KSL's Inside Sources

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.

Alright, let's be honest with each other for a minute: are you one of those people who doesn't always follow the rules of the road when it comes to the HOV lanes on I-15? The KSL Investigators routinely get emails and messages asking them why the Utah Highway Patrol doesn't enforce existing laws dealing with HOV lanes. But a new investigation finds law enforcement actually does enforce those laws… and often. KSL Investigator Matt Gephardt joins Inside Sources to explain.

AI is in everything nowadays, including in the courtroom. There's a really interesting situation in Arizona where a murder victim was able to "testify" at the sentencing for his murderer. How? Through an AI-created video! The sentencing was last year, but the Court of Appeals in Arizona just overturned the sentence, saying that the judge was overly influenced by artificial intelligence.

AI is playing doctor for Utahns who opt into a new program -- the first in the nation, in fact -- that will handle digital prescriptions. It means you'd never have to see a doctor for certain conditions. Right now, the program only deals with skin care. KSL's Shelby Lofton spoke with the group behind the pilot program; the hosts hear her report and talk about whether or not they'd be comfortable sharing private health information with AI.

For much of his second term in office, Governor Spencer Cox has been pushing for a pro-human approach to artificial intelligence. Last year, he announced a new initiative that would promote a balance between AI and humans; now, he's pushing that initiative to the next level. Yesterday, he signed an order that will add AI literacy training for state employees. The order also addresses how the state plans to use AI in healthcare. For more on that, the hosts turn to Tracy Gruber, Commissioner of the Utah Department of Health and Human Services.

Whether to act now or to wait -- that's the choice before Utah leaders as they grapple with toxic dust from the now-exposed lake bed of the Great Salt Lake. Researchers and advocates say we must do something now, but state leaders say things are at an okay level right now; that toxic dust hasn't exceeded EPA standards yet. Holly and Marty have a conversation about the status of the lake and the recommendations to help save it with Dr. David Parrott, Assistant Director of the Great Salt Lake Institute at Westminster University.

Whether to act now or to wait -- that's the choice before Utah leaders as they grapple with toxic dust from the now-exposed lake bed of the Great Salt Lake. Researchers and advocates say we must do something now, but state leaders say things are at an okay level right now; that toxic dust hasn't exceeded EPA standards yet. Holly and Marty have a conversation about the status of the lake and the recommendations to help save it with Dr. David Parrott, Assistant Director of the Great Salt Lake Institute at Westminster University.

A huge project involving more than 450 nuclear reactors in Carbon County is causing concern for at least one scientist who worries about the amount of heat that would come from the facility. It's called "Project Beehive," and it would include several data centers -- plus those nuclear reactors -- on more than 9,000 acres of BLM land near Price. KSL spoke with the physicist who has the concerns; Holly and guest host Marty Carpenter break down his arguments.

Are Utah's Republican leaders becoming more moderate? The Deseret News reports that a large network of moderate donors is quietly reshaping Utah's Republican politics. It's a movement being pushed by several groups -- including Doers Network and Governing Group -- and it aims to preserve Utah's distinct shade of red when it comes to our politics. Holly Richardson and guest host Marty Carpenter discuss the efforts to distinguish Utah's conservative politics from the rest of the country's.

• Judge overseeing Tyler Robinson case asks attorneys to come up with potential trial dates
• Is Utah's 'bagel era' coming soon?
• Utah Supreme Court hears arguments about new 'constitutional court'
• Should conservatives be more opposed to the death penalty?
• Pres. Trump says losing Los Angeles and San Diego to Iran would be a 'small price to pay'
• U.S. monitoring potential deadly case of the plague in Russia
• President Trump signs order to allow 'red dye' diesel on American roads and highways; Halloween costs soar this year
• Study: children who owned smartphones before age 12 have higher risk of developing eating disorders
• Retired robots toss themselves to a fiery death

It's like something out of The Lord of the Rings -- humanlike robots flinging themselves into fiery pits of doom. An AI robotics company in California decided to retire some of their robots… by throwing them into fiery vats of molten steel. And get this: they even had some help from Arnold Schwarzenegger, who participated in a similar scene at the end of his movie "Terminator 2: Judgment Day."

In today's world, it feels like parents have non-stop battles to protect their kids. Holly's had her fair share of experiences and she's raising a pre-teen right now. So, she finds this new research to be concerning: children who have their own smartphones at age 12 or younger have a major increase in risk for eating disorders. She and Greg break down the new study.

President Trump is on the campaign trail around the country trying to ramp up voters to vote for Republicans in the midterms -- which are now just four weeks away. And the President is vowing to bring diesel prices down by allowing red dye diesel to be used by vehicles that drive on the roads. How would this make a difference? Head of Petroleum Analysis at GasBuddy, Patrick De Haan, joins to provide expert views and context. At the same time, the cost of Halloween is looking to be exceptionally high this year, yet Americans just keep spending money. Why?

Well, this is comforting: the plague might be back. Yay? Right now, the U.S. is closely tracking a fatal case of suspected "pneumonic plague" linked to a research facility in Russia. Russian officials say a young lab worker at an institute in Siberia died after she was diagnosed with "pneumonia of an unknown cause." But the Russians -- as you might expect -- say there were no accidents and the situation is stable. They said the same thing about the Chornobyl disaster 40 years ago, so Holly and Greg aren't inclined to really trust them.

At a campaign rally in Nebraska yesterday, President Trump said he'd be okay with Iran taking out Los Angeles or San Diego if it meant the U.S. could win the war. His comments sparked outrage from both Democrats and Republicans -- including Greg and Holly -- who say a sitting President should never make comments insinuating that he'd be okay with losing millions of American lives on American soil. For Holly, one of the most upsetting things is the crowd that cheered the President's remarks. She and Greg discuss the situation.

Death penalties are controversial and usually evoke some pretty strong feelings from people on both sides of the issue. It makes sense: we're giving the government permission to kill a person. Here in Utah, Douglas Carter had his death penalty conviction overturned. In Tennessee, the state epically botched a death penalty conviction last week. Both of these have really brought the topic of capital punishment back into the news. In a new opinion piece in the Deseret News, opinion editor Jay Evensen makes an argument that conservatives should actually be against the death penalty.

Is it constitutional for the Utah legislature to create a court to deal with constitutional issues? That's the crux of a question now before the Utah Supreme Court. The Utah legislature created the court in the wake of several constitutional questions coming before the courts, like redistricting and abortion. But the people behind those original lawsuits argue that lawmakers are blurring the lines separating the branches of government by doing this. KSL digital political reporter Bridger Beal-Cvetko was in the courtroom yesterday as the high court heard several hours of testimony; he joins Inside Sources with more.

Did you know Utah's considered a bagel desert? Not just a typical desert, but a desert of bagels. Well, that might be changing! Several new bagel shops are popping up and Axios ventures to say our time of bagel sadness may finally be over. For more on the current bagel scene in Utah and to discuss what really makes a good bagel, Holly and Greg speak with KSL's resident bagel expert, former New Yorker and KSL NewsRadio reporter Cameron Elliott.

Could things be speeding up in the murder case against Tyler Robinson, the man charged with killing Charlie Kirk? The judge is now asking attorneys on the case to submit dates to go to trial. That sounds pretty normal, but our own KSL Legal Analyst Greg Skordas says he has some thoughts on the process.

We're counting down the days -- 28 of them, to be exact -- until the midterm election. Next week, ballots will start hitting mailboxes across the state. Ahead of election day, most of Utah's county clerks have united around shared standards for the election. Weber County Clerk and Auditor Ricky Hatch joins to explain what that means for voters. At the same time, President Trump is changing his tune on mail-in voting. But why? Greg and Holly discuss.

• The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints leaders discuss gambling, respect and Jesus Christ during semiannual General Conference
• How loud is too loud? Complaints pour in over loud music festival in Sandy
• Second-chance career fair held in Ogden for people with criminal backgrounds
• Celebrating National Be Nice Day
• The AI Files: CEO says to just accept bad things, more people turning to AI for legal advice
• Your Voice, Your Vote: Candidates in Utah's 3rd Congressional District debate policy
• Young Jazz fan making waves on the internet

The Utah Jazz pre-season is officially underway. Last night, they beat the Denver Nuggets 109 to 97. One of their young fans is getting pretty popular on social media right now thanks to his excitement for the team. Holly and Greg hear from the young boy and then finish the show by talking about what happened on this day in history.

There are fewer than 30 days to go until the midterm election, and the candidates are ramping up their campaigning. Last week, we spoke about the recent debate in the First Congressional District -- the one that now covers a good chunk of Salt Lake County.  This segment, we talk about the race in the 3rd Congressional District between incumbent Republican Celeste Maloy and Democrat Kent Udell. You may have missed this, but the two actually look to the debate stage on Friday night... discussing things like affordability, public lands, and data centers.

Just trust us… we'll figure it out. Don't worry about the mistakes… it'll be okay. That's the message coming from the CEO of OpenAI, who says, "the world should just accept some bad things happening" as long as it helps AI develop. At the same time, we're reading about more and more people using AI for legal matters. ChatGPT, Attorney at Law? Eh, maybe not so fast.

Mr. Rogers said it best: "There are three ways to ultimate success. The first way is to be kind. The second way is to be kind. The third way is to be kind." Today's National Be Nice Day, and it's a day set aside to really promote this idea of kindness and the need for it in our society. For more on how to do and say nice things, the hosts are joined by Mason Bennett, Executive Director of One Kind Act a Day.