didn’t have enough signatures to be on the ballot. Auditor Dougall walks listeners through the investigation and shares insights into the “statistical analysis.” 

Host: Taylor Morgan

The ballot language for the constitutional amendment dealing with ballot initiatives has been released. The response has been pretty intense from people on both sides of the issue. We wanted to know more about why the ballot question was phrased the way it was, and why some are so opposed to it. State Senator Kirk Cullimore, Majority Assistant Whip explains more about how the ballot language came to be. Ryan Bell, Better Boundaries Board Member also joins the program to share why that organization is so disturbed by the ballot question’s language. 

Hosts: Leah Murray and Rusty Cannon

Historic water agreement reached for the Great Salt Lake
Saying they want to “be part of the solution,” Compass Minerals has agreed to an historic agreement with the State of Utah to donate hundreds of thousands of acre feet of water to the Great Salt Lake. Ed Dowling, President and CEO of Compass Minerals joins us in the studio to explain how his company wants to help make sure the lake lasts for generations. Joel Ferry, Executive Director for the Utah Department of Natural Resources (DNR) also joins the program to talk about what this agreement means for the future of the lake. The KSL at Night hosts also discuss the political and legislative steps that led to this development.

State Auditor releases findings of signature verification process investigation
This afternoon, State Auditor John Dougall released the findings of an investigation into the signature verification process here in Utah. It comes following suspicions by some of the former candidates that the winners of the primary races weren’t eligible to be on the June ballot. The KSL at Night hosts discuss the results of the audit and share thoughts on the safety and security of our elections. 

Celebration over removing books from schools features a call for repentance
An event celebrating the removal of books from public schools last week featured a local pastor who called on the authors of those books to repent. This public gathering took place at the State Capitol and was sponsored by a state legislator. We discuss the role of religion in book bans and how it ties in with claims of pornographic material in those books.

The role of Biden and Republicans in Harris’ campaign; other presidential race updates
When President Biden was still running for re-election, it appeared that Democrats had gotten to the point where they didn’t want him making public events. Now that Kamala Harris has received the nomination, she’s beginning to use Biden in her appearances. The KSL at Night hosts discuss what changed with the public’s perception of Biden. We also discuss the role of Republicans in a potential Harris/Walz cabinet and share additional updates on the presidential race.

Dissecting the phrases “far right” and “far left”
Do you consider yourself to be “far left” or “far right?” Where do those terms come from, and how do they apply to the political spectrum? Is the political spectrum as a straight line even an actual thing? We break down why we – as a populace – love to demonize our opponents by calling someone “far right” or “far left.” The KSL at Night hosts discuss how we can move away from using such divisive language in our political discussions.

Sweaty corn increasing humidity; when will “sweatah weathah” finally get here?
KSL at Night host Leah Murray wants to know: when will it finally be cold enough for “sweatah weathah?” She’s tired of this heat! Speaking of heat, is corn in the Midwest making the climate more humid? KSL Chief Meteorologist Kevin Eubank joins the program to share some science and some opinions on these fun weather stories.

Hosts: Leah Murray and Rusty Cannon

KSL at Night host Leah Murray wants to know: when will it finally be cold enough for “sweatah weathah?” She’s tired of this heat! Speaking of heat, is corn in the Midwest making the climate more humid? KSL Chief Meteorologist Kevin Eubank joins the program to share some science and some opinions on these fun weather stories.

Hosts: Leah Murray and Rusty Cannon

Do you consider yourself to be “far left” or “far right?” Where do those terms come from, and how do they apply to the political spectrum? Is the political spectrum as a straight line even an actual thing? We break down why we – as a populace – love to demonize our opponents by calling someone “far right” or “far left.” The KSL at Night hosts discuss how we can move away from using such divisive language in our political discussions.

Hosts: Leah Murray and Rusty Cannon

When President Biden was still running for re-election, it appeared that Democrats had gotten to the point where they didn’t want him making public events. Now that Kamala Harris has received the nomination, she’s beginning to use Biden in her appearances. The KSL at Night hosts discuss what changed with the public’s perception of Biden. We also discuss the role of Republicans in a potential Harris/Walz cabinet and share additional updates on the presidential race.

Hosts: Leah Murray and Rusty Cannon

An event celebrating the removal of books from public schools last week featured a local pastor who called on the authors of those books to repent. This public gathering took place at the State Capitol and was sponsored by a state legislator. We discuss the role of religion in book bans and how it ties in with claims of pornographic material in those books.

Hosts: Leah Murray and Rusty Cannon

This afternoon, State Auditor John Dougall released the findings of an investigation into the signature verification process here in Utah. It comes following suspicions by some of the former candidates that the winners of the primary races weren’t eligible to be on the June ballot. The KSL at Night hosts discuss the results of the audit and share thoughts on the safety and security of our elections. 

Hosts: Leah Murray and Rusty Cannon

Saying they want to “be part of the solution,” Compass Minerals has agreed to an historic agreement with the State of Utah to donate hundreds of thousands of acre feet of water to the Great Salt Lake. Ed Dowling, President and CEO of Compass Minerals joins us in the studio to explain how his company wants to help make sure the lake lasts for generations. Joel Ferry, Executive Director for the Utah Department of Natural Resources (DNR) also joins the program to talk about what this agreement means for the future of the lake. The KSL at Night hosts also discuss the political and legislative steps that led to this development.

Host: Adam Gardiner

What did the American people learn from the Harris/Walz CNN interview?
In her first in-depth interview since President Biden withdrew from the presidential race, Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris sat down with CNN to answer several questions. She was accompanied by her VP pick, Tim Walz; KSL at Night host Adam Gardiner wonders why. He recaps some of the most pertinent questions from the interview, and shares his thoughts on Harris’ answers and the overall tone of it all.

Global terrorism on the rise three years following US withdrawal from Afghanistan
In the three years since the United States withdrew from Afghanistan, we’re seeing a rise in terrorism around the world. Megan Reiss, Founder and CEO of SolidIntel and Nonresident Senior Fellow at the Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security shares her expert opinion on why this is happening, and why it’s happening now. Reiss also describes how several power vacuums have led to this rise in terrorism in places like Africa and what China is doing about it.

Small business owners expecting higher taxes as deduction ends
A tax deduction for small businesses is set to expire in 2025. That could spell disastrous effects for the thousands of small businesses here in Utah. We take a deeper look into policy around those taxes and what can be done to ensure the deduction continues, similar to deductions to major corporations. Casey Hill, Utah State Director for the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) explains how this issue won’t just affect business owners, but also those who frequent small businesses.

Host: Adam Gardiner

A tax deduction for small businesses is set to expire in 2025. That could spell disastrous effects for the thousands of small businesses here in Utah. We take a deeper look into policy around those taxes and what can be done to ensure the deduction continues, similar to deductions to major corporations. Casey Hill, Utah State Director for the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) explains how this issue won’t just affect business owners, but also those who frequent small businesses.

Host: Adam Gardiner

In the three years since the United States withdrew from Afghanistan, we’re seeing a rise in terrorism around the world. Megan Reiss, Founder and CEO of SolidIntel and Nonresident Senior Fellow at the Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security shares her expert opinion on why this is happening, and why it’s happening now. Reiss also describes how several power vacuums have led to this rise in terrorism in places like Africa and what China is doing about it.

Host: Adam Gardiner

In her first in-depth interview since President Biden withdrew from the presidential race, Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris sat down with CNN to answer several questions. She was accompanied by her VP pick, Tim Walz; KSL at Night host Adam Gardiner wonders why. He recaps some of the most pertinent questions from the interview, and shares his thoughts on Harris’ answers and the overall tone of it all.

Hosts: Greg Skordas and Leah Murray

Gov. Cox apologizes for campaign role in Arlington National Cemetery controversy
The United States Army is defending a staffer at Arlington National Cemetery, following controversy involving the staffer and former President Trump’s campaign team earlier this week. Utah Governor Spencer Cox was with the former president during that situation, and later sent out a type of campaign email using pictures taken at the cemetery; he has since apologized for that. Deseret News reporter Brigham Tomco has been following the story and joins us to share some updates.

Discussing religious freedom following Utah politician’s social media post
Utah Representative Trevor Lee sparked controversy this week with a social media post highlighting a group of Muslims in Taylorsville. The post generated a lot of buzz from both sides of the aisle for different reasons. We take this incident to have a larger discussion about the freedom to exercise religion, and KSL at Night host Leah Murray shares some personal examples.

SLCo Mayor Jenny Wilson shares motivation, thoughts on Public Safety Bond
Salt Lake County voters will see a new Public Safety Bond proposal on the November ballot. We’ve discussed the nuts and bolts of the bond, but wanted to learn more about the motivation for the bond. SLCo Mayor Jenny Wilson proposed the bond to the County Council — who approved it 8-1 — and joins KSL at Night to share her thoughts on the bond and what she hopes it will accomplish. 

Yelp sues competitor Google following monopolistic practices
A new lawsuit has been filed against Google; this time it’s coming from competitor review site Yelp. This new suit follows a federal ruling last month which said Google had engaged in illegal, monopolistic conduct. KSL Legal Analyst and KSL at Night host Greg Skordas breaks down this newest case for our listeners.

Revised indictment filed against former President Donald Trump
The Supreme Court’s ruling on presidential immunity threw a bit of a wrench into special counsel Jack Smith’s indictment against former President Donald Trump for his alleged involvement in the January 6th insurrection. Now, Smith has revised his indictment to be more narrow in its scope. We dig into the changes between the old and new filings.

SCOTUS rebuffs Biden Administration’s student debt relief plans… again
President Joe Biden’s SAVE Act hits another snag as the administration pushes for student loan relief. The Supreme Court says the plan must stay on hold as it faces additional court challenges, meaning millions of applicants have to wait longer to learn if they’ll receive student loan forgiveness or not. We take a look at the most recent updates in the process.

Generation Z changing how the workforce uses sick days
Workplace culture is constantly changing; even more so in the days following the COVID pandemic. As younger folks join the workforce, they’ve brought with them a greater sense of self-care, which has included using sick days. Anna Recksiek, HR Business Partner at Bonneville International calls into KSL at Night to discuss the shifting trends she’s seen around sick days and time-off. Make sure you tune in to hear this final segment from our talented hosts, Leah Murray and Greg Skordas!

Hosts: Leah Murray and Greg Skordas

Workplace culture is constantly changing; even more so in the days following the COVID pandemic. As younger folks join the workforce, they’ve brought with them a greater sense of self-care, which has included using their allotted sick days. Anna Recksiek, HR Business Partner at Bonneville International calls into KSL at Night to discuss the shifting trends she’s seen around sick days and time-off. Make sure you tune in to hear this final segment from our talented hosts, Leah Murray and Greg Skordas!

Hosts: Leah Murray and Greg Skordas

President Joe Biden’s SAVE Act hits another snag as the administration pushes for student loan relief. The Supreme Court says the plan must stay on hold as it faces additional court challenges, meaning millions of applicants have to wait longer to learn if they’ll receive student loan forgiveness or not. We take a look at the most recent updates in the process.

Hosts: Leah Murray and Greg Skordas

The Supreme Court’s ruling on presidential immunity threw a bit of a wrench into special counsel Jack Smith’s indictment against former President Donald Trump for his alleged involvement in the January 6th insurrection. Now, Smith has revised his indictment to be more narrow in its scope. We dig into the changes between the old and new filings.

Hosts: Leah Murray and Greg Skordas

A new lawsuit has been filed against Google; this time it’s coming from competitor review site Yelp. This new suit follows a federal ruling last month which said Google had engaged in illegal, monopolistic conduct. KSL Legal Analyst and KSL at Night host Greg Skordas breaks down this newest case for our listeners.