KSL's Inside Sources

• Utah Firewatch: High heat and high fire risk coming this weekend
• Senate committee votes to hold Dr. Anthony Fauci in Contempt of Congress
• Examining Utah's college graduation retention rates
• Back to School: How are Utah schools planning to use AI in the classroom?
• Lawsuit filed against state over plans to tax 'big tech'
• National, local changes to child care
• Gene editing to create hypoallergenic beagles
• LinkedIn adds button to flag 'AI slop'

If you get on social media nowadays, you're bound to see something a lot of people tend to hate. In fact, it's been lovingly (or annoyingly) called "AI slop," and it = covers any kind of AI-generated content that looks... well... sloppy. Now, a major social media platform has created a new button so that users can flag this kind of "AI slop."

Scientists are using gene editing to create hypoallergenic beagles -- dogs that people with canine allergies would be able to own and be around. Greg and Holly both found the story fascinating at first, but Inside Sources Executive Producer Andy Cupp -- who's also the proud owner of two beagles -- had some serious concerns. Turns out he's not alone; many on social media share the same worries. So what are they concerned about? Andy joins the show to discuss.

Child care regulations might mostly be tossed out under new plans from the Trump Administration. This morning, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services said the proposed policy changes would put more decision-making in the hands of local governments. Speaking of local control and child care, the chair of the Salt Lake County Council is also defending the council's decision earlier this year to end county-run daycare programs. With so much going on with child care right now, Inside Sources talks more about it.

Taxing big tech companies -- is it legal or not? The state of Utah says it is; in fact, they passed a bill to do just that in the last legislative session. But the Utah Taxpayers Association disagrees, saying the state's new law violates existing federal law. Remember, the legislature passed the bill to tax large tech companies earlier this year, saying it's meant to target ads that are supposedly designed to addict minors. KSL Legal Analyst Greg Skordas shares his takes on what this lawsuit could mean for the future of "big tech" in Utah.

Education and artificial intelligence -- are they polar opposites? Or can they work hand-in-hand? And if they can work together, what's the most effective, most ethical way? Today, we really dig into artificial intelligence and how the state of Utah plans to use it in the coming school year. Over the course of two segments, Greg and Holly consult Matt Winters, AI Specialist at the Utah State Board of Education, to learn how schools, teachers, parents, and students can best use AI in the coming school year.

Utah's college students head back to class in just a few weeks. As we talk about back-to-school, we can't forget our college and university students. In this segment, Greg and Holly talk about graduation retention rates -- what drives people to go to college, stay in college, graduate from college, and then live in the same place where they earned their degree? Dr. Peter Bahr, Vice President of Employer Engagement and Managing Research Director for the Institute for the Future of Work at Strada Education Foundation, joins them.

The Senate Homeland Security Committee has voted to hold Dr. Anthony Fauci in Contempt of Congress. Dr. Fauci oversaw the beginning of the nation's response to the COVID-19 pandemic. There have been conspiracies following him around for years, so he was subpoenaed to testify before a congressional committee. But he didn't really answer any of their questions, choosing to invoke his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination 111 times. So what happens next?

Little-to-no relief in sight for wildfires burning around the state today. And the heat that's blowing into Utah for the weekend... well, it's certainly not helping very much. This summer feels like it's just dragged on and on and on when it comes to fires. And with the heat, the last couple of months have certainly been challenging. Inside Sources shares updates on new fires around the state, the fires that continue to burn out of control, and the potential long-term effects of the blazes here in Utah.

Utah's water systems -- and public utilities systems in general -- could be susceptible to attacks from Iran. According to a new intelligence note reviewed by ABC News, Utah is one of more than a dozen states that could find themselves the subject of cyberattacks from bad foreign actors. We've known for a while now that we could face attacks -- a legislative audit from the last general session confirmed as much. But according to ABC News, we were actually the target of attempted attacks last November. Greg and Holly share their thoughts on the fragility of our security systems.

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

• The role ethics is playing in the midterm elections
• Man accused of killing Santaquin police sergeant to stand trial for aggravated murder
• Impact foreign buyers have on Utah's housing market
• Back to School: Using technology to prepare for a new school year 
• Bipartisan push in Congress for better forest management 

Read these phrases aloud and think about what's wrong with them: Match and mix,  jelly and peanut butter, stones and sticks, Clyde and Bonnie. Did those sound right to you? Probably not. They're called irreversible binomials, and Merriam Webster dictionaries is teaching us all about it on their social media. If you haven't seen their X/Twitter posts, you have to check them out -- they're both educational and fun!

Every election season, we hear from people across the country pleading for more ethical and moral candidates. But when push comes to shove and we're casting our ballot, it often feels like it's a low priority. One thing that's been really interesting to watch in this midterm election season has been this push for ethical lawmakers. At the same time however, some unethical or immoral candidates have also been pushed ahead. So when Election Day finally rolls around, will ethics actually matter?

In some developing news today, the man accused of killing a Santaquin police sergeant will stand trial for 15 charges after all, including aggravated murder and two counts of attempted aggravated murder. Michael Aaron Jayne has been charged for killing Sergeant Bill Hooser in May 2024. In this segment, KSL Legal Analyst Greg Skordas catches listeners up on how the case has been progressing behind the scenes.

Foreign citizens are fewer buying homes in the United States right now. The National Association of Realtors says it's the second lowest rate of foreigners buying U.S. homes since 2009. So what does a thing like that do to the market? And specifically here in Utah -- how does that affect things? Inside Sources gets some answers from Russell Faucette, co-founder of The Stern Team of Omada Real Estate.

This whole week, we're spending time each day to get you and your family ready for back-to-school season. With the start of school right around the corner, we want to talk about technology -- how can you best use it to prepare for heading back into the classroom? And what things are in high supply already, so you can plan your shopping a bit better? Today, Greg and Holly speak with Amy Eisinger, a Google Search Trend Expert who talks more about using Google to get ready for a new school year. 

It's not very often that Congress can come together and cross party lines to get something done. But the ongoing wildfires around the country may have lit a bit of a fire under lawmakers, and now they have a rare bipartisan priority: wildfire prevention. Utah's own Senator John Curtis is now asking his colleagues to pass a bill aimed at forest management. It's being called the Fix Our Forests Act. Deseret News congressional correspondent Cami Mondeaux has been following this bill and joins us with more. 

The U.S. stock market hit record highs on Tuesday, and profits for A-I and oil companies continue to soar. So amidst all of that, how are you feeling? How's your wallet feeling right now? The Trump Administration continues to relish in a strong stock market, but are the benefits trickling down to the average consumer? Dr. Michael Kofoed, Assistant Professor of Economics at the University of Tennessee at Knoxville joins to talk about the disconnect. 

The fallout over the Trump Administration's decision to slash the size of Bears Ears and Grand Staircase Escalante monuments continue this morning. Now, we're getting insights into what the White House knew before the decision. When signing the executive order, President Trump said recreation in the area was virtually impossible, and that was a reason to cut the size -- so more people could allegedly use them. But documents uncovered by The New York Times show that the White House knew that wasn't exactly true. 

President Trump is backing planned data centers and AI expansion around the country, saying the concerns many Americans have about these facilities are unfounded. He says data centers will be good for local communities and that Democratic-run states and cities are actually the cause of the country's problems. The Inside Sources hosts certainly have some thoughts on these claims. 

More than 200 residents of a Midvale apartment complex that saw a massive fire on Friday are still waiting for answers and direction this morning. Many on social media have slammed the owners of the North Union Apartments, saying there's been little to no communication on next steps for the tenants. On top of that, many tenants have shared concerns about a so-called renter's insurance policy through their landlord. Greg and Holly share updates on the investigation and Greg shares legal insights into this so-called renter's insurance policy. 

Utah's long history of anti-gambling laws actually do apply to sports betting on prediction markets like Kalshi. That's what a judge ruled yesterday, siding with Utah's Attorney General. This whole thing with prediction markets is pretty convoluted and complicated. Even though states have the right to regulate gambling, there have been certain loopholes and definitions which have allowed this kind of gambling to continue regardless of state laws. Utah Attorney General Derek Brown joins Inside Sources to talk about the efforts to end those kinds of workarounds. 

• Utah Firewatch: 2nd worst fire season on record… so far
• Popular "hot dog on wheels" stops by KSL NewsRadio
• Poll: Voters prefer Democrats over Republicans to tackle the current economy
• Resale hustles -- are they worth it?
• Back to School: The costs of preparing for your kids to head back to class
• The immigration debate: What Utah's Senators are doing to fix a broken immigration system
• The importance of estate planning ahead of time
• Say bye-bye to your robotic vacuum. It could be a Chinese spy.

Do you have a robotic vacuum? Do you like it? Almost everyone we talk to says it's great in theory and can certainly have its perks. But overall… it appears to be more of a hassle than what it's worth. Well it might be time to bid your robotic vacuum 'adieu.' Greg and Holly discuss a new rule from the FCC to ban foreign-made household robots -- including your vacuum -- for being threats to national security.

Getting older has its pros and it certainly has it cons. Throw in an illness or something debilitating, and it creates a whole new challenge. That's why it's so important to prepare and plan as early as possible. A new article in the Deseret News takes a closer look at families who have loved ones with Alzheimer's and how they're getting their affairs in order before things get too difficult.